§ Dr. Hampsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken, in the context of the Government's policy towards deregulation and in the light 694W of the recommendations contained in the White Papers on that subject, Cmnd. 9571 and 9794, to review the regulations covering old people's residential homes; what assessment he has made of the implications of any relaxation in those regulations for the control of abuses; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitneyI refer my hon. Friend to the reply by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms. Short), on 12 June at column288, and reaffirm that there are no proposals to deregulate residential care homes.
I further refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Bruinvels), on 3 June at column 548, on the two-year study which is being carried out by the Social Services Inspectorate. When the inspectorate's further report is available the regulatory arrangements will be reviewed and account will then be taken of the responses to the enterprise and deregulation unit's recent consultation with local authorities and other interested bodies in connection with the review of licensing described in the White Paper "Building Business … Not Barriers".