Contributions
2,941 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSmokingMy Lords, the government Green Paper published on 19 July is an extremely complex proposal. That is why we are considering it in great detail. It addresses the urgent need to…20 Jul 2020HANSARDPharmaciesMy Lords, I agree with every word of the tribute of the noble Lord, Lord Grade, to the role of community pharmacies, particularly during the epidemic. They have played an…20 Jul 2020HANSARDPharmaciesWe are fully engaged with the sector. The National Pharmacy Association and the other stakeholder groups are in close communication with the department to ensure that they have…20 Jul 2020HANSARDSmokingThe noble Lord is right to commend those who have given up smoking during Covid. I pay tribute to anyone who has given up smoking. I struggled and found it immensely difficult,…20 Jul 2020HANSARDSmokingMy Lords, I completely hear the views of retailers. No one wants to put a retailer in an awkward position and I completely understand why they would support the introduction of…20 Jul 2020HANSARDSmokingIt is not my role to comment on the drafting of legislation in the manner that my noble friend describes. However, I resolutely repeat the Government’s commitment to a smoke-free…20 Jul 2020HANSARDSmokingHealth inequalities are one of the most pernicious and difficult aspects of modern life and the Government are focused on them. Smoking is a graphic example of the worst of our…20 Jul 2020HANSARDSmokingMy Lords, I completely recognise the power of the smoking bans, as well as the threat of young people taking up smoking and sticking with the habit for a long time. We are on…20 Jul 2020HANSARDSmokingMy Lords, I believe that the annual cost is £2.3 billion. It is far too much and we must do more to get it down. Huge progress has been made but we are still committed to a…20 Jul 2020HANSARDSmokingThe Government are moving fast on several fronts to address the issue of smoking. That is why we have brought forward the prevention Green Paper and the tobacco control plan.…20 Jul 2020HANSARDPharmaciesThe noble Baroness is right that pharmacies can play an enhanced role, particularly in providing the kinds of services that mean that people do not have to visit their GP. If we…20 Jul 2020HANSARDPharmaciesThe noble Baroness is entirely right. Although the vast majority of people live within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy, many people face issues with location. That is why we will…20 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Personal Protective EquipmentMy Lords, turnover of the test and trace team is an inevitable consequence of an organisation that was set up using temporary staff, many of whom are on short contracts and need…16 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Personal Protective EquipmentMy Lords, it is a reality that the cost of PPE has gone through the roof. There is nothing that I or the Government can do about that. It is something we are going to have to live…16 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Personal Protective EquipmentMy Lords, we have made our supply chains more resilient by massively expanding both our supply from overseas and our domestic manufacturing capability. We are now confident in our…16 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Personal Protective EquipmentMy Lords, I completely share the concerns of the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, about a second peak and we are working to prepare for that. I respect the views of the PAC and…16 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Personal Protective EquipmentI completely reject the implications of the noble Lord’s question. While British companies have stepped forward and we are pleased to have made many contracts, there are not, I am…16 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Personal Protective EquipmentMy noble friend Lord Deighton is still in place: I spoke to him recently. His impact has been immense, and I owe him a huge debt of thanks for that. He is particularly focused on…16 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Personal Protective EquipmentMy Lords, the big lesson from Covid is that the quantity of PPE needed for a disease like this is massively more that could ever have been expected, particularly compared with our…16 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Personal Protective EquipmentThe noble Baroness is entirely right to champion the role of interpreters. Their role in the recent Leicester lockdown has been incredibly important: there could not have been an…16 Jul 2020