§ Miss LestorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Utting report;
(2) which organisations have made representations to him regarding the Utting report; and if he will make the representations public.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyWe have received representations from a number of organisations about Sir William Utting's report, "Children in the Public Care: A Review of Residential Child Care". It is for those making representations to consider whether they should be made public.
425WLocal authorities have been asked to address some of the recommendations in the report and the Department will issue further guidance as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Department has taken steps to start a new initiative in 1992–93, within the training support programme, on the training of officers in charge of local authority maintained and controlled residential homes for children. A local authority circular on the training support programme for 1992–93 will he issued shortly.
§ Miss LestorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources he has allocated to local authorities specifically to implement the recommendations of the Utting report.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyCentral Government do not specify in detail how local authorities should allocate the overall resources available to them but rather indicates its view of appropriate spending through standard spending control totals. The standard spending control total for personal social services for 1992–93 will be announced later this year. Specific resources will be made available within the training support grant to ensure that all officers in charge of children's homes are suitably qualified by 1995. The grant will be increased by nearly 17 per cent. to £29 million in 1992–93.