Dear All, we have now recieved a response (indeed 2 responses) from the Pensions Minister in response to our letters to the Prime Minister asking for an Older Persons’ Minister.
The response was not what we were hoping for and the jist of the reason for refusal is that all government departments must take older people into consideration in thier policy making and that a dedicated Minister might lead others to think that they no longer had that responsibility.
As Dame Angela Watkinson says in her covering letter:
“We may have lost round 1 but we shall carry on!”
Attached is Dame Angela’s covering letter and the 2 letters from the Pensions Minister.
I agree with the response really. In other contexts people usually don’t want to be judged by chronological age but the specific needs they have whether related to ageing or not.
..and equally all departments have to take Children into account but that doesn’t stop there being a Children’s Minister!