§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received the final draft of the Ernst and Young study into the housing needs of the elderly; what was the final cost of the study; when the report will be placed in the Library; what conclusions he has drawn from the report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungMy Department received a full set of interim reports on the 12 individual parts of the study in February 1994. We expect to publish a single report, summarising these findings, in the autumn. A copy will be placed in the Library.
I announced some interim findings from the research at a conference on affordable housing and community care organised by Hertfordshire county council earlier this year. A key finding is that the vast majority of elderly people wish to remain in their present homes, confirming the Government's community care policies. The study also suggests there is currently an over-provision of ordinary sheltered housing with warden support only, but under-provision of very sheltered housing with extra care facilities. We will consider carefully the policy implications of these and other findings from the study.
561WFollowing a competitive tender, the research contract was let to Ernst and Young and its sub-contractor, 140R1, at a cost of £956,000.