To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve pay and conditions in the social care sector.

The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers who set their pay and conditions, independent of central Government. Local authorities work with care providers to determine a fair rate of pay based on local market conditions.

We have announced over £460 million in Workforce Recruitment and Retention Funds. Round two of the Fund can be used to enable local authorities and providers to bring forward planned rises in pay for the adult social care workforce in advance of the new financial year.