To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) average amount paid per patient by each health trust in the Province to (i) independent social care providers and (ii) independent providers of social care for sex offenders was in the last 12 months. (130705)

Information on the costs of independent social care provision for sex offenders is not available.

Information on the amounts paid per patient to independent social care providers by each health trust is also not available. However, annually published reference costs give the total cost of Independent domiciliary care per hour provided and the total cost of independent daycare per day attendance. They also give the total cost of Independent Residential Care and nursing care per occupied week. On these bases, across NI health trusts the highest, lowest and average 2005-06 costs for each service are shown in the following table.