Health and Adult Social Care Reform

Lord Laming Excerpts

Tuesday 7th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Laming (CB)]

My Lords, the Statement is most welcome, not least the attention given to social care services. I congratulate the Minister and the Government on striking that proper balance between health and social care. The issues are hugely challenging, very expensive and important for the whole of society, especially if the National Health Service is to survive and prosper, for reasons that the Minister has touched on. The issues in social care range from recognition of the very important contribution of unpaid carers to the fact that a large number of local authorities face financial problems which place their future in a degree of jeopardy. The commission to be chaired by the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, will tackle these and many other issues, but we have to get through the immediate situation. Can the Minister assure the House that, in taking the social care agenda forward, from today these matters will be kept in sharp focus and handled with great vigour and determination?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I am pleased to give that assurance and thank the noble Lord for his welcome for these measures. As I mentioned earlier in response to opposition Front-Benchers, we have not waited. In the last six months, we have made a number of immediate changes. He mentioned carers, and it is worth emphasising that, as I said, the increase in carer’s allowance is the largest since the 1970s. It will mean roughly an extra £2,300 a year for family carers. That is extremely significant. This House rightly presses me on the need to recognise carers, in particular unpaid carers, which we have done. The whole range of measures I described earlier will show our direction. I look forward to the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, publishing her first report next year. Those recommendations will also be there straightaway. We are doing this on all timescales.