THE new national standards for care homes illustrates how our government has a wish for Utopia but does not give enough thought as to how to achieve it and to what cost.

To bring the care homes up to the standard of room sizes in both the private and public sectors will cost many billions of pounds nationwide.

In Lancashire, it has been suggested that 75 per cent of the private-sector homes will not comply -- with the possibility of 50 per cent having to close through lack of investment capital.

The remaining homes will be in a position to only offer places to people who can afford to pay. The less well-off will be left with nowhere to go unless the county council are prepared to pay the going rate. The county council, if they close their homes, would have nowhere to place the elderly who need that standard of care.

At present, the county council squeeze the private providers and only pay £250 or less per week while people who have to provide for themselves are paying £330 per week or more. It is obvious that the remaining homes will have a monopoly and will be able to charge what the market will stand.

Unless the Government has a rapid rethink our elderly are going to suffer terrible hardships.

COUNTY COUN TONY PIMBLETT (Liberal Democrat spokesman on Social Services, Lancashire County Council), Princes Road, Penwortham, Preston.