My Lords, one of the most important contributions of a neighbourhood health service is in the preventive work that it does—things like exercise, smoking cessation, addiction counselling, and so on. Does my noble friend agree that it is important to measure those aspects, which reduce further the demand for hospital and primary care services?

My Lords, one of the most important contributions of a neighbourhood health service is in the preventive work that it does—things like exercise, smoking cessation, addiction counselling, and so on. Does my noble friend agree that it is important to measure those aspects, which reduce further the demand for hospital and primary care services?

My Lords, while acknowledging the great importance of services to these families, will my noble friend the Minister also acknowledge the importance of peer support in these circumstances and commend the work of the many charities enabling families in the same circumstances to talk to each other, to share information and to get support?

My Lords, while acknowledging the great importance of services to these families, will my noble friend the Minister also acknowledge the importance of peer support in these circumstances and commend the work of the many charities enabling families in the same circumstances to talk to each other, to share information and to get support?

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. The public consultation that has been launched is very welcome. As my noble friend knows, carers want to combine paid work with caring if they can because it provides income, independence and social interaction. There is never a problem making the moral case for carers—everyone knows they are unsung heroes and heroines—but does my noble friend agree that there is a strong economic case, too? The DWP estimates that carers leaving work results in about £37 billion a year in lost productivity and increased welfare expenditure, so there are economic benefits to

supporting them in any way possible, such as paid carer’s leave—as I have said, the consultation is most welcome—access to reliable social care and better support from both employers and healthcare services.

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. The public consultation that has been launched is very welcome. As my noble friend knows, carers want to combine paid work with caring if they can because it provides income, independence and social interaction. There is never a problem making the moral case for carers—everyone knows they are unsung heroes and heroines—but does my noble friend agree that there is a strong economic case, too? The DWP estimates that carers leaving work results in about £37 billion a year in lost productivity and increased welfare expenditure, so there are economic benefits to

supporting them in any way possible, such as paid carer’s leave—as I have said, the consultation is most welcome—access to reliable social care and better support from both employers and healthcare services.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the Carers UK report The ‘tipping point’: when unpaid carers can no longer combine caring with paid employment, published on 12 May, that 47% of carers are considering reducing their working hours or leaving paid employment because of the pressures they face; and what steps they intend to take as a result.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the Carers UK report The ‘tipping point’: when unpaid carers can no longer combine caring with paid employment, published on 12 May, that 47% of carers are considering reducing their working hours or leaving paid employment because of the pressures they face; and what steps they intend to take as a result.

My Lords, while accepting the importance of early diagnosis and the improvements that are being made, does my noble friend agree that families—and she has mentioned carers—are often reluctant to seek a diagnosis? They think that these are only small symptoms of confusion and do not want to go for the full diagnosis on dementia. Would the public awareness campaign, mentioned from the other Benches, also include encouragement to families and carers to seek that diagnosis?

My Lords, while accepting the importance of early diagnosis and the improvements that are being made, does my noble friend agree that families—and she has mentioned carers—are often reluctant to seek a diagnosis? They think that these are only small symptoms of confusion and do not want to go for the full diagnosis on dementia. Would the public awareness campaign, mentioned from the other Benches, also include encouragement to families and carers to seek that diagnosis?

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to speed up diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and enable potential sufferers and their families to have earlier access to experimental drugs.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to speed up diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and enable potential sufferers and their families to have earlier access to experimental drugs.

I thank my noble friend for that reply. I am glad to know that she understands the importance of early diagnosis because it is the only way to access drugs that will delay, although not of course cure, this disease. But families are sometimes reluctant to get a diagnosis because they do not want to recognise the reality of their relative’s condition. Could the Government consider giving the issue more publicity, perhaps even a public information campaign, to encourage families to seek help before the condition has advanced so far that no drugs can be of help?

