 Ond, wrth gwrs, yn llwysgweithio, mae Gwyrdianneidur ddefnyddio ein ffacil gofyn o Gwyrdianneidur 1 3 8 8 9 o Gwyrdianneidur, ynmatech gan 74th Anvers Johnson, i ddigon iaith i gyfnwyr ond yr eich ddifolwg yn ddifolwg i'w ddifolwg i'w ddewid those members who wish to speak in the debate, please press the request to speak buttons. I call on Sandra White to open the date—sorry—to open the debate. Not the date, the debate. Perhaps seven minutes, please. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. It really does give me enormous pleasure as a convener of the cross-party group on older people age and ageing to open this debate on the 75th anniversary of Age Scotland. I am grateful to colleagues across the chamber who have supported the motion to allow this debate to take place. I would like to welcome those in the gallery who were somewhere there last night. They are welcome to the Scottish Parliament. We are here to celebrate 75 years of national and local peoples groups and organisations in Scotland since 1943. It is a remarkable achievement and it is also an opportunity to pay tribute to the spirit and vitality of the many outstanding men and women who have made this work possible. Older people who have dedicated their lives to the development and operation of older people's groups and organisations. Groups that have enriched the lives of older people in our communities across the country and organisations that have helped to shape Government policy and legislation to improve the lives of older people in Scotland. Groups and organisations continue to make an enormous contribution to advancing positive views of ageing in later life. Last night's reception, we met groups and individuals who did just that. I really would like to thank Age Scotland and the chair, George Fawkes, Christine Graham and the minister who gave us speech, which was so welcoming. Many other organisations took the time to attend and make the evening such a great success. Life for Age Scotland began with the establishment in 1943 of the Scottish People's Welfare Committee. The founding members included an array of organisations active at the time, the Church of Scotland, the Elder Old People's Welfare Council and the Elder Old People's Welfare Committee. Sadly, at the time, there was no committee in Glasgow. However, in 1954, Glasgow Old People's Welfare Association was established. It is now known as Glasgow's Golden Generation, and it won an award last night. I am very proud of that fact. It is in my constituency also. It is also the Scottish Central Council of Women's Rural Institutes, Scottish Council of Women's Citizens Association and the Scottish Trade Union's Congress. We also saw the formation of a concern and help the aged, who's murder in 2009 led to a new charity, Age Scotland, dedicated to improving later life for everyone in Scotland. It is worth reflecting for a moment, Presiding Officer, on what some of the landmarks and achievements have been over the last 75 years. Legislation to make the provision of home health service a duty on local authorities, the exclusion of amenity housing from the right to buy legislation in the 80s, the introduction of free nursing and personal care for older people in Scotland, the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people, providing free travel and local registered bus services for people aged 60+. I really would like to mention Simon Ritchie from Age Scotland, who has been carrying out a major engagement exercise with Transport Scotland to gather the views of hundreds of older people, which will directly shape the new national transport strategy. I welcome Simon from Age Scotland here tonight. Legislating to make an awful decision on employment and training based on a person's age, rather than on their competence, the adult support and protection bill to help to stamp out the abuse and mistreatment of older people who may be vulnerable. Reshaping care for older people is a programme for change and, in 2015, the Scottish Parliament's equal opportunities committee investigated age and isolation, the first formal parliamentary examination of loneliness anywhere in the world. Having been deputy convener of that committee, it is something that I am very proud of the work that we carried out there. There are a range of life enhances activities that take place in Scotland every week, which are facilitated by older people's group in my own area. I say this with great care, the party pluckers, which are a music group, stained glass making, knitting and crocheting blankets for conflict victims, all carried out by party addicts in my constituency. We all have the lunch club in the church hall or the neighbourhood centre, bringing older people together to share a healthy meal and companionship to the camaraderie of older men and women, meeting in the men's shed to use the skills to make or repair things, just have a bladder over a cough and a cup of tea. Other ones are including people remaining active and healthy through body boosting bingo, which can improve their strength and balance and, keeping fit with walking netball, can involve bringing the generations together by enabling young people to visit older people in their care home. One recent activity is really taking off and that is walking football, allowing men and women to get fit through regular exercise. This was famously depicted, I think, if people would remember, in an episode of the popular BBC Scotland comedy, Still Game. Complete with Isa as a Goalie, although I would not advocate the on-pitch violence that occurred on that particular occasion, so we plumb for a still game there. In my constituency, we have a new bay on the block, as you might say. We have a weekday wow factor, and I have been to some of those. We have a weekday wow factor, which has discos, which is absolutely fantastic. Zip sliding, speed boating on the Clyde and many others. We are not all just essentially sitting there, basically, Presiding Officer. In the brief time that I have available, I have only been able to override a shot and a whole valuable snapshot of the work of Age Scotland, which I know parliamentary colleagues will want to expand further on this evening. However, I want to close with a quote from Professor Sir Stuart Sutherland. To say that Scotland is