Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the level of mortality in private care homes due to COVID-19, what steps they intend to take (1) to facilitate the provision of such care by local authorities, and (2) to improve conditions in private care homes.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to shape their whole local markets to ensure that they are sustainable, diverse and offer high quality care and support for people in their local area.

On 15 April, the Department published COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care, which set out measures that the Government and other parts of the system were taking to support people in receipt of adult social care, both at home and in other settings. A copy of the Action Plan is attached. On 15 May, the Department published the Care Home Support Package backed by the £600 million Infection Control Fund. It sets out measures on infection prevention control, comprehensive testing, clinical support, local authority care homes support plans and support to build the workforce.

The Care Quality Commission conducts robust inspections to make sure that service providers meet quality and safety standards.