§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications the National Care Standards Commission has received from care providers wishing to register as a care home, under the Care Standards Act 2000, which are not existing residential care homes or existing nursing care homes; and if he will make a statement. [41606]
§ Jacqui SmithUnder the Care Standards Act 2000, the National Care Standards Commission takes over its responsibility for the regulation of social care and independent health care services on 1 April. Care providers who are not existing providers, in other words either they are not registered (the home is not operating) or exempt from registration under current legislation, may not apply to the Commission before the 1 April. On that basis the Commission has not received any applications for registration from such potential providers. The 767W Commission is receiving applications under transitional arrangements from existing providers and managers of care services who must be registered from the 1 April.
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications the National Care Standards Commission has received from(a) existing nursing homes, (b) existing residential homes and (c) bed and breakfast accommodation under pilot schemes wishing to register as a care home under the Care Standards Act 2000. [41605]
§ Jacqui SmithThe National Care Standards Commission is now receiving applications for registration from providers and managers of care homes previously exempt from the requirement to register under current legislation. This is part of a planned transitional process but the full number of applications will not be known until 31 March 2002, which is the cut of date for applications under the transition. The Commission has to date received no applications from bed and breakfast accommodation under pilot schemes wishing to register under the Care Standards Act. Such provision, which will be regulated under the Act if it provides accommodation with personal care, cannot make applications to the Commission until 1 April 2002.