facing anegis crisis is a myth, whereas it is certainly true that Scotland, along with the rest of the world, is getting older, that in itself does not constitute a crisis. I think that that has to be repeated, does not constitute a crisis. Professor Sutherland is challenging the view, as Age Scotland and others have, and other organisations too, have done for the past 75 years. Older people are not a burden. They are not a drain in our society and they are not a drain on our public services. Instead, rather than repeating this, it is often said, sometimes in the media, even on the bus, on the TV or whatever it may be, that we should celebrate what we know to be true. Older people are an asset to our society and our economy. They are the lifeblood of our communities, providing the backbone of charities and volunteering and acting as a reserve army of unpaid carers. Let us join together to congratulate Age Scotland on its 75th anniversary. I thank them for speaking up for age and wish them every success for the next 75 years in being the effective voice of older people in Scotland. We move to the open debate. Speeches of up to four minutes, please. I call Jackie Baillie to be followed by Bill Kidd. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I start by congratulating Sandra White on securing time for this debate. I have to confess to being slightly nervous and indeed exhausted listening to her list of activities that I am sure I am going to have to engage with as I get older, but I have to be honest, I am not sure about zipsliding at any age. No matter how much we may fight it or how young we feel on the inside, we are all growing older. Albeit, some are growing older more disgracefully than others. For many, the prospect of old age and everything that accompanies it can often be quite daunting. I think that it is quite wonderful and liberating. Aside from the knowledge and wisdom that you acquire because you have simply seen more, I like the fact that you can get away with saying what you think is wonderfully liberating. I am not sure that all of my colleagues regard that in the same light, but there you go. Let me start by thanking Age Scotland for all of their work, which has meant that thousands of older people in Scotland were given a voice when they needed it the most. For 75 years, day in and day out, Age Scotland has championed the needs of older people, making sure that care and support has been on offer to them if and when they have needed it. I also make a special mention of what Sandra White did before Lord George Fawkes, who is the chair of the board. He was, of course, the first director of Age Scotland. He tells me that that was not 75 years ago, though, but you only have his word for it. Let me pick out a couple of the initiatives that I particularly want to highlight that Age Scotland has been engaged in. Firstly, the housing project and warm and well project. They have meant that Scotland's ageing population is much better equipped to stay in their own homes, which is something that we all want, and are able to cope with ever-increasing fuel bills. Secondly, through their persistence, hard work and dedication, Age Scotland's helpline service claimed over £0.5 million of previously unclaimed benefits for older people in 2017 alone. That, I have no doubt, will have dramatically improved the quality of life for thousands of vulnerable people and helped to educate others about the benefits that they are entitled to. Recent research that we know carried out by NHS Scotland on social isolation and loneliness showed that the older we get, the lonelier we feel, and the less likely we are to have frequent social interactions with both our family and, indeed, the wider community. However, loneliness at any age is debilitating, but for those who are less mobile or perhaps who do not have family members living close by, feelings of loneliness are inevitable and all-encompassing. Through their many social events and good day calls service, Age Scotland has taken on the fight against isolation head-on. The support that it gives to over 1,000 local community groups across Scotland is so important. I know that that includes groups such as Dumbarton age concern and the Vale of Leven age concern. It gives many people a reason to get involved again and get involved in their local community. We cannot begin to thank Age Scotland enough for this kind of work, but it is equally important that the Government stands alongside voluntary organisations to ensure that we all have dignity in our old age. The Labour Party has demonstrated this commitment to older people time and time again. I am proud to have been part of a Scottish Government that introduced free bus passes and, indeed, the central heating programme way back at the start of Parliament. I am pleased that this Government has certainly continued some of that today. I am also proud that we were responsible for the introduction of free TV licences. I have no control over the content of the television programmes, but, nevertheless, I still think that it was a valuable thing to do. Increases to income support, second state pensions for low earners and winter fuel payments to name just a few initiatives. Older people in Britain would not have had that support if it had not been for a Labour Government, and I want to see that continue. I want to wish Age Scotland a happy 75th birthday. I hope that they continue to receive substantial Government funding and that we continue for the sake of both the current and future generations to ensure that our older people are our priority. I, too, would like to congratulate Sandra White for bringing forward this important debate to Parliament. I would also like to wish a happy birthday to Age Scotland as it reaches its 75th years as the national charity for older people in Scotland. Well, 75 years is really quite something, although looking at my colleagues around the chamber may be less to some than it is to others. Sorry, Sandra, I was not looking at you. It is, however, 75 years of supporting older people in Scotland tirelessly and working hard constantly behind the scenes for many of us who do not realise just how much work is put into the support that they provide. One-to-one support projects and community centres or, indeed, providing insight