§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what new arrangements are in place for patient forums to inspect care homes. [162921]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonPatients' forums have statutory powers to enter and inspect care homes for the purposes of carrying out their functions, such as monitoring and reviewing the services provided in them, where the services are provided under partnership arrangements between the national health service and a local authority under Section 31 of the Health Act 1999 and where the services provided relate to the exercise of the local authority's health related functions.
In addition patients' forums can enter and inspect NHS care homes and NHS services provided in private care homes. Patients' forums only have the powers to enter and inspect the care homes that have been mentioned for the purposes of their functions.
From 1 April 2004, the Commission for Social Care Inspection will be responsible for regulation and inspection of care homes and will have a duty to cooperate with the Commission for Health Care Audit and Inspection. The Government expect these bodies to work closely with patients' forums as they carry out their statutory functions.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid on average per day by local authorities to independent care homes for the provision of(a) food, (b) care and (c) accommodation in the latest year for which figures are available. [163601]
§ Dr. LadymanThe Government do not collect data on payments by local councils to independent care homes. According to the most recent National Care Standards Commission report (March 2004), fees for care homes for older people fall most often into the £200 to £400 per week range with very few above £700 per week. In the case of younger adults, fees charged fall in the range of £300 to £1,200 although overall they range from under £100 to over £2,000 per week.
The figures are not broken into the component costs.