Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of whether there was a gap between what local authorities paid care providers for social care and what providers required to meet people’s needs in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.

No estimate has been made by the Department of whether there is a gap between what local authorities paid for social care and what providers required to meet people’s needs.

Commissioning social care is a matter for local authorities who are best placed to understand the needs of local people and communities, and how best to meet them.

The Care Act 2014 placed a duty on local authorities in England to promote a diverse, sustainable, high quality market of care and support providers for people in their local area.

We have given local authorities in England an extra £2 billion over the next three years to maintain access for our growing aging population and allow councils to sustain a diverse care market including care home places.

The Department is supporting local authorities to influence their local market through improved market facilitation and commissioning to ensure that local markets are effective.