HC Deb 16 July 2002 vol 389 cc197-9W
17. Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of care home places in the south-west. [67280]

Jacqui Smith

At 31 March 2001, there were 44,791 registered residential care places and 24,073 registered nursing care beds in the south-west.

25. Mr. Gordon Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with Government Departments and other organisations about the treatment of elderly people in residential and nursing care for the purposes of the standard spending assessment. [67288]

Elderly residential and nursing homes placements—gross expenditure by local authorities at 2000–01 prices
£million
Region 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–011
North West 475 486 512 533 568
North East 143 161 174 202 237
Yorkshire and the Humber 294 319 337 355 411
East Midlands 233 242 258 286 305
East 254 273 295 313 344
London 394 415 431 437 489
South East 405 428 443 457 483
South West 244 265 298 325 357
West Midlands 278 312 330 353 371
Total England 2,721 2,901 3,077 3,262 3,565
12000–01 figures are inclusive of overhead costs.

SourceForm RO3 (PSS EX1 from 2000–01)—annual return of social services expenditure made by local authorities.

Jacqui Smith

I have had a number of recent discussions with other Government Departments and organisations about the older people's standard spending assessment formulae. I also commissioned independent research into this formula. As a result of these discussions and research there are a number of possible options for change to the existing formula that we are considering. A consultation document was issued on 8 July setting out these options and councils have 12 weeks to comment on them.

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new admissions to care homes during each of the last five years in England and Wales he is aware were previously resident in Scotland. [69439]

Jacqui Smith

Information is not centrally held on the previous place of residence of residents in care homes in England. Questions relating to Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents of England and Wales he is aware have chosen to enter into a care home in Scotland in each of the last five years. [69438]

Jacqui Smith

Information is not held centrally in respect of individuals normally resident in England and in care homes. Information in respect of residents in care homes in Scotland and of individuals normally resident in Wales and in care homes are the responsibility of the respective devolved Administrations.

Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide a list, by region, of the publicly funded elderly care homes in the last five years; and how much money they received in real terms. [68527]

Jacqui Smith

Prior to April this year, local councils were responsible for the registration of residential care homes. Lists of registered homes were not maintained centrally. Nor are there central records of the size of contracts entered into with individual homes either by councils or by people who used income support to purchase care which they had arranged for themselves. However, the following table shows the gross expenditure on residential care and nursing provision by councils with social services responsibilities in each region in England at 2000–01 prices for the five years from 1996–97 to 2000–01.

Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission a study comparing the quality of care between public and private care homes. [68528]

Jacqui Smith

There is no need for such a survey. Under section 7(1)(b) of the Care Standards Act 2000, the National Care Standards Commission has a duty of keeping my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State informed about the quality of services regulated under Part II of the Act.

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