§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration she has given to issuing model practice guidance on unreported abuse of elderly people for social services departments to issue to their staffs. and what scope she sees for social services departments to offer training on such abuse to all staff involved in direct work with elderly people.
§ Mr. YeoThe social services inspectorate has drawn up practice guidelines which will be published this summer.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will undertake a review of legislation on protecting elderly people's property, social workers' powers to intervene in cases of abuse and registration of private domiciliary care; and what action her Department has taken to raise awareness of the extent of unreported abuse of elderly people.
§ Mr. YeoProposals from the Law Commission "Mentally Incapacitated and Other Vulnerable Adults: Public Law Protection" (Consultation Paper No. 130), which are relevant to areas of concern about elder abuse, have recently been published, and the Department will be responding to the Commission. We have no plans to introduce compulsory registration of domiciliary care agencies.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will meet the editor of "Community Care" to discuss the prevention of unreported abuse of elderly people; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. YeoNo, but officials from the social services inspectorate are available to contribute to the "Community Care" magazine's current articles on this subject.