§ Mr. Frank Cookasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the information available to his Department from sample surveys of the charges being made for ordinary board and lodging accomodation at the time when the weekly upper limits for ordinary board and lodging claims provided under the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements and Resources) Regulations 1985 were set.
§ Mr. WhitneyI refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury on 20 June at column197 and on 17 July.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how much was being paid in board and lodging allowances in each year since 1979 in respect of people living in residential homes and registered nursing homes, respectively; and what is his estimate for 1985–86 and 1986–87;
(2) how many people receiving board and lodging allowance were living in residential homes and registered nursing homes, respectively, in each year since1979; and what is his Departmemnt's estimate of the likely total at the end of 1985–86 and in 1986–87.
§ Mr. WhitneyInformation is not available in the precise form requested. The following table gives numbers of residents in private and voluntary homes receiving supplementary benefit and total amounts of benefit paid for each year from 1979 to 1984. Reliable forecasts for subsequent years are not available.
Number of residents Total Annual Expenditure (based on December Figures) £ million 1979 11,000 10 1980 12,000 18 1981 12,000 23 1982 15,700 39 *1983 25,800 102 †1984 42,500 190 * provisional. † estimate.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment has been made by his 234W Department of the likely impact of the change in board and lodging allowance of the standard of provision for residential care in the private and voluntary sectors, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonThe new limits are intended to allow reasonable charges to be met in homes satisfying the registration requirements. We have undertaken to keep the limits under review. We shall take careful account of representations and of monitoring and inquiries we have initiated.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the likely impact of the change in board and lodging allowance on the quality and extent of the policy of care in the community.
§ Mr. NewtonExisting arrangements for people with special needs living in the community in ordinary board and lodging accommodation under adult fostering schemes and similar arrangdments will be unaffected, save by changes in the level of the local limits. They will remain eligible for the £16.15 extension to the local limits, and where attendance allowance is in payment it will be disregarded in the normal way. It will, as now, be possible for local authorities to top up these payments if additional help is needed.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for social Services what consultation took place with chief medical and nursing officers in his Department on the likely impact of the change in board and lodging allowances on the programme to increase and improve care in the community.
§ Mr. NewtonIt is not the practice to disclose details of internal discussions among officials within Government Departments.