Several organisations concerned with the welfare of older people have commented on the speech made by the Queen at the state opening of parliament yesterday.

The National Association of Pension Funds welcomed the announcement that there will be a new pensions bill that gives detail about personal accounts.

Chief executive of the association, Joanne Segars, stated: "For years to come, personal accounts should provide an effective way of helping low to medium-income employees who do not currently have access to a good workplace pension."

She added that the pensions industry needs to work with the government to create consumer confidence in personal accounts.

Paul Cann, spokesperson for charity Help the Aged, stated that the organisation hopes that Ofcare, a proposed regulator for health and adult social care, will be "feisty and user-friendly".

The Queen outlined some 29 bills in her speech that will be debated by both houses of parliament.