BRAKE: EVERY DISABLED CHILD MATTERS

10.43.29am GMT Mon 5th Mar 2007

Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington, has thrown his weight behind a campaign to secure respite care for carers of disabled children.

Mr Brake explained, "Thousands of loving families struggle to look after their disabled children. Often respite care or a short break can make the difference between a family continuing to care for a loved one and feeling they can no longer cope. Placing a legal duty on local authorities to provide such care would ensure all families got the support they need. "

Tom has added his name to Early Day Motion (EDM) 321, which says: "That this House believes that the UK's 770,000 disabled children and their carers deserve to have better access to respite or short break care; notes with concern that more than half of disabled children's families live in poverty; pays tribute to the principles of the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign; and calls upon the Government to support the Disabled Children's Short Breaks Bill, which places a specific legal duty on local authorities and health agencies to provide vital short breaks for families with disabled children in England and Wales."

ENDS