§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is being provided to each local authority to meet the requirements of "Valuing People". [85501]
§ Jacqui SmithOur policies for improving services for people with learning disabilities, their families and carers are set out in the White Paper "Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century" (Cm 5086), published in March 2001.
Some £3 billion a year is already spent on health and social care provision for people with learning disabilities. The proposals in "Valuing People" will help to ensure that this money is spent effectively and efficiently. People with learning disabilities will also benefit from the general growth in total health and social services spending and from specific initiatives.
The White Paper announced the creation of two new funds, the implementation support fund and the learning disability development fund. The support fund, £2.3 million a year for three years from April 2001, is being used to support a range of initiatives connected with the White Paper's programme of action. These include developing and expanding advocacy services across the country.
The development fund has both revenue (£22.6 million) and capital (£20 million) elements. £2 million of the revenue element is being used to fund the "Valuing People" support team and its related activities, with the remainder being distributed to health authorities. It was distributed to the then health authorities (HAs) in March 2002 to support priorities for service change as outlined in joint investment plans they drew up with their partner local authorities. The distribution was based on the NHS general allocation formula except that five authorities received additional money to help them meet the needs of their old long stay population. Where a health authority related to more than one local authority, the allocation was to be divided according to the size of their respective resident populations unless all the parties agreed to an alternative distribution.
The distribution by HA has been placed in the Library.
Learning Disability Partnership Boards were invited to bid for funding from the capital element of the Development Fund. A list of the successful boards has been placed in the Library, but the money will not all be spent in this first financial year.