To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the eligibility criteria for the Health and Care Worker visa on the ability of social care employers to recruit staff.

The Department does not intend to make a specific assessment of the impact of the eligibility criteria on the ability of social care employers to recruit staff. The Government will continue to monitor workforce capacity in the sector closely, including the role of international recruitment.

We recognise the scale of reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and reduce the reliance on international recruitment. We want it to be regarded as a profession, and for the people who work in care to be respected as professionals.