Reinstate a named minister for older people

Dear First Minister

We would like to offer our congratulations to you on your respective election as First Minister and appointments as Cabinet Secretary and Minister.

However, we are disheartened and extremely disappointed that the prominence of older people’s issues and its position as a named responsibility have been downgraded within the new Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees’ portfolio. The list of policy areas covered here are larger and more diverse than ever before, which gives us cause for concern about the amount of necessary focus older people will receive.

We feel this is a backward step on the progress that has been made, and reduces the importance of older people’s issues at a time when Scotland’s population is ageing and facing a growing number of serious challenges.

Collectively, we have heard from many older people’s groups and individual older people who feel let down by this.

In order to demonstrate a serious commitment to improving the lives of older people in Scotland, we believe that you should reinstate a named ministerial title for older people.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Stuart Purdy, Chair, Age Scotland
David Paterson, Chair, Scottish Older People's Assembly
Susan Hunter, CEO, Befriending Networks
Dr Rowan Wallace, Chair, Scotland Council - British Geriatrics Society
Maureen O'Neill, Director, Faith in Older People
Michelle Carruthers, Chief Executive, Food Train
Alison Clyde, Chief Executive Officer, Generations Working Together
Richard Robinson, CEO, Hourglass
John Palmer, Director of Policy and Communications, Independent Age
Graham Galloway, Chief Executive, Kirrie Connections
Anne Gallacher, Director, Luminate
Louise Wilson, Chief Executive, Outside the Box
Dr Leeanne McGurk, Principal Investigator, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee
Dr Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive, Scottish Care
Mukami McCrum, Chair, Scottish Ethnic Minority Older People Forum
Rose Jackson, Chairperson, Scottish Pensioners’ Forum
Elizabeth Lumsden, Community Safety Manager (Scotland), The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents