Call for Evidence

The committee wants to hear your views. We welcome submissions from anyone with answers to the following questions. You can submit evidence until Thursday 7 August 2025.   

The content of your written evidence should not stray beyond the terms of reference as set out below, but please note that your submission does not have to address every point. Guidance on giving evidence to a select committee of the House of Commons is available here.   

1. What are the opportunities in public health to promote physical activity to prevent physical and mental ill health at a population-level as people begin to age and help them remain healthy into older age? How can this be delivered?

2. What are the opportunities for health services to promote physical activity to reduce the impacts of ill health and reduce the development of multimorbidity and/or frailty in older people who already have a long-term health condition? How can this be delivered? 

a. What interventions would have the most impact in reducing the gap in healthy life expectancy between older people living in the most and least deprived regions?

3. What are the key barriers to older people increasing their physical activity and how can they be encouraged and supported to do more?

4. How can health services work with social care, the third sector, businesses and local government to support older people to be more physically active and address existing health inequalities?

5. What progress has been made since the 2019 NHS England Long-Term Plan set out its ambitions to support people to age well and how could it be improved in relation to physical activity? In particular, what progress has been made on:

a. Early detection and intervention of frailty and other undiagnosed conditions and falls prevention schemes.

b. Widening, diversifying and expanding access nationally to social prescribing.

c. Supporting people to manage their own health through prevention schemes and personalised care. 

6. What should the Government prioritise in funding allocations for delivering services to support older people to become more active?

7. What could the Government learn from examples of best practice that exist in local authorities, the third sector, NHS Trusts, or internationally?

a. What needs to happen to scale up the adoption of these examples across the country?