§ Annabelle EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much of the attendance allowance money withdrawn from recipients in Scotland will be spent in Scotland; [28802]
(2) when his Department notified the Scottish Executive that the payment of attendance allowance to those recipients who will qualify for free personal care would be withdrawn; [28803]
(3) whether attendance allowance payments contribute to the funding of free nursing care in England; [28804]
(4) how the attendance allowance money withdrawn from recipients in Scotland will be allocated by his Department. [28805]
§ Mr. DarlingTo avoid duplicate provision from public funds, the Great Britain-wide social security benefit rules have always precluded payment of attendance allowance to people in residential care homes and nursing homes who receive help with the cost of their place in the home from a local authority or a health authority. Benefit spending is determined by the number of claimants who satisfy the qualifying conditions that apply to a particular benefit. A reduction in forecast benefit expenditure will increase the funds available for public expenditure as a whole, and issues regarding their allocation will be dealt630W with in the usual way. The funding arrangements for free nursing care have always been entirely separate from those for attendance allowance.