Commissioner responds to Women and Equalities Committee Report on the rights of older people

Responding to the report, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Rhian Bowen-Davies, said:

“I strongly welcome the findings of the report published today by the Women and Equalities Committee, which makes clear the significant harm caused by ageism, both to older people and to society more widely.

“The recommendations in the report closely reflect the action that myself and my predecessor called for when giving evidence to the Committee, and I particularly welcome calls to examine whether legislation to prevent age discrimination is effective in protecting older people, following concerns raised that this is often not the case.

“I also welcome calls to prioritise a new digital inclusion strategy for the UK that includes a detailed focus on the needs of older people, to ensure that older people are not excluded and left behind as more public services are delivered digitally and that offline alternatives remain in place.

“In addition, I am pleased that the Committee has called on the UK Government to look at the structures and systems we have in place here in Wales – including the role of the Commissioner, the national strategy, Age Friendly Wales and our comprehensive network of local authority Older People’s Champions – with a view to creating a similar framework in England.

“As Commissioner I’ve said I want Wales to lead the way for older people and this is a good example of that, offering real opportunities to learn from Wales to effect meaningful change for older people.

“I look forward to seeing the response from the UK Government, which I hope is positive, and continuing to work with key partners to tackle ageism and age discrimination in all its forms.”