Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to improve the the provision of support available to unpaid carers; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is committed to continuing to value, recognise and support carers to provide care in a way that supports their own health and wellbeing.

On 5 June, the Department published the Carers Action Plan, which sets out a cross-Government programme of targeted work to support carers over the next two years. It puts a focus on practical actions to support carers and gives visibility to the work already underway or planned within Government, showing how the Government will seek to build accessible carer friendly communities and public services, promote innovative local projects and support carers to stay in work.

This is an essential step towards realising the Government’s commitment to supporting carers own health and wellbeing, employment and other life chances. There will also be a clear focus on carers in the forthcoming Adult Social Care Green Paper.