Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to change the social care budget in line with changing levels of demand for services.

The Government has already invested funding to put social care on a more stable footing and alleviate short-term pressures across the health and care system. However, further reform is required to ensure that the system is prepared to meet the challenges of an ageing society.

This is why the Government has set out plans to publish a Green Paper by summer 2018 presenting its proposals for reform.

The Green Paper will consider the fundamental issues facing the care system, including the future sustainability of the market, capacity planning and market shaping responsibilities.

In total, we have given councils access to £9.4 billion more dedicated funding for social care over the three years from 2017/18, including the recent Local Government Finance settlement announcement of a further £150 million for social care.