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Age Concern is particularly pleased with the inclusion of a Health and Social Care Bill and the Pensions Bill. The Health and Social Care Bill offers an opportunity to deliver effective regulation to benefit today’s older people. The Pensions Bill will introduce a system of personal accounts to encourage greater numbers of people to save for their retirement. Pensions saving must benefit the poorest people today‚ preventing them from becoming pensioners living in poverty tomorrow; social care regulation and inspection must be adequately funded.

Other Bills of interest include the Employment Simplification Bill and Education and Skills Bill‚ both of which offer the opportunity to remove direct age discrimination; the Local Transport Bill which needs to reduce social exclusion amongst older people in rural communities; and the Housing and Regeneration Bill which offers an excellent opportunity for the Government to introduce ‘lifetime homes’ regulations.

We are disappointed‚ for the second year running‚ by the omission of a single Equality Bill.