Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help (a) improve pay and conditions for frontline social care workers and (b) ensure that social care policy adequately addresses the requirements of people with severe disabilities.

We are 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. Fair Pay Agreements will empower worker representatives, employers, and others to negotiate pay, and terms and conditions in a responsible manner. This will help to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector, in turn supporting the delivery of high-quality care.

We are making immediate improvements to improve the lives of people with severe disabilities, such as providing £711 million of funding to the Disabled Facilities Grant in 2024/25 and 2025/26, as we lay the foundations for a National Care Service.

We will ensure that the needs and experiences of disabled people are at the heart of our future plans.