The rights of older people
Women and Equalities Committee
Closed
Inquiry
This inquiry considers key issues faced by older people from their own perspectives and those of expert witnesses, including discrimination lawyers and advocacy organisations. It examines whether there is enough focus on the issues and effective policies to tackle them. It looks at how well older people’s rights are protected …
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8
Recommendations
5
Conclusions
1
Report
5
Oral sessions
8
Letters
5
Events
Activity timeline 20 events
26 Jun
2025
2025
16 May
2025
2025
25 Mar
2025
2025
19 Mar
2025
2025
19 Mar
2025
2025
19 Feb
2025
2025
Report published
11 Dec
2024
2024
Oral evidence
11 Dec
2024
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
24 May
2024
2024
15 May
2024
2024
17 Apr
2024
2024
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
11 Dec 2024
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Women and Equalities Committee
Caroline Abrahams CBE · Age UK
Dr Carole Easton OBE · Centre for Better Ageing
Joanna Elson CBE · Independent Age
Rhian Bowen-Davies · Older People's Commissioner for Wales
17 Apr 2024
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Women and Equalities Committee
Alice Gould · Independent Press Standards Organisation
Kate Biggs · Ofcom
Malcolm Phillips · Committee of Advertising Practice
28 Feb 2024
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Women and Equalities Committee
Jonathan Boys · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Natalie Hall · 55/Redefined
Nicola Smith · TUC
Professor Wendy Loretto · University of Edinburgh Business School
7 Feb 2024
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Women and Equalities Committee
Councillor Gillian Ford · Local Government Association
Declan O'Dempsey · Cloisters Chambers
Dr Alysia Blackham · Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne
Dr Emilene Zitkus · Loughborough University
Helen Dobson · Citizens Online
John Kirkpatrick · Equality and Human Rights Commission
10 Jan 2024
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Women and Equalities Committee
Carole Easton OBE · Centre for Ageing Better
Caroline Abrahams CBE · Age UK
Heléna Herklots CBE · Older People's Commissioner for Wales
Joanna Elson CBE · Independent Age
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Report - The rights of older people | HC 414 | 19 Feb 2025 | 13 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
3
Conclusion
Deferred
3rd Report - The rights of older p…
Editor's Code of Practice inadequately protects older people from age discrimination.
The Editor’s Code of Practice must balance the rights of individuals to protection from discrimination with freedom of expression in the press. The complete omission of age from clause 12 on discrimination gets this balance wrong, leaving older people unprotected …
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Government Response
The government notes IPSO's role in informing the committee and states that the recommendation regarding the Editor's Code of Practice has been shared with the Editors' Code Committee, which will discuss the issue.
Government Equalities Office
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12
Recommendation
Deferred
3rd Report - The rights of older p…
Mandate Editors’ Code of Practice Committee to include age in clause 12.
The justification of the omission of age from clause 12, set out in the Editors’ Codebook, that journalists must be free to comment on public figures who are “past their prime” is itself overtly ageist. We recommend the Editors’ Code …
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Government Response
The government notes IPSO's role in informing the committee and states that the recommendation regarding the Editor's Code of Practice has been shared with the Editors' Code Committee, which will discuss the issue; the Code Committee has removed the phrase in question from the 2025 version of the document.
Government Equalities Office
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13
Recommendation
Deferred
3rd Report - The rights of older p…
Establish a new framework for promoting older people's rights in England by year-end, evaluating Welsh model.
We recommend the Government examine the experience in Wales, with a view to replicating a similar framework across England. It should conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Commissioner for Older People 50 role in Wales and its comprehensive …
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Government Response
The government commits to considering the experience and effectiveness of the Commissioner for Older People in Wales, stating this will inform future thinking on potential action in England, but does not commit to establishing a framework by year-end.
Government Equalities Office
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Correspondence 8 letters
26 Jun 2025
Correspondence from Secretary, Editors Code of Practice, re The rights of older people, dated 16.06.2025
Parliament page
25 Mar 2025
Correspondence from Chief Executive, Hacked Off, re, The rights of older people, dated March 2025
Parliament page
19 Mar 2025
Correspondence from Charlotte Dewar, Chief Executive, IPSO, re the rights of older people, dated 11 March 2025
Parliament page
19 Mar 2025
Correspondence from Jo Poots, Project Sponsor and Head of Complaints and Investigations, Advertising Standards Authority, re the rights of older people, dated 28 Feb 2025
Parliament page
24 May 2024
Correspondence to the Minister for Women and Equalities, relating to the rights of older people, dated 23 May
Parliament page
15 May 2024
Correspondence from Minister of State (Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Commonwealth and UN, relating to the rights of older people dated 8 May 2024
Parliament page
17 Apr 2024
Correspondence to Lord Ahmad Minister of State (Middle East, N Africa, S Asia, UN and Commonwealth) Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, relating to the rights of older people, dated 17 April 2024
Parliament page
28 Feb 2024
Correspondence from the Advertising Standards Authority, relating to the rights of older people, dated 12 February 2024
Parliament page