Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has received about the sustainability of the social care sector in Northern Ireland when providers and those in receipt of personal budgets have to fund historical liabilities for sleep-in shifts.

The Government is in discussions with the devolved administration as they work with social care sector representatives to better understand the impact of these liabilities in Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of State receives representations on many issues, including regarding social care, but we have not identified any representations specifically relating to this issue.

The Secretary of State has an ongoing dialogue with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on many issues.