Oral Answers to Questions

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Excerpts

Tuesday 20th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Caroline Dinenage]

The Secretary of State was with Andrew Dilnot yesterday, and we are looking carefully at his proposals. My right hon. Friend is right: although 81% of adult social care providers are registered as good or outstanding, it is unacceptable for levels of care to fall below the standards that we would expect, and in preparing the Green Paper, we will look closely at how we can improve the system.

[Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab)]

19. According to recent polling by the Alzheimer’s Society, public concern about the social care system is growing, and it is clear that action is needed now to fix the crisis. Why will the Government not heed the will of Parliament and commit themselves to closing the social care funding gap, as agreed in the vote on our Opposition day motion last October?

[Caroline Dinenage]

I do not entirely agree with what the hon. Gentleman has said. We provided an extra £2 billion in last year’s Budget to help councils to commission care services that are sustainable, high-quality and diverse. In the Green Paper, which will be published this summer, we will consider how we can future-proof the system.