Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to create more spaces in respite centres for adults with disabilities in the North West; and what further support he will make available for people for whom there is not space.

Local authorities have a duty under the Care Act 2014 to shape their local care markets to ensure there is a diverse range of high-quality services, available to meet the needs of the local population, including respite care. Responsibility for the provision of respite services in the North West is a matter for the local authorities in that region.

To support local authorities, we are providing £1.6 billion of new grant funding per year in this Spending Review period for social care and other services. We are also providing support to local authorities to help them fulfil their market shaping duties through collaborative work with partners such as the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Local Government Association.