All Party Parliamentary Group

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People exists to discuss current political and legislative issues before Parliament that affect people in later life. The group is a way of exploring and reviewing these issues whilst bringing together parliamentarians, relevant stakeholder organisations and older people themselves. Since July 2010, the APPG has held a number of meetings and undertaken activities exploring themes including social care, looking at both the future funding of care and the Law Commission’s review of social care legislation; older people and HIV; localism and older people; and the changes to the regulatory landscape of equalities. The Chairs also produced a submission to the Dilnot Commission on the Funding of Care and Support in February 2011 which was submitted in January and disseminated widely to parliamentarians, key government departments and stakeholders.

This year, the Group plans to look at older workers, savings and innovative design in care for older people. This will be in addition to our joint work with other APPGs on social care reform. If you would like to be updated on the Group's work, please contact Angela Kitching (020 303 31493) or Hannah Pearce (020 303 31355).

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People has launched a short report, 'Older savers report: the impact on older people of savings accounts where interest rates have dropped from their initial rate to negligible amounts'.

The report focuses on the impact on older people of savings accounts which drop from their initial interest rate to negligible amounts, even though the same bank may offer better rates on the same terms for new customers. The report pulls together previous research on the issue combining it with some first-hand experiences of older people; it then makes recommendations for how the Government might address the problem. The meeting will be the launch of the report where the findings will be presented and the Group’s recommendations for the Government on this issue will be discussed.

Annual Report:

APPG Annual Report, July 2011

Minutes:

Minutes from launch of the report on Older Savers, October 2012
Annual General Meeting of the APPG on Ageing and Older People and the launch of the report on Older Savers.

Minutes from the Joint APPG on social care reform, February 2012
All-party Parliamentary Groups on Ageing and Older People; Carers, Complex Needs and Dual Diagnosis; Dementia; Disability; Down's Syndrome; Housing and Care for Older People; Learning Disability; Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME); Multiple Sclerosis (MS); Parkinson's; Social Care.

Minutes from joint APPG on the Law Commission's report on Adult Social Care
All-party Parliamentary Groups on Disability; Social Care; Ageing and Older People; Complex Needs and Dual Diagnosis; Dementia.

Minutes from the APPG on Older People and the Localism Agenda
Speakers: Baroness Hanham, PUSS at Communities and Local Government; Andy Sawford, Chief Executive, LGiU; John Kerry from Kirkby Seniors Forum in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

Minutes from the joint APPG on Reform of Care and Support
All Party Parliamentary Groups on Social Care; Ageing and Older People; Carers; Dementia; Disability; Housing and Care for Older People.

Letters:

Letter to Maria Miller, Minister for Disabled People, from social care APPGs, on social care reform and attitudes to disabled people, March 2012

Letter to Paul Burstow MP, Minister of State for Care Services, from social care APPGs, on social care reform and attitudes to disabled people, March 2012

Letter to Prime Minister, from social care APPGs, on social care reform and attitudes to disabled people, March 2012

Co-Chairs of the APPG

Penny Mordaunt, Conservative MP for Portsmouth North

"Older people are a neglected group in terms of policy development and provision of services. I feel strongly about this, largely due to my work as a hospital visitor when I constantly see people who've been forgotten and who've received substandard services".

Penny would like to see the group addressing quality of life issues in this parliament, including poverty, mobility, transport, and the range and quality of accommodation available to older people. She is also particularly interested in freedoms and choice for older people, and opportunities to work and volunteer into late old age.

Greg Mulholland, Lib Dem MP for Leeds North West

"I was proud to be the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Older People on the party's health team and a member of the Work and Pension Select Committee. Through those roles I tried to champion the issues and needs affecting older people".

Greg would like to see the group addressing a range of issues during this parliament, including ending age discrimination, stamping out unacceptable treatment of older people in hospitals and in care homes, getting a fairer deal for carers, ensuring better awareness of caring for people with dementia and, above all, reforming the funding and delivery of social care.

Baroness Greengross

"All my adult life I have been engaged in issues affecting older people and both as Head of Age Concern nationally and latterly Chief Executive of International Longevity Centre - UK, I have been closely engaged in seeking sustainable solutions to the problems, and coming up with positive recommendations, to enable us to move forward in a rapidly ageing society.

"Older people's issues are very close to my heart and yet for all our efforts over many years some older people still have to endure the loss of dignity and stigma resulting from age discrimination. I would like to see a society where people are judged on their competence and willingness to contribute more than just on simple chronological age. With discrimination banned in employment, public functions and services, we now have the opportunity to make real progress on this issue. My recent role as the lead Commissioner on age at the Equality and Human Rights Commission has further underpinned my commitment to get the issue of age discrimination relegated to history, and to consider broader societal issues where later life can be improved and enhanced."