ONE of the main problems affecting the lives and well-being of older people is loneliness.

Human beings are social animals, but the prospect of having hours and even days without talking to another living soul is being faced every day by many of our older Swindon residents.

About 31,000 people are over the age of 65 in Swindon, which is 15 per cent of our town’s population.

Many people enjoy the company of friends and family, but there are many older residents who don’t have these links.

I’ve been working on organising a Loneliness Summit with Swindon Seniors Forum as part of a local campaign to help tackle this issue.

In October last year, Swindon Seniors Forum conducted a survey of loneliness to identify and gather information.

The survey responses have been put together and will be discussed at the Summit, with a view to influencing future decisions and making improvements to the lives of elderly people in Swindon.

Last Friday, I joined a team from Swindon Borough Council and our Fire & Rescue Service to visit some of our high rise buildings in Swindon to see for myself how the risk of fire is managed.

Swindon Borough Council have confirmed that that none of Swindon’s buildings have been clad using material like that at Grenfell Tower.

I spoke to residents about issues such as smoke alarms, fire containment and evacuation procedures. Smoke alarms are linked to the Council’s central control room which improves the response.

I noted the vital importance of fire doors which are the main way in which to contain a fire in a particular flat and ensure that the stairwells are smoke free places.

The council and fire service have prepared special fire safety fact sheets and a question and answer leaflet for all residents in light of the tragic events in London.

This week in Parliament, we will be voting on the Queen’s Speech, the agreement reached with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party will help to support the Government as we continue with the vital Brexit negotiations.

Now is the time for us to be getting on with the job, rather than having a destabilised political situation.

As no party has a majority in the House of Commons, this is the time for politicians of all parties to seek common ground wherever possible so that legislation on vital issues such as mental health and domestic abuse can be passed.