AN ITEM in the Queen’s Speech this week seems good news for the ever-increasing army of carers that provide informal care for friends and family in an ageing population.

The move will provide carers with a statutory right to financial support, support from professional carers and adaptations to homes.

The Government has allocated councils £150m to cover 7 million carers: a little more than £20 each.

Similar to council tax benefit where change is restricted to working-age claimants –and discounts such as single person discount and student exemptions are protected – this is part of a trend in which Government devolves responsibility to local authorities without providing either the resources or freedom to fulfil them.

This is on top of social care cuts that the Lib Dem chair of the LGA Community Wellbeing Board suggests places the care system “in very real danger of collapse”. Local Lib Dems may care to take note.

Localisation is a seductive and indeed persuasive concept, but only if local authorities are given the autonomy and resource to pursue local priorities.

Passing the buck is, however, dishonest.

Richard Bridge, Holgate Road, York.