To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many registered care homes for the elderly there were in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) England in each year since 2001; (219120)

[holding answer 14 July 2008]: Until 2001, information on the numbers of care and nursing homes were collected by the Department. At 31 March 2001, there were 10,535 care and nursing homes for older people aged 65 or over in England.

Data on the total number of care and nursing homes for older people in Lancashire are not held centrally. However, data are available showing there were 259 care homes for older people age 65 and over in Lancashire local authority area at March 2001. In addition, there were 172 nursing homes, but this figure includes all homes for adults and can not be broken down further to give numbers for older people aged 65 and over. Data for Ribble Valley constituency are not held centrally.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) produces data on the number of care homes and places registered as at 31 March each year, beginning with 2002-03. There are some definitional differences between these data and those for the years up to 2001.

I have been informed by CSCI that care homes are not registered as, for example, care homes for older people. CSCI inspectors will decide at the time of an inspection whether to inspect a home against the national minimum standards (NMS) for care homes for older people or younger adults. This decision is based on the age profile of the residents of the home.

The following table shows the number of care and nursing homes which were active in Lancashire council area and England on 31 March at the end of each financial year shown, that had been inspected at some point prior against the NMS for older people (though not necessarily during the year in question).

CSCI is unable to provide separate data for Ribble Valley constituency.