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Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 4:"Page 6, line 28, leave out ““under”” and insert ““and powers under sections 2, 3, 5 and 8 of””" The noble Lord said: My Lords, in moving this amendment, I shall speak also to Amendment No. 5. Again we are back on issues of powers that are not devolved. The purpose of these amendments is to widen the power of the commissioner to look at the cases of particular persons who are or have been older people in Wales, in connection with the commissioner’s functions. One of those functions is for him to consider and make representations to the Assembly about any matter relating to the interests of older people in Wales. Again we come to an artificial distinction; whereas he can look at individual cases within the devolved areas, he cannot look at individual cases where the matter involved is non-devolved. For example, he could not examine an individual person’s problems with his pension. To my mind, that takes a great deal away from the thrust of the Bill. We welcome this Bill; we have welcomed the Commissioner for Older People for Wales. It is a privilege to have such a commissioner, but to restrict his powers in this way and in important areas—I am merely repeating what I have said in relation to other amendments—destroys a great deal of the worth of his appointment. In relation to the Children’s Commissioner, we have been proud that, unlike the English commissioner, the Welsh commissioner has been able to examine individual cases. I am sorry that this is not going to happen with the Commissioner for Older People. I beg to move.