My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health (Alan Johnson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The 2006 community White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say signaled the review of the Prime Minister’s strategy on carers as part of the New Deal for Carers. In June 2007, we launched an extensive consultation process.
We have consulted more than 4,000 carers, adult and young, during a comprehensive six-month consultation process.
Today we are announcing our new 10-year carers strategy, Carers at the Heart of 21st Century Families and Communities.” The strategy sets an ambitious vision focusing on providing greater services and support for carers over the next 10 years. Specifically, in the short term to kick-start the process of improving support for carers, we are investing an additional £150 million in providing breaks for carers, up to £38 million in helping carers combine paid employment and caring and over £6 million in support for young carers. Furthermore, we are committed, in the longer-term, to reviewing the structure of the benefits available to carers in the context of wider benefit reform and the fundamental review of the care and support system. In total, we are investing £255 million in the short-term commitments included in the strategy. This investment builds on the annual carers grant provided to local authorities to support carers (this stands at £224 million in 2008-09).
This process, although led by Department of Health, has involved work across a number of government departments, reflecting the fact that this strategy sets the agenda not simply for health and social care but across government.
A copy of the document has been placed in the Library and copies are available to honourable Members from the Vote Office.