Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 14 May 2025, Official Report, column 336, whether he plans to provide additional funding to local authorities for social care to enable care providers to increase wages.

To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government has made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

The Government is also introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector, so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do. As we work towards a Fair Pay Agreement, the Government will engage all those who draw upon care, as well as those that work to provide care and support. We will also consult local authorities, unions, and others from across the sector.

Decisions on local authority funding for future years will be made as part of the 2025 multi-year Spending Review and local government finance settlement processes.