Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that older women and men are supported and empowered and that their rights are protected as part of the Government's commitment to the Leave no one behind principle.

DFID believes that no one should face the indignity of extreme, absolute, chronic poverty, and as part of our commitment to Leave No One Behind, we will put the needs of the most excluded first. This means challenging the social barriers that deny people opportunity and limit their potential. Older people can experience a range of complex barriers and face multiple exclusions. They are more likely than any other age group to have disabilities.

Social protection mechanisms can play a crucial part in supporting the economic empowerment of older people. For example, the UK has been proud to partner with the Government of Uganda over the last 10 years to deliver a Senior Citizen Grant. The programme currently supports 168,340 older people each year.