Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Nick Ainger (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Wales; Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Labour)
I beg to move,
That—
(1)Â Â Â during proceedings on the Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [Lords] the Standing Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday 27th June) meet—
(a)Â
at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 27th June;
(b)Â
at 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on Thursday 29th June;
(2)Â Â Â the proceedings shall be taken in the following order: Clause 1; Schedule 1; Clauses 2 and 3; Schedule 2; Clauses 4 to 6; Schedule 3; Clauses 7 to 22; Schedule 4; Clauses 23 to 30; new Clauses; new Schedules; remaining proceedings on the Bill;
(3)Â Â Â the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 4.00 p.m. on Thursday 29th June.
May I extend a warm welcome to you, Mrs. Dean? I am sure that our deliberations will not be too controversial, as the Bill has general support. I also welcome all members of the Committee. As I explained on Second Reading, the purpose of the Bill is to provide powers that will enable the National Assembly for Wales to establish an independent champion for older people. The post will be the first of its kind in the UK—possibly in the world—and follows in the footsteps of the post of Children’s Commissioner, which was another successful first for Wales.
The idea of having such a commissioner was among the recommendations made by the advisory group on a strategy for older people in Wales in its report entitled, “When I’m 64...and More”. The idea was then translated into the firm commitment to establish a commissioner which was made in the Welsh local manifesto in the 2003 assembly elections.