Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with Bristol City Council on the effect on social care of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

The Department is working closely with local authorities, other government departments and with national partners, including the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, to do everything appropriate to prepare for a ‘no deal’ exit from the European Union on 31 October 2019. This will ensure that the potential impacts of exit on vulnerable people using adult social care services are mitigated as far as possible.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has stepped up its preparedness significantly and is speaking regularly to councils and partners, including through a delivery board and a network of nine regional lead chief executives. Every council has designated a ‘Brexit Lead Officer’ to work with central government to intensify their local preparations and, in total, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has made £77 million available to help local areas get ready for EU exit.