on the needs of older people to us here in the Scottish Parliament. Age Scotland's impact reverberates throughout Scottish society. True to that, just earlier this year, Age Scotland gave invaluable insight to the Committee for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work on the level of internet use across the country. Come up with a figure of 67 per cent of over 75-year-olds do not use the internet at all. That further was used to explain the impact of bank closures on this demographic in our country. That insight was drawn on the Committee's final report, and I think that it is a very important one. That, I also believe, illustrates how impactful the charity's work is for wee parliamentarians and for big ones as well. That was a joke, thank you. In terms of societal impact, what stands out the most for me, however, is the contribution made by Age Scotland to directly improve older people's lives by working on the ground in communities across Scotland. Recognising the charity's 75 years of work, it is important to highlight the charity's rich history. Fond initially, as Sandra White said, in 1943, as the Scottish Old or People's Welfare Committee, it has supported older people through significant events in the 20th century and into the 21st century. That includes at the end of the Second World War and the birth of the national health service and introduction of the welfare state. Aside from that, it has witnessed momentous technological changes, and the charity has adapted and evolved to continuously meet and promote the needs of older people. Of relevance to my constituency of Glasgow, Annie's land, previously the oldest demographic constituency in Europe, Age Scotland's work has been particularly pertinent over the years, and my constituents have frequently highlighted the positive impact of the charity on their own situation or on that of family members. Moving forward to 2018 and beyond, the charity now works with a network of more than 1,100 local groups across Scotland providing projects, among other services, for people to become involved with. Many of those projects tackle two of the biggest issues, as we have mentioned earlier by Jackie Baillie for older people of all of us, but for older people in particular of isolation and loneliness. Community-focused activities have a tremendous impact on improving quality of life. Through partnership with Glasgow Life, Age Scotland organises health walks across Glasgow. Not only do those keep people's fitness up, they also create community and belonging. I think that this project and many others have the capacity to be life changing, and I encourage my constituents to see if there is any activity or project that they would like to participate in. Age Scotland has a lot to offer. Looking forward to the future, it is projected that by 2041 the over 75 age group will be the largest in Scotland, so the work of Age Scotland will be relevant for an increasing number of our fellow Scots. With that in mind, I would like to finish by not only thanking Age Scotland for all of their dedicated work, but I would also like to thank them for their continued advocacy of older people's rights and welfare into the future. Just throwing a word of my own, you are better off old indeed, so just get on with it. Thank you. I was just thinking that maybe you can give me a written notice of your next joke, Mr Kidd, with appropriate timings marked. Jeremy Balfour, followed by David Torrance. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I start by wishing a happy birthday to Age Scotland, to thank them for the reception that was held last night, and to thank Sandra White for bringing this debate this afternoon. Maybe for the first time and the last time, I fully endorse every word, particularly the final comments made by her in her speech. Age Scotland is a very interesting issue. I visited recently our lunch club for what was called Old People, and I think that everybody in the chamber now, except perhaps Mr Arthur, would be welcome at that. Lunch clubs start younger and younger. At the other extreme, you have my father, who is in his late eighties, who is still working three days a week for this Government. Age is often very relative. Age Scotland is a charity, as we know, who works to ensure that the voices of older people are heard. They want to support both their rights and their interests, so that each person can live a full life and make Scotland a better place for older people. I think that Sandra White is absolutely right. We need to get away from the mentality of saying that old people are a drain on society, on our resources. They often bring so much more benefit and wisdom, and we need to tap in on that far more as a society. From the Scottish Government's website, in June 2017, just under 1 in 5, 19 per cent of people in Scotland were 65 or over. That is now compared to 16 per cent in the mid last year. Here in the Lovians, in 2012, nearly 20 per cent of the Lovian population was age 65. However, in 20 years' time, the figure will be 72 per cent, which I find, and I read that, almost an unbelievable figure. Therefore, there are going to be challenges, and we need organisations such as Age Scotland to be heard and to give us the support that older people will require. As a number of members have already mentioned, loneliness is one of the biggest problems facing not only the older population but other sectors of Scotland as well. Age Scotland is one of the leading organisations doing amazing work to tackle that. They celebrate ageing through funding and supporting over 1,000 member groups run for and by older people across Scotland. An example of that is the Men's Shed, which is one of the member groups' initiatives. It provides space for men to meet in a friendly environment and take part in activities that they enjoy. It provides a space where they are able to learn about the services that are available to them. That enables a vital community where friendship can be made and a place where older people are able to get the support that they need. One of the challenges for society is how we engage with people who are lonely and who have very little contact with other parts of Scottish Government or civic society. Someone recently gave me an example of a hotel that was put on a lunch for £5, but the people who came were those who were already going out regularly. We need to spend more time working out a strategy of how we engage with people who perhaps are lonely but are simply being ignored. Let me finish deputy by wishing a happy birthday to Age Scotland, to wish them well in their work and to thank Sandra White for allowing us to debate the subject tonight. David Torrance followed by Liam McArthur Thank you, Presiding Officer. I first like to thank Sandra White for securing this debate in the chamber today and welcoming this opportunity to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Age Scotland to bring attention to its vital role the network plays across the whole of Scotland. This year marks 75 years of amazing work and dedication from all the staff and volunteers past and present at Age Scotland to ensure the delivery of so many invaluable services through its network of over 1,000 groups all across Scotland. Those organisations make sure that the voice of older people is heard, provide support and care, encourage health and wellbeing and help to tackle loneliness and isolation, work in a partnership to identify opportunities and develop new initiatives that challenge inequalities and help to improve the quality of life of older people through a range of delivery methods, including self-help, one-to-one interventions, group services and a wider community engagement projects. In 5, 19.9 per cent of our population is of pensionable age, slightly above Scotland's national average of 18.5 per cent. The figure of people of working age falls below the national average. Comparisons of both 5 and Scotland's population projections show an expected large increase in the 65 and over demographic, alongside a large decrease in the 35 to 65 age group. The demographic of the country is changing, more people are living longer and healthier into old age than ever before. There are many upsides to increased life expectancy, which should certainly be celebrated, such as more children that will know their grandparents and great-grandparents, passing on a wealth of knowledge and experience of younger generations, and ever-increasing ageing population also prints many challenges for our communities. Living longer possesses many challenges for both economic and social issues, such as increased pressure on healthcare and social services, gaps in the job market increase dependency on those working age, health concerns of individuals and the ability to adapt to continuing technology and technological change. One of the major issues that are affecting our growing elderly population is isolation and loneliness. We know that social isolation has a detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals and can greatly affect the quality of life of older persons, often contributing to decreasing physical function, severe health problems and depression, a condition that sometimes goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in older people. In Cercodi, we have many fantastic groups following the lead of Age of Scotland, working in partnership to address those potential obstacles. One of these groups is the Grey Panthers. They meet weekly one of the local community centres and gather together older women, ranging primarily from 75 to 90 years old, to chat as well as exercise their minds and bodies through gentle activities and quizzes. The group that currently has around 30 members has been running for many years and provides valuable social opportunities for its members. One of its members, a lady called Mary Walls, was the 2018 winner of Age Scotland Inspiration Award. Those awards recognise people from all over Scotland who have made an exceptional contribution to improving the lives of older people. I have known Mary for many years now and can attest to her devotion and enthusiasm of helping those around her. She truly is an inspiration and much loved by not just the Grey Panthers but by the whole community and a very deserved and rep-substant of this award. Also in my constituency, we have Kinghorn Lunch Club, another group that encourages social interaction and tackles isolation through our weekly lunch club meetings. The group formed in response to a lack of opportunities for older people in Kinghorn. Many of its members do not have family and would often go several days without seeing or speaking to anyone. The club has provided a lifeline by connecting individuals and building meaningful bonds. Groups such as these are essential to part of the social fabric within my constituency and Fife. Without their efforts, we would be a lot worse off. They bring our community together, allow new relationships to be formed and have an enormous impact on our older people. However, as means of tackling social isolation, building relationships and developing skills are providing advice and support. In conclusion, I thank Sandra Fife once again for bringing this debate to chamber tonight and to thank Age Scotland for her valuable contributions to individuals and our communities over the past 75 years and wish her all the very best for the future. Before I call Mr MacArthur, there are still a few members who wish to speak in the debate, so I would be happy to accept a motion without notice under rule 8.14.3 and extend the debate by up to 30 minutes. I ask Sandra White to move a motion without notice. The question is that the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes. Are we all agreed? We are there for agreed, and I call on Liam MacArthur to be followed by Kenneth Gibson. That motion without notice is probably timely, because I need to start with an apology to you in the chamber that I may need to leave before the end of the debate, as I am due to host an event on behalf of Heriot-Watt University later. By way of atonement, I would extend a cordial invitation to all of you to join us in committee room 1 later on. I add my voice of congratulations to Sandra White, not just for securing this motion, but for her valiant attempt to snatch back the record from Oliver Mundell for the longest ever parliamentary motion, given the breadth, reach and significance of the excellent work done by Age Scotland now and in its various guises over the past 75 years. I think that it is perhaps no surprise that Sandra White has found it