§ Mr. Andrew BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places are currently provided by health authorities for the elderly in nursing homes in each health authority in England.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not held centrally.
The Government consider continuous nursing care services to be an integral part of NHS provision for those elderly people who require them. However, the actual level of service to be provided by a health authority is a matter for that authority to decide for itself based on local needs and priorities.