"If the hon. Gentleman had listened carefully to what I said he would have heard that Carers UK has piloted something similar in Conservative Kensington and Chelsea and Labour Islington. There is good practice everywhere. What about the actual saving to the taxpayer from the tax take as a result …..." Hywel Francis - View Speech
"Will the Minister meet the all-party parliamentary group on carers at the earliest opportunity to outline his proposals? Will he also seriously consider consulting the health Ministers in Scotland and Wales, where considerable progress has been made?..." Hywel Francis - View Speech
"My hon. Friend makes a powerful case. Is she aware of good practice in Scotland and Wales that England should be following?..." Hywel Francis - View Speech
"Does my hon. Friend agree that as the Bill progresses it will be important for the Minister to look at the excellent work that Crossroads Care did in the recent past in supporting young carers through projects of the kind that she has described?..." Hywel Francis - View Speech
"I welcome the new Minister’s statement. Does the hon. Member for Banbury (Sir Tony Baldry) agree that the Minister should also be invited to engage with the national carer organisations and with the Health Ministers of the devolved Administrations, particularly because, as a good Liberal, he is an enthusiastic supporter …..." Hywel Francis - View Speech
"May I clarify what happened with my Bill? It was part of the wider strategy of the Labour Government to advance equalities legislation. It is therefore slightly disingenuous of the hon. Gentleman to suggest that my Bill was somehow separate from the wider advances that were made. Similarly, he should …..." Hywel Francis - View Speech
"It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Banbury (Sir Tony Baldry) who has made an eloquent case—I say this as an act of generosity—for the Bill. I must declare an interest as I am the honorary vice-president of Carers UK, and patron of a number of carers …..." Hywel Francis - View Speech
"As a vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on carers, I warmly welcome my hon. Friend’s intervention. I am sure the group endorses her decision.
As I said, the Bill has massive support throughout the country. There is considerable support from employers, but—this has not been said—there has also been …..." Hywel Francis - View Speech
"The hon. Lady talks about lessons and is making a powerful case, but however much we sympathise with carers, surely the real lesson is that there is no substitute for legislation...." Hywel Francis - View Speech
"If we take the hon. Gentleman at his word—and I do take him at his word: I believe that he is genuinely concerned about carers—it must be said that he has posed a series of very valid questions. Is it not time for him to allow the official Opposition to …..." Hywel Francis - View Speech