§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health about the impact of flexible working for carers on the demand for paid care staff. [172001]
§ Mr. SutcliffeMy officials are in discussion with all interested Government Departments, including officials from the Department of Health, to explore how flexible working arrangements can help carers. This is part of on-going work which will inform the review of the flexible working law in 2006 and shape future policy. It is too early to consider the implications on the demand for paid care staff.
As part of this work, we are aiming to hold two roundtables involving employers and individuals who have caring responsibilities, such as those caring for elderly or sick relatives. The roundtables will explore how individuals balance work and caring responsibilities, including how different working patterns suit both carers and their employers. We are discussing the roundtables with the Department of Health and bodies representing carers.
The Government's work-life balance campaign seeks to persuade all employers of the business case to adopt work-life balance policies and to follow best practice by providing flexible working opportunities across the workforce. This applies equally to those providing paid care as it does to those providing unpaid care.
§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what definition he will use of the term carer in relation to the planned introduction of the right to flexible working for carers; and if he will make a statement; [170974]
(2) when plans for the right to flexible working for carers will be implemented; and if he will make a statement. [171009]
§ Mr. SutcliffeThe Government are committed to reviewing the impact of the right to request flexible working and has no plans to extend the provisions of the law until after the review in 2006.
Currently, the law provides eligible parents of children under 6 and disabled children under 18 with a legal right to apply to work flexibly. An issue that the review will consider, which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has indicated should be a priority, is extending the law to wider groups of carers, such as carers of elderly or sick relatives. Definition of terms relating to any extension to the law as an outcome of that review, including carers, will be something that will be addressed at that time.