HC Deb 19 November 1990 vol 181 cc50-1W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by his Department of the resource implications for service providers in the voluntary sector of the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990; and what financial assistance is being made available to them by the Government.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Although grants are available from central and local government to voluntary sector provider agencies, our community care proposals urge local authorities to contract for services with voluntary sector providers. Guidance will stress the important role of local authorities in encouraging and facilitating the work of the voluntary sector. Authorities will still be able to offer grant support for non-service aspects of voluntary sector work.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his intention to issue guidelines on the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, for use of providers of services in the voluntary sector.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

The Department will shortly issue policy guidance on community care which will be supplemented by practice advice from the social services inspectorate. Both guidance and practice advice will be addressed to health and local authorities and the Department intends that they will be of interest to all community care agencies, including voluntary and private sector providers.