§ Mrs. CaltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the need for long-term care beds in the(a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) public sectors. [35526]
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the need for long-term care beds in the(a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) public sectors. [36518]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 26 February 2002]: I apologise to the hon. Members for the delay in responding to this question. I refer them to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
I refer them to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) on 1 February 2002, Official Report, columns 626–27W.
1012WAll types of providers have a role to play in supplying services and we have not made separate assessments for different sectors.