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Age Concern’s Director General‚ Gordon Lishman‚ said:

"Care home residents can be amongst the most vulnerable people in society - and not protecting their dignity and human rights is an abhorrent. The House of Lords have to ensure that they secure all care home residents with the protection that they deserve.

"The Human Rights Act can offer protection against undignified treatment‚ abuse and any actions that affect quality of life. To leave publicly-funded care home residents‚ or indeed anybody‚ unprotected against such indignities is unacceptable. As an absolute priority‚ the Human Rights Act should be widened in scope - through case law or by amending legislation if necessary - to remove the ‘Leonard Cheshire’ loophole‚ thus ensuring that all providers of public services‚ including those in the private and voluntary sectors‚ fall within the ambit of the Act.

"The Government's Dignity in Care campaign offers the perfect opportunity to finally close this loophole. A simple change to legislation will secure the human rights protection of older people in all care homes‚ and make a real difference to many vulnerable people."

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Notes for editors

Rights for Real‚ a report published by Age Concern in 2006‚ outlined the strengths of the Human Rights Act‚ suggested improvements and argues for the closing of this loophole

Andrew Dismore‚ Labour Member of Parliament for Hendon and chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights‚ has secured the 10 Minute Rule Motion‚ to enable him to bring in a Bill to clarify the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998. The next stage of the Bill will be its formal second reading on the 15th June 2007.