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Caring for the Elderly

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that interesting figure. The reality is that the number of pensioners living in poverty in this country was increasing even before we got into the recession, so as the recession bites, there is real concern about what will happen to the most vulnerable people in our society. Over the next 20 years, the number of people in England over 85 will double, and the number of people over 100 will quadruple, yet we continue to have discussion after discussion on what we should do about the situation. The Government themselves estimate that over 1.7 million more people will need care and support in 20 years' time, yet we are seeing inadequate funding at local authority level from central Government, and a tightening of criteria. We have all heard stories in our own areas about people not getting the basic services that they need in order to lead a dignified and independent life.