Under-16s Energy Drinks Ban
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(5 days, 16 hours ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I understand the noble Lord’s point. We are focusing on those energy drinks that contain 150 milligrams of caffeine per litre as the way of making the greatest impact to children aged under 16. When I think that over 100,000 children aged 11 to 15 consume at least one high caffeine energy drink per day, I believe that that is the right thing to do, as some of those drinks are equivalent to four cans of Coke or two espresso shots. That is how seriously we need to take this. I hear his point about going further, but it is important that we focus on the absolute immediate.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
The Government introduced voluntary guidelines for manufacturers to reduce salt and sugar in baby food and milk food products for ages up to 36 months. How has that gone? Will they introduce statutory guidelines after the first 18 months? Have companies complied with the guidelines?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
We were glad to introduce the voluntary measures. To be proportionate and evidence-based, they will in the first instance be voluntary. We will review along the way how we are getting on and whether there is a need for statutory action, as the noble Baroness asks.
Better Start Longitudinal Programmes
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(5 days, 16 hours ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I think I heard what my noble friend said: I got the gist. What matters is not just that we are in a position where children’s health and well-being is not where it should be but that we are pulling together all the best examples of practice, including Sure Start and family hubs, and investing in provision, services and information. This will take us forward to a situation where we genuinely have the healthiest generation ever. That is not something we have now, particularly in the more disadvantaged areas.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, I am sorry if I sound like a broken record, but what are the Government doing to ensure that we retain the health visitors and midwives that we have? There are not sufficient midwives or health visitors in the service and they play a vital role in supporting young mothers and fathers in the care of their babies and children.
Baroness Merron (Lab)
They do: I completely agree. That is why they are very much part of our delivery plan. It is part of the move from hospital to community: part of the neighbourhood service model. We will be publishing the workforce plan in the spring; that will take account of it. This is a multidisciplinary approach. We are seeing more midwives. We are also seeing more consultants in obstetrics, for example, although I know that the noble Baroness was not referring particularly to that. We are also developing stronger health visitor teams. They all matter, because they bring the care closer to home in a way that will make the greatest impact.
NHS: Corridor Care
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(1 week, 4 days ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
On social care, we are making progress on building a national care service. Around £4.6 billion of additional funding has been made available for adult social care by 2028-29. Along with other matters, including funds to improve and provide adaptation so that people can return home when they would not have been able to otherwise, we are providing funding of over £1 billion for adult social care with local authorities. This can be used to expand capacity. Of course, we have an independent commission chaired by the noble Baroness, Lady Casey.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, in a recent survey 78% of physicians reported undertaking corridor care. It is becoming almost the norm all the year round. It affects patients’ dignity, health and safety, and patient outcomes, because there are greater infection rates. I welcome the Minister’s points on the action that the Government are taking, but it is rather long-sighted and there is a real urgency to do something now.
Baroness Merron (Lab)
I agree with the noble Baroness. Corridor care is perhaps one of the most visible and distressing symptoms of an NHS that the noble Lord, Lord Darzi, described as broken. We have to fix a number of the processes. I welcome that we are expanding urgent care access, for example, in primary, community and mental health settings, which will reduce demand on services. However, without publicly available data and the clinical operational standards that we are setting, the change will not be made as quickly as we would all like. There are immediate actions, as well as medium and long-term actions.
Baby Milk Powder: Cereulide
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(1 week, 4 days ago)
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Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, of course the best food for babies comes from breastfeeding. May I advocate that we should not lose sight of the fact that many mothers do breastfeed? But I understand the anguish and fear that mothers who cannot breastfeed have had in relation to this incident, and the department needs to do more to make young new mothers aware of the issue, because, as the Minister and I know, there is a shortage of community midwives and health visitors.
Baroness Merron (Lab)
That last point is something that will be looked at as part of workforce planning. I totally agree with the noble Baroness about the importance of the multidisciplinary team in supporting new mothers to find the right ways that are suitable for them and best for their baby—and I am glad the noble Baroness accepted that breastfeeding is not possible for everybody.
