Lords
Oral Questions
24 November 2025
8 contributions
Brain Tumours: Causes and Treatment
My Lords, I thank the Minister for her reply, but I want to press for more urgency to beat this terrible disease. Brain cancer is now the biggest killer of children and adults under the age of 40 in the UK. Behind every statistic is a person, like my old friend Georgie Maynard, a mother of three who…
My Lords, I thank the Minister for promising us a cancer plan by the beginning of next year. I hope it will be forthcoming, because it will be good to look at how cancer care will change. Regarding brain tumours, the problem is that the symptoms are often vague and mild, so early diagnosis is much m…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
24 November 2025
9 contributions
NHS: Wheelchair Services
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend, but does she recognise that the work by the Wheelchair Alliance and the All-Party Group for Wheelchairs Users would suggest that, if you leave this to local health bodies and local authorities, they simply will not improve the current inadequate and patchy…
Can the Minister comment on whether we keep any statistics in relation to people who have to stay in hospital who avoid discharge because of the length of time taken to get wheelchairs?
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
21 November 2025
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken today for their contributions on these important issues. As I have already made clear, I will keep my comments limited to the amendments on which the Government have major legal, technical and/or operational workability concerns.
On that basis, I wi…
Lords
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
2 contributions
Medical Nuclear Radioisotopes
I know that intervening on the Minister is unusual in a short debate, but we are not exactly short of time. I think the Minister said that if we had a reactor, it would be a useful addition. It would not be a useful addition; it is a necessity. She did not define any solid plans—unless I missed them…
I understand the noble Lord’s point. The point I am trying to make is that a supply chain is important. I was indeed careful in my choice of words, not least because, as I mentioned elsewhere in my speech, the Government have not made a formal assessment of, in this case, the ARTHUR project. So I am…
Lords
Committee Stage
17 November 2025
8 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I thank noble Lords for bringing forward these amendments. For the convenience of the Committee, I will speak to them as a group. I am also grateful for noble Lords’ contributions and reflections throughout.
The clauses within Part 6, to which these amendments refer, taken in their totali…
I am glad that the noble Lord regards it as a laudable ambition. We will come to exemptions in the next group, and I look forward to doing so.
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
14 November 2025
6 contributions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
The Minister has said very carefully today and in answer to some Written Questions that there are officials, rightly, working on the legislative drafting of this Bill to make sure that it is workable. It is completely proper for Ministers and officials to be doing that. I want to probe the Minister …
On the LCM point, the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee in the Senedd has made a statement about it not having received enough information on the conversations between the UK and Welsh Governments about why certain clauses do not engage with the LCM process. Can the Minister respond di…
+4 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
13 November 2025
7 contributions
Goodmayes Hospital Mental Health Facility
I thank the Minister. It was back in July of 2015 that Alice Figueiredo took her own life using a bin bag from a shared bathroom. She was just 22 years old. Recently leaked documents reveal that, just four months later, another young woman from the same ward attempted to harm herself in an almost id…
My Lords, would the Minister agree with me that, while it is 10 years since Alice Figueiredo died, we know that resources in mental health services in-patient units—in terms of human resources particularly, but the number of beds they have access to as well—have deteriorated dramatically? We heard v…
+5 more contributions in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
13 November 2025
17 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I am most grateful for the discussion that we have had today on this group of amendments.
Let me start by turning to Amendment 189 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Kamall, which would require the Secretary of State to publish a review; it picks up on the points that the noble Earl, Lor…
My Lords, I have not taken a legal eye to it because I do not have a legal eye to do so. I would not wish to inflate my legal expertise in this regard; it is a matter for my colleagues to do that.
+15 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
13 November 2025
10 contributions
Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Reports
As the Minister will know, the learning disabilities mortality review was commissioned a decade ago, yet people with learning disabilities still die more than 20 years younger than the general population, and 42% of those deaths are avoidable—twice the rate of the general population—so it is evident…
My Lords, will the Government commit to working further with the National Mental Capacity Forum? One of the leads that comes out in this report is a failure to implement adequately, particularly in giving support to people. Parents are often very important in providing support to a person with learn…
+8 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
12 November 2025
7 contributions
Telemedical Abortions
My Lords, before I ask my supplementary, I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Newlove, who was so brave and effective in all she did in this House and in her work for victims after the murder of her beloved husband, Garry. Helen had such compassion and courage, and she really was such a lovely …
Can the Minister confirm that the changes voted in to the Crime and Policing Bill in the Commons do not extend the provision of telemedicine, and that the 10-week limit remains? The introduction of telemedicine has meant that 40% of abortions now occur at less than six weeks’ gestation, in compariso…
+5 more contributions in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
11 November 2025
11 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I am very grateful for the debate we have had on this group of amendments, which address the issues relating to penalties and enforcement of the Bill. Let me start with Amendments 74 and 77 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Udny-Lister, which relate to penalties. I understand the noble L…
I thank the noble Lord for his almost intervention on that very point. I shall try to get the tense right here. As is standard government practice, a new burdens assessment will be conducted and shared with the Local Government Association. I can assure the noble Lord, Lord Lansley, that the additio…
+9 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
4 November 2025
9 contributions
Artificial Intelligence: Safeguarding
My Lords, ChatGPT is giving British teens dangerous advice on suicide, eating disorders and substance abuse. A report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that, within two minutes, the AI platform would advise a 13 year-old how to safely cut themselves; within 40 minutes, it would list …
My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of Team Domenica. The people who most need safeguarding from these AI chatbots are those with learning disabilities. In Brighton and Hove, we work closely with the police, who train our candidates how to be safe online. Will the Minister consider special trai…
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
3 November 2025
5 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I am most grateful to noble Lords for their contributions to this debate. This group of amendments deals with the details of the forthcoming retail licensing scheme.
Let me say in opening, in response to all of these amendments, that our intention in this regard is very much what the nobl…
My Lords, I am most grateful for all of the contributions on this much debated set of amendments. I understand the concerns that have been raised.
I begin with Amendment 33 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, and Amendment 34 in the name of the noble Earl, Lord Russell.…
+3 more contributions in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
30 October 2025
11 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I am most grateful for the debate today on this group of amendments, which seek to impose regulatory obligations on the tobacco industry. Although in general I would certainly say that I have sympathy for the aims behind these proposals, I suggest that, for the reasons I will go on to outl…
I agree that Amendment 192, tabled by the noble Lord, would require the Government to consult on introducing a tobacco industry levy, but, as a former Minister himself, he will be aware of the use of consultation. It remains the case that we believe that the most effective model of dealing with toba…
+9 more contributions in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
27 October 2025
8 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I am most grateful for the amendments and also the contributions today. As we know, this group of amendments seeks to change or to place conditions on our smoke-free generation policy. As the noble Lord, Lord Young, and the noble Earl, Lord Howe, both observed, this group is very much at t…
The purchasing referred to is within our jurisdiction.
