§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what have been the reasons for the delay in announcing how much of the special transitional grant was to be spent on non-local authority services; what assessment has been made of the impact of this delay on local authorities and other care providers; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. BowisThe decision was announced as soon as we had considered all the relevant factors. Local authorities should always be committed to value for money through the mixed economy of care.