In relation to elder abuse:

(1) In the 2003-04 Budget $100,000 was set aside to address elder abuse this financial year. Have any of those funds been expended to date, if so, how much and in what areas, if not, why not and when will funds be expended;

(2) Has the hotline service for reporting elder abuse been established. If so, when and how many calls has it received. If not, why not and when will this hotline be operational;

(3) What work has been completed on the community awareness campaign regarding elder abuse and has any information been disseminated publicly;

(4) Has the Government developed its comprehensive training materials for professionals who come in contact with older people. If so, what training materials have been provided and at what cost. If not, why not and when will those commitments be put in train;

(5) Has the benchmarking survey to establish the level of awareness of what constitutes elder abuse in the ACT been developed. If so, when will Canberrans be surveyed and when will the Government release the details of the survey. If not, when will work begin on developing this survey.

(1) The Government has made significant progress in implementing its response to the ACT Assembly's Standing Committee Report into elder abuse.

Further to the actions already implemented by the Government, including - a requirement that mandatory police checks be undertaken in all Government contracts related to services for older people; extensive discussions with other jurisdictions regarding protocols and practices; and work being undertaken to establish an older women's boarding house, on 11 August 2003 an "Elder Abuse Prevention Project Planning Forum"was held. The key objectives of the Forum were to gain broad media attention to the issue of elder abuse, and to assist the development of an elder abuse prevention implementation workplan.

Key senior officials from Commonwealth and ACT Government agencies and community organisations attended the Forum. Dr Susan Kurlle, Director of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Hornsby Hospital, who is world renowned for her research