difficult to avoid the motion turning into something of a many novella, but it was wonderful to see the garden lobby packed out last night for Age Scotland's 75th birthday celebration yesterday evening. I say that as somebody who was hosting a competing event somewhere else in the building, but I was delighted to be able to drop in later on and catch up with Gillian Skews, who heads up Age Scotland Orkney. This is an independent charity, but a brand's partner of Age Scotland has been working with and for older people in the islands that I represent for some 25 years now. As well as helping to support older people to be able to live in their own homes for longer and enjoy a good quality of life with dignity and independence, Age Scotland Orkney is taking steps along with other statutory and voluntary sector partners to prepare for the consequences of the current demographic trends. Already Orkney has a population that is aging more rapidly than the national average. Trends suggest that, over the decade leading up to 2022, there will have been a 50 per cent increase in the population aged 75 and over in Orkney. Such a change would present challenges anywhere in terms of delivery of services in an Orkney context, with the population dispersed. Over a number of islands, some of them are very small indeed. Those challenges are magnified. That makes the work of Age Scotland Orkney in collaboration with other partners absolutely critical, allowing the community to benefit fully from, as Sandra White reminded us, the assets in our community. At present, that work includes a traditional home help service, which assists people with cleaning, shopping, laundry and a range of household tasks, and a person-centred care approach for adults who require some additional help with personal care, helping older people to live at home independently for longer. Age Scotland Orkney also runs a podiatry clinic with a fully qualified podiatrist offering a range of different treatments. Then, there is the dementia hub, which I had the pleasure of visiting earlier on this summer. Officially launched in March, the hub aims to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia, their carers and families through projects that promote health and wellbeing. Funded through the Life Changes Trust and dementia-friendly Orkney, the hub is a one-stop shop where people living with dementia can go for information and advice about national and local dementia services, local groups and activities that can provide support for people living with dementia to live well in Orkney. During my visit to the weekly drop-in session, it was immediately clear how much those attending the hub get out of the experience, an opportunity for those who are affected by dementia, their family and carers, to share a cup of tea and have a chat or take part in some of the therapeutic activities, including a state-of-the-art tovertaffle or magic table, which was truly hypnotic. I also got the chance to get a better understanding of what life is like for those who are living with dementia, some of the many frustrations that they experience on a daily basis and how much more care and attention needs to be taken in engaging with them. All of this excellent work, no doubt, was part of the reason that Age Scotland Orkney has been chosen to run Age Scotland's new national good day calls service as part of the independent living programme. The new daily phone service provides reassurance to older people and their family that someone will call to speak to them 365 days a year, checking in to ensure that they are well offering support in a friendly chat and in so doing help tackle loneliness. The service has been running in Orkney for some years already and those benefiting from it are in no doubt about what it offers. Margaret, aged 73, the thing that matters to me is the peace of mind that somehow someone is checking that I am okay and that I am on my own. Bill, aged 80, the good day calls help me to get my day under way with a cheery chat. Hopefully, this success will be replicated now nationwide and let's face it who couldn't look forward to a cheery chat from somebody in Orkney on a daily basis. I conclude by thanking all involved with Age Scotland across the country for the tireless work that they do and I thank Sandra White again for allowing Parliament the chance to recognise that work and wish Age Scotland all the best over the next 75 years, during which time we are all likely to take more of an interest in the work that they do. Thank you. Can I remind members that just because we extended debate by 30 minutes doesn't mean that you have to fill it? I call Kenneth Gibson to be followed by Tom Mason. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am delighted to speak in this afternoon's debate and congratulate my colleague Sandra White on securing it. 75 years of campaigning is an incredible achievement and it is fitting that we celebrate Age Scotland here in the chamber given that so much of the work that the Parliament has undertaken since 1999 has been informed by the guidance and support of Age Scotland's outstanding efforts. Indeed, the Merge which brought Age Concern Scotland and Help the Ager together in 2009 also brought together a combined 90 years of expertise as well as a wide network of older people's groups and forums. Their successes over the last 75 years have been numerous. On topics ranging from transport to housing to healthcare to loneliness, Age Scotland has provided vital guidance on the Scottish Government's legislative programme and its impact on Scotland's older population. Most recently, the Government's revised housing strategy, Age, Home and Community, was actually launched at Age Scotland's office in August. Indeed, it would not exist in its current form with the Age Scotland's valuable contribution to the strategy, monitoring and advisory committees. Housing choices can have an enormous impact on our lives as we age and the strategy rightly champions independent living for older people within their own community, better reflecting the needs and aspirations of older people. Working with MSPs, Age Scotland was recently successful in having amendments to the planning bill that supports agreed at stage 2. The revised strategy also intersects with other efforts in related