HC Deb 19 March 2003 vol 401 cc841-2W
Mr. Cameron

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what safeguards are in place to ensure that residential homes which de-register from the National Care Standards Commission are adequately inspected by an independent body. [100680]

Jacqui Smith

If a home de-registers or is de-registered, the National Care Standards Commission would liaise with appropriate local authorities, such as social services, to ensure that the needs of the service users continued to be met and that any existing risk elements were removed. This could mean arranging for a new provider to take over the premises or helping gradually move the residents to ether premises where their safety and well-being could be assured.

If the owners of former care homes subsequently operate as a domiciliary care agency by providing personal care to individuals, who then live in their own homes, the domiciliary care regulations would have to be complied with.

Mr. Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to increase residential care home provision in the London borough of Havering; [99747]

(2) if he will list the total amount spent on residential care home provision in the London borough of Havering in each year from 1990; and how much will be spent in 2003; [99746]

(3) if he will make a statement on residential care home provision in the London borough of Havering. [99748]

Jacqui Smith

The gross expenditure in Havering on residential services for all client groups is shown in the table.

£000
Year Gross expenditure on residential services in the London borough of Havering
1993–94 10,628
1994–95 12,976
1995–96 14,679
1996–97 16,878
1997–98 18,976
1998–99 19,613
1999–2000 20,542
2000–01 23,005
2001–02 25,799

Figures prior to 1993–94 are not available.

There have been substantial increases in the level of funding provided for social services in recent years. Between 1996–97 and 2002–03, the overall level of funding for social services has increased by 20 per cent., an average real terms annual increase of around 3 per cent. As announced on 17 April 2002 by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, we intend to further increase resources to social services for personal social services by an annual average six per cent, in real terms from 2003–04 to 2005–06.

The London borough of Havering's personal social services standard spending assessment increased by 5.2 per cent., in 2002–03, compared to a national average increase of 4.9 per cent. The total building care capacity grant allocated to the borough in 2002–03 was £1,173,000. Of this total, £596,000 was spent on residential care.

In March 1997, there were 1,150 residential care home places in the London borough of Havering. The latest data for March 2001 show that figure has changed to 1,080 places, a decrease of 0.6 per cent.

I understand that the council has plans to increase the numbers of people placed in residential care by a total of 20 placements in the current financial year.

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