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The Scottish executive has cut fees paid by care homes to register with the country's care regulator, despite initially planning to increase fees.

The move follows fears that any rise in fees would have forced care homes to substantially raise charges or close.

The executive wanted to increase Care Commission registration fees in 2006-7 so that they fully paid for the cost of running the regulator.

But it has decided instead to cut fees for care homes by 10 per cent to 148 per place and freeze them for other providers, such as independent hospitals and housing support services, while continuing to fund the shortfall itself.

However, deputy health minister Lewis Macdonald said the executive remained committed to full cost recovery.