Health: Medical Respite for Children

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon Excerpts

Wednesday 21st March 2018 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Lab)]

My Lords, legal obligations are all fine, and of course the Government and everybody else have to comply with them, but unless there is adequate funding for local authorities, health services and commissioning groups, it is impossible for these authorities to comply with the legislation. What are the Government going to do to ensure that enough money is available to provide respite care for these children?

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

The noble Baroness makes an important point. That is the reason we are providing more funding, both through social care budgets and through the NHS itself. More money was found at the Budget as well, but I do not think in this case the issue is necessarily funding. It is a case of the parties involved working together, as they are obliged to do, to find the right outcome and the right solution for these children.