Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the clarity of guidance on the boundary between (a) NHS responsibilities and (b) local authority responsibilities for individuals with care and support needs.

Under Section 22 of the Care Act 2014, local authorities are generally prevented from meeting needs by providing services that the National Health Service must provide under the National Health Service Act 2006.

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the care and support needs of their population are met, by assessing needs, providing or arranging appropriate services, and shaping a sustainable care market. This is set out in section 5 of the Care Act 2014 and includes commissioning a variety of different providers and specialist services that provide genuine choice to meet the needs of local people and that offer quality and value for money.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning health services for their local population.