§ 15. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on progress being made in his talks with local authorities about a common minimum scale of boarding-out charges for foster children.
§ Dr. OwenOfficials of the local associations at a meeting on 15th July made it clear that they were aware of the variation in the rates and structure of allowances paid by different local authorities and of the case for greater uniformity. However, in view of the Government's call for reductions in the levels of local authority expenditure, they felt unable at present to recommend to their members any change which might involve any local authority in additional expenditure. They offered to consider, as soon as resources allowed, whether simple and flexible guidelines could be recommended to their members for implementation, possibly on a regional basis.