Social Care

Baroness Tyler of Enfield Excerpts

Tuesday 24th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I welcome the comments from the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, that she will look to reach out to all the different organisations, including the voluntary sector and carers themselves. She will hear from across the sector, and I am sure that the noble Baroness, Lady Verma, will make her voice heard as we take this work forward.

[Baroness Tyler of Enfield (LD)]

My Lords, the recent report of the Health and Social Care Committee found that too much emphasis is being put on the cost of reforming social care and not enough thought being given to the human and financial cost of inaction. It also argued that the Government need to measure the true cost of inaction so that they can present a robust financial case, not least to the Treasury, and one that takes account of the loss of tax receipts as people have to give up work and withdraw from the labour market. Do the Government agree with that analysis?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

It will come as no surprise to the noble Baroness that we are looking at the recommendations of the Health and Social Care Select Committee report and will come forward with our responses. It is of course vital to look at the impact of the model that we have now on society, on the people involved and on the economy. The various debates we have had in this House in the time I have been here have picked that up and recognised the valuable contribution that carers make to the economy. We have to start taking the holistic view moving forward. That is why we have the commission: to look at all the different aspects, improve the situation and make progress.