My Lords, I am delighted to have the opportunity to add my voice to that of my noble friend Lord Ashley of Stoke and other noble Lords in support of this Bill. The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Bill is a further testament to the cross-party recognition of the crucial role played by carers. I too congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Falkner, on her thoughtful maiden speech. I look forward to hearing many more contributions from her in this House.

I pay tribute also to the role of Dr Hywel Francis in the other place in bringing this Bill forward, and to the work of UK Carers and other carers' organisations in bringing the Bill to this stage of preparation. Carers continue to be a priority in this Government's agenda and have remained so since 1999, when carers' contributions and concerns were first formally recognised in the National Strategy for Carers. I am pleased to be able to say that not just as a Minister but as, I suppose, one of my noble friend Lady Pitkeathley's group of the usual suspects on carers' issues. I am grateful for her kind remarks and the trip down memory lane that she gave me.

The carers' strategy is unique; it was developed across government with carers and the organisations that represent them. It has led the way on partnership working, and we continue to work with the voluntary sector and other major stakeholders in developing policies to support carers. The work undertaken by my colleague Stephen Ladyman during the Bill's progress through the other place has more than demonstrated the Government's continuing commitment to supporting carers. Their contribution to enabling people to stay in their own homes and remain independent, not only for as long as they wish, but to enjoy that time, is rightly acknowledged in the Bill. However, support for carers must revolve around ensuring that they are also able to make choices as individuals. It is important to ensure that those who wish to care are able to do so with the support they need. It is equally important to make it possible that those who care can combine normal, everyday activities such as work and leisure with caring. We know that caring for others can come at a price in terms of the health and wellbeing of carers, as well as prospects for employment and self-esteem.

It is critical that we, as a Government, listen and learn from carers' experiences. They provide a reality check for all of us on how our policies are working. Carers are key partners in care—partners with a wealth of knowledge and experience that produces better policies, better legislation and better services. This partnership has been reflected in the Bill. People and organisations from all walks of life support the Bill, but most importantly carers and the organisations that represent them recognise that it has the potential to make a real difference to their lives.

As a Government, we are confident that the Bill has emerged from the other place in a form that fulfils the fundamental requirements for any new legislation. It fits within the framework of the modernisation of public services, and it complements existing Laws. Most importantly, it delivers real and concrete changes for carers without disproportionate burdens on local councils. It makes it clear to councils what they are required to do. Clause 1 introduces new provisions to the existing carers' legislation requiring councils to inform carers that they may be entitled to an assessment. That will ensure that carers are getting information about their rights, as a number of noble Lords have said, in a more consistent way and at an appropriate time.

Clause 2 creates a specific duty that councils, when carrying out assessments under the existing legislation, must consider the wishes of a carer to work or undertake education, training or leisure activities. That will ensure that the assessment is undertaken in a style that appreciates and explores the needs of carers so that they are able to participate in life beyond their caring duties. By amending existing legislation, no authority should have difficulty understanding what they must do. In terms of carers' assessments, that means taking carers' lives outside caring into full account. This clause will ensure that councils consider and support carers in accessing opportunities to engage in work, education, training and leisure alongside those who are not carers.

Clause 3 makes provision for consideration of carers in the planning process, as well as providing a specific duty to consider assistance in relation to individual carers. The experience of councils with the Children Act led the supporters of the Bill to believe that this clause was important, and we thoroughly agree with them. It will promote joint working by requiring bodies, including councils and the NHS, to give due consideration to requests for help from a local authority in relation to planning and the provision of services that might assist individual carers to care and to continue to care.

We consider it vital that local councils are able to engage at a planning level with their partners in health and social care. That means that, at a strategic level, social services will have a lever to influence the priorities of their partners in health and the other council departments. The emphasis on cross-authority co-operation will be reinforced by the supporting carers theme for round 6 of the beacon council scheme, ensuring that the best councils have the opportunity to share their ideas and show how innovative services for carers can be through working across boundaries.

We have, however, added an additional duty in respect of co-operation. The Government feel that it is important for councils to be able to plan at an individual level. This is not designed to place onerous burdens on other parts of local government or on health bodies, but it gives social services an opportunity to put their case about the benefits offered in individual circumstances. As many noble Lords will know, this case is frequently a compelling one, but can sometimes be seen as a low priority.

The noble Lord, Lord Rix, asked about monitoring implementation. Sustaining carer support will be ensured through the existing system for monitoring councils' performance, the Commission for Social Care Inspection delivery and improvement statement. In March, the Department of Health published a new measure to assess the value and impact on the carer of the support provided at a local level. This indicator will measure the outcome of assessments for carers and will make it clear to councils what their key priorities are. It will also ensure that we know where carers are being well-served and where they are not.

My noble friend Lady Pitkeathley raised the issue of the alternative to a direction to the NHS. Taking into account the needs of carers and other stakeholder groups should be intrinsic to any planning process that the NHS undertakes. It should not be a bolt-on driven by directions. Effecting real change is best done through making the NHS performance management system work for us in this area. That is why we are considering how best to do that with our partners in the NHS. Put simply, it should be for the local NHS to demonstrate to their strategic health authorities that they are effectively taking account of the needs of carers in their planning processes. If strategic health authorities are not satisfied that that is the case or if the Department of Health has specific examples of how the process is not working, we will intervene. I can reassure my noble friend about that.

The noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, asked about the Prime Minister's suggestion that he wants to consider as a priority extending the right to request flexible working to people caring for sick or elderly relatives. I am glad that the noble Lord is participating in the Government's Big Conversation. Although we are keeping to the commitment, we will not make any changes to the Employment Act 2002 until 2006, because we have made a commitment on that issue. However, we will continue to work out and listen to ideas that come forward. To that end, my colleague Stephen Ladyman has been involved in two round-table meetings hosted by the voluntary sector during Carers' Week on to discuss with carers and employers ways to make it easier for carers to juggle their caring role, while trying to earn a living.

In conclusion, I can confirm that the Government fully support the Bill. It will achieve the broad objectives envisaged by its sponsor in the other place. As many noble Lords have said, the Bill offers real and tangible benefits for carers, recognising their status as individuals with personal needs, as well as the prospect of more flexible and responsive services, developed through collaboration. I am delighted to add the Government's unreserved support to the Bill, and I hope that the House will give it a Second Reading today and a speedy passage.