Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many external stakeholder meetings the independent commission on adult social care has had since April.

No commissioners have been appointed. Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock chairs the Independent Commission into adult social care, alongside a dedicated secretariat team.

Baroness Casey and the Commission’s secretariat are based in the Cabinet Office. The secretariat has a total of ten officials, eight are employed by the Department of Health and Social Care, and two by the Cabinet Office. One external individual has been hired as contingent labour to support the work of the Commission’s secretariat. There are a further four officials working in the Commission’s sponsorship function based in the Department of Health and Social Care.

As the Commission is independent, the secretariat may expand as it carries out its work and as Baroness Casey considers what further skills and expertise she needs.

For 2025/26, the Department of Health and Social Care indicatively made available £2.9 million to support the Commission’s work and continue to keep the budget under review. As the Commission is independent, they will be responsible for reporting on their financial expenditure.

The independence of the Commission means the Department of Health and Social Care does not track the number of meetings the Commission has held. Engagement decisions are for Baroness Casey and her team to decide. The Commission has set out that it has met with over 350 people including those drawing on care and supporting, national organisations and delivery or provider organisations.

Details about how to engage with the Commission, including via the portal, are available on its website in an online-only format.