Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the proposals by Scope, HST and the Guinness Partnership to close residential care homes that serve people with physical impairments and learning difficulties.

The Department is aware that some providers of residential care for disabled people are reviewing their services and consulting with users of services and their families.

The Department appreciates that some service users and their families may be concerned and would encourage them to engage fully with the consultation process and ensure their views are taken into account.

The Government believes that people who wish and who are able to live in their communities should be given the support they need to do so. Service users whose care is provided or arranged by their local council can be assured that they will be supported to exercise their choice regarding where they receive services.

The new Care Act, which will come into force in 2015, will give local authorities a core duty to promote their local market in care provision, with a particular focus on ensuring diversity, quality and sustainability which, importantly, will mean there should be sufficient high quality services available to meet the needs of individuals in their local area.