I thank my noble friend for that reply. I am glad to know that she understands the importance of early diagnosis because it is the only way to access drugs that will delay, although not of course cure, this disease. But families are sometimes reluctant to get a diagnosis because they do not want to recognise the reality of their relative’s condition. Could the Government consider giving the issue more publicity, perhaps even a public information campaign, to encourage families to seek help before the condition has advanced so far that no drugs can be of help?

My Lords, since there is a strong hereditary element in breast cancer, what action is being taken to make sure that women who have had cancer ensure that their daughters and granddaughters are rightly tested? Will the Minister acknowledge the information being given out via “The Archers” on this matter at the moment?

My Lords, since there is a strong hereditary element in breast cancer, what action is being taken to make sure that women who have had cancer ensure that their daughters and granddaughters are rightly tested? Will the Minister acknowledge the information being given out via “The Archers” on this matter at the moment?

I thank my noble friend for that response. The road map that she mentions is indeed an excellent and most welcome initiative to boost place-based philanthropy, and it is much appreciated by the voluntary and community sector. However, the fall in the amount donated is of great concern to charities, which are under increasing pressure to meet growing demands while their incomes are falling. Will His Majesty’s Government consider introducing policies that promote giving, both from corporates and individuals? Examples might be simplifying gift aid, encouraging payroll giving, or indeed anything that might renew the culture of giving, which, as my noble friend said, has always been so central to life in the United Kingdom.

I thank my noble friend for that response. The road map that she mentions is indeed an excellent and most welcome initiative to boost place-based philanthropy, and it is much appreciated by the voluntary and community sector. However, the fall in the amount donated is of great concern to charities, which are under increasing pressure to meet growing demands while their incomes are falling. Will His Majesty’s Government consider introducing policies that promote giving, both from corporates and individuals? Examples might be simplifying gift aid, encouraging payroll giving, or indeed anything that might renew the culture of giving, which, as my noble friend said, has always been so central to life in the United Kingdom.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the Charities Aid Foundation’s UK Giving Report 2026, published in March, that the total amount donated to charity by the British public has fallen for the first time in five years; and whether they have any plans to promote a renewed culture of giving in the UK.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the Charities Aid Foundation’s UK Giving Report 2026, published in March, that the total amount donated to charity by the British public has fallen for the first time in five years; and whether they have any plans to promote a renewed culture of giving in the UK.

I thank my noble friend for her Answer. It was important, though not easy, to win for carers the right to be consulted at the point of discharge. I am sorry that better statistics are not being kept, but I am glad to hear the plans for improvement. The survey from Carers UK shows that the number of carers being consulted is decreasing rapidly. Although I fully understand the pressure on the NHS at the point of discharge and the difficulties of securing proper social care support, does my noble friend agree that it is very short-sighted not to consult carers at this point? If they break down from lack of support, the patient is readmitted and there is further pressure on the NHS.

I thank my noble friend for her Answer. It was important, though not easy, to win for carers the right to be consulted at the point of discharge. I am sorry that better statistics are not being kept, but I am glad to hear the plans for improvement. The survey from Carers UK shows that the number of carers being consulted is decreasing rapidly. Although I fully understand the pressure on the NHS at the point of discharge and the difficulties of securing proper social care support, does my noble friend agree that it is very short-sighted not to consult carers at this point? If they break down from lack of support, the patient is readmitted and there is further pressure on the NHS.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which unpaid carers are consulted before a patient is discharged from hospital, and what plans they have to monitor this.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which unpaid carers are consulted before a patient is discharged from hospital, and what plans they have to monitor this.

My Lords, my noble friend mentioned the importance of foster parents and their significance in this area. Prospective foster parents often complain about the length of time it takes to be both approved and recruited. Is there any way of speeding up the process, while of course maintaining necessary due diligence?

My Lords, my noble friend mentioned the importance of foster parents and their significance in this area. Prospective foster parents often complain about the length of time it takes to be both approved and recruited. Is there any way of speeding up the process, while of course maintaining necessary due diligence?

