Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to both witnesses. Caring for the carers has always been close to my heart. I am a caregiver myself.
Both of you have given us alarming figures and statistics telling us, and telling the whole nation, hopefully, especially national policy-makers, that this has become a very urgent concern. There's an urgent need to support those who care for their loved ones. We are looking at terms like “unpaid family caregivers” or “unpaid work”. Globally, we have different terms. In England they call them “carers”. Caring for the carers is one line of focus, and I have questions for both of you.
First of all, you mentioned the role of business owners and employers in terms of support. What would you suggest? While I was the minister for seniors, I started a panel for employers and their support. It's very important, especially for people who are working and balancing between family and work. Could either of you shed more light, please, on the need for business owners and other employers to understand the importance of their staff who now have to give up their productivity?