Oral Answers to Questions

Charlie Dewhirst Excerpts

Tuesday 7th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Karin Smyth]

Our plan is to have universal coverage in every school. That was not achieved by the previous Government, and we hope to ensure that it happens.

[Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)]

2. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase to employer national insurance contributions on social care.

[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

This Government will never shy away from taking the choices necessary to fix the public finances and rebuild our public services. It is thanks to those choices that we are able to invest an additional £3.7 billion in 2025-26 in local authorities that provide social care. We are also delivering the biggest uplift to the carer’s allowance since the 1970s, an £86 million uplift to the disabled facilities grant, and a fair pay agreement for care workers.

[Charlie Dewhirst]

The increase in employer national insurance contributions comes at a time when we simply cannot afford to lose any more provision from care providers. Age UK estimates that 2 million people aged 65 and over already have unmet care and support needs. What assessment has the Minister made of the potential increase in unmet care needs as a result of the increase to employer national insurance contributions?

[Stephen Kinnock]

There is a pattern here. The Conservatives welcome the additional investment in health and care but oppose the choices that we have made to raise the revenue. They need to tell us which services they would cut or which taxes they would raise instead.