HC Deb 19 March 1999 vol 327 cc848-9W
Mr. Sanders

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the future of private sector care homes for the elderly. [75920]

Mr. Hutton

The Government's policy in this area was set out in the White Paper "Modernising social services".

The commissioning of long-term residential care is a matter for local authorities. The Government have no ideological view as to the choice of private or public ownership. What is important is that the arrangements made by authorities should be based on judgments about best value and optimum outcomes for individual users.

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