§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when she expects to have completed her examination on the need for damping the alterations to the grant for care in the community for the Isle of Wight;
(2) when she expects to respond to the Department of the Environment Minister's letter about the effect of the care in the community grant for 1994–95 for the Isle of Wight;
(3) when she will make a response to the deputation on the grant for 1994–95 for care in the community in the Isle of Wight.
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§ Mr. BowisI have carefully considered the representations made by the Isle of Wight county council in response to its indicative allocation of the special transitional grant for 1994–95. I understand that similar representations were made to Ministers at the Department of the Environment. I have concluded that the distribution method announced on 2 December 1993 remains the most sensible and appropriate, and in the best interests of community care across the country as a whole. This decision was notified in writing to the hon. Member and to the Isle of Wight county council on 2 February 1994.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what her calculations reveal on the effect of the standard spending assessment for care in the community in 1995–96 as a result of the alterations in the grant for 1994–95 for the Isle of Wight.
§ Mr. BowisThe personal social services element of the standard spending assessment for the Isle of Wight for 1994–95 has been set at £14.12 million, an increase of almost 18 per cent. over the current year. The figures for 1995–96 will be announced in due course.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those local authorities who find themselves in a similar position to the Isle of Wight with their grant for 1994–95 for care in the community.
§ Mr. BowisNone. Care in the community is partly financed by the personal social services element of the standard spending assessment, partly by the special transitional grant and partly by decisions within each local authority as to priorities for spending of its overall spending assessment.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Isle of Wight will receive copies of the literature promised by the officials at the meeting with the Under-Secretary, the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis), showing the Department's intention to alter the grant for the care in the community in 1994–95 and the effect it will have on a community like the Isle of Wight.
§ Mr. BowisOfficials wrote, as promised, to the director of social services for the Isle of Wight on 22 December. A copy of that letter has been sent to the hon. Member.