Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken to improve the support provided to carers; and if he will make a statement.

We have ensured that carers are central to our proposals for care and support reform. The provisions in the Care Act focus on the carer in their own right. For the first time, local authorities have a duty to meet carers’ eligible support needs and to consider the impact of their caring responsibilities when undertaking an assessment.

We have also ensured that young carers and parent carers of disabled children are supported. Through the provisions of the Children and Families Act, their assessments will be on the same footing as adults caring for adults.

We have provided £400 million to the National Health Service over four years from 2011 for carers to have breaks from their caring responsibilities. The 2015-16 tranche of this funding (£130 million) will be part of the Better Care Fund.

On 30 October 2014, the Government published an updated action plan for the national Carers Strategy, setting out progress since 2010 and priorities for the next two years through to 2016.

Carers are also central to the work that NHS England is leading to improve the quality of life of people with long term conditions. Their action plan NHS England’s Commitment to Carers includes a series of commitments around eight priorities, including raising the profile of carers.