RICHMOND MP William Hague has met with disgruntled representatives from the county's care industry.

Care home managers told Mr Hague that the cost of caring for vulnerable people was not being met by North Yorkshire County Council.

In response, Mr Hague said the county council received less funding from the Government than other authorities.

The meeting was organised by the North Yorkshire Independent Care Group (ICG), which represents care homes and home care agencies.

It said: "For many providers, 50 per cent of the people in their care are paid for by the council and each year it sets a figure that does not meet increasing costs. We worked with the council to identify a fair price for care for North Yorkshire people in a care home using the Joseph Rowntree Foundation model in 2004, but the council has not made any moves to meet this."