§ Mr. ThorntonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on progress on the establishment of national standards governing private residential and nursing homes and on the provision of a national inspectorate for such homes.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe Residential Care Homes Regulations 1984 and the Nursing Homes and Mental Nursing Homes Regulations 1984 set out the facilities and services to be provided in these homes. An independent working party convened by the Centre for Policy on Ageing produced in the same year a code of practice for residential care, "Home Life", which was endorsed by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Social Services and for Wales. The following year the National Association of Health Authorities published a handbook for health authorities, "Registration and Inspection of Nursing Homes". Any changes in the existing arrangements for registration and inspection would need to take account of what is said about homes in the reports expected shortly of Lady Wagner's review of residential care, Sir Roy414W Griffiths' overview of community care and the Social Services Inspectorate's report on the implementation of the Registered Homes Act 1984.