Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will bring forward legislative proposals to codify in law accountability for workforce supply and planning throughout the health and care system.

Through the Care Act of 2014, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has delegated his powers to Health Education England (HEE) to support the delivery of excellent healthcare and health improvement for patients and the public in England, by ensuring that the current and future National Health Service workforce has the right numbers of staff with the right skills, values and behaviours at the right time and in the right place to meet patient needs.

The Care Act 2014 sets out HEE’s remit and range of roles and responsibilities in detail, including its duty to ensure an effective system for education and training for the NHS and public health.