§ Ms AthertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action her Department has taken to tackle discrimination against older people. [16329]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Department for Culture, Media and Sport's equal opportunities policy proscribes discrimination based on age as well as that based on gender, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, disability or sexual orientation. A number of DCMS policies are specifically aimed at ensuring older people enjoy equality of access to the nation's cultural and sporting heritage. These include an entitlement to a free television licence for everyone over the age of 75; significantly higher statutory targets for subtitling provision on digital terrestrial commercial television; the training of around 8,000 older people to be coaches, administrators, officials, leaders and mentors to youngsters through the Volunteering in Sport project; the People's Network Initiative, linking all public libraries to the internet and, as part of the UK Online programme, 401W increasing the use of information and communication technology leisure and lifelong learning by elderly people. In addition, DCMS is represented on the Inter-Ministerial Group on Older People, which is designed to develop a joined-up approach to older people's issues and co-ordinate Government policy for older people.