To ask the Minister of Justice why his Department has only met the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland on two occasions since 2012 to discuss both crime and the fear of crime amongst older people.

The formal meetings with the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland to which the Member refers do not represent the full extent of the work which my Department has taken forward to address fear of crime amongst older and vulnerable people.

Members will be aware from previous questions of the work my Department has undertaken to address fear of crime, including through the Older Persons Delivery Group, established to take forward actions to address fear of crime under the Community Safety Strategy. This group, chaired by my Department, includes a range of statutory and non-statutory bodies.

The Office of the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland was previously invited to provide representation on the Older Persons Delivery Group, but was not in a position to take up the offer at that time. My officials continue to liaise with the Commissioner’s staff as required on issues around fear of crime.

My Department works closely with Age Sector Platform, a voluntary sector organisation which has a membership of individuals and older people’s groups across Northern Ireland, representing approximately 200,000 people. Age Sector Platform engages with the Office of the Commissioner on broader issues affecting older people.

My Department recently supported Age Sector Platform in the development of their “Feel Safe” guide, which has a particular focus on practical measures that older people can take to avoid becoming a victim of opportunistic crime such as burglary and bogus callers.

Age Sector Platform is currently working with my Department on the development and delivery of workshops on a regional basis to promote the messages in this guide and to address the concerns that older people have around crime. These workshops will include a range of advice on how they can avoid becoming victims of crime, and representation from key providers of advice such as the Trading Standards Service.