§ Mr. ArbuthnotTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when care home providers received the requests for information and documents required by the care home regulations; and by which date the providers were required to respond. [60797]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Care Homes Regulations 2001 were laid before Parliament on 12 December 2001 and came into effect on 1 April 2002. The regulations were contained in booklets setting out the national minimum standards for care homes for older people and for care homes for younger adults and adult placements, published by the Department. In March 2002, the Department issued order forms along with guidance on the Care Standards Act directly to providers who were already registered. The National Care Standards Commission issued, from February 2002, application packs to providers not previously registered and new to regulation. Those applying to register care homes were required to respond by 31 March 2002. As some delays occurred in issuing registration packs, the National Care Standards Commission has not penalised any care home which has responded after that date.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the level of service available to care home owners from(a) the National Care Standards Commission and (h) the Criminal Records Bureau. [65000]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 27 June 2002]I am satisfied that the National Care Standards Commission has made good progress in getting up to speed with its responsibilities, taking account of its extremely large initial workload and the transitional arrangements relating to the commission's establishment. The Department has regular formal and informal monitoring arrangements in respect of the commission's performance.
Measures are being taken to overcome the early operating difficulties experienced by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), which have led to delays in responding to applications for disclosures. We are determined that the CRB will be in a position as soon as possible to meet the high standards of service that it has made clear it will deliver to its customers. The short-term implications for particular service areas using the CRB service are being closely monitored.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when there will be an investigation of the impact of inspection costs linked to the transfer of free nursing care to care homes. [650011
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 27 June 2002]The Department is currently consulting on amendments to the Care Homes Regulations 2001. There are no specific plans to investigate the inspection costs to the National Care Standards Commission as a result of these. The overall costs of inspection are monitored routinely by the Department.
152W
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the differences between the full costs of operating efficient, good quality care in care homes and the average fees paid by local authorities. [64270]
§ Jacqui SmithIn October 2001 the Government published an agreement, "Building Capacity and Partnership in Care", which states that: "Fee setting must take into account the legitimate current and future costs faced by providers as well as the factors that affect these costs and the potential for improving performance and more effective ways of working". We expect councils to follow this advice when setting the costs of care. According to independent consultants, Laing and Buisson, the vast majority of councils have recently agreed fee increases in excess of 3 per cent. and some councils have agreed much higher increases—one third of councils increased fees by in excess of 10 per cent.
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a care home modernisation grant payable to local authorities to be paid in line with local care homes' compliance with national minimal standards. [64271]
§ Jacqui SmithDecisions about the distribution of resources to local councils for personal social services are likely to be announced later this year.