To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of people in Northern Ireland who have had to sell their family homes in order to provide funds for long-term care in each year since proceedings in the case of Pamela Coughlan v. the NHS were completed. (78448)

The Department does not collect information on the numbers of people who sell their homes to realise the funds required to pay for long-term care and has not made an estimate of such house sales for each year since the judgment in the case of R. v. North and East Devon health authority ex parte Pamela Coughlan was handed down by the Court of Appeal in July 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will bring forward amending legislation to end the requirement on those who enter long-term care to sell their family home in order to fund such care. (78449)

There is no legal requirement for those entering long-term care to sell a family home to fund their care. Following an individual financial assessment to calculate how much each individual can afford to pay towards the cost of their care, it is entirely a matter for each individual and their advisors to decide how best to meet any charges. Current Northern Ireland legislation provides a 12-week disregard of the value of a residents home following permanent admission to a care home. I am not, however, proposing to promote amending legislation to exclude totally the value of a resident's family home from the assessment of each individual's resources.