§ Mr. Andrew WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to meet representatives of Scottish local authorities to discuss the new arrangements regarding Department of Social Security payments to local authorities for domiciliary care, to be introduced in April 1991.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyI understand that representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) have already met my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office to discuss community care. As part of preparations for implementing the Government's proposals for community care, Department of Health820W officials are holding a series of meetings with representatives of the local authority associations to discuss, among other matters, the arrangements for transferring to local authorities the resources which the Government would otherwise have provided to finance care through social security payments to people in residential and nursing homes. Representatives of COSLA have taken part in these discussions.