§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on fee levels for(a)care homes for older people and (b)care homes operating in other sectors of care; [64999]
(2) what investigations his Department is carrying out into the models of pricing care, with specific reference to reducing levels of paperwork; [65031]
(3) if he will make a statement on the recent report of Laing and Buisson on care home costs. [65014]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Government welcome the contribution made by the Joseph Rowntree report to the discussion about the appropriate level of care home fees. We support any publication that aids councils in setting fair and realistic fee levels. The Government are putting record levels of investment into the system. We increased resources to social services by 20 per cent. in real terms between 1996–97 and 2002–03, this represents a national real terms increase of 3 per cent. per annum. There is evidence that this extra investment is making a difference. In a recent report by Laing and Buisson, the authors of the Joseph Rowntree report, it is stated that councils have raised care home fees by an average of 3 per cent. in the last year.
The social services performance assessment framework indicators published in October 2001 contain information on local council's unit costs for nursing and residential care for different client groups.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2002,Official Report,column 424W, on care homes, how many of the letters from (a)hon. Members and (b)the public were about increases in care home fees related to the introduction of free nursing care; and if he will list the other subjects which (i) hon. Members and (ii) members of the public wrote concerning the introduction of NHS-funded care; [60793]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2002, Official Report,column 424W, on free nursing care, how many letters have been received from hon. Members regarding the failure of care homes to pass on the NHS free nursing care contribution, broken down by party. [60794]
§ Jacqui Smith(holding answer 12 June 20021:Since October last year, the Department has received in excess of 10,000 letters from hon. Members and in excess of 24,000 letters from members of the public. Of the letters received, 232 and 150 from hon. Members and members of the public respectively covered issues relating to free nursing care, including fee levels, the process of assessment, banding levels for registered nursing care contribution, policy justification, the mechanisms of payment and the costs of equipment. The letters from hon. Members are broken down by party as follows:
- Labour: 118
- Conservative: 95
- Liberal Democrats: 19.