After the White Paper was published by the Department of Health this week (see www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk), Gwenda Thomas, the Assembly Government’s Deputy Minister for Social Services, said: “Given that much of the social care legislation is on an England and Wales basis, it will be essential that we continue working with the UK Government to establish a new system of paying for care that is fair, affordable, and sustainable in the long term." She indicated that the Assembly’s response to its own consultation on paying for care would be published shortly and said "it will be particularly important that the results of that consultation, and further reactions from Welsh stakeholders, are considered during the consultation on the White Paper."