Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 13:"Page 22, line 31, at end insert—"    ““The air ambulance in Wales.    Ambulance services and trusts.    A voluntary organisation.”” The noble Lord said: My Lords, I will couple Amendment No. 13 with Amendments Nos. 14 to 16. I have already referred to the statement in Clause 2(3) that one of the general functions of the commissioner is to,"““consider, and make representations to the Assembly about, any matter relating to the interests of older people in Wales””." Of course, the purpose of that subsection is to give the Commissioner for Older People power to deal with non-devolved matters; that is, to make reports and representations to the Assembly on those issues. When we come to Clause 3, it seems appropriate to include in Schedule 2 the bodies to which these amendments refer. First, under Amendment No. 13, it seems right to add to the list of health bodies the air ambulance in Wales, ambulance services and trusts, and a voluntary organisation. It is proposed that they be put within that category. Amendment No. 14 refers to particular United Kingdom-wide services; pensions and benefits, jobs—in particular, job discrimination—and the criminal justice system. The noble Baroness, Lady Finlay of Llandaff, also has an amendment, to which we have added our names. She has asked me, in her absence, to speak to Amendment No. 15, which would include police authorities within the remit of the Commissioner for Older People. We do this fully appreciating that these are non-devolved matters, but it would be appropriate for specific reference to them to be made in Schedule 2. So far as Amendment No. 16 is concerned, bearing in mind the general function of the commissioner, to consider and make representations on,"““any matter relating to the interests of older people””," it would seem inappropriate to put the restriction that Clause 4(2)(d) does on amending Schedule 2, by requiring that,"““at least half of the person’s expenditure on the discharge of its functions . . . is met . . . from payments made by the Assembly””." That limitation cuts down the general functions of Clause 2(3), to which I have referred. I await the Minister’s reply. I beg to move.