§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will seek to introduce the same weekly payments to residents in county councils' residential homes as are currently paid to elderly residents' private residential homes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyAs explained in our White Paper, "Caring for People", the Government wish to340W ensure that local authorities consider making use of the independent sector when placing people in residential settings under their community care responsibilities from April 1993.
We do not therefore propose to change the arrangements for paying social security benefits to people in local authority homes apart from personal allowances, which are to be awarded at the same rate to all residents supported from public funds in all homes, local authority, voluntary and private.