MORE THAN 21,000 elderly people in the UK died from hypothermia last year, according to official statistics released last month

Yet nowhere in the recent Queen's Speech was there a mention of facilities being developed by the Government to meet the growing demand for care home places.

In fact, plans within the Queen's Speech held little inspiration for anyone, and for the elderly living on the basic state pension the projected agenda forecasts another bleak Christmas.

Elderly people die from cold and under-nourishment - things that the basic state pension, even with added income support benefits, cannot buy. Living costs, despite Government denials, are escalating beyond the means of pensioners.

Furthermore, pensioners' voices are not being heard or heeded by our legislature.

It is little wonder, then, that pensioners' rights associations - with more fully paid-up members than the whole of the three main political parties - are looking into fielding their own representatives in the forthcoming European elections and the next General Election out of desperation and annoyance with a Government which flatly refuses to listen to them.

Richard Grave, Pensioners' Rights Association, Lancaster.