Contributions
1,737 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDChildren’s Health: SugarThe noble Baroness is absolutely correct. What we give children in schools is a key thing that the Government can affect. That is why I am delighted that the level of free school…12 Sept 2023HANSARDChildren’s Health: SugarThe noble Lord is absolutely correct. As many are aware, the most common reason for six to 10 year-olds to go into an A&E visit is tooth decay. The noble Lord will recall that we…12 Sept 2023HANSARDCountess of Chester Hospital InquiryI thank the noble Baroness; that is a good point. We clearly need to be looking at best practice across the board. That is not limited to any one devolved authority, but means…05 Sept 2023HANSARDCountess of Chester Hospital InquiryI would like to thank the comments, and the spirit of the comments, made by noble Lords. I start by adding my condolences to the parents and families in question. As we all know…05 Sept 2023HANSARDCountess of Chester Hospital InquiryI thank the noble Baroness for bringing her knowledge and skills to this. Bringing senior doctors very much goes along with the sentiment that we were all trying to express about…05 Sept 2023HANSARDCountess of Chester Hospital InquiryAgain, I thank the right reverend Prelate for the sentiment of her reply. On whether we should be looking at the regulations beyond the executive, all these things are very much…05 Sept 2023HANSARDRespiratory Syncytial VirusMy Lords, officials are currently developing policy options based on Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, or JCVI, advice regarding an expanded RSV vaccination…25 Jul 2023HANSARDRespiratory Syncytial VirusI fear I might have been taken to the limit of my knowledge. I would like to think I know when to stop and to offer to follow up in writing.25 Jul 2023HANSARDFolic Acid FortificationMy Lords, the Government remain firmly committed to proceeding with a policy of mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid to help prevent neural tube…25 Jul 2023HANSARDFolic Acid FortificationI first thank the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, for his tireless and passionate campaigning on this issue, which he is right to do. As I have learned, the situation is complex. We had…25 Jul 2023HANSARDFolic Acid FortificationI thank my noble friend, and I agree. I hate the words “in due course” because they mean “whenever”. While I freely admit to using words such as “soon” and “imminent”, “in due…25 Jul 2023HANSARDFolic Acid FortificationProbably the best thing to do is for me to give the noble Lord the detailed information we do have and try to find out more. I am told that “a lot” means the majority of bread…25 Jul 2023HANSARDFolic Acid FortificationYes, the noble Baroness is correct, and the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Rooker—that each year’s delay involves another 200 or so babies—was very well made. The beauty of…25 Jul 2023HANSARDFolic Acid FortificationI thank the noble Baroness for that question; as I am rapidly learning, this is a complicated area. For the benefit of noble Lords who were not present yesterday, the tobacco…25 Jul 2023HANSARDFolic Acid FortificationAs I have said, there are complications. The MHRA, for instance, has raised concerns about the side-effects of certain folic acid levels in respect of anti-epilepsy drugs. We are…25 Jul 2023HANSARDRespiratory Syncytial VirusThe hope is that there will be two effective and cost-effective vaccines, nirsevimab and the Pfizer maternal jab. Those are much more effective and give longer periods of…25 Jul 2023HANSARDFolic Acid FortificationYes, and as I have said, a lot of companies are doing that. What we are really talking about is a backstop for “edge” products that are not fast-moving. There are a lot of…25 Jul 2023HANSARDRespiratory Syncytial VirusFirst, I thank noble Lord. That is the nicest thing anybody has ever said to me; I think I want to go on holiday at this point. This is a devolved matter, but it is something on…25 Jul 2023HANSARDRespiratory Syncytial VirusIt depends on the type of jab. For instance, the maternal jab can be given to the mother as part of her prenatal check-ups. Either way, if it is for her or for the baby, there…25 Jul 2023HANSARDRespiratory Syncytial VirusI thank the noble Baroness. The issue is that the current jab, palivizumab, is very expensive and lasts for only one month at a time, so it is logistically quite difficult.…25 Jul 2023