Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what financial support his Department provides to care homes to help them meet the additional costs of providing (a) increased staffing levels and (b) enhanced protection measures to ensure the safety of residents and staff during the covid-19 outbreak.

From the start of the pandemic, the Government has taken steps to ensure that care home residents and staff are protected. We have provided £1.1 billion of ring-fenced funding for infection prevention measures through the Infection Control Fund and made a further £4.6 billion available to councils to address pressures caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care. On 23 December, the Government announced an additional £149 million to fund costs associated with increased testing, to help ensure the safety of staff and residents.

The Infection Control Fund may be used to cover the additional staffing costs that result from limiting staff to working in one care setting. It may also be used for enhanced infection prevention measures such as ensuring safe visiting. The Government has also committed to the provision of free personal protective equipment for adult social care providers until March 2021.