It has been proposed by Science Minister Malcolm Wicks that vulnerable elderly people be tagged and tracked electronically. He says that:

"This is not government policy, it's my idea for discussion - all I'm saying is that we've got this big social question which is growing in importance...
On the other hand, we've got the development of really exciting satellite technologies.
Let's see if we can put the two of them together - not to be Big Brother-ish or tag people like criminals, but to bring some security, safety, dignity and independence to a frail group of people." (The Guardian)

As an idea for discussion it is not that bad. At first glance the proposal stinks of the Big Brother Nanny State, and the idea of electronic tagging is linked far too closely with that done to young offenders and criminals on parole, rather than something that could or should be done to the elderly.

However, what electronic tagging would enable is for elderly people to stay in their own homes and be independent for longer than is now generally possible. Any electronic tagging done for the elderly would have to be gently and sensitively - and with the permission of the person being tagged.But electronic tagging could be used as an excuse for not providing other help, which could mean that those who need real help do not et it because they can be tracked.

I think that the idea behind this is relatively solid, but needs to be refined. It could be a useful tool for enabling elderly people to retain their independence for as long as possible, but it would have to called something other than "tagging" simply because of the negative connotations of the word. What they could use instead I don't know, but I'm sure that someone can come up with something.

As a basis for discussion, i's not bad. Well done to Malcolm Wicks for bringing it up, and hopefully it can be developed into a usable and workable project.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph