HC Deb 28 January 1986 vol 90 cc485-6W
16. Ms. Harman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to guarantee the continued payment of fees for elderly or disabled people in private residential care who were paying their own fees until 1985 and who are now dependent on supplementary benefit.

Mr. Newton

In most such cases benefit will be payable up to the level of the normal limits laid down by Parliament. However, larger amounts may be payable in a few exceptional cases.

51. Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the current requirements for the registration and licensing of all nursing homes and residential care homes for the elderly under the Registered Homes Act 1984 and the Residential Care Homes Regulations 1984; and how many of each were so registered in each of the past three years.

Mr. Whitney

We are satisfied that the Registered Homes Act 1984 and associated regulations which came into force on 1 January 1985 improved and strengthened the registration arrangements for nursing homes and residential care homes. It is too soon to assess their impact but the Department's social services inspectorate is conducting a study over two years to see how local authorities are implementing the new legislation and what effect it is having on standards in residential care homes and we shall consider their report in due course with interest.

The numbers of registered residential care homes in England for elderly and disabled people at 31 March of the last three years was as follows:

Number
1983 4,509
1984 5,222
1985 *6,443
*Provisional.
Comparable information on nursing homes is not available. The total number of nursing homes registered in England, excluding those with operating theatres, at 31 December each year was:
Number
1982 1,036
1983 1,127
1984 1,295

38. Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with the operation of the procedures for placing elderly people in residential homes and nursing homes at his Department's expense.

Mr. Newton

We are currently reviewing the financial limits for payments of supplementary benefit in such cases, as I indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) earlier today, and as I have stated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) today, we are working with the local authority associations with a view to improved co-operation between the Department and local authorities in this field.