Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to eliminate zero hour contracts for social care workers.

The Government recognises the concerns about employers who may be breaching the rules or otherwise exploiting their position. The Government wants to make sure that everyone is paid properly and receives the employment rights to which they are entitled.

The Prime Minister commissioned Matthew Taylor to undertake a review of the rights of employees. In his review Matthew Taylor describes the United Kingdom’s flexible labour market as one of the economy’s biggest strengths and said a blanket ban on zero hours would create more “cliff edges” for employers and workers.

Social care providers are overwhelmingly independent private or charitable organisations and make their own employment decisions about their staff. Zero hours contracts allow employees to access the labour market who cannot or do not want to commit to standard, regular work.

The Department continues to work closely with Skills for Care to support good recruitment and retention practices by social care organisations.