§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, from the information available to him, he will give examples of local authorities which actively encourage older people to make greater use of leisure and recreational facilities; and if he will consider supporting some pilot schemes in this field.
§ Mr. MonroThe detailed examples requested are not available. Many local authorities are already actively engaged in encouraging older people to use recreational facilities more fully. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Social Services, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, in consultation with other Departments including my own, issued, in March this year, a White Paper—"Growing Older", Cmnd. 8173—setting out advice on meeting the special needs of older people. Detailed implementation must be decided by the providers themselves, aided where necessary, by promotional agencies like the Sports Council.