Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he plans to offer to adult social care providers facing additional costs as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises that COVID-19 is imposing significant pressures on the social care sector. £3.7 billion has now been made available to local authorities so they can address pressures on local services caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care. On 17 September 2020 the extension of the Infection Control Fund was announced, meaning over £1.1 billion of ring-fenced funding has been provided for infection control throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognising the increase in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) this year, the Government has committed in the recently published Adult Social Care Winter Plan to the provision of free PPE for COVID-19 needs for adult social care providers until March 2021

The Government will continue to monitor pressures on adult social care.