By Eric Nicolson

THE ARCHITECT of controversial plans to scrap the WRVS meals on wheels service in Perth and Kinross has challenged his council opponents to come up with a viable alternative proposal.

Councillor Peter Barrett, convener of housing and community care, claimed the status quo is not an option in the face of a rising elderly population in the area.

The council is tendering for a new scheme to replace the long-running service but has faced a furious backlash from people who see the system as a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable members of society.

Although a consultation process is under way it is widely expected meals on wheels will be replaced by a frozen meals service, leading to fears the food will not be as healthy and social contact will be minimised.

The daily delivery of hot food is traditionally popular, as it provides elderly, often housebound residents, some contact with the outside world and also ensures they are safe and well.

Conservative councillors have been among those who have attacked the changes but Mr Barrett insisted yesterday that the Tories have not made it clear how they would guarantee a meals service for future years.

He said, “The Conservative councillors demanded the issue be raised at a full council meeting, but then failed to bring a motion in March despite their promises.

“When I challenged them at that full council meeting on that issue and for their lack of support for modernising the meals service they had nothing whatsoever to say.

“Not one of them got up to speak in the chamber although certain individuals had done plenty of scaremongering in the press beforehand.

“Why do the Conservatives support the current inequalities in service provision? Why are they happy to see some people in parts of Perth and Kinross get twice as many meals as others and some get none at all?

“How are they going to guarantee sustainable delivery of our meals service in the face of predictions of a massively growing population of elderly clients?

“Why has there been a deafening silence from the Conservatives on all of these questions? It is high time they came up with some serious answers.”

Mr Barrett described the WRVS meals on wheels service as “unsustainable.” He pointed out, “In Perth and Kinross the elderly population is growing significantly faster than the general population.

“Analysis of demographic statistics predicts that in less than 25 years’ time the numbers of over-65s in Perth and Kinross will rise by 75% and the over 80-year-old population will be almost two-and-a-half times what it was in 2006.”

He has previously said that the recipients of the frozen meals will get a greater variety of food with better nutritional content and enhanced hygiene and safety—an improvement on the food prepared locally and distributed by WRVS volunteers.