§ Mr. Malinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the report of the Second Joint Working Party on supplementary benefit and residential care will be published.
§ Mr. NewtonThe joint working party's report is being published today, as is the report of the associated pilot studies conducted by the university of York into the assessment of residents' care needs and of the reasonableness of the charges levied in homes. Copies have been placed in the Library.
The Government will not be seeking to reach conclusions on the joint working party's report in isolation, but will be considering it in the context of other studies, including to work of Lady Wagner's group on the role of residential care and Sir Roy Griffiths' wider examination of the use of resources in relation to community care. Meanwhile, we will welcome views from interested parties and the public about the options identified by the working party.