Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to reflect that the (a) rights and (b) needs of older people will be reflected in the work of the High-Level Panel on Social Protection in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings.

The High-Level Panel on Social Protection in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings (FCAS) is exploring why social protection remains neglected in the places that need it most. To support this, the Panel launched a public enquiry to gather evidence, structured around seven questions, one of which focuses on equitable access. We expect evidence submitted to cover a wider range of groups, such as older people and children, as well as women and girls, and displaced populations. The Panel Secretariat has engaged widely with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), UN agencies, academia, and civil society about the public enquiry - including a major age-focused NGO - and remains committed to ensuring an inclusive approach. The evidence enquiry closed on Sunday 13 July and the data is now being processed ahead of the second meeting of the Panel in September, where recommendations will be discussed.