§ Mr. BellottiTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Children Act 1989 to prohibit local authorities charging parents for the provision of respite care.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNo. The Children Act continues the longstanding provision for a contribution to the maintenance of a child looked after by the local authority. It makes no distinction between the provision of short term pre-planned placements—respite care—and longer-term provision of accommodation. Both fall within the range of services for which local authorities have discretion as to charging. In exercising that discretion, local authorities are required to have regard to the means of the child concerned, where the service is provided to a child aged 16 or over, or his parents, where the child is under sixteen. Local authorities cannot charge for services where the child—or his/her parents depending on the child's age—is on income support. Where there is disagreement as to what is a "reasonable" charge there are provisions within the Children Act enabling the matter to be referred to the courts for resolution.