---

Carers

We must consider the infrastructure, as well as how we apply the benefits. A move towards vouchers, given the time and cost implications, and the apparatus that would need to be put in place, would not produce a situation more desirable than that resulting from the reforms to the benefits system that we want. The analogy with child care vouchers is also imperfect, because children are rarely financially independent with an income source, whereas generally adults needing care have some financial resources at their disposal, as well as state-provided care or benefits, which I referred to earlier. The circumstances, therefore, are different. Our ambition is to move to a single benefit. I have referred to remarks about putting this matter in the context of care and support. Having listened to carers, we decided not to move carers on to jobseeker's allowance, as we had originally proposed in the Green Paper. Carers told me in no uncertain terms at the Carers UK conference that they thought it would be an insult to do so—actually, there were a few expletives—so we are not going to do that. We do want more simplification, but we need to consult on that and take people with us before we introduce our proposals. The personal account given by my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, South (Miss Begg) provided an insight into what it is like to be cared for. She also told us how her parents had to endure some of her less than reasonable moments—not that she is like that now. She rightly pointed out the need to support young carers, and talked about the difficulties faced by families often in a chaotic situation. She talked about parents who might be drug dependent. Albeit only in England, we are introducing support for families as part of the aiming higher for disabled children initiative. We have invested £370 million to support, and increase the number of, short breaks for parents caring for a disabled child, which I am sure will make an enormous difference to the lives of many families. It is for her to talk to the Scottish Government to see whether they can match that. I shall not respond in detail to her point about Aberdeen council, but obviously she is no fan of that particular local authority and some of its decisions. My hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, West (Mr. Bailey) eloquently talked about the need to improve services for young carers, as did a number of others—I am pleased that the service in Sandwell is there. He talked about the question that he put to young carers in his constituency and about a national organisation. He asked me to pass on those points, which certainly I shall. However, we need to recognise that the Prime Minister has set up a cross-cutting body to look at carers that will take account of children. My hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen) was his usual direct self and invited me to go and live with Rab Nesbitt—if he does not mind, I shall decline the offer. However, I shall provide him with a note on the point that he raised on behalf of the Parkinson's Disease Society. I can provide him with the details that will allay his concerns. He also mentioned someone who had suffered a stroke, which brings me back to one of my original points. NHS stroke services have improved vastly in recent years. I am sure that that goes for his patch as much as mine. That will have lowered the dependency of some on carers as well as the requirements of carers. The hon. Member for Leeds, North-East—