Tag vulnerable aged, says minister

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Science minister Malcolm Wicks said satellite technology could be used to allow families to monitor frail or elderly relatives, it was reported.

According to the Mirror newspaper, Mr Wicks said many families worried about elderly relatives or "what's happening about an 80 or 90-year-old who may have Alzheimer's", and using the technology could let them know their loved one was safe.

Mr Wicks said: "Satellites currently monitor the planet in a variety of different ways.

"I'm raising this as an issue for discussion. Are there other uses of technology that could benefit society?

"We've got an ageing population with many people frail and many suffering from dementia, including Alzheimer's.

"How can we get the balance right so that these people have the freedom to live their lives, to go out in the community and go shopping?"

Similar technology is used to "tag" and keep track of convicted criminals who have been released from prison.