Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [HL]

My Lords, this amendment was discussed at some length in Grand Committee and at Second Reading. I will avoid going over old ground today. As I said in Grand Committee, our primary concern is the greatly increased workload that the amendment would place on the commissioner. This would in turn reduce the effectiveness of his role. Setting the age threshold at 50 would provide the commissioner with too broad a remit, covering one-third of the population of Wales. I would also like to address the concerns that were voiced in Grand Committee that older people in Wales would somehow be disadvantaged in comparison with those in England. The noble Lord, Lord Roberts, returned to this point this evening. I can clarify that the strategy for older people in Wales—like its sister strategy Opportunity Age—has an age threshold of 50. Both documents set out a way forward for planning for old age. The new age equality regulations which will apply equally in England and Wales set no qualifying age and safeguard people of any age from unequal treatment at work. The Commission for Equality and Human Rights will likewise operate in Wales as well as in England to promote human rights and enforce the age equality and disability legislation. I reassure the noble Lord, Lord Roberts of Conwy, that there will be nothing available in England which will not be available to older people in Wales, all from the age of 50. The sole difference between the two countries is that there will be a Commission for Older People in Wales that will offer additional support to people aged 60 or more in Wales. In Grand Committee the noble Lord made the point that needs cannot be defined purely by age. He talked of people aged between 50 and 60 who may be experiencing health problems and queried whether there would be some flexibility for the commissioner to operate on their behalf. Of course there will be deserving cases—no doubt along the lines that the noble Lord indicated—that the commissioner will not be able to involve himself in because the person concerned is under 60. But we have to draw a line somewhere and we believe that 60 is a sensible and pragmatic choice. A number of the issues that the commissioner uncovers that are problematic for people aged 60 or more and then addresses will have a positive effect on the experiences of people who are slightly younger and share similar difficulties. Standards will be raised for a wider age group than just those of 60 or more. I hope that with this explanation the noble Lord, Lord Roberts of Conwy, will be able to withdraw the amendment.