§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans she has to increase the number of Better Government for Older People pilot programmes; and if she will establish a pilot programme in Peterborough. [109989]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyThe Better Government for Older People programme was launched in June 1998 with 28 local authority led pilots spread throughout the UK. The pilot phase ends in March. The evaluation and application phase will continue until the end of the year.
The Better Government for Older People Programme (BGOP) aims to improve service delivery; give older people more say; celebrate older people as achievers; and encourage improved partnerships. It is a key part of our modernising Government initiative. BGOP will provide a substantial amount of evidence on what works best in involving older people and better designing services to meet their needs. We aim to spread the lessons emerging from the programme as widely and as quickly as possible through the BGOP Network, which is open to all local authorities. Network events are being held throughout the UK, with the closest one to Peterborough being the Cambridge event on 9 March.