Adult Social Care

Greg Smith, the Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, asked the Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock, what steps the government plans to take to reform adult social care. In response, Kinnock acknowledged the neglect and incompetence of the previous 14 years of Tory rule, stating that adult social care is "on its knees." He highlighted the decrease in the number of people receiving long-term care and the 130,000 staff vacancies in the system. Kinnock then outlined the government's first critical step, which was the introduction of groundbreaking legislation to establish the first-ever fair pay agreement for care professionals, stating that this government has done more for adult social care workers in 14 weeks than the previous government did in 14 years. Greg Smith followed up, expressing concerns about the proposed national care service, the new negotiating body's aim of establishing a minimum pay floor, and the potential expensive top-down reorganization of the care system. He asked the Minister how he plans to maintain and enhance the role of local authorities, including Buckinghamshire Council, in targeting and delivering care, and how he intends to maintain day-to-day spending alongside this reform plan without raising taxes. Kinnock responded by criticizing the opposition's lecture on fiscal discipline, given the £22 billion in-year black hole. He stated that the government is committed to consulting widely on the design of the fair pay agreement and engaging with all affected parties to consider the financial impacts on the adult social care market, local government, and self-funders. Kinnock highlighted the government's pro-business, pro-worker, and pro-growth approach, citing the £63 billion of investment and the recent publication of the Employment Rights Bill. Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the Labour MP for Suffolk Coastal, raised the issue of the extreme pressure on adult social care, with one in four hospital beds occupied by patients with dementia. She asked the Minister to commit to the delivery of a dementia strategy in the current Parliament. Kinnock acknowledged the importance of the dementia issue and its impact on the entire country. He stated that the government is committed to the research fundamental to addressing the problem and that the fair pay agreement is not just about pay but also training and terms and conditions, with a focus on ramping up dementia training for the adult social care workforce. Finally, Sir John Whittingdale, the Conservative MP for Maldon, noted that the Labour manifesto spoke of the need for a consensus on social care and that the Secretary of State has said he wants to reach out across the political divide. Whittingdale stated that the message does not seem to have reached the Minister yet and that the opposition is ready to talk, asking when the government will be ready. Kinnock responded by highlighting the government's groundbreaking legislation to settle the issue of adult social care pay, which he said is more than the previous government did in 14 years. He reiterated the government's commitment to building cross-party consensus, recognizing the need for a sustainable process that will fix adult social care for the long term, and stated that he looks forward to engaging with all members of the House on this issue.