Yes, 12 months have passed since the legislation came into force, but, in reality, a large part of the Act related to giving powers to the Government to make regulations over a period of time in various areas. So, there’s been less than a year of action in a number of different areas, if truth be told.

In order to retain focus, I want to concentrate on carers, because the Act took the place of the carers Measure, and we heard you mention there that the Government recognises the crucial role that carers play across Wales, and that, through this legislation, there is a right to have an assessment and support for those carers. The Government, you say, wants to monitor how improvements are being made as a result of this Act, and the difference it’s making to those people who need care, but there is still no mention here of the kinds of outcomes of any monitoring. Carers Wales have published their own performance monitor since the Bill, and I will remind you of some of the things that they found: 17 of the 22 local authorities can’t provide any data on the number of carers that contact them over the phone; the majority of councils don’t know how many carers they’ve referred to other organisations; 16 of the 22 local authorities can’t provide figures as to how many people they had referred to other organisations, and so on and so forth.

Now, simultaneously, I will highlight the 24 per cent reduction in the number of nights of respite care over this period. Eighty per cent of those people that completed the Carers Wales survey stated that they hadn’t been offered a needs assessment. Now, the question in my mind, a year on, is: has there been a real practical and measurable change, or is the Government still declaring a year on what they aspire to happen as a result of this piece of legislation, which has already been in force for a year?

So, in response to the concerns raised by Carers Wales—and I’ve raised them also in this Chamber—you said that you’ve written to every local authority in Wales on the issue, and had asked officials to look in more detail at the findings. Can you give us an update on what actions local authorities will take as a result of your letter, and also can you express your view on the findings of Carers Wales, which are quite striking in terms of what has happened in the past 12 months?

You also said that you were discussing a national model in terms of dealing with the issue of respite care with the third sector. Can you give us some details as to when we will see that national model developed, and whether you will aim specifically at overturning the reduction that we have seen in the number of nights of respite care provided? Because my constituents, and I know the constituents of Members across this Chamber, will hear a great deal from constituents on the impact of those lost nights of respite care.