Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his planned consultation on social care will include working-age disabled people's social care.

The Care Act statutory guidance requires that where an adult or carer appears to have care and support needs the local authority must carry out an assessment. This is then followed by a financial assessment to determine whether or not they pay towards their care and support. Where a person is assessed as having eligible care and support needs, and meets the national eligibility threshold, then the local authority must meet their care needs.

Social care continues to be a key priority for this Government. This is why local authorities in England will receive an additional £2 billion for social care over the next three years.

We will work to improve social care and will bring forward proposals for consultation to build widespread support.

The consultation will set out options to improve the social care system and to put it on a more secure financial footing, supporting people, families and communities to prepare for old age, and address issues related to the quality of care and variation in practice.

The Government will make further announcements on the scope of the consultation in due course.