Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish the number of (a) social workers and (b) social care staff that were off work due to covid-19 in the week commencing 1 January 2021.

The Department does not hold data on the number of social workers absent from work due to COVID-19 in the week commencing 1 January 2021. The Department collects data on COVID-19 related absence among staff in care homes and domiciliary care. This data is currently being collated and validated for future publication.