Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential level of cost pressures on learning disability service provider wage budgets arising from the application of the national living wage to sleep-in shifts.

No assessment has been made as we do not collect data on the extent of sleep-overs, so are not in a position to estimate costs.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must have regard to fostering an effective workforce with the appropriate capabilities when shaping their local markets. The Act and its statutory guidance make clear that prices and fee rates agreed with providers must reflect these duties.