I recognise the valuable contribution made by carers, many of whom spend a significant proportion of their life providing support to family members, friends and neighbours. I believe that carers must receive the right support to help them carry out their caring roles. That is why a new cross-Government National Carers Strategy is being introduced to look at what more can be done to support existing and future carers.
The Government is continuing to support the implementation of improved rights for carers, enshrined in the Care Act 2014. The Department of Health provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for these rights in 2015/16, which include an extended right to assessment and, for the first time, a duty on local authorities to meet carers' eligible needs for support. I welcome the fact that benefits to support vulnerable and disabled people, including Carer's Allowance, are exempt from the freeze on working-age benefits.
The Government has also invested an additional £400 million to the NHS between 2011 and 2015 to provide carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role. The equivalent annual allocation of £130 million for carers' breaks is now included in the Better Care Fund.
The Government is working hard to ensure that the NHS is among the best in Europe at supporting people with neurological conditions, such as motor neurone disease (MND). In February 2016, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published new guidance to improve diagnosis and care of people with MND. This sets out the symptoms of MND and recommends that robust pathways are in place to inform healthcare professionals about MND and local referral arrangements.