I can see the headline point that you're making, Darren, but I would refer you back to the statement made by the older persons' commissioner last week in launching her legacy report, in which she actually welcomed the approach we were taking, because it makes rights real. It doesn't look for another piece of reach-down-from-the-shelf legislation on a Bill of rights, it actually says, 'How do we make these real and tangible in the lives of older people?' Now, if we can agree that that is where we should be heading—the outcomes for older people—as opposed to another Bill of rights or whatever, then let's get on with it, and it was welcomed by the older people's commissioner. We intend to work with the new commissioner coming in, when that's announced, to take this forward as well.

So, anyway, as I said, I'm happy, and I'm sure it'll bring a smile to Darren's face, that we'll be supporting the second amendment, tabled by his colleague Paul Davies. Independent advocacy services can give a voice to people who are struggling to make choices about their own lives. We recognise that there are times when an individual will need support to ensure that their rights are upheld.

As part of the suite of actions that we've agreed with the commissioner to make rights real for older people, we will revisit part 10 of the code of practice on advocacy with a view to developing practical guidance on demonstrating due regard to the UN principles. In addition, a national framework for commissioning independent advocacy for adults is currently being developed. The framework will improve the quality, the consistency and the availability of services across Wales.

In January 2018, the commissioner published a follow-up to her 2014 review into the quality of life and care of older people living in care homes. The report does state that good progress has been made in many areas, and very pleasingly, that those working across the residential care sector are beginning to think very differently and are placing a greater focus on the quality of life of older people. And I'm sure that Members will have seen this in visiting some of their own homes within their areas. But the report also points out those areas where work has not progressed.

One of these areas, for example, is falls prevention. Falls are mentioned again as a theme within the Ageing Well programme and I share the commissioner's view that we need to do more on this area. So, we are working with My Home Life Cymru to start a conversation with care home managers about how they can balance falls prevention with positive risk taking. And work is ongoing with Public Health Wales's 1000 Lives Improvement programme to develop a patient safety and a quality improvement programme for care homes. The programme aims to reduce the number of falls in care homes and includes measures to improve continence care and medicines management, but as the commissioner's report says, we cannot be complacent; there is more to do.

Let me turn to another aspect of the commissioner's work, which was the 'Rethinking Respite' report. It looked in depth at one of the key findings from her 2016 'Dementia: more than just memory loss' report. Through discussions with people living with dementia and with their carers, the commissioner found that services often lack the flexibility to meet people's needs, and yet we know that the provision of respite is one of the key national priorities for improving the lives of carers in Wales. We are now providing local authorities with £3 million a year to provide additional carers' respite. In 2017-18, the funding supported more innovative, flexible models that demonstrate that the carer and the cared-for person are right at the centre of respite provision.

I'd like to commend the older people's commissioner for her work in leading the Ageing Well in Wales programme. I recognise that the Ageing Well in Wales programme has made a major contribution to supporting everyone to live healthy, active and rewarding lives. The importance of bringing people together who are committed to making tangible changes to the place they live should not be underestimated. Connecting people can create the friendships, the support networks, and the partnerships that help build resilient communities.

And finally, if I can touch on the areas that the report references with many examples of good practice, it shows that the implementation of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, brought through this Assembly, the regulations that flowed from that and the statutory guidance are bringing positive change for older people. So, I would like to thank the commissioner for supporting the Welsh Government to focus on the areas that matter most to older people—their priorities becoming the priorities of Welsh Government.