My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, concentrates on workforce issues. I am sure that she and my noble friend agree that patients, families and carers do not care who is employing the social care worker, as long as they are getting support. Should we concentrate on a flexible workforce that works across both agencies without boundaries to meet the changing needs of the population?

My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, concentrates on workforce issues. I am sure that she and my noble friend agree that patients, families and carers do not care who is employing the social care worker, as long as they are getting support. Should we concentrate on a flexible workforce that works across both agencies without boundaries to meet the changing needs of the population?

To ask His Majesty’s Government how they will respond to the finding in the Health Foundation report Delayed discharges from hospital: comparing performance this year and last, published on 14 December 2025, that the number of beds occupied by people who are medically fit to leave hospital but have nowhere to go is increasing.

To ask His Majesty’s Government how they will respond to the finding in the Health Foundation report Delayed discharges from hospital: comparing performance this year and last, published on 14 December 2025, that the number of beds occupied by people who are medically fit to leave hospital but have nowhere to go is increasing.

I thank my noble friend for that response. Every time we hear about the problem of delayed discharges—and some of us have been working on this for decades—the causes are the same: lack of co-operation and co-ordination between the agencies involved, not just the NHS and social care but the families of patients and the community services provided by the private and voluntary sectors. There are places where discharge procedures work well because all those agencies plan together, not worrying about who is footing the bill or who has the greater responsibility. Does my noble friend agree that, except in cases of emergency admissions, discharge planning should start when the patient is admitted and not wait until they are ready for discharge?

I thank my noble friend for that response. Every time we hear about the problem of delayed discharges—and some of us have been working on this for decades—the causes are the same: lack of co-operation and co-ordination between the agencies involved, not just the NHS and social care but the families of patients and the community services provided by the private and voluntary sectors. There are places where discharge procedures work well because all those agencies plan together, not worrying about who is footing the bill or who has the greater responsibility. Does my noble friend agree that, except in cases of emergency admissions, discharge planning should start when the patient is admitted and not wait until they are ready for discharge?

My Lords, families with children with special needs or disabilities often have very particular needs that are often overlooked. Can my noble friend expand on what services are being made available to those parent carers?

My Lords, families with children with special needs or disabilities often have very particular needs that are often overlooked. Can my noble friend expand on what services are being made available to those parent carers?

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Harris mentioned the community and voluntary sectors in his question. It was clear during the pandemic how very reliant we are on the community and voluntary sectors to step up to the plate quickly in times of emergency. They do, however, often feel that they are consulted and involved a bit late. Can my noble friend the Minister assure me that this will not happen in future epidemics?

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Harris mentioned the community and voluntary sectors in his question. It was clear during the pandemic how very reliant we are on the community and voluntary sectors to step up to the plate quickly in times of emergency. They do, however, often feel that they are consulted and involved a bit late. Can my noble friend the Minister assure me that this will not happen in future epidemics?

I thank my noble friend for that response and for her patience at my persistence. After the problems for carers were ignored for so long by the previous Administration, and after systems did not respond to the clear evidence about the distress caused, carers naturally have a high level of mistrust about how their benefits are administered. Does my noble friend agree that rebuilding that trust must be a priority and that any changes must be completely transparent, with carers consulted and informed at every step of the way?

I thank my noble friend for that response and for her patience at my persistence. After the problems for carers were ignored for so long by the previous Administration, and after systems did not respond to the clear evidence about the distress caused, carers naturally have a high level of mistrust about how their benefits are administered. Does my noble friend agree that rebuilding that trust must be a priority and that any changes must be completely transparent, with carers consulted and informed at every step of the way?

To ask His Majesty’s Government what the timeframe is for reassessing overpayments of Carer’s Allowance in line with the recommendations of the Independent Review of Carer’s Allowance Overpayments.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what the timeframe is for reassessing overpayments of Carer’s Allowance in line with the recommendations of the Independent Review of Carer’s Allowance Overpayments.