Older People (Public Services) (Hansard, 7 July 1999)

§ Mr. Kilfoyle

The Better Government for Older People Programme (BGOP) began in April 1998 and runs until April 2000. It is steered by a partnership led by the Cabinet Office and supported by Age Concern, Anchor Trust, the Carnegie Third Age Programme, Help the Aged, the Local Government Association and the Warwick University Local Authorities Research Consortium. It is an important part of the drive to modernise government so that public services are better equipped for the 21' Century. The Modernising Government White Paper sets as one of its targets that, by the end of the year 2000, older people should benefit from joined up services and integrated planning in at least half our local authorities.

Older people represent a significant and growing proportion of the population. For example, there are currently 10.5 million people over state pension age in the UK. This figure is expected to have increased to around 15 million by 2040, by which date 24 per cent. of the UK's population—the highest percentage in the EU—will be 60 or over. All these people, and many others, are the potential beneficiaries of the BGOP Programme.

Evaluation is an ongoing and integral part of BGOP. We will publish the results when the Programme comes to an end. Older people are already beginning to feel the benefit of improvements achieved at the local level by the 28 pilot projects, many examples of which are featured in "Making It Happen", the report of the first year of the BGOP Programme. But by far the biggest group of potential beneficiaries is those who will experience better-designed and delivered public services as a result of learning from the pilot projects.

BGOP's Learning Network brings together older people, the pilots and other partners in the Programme as well as local authorities. Its role is to help examine what does and does not work in relation to public services used by older people. It will inform the development of good practice and new models for better service delivery in the future. It links, through the Cabinet Office and the Inter-Ministerial Group on Older People to central government.

7,000 copies of "Making It Happen" have been printed at a cost of £9,925. Copies are being sent to all MPs, party leaders in the House of Lords, local authority chief executives, the pilot projects, all members of BGOP's Learning Network and others who have asked to be kept 559W informed of developments. We are doing this to spread good practice, raise awareness and keep Parliament informed about the Programme.

As one of the six partner organisations steering the Programme, the Cabinet Office provides £51,000 per annum to support the work of the Programme's Core Team, which co-ordinates its activities. Other Departments making substantial contributions include £154,000 from the Home Office, £30,000 from the Department for Education and Employment and £30,000 from the Health Education Authority. Further contributions and support come from the other Programme partners, the 28 local authorities leading the pilots and their partner organisations. The programme raises additional funds from charging local authorities for membership of the Learning Network.

The overall cost of the Programme (including contributions from partner organisations) is estimated to be around £750,000 in the 1998–99 financial year. This represents an excellent investment in ensuring that older people receive in the future the improved public services they deserve.