Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on improving digital (a) access and (b) support for care users.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, regularly meets with other Ministers to discuss shared priorities and cross-cutting policy areas. While there is no single cross-government digital strategy focused specifically on care users, the Department for Health and Social Care regularly engages with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and other departments on the importance of digital inclusion, infrastructure, and technology adoption in social care. These discussions inform our joint efforts to promote access to technology and digital services across the sector, ensuring that care settings are equipped with the digital infrastructure needed to support people who draw on care to access and use connected technologies in their day to day lives.

Officials from both Departments are in regular contact to align on shared priorities, including the digital switchover, infrastructure investment, and support for innovation in care technology. An example of this joint working can be seen in the Telecare National Action Plan, published in February 2025.