Diolch, Llywydd, and I move amendments 1 and 2 in the name of Paul Davies, and in doing so would like to thank Sarah Rochira for her work as the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales over the past six years. Her innovation and drive to take forward a more positive agenda for older people has been notable.

Now, looking at the annual report, the commissioner notes a number of cross-cutting themes to casework undertaken during the year. Complex processes, poor communication and a lack of understanding of the needs of older people and the impact decisions have on their daily lives are of particular concern, feeding into our first amendment calling for the need to establish a Bill of rights for older people, codified in law, and we don't do that lightly. And I am disappointed that at this late hour—and I know it came up last week—the emphasis has gone off that now because, certainly, with the work that I've done with the older people's commissioner over the past six years, it's where I've seen and witnessed first-hand the fundamental basic rights of our older people breached. 

Twenty per cent of Welsh pensioners live in poverty: equivalent to one in five; the second highest level of the regions behind London; the worst level since 2003; five per cent higher than the UK and England's averages; and 7 per cent higher than Scotland and Northern Ireland. Since 2015, 10,000 more Welsh pensioners are now in poverty, and Wales is the only region in the UK in the last five years to see such a sharp increase. Further, we know that older people in Wales still face significant barriers: loneliness and isolation, access to primary care—that's a fundamental basic right. Over a quarter of older people reported being lonely, and nearly 27 per cent are deemed to be socially isolated. More than 75 per cent of women and a third of men over 65 live alone. Additionally, over 40,000 older people in Wales are currently victims of domestic abuse, and over 150,000 have been victims of an incident of crime in their very own home. So, tell me; I don't know how the Welsh Government is protecting fundamental basic rights as regards that.

Our second amendment references the lack of access to independent advocacy: a trend that is fast seeing an increase in people approaching my own office because they just cannot navigate or even find access to the basic treatment and support that they actually need and deserve. The commissioner states that public bodies are often not good at learning from their mistakes or using people's voices and experiences to underpin the drive for continuous service improvement.

Sadly, we note that the commissioner has had to chase the Welsh Government over their failure to demonstrate sufficient progress and action in a number of key areas relating to her care home review of 2014: continence care, a basic right; falls prevention; and workforce planning—they're all issues requiring further action. And there is evidence, also, of poor access to the correct and appropriate nutrition and hydration—another fundamental basic right. Half a million older people in Wales fall each year, with many falling several times before they ultimately end up in hospital and then are permanently immobile and worse. Fifty thousand suffer serious injury, which results in them never returning to their homes or regaining their independence in the aftermath. The commissioner states that Welsh Government, health boards and local authorities must take meaningful action to deliver upon the commitments they made, and we all know that guidance isn't enough, in many instances, where this is concerned. Failure to do so will mean that our care home system is unable to meet the change in the care and support needs of our older people. This will mean too many older people living in care homes and will continue to have an unacceptable quality of life.

Finally, this week is Dementia Action Week and an appropriate time to call on the Welsh Government to implement the vital areas of improvement to the 'Dementia Action Plan for Wales 2018-2022'. These include providing a greater focus on rights, diversity and advocacy, a greater recognition of well-being and needs of carers, more ambitious training targets, improved respite services, enhancing the role of dementia support workers and improved palliative and end-of-life care pathways.

And finally, as a member of the actual appointment board for the incoming older people's commissioner, and given the frustrations of the panel regarding the appointment workers in the early days and delays, I would be grateful if the Cabinet Secretary could make a statement on the timescales involved and when he believes the First Minister will get around to making the announcement for the appointment of the next commissioner. It is vital that our older people in Wales have the support of a commissioner, and it is even more vital that you, as a Welsh Government, actually enshrine in law the basic fundamental rights that our older people deserve.