Adult social care's position as the top target for government-ordered efficiency gains has been reinforced by figures showing more than £110m was saved from the service last year.

Of nearly £760m eked out of council budgets last year, 15 per cent came from adult social care.

Projected savings for 2005-6, announced in June, also revealed adult social care as councils' biggest area for savings, with nearly £180m earmarked for efficiencies from a national total of nearly £1.2bn.

Social housing was the third biggest area for savings in 2004-5 with nearly £90m, while more than £50m came from children's services and £15m from homelessness services.

Civil servants have been working with councils since June 2004 on securing efficiencies in adult social care. The care services efficiencies delivery programme embarked on its second phase last month, in which a number of efficiency projects are being piloted.