My Lords, for what it is worth, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, on her initial findings, which illustrate all too well how serious the situation is. The problem will be made worse by things such as, as the Minister just reported, the NHS workforce plan that will be produced in the near future. That is welcome as far as it goes, but it illustrates the separation between NHS services and local authority

services. The reality is that there are very few people using adult social care services who are not simultaneously looking to the health service for their continuous needs. Will we continue to do everything possible to bridge the gap between the two services?

My Lords, for what it is worth, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, on her initial findings, which illustrate all too well how serious the situation is. The problem will be made worse by things such as, as the Minister just reported, the NHS workforce plan that will be produced in the near future. That is welcome as far as it goes, but it illustrates the separation between NHS services and local authority

services. The reality is that there are very few people using adult social care services who are not simultaneously looking to the health service for their continuous needs. Will we continue to do everything possible to bridge the gap between the two services?

My Lords, in recent years there has been a growing concern about the failure of front-line range of local services to collaborate effectively with each other to exchange vital information. Will the Minister ensure that, during this transition period in local government, every effort will be made not only to preserve collaborative working at local level but to build on it, so we can continue to learn from the failures of the past?

My Lords, in recent years there has been a growing concern about the failure of front-line range of local services to collaborate effectively with each other to exchange vital information. Will the Minister ensure that, during this transition period in local government, every effort will be made not only to preserve collaborative working at local level but to build on it, so we can continue to learn from the failures of the past?

My Lords, I am sure that the Minister will agree that lifelong learning needs to be based upon a strong foundation, which has at its heart valuing education. That means that all parents should ensure that their children get into school, stay in school regularly and value the education that is on offer.

My Lords, I am sure that the Minister will agree that lifelong learning needs to be based upon a strong foundation, which has at its heart valuing education. That means that all parents should ensure that their children get into school, stay in school regularly and value the education that is on offer.

My Lords, the report in the Question is most welcome, but I am sad to say that it is the latest in a long line of similar reports, all recognising that the NHS will continue to be at risk until social care is sorted out, not least because the NHS is free at the point of delivery whereas social care is means-tested. When will the Government—of any kind—agree to tackle this issue of social care? It is serious and will get worse.

My Lords, the report in the Question is most welcome, but I am sad to say that it is the latest in a long line of similar reports, all recognising that the NHS will continue to be at risk until social care is sorted out, not least because the NHS is free at the point of delivery whereas social care is means-tested. When will the Government—of any kind—agree to tackle this issue of social care? It is serious and will get worse.

My Lords, the Government deserve credit for developing a strategy to tackle child poverty, but does the Minister accept that there has to be a partnership between parents and the state? The state can carry out its responsibilities in tackling poverty, but parents must ensure that their children attend school regularly, with a real commitment to their education.

My Lords, the Government deserve credit for developing a strategy to tackle child poverty, but does the Minister accept that there has to be a partnership between parents and the state? The state can carry out its responsibilities in tackling poverty, but parents must ensure that their children attend school regularly, with a real commitment to their education.

My Lords, the House will have been surprised by recent reports about the number of children who start school and are not fully toilet trained and have very poor command of language. Does that not illustrate how we must invest more in parental skills to help people who are not natural

parents learn how to be good parents and provide this essential development at that stage in the child’s early life?

My Lords, the House will have been surprised by recent reports about the number of children who start school and are not fully toilet trained and have very poor command of language. Does that not illustrate how we must invest more in parental skills to help people who are not natural

parents learn how to be good parents and provide this essential development at that stage in the child’s early life?

My Lords, the Minister will agree that this transition from school to employment is a critical stage in the life of every young person. Could she assure the House that all steps have been taken to ensure that the link between services for children and adult services is reinforced so that children do not find themselves fallen off a cliff at the end of school?

My Lords, the Minister will agree that this transition from school to employment is a critical stage in the life of every young person. Could she assure the House that all steps have been taken to ensure that the link between services for children and adult services is reinforced so that children do not find themselves fallen off a cliff at the end of school?

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the mastery and development of language, spoken and written, needs to begin very early and be sustained through the early years? Children will not get that from a tablet. What they need is interaction with adults in order to develop learning skills—listening to stories being read, and the like. Will the Government ensure that parents are reminded that keeping a child occupied and quiet is not the main task, but rather it is to encourage the proper development of the child?

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the mastery and development of language, spoken and written, needs to begin very early and be sustained through the early years? Children will not get that from a tablet. What they need is interaction with adults in order to develop learning skills—listening to stories being read, and the like. Will the Government ensure that parents are reminded that keeping a child occupied and quiet is not the main task, but rather it is to encourage the proper development of the child?

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they intend to take in response to the estimate published by the BBC that during the last five years the adoption arrangements of more than 1,000 children have resulted in those children being returned to local authority care.

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they intend to take in response to the estimate published by the BBC that during the last five years the adoption arrangements of more than 1,000 children have resulted in those children being returned to local authority care.

My Lords, the Minister will agree that, after the 1948 Education Act was introduced, there was an unspoken contract between the state and parents that the state would provide education for every child and that parents, on the other hand, had an obligation to get their child to school every day, unless there was good reason for it not to happen. The difficulty about the young people not in education, work or training today is that this behaviour starts very early in a child’s career. Does the Minister have any thoughts about how we can restore the contract between the state and parents to get their children to school?

