The new legislative programme includes measures to tackle the problem of "bed blocking" in NHS hospitals.

Forum Response: Counsel and Care

Martin Green, chief executive of Counsel and Care, told ePolitix.com: "I welcome measures to end bed blocking which isreally about inappropriate placements of older people.

"But these new initatives need to be accompanied by extra funding so that local authorities have the capacity to buy appropriate care."

Forum Response: Age Concern

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern in England, said: "Plans to penalise local authorities who do not get people out of hospital beds as quickly as possible is a short sighted measure that puts the system before older people.

"Better care and support at home or in care homes must be made available and older people given more, not less choice over the sort of care they get. Without even piloting such an approach, social services face being forced to concentrate their resources on getting people out of hospital without giving people choice or proper support at home."

Forum Response: Help the Aged

Annie Stevenson, social care policy officer at Help the Aged, said: "The government's proposal to try to end delayed discharges of older people from hospital by introducing a model whereby Local Authorities would reimburse the NHS for time spent unneccesarily in hospital is fraught with potential problems.

"Many Social Services Departments are badly underfunded as it is. Further penalising those which are already experiencing funding problems would exacerbate the existing problem. Worse, these proposals run the risk of undermining the relationship between the health and social care sectors - the very relationship that the government is currently seeking to consolidate.

"Adequate funding for social care has been badly lacking for years. To avoid further distress for older people, a radical review of the whole issue is badly needed."

Forum Response: Federation of Small Businesses

A spokesman for the FSB said: "The FSB welcomes fines for local authorities to combat bed-blocking and believes that the public sector should work in partnership with private care homes to ensure adequate places for the elderly."

Forum Response: Association of Retired and Persons Over 50

A spokesman told ePolitix.com: "The emphasis and increased expenditure upon further re-organisation of the NHS once again diverts attention from the dire position of social and community care which continues to be starved of resources. This position will be re-inforced by the decision to legislate against local authorities which fail to provide adequate move on facilities for 'bed blockers'.

"Shortage of funds will force authorities to use below standard care homes and under fund home care. The 'watering down' of the Care Standards Act, enabling private homes to provide poor quality care without proper sanction must be a cause for great concern."