§ 18. Ms MunnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent measures he has introduced to improve the performance of local authority social services. [26377]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Government have announced the introduction of star rating for social services from this summer to enable councils and the public to see how they are performing. Standards for delivery have been published in National Service Frameworks for mental health and older people. "Quality Protects" is delivering improved life chances for children. We have also increased the resources available for social services by an average of 3.2 per cent. a year in real terms between 1996–97 and 2002–03.