My Lords, the Minister will agree that, after the 1948 Education Act was introduced, there was an unspoken contract between the state and parents that the state would provide education for every child and that parents, on the other hand, had an obligation to get their child to school every day, unless there was good reason for it not to happen. The difficulty about the young people not in education, work or training today is that this behaviour starts very early in a child’s career. Does the Minister have any thoughts about how we can restore the contract between the state and parents to get their children to school?

My Lords, I hope I am right in thinking that the whole House is in support of what the Minister is trying to achieve, so well done. Can she extend this just a little further and help carers feel that they are recognised and listened to? Some of the points that I receive are of course about the financial arrangements, but more than that, many carers continue to feel aggrieved that their work and their worth are not recognised and valued.

My Lords, I hope I am right in thinking that the whole House is in support of what the Minister is trying to achieve, so well done. Can she extend this just a little further and help carers feel that they are recognised and listened to? Some of the points that I receive are of course about the financial arrangements, but more than that, many carers continue to feel aggrieved that their work and their worth are not recognised and valued.

My Lords, does the Minister agree that one of the problems is that the need is often not identified until the person is heading for discharge from hospital, whereas if it was foreseen at a much earlier stage and there was proper co-ordinated planning between health and social care, a great deal of these delays could be reduced? Will the Minister do all that she can to improve the relationship between health and social care at local level?

My Lords, does the Minister agree that one of the problems is that the need is often not identified until the person is heading for discharge from hospital, whereas if it was foreseen at a much earlier stage and there was proper co-ordinated planning between health and social care, a great deal of these delays could be reduced? Will the Minister do all that she can to improve the relationship between health and social care at local level?

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to the NHS of identifying, sourcing and distributing medications for emergency prescriptions.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to the NHS of identifying, sourcing and distributing medications for emergency prescriptions.

My Lords, in the preparation of this report, could the opportunity be taken to pay a very warm and well-deserved tribute to carers for what they do? As a society, we should always indicate how indebted we are to the people who care for other people with very special needs.

My Lords, in the preparation of this report, could the opportunity be taken to pay a very warm and well-deserved tribute to carers for what they do? As a society, we should always indicate how indebted we are to the people who care for other people with very special needs.

To ask His Majesty's Government what definition they use to define a medicine shortage.

To ask His Majesty's Government what definition they use to define a medicine shortage.

My Lords, at the outset, I once again emphasise how greatly the committee was helped by hearing from children with a disability and their parents. They very generously helped us to have an insight and to understand something of their experiences. That was so valuable.

It is worth while constantly reminding...

My Lords, at the outset, I once again emphasise how greatly the committee was helped by hearing from children with a disability and their parents. They very generously helped us to have an insight and to understand something of their experiences. That was so valuable.

It is worth while constantly reminding...

Does the Minister recall the Public Services Committee’s report on the transition of young people with a disability from education into adult services? The evidence showed that there was a remarkable divergence. In some parts of the country, local authorities demonstrated quite inspiring work in getting young people with disabilities into work; in other parts of the country, the parents described it as like facing a cliff face. Does the Minister agree that we should set targets for every local authority, to make

sure that, year on year, the number of young people with a disability going into employment is increasing? The noble Baroness, Lady Monckton, can demonstrate that very well.

Does the Minister recall the Public Services Committee’s report on the transition of young people with a disability from education into adult services? The evidence showed that there was a remarkable divergence. In some parts of the country, local authorities demonstrated quite inspiring work in getting young people with disabilities into work; in other parts of the country, the parents described it as like facing a cliff face. Does the Minister agree that we should set targets for every local authority, to make

sure that, year on year, the number of young people with a disability going into employment is increasing? The noble Baroness, Lady Monckton, can demonstrate that very well.

My Lords, one of the groups most disadvantaged and, I regret to say, ignored at times, is unpaid carers—those who have taken on the care of a very disabled child or an elderly relative. Will the Minister continue her work to persuade all the services to be altogether more sensitive to carers and, most of all, to accord them the dignity and care that they need?

My Lords, one of the groups most disadvantaged and, I regret to say, ignored at times, is unpaid carers—those who have taken on the care of a very disabled child or an elderly relative. Will the Minister continue her work to persuade all the services to be altogether more sensitive to carers and, most of all, to accord them the dignity and care that they need?

My Lords, I was told in a discussion with a carer coping with the day-by-day, hour-by-hour demands of looking after someone with

severe dementia that when they got a hospital appointment, the doctor spent a great deal of time looking at the screen and firing off questions to the patient. Frankly, the patient did not recognise where she was, and when the carer intervened to help, they were made to feel that their only job was to act as chauffeur to get the patient to hospital. Surely the time has come to recognise the tremendous contribution of unpaid carers in our society, and to support them, value them and help them to feel valued.

My Lords, I was told in a discussion with a carer coping with the day-by-day, hour-by-hour demands of looking after someone with

severe dementia that when they got a hospital appointment, the doctor spent a great deal of time looking at the screen and firing off questions to the patient. Frankly, the patient did not recognise where she was, and when the carer intervened to help, they were made to feel that their only job was to act as chauffeur to get the patient to hospital. Surely the time has come to recognise the tremendous contribution of unpaid carers in our society, and to support them, value them and help them to feel valued.

My Lords, in support of the initiatives that I know the Minister is very much involved with and has mentioned, could he say what progress he is making to reduce the number of prisoners being released on a Friday afternoon?

My Lords, in support of the initiatives that I know the Minister is very much involved with and has mentioned, could he say what progress he is making to reduce the number of prisoners being released on a Friday afternoon?