Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2026 [Draft]
I recognise the concerns that the member raises. Similar concerns have been raised with me by many members about decisions that have been taken in their localities. I note, however, that statutory responsibility for those decisions sits with integration joint boards. The Parliament had a long and detailed debate about the proposition of a national care service, which would have seen a change in accountability. Ultimately, the Parliament, including the Labour Party, argued that decision making should be local, which is what prevails. Whether that continues will be a matter for the next session of the Parliament, but I note that we can make progress. We have seen an uplift in social care funding in this budget, and with the commitment for sectoral bargaining in social care, which will begin in earnest for the financial year 2027-28, we have a real opportunity to work collaboratively to increase resources for social care. However, that will be a matter not just for the next Administration but for the next session of the Parliament.