CHARITY begins at home.

And if the base is not secure, small problems become big ones.

Nowhere is this more starkly demonstrated than in the care sector, where both public and private providers are struggling.

We are told that £1.3 billion is needed now to plug the gap.

As we all know, the country still faces a financial crisis and learning to live within our means is both challenging and painful.

However, there’s one pot of money we could, and should, dip into and that’s the overseas aid budget.

This year that Department is due to spend a staggering £12 billion, with much of it already under scrutiny amid claims of corruption and waste.

Remember, this is our money and, frankly, I would like far more of it to go to causes nearer to home.

The system is under such pressure, with many vulnerable patients being kept in hospital as there’s no one to hand them on to.

The situation can only get worse here as more and more people retire to Dorset.

The question is, what can we do about it?

While politicians like me attempt to persuade the Government to redeploy some of the foreign aid budget, ministers point to the Better Care Fund, a financial incentive of many billions of pounds for better integration of health and social care.

There are also plans to raise council tax for a limited period.

Opponents say that won’t be enough and will have an inequitable effect on poorer communities.

Others have suggested placing elderly care within the remit of the NHS.

I prefer my solution because it’s simple and, although we have a responsibility for the less fortunate around the world, it cannot be to the detriment of our own people, especially the elderly.