Debates between Mike Wood and Helen Whately during the 2019-2024 Parliament

Wed 23rd Jun 2021

Social Care Reform

Debate between Mike Wood and Helen Whately
Wednesday 23rd June 2021

(3 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

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Helen Whately Portrait Helen Whately
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I absolutely respect the experience that the hon. Member brings to this House, but I do not agree with quite a bit of what she said. We have done our utmost to support the more than 1.4 million members of the social care workforce during the pandemic, and our thinking about the care workforce puts them front and centre of the social care reforms that we are developing. That, of course, is because the quality of care is so much dependent on that fantastic workforce. I am determined that they continue to be front and centre of our work on reform. As I said, we will bring forward proposals for reform later this year.

Mike Wood Portrait Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)
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A world-class healthcare system cannot exist without effective and sustainable social care. The health and care Bill is an important step, but will my hon. Friend ensure that the social care reforms go further in integrating health and social care so that everybody who needs care can get the tailored support that they need?

Helen Whately Portrait Helen Whately
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The proposals in the health and care Bill are just a step on the road to reform, but they are an important step. That step includes the joining up of health and social care in integrated care systems and putting those on a statutory footing, and the oversight arrangements for social care provided and commissioned by local authorities. We will be building on those plans in our long-term plan for social care reform.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mike Wood and Helen Whately
Tuesday 23rd February 2021

(3 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Helen Whately Portrait Helen Whately
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The hon. Member is right to say that visiting at the moment involves extra staffing—for instance, staff to supervise visits and to support the testing that we will be bringing in with the new visiting guidance. We have already provided funding to the social care sector that can be used to support the cost of visiting, and there is additional funding for extra workforce costs.

Mike Wood Portrait Mike Wood (Dudley South) (Con)
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What steps he is taking to ensure an adequate supply of covid-19 vaccines.