The growing shortage of carers will paralyse the health system. The Government must take practical steps urgently to address the recruitment crisis. More than 5,000 people are waiting for home care packages because so few carers are available. What is the Government doing to deal with the waiting list for packages and what progress is being made on carers' pension provisions?

This is an issue that some of my constituents are suffering from as well. In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the budget for home care. Money used to be the issue but it is not anymore. We have increased the budget by, I think, 40% in the past couple of years but we are struggling to find people who are willing to work in the sector. That requires action in two areas. First, terms and conditions need to be improved so that more people are willing to work in this field. Second, we are examining the question of whether we can issue work permits to people who are willing to provide care for those who need it.