Lords
Committee Stage
10 November 2025
3 contributions
National Health Service (Procurement, Slavery and Human Trafficking) Regulations 2025
My Lords, His Majesty’s loyal Opposition are grateful to the Minister for introducing these regulations, which seek to extend and strengthen the framework for addressing modern slavery and human trafficking risks in NHS supply chains. This is an issue on which there is—and must always remain, ad aet…
Again, there was certainly full consultation. I will have to write to the noble Lord on the individual quotas, but we were very concerned to ensure that there was consultation across a wide range of groups.
I thank noble Lords for their valuable contributions to today’s debate and their commitment …
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Proceedings
4 November 2025
Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
My Lords, I listened to the Minister carefully with regard to inheritance tax. I am sure that she will agree that for those who are affected by this scandal, it will be generational rather than just stop at the end of the life of the person who was infected. Let me give an example of the generationa…
Lords
Oral Questions
4 November 2025
Artificial Intelligence: Safeguarding
The noble Lord makes a very useful suggestion, and I will certainly raise that with my ministerial colleague at DSIT. I note that companies—admittedly, they are doing this when under pressure—are looking at introducing, for example, age assurance functionalities to ensure that users get the right ex…
Lords
Committee Stage
30 October 2025
3 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Fox. Normal service is probably about to be resumed. I am on a different page from her on this issue.
These amendments give me the opportunity to clarify my position on the Bill. I fear that my previous opposition to the age-escala…
That is an important point. When will the consultation end? Will we have its results before we are asked to give this Bill its Third Reading?
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
27 October 2025
3 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I find myself in difficulty in this debate. As many noble Lords will know, my party will have a free vote on the generational ban if any amendments are pushed on it. At Second Reading, I made my view about it very clear. I reaffirm my commitment to the aim of the Bill to reduce smoking and…
I just want to pursue the issue of proxy purchasing abroad. My question was not about whether people will be able to buy tobacco abroad or whether duty-free limits will cease. My question was: if somebody buys cigarettes in a jurisdiction outside the UK and, when they come back, gives one of them to…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
23 October 2025
2 contributions
MBRRACE-UK Report 2025
It is important to say that we are not waiting for the results of investigations or task forces in order to take action. A number of projects are already in train and making a difference. For example, we are rolling out maternal mental health services and specialist perinatal mental health services …
I note what the noble Lord says and will take his comments back to the Secretary of State.
Lords
Committee Stage
21 October 2025
3 contributions
Human Medicines (Authorisation by Pharmacists and Supervision by Pharmacy Technicians) Order 2025
My Lords, as the noble Baroness said, the changes are enabling and not mandatory, yet the risk of financial exploitation of the regulations is real. Pharmacies are already funded below cost for dispensing, and my concern, mirrored by many in the sector, is that the department or NHS England may inte…
My Lords, I also thank the Minister for the way she introduced this SI. I begin by also thanking the thousands of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who deliver vital services to patients every day in both the community and hospital settings— I can see that your Lordships all agree with that.
Fro…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
20 October 2025
Healthcare Provision: Inequalities
It is an unacceptable situation, as the noble Lord says. However, I refer him to the national approach, which will inform action in communities, including for people with a learning disability and those who are autistic. The Core20PLUS5 informs the reduction of healthcare inequalities among a range …
Lords
Oral Questions
20 October 2025
HIV: Testing and Medical Care
The UKHSA supports local areas to improve delivery, not least through data monitoring and reporting, which is vital. Without commenting on specifics, I will say that there will be variation because of incidence and the needs of local populations. We account for this in our funding and direction. Wha…
Lords
Oral Questions
14 October 2025
Refugee Family Reunion Scheme
We have had a lot of discussion over the last couple of days on the immigration Bill about the question of what forms a relative. Amendments have been proposed to the Bill that would allow grandparents, siblings, cousins and others to come to the United Kingdom as part of the family reunion policy. …
Lords
Oral Questions
8 September 2025
Planning Delivery: Acceleration
I know that land value taxes have been looked at many times over the years and that the noble Lord’s party promotes them, but they are much more complex than is sometimes set out by those who promote them. We have no current plans to do that, and I would not want to lead the noble Lord up the garden…
Lords
Oral Questions
8 September 2025
Suicide Reduction
I thank the noble Lord for his warm welcome back to the Dispatch Box in full health. The noble Lord makes an interesting suggestion. I will be co-ordinating a cross-government suicide prevention approach. It is the case, as the noble Lord alludes to, that this cannot be solved by DHSC alone. However…
Lords
Oral Questions
21 July 2025
2 contributions
NHS England: Staff Costs
My Lords, work is progressing at pace to develop the operating model for the future department. I can confirm that there will continue to be seven regional teams. It is only right that the potential impacts of the reforms are carefully assessed and understood. The Government are committed to ensurin…
Tackling health inequalities is one of the priorities of this Government, but the noble Lord raises an important point. It is a sad fact that, around the country, people’s experience of health services and health outcomes are very variable. However, we need to allow the people looking into this to d…
Lords
Proceedings
9 July 2025
NHS 10-Year Plan
My Lords, we on these Benches welcome the Minister to her place. I know that, when I say that we hope that she is not too long in her place and that the noble Baroness, Lady Merron, is with us again soon, she will understand that I say it in the nicest possible way.
