A House of Lords select committee has written to Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock demanding a response to a social care inquiry that called last year to end the “national scandal” of failing services.
The Lords economic affairs committee's report, ‘Social care funding: time to end a national scandal’, published on 4 July 2019, urged the government to inject £8bn immediately into the sector to improve care for 400,000 people.
In the letter to Matt Hancock, economic affairs select committee chairman Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (pictured) said he expects to “receive the response to our report imminently”.
“The government is accountable directly to Parliament and it has a duty and responsibility to reply to Committee reports in a timely way, usually within two months,” he added.
“You said previously that the department would not be able to meet the usual deadline, but you must agree that 11 months is not only an inordinate amount of time for us to wait but is a breach of parliamentary convention.”
Lord Forsyth meanwhile said he was “disappointed” by Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s response to a letter sent by the former late last month, which called on the government to adopt the recommendations of the economic affairs committee report.
Sunak replied that the report must be considered only “alongside the other reports that have been published in recent years” on reforming social care due to the complexity of the issue.
“This complexity is why we have invited cross-party talks from all MPs and peers to voice their views, and I am sure you agree that it will be necessary to ensure consensus if we are to reach a sustainable long-term solution,” Sunak wrote in the letter to Lord Forsyth.
“I can assure you that these cross-party talks will take place at the earliest opportunity in light of the current circumstances. The government will then bring forward a plan for social care for the longer term,” he added.
