§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates his Department has made of the total cost of making the provision of personal care for retired people free. [45508]
§ Jacqui SmithI refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave my hon. Friend for Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 7 March 2002,Official Report, column 542W. In making estimates, we have assumed that only a small proportion of self-funders in residentaial care are of working age, so that the vast majority of the costs relate to older people.