To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make local authorities statutorily responsible for the funding, registration and inspection of residential and nursing homes.

Our intention which we set out in the White Paper "Caring for People", is that from 1 April 1991 local authorities will become responsible for a single unified budget to cover the costs of social care in residential care and nursing homes. The new arrangements will not apply to people already resident in homes before April 1991. The Registered Homes Act 1984 places a duty on local authorities and district health authorities to register and inspect residential care homes and nursing homes respectively. We have no plans to alter these arrangements.