§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has received any evidence to indicate that the full cost to public funds of private residential care is less than that which would be incurred if similar care were provided by local authorities.
§ Mr. MellorWe are aware of certain studies of the costs of residential care. However, the very limited scope of the studies and the difficulties in making comparisons means that we are unable to draw general conclusions as to the relative cost to public funds of provision in different sectors.