Maternal Mortality
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(3 weeks, 5 days ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I am not fully up to speed with the article that the noble Lord raises, but I undertake to look at it and get back to him, because this is a very important matter.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, many NHS trusts are facing deficits in midwives. There is not a sufficient workforce. What are the Government doing to tackle this issue? New parents, and new mothers during their birth, are not being supported, and there are significant problems as a direct result of this.
Baroness Merron (Lab)
Midwives are absolutely crucial, and I pay tribute to them and to the wider maternity team. As of October 2025, there has been an increase of some 3.6%—that is 878 more midwives—compared to October 2024. Importantly, we are seeing the introduction of a range of initiatives to improve retention in the maternity workforce, including in midwifery. That will include mentoring and giving better advice and support on pensions and flexible retirement options, because we are keen to retain the long years of service that many midwives and other staff have.
Breast Cancer
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(2 months ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I do not know if I dare comment about vested interest, but why not? I am not aware that there is a final limit. It is on request.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, I welcome the Government’s strategy to have a dedicated cancer plan, but can the Minister say when this plan will be published, particularly in relation to breast screening? Will she give an indication of the uptake rate by women from disadvantaged backgrounds and women from ethnic minorities? The uptake rates are very low. Will these also be considered in this national plan?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
The answer to that latter question is yes, and the noble Baroness will not have to wait too long to see the national cancer plan.
NHS: Wheelchair Services
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(2 months, 3 weeks ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I will be pleased to write to the noble Baroness about the specific data that is available, but we know that, because of issues to do with aids and adaptations, sometimes people’s leaving hospital is not as timely as it should be. That is not in their interests. We certainly expect local authorities, for example, which have a statutory duty, to make arrangements to do so and also for ICBs to make the provision so there are not the hold-ups that the noble Baroness refers to.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, as the Minister said, the NHS provides the funding for wheelchair access, but the wheelchairs are mostly necessary in community settings and in the home, and there is a gap between social services and the NHS using different criteria to assess the health needs of the patient. What are the Government going to do to address this so that people get the service that they need?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
The provision of the right type of wheelchair is crucial, but we also need to expand care options to boost independent living at home. We have done that in part through an additional £172 million for the disabled facilities grant, which goes hand in hand with people being able to live at home. This could enable around 15,600 extra home adaptations. Introducing care technology standards for those who are using wheelchairs and those who are not will also enable proper care standards and independent living.
MBRRACE-UK Report 2025
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(3 months, 3 weeks ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I agree with the core of the noble Earl’s observation, which is why the maternity care bundle—to be published next month and actioned next year—is so crucial. It will pick up the point he is making about the five clinical areas for urgent action. They have been chosen because of their ability to improve outcomes and to reduce inequalities, as well as their feasibility of implementation within NHS services, which I know is a matter of great interest to your Lordships’ House.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, I am pleased to hear that the Secretary of State has indicated that there will be an independent inquiry at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. Data is important, so can the Minister say what IT data in general will be collated through the NHS? More importantly, what is the governance structure for trust chairs and NHS boards in looking at risk management? Wherever we have failings, it is always a failing of leadership. How will the Government tackle this?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
One of the interventions aimed at addressing inequalities—which will, I am sure, be of interest—is the delivery of what is called an inequalities dashboard. That allows local systems to monitor data usage where inequalities are in place. As the noble Baroness rightly suggests, if we do not know where there is a problem then we cannot address it. That project and those on removing racial bias from clinical education, as well as those embedding the genetic risk inquiry, are data driven and will make a difference in the way that we all seek.
