§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of(a) the increase in aggregate indemnity insurance costs borne by voluntary organisations involved in the personal care sector between 2000–01 and 2003–04 and (b) the resultant impact on activity levels of such voluntary organisations. [130699]
§ Dr. LadymanInformation on the level of insurance costs paid by voluntary organisations involved in personal care is not collected centrally. We have consequently no way of relating back any measure of activity relating to the care sector with any change to insurance costs. However, overall activity levels in the care sector have increased over this period: since 1997 the number of older residents supported by local authorities in care homes has increased by 3,000, and the number of households receiving intensive home care, ten hours or more and six plus visits, increased from 72,300 in 2000 to 81,500 in 2002. We cannot, however, determine any relationship between this increase in overall activity to either voluntary sector providers or to any change in liability insurance costs.