Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the finding of the Institute for Public Policy Research, published on 3 September 2021, that long term social care expenditure is £5,300 per person lower in the North East than across England as a whole, what steps he is taking to ensure that long term social care expenditure per person is equally distributed among regions.

We are committed to making sure councils continue to get the support they need to maintain key services and build back better after the pandemic. The Spending Review will be the opportunity to consider local government's future funding needs, including social care expenditure. We are committed to the delivery of world-leading health and social care across the whole of the UK, and our 7 September 2021 announcement of £5.4 billion of investment over three years marked an important step on the journey to reform adult social care.