Title
Carers (Equal Opportunities) Bill
3:45 pm
Mr Hywel Francis (Aberavon, Labour)
May I add my thanks to the Minister's, particularly to you, Mr. Benton, for your wise and helpful chairmanship? I also thank all the Bill's sponsors and the members of the Standing Committee. It is invidious to single anyone out, but given that the Bill has had such broad, cross-party support, I should like to thank in particular the hon. Members for Wycombe, representing the official Opposition, for Sutton and Cheam, for Caernarfon (Hywel Williams), and for East Antrim (Mr. Beggs). The range of parties that supported the Bill is indicated by their presence in the Committee.
I also thank the Minister and his officials. We have had an open discussion at all times and he was always open to reasonable persuasion. I thank Jane Hutt, the Minister for Health and Social Services, and her officials in the Welsh Assembly. She was always an enthusiastic supporter of the Bill. Finally, I again thank Carers UK and Carers Wales, and all the local carers organisations that have written to me on behalf of the many millions of carers. I should like to single out once again my own local authority, Neath Port Talbot county borough council and its social services department, and the Neath Port Talbot local health board, for their invaluable advice.
My right hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge and Chryston (Mr. Clarke) recently asked me how far we had travelled with the Bill. I would characterise it as a journey of hope for carers. What is most gratifying is that, as we have progressed, we all seem to have travelled in the same direction, and I hope that by the end of the afternoon, we shall have completed another important stage of the journey together.
Amendment agreed to.
Bill, as amended, to be reported.
Committee rose at six minutes to Four o'clock.