areas such as dementia and tackling loneliness, which Age Scotland is also very proactive in addressing. Of course, Age Scotland's work extends far beyond policy and the most tangible impact on the lives of older people in Scotland is perhaps a network of more than 1,100 local groups that host an innumerable range of activities and workshops throughout the year, as highlighted by Sandra White's motion. More and more innovative groups now better meet the diverse needs of older people across Scotland. A particularly exciting project that has taken root in my constituency, and I know that it does not have a similar project in Sandra's constituency, is the Garnock Valley Mendshed, which is part of a wider network of Scottish Mendsheds that Age Scotland has promoted. Mendshed provides a space to relax over tea or coffee, indulge in past times, catch up with friends, laugh and be creative, which again contributes to our nationwide effort to reduce loneliness and social isolation. Age Scotland's report into the benefits of those groups, The Shed Effect, found that it made an enormous contribution to men's lives to promoting positive views of ageing and enhancing later life in Scotland. I have no doubt that Age Scotland will continue to champion initiatives such as those for many years to come. As well as celebrating success, we must also be frank about the challenges that lie ahead. Scotland's population is ageing rapidly, as colleges have touched on. The number of people living with dementia is expected to rise to 120,000 in the next two decades, a challenge that we must prepare and plan for now. Age Scotland has taken a proactive approach by launching its early stage dementia project, which provides free dementia awareness workshops for organisations across Scotland and information guides, an invaluable resource for individuals and organisations alike. As Scotland's demography changes, so too does our workforce, with one third now over 50 and people increasingly working into their 70s, retraining and starting new careers in later life, or, with reference to one or two of my colleagues, continuing careers in later life. Simultaneous supply of younger workers is falling and employers must be proactive to avoid skill shortages and shrinking talent pools. Retaining experienced and committed employees is a central facet of a proactive approach. Age Scotland has today provided 190 Scottish businesses with practical, well-informed and legislatively accurate advice to help to foster a workplace culture that is open, inclusive and positive about the benefits of age diversity. That work should be celebrated and replicated on an even broader scale. A part of the Scottish Government's older people's strategic action forum, Age Scotland has, and we will continue to play a vital role in future-proofing all-aspects of Scottish public services. The value of their contribution cannot be understated, and I conclude by offering my thanks to the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to promote a positive view of later life and support the wellbeing of older people. Here is to many more years of Age Scotland, happy birthday. I have called the youthful Tom Mason, followed by the very youthful Christine Graham. I thank you very much, Presiding Officer. It is a pleasure to make a contribution to this debate on the 75th anniversary of Age Scotland, and I thank Sandra Wright for bringing the topic to the chamber today. However, I should declare an interest in that my age is a potential customer of Age Scotland, although, fortunately, I have not had to call on the service thus far. It is fair to say that Age Scotland is a remarkable organisation, with a storied history that spans not just a considerable time period, but also great many changes in the challenges that are faced by older people. When the Scottish Older People's Welfare Committee was formed in 1943, we were at the height of the Second World War. Indeed, it was formed only a few days after I was born. I was born slightly prematurely because the bomb dropped next to the house. It is safe to say that conditions are somewhat different today. As a population, thanks to advances in medical care and technology, we are now living longer, largely healthier lives. Whilst it is, of course, welcome, it does lead to a higher demand for the care and services that our older people require. Even something like making sure that an older person has someone to talk to is so important. Isolation and loneliness are subject to seldom discussed. I know that, although we get older people, the more difficulty it becomes to meet new people and socialise, especially if we have lost a partner or spouse. However, in Age Scotland, we have an organisation that is unafraid to champion those issues, most notably through their men's shed, walking football, hiking groups and intergenerational projects. I wholeheartedly commend all of them and many others. Now that Age Scotland is at the forefront of efforts on the number of fronts, today's motion points out a wide variety of those. From housing to veterans, to warm and well, there are great many on-going projects that are helping people right across Scotland. In my region of the north-east, there is vital work going on across the board, helping people with financial and legal matters, finding the right care homes, housing and even energy tariffs. My constituents are well served by the support that the local Age Scotland team provides. Last night, I had the privilege of attending Age Scotland's reception here in Parliament. It was great to meet some of those involved with this effort. I can say how fantastic it was to hear the passion that they have for this work. I am encouraged but most importantly grateful for their endeavours. Here in Parliament, their policy teams are instrumental in driving forward change, always willing and able to debate their challenges and opportunities, as well as the impact of legislation and all the work that we do here. I thank Age Scotland for everything that it does, for making sure that our older people have a home that suits their needs, for providing the advice on household issues that is so valuable to the pensioner, for doing their bit to ensure that no one gets left behind. I know, Presiding Officer, that if Age Scotland approaches the challenges of the future with the same determination that drives and drives that we have seen over the past 75 years, then our golden generation, which includes myself, is in a very safe hands indeed. Thank you very much. The last of the open debate contributions is from Christine Grahame. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I also declare an interest to Tom Mason, particularly as I am also a septogenarian. I congratulate Sandra White on her role chairing older people, Age and Arian cross party group, securing this timely debate and Age Scotland on its 75th birthday, which I had the privilege to sponsor their event last night. Most of all, as others have said, the 1,100 local groups and volunteers working hard throughout Scotland. First, it was an excellent move to merge Age concern and help the agent into Age Scotland, and especially to ditch the terms concern and help. In themselves are not bad things, but please let's not always associate older people with problems. If I'm a problem, it's given to do with me, nothing to do with Age. Of course, we have our problems that come particular with Age, groaning when we rise from a chair or assume a seated position, creaking limbs or a tendency to not suffer fools gladly and having long lost the desire to linger scantily clad before a mirror. However—and it's a big but—and here I am slotting in that I'm—I bet you—I knew that set Kenneth Gibson's Heather Alight. However—and it's a big but—and here I am slotting in that I'm weary of being told I'm a demographic problem when I am, and we all are, a demographic plus. Give me an older people on the till at Tesco any day when I'm not competing with the grocery escalator to pack and pay in double quick time. Give me the older person and be in queue the retired tradesman who will escort me to the appropriate tools for my low skill level. By the way, other superstores should also be commended, just in case I have to use them. Then there's grandparent, time to teach and sing after a fashion—old songs. My granddaughter, one of them, and I will belt out my body lies over the ocean as we cruise along—not here, Mrs Graham, please—as we cruise along in my open top two-seater Mazda, my last stab at youth. Then, in reciprocation, we sing together, it's all about the bass. Stories read, stories invented, lessons on how to be friends with Mr Smoky, and when he's had enough. Special moments shared with grandchildren with their own special granny rules and non-rolls and sometimes unadulterated mischief. I haven't told the parents about that. Of course we need support and some of us will not admit it and some do not have family units like me, and their age concern and local groups can step in. Menshed, which has already been mentioned in particular, have addressed the issue of isolation for some older men. In people's, this has hit an impasse, as no sight has been provided that is suitable for the premises that has hit, as you say, a metaphorical brick wall—I wish it were a real brick wall—anyway the council should start helping them. That good day call that has been introduced recently is very, very important because not everybody is as lucky as I am. So it is as we all age a mix of requirements changing over time. Most of all, those requirements require to be met through conversations with us, with older people, as Age Scotland does. The last thing we need is to be patronised. Yes, some foolish individuals—I'll not name them—have tried to talk down to me as if I had dropped half my marbles. They were soon put right, so well done, Age Scotland, in getting the balance and the tone absolutely right and happy birthday. Now, Christine McElvie to respond to the debate for around seven minutes, please, minister. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I thank all the members who have taken part in this lovely debate today. It's a very lovely debate but with a very, very serious message. The contributions have been both very helpful to me and very informative to the work that I need to do in government. I thank especially to Sandra White, who has been a real champion in this, for calling for this debate to mark Age Scotland's landmark birthday and in the week where we celebrate international day of older people. I pay a special thanks and a special tribute to all of the volunteers who give generously of their time, and that's filled with that spirit and vitality that Sandra White talked about at the beginning of her speech. It's important that Parliament comes together to send an unambiguous message that we support and value our older people. Many of today's contributions, including Jeremy Balfour's, have cited figures around our changing demographics, so I won't repeat them, but the point is that there's going to be a lot more older people within the population in a very, very short frame of time. We are all ageing and we're all an ageing in older workforce. Sadly, older now is defined as 50 and above, which seems far too young to me these days. We have heard from everyone about the positive impact of Age Scotland and its 100,000 odd groups that it has in its network. We have heard about the great impact in the constituencies now, and it is invaluable that it has been to the MSPs in the chamber. I suppose that you want to know what is the Government doing. We need to, in Government, look at the opportunities and the challenges now, and my partner Gandhi said that the future depends on what you do today. We have a job to do, so the Government is taking action. We have a minister for older people, although she may not quite be in that category yet. We are developing older people's framework, which we will publish next March, which will be co-produced by stakeholders like Age Scotland and many other older people's organisations. We are publishing something that is very important, which came through very clearly in this debate today—a social isolation and loneliness strategy—before the end of this year. We are working through the consultation responses to this, and I would like to reassure Jackie Baillie that we are taking that issue incredibly seriously. We are also taking forward the fair work agenda because we have an older and ageing workforce. Kenny Gibson mentioned the housing strategy, along with the Warmer Homes Initiative, Fuel Poverty