§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many local authorities in England and Wales provide home helps at the level recommended in the DHSS guidelines; and if he will list those so providing in the Official Report;
(2) how many home helps are currently employed by local authorities in England and Wales; and how these figures compare with the up-to-date DHSS guidelines on home helps;
(3) how many local authorities offer a seven-day-a-week home help service; and if he will list these in the Official Report.
§ Mr. MoyleAt 30th September 1975, the latest figures which are available, 11 local authorities in England were providing home help service in excess of the38W DHSS guidelines, which is for a ratio of 12 home helps per 1,000 population over 65. These authorities were:
Barnsley. Newcastle on Tyne. Camden. Oldham. Greenwich. Southwark. Hackney. Sunderland. Knowsley. Tameside. Lewisham. The number of home helps—whole-time equivalent—employed by local authorities in England at 30th September 1975 was 42,500. This represents a ratio of 6.5 home helps per 1,000 population over 65.
I understand from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales that at 30th September 1975 no local authority in Wales was providing home help service at the level envisaged in the guidelines; that the number of home helps employed in Wales was 2,700—whole-time equivalent; and that this represents a ratio of 6.7 per 1,000 population over 65.
I regret that the statistics collected centrally do not show those local authorities providing a home help service on seven days each week.
§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authorities in England and Wales have increased charges for the home help service in 1976–77.
§ Mr. MoyleInformation on the level of charges made by individual local authorities for the services of home helps is not collected by my Department.
§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authorities in England and Wales have reduced expenditure on home help provision in the current financial year.