NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR CARE HOMES

Early day motion 21, tabled 17 November 1999 by Kerry Pollard (Labour). Signed by 135 members.

That this House welcomes the principle of national standards for the care industry, but notes with some concern that the proposals outlined in the consultation document, Fit for the Future, if implemented in full, would impose costs on care homes to conform with which may prove prohibitive for many small businesses owning care homes, and that recent surveys indicate that could result in the closure of up to 70 per cent. of homes, with a subsequent detrimental effect on available beds and employment in the sector; and urges the Government to give attention to the representative bodies of the care home sector, working in partnership to achieve better standards and adopting best practice.

Signatures by party: Labour 60, Liberal Democrat 36, Conservative 24, Labour/Co-operative 7, UUP 7, UKUP 1.