§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to transfer the care element of the warden service in sheltered housing from housing accounts to the social services budget; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryA recent Court of Appeal judgment cast doubt on housing authorities' powers to provide care services and charge their costs to the housing revenue account. To avoid disruption to these important services, we are seeking powers in the Housing and Urban Development Bill to legitimise all housing authorities' arrangements in connection with care services.
The Government's policy is that the housing revenue account should be a landlord account. We therefore propose that these new powers would be temporary only. But before any decisions are taken about the timing of any change in the arrangements, or about how the services would be provided thereafter, or about how their costs would be accounted for, there will be full consultation with all parties early in the new year. When considering how best to implement any new arrangements we shall consider all the financial and administrative issues to ensure that support continues to be available to those who need it.