§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he has any plans to enable local authorities to pay family members or individuals for taking over the care of disabled people now living in residential homes;
(2) if he has any plans to enable local authorities to pay family members or individuals for the care they give to disabled people living in their homes or those of members of their family.
§ Mr. Freeman[holding answer 27 March 1990]: As my hon. Friend the Minister for Health explained to the Standing Committee on the National Health Service and Community Care Bill on 22 February at column 1230, we are looking into the possibility of empowering people assessed by local authorities as needing community care services and unable to pay for them out of their own resources to arrange the services of their choice by making it possible for local authorities to make payment to them. Our conclusions will be announced in due course.