That gives me an opportunity to make a general but important point. This is about changing culture and practice. It is not about everything staying the same. This is not just a message but a practice in terms of what is acceptable and what is n…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
23 October 2025
9 contributions
MBRRACE-UK Report 2025
I thank my noble friend the Minister for her reply. I want to ask specifically about the issue of late maternal deaths, which were significantly higher in this reporting period. Deaths linked to mental health issues, including suicide and substance use, were the leading cause of late maternal deaths…
My Lords, we have another MBRRACE report and the same message. Black women are at twice the risk of dying and Asian women have a higher incidence than white women, and we are not addressing the issues that lead up to these deaths in these minority groups. Can the Minister tell us what measures the G…
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
21 October 2025
6 contributions
Human Medicines (Authorisation by Pharmacists and Supervision by Pharmacy Technicians) Order 2025
My Lords, the legislation before us today is part of a wider programme of common-sense reform to modernise pharmacy regulation and to cut red tape, which will enable pharmacies to thrive and will make pharmacy services quicker and easier for patients to access, as well as maintaining high levels of …
My Lords, some concerns about the order have been drawn to my attention, so I have a few questions for the noble Baroness. Pharmacy technicians, on entry to the register, have an NVQ 3 qualification, which is equivalent to two A-levels. By contrast, pharmacists have a level 7 qualification, a master…
+4 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
20 October 2025
8 contributions
Healthcare Provision: Inequalities
My noble friend Lady Brown’s supplementary is about the experience of women. Last month, the Secretary of State for Health went on record saying that women should have consistent pain relief when coils are fitted. My noble friend has campaigned for 10 years to get proper pain relief for women who ar…
My Lords, clinical evidence has established that poor health care directly contributes to the current 22-year life expectancy gap between people with learning disabilities and the general population. Why is this unacceptable inequality simply becoming a grim statistic that the Government continue to…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
20 October 2025
9 contributions
HIV: Testing and Medical Care
My Lords, while progress is greatly welcome—I applaud the Government’s efforts and commitment in this area—does the Minister agree that, unless we move much more quickly, we have no chance of meeting the target of eliminating new infections by 2030? Last year, there were still over 3,000 new diagnos…
My Lords, I entirely support the case made by the noble Lord, Lord Black, but I urge the Government to go further. About 9 million people in the world who need HIV treatment are not receiving it at present. That position is being seriously worsened by the American Government’s regrettable decision t…
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
14 October 2025
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
That the order of commitment of 23 April be discharged and the bill be committed to a Grand Committee; and that the instruction to the Committee of the Whole House of 23 April shall also be an instruction to the Grand Committee.
Lords
Oral Questions
13 October 2025
8 contributions
Alzheimer’s Disease
My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for that Answer, but I will press her a little further. According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, one in three people in the UK living with dementia currently do not have a diagnosis. Unlike other major conditions, such as heart disease or cancer, dementia …
My Lords, having had the analysis of the results of incredibly extensive clinical trials on the use of GLP-1s to treat dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, this is an incredibly exciting potential development. Will the Minister please share with the House what the Government are doing to prep…
+6 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
19 September 2025
2 contributions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
Can the Minister explain why, despite requests from the sponsors of the Bill, and despite the precedent which has been taken with other Bills which were Private Members’ Bills but matters of conscience, such as capital punishment and abortion, the Government are not prepared to provide time so that …
My Lords, I draw attention to my entry in the Register of Lord s ’ Interests , which refers to the facts that I have an assistant funded by Bernard Lewis to assist me in the conduct of this Bill and that Dignity in Dying funded the printing of the literature that I sent to your Lordships in connecti…
Lords
Oral Questions
18 September 2025
7 contributions
Genome Screening: Newborn Infants
I thank my noble friend the Minister for that Answer, because this is of course a very serious issue, particularly in the case of babies and minors. There are grave difficulties in obtaining informed consent. Every person may be born with hundreds of genetic mutations potentially associated with fat…
My Lords, I draw attention to my interest as chairman of UK Biobank. The value of large-cohort studies is not only in the collection of baseline data, and indeed, in this case, the genome sequences of the 100,000 newborns, but in the opportunity to secure the long-term longitudinal follow-up of part…
+5 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
16 September 2025
9 contributions
National Health Service Regulations
My Lords, my concern is about the degree to which GP contracts are dictated by extremely prescriptive legislation. The recent change to keep GPs’ computers switched on overnight—rightly, to improve data sharing—is a striking example. It did not require just negotiation with GPs or advice from securi…
My Lords, I remind the House of my interest with the Dispensing Doctors’ Association. What assessment have the Government, in particular the Minister, made of the way in which the GP contract will impact on rural doctors—not least the Dispensing Doctors’ Association, which cannot even access the EPS…
+7 more contributions in this session