Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the context of the social care reform agenda, if he will take steps to ensure that the funding allocation for the social care sector enables care givers to be paid an adequate wage in the context of the rising costs of living.

We have made an additional £3.7 billion available for councils in 2022/23 which includes £1 billion for social care. Councils also have access to additional funding, including from un-ringfenced grants and council tax.

The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers which determine their terms and conditions independently of central Government. Local authorities work with care providers to determine fee rates, which should take account of employment costs, based on local market conditions. When commissioning services, local authorities should ensure that service providers deliver services through staff remunerated in order to retain an effective workforce.