(1) How much money has been allocated specifically to carers in the 2002-2003 Budget;

(2) Is there a detailed list of the allocation of funding to carers in the current budget, if so, could it be included in the response to this question;

(3) Is there any annual grant or have any funds been allocated to the ACT Carers Association;

(4) If so, how much is this annual grant, or how much has been allocated to the ACT Carers Association this financial year;

(5) Does the department have a figure of how many carers there are in the ACT, if so could a figure be provided in this response;

(6) Is there a breakdown of the type of people these carers assist ie; how many have mental health disorders, physical disability, cancer etc, if so could that breakdown be included in the response to this question.

(1) A new initiative with funding of $1 million has been allocated to ACT Health for Respite Care in the 2002-2003 Budget. This initiative provides for more respite care for clients, families and carers covering the aged care, disability and mental health sectors. In addition to this initiative, there are other programs and services funded by ACT Health that provide respite care and assistance to carers. Other ACT Departments, including the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services, and the Department of Education, Youth and Family Services fund respite care programs. This response refers only to ACT Health funded programs and services.

(2) A description of projects funded from the 2002-2003 Respite Care budget initiative is at Attachment A. The majority of these projects are one off with recurrent funding to be allocated following the final report on the empirical study into respite care in the ACT. The amount of funding provided for other ACT Health respite programs is at Attachment B. Attachments A and B refer only to ACT Health funded programs.

(3) The Home and Community Care (HACC) Program, managed through ACT Health, funds the ACT Carers Association (ACT Carers) annually for an Information and Counseling Service, a Multicultural Isolated Carers Project, and a Carers Workshop. Mental Health funds ACT Carers annually for the provision of a full-time Care