Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will place in the Library a list of the workplace benefits that his Department provides to its staff with caring responsibilities.

In Defra we follow the Civil Service Carers Charter, which details the support available for employees who have caring responsibilities and helps managers understand how they can support carers in the workplace. This includes support such as flexible working, job sharing, special leave (paid and unpaid), career breaks and parental leave.

Defra has a carer’s passport which is used to help employees discuss caring responsibilities, at present or in the future, with their line manager.

Other support for employees who are carers is available from our Employee Assistance Programme offering independent advice, information and counselling from trained practitioners. Defra is also a member of Employers for Carers, the employers’ membership forum which is part of Carers UK.

Defra has an active employee-led Carers Network providing information, advice and support to all employees.

It is the intention to place the relevant documents in the Library.