Editorial Wednesday 1 February 2012: What Minister Who? meant to say to the Health Select Committee about social care
Dear old Minister Who? Paul Burstow did not have the most successful of appearances recently giving evidence to the Health Select Committee inquiry on social care.
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After really persistent questioning, Minister Who? told the committee (I'm paraphrasing here) that he didn't believe there was a funding gap, but that if there were one, it was down to the individual local authority.
His new written evidence to the committee says, ""The Dept acknowledges that there IS unmet need but also that the scale of this is difficult to precisely define and measure. The eligibility framework seeks to support councils in prioritising funding on those with the highest need.
"Government is clear that everyone who thinks that they may be in need of care and support is entitled to an assessment, and if this assessment concludes that services are required to meet the persons assessed needs and the person qualifies under the means-test, services MUST be provided".
Mmmm. That sounds a) pretty different to his original verbal evidence, and b) expensive.