Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [HL]

My Lords, we on these Benches fully support the amendment that has been moved by the noble Lord, Lord Prys-Davies. It is an important power for the commissioner to receive a complaint and, if he is satisfied that it should be examined in the public interest, then to examine that complaint. This amendment is coupled with Amendment No. 25, which to my mind sets out one of the real weaknesses of the Bill; that is, that any matter relating to non-devolved matters cannot be the subject of an individual investigation. It seems to me that the commissioner ought to have power to investigate individual cases even though the matter relates to a non-devolved issue. I have already outlined the other weakness that we discussed earlier, and I shall not return to that. It seems to me that if the commissioner cannot examine an individual case relating to a non-devolved matter his powers are very considerably restricted. Your Lordships will recall that I pointed out that many of these non-devolved issues such as pensions and benefits are the cause of the greatest worry to older people.