Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Market sustainability and fair cost of care fund 2022 to 2023: guidance, updated in August 2022, what discussions she has had with the adult social care sector regarding incorporating equitable rates of pay for care staff in the fair cost of care analysis.

We have committed £1.36 billion over three years to the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund to support local authorities to prepare markets for reform and move towards paying providers a fair cost of care. We have engaged with providers and local government on the approach to implementation and to develop the guidance for the Fund, published in March 2022.