Thank you for the opportunity to speak in this very important debate. Let nobody in this Chamber or watching outside be in any doubt that this Welsh Labour Government is committed to providing older people in Wales with good-quality responsive public services and is enabling older people across Wales to lead more independent lives.

Following our important Welsh Labour manifesto commitment to enable people to keep more of their hard-earned money when in residential care, the Minister for Social Services and Public Health recently announced that the new £50,000 limit will be implemented in phases, starting with an increase to £30,000 from April next year. The current capital limit in England is just £23,250. Further, the UK Tory Government has now delayed its reform of the paying for care arrangements until at least 2020. Indeed, the Conservative group here could better spend their time lobbying their Conservative parliamentary colleagues to get their own house in order. And as Conservative UK parliamentarians are finding the time to have their photographs taken with the Prime Minister in readiness for their campaign material, maybe whilst they’re having these snaps they could ask the UK Government to follow the Welsh Labour Government’s lead.

Since 2011 in Wales, there’s also a limit on the amount older people in care have to pay for the care they require and, in turn, sure, there is a consistent approach to charging across Wales—initiatives that are indeed not in place elsewhere in the UK. So, why, might you ask, are the Welsh Government phasing in this capital limit? The answer is that this is a Welsh Labour Government that listens before enacting legislation. Local authorities and care home providers have fed back into these proposals and the phasing in allows them sufficient time to adapt to the changes. It also takes into account independent research commissioned by the Welsh Labour Government to obtain up-to-date costings for implementing the changes. From April also a full disregard of the war disablement pension will also be introduced in all local authority financial assessments for charging for social care. This change will ensure our armed forces veterans in receipt of these important pensions will not be required to use them to pay for the cost of their care.

The record of the Welsh Labour Government in valuing the contribution that older people make to our communities, public services and economy is one that we in Wales can be rightly proud of. Thanks to Welsh Labour’s leadership, Wales also becomes the first country in the world to adopt a declaration of the rights of older people, which sets out clearly the rights of older people in Wales. This declaration is another world-leading step for Wales in the drive for equality and human rights.

Indeed, my constituents regularly have expressed their satisfaction to me, in constituency, with the Welsh Labour Government’s policy on concessionary affairs. [Interruption.] I’m sorry, I don’t have time. There are more than 72,000 concessionary pass holders in Wales, including armed forces personnel and veterans. The Welsh Labour Government is rightly continuing its support for this popular concessionary travel scheme for older people as part of its continuing support for universal benefits.

We know, as has been said, that an ageing population will rightly challenge all of us—Government policy makers and the wider populace. We’ve heard that currently—heard from other Members in the debate—that one in five over 80 have dementia, but in the next five years, the number of people in Wales with dementia is set to increase by almost a third. The Welsh Labour Government is well placed to deal with the challenges that lie ahead and we shall leave nobody behind. It is the mark of how progressive a nation or country is in how we do treat those who have given so much to their country throughout their lifetimes.

When it comes to legislating, the Welsh Labour Government supports the principle of an older people’s Bill, as outlined by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales. Indeed, discussions about potential further legislation and future legislation have taken place with the older people’s commissioner in order to examine how rights for older people can be strengthened. That is why, today, I shall be voting against the Tory motion and supporting the older people of Wales. Diolch, Lywydd.