§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the local authority associations' estimate that the proposed residential care order is likely to cost £5 million; what is his estimate of the likely cost; and on what this estimate is based.
§ Sir George YoungIn producing estimates, both the local authorities and I have had to make judgments about such matters as the number of youngsters to whom the order might be applied, the extent to which courts will use 31W it and the cost of providing care. The local authorities' estimate of £5 million as the likely additional cost to them is probably not far off the mark.