and many other things. We are ensuring that we have policies for now and for the future that maintain safety and security in the home. Other aspects of what we are looking at in Government are about hate crime. We will be publishing a public consultation later this year following recommendations made by Lord Bracadale on hate crime legislation in Scotland. Lord Bracadale recognised that older people can be targeted by perpetrators not because of hatred of the elderly but because of a perception that they are more vulnerable. They should talk to some of the older people in this room because they are far from vulnerable. He made an important point, and he recommended that the Scottish Government consider the introduction of a general aggravation concerning exploitation of that very vulnerability. He also recommended that there should be a new statutory hate crime aggravation based on age. We are very open to the views on the best way forward, and we will consult widely on that. I am sure that Age Scotland and many of its partners will take part in that. I recently spoke at the conference on elder abuse, and I heard first-hand the heartbreak of such incidences of hate crime and the abuse of vulnerability on that older person and their families. We are certainly taking that seriously. However, let us move on to social security, because that is an important part of how we support people in their older lives. We need to enable older people to contribute and thrive on me to look after those who are unable to through ill health or disability. We also need to make sure that the systems are in place to allow people to live as independently as possible for as long as they want or need. That is why the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People announced last week that, in Scotland, we will do things differently than the DWP when delivering the 11 devolved benefits. People will not be subject to undignified assessments carried out by private contractors—we are all welcomed in the chamber in the charter debate yesterday. We will treat people with dignity and respect. In doing that, we will ensure that we address Bill Kidd's concern about digital by default. We will create ways to enable older people to engage with his Social Security Scotland agency in a way that works for that individual, and that can only be welcomed. The cabinet secretary also shared the same aim to ensure that older people in Scotland have the opportunity to lead the best life that they can and feel valued and respected and listened to. I agree with her on that. Turn to some of the positive contributions that older people may make. Older people contribute in so many ways—unpaid caring roles, volunteering and continuing to work. The act is a sandwich carer—not a term that I like—by looking after the grandchildren as well as looking after elderly relatives, often with no financial support. David Torrance talked passionately about local champions. He was a local champion in South Lanarkshire who brought about the carers act that we now have. The carers Scotland act was introduced a few years ago and took effect from April 1 this year, 2018. That is a really welcome development, because we need to underpin the progress that we make with legislation. In 2018-19, the Scottish budget includes an additional £66 million to support additional expenditure by local government on social care. I hope that that will help to make a difference. However, let us look at some of the negative perceptions. As a society, many of us are too quick to judge others, stereotyping can be offensive, hurtful or even dangerous, and Christine Grahame reminded us of that. Older people deserve better. They are not a homogenous group just as younger people are. We have all seen and heard incredible stories in the 70s of people in their 70s running marathons or climbing mountains or just today winning Nobel prizes for physics. Those are amazing achievements, but maybe not quite in the reach of everyone, but maybe Jackie Baillie, when she does reach for that zipslide one day, when she actually reaches that older people's status. However, we need to say no to the relentless negative media that we are bombarded with that says, one should retire, you're a burden or a drain in society. I've seen nobody at the Age of Scotland reception last night who was a burden or a drain on society. Many other barriers that we talked about today were ensuring that we maintain concessionary travel scheme, the cheery chat from Liam McArthur telling us about the Orkney hub and the real benefits of public transport that people get. I want to talk about, very quickly, Queen's Cross Housing Association. They have created a new intervention service, piloted at Queen's Cross, funded by Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership. I heard from Agnes, Mary and John, who have been supported by the service. They shared their compelling stories of the positive benefits that it has for them. The service provides rapid response in times of crisis, or when high critical health and support needs are identified. It lasts up to six weeks to allow recovery or long-term support to be arranged. Let's celebrate ageing, Presiding Officer, because even if it's a bomb that brought you into the world, like Tom or Christine Grahame, who is lingering scantily clad in front of her mirror, getting older is something to be celebrated. It's not something that everyone is fortunate enough to achieve. We should celebrate at a nation, possibly at a lunch club with Jeremy Balfour, which would be lovely. As a poetry fan, I always look to poetry sometimes for inspiration. In his poem, Rabi Ben Ezra, published in 1864, in which we'll still resonate today, the poet Robert Brownan wrote, growing old with me, the best is yet to be. I love the aspiration behind that line. Christine Grahame singing to her in her two-seater master, teaching the grandkids how to be fun and disgraceful is a great picture I have in my head. Presiding Officer, I look forward to working with all the organisations such as Age Scotland who are championing older people's rights to ensure that the best is yet to come for Scotland's older people now and in the future. I want to finish by saying, happy birthday, Age Scotland. That concludes the debate, and this meeting is closed.