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Earlier this year, Community Care readers told us that a better deal for carers was one of the most pressing concerns in social care worthy of extra funding, a higher profile, and political attention. Last week's announcement of a new Standing Commission on Carers could go some way towards achieving this.

The commission will play a key role in updating carers' policies, many of which are more than 30 years old and in need of a radical overhaul. It has been given an important remit, including ensuring that carers are listened to in the search for long-term solutions to prevent their poor health, poverty and social isolation.

Top of the commission's list of priorities is monitoring the carers' strategy and the new deal for carers. It is imperative, then, that its members feel able to comment on both freely - and that their thinking is not constrained by excessive attention paid to future spending limits.