From these Liberal Democrat Benc…
Lords
Statutory Instrument
3 July 2025
Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025
There is nothing in this order that will prevent young people protesting about what Israel is doing in Gaza. It is pretty shocking to hear people compare Palestine Action with the suffragettes and Nelson Mandela. Is the noble Lord seriously suggesting that it is non-violent when people smash their w…
Lords
Oral Questions
26 June 2025
Diabetes: 10-Year Health Plan
All the usual provisions will apply, but, as we develop the system, all that detail will be confirmed. I will ensure that the point the noble Lord raises is fed into that consideration.
Lords
Oral Questions
25 June 2025
NHS: Private Equity
The noble Lord raises an important point. I assure him that rent and service charges continue to be set in line with the original terms if there is a change of owner. Whatever the ownership, properties occupied by GPs are required to be professionally valued by the district valuer. The service advis…
Lords
Oral Questions
25 June 2025
Perinatal Mental Health
I do not share the view that it is discretionary funding, not least because what matters are the outputs, which are, as I described, that a record nearly 65,000 women accessed a specialist community perinatal mental health service or maternal mental health service in the 12 months to April 2025. Tha…
Lords
Committee Stage
17 June 2025
3 contributions
Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Hub and Spoke Dispensing etc.) Regulations 2025
My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing this statutory instrument in her usual succinct way and all noble Lords who spoke in this debate. We on these very efficient Benches—so efficient that we have only one person here today, which is very good for productivity—recognise the Government’s int…
The whole point of the regulations, as well as cutting red tape, is about levelling the playing field. I understand the point the noble Lord is making, and I re-emphasise that arrangements between hubs and spokes are for them to make, rather than us to set. I am happy to look at the point the noble …
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
17 June 2025
5 contributions
Medical Devices and Blood Safety and Quality (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2025
My Lords, I also thank the Minister for introducing these regulations succinctly, as the noble Lord, Lord Scriven, said. Perhaps in common with the Liberal Democrats, we on these Benches—the numerous people on these Benches—do not seek to oppose this statutory instrument. Rather, we just wish to ref…
That is understood. I am going to come on to that, because I think it is important. Of course, with any uplift in fee, I would expect that to be the case, but I have a particular response as I continue. The uplifts we are speaking about today ensure ongoing, reliable delivery. They are necessary for…
+3 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
17 June 2025
Learning Disabilities Nursing
It is probably helpful to say to your Lordships’ House that there have been significant changes to how we respond to care for individuals with learning disabilities within the UK. Like in other specialist areas, there is a move towards multidisciplinary teams, which I certainly welcome. I also empha…
Lords
Oral Questions
5 June 2025
Creon
The noble Lord makes a very good point, because the reality is that there are very limited manufacturers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy—which applies to a number of people, not just those who have pancreatic cancer—so I do understand that point. It is the case that several non-UK suppliers…
Lords
Oral Questions
5 June 2025
Primary and Community Care
We will ensure, through our 10-year health plan, that the additional tests, including in vitro point-of-care diagnostics, are taking place in the community. I look forward to being able to provide more information to the noble Lord.
Lords
Oral Questions
4 June 2025
Young Children: Convenience Foods
Further to my answer to the last question, we are taking a multifaceted approach. The advice that we give to parents and carers is important, because the noble Lord raises a very important point about not overusing snacks. Although the regulations are roughly the same across the UK and the EU, in th…