Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) telephone services and (b) face-to-face services intended to relieve loneliness and isolation in elderly people.

Loneliness and isolation in elderly people is a complex issue and can affect people in different ways. We have not undertaken an assessment of the effectiveness of telephone services or face to face services but we know that it is helpful to have a range of interventions that can address the different needs of people who are lonely or isolated.