§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the Government's current policy towards the elderly in Wales; if he will comment on funding arrangements of organisations connected with the elderly; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettOur aim is to ensure that, wherever possible, elderly people are able to live with comfort and dignity in their own homes and communities. To secure this we have a wide range of co-ordinated policies and initiatives covering personal social services, health, housing and other matters. Organisations connected with the elderly benefit from a wide range of funds made available by the Department for a number of purposes. In addition to the general financial support provided to statutory authorities, we have just announced, for instance, special grants in 1991–92 totalling more than £750,000 to promote more flexible forms of community care for elderly people provided by a wide range of statutory and voluntary bodies. We shall also continue to contribute to the funding of 56 projects that are under-way throughout Wales under the Elderly Initiative at a planned cost of £2.3 million in 1991–92. We expect shortly to announce the allocation of resources in 1991–92 to voluntary bodies in this field operating at the all-Wales level.