Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the duties relating to adult social care currently carried out by local authorities that could be transferred to charities in order to increase efficiency and quality of care.

Under the Care Act, from April 2015 local authorities will have the power to delegate nearly all of their adult care and support functions, except for some powers and duties around safeguarding, integration, and charging.

The statutory guidance on delegation, published in October 2014, sets out how this will allow local authorities to work more efficiently and innovatively, including with charities, and provide better quality care and support to local populations. The guidance also notes that many external organisations may have specialist expertise or capacity that could mean delegation is the best approach.

When a local authority delegates any of its functions, it retains ultimate responsibility for the carrying out of that function.