Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the proposed pilot scheme merger of the provision of social care and health care in Northamptonshire under one new organisation.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, together with my officials, met Hon Friends from Northamptonshire on 22 July to discuss the integration between health and social care services in Northamptonshire. It was agreed that local leaders from across health and social care in Northamptonshire should be invited to set out clearly their ambitions for integration including formalised ways of working together. I and my fellow Ministers look forward to hearing more from Northamptonshire health bodies and councils when their plans are further developed.