Soft Drinks Industry Levy
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(10 months, 4 weeks ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
My noble friend is right: voluntary schemes can indeed work well. In addition to crediting my noble friend for his work with the Food Standards Agency, I can tell your Lordships’ House that voluntary reformulation has encouraged sugar reduction by around 15% in cereals, 13% in yoghurts and 29% in milk-based drinks, and contributed to a reduction in salt intake. Of course more can be done to improve everyday food and drink, and we continue to work by whatever means necessary and within all sectors of industry to do just that.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, the Minister will know that sugar has been substituted with glycerol in slushy drinks—these are iced drinks that are particularly for children. This is having an adverse health impact, particularly on young children. According to recent press announcements, a number have been admitted to hospital. Can the Minister say what the Government are doing to educate parents and to address this issue?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
I thank the noble Baroness for raising this very important point. The Food Standards Agency is considering very carefully the findings of the review mentioned in the media, to which she referred. In the meantime, parents are strongly encouraged to follow the advice that slushy drinks should not be given to children under four years old. Retailers are also advised to make adults fully aware of this guidance if they seek to buy them for children. In addition, although the symptoms of intake are usually mild, it is important that parents are aware of the risks, particularly at high levels of consumption. I thank the noble Baroness for shining a light on this matter.
Apricity Fertility Closure
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(11 months ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
The noble Baroness and other noble Lords are quite right in what they are reporting on the change. Fertility treatment is now overwhelmingly obtained through private means. It is in a very different place from the rest of healthcare in our country.
On the point the noble Baroness made—I am grateful for her contribution in view of her previous service in this area—there are many claims made, for example, about egg freezing. It is crucial that anyone considering freezing their eggs understands that there is an optimum age for freezing, that it is a serious medical procedure and that the risks should be taken into account. That chimes with the point made by my noble friend Lord Winston.
The market has changed—it has very much become a market. The demand is huge and has multiplied many times over the decades. We are not in a situation where we have either the regulation or the NHS provision to deal with that. I assure your Lordships’ House that we are working with NHS England, particularly on the variability up and down the country.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, the Minister is right that the market has changed, but the legislation has not been kept up to date; nor has it kept up to date with patient expectations, developments and the way those services are being provided for some of these women. Often, some of these women are vulnerable. Can the Minister say exactly what the Government will do to update not only the regulations but the law?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
In my discussions, I will consider the publication Modernising Fertility Law, which, as I said, the HFEA put forward in November 2023. In it there are a number of recommendations for urgent change, which I am taking extremely seriously. Most patients are funding their own treatment, which is why we have to make a shift. In 2022, 27% of IVF cycles were funded by the NHS; that figure fell from 40% in 2012. That gives some idea of the scale of the challenge. I consider it unacceptable that access to NHS-funded fertility services is so variable across the country.
Prostate Cancer: National Screening Programme
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(11 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
The noble Baroness is absolutely right. I encourage everyone, men and women, to be aware of any changes in their bodies. They are not wasting the time of their GP. That is exactly what they should do. As she says, men are disproportionately affected by a number of health conditions, including some cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. As part of addressing this, the Secretary of State has announced that we are developing a men’s health strategy, not least because we know that men are less likely to come forward to deal with health matters.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, in the absence of a national screening programme and given the difficulty in getting access to GPs, particularly in deprived areas, how are the Government improving access to GPs? In some areas, it is two to three weeks before people can get an appointment.
Baroness Merron (Lab)
Again, I am sure that the noble Baroness would agree that the important thing is that people ensure that they do not ignore the situation. I agree that the situation that we inherited was hugely difficult, particularly in some areas, around GPs. In the 10-year plan, which will be published in the coming months, there will be a big focus on the move from sickness to prevention, from analogue to digital, and from hospital to community. In all three pillars, greater access to GP appointments will be included.
