EAST Lancashire MP Gordon Prentice has won a special Commons debate to air concerns over the county council's plan to shut 35 of its 48 residential homes.

The Pendle Labour back bencher and fellow Lancashire MPs will raise their strong opposition to the proposal at Westminster on Tuesday, February 26. He and several colleagues had applied for the debate, but now Speaker Michael Martin has chosen Mr Prentice to lead the discussion.

News of his success follows a meeting this week between Lancashire's Labour MPs and county leader Hazel Harding and her deputy Doreen Pollitt.

Some 19 of the homes are to close in East Lancashire and Mr Prentice, Burnley MP Peter Pike and Hyndburn's Greg Pope all attended the meeting. All are likely to speak in the debate along with Ribble Valley Tory Nigel Evans.

The council claims the cost of bringing all the homes up to new government standards would be £14.5million by 2007. The plan has caused a major row. Mr Prentice said: "I am delighted to have been given a special Commons debate on the county council's controversial plan. I will be leading the debate with contributions from other Lancashire MPs.

"We had a useful meeting with the leader and deputy leader of the county council. There was a frank and honest exchange of views.

"I expressed deep disquiet about the proposals, which came like a bolt from the blue. We need to rewind the tape and consider what is best for the elderly people in our residential homes. They are, and must remain, our top priority." Mr Pike said: "Careful consideration has been given to all factors in this consultation exercise and the objective must be able to ensure a better and higher standard of care for all our elderly people in Lancashire and particularly in Burnley, where there is a question mark over the future of five county homes.

"We must listen to what the residents, their relatives and staff at the homes have to say."

He said MPs must also remember that private sector care homes face a major problem in meeting new standards.