§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Health from what date shared rooms in independent care homes for the elderly and mentally ill must form no more than 20 per cent. of places in such homes; and if he will make a statement. [143851]
§ Mr. HuttonWe announced in November an extension to the deadline for implementing the new national minimum standard for care homes for older people regarding double rooms. In order to ensure that sufficient care home capacity is maintained, existing care homes for older people that do not already provide 80 per cent. of places in single rooms now have until 1 April 2007 to do so. Multi-occupancy rooms will be phased out by April 2002.