Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of providers of respite care that have closed since January 2022; and what steps he is taking to support those providers and ensure local respite care provision is protected.

The Department does not hold data for the number of respite care providers that have been deregistered.

Local authorities are best placed to assess local resources and need, distributing their funding based on local population needs and regional issues. They should have contingency plans in place where needed, particularly if services are to close. If services close, local authorities should provide information and advice on alternative care to support people affected by any service changes. We continue to work closely with local authorities and the adult social care sector to understand the impact of cost and demand pressures on service delivery.