Health in Old Age (Hansard, 23 October 1989)

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the three component parts of the health in old age programme.

§ Mr. Freeman
The four component parts of the health in old age programme of the Health Education Authority are:

i. the Centre for Health and Retirement Education;

ii. the Age Well Campaign;

iii. the King's Fund Informal Carers Project; and

iv. the production of a series of leaflets.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department funds any programmes designed to promote better health in later life other than the health in old age programme.

§ Mr. Freeman
The Department funds a number of voluntary organisations under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968, which in various ways promote the physical and mental well-being of elderly people. Among them is "Extend", an organisation concerned with exercise training and fitness for elderly and disabled people.
We also finance the Keep Warm Keep Well campaign, which is organised jointly by the Government and leading voluntary organisations.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total annual cost of funding each component part of the health in old age programme; and what is the total cost of funding the entire programme.

§ Mr. Freeman
The total cost of funding the entire health in old age programme in 1989–90 is £342,000. The breakdown of this is: grant to centre for health and retirement education £117,000; support for the King's Fund Informal Carers Project £92,000; funding of the Age Well campaign £83,000; and £50,000 for the production of leaflets. The funding for the Age Well campaign includes £30,000 from the retail price index error funds and is paid direct to Age Well by the Department of Health.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what priority his Department is giving to the promotion of good health in later life.

§ Mr. Freeman
The Government remain strongly committed to the promotion of good health in later life, and accept the Health Education Authority's view that this commitment will in future be served by ensuring that all their relevant programmes address the health education needs of elderly people.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the Health Education Authority's budget is allocated to funding the health in old age programme.

§ Mr. Freeman
For 1989–90, just over 2 per cent. (£312,000) of the Health Education Authority's non-AIDS budget is allocated to the health in old age programme. This is additional to the significant contributions to a healthy and active old age made by the authority's other health education programmes.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received regarding the future funding of the health in old age programme;
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(2) what representations he has received regarding the health in old age programme.

§ Mr. Freeman
The Department has received a total of 35 representations from organisations and individuals concerned with elderly people in relation to the operation and future funding of the health in old age programme.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the continued development of the health in old age programme.

§ Mr. Freeman
In its strategic plan for the next five years, the Health Education Authority (HEA) proposes to take forward the health education needs of the elderly as an integral part of its work on other programmes rather than as a separate programme. This will ensure that the needs of the elderly are taken into account at all stages of development of health education work. We have now approved HEA's strategic plan.