Diolch. 'Age Friendly Wales: Our Strategy for an Ageing Society' was published on 7 October. following an extensive programme of engagement with older people and their representatives. The strategy sets out our vision for an age-friendly Wales, which supports people of all ages to live and age well. The strategy challenges ageist stereotypes of older people as passive recipients of health and social care, and I am concerned that the pandemic may have helped to embed such stereotypes in people’s minds. It's all too easy to overlook the many ways older people support our communities to flourish.

We should not forget that many older people living with dementia are cared for by their partner, siblings or a neighbour who are often older too, or that many working adults rely on grandparents for childcare. The value of older volunteers certainly became clear during the pandemic, as many charities struggled to cope without their support. Before COVID-19, older people’s contribution to the Welsh economy was estimated to be over £2 billion a year.

The strategy for an ageing society aims to change the way we all think and feel about ageing. We want to create a Wales where everyone looks forward to growing older, a Wales where individuals can take responsibility for their own health and well-being whilst feeling confident that support will be available and easily accessible if needed.

Thanks to groundbreaking developments in health and technology, the global population of people aged over 60 has been growing faster than any other age group, but the pandemic showed how easily these gains can be taken away. It also showed how important it is that different generations understand each other, so they can pull together at times of crisis and play to our strengths as strong, vibrant communities across Wales. Working in partnership across generations, sectors and communities is fundamental to the creation of an age-friendly Wales.

To turn our vision into reality this year, we've allocated £550,000 to local authorities to support their work to become age-friendly and to gain membership of the World Health Organization's network of age-friendly cities and communities. To gain membership, local authorities must show how they are engaging with older people. Our vision is shared with the Older People's Commissioner for Wales, who is providing valuable support and guidance to local authorities as they work towards age-friendly status.

The United Nations' principles for older people have informed the development of this strategy and run throughout it. I want Wales to be a nation that celebrates age and, in line with the UN principles, a nation that upholds the independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity of older people at all times. This year, we will allocate £100,000 to promote awareness of older people's rights and inspire a common understanding of the transformative effects of a rights-based approach.

We are fortunate that we have a firm grasp on the circumstances of older people in Wales. In 2019, we commissioned the internationally recognised Centre for Innovative Ageing at Swansea University to benchmark the situation of older people in Wales against the other three UK nations. This measure was updated in 2021. The centre used a range of measures to create a UK age index and the results show that Wales was ranked first, with the highest overall score, followed by Scotland, England and finally Northern Ireland. This shows that there is much that we are doing well, and we should feel proud that our commitment to support older people is clearly evidenced.

In addition, the Older People's Commissioner for Wales's state of the nation reports of 2019 and 2021 offer a firm statistical and empirical grounding to build on, which charts the impact of COVID-19. Collectively, these reports provide a clear indication of where action is needed to improve lives for older people across Wales.

Older people have been directly involved in creating this strategy and will be involved in its delivery via my ministerial advisory forum on ageing. We will put the voice and experience of older people at the heart of our policy process and continue to support five national older people's groups and forums, hosted by Age Cymru. Collectively, their work helps us to understand and respond to the key issues affecting older people today.

We will work across Government to address the wide range of factors that influence how we age, from our health, social care and transport systems to the way we socialise, work and care for others. The strategy aims to unlock the potential of today’s older people and tomorrow's ageing society. Work is already under way to develop a delivery plan setting out clear actions, milestones and timescales to monitor the strategy's implementation.

This strategy is about how we look to the future, based on sound knowledge and understanding—a strategy developed with and for the people of Wales. By acknowledging and valuing the contributions of all older people in Wales, we can reject ageism and work across generations to create an age-friendly Wales.