Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on ensuring that the UK's withdrawal from the EU does not lead to a reduction in the number of social care workers.

My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues on a number of issues, including on immigration and the ability of foreign nationals from the European Union to work in the social care sector.

The Department continues to monitor and analyse overall staffing levels in the social care sector and we have been monitoring leaver and joiner rates of EU staff on a regular basis since the 2016 referendum. Our overall programme of work is comprehensive, thorough and continuously updated.

We hugely value the contribution of EU staff working in social care and the Prime Minister has made it clear that we want them to stay. The Government has committed to removing the application fee for the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 March 2019, making it free to apply after that date. In addition, recruiting more people to work in the sector is a priority for the Government and we launched a national adult social care recruitment campaign on 12 February 2019. This will raise the profile of the sector, build awareness of the rich variety of careers on offer, and attract the right people, with the right values, to deliver the very best care. The campaign also supports providers to improve their recruitment and retention practices.