Prisons: Health Services
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(1 year, 1 month ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I thank the noble Baroness for raising such an important point and for having worked on this in the past. I will need to write her with the exact figures, but we do know that more needs to be done to address health issues. However, we are keen to ensure, and are working towards making sure, that healthcare for prisoners, whether at the end of their lives or earlier, is appropriate and meets their needs, whichever is the right way to do it. Great strides have been made in that regard.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, the Minister will know that the most common diseases in prisons are diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV and mental illnesses. What are the Government doing to ensure that psychosis resulting from the use of illicit drugs is being controlled effectively, so that there are not more cases of psychosis and mental illness in our prisons?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
Substance misuse in prison, to which the noble Baroness refers, is of course a major issue, and prison security has a crucial role to play in reducing it. I should also say that the use of illegal drugs can impact on routine healthcare for all prisoners, as resources have to be directed to the more immediate cases. Noble Lords may remember that we recently had delegated legislation to ensure that nasal Naloxone could be administered, including by prison staff, to prevent opioid-induced emergencies. All these things will help, and substance misuse support is available in all prisons in line with the national service specifications, but we are working across government to see what more we can do. It is a big issue.
Bread and Flour Regulations 1998
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(1 year, 2 months ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I am glad my noble friend welcomes the announcement that I am making today. With respect to any phone calls made by the Secretary of State, I will gladly find out; I certainly cannot comment at this Dispatch Box. I thank previous Ministers and officials who, over the years, have contributed to where we are. In respect of the delay, all I can say is that I am very glad to be the Minister announcing it today.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, I welcome the announcement; I think it is very good news. I also welcome the tenacity of the noble Lord, Lord Rooker. He has done an amazing job, so well done to him. For me, it is important to have a widespread strategy to include folic acid in flour and to look at previous programmes to, say, reduce rickets, to ensure that we do not increase inequalities by not thinking about the outcomes—for instance, ensuring that folic acid is included in chapatti flour.
Baroness Merron (Lab)
The addition of folic acid is to non-wholemeal products. Flour is not just used in baking but is in all sorts of other products. That is part of the reason for it being a 24-month transition, and of course industry can act quicker than that. The reason that it is in non-wholemeal flour is that wholemeal is already a higher source of folate. In respect of chapattis, all products will be considered. I should add that some of the transition time is due to the labelling changes that will be required. We are not stopping industry acting quicker, but we are being realistic about how long it will take.
NHS: Treatment of Children from Other Countries
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(1 year, 2 months ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
The noble Lord shines a light on the rarity of this condition as well as its importance. I would of course be happy to meet the professor. The noble Lord will know from our own discussions that this is an extremely complex area across the NHS and there is, as I said in my Answer, no overarching UK approach. Rightly, this is a trust-led approach because trusts have to make decisions about the balance between specialist work and other work, including the reduction of waiting lists.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
I support the premise of the Question. Can we look at the NHS supporting these cases? From my perspective it is vital for three reasons. First, it is inspirational on the world stage for the NHS. Secondly, it retains expertise in the NHS. Thirdly, it offers the soft diplomacy powers that we need internationally. I urge the Minister to look at this again to see if the Government can find a way round it.
Baroness Merron (Lab)
I will be glad to take back to the department the comments of the noble Baroness and the noble Lord, but I reiterate that it is individual expert centres that are responsible for liaising with referring clinicians. By definition this has to be done on a case-by-case basis because we are talking about highly specialised treatments for rare diseases. Again, there is no set nationwide policy for local implementation because of the very nature of the challenge and the specialism to which the noble Baroness refers.
NHS Hospitals: Apheresis
Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Manzoor(1 year, 4 months ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I am grateful to my noble friend for her work in this regard. I certainly share the view that there have been very rapid developments in cell and gene therapies over the past few years, and there is tremendous potential for these therapies to address the root cause of diseases and to offer life-changing outcomes for patients. So, we are working with devolved Governments and with key stakeholders to review the EU standards and requirements, and to consider our approach in light of the changes introduced by the EU SoHO regulations, which will take account of innovation within the sector.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, can the Minister say what the waiting times are for patients and clinicians who wish to use the eight therapeutic centres we have in England? Are the Government committed to providing investment in addition to the £1.5 million that NHS England announced back in February?