§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance he has offered to local authorities in Wales on the contribution he expects them to make towards the provision of suitable homes for(a) disabled people and (b) elderly and very elderly people as part of the implementation of community care policies outlined in his recent White Paper.
§ Mr. GristI fully recognise the importance of housing in relation to community care. This has been clearly reflected both in the Welsh chapter of the recently published White Paper, and in the draft planning guidance on the development of social care plans for the relevant client groups in Wales, which issued for consultation on 26 January. This covered the involvement of housing associations and local authorities. I await the result of the consultation exercise with interest.