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Our ref: 2011/1021247
Dear Mr Deuchars
Thank you for your e-mail of 13 October to the Deputy First Minister, to various Scottish
Ministers and MSPs regarding a dedicated Minister for Older People. I have been asked to
reply.
Nicola Sturgeon is Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing & Cities
Strategy and her current portfolio includes responsibility for matters relating to Older People
– she is the Minister for Older People.
There are many aspects of the Scottish Government’s policies that benefit older people and
that commit us to substantial spending, including:
the freeze on council tax, introduced first in 2008-09 and now frozen for the fourth
year running in 2011-12, which particularly benefits older people on fixed incomes;
maintenance of existing eligibility for Free Personal and Nursing Care;
our major work on Reshaping Care for Older People, which is looking at reshaping
care services for older people in the light of the demographic ageing of the
population; and the associated £70m a year Change Fund;
maintenance of existing eligibility for the National Concessionary Bus Travel
Scheme (in 2008-09 older and disabled concessionary passengers made 156.7
million journeys); and
our Energy Assistance Package launched in April 2009, which tackles all aspects
of fuel poverty;
More generally, All Our Futures: Planning for a Scotland
2007) dealt fully and extensively with issues around the ageing of the population. We have
implemented All Our Futures and are taking its principles forward in the development of our
policies.
Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
www.scotland.gov.uk abcdefghij abcde abc a
Directorate for Local Government and Third Sector
Equality and Communities Division
T: 0131-244 F: 0131-244
E: david.hamilton5@scotland.gsi.gov.uk abcdefghijklmnopqrstu
Mr Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart UK
Email: margaret@grandparentsapart.co.uk
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