Giving every child the best start in life
A general debate on giving every child the best start in life is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on Wednesday 16 July 2025.

On Thursday 9 June, MPs will take part in a debate on Carers. This debate was recommended by the Backbench Business Committee following a representation from Mims Davies MP. This House of Commons Library debate pack provides an overview of the issues, relevant reports and Parliamentary and media coverage.
Carers (212 KB , PDF)
The 2011 census showed that 5.4 million people in England (10.2% of the population) were providing some level of unpaid care, with 1.3 million (2.4%) providing 50 or more hours of unpaid care per week.
Carers’ legislation is a relatively recent phenomenon. The needs of carers, independent of the needs of those they are caring for, have been recognised and subsequently strengthened in law by three Private Members’ Bills that became Acts of Parliament: The Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995, the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000, and the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004.
These have recently been further strengthened by the Care Act 2014, which for the first time means that carers will be recognised in the law in the same way as those they care for. The Department of Health explains that the changes mean that:
The Children and Families Act 2014 gives young carers (and parent carers) similar rights to assessment as other carers have under the Care Act.
Carer’s Allowance – formerly Invalid Care Allowance – is a non-contributory, non-means-tested benefit paid to people who care full-time for someone who is severely disabled. To be entitled to Carer’s Allowance, a person must be providing at least 35 hours of care a week for someone in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit, not be in full-time education, and, if in paid work, have earnings after certain deductions of no more than £110 a week.
Entitlement to Carer’s Allowance also acts as a “passport” to the carer premiums/additions in means-tested benefits such as Income Support, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit.
Issues frequently raised in relation to Carer’s Allowance include:
On 30 June 2015 the Government extended a right request flexible working arrangements after a 26 weeks’ qualifying period, building on a previous entitlement for some carers. An employee with 26 weeks’ continuous employment has the right to request flexible working; a change to their hours, times or location of work (e.g. reducing working time, working from home or working compressed hours).
For a full discussion of the relevant law and policy, see the Library’s briefing paper, Flexible working.
[1] Department of Health, Guidance – Care Act factsheets – Factsheet 8: the law for carers, updated 19 April 2016
Carers (212 KB , PDF)
A general debate on giving every child the best start in life is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on Wednesday 16 July 2025.
The bill would make changes to health and disability benefits.
A debate on children's health is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on Thursday 10 July 2025. The subject for the debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee, and the debate will be led by Dr Simon Opher MP.