§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for North170W Devon (Mr. Harvey) of 14 November 2000, Official Report, columns 812–13, what provision has been made to meet the cost of free nursing care; how much will transfer to health authority budgets from social services budgets for this purpose cost; and how much is to replace payments previously made by people under means-testing. [138990]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 20 November 2000]: We have estimated that the additional cost to the Exchequer of providing free nursing care, as outlined in the NHS Plan, will be £420 million over the next three years. This additional cost arises principally from the replacement of the costs of nursing care incurred by individuals in nursing homes, who are not supported by local authorities or the NHS. Additional funding of this level was included in the Department of Health programme in the recent spending review settlement.
Provision for the costs of free nursing care has been included in the Department's spending review settlement and will be made available to the NHS for that purpose subject to Parliament's approval of legislative proposals on free nursing care.