MPs on Friday said they want the opportunity to question junior health minister Martin van Rijn about the millions of euros local councils have left in their care and home support budget.

This comes to at least €310m, according to broadcaster Nos. This money should be used for house modifications, support or household help.

Now that so much money has been left over from the budget, MPs want to know what Van Rijn intends to do to ensure the money stays in the care budget.

Socialist Party MP Renska Leijten points out that while there is spare money in one part of the care budget, other areas have problems. ‘People who have to go to court to get the care they need, care home organisations that go bankrupt and people who stop using care because of the high own-risk payment.’

Surprised

Sjoerd Potters, MP for the ruling Liberal right-wing VVD, said he is surprised there is money over and that it is too early to draw conclusions. ‘The decentralisation of the care services only happened a year ago, when areas such as youth care and the care for the elderly and long-term sick were transferred from central government to local councils,’ he said.

He said, as do MPs from most of the other parties, that any money left over in the budget for one area of care should be transferred to another area where there is a shortfall.

The junior health minister is due to debate the subject with parliament later this month.