§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how long his Department estimates it has taken for care homes to be built from the initial application being submitted to the relevant planning department in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [43901]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 18 March 2002]: The information requested is not collected centrally.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures the National Care. Standards Commission has at its disposal to enforce the minimum standard that relates to contracts between care homes and individuals. [43898]
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§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 18 March 2002]: The commission has the ability to take enforcement action in relation to the Care Homes Regulations 2001. The national minimum standards will be the basis for the commission to determine whether the regulations are complied with. In relation to contracts the relevant standards are standard 2 for care homes for older people, and standard 5 for care homes for younger adults.
Regulations will be mandatory and providers must comply with them. If a regulation is breached, the breach of which is an offence, providers will be given a notice setting out the regulation breached, how the service is considered deficient, what must be done to remedy the deficiency, and a time scale within which the deficiency must be remedied. If the deficiency is not remedied, proceedings for prosecution may follow. The breach of regulation 5 of the Care Homes Regulations 2001, which states that a service users' guide should include a standard form of contract for the provision of services and facilities by the registered provider to service users, is an offence.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to reissue his Department's "Moving into a Care Home" leaflet; how many he plans to distribute; to whom; and by what means. [43896]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 18 March 2002]: The Department has commissioned the production of a new booklet containing key information that individuals should have when they are moving into, or resident in, a care home. It will include the contributions that residents may make to care home fees and other financial aspects. The booklet is currently being finalised, and it will be made available in hard copy to all councils with social services responsibilities and a range of relevant voluntary and community organisations. Other means are being considered to ensure the widest possible circulation.
The new booklet will effectively replace "Moving into a Care Home".
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue a direction to require NHS bodies to use the central core contract for how NHS nursing contribution received by care homes is to be accounted for. [43895]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 18 March 2002]: I have strongly recommended that national health service bodies use the Department's core contract, recognising that some flexibility will also be required to reflect particular local arrangements in any agreed contract.