Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that providers of local authority-commissioned care for people with learning disabilities do not close as a direct result of their back pay liability for sleep-in shifts.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the social care sector is stable, both for those receiving care and for care workers.

The Government recognises the pressure that has been placed on the sleep-in sector by historic liabilities for back pay and is exploring options to minimise any impact on the social care sector. This includes working closely with stakeholders to ensure that we have a clear understanding of any impact the sector may face.

The information in the Deloitte study forms part of the evidence base that is being used to assess options and is subject to further analysis and refinement. Consequently there is no timetable for publication.