Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the reasons for the increase in the mandatory registration fee for membership of the Health and Care Professionals Council; and if he will make a statement.

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is a self-financing, independent regulator that is accountable to Parliament through the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) who assesses the HCPC’s performance, conducts audits, scrutinises their decisions and reports to Parliament.

It is for the council of the HCPC to set their fees at a level which ensures they can fulfil their statutory role of protecting, promoting and maintaining the health and safety of the public.

The Department understands that the HCPC publicly consulted on raising their registrant fee and as part of that process explained the raise was for a number of reasons: to fund the periodic fee it is required to pay the PSA; to enable the HCPC to operate more flexibly and efficiently; and to ensure the HCPC’s financial viability in the medium to long term.