§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate how many people have been unable to enter residential care due to the new board and lodging limits.
§ Mr. NewtonThe supplementary benefit board and lodging limits allow reasonable charges for residential care homes to be met, and cover the charges in a large number of homes. In addition, local authorities have power to provide or pay for residential accommodation under the National Assistance Act 1948 and the National Health Service Act 1977, and in certain cases to "top up" the amount available from supplementary benefit. There is therefore no reason to attribute to the limits the effect implied in my hon. Friend's question.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what plans he has for introducing further categories of claimants under the new board and lodging arrangements for those people in residential care;
(2) if he intends to introduce new regional limits under the board and lodging arrangements for top people in residential care.
§ Mr. NewtonWe are currently carrying out a review of the limits for all types of supplementary benefit board and lodging allowances, and will announce our conclusions in due course.
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§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received on the board and lodging arrangements for people in residential care.
§ Mr. NewtonSince April last year, when new arrangments were introduced, we have received representations on the supplementary benefit limits for people in residential care from the main bodies with an interest in residential care in both the voluntary and private sectors, the local authority associations, individual local authorities and a large number of interested individuals.