Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of direct payment pay rates in attracting care staff; and whether his Department has plans to increase the rate of pay for carers under the direct payment system.

No assessment has been made. The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers who ultimately set their pay, independent of central government. Local authorities work with care providers, including those in receipt of Direct Payments, to determine a fair rate of pay based on local market conditions.