Health Minister Kate Beecroft came out fighting this morning as the row over Meals on Wheels cuts took a new twist.

Mrs Beecroft went on the front foot when, in the House of Keys, she was called on to explain the shock decision to axe its £150,000-a-year contract with Age Concern to supply the service.

Last week Age Concern said it was ‘shocked’ at the ‘short-sighted’ decision to end the contract and said it had not been consulted.

Today, Mrs Beecroft hit out at ‘myths’ that she claimed had been shared and also made what appeared to be thinly veiled criticism of the charity itself.

But, she admitted that much of the information she gave in her statement this morning, the department did not give out when it announced the decision last week.

She explained the reason for not saying anything earlier was because the department ‘did not wish to be overly critical of a third sector provider’, but added: ‘The media attention and statements made by Age Concern have left us with little choice but to provide this additional information.’

Mrs Beecroft said among the ‘myths’ being put out was that Age Concern provided the service free of charge – not something either the charity or Isle of Man Newspapers has claimed.

She also said it was a myth that Age Concern delivers hot meals.

‘They deliver cook chill meals which the recipient, or their carer, heats and then serves the meals themselves.’

She added: ‘More people are choosing to buy their meals from other providers and there was a 10% decrease in people choosing the Meals on Wheels option in the last year.

‘Should Age Concern decide not to carry on with the service once this subsidy is withdrawn, the department will assist the current users to select one of the alternative suppliers that best meets their needs.

‘Age Concern has not yet indicated whether they intend to continue to provide the service without subsidy.’

Yesterday (Monday), the charity said it had requested further information from the department last week, but was still waiting to hear from it.

The minister said there was no statutory requirement for the department to fund the service.

‘We have seen a decline of 10% of people seeking this service over the last 12 months, and yet our level of subsidy has increased,’ Mrs Beecroft continued.

‘Continuing with the current arrangements has been considered but rejected as the payment of the subsidy is not sustainable and only a limited number of users benefit from a cook chill meal.’

Mrs Beecroft added: ‘Of the people currently receiving the service, a significant number also receive other services from the department including day services and home care services, and so receive a welfare check beyond that provided by Age Concern.’