Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce regulations for the use of solo carers for elderly people.

We have understood that the term solo carers refers to personal assistants. The Department has no current plans to introduce regulations for the use of solo carers for elderly people.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure that there is sufficient workforce in adult social care. Much of the responsibility of recruitment and retention of the workforce rests with adult social care employers, who are largely private providers.