What is his estimate of the percentages of costs of the nursing element in nursing homes paid by (a) the national health service, (b) local authority social services departments and (c) patients. [106238]

About 147,000 people are resident in nursing homes in England. About 9 per cent. are funded by the national health service, about 49 per cent. wholly or partly by local authorities, about 17 per cent. have their care funded from state benefits and about 25 per cent. pay for their own care.

I thank the Minister for his helpful reply. However, as we all know from our Constituency casework, once it has been decided that a resident patient is entitled to state aid, the patient tends to become caught in crossfire between the NHS and local authority social services departments over who should pay how much of the nursing element. To avoid all that haggling, should we not lay down in statute what the breakdown should be? Will the Minister consider that?

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out the Government's position in December, and explained that we intended to respond more fully to the royal commission's recommendations. In March, we will organise a seminar involving all the key organisations and individuals who have a view, so that they can discuss with the Department issues involving the definition of nursing care in this context.

I agree with the hon. Gentleman—as, I think, do all right hon. and hon. Members—that the present system of funding long-term residential care is not acceptable or fair; but it is only reasonable for me to point out to him and his colleagues that they created the system.