MPs gather for final two evidence sessions on social care White Paper

Today sees the first of two remaining All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) evidence sessions taking place, organised to allow MPs to hear from experts in the social care sector and from local authorities, before Parliament itself proceeds to debate care reform proposals over the summer.

Chair of the APPG Heather Wheeler, Conservative MP for South Derbyshire, wrote on her website: “I think this inquiry is really important. At a local level social care is a massive issue both because of the quality of care delivered, but also the cost of care. People know a lot more because of the Dilnot Report, but there are still so many unanswered questions. This inquiry gives us the opportunity to explore this area, hear from experts, and lead the responses to the White Paper.”

With a further meeting scheduled for Tuesday 1st May, the list of witnesses attending the APPG include representatives from The King’s Fund, the Health Select Committee, Age UK and ADASS, together with individuals from various adult social services and local government organisations.

Key topics for debate include the ability of the care sector to allow service users to live independent lives, the subject of financial dependency, and how reform can act as a ‘market shaper’ for care services.

The aim of the APPG is to achieve “the most significant cross-party contribution to the debate about the role of local government in delivering care in the next decade”.

The APPG is supported by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) and attended by thirteen cross-party MPs.

Image: Heather Wheeler MP courtesy of the Conservative Party.