Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with Baroness Casey on engaging with political parties (a) individually or (b) collectively in relation to the Independent commission into adult social care.

The commission has now formally begun. Given the commission is independent, it is only right for Baroness Casey to independently build public and cross-party consensus. This includes choosing how and when the voices of political parties are best brought into the conversation.

Baroness Casey has the autonomy to convene cross-party talks over the course of her work as she sees fit, with political parties invited as participants.