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Adults with Learning Disabilities

That is a key factor in the entire costing of the massive costs that are involved in care. Whatever it costs to care—through trained nurses, support staff or whatever—a massive burden of care is currently taken on by families. Whether younger people are looking after elderly people or parents are looking after their children, the big worry is what will happen when they have gone. In many cases, the cost of care will be translated from the family to society at large. If we can provide care or assistance for those individuals, that will be a saving, not a cost. We have talked about the cost of keeping people in care, but what are the alternatives? If we can get adults with learning disabilities into employment, they will help to make a contribution. Similarly, if we can get people out of prison into employment, there is a saving. Among the many costs that we do not know, I suspect that there is no hard and fast figure for the true cost for what parents or adults looking after people with learning disabilities save us. I only know that it must be a massive cost—I have no idea what the figure is. In the Government's response, I was pleased to see a commitment to the move towards a single equalities duty under the equality Bill and that the Government's intention is to strengthen not undermine the existing public service duty. However, does the Minister share my view that a combined duty may not provide the emphasis and additional help and support that many people with a learning disability may need to access their rights? I am also concerned at reports that the Government are considering the removal of the sixth requirement of the current general duty, which allows public authorities to treat people with a disability more favourably if it is necessary to achieve equality. I am sure that hon. Members will appreciate the importance of the concept of more favourable treatment remaining in the Bill, and unless it does, disability discrimination legislation will be significantly weakened. Will the Minister give me an assurance today that that will be retained in the equality Bill? In conclusion, this is a good report, and I welcome it and the Government's response. However, although much progress has been made over the decades, we still have some way to go so that, in the not-too-distant future, such reports are redundant. We hope that in the future all people—adults with learning difficulties and the rest of us—are equal, because if we are all equal, we will not need to consider such reports.