Madam,

I learned something new today (Monday, 15 October) - that the government has a Minister for Loneliness, Tracey Crouch.

Ms Crouch was on the lunchtime news to bemoan the fact that local authorities in England have closed 428, or 41 per cent of council-run day centres since austerity measures were introduced, but was adamant that this was due to local government choices rather than central government policy.

The minister also mentioned that, where some provision had been retained, it was mostly run by the voluntary and charity sector.

More and more we hear about ‘social prescribing’ (a harmless-sounding way of statutory bodies passing even more of their responsibilities to the voluntary sector).

‘Social prescribing’ works by your health and social care professional not prescribing drugs or providing a service but instead introducing you to the membership secretaries of local clubs.

So, if you are depressed, join a gardening club. Isolated? Join the local bowling club.

Handing provision of services to the private sector may provide a short-term cash fix, but the responsibility for provision of the services comes back to the county council if a private provider fails.

England is due to introduce a ‘policy test’ as part of way of obliging local authorities to ensure the closure of services is justified. In the words of Ms Crouch: “Day centres are not a luxury.”

So, in the face of supreme indifference from the Westminster Government and acquiescence in austerity from Cardiff, the message must be ‘No more cuts to services’.

Yours etc,

George Holloway, Rhoshendre, Waunfawr, Aberystwyth.

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