Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made as assessment of the compatibility of Government provision of back-pay to care providers for sleep-in shifts with EU state aid rules.

Government officials have made the European Commission aware of the issue, and held an initial meeting with them. This will provide the Government with guidance on how any support, which might be available, could be granted legally within state aid rules.