Covid 19: Winter Plan

Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Viscount Ridley

Tuesday 24th November 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)]

As I have said, there was a COBRA meeting this afternoon with the devolved Administrations, and details of the decisions made were released just before we came into the Chamber, so I am afraid the only information I have is the information I provided earlier, which is that between 23 and 27 December up to three households will be able to join together to form an exclusive Christmas bubble.

[Viscount Ridley (Con) [V]]

Does my noble friend agree that all three vaccines are fine examples of the benefits of genetic modification? If she is happy to have them injected into her body, as I am, why do we still not allow the planting of genetically modified potatoes in our fields?

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)]

I would be very happy to have the vaccine injected into my body. I will let my noble friend eat his genetically modified potatoes, but I look forward to sharing a meal with him once again when he returns to the House once we are through this crisis.

Covid-19 Update

Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Viscount Ridley

Wednesday 14th October 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)]

I am afraid that I do not agree with that assessment from the noble Baroness. As I said, local and national government are working together with resources and expertise, and 95 local authority contact tracing teams are now live, with more to come, and we will continue to increase that capacity. However, we are working together, because the only way we can combat this is by national and local government and local leaders working together.

[Viscount Ridley (Con) [V]]

Does my noble friend accept that conceding that a vaccine is a long way off changes the calculation? Mathematically, treating old and young by the same rules ensures that they have an equal probability of catching the disease, other things being equal, whereas a policy of voluntary focused protection would ensure that the elderly and vulnerable are less likely to catch it. Given that young people are very unlikely to die from this virus, does she agree that focused protection may now be the safest route to slowing the spread the virus through community immunity while not destroying young people’s livelihoods and mental health?

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)]

Unfortunately, as we have seen in the UK and other populations, a high infection rate among the young population is almost always followed by delayed infection rates in the older and vulnerable population, leading to more deaths. That is why we are not pursuing that approach.

Business of the House

Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Viscount Ridley

Tuesday 26th March 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

I think that what businesses and citizens want is certainty. We have now had a decision between the UK Government and the EU that we will extend the date past 29 March. What we owe the country is to ensure that our legal system and statute book reflect that. We will have a further discussion about this tomorrow, but I believe that we as a House should discuss this SI and, I hope, pass it tomorrow to ensure that we have a functioning—

[Viscount Ridley (Con)]

My noble friend has comprehensively addressed the issue of this statutory instrument, but I do not feel she is addressing the point my noble friend Lord True made about the constitutional precedent that this sets.

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

I have said that this is an unusual situation: that is why I am here asking the House to agree that we can do this. It is only right to do that. This has been done on a number of occasions. I am not saying in any way that this is a usual situation; I have tried to set out the timeline that has led us to this and I say again that I believe that, for the country, our discussing this SI tomorrow and—I hope—passing it will mean that this House has played an important part in providing certainty to our citizens and businesses so that we can move forward and leave in an orderly fashion. On that basis, I hope that my noble friend will consider withdrawing his amendment.

Brexit Negotiations

Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Viscount Ridley

Monday 11th December 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

My noble friend is correct that there will be many elements during the implementation period. We will now start to discuss that with the EU—hopefully come Friday, once we have made sufficient progress. We are extremely pleased that Donald Tusk has indicated that he wishes to get on with discussions on the implementation period as quickly as possible, because we need to clarify all these issues so that we can move on.

[Viscount Ridley (Con)]

My Lords, I listened carefully to the comments from the Benches opposite, including those of the noble Baroness, Lady Smith. Can my noble friend go a little beyond her remit and speculate as to what she thinks the Labour Party’s position is on any of these issues this week?

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

I am afraid I would struggle to do that.

Imports: Vegetables

Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Viscount Ridley

Wednesday 8th February 2017 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Ridley (Con)]

My Lords—

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Evans of Bowes Park) (Con)]

My Lords, it is only fair we hear from the Greens on this particular subject.

Health Workers: Training

Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Viscount Ridley

Wednesday 18th January 2017 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Ridley (Con)]

My Lords—

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Evans of Bowes Park) (Con)]

It is the turn of the Cross Benches, but they will have to work out who is going to speak for them—and then we will have the Labour Benches.