Andy Kerr announced an extra �93m for the care sector

Health Minister Andy Kerr said the extra cash will be invested within the sector by 2008 to ensure the number of care home places meets demand.

Earlier, the SNP called on Westminster to refund millions it said have been saved under the free personal care for the elderly scheme in Scotland.

Leader Alex Salmond wants the money to pay for the training of care staff.

Free personal care for elderly people was introduced to Scotland by the executive in 2001 with thousands of OAPs benefiting from the scheme through home and residential care schemes.

Mr Kerr explained that the new funding package will amount to �37m in extra funds in 2006-7 and �57m in 2007-8.

'Future needs'

He said: "This takes the total amount of additional funding for the care home sector to �234m, an average of over �33m per year since 2001.

"This substantial new investment will help local authorities and care home providers to ensure there continues to be the right number of care home places available to meet future needs.

"But I want to be sure that this public money is being spent in the right way, to improve the quality of care provided to Scotland's older people.

"In future we will be looking at ways to reward those providing the best quality of care, as well as those who show the greatest improvements."

Alex Salmond asked for the return of �23m to Scotland

Nationalist leader Alex Salmond made his call for a multi-million pound rebate from the Labour government at the annual conference for Scottish Care in Glasgow.

The Banff and Buchan MP said: "The introduction of free personal care for the elderly in Scotland in 2001 meant Scottish pensioners, who had their personal care element paid by the executive, lost their eligibility for both attendance allowance and the care element of the disability living allowance.

"This is estimated to have saved the Department of Work and Pensions some �23m a year for attendance allowance alone.

"London Labour has refused to make these funds available to Scotland."

This money belongs to Scotland, and it should be returned immediately in order to boost the care sector at this difficult time Alex Salmond SNP leader

Mr Salmond said the care sector in Scotland is finding itself under increasing financial pressure as the cost for care begins to outstrip the funding available.

He added: "This money belongs to Scotland, and it should be returned immediately in order to boost the care sector at this difficult time.

"When the executive is failing to provide funds to cover the additional costs of providing good quality care we must act now to ensure a secure future for this vulnerable group."

Mr Salmond said the government and both the public and private sectors need to work together to ensure a "positive future" for those in care and "avert further crisis" within the care industry across Scotland.

The Conservatives dismissed the pledge as a rehash of details disclosed last month.

Health spokesman David Davidson said: "As long as local authorities continue to feather the nests of the homes that they run and starve charitable, church and independent homes of funds, then the crisis in our care homes will never end.