Alcohol: Calorie Labelling

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Taverne

Thursday 13th March 2014 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, in fact, sales of alcopops are in marked decline, to such an extent that the market for these products looks like disappearing in the next few years. Nevertheless, I take the noble Lord’s point. It is always a concern if people are putting their health at risk by drinking too much alcohol or consuming too much sugar. At the same time, one should not always assume that an alcopop is a high-calorie drink. For example, ready-mixed gin and tonic is technically an alcopop, but very often low-calorie tonic goes into it.

[Lord Taverne (LD)]

My Lords, there is an unfavourable contrast in the behaviour of the UK alcohol industry as compared with the French when it comes to social responsibility. The UK alcohol industry strongly markets super-strong beers and lagers as the cheapest way of getting alcohol, whereas the French industry has suppressed access to low-quality wines and other cheap drinks through pricing. Would my noble friend urge the industry in the UK, as part of the social responsibility deal, to follow the French example?

[Earl Howe]

My noble friend may like to know that, in fact, 125 companies have pledged, under the responsibility deal, to help people drink within the guidelines. Perhaps the most significant pledge that has been made is the one by more than 30 alcohol retailers and producers to remove 1 billion units of alcohol from the market—around 2%—by the end of 2015. Companies, pub chains and retailers have also made a whole range of other pledges. We are making significant progress in this area.

Professional Standards Authority

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Taverne

Thursday 7th November 2013 Lords Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con)]

My Lords, the Government have no plans to change the membership of the council of the Professional Standards Authority. The authority is required under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to set standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for health and social care occupations, and accredits those which meet these standards. It is not required to make a judgment on the beliefs and practices of individuals registered with the organisations that it accredits.

[Lord Taverne (LD)]

My Lords, the Professional Standards Authority has recently approved the registration of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council—which is known in scientific circles, quite justifiably, as Ofquack. It means, in effect, that craniosacral therapists, reflexologists and homeopaths can now claim to be covered by the same professional standards as doctors and nurses. In the past, the Department of Health has sometimes suggested that it will not take sides between evidence-based medicine, which is based on science, and complementary medicine, which is based on pseudo-science. Does the Minister not agree that the Department of Health should not be neutral between sense and nonsense?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, it is important to understand that the accreditation scheme that we are talking about does not endorse any particular therapy as effective, and that it makes clear that accreditation does not imply that it has. The principle remains that it is for individuals, in consultation with health practitioners, to decide which therapy is right for them. The scheme is not a form of regulation, nor is the PSA a regulator. It sets standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for health and social care occupations, and accredits those that meet the standards.

Smoking: Cigarette Packaging

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Taverne

Tuesday 16th July 2013 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, I have never adopted a personal position on plain packaging; the noble Lord is wrong about that. As an opposition spokesman, yes, I did make it my business to talk to all sectors—to the tobacco companies, to ASH and to other lobby groups—to make sure that the picture I presented from the Benches on which he now sits was a balanced one. I took no personal position, nor, indeed, a position on behalf of the Conservative Party; I need to make that very clear. The decision that the Government have taken has been in no way influenced by Mr Crosby.

[Lord Taverne]

My Lords, will the Government take into account the effect of postponing a decision, in the light of the very strong evidence cited by the Public Health Research Consortium in coming to the conclusion that such a measure would help to deter smoking? That seemed to be confirmed by the statement by the brand director of Imperial Tobacco that now that advertising was banned, the company should look at the design of packaging. Is it not unwise for the Prime Minister, after the Coulson disaster, the decision on alcohol pricing and the postponement of a register of lobbyists, to have appointed as special adviser to the Government someone who has turned out to be a lobbyist for the alcohol and tobacco industries?

[Earl Howe]

I emphasise that the Government have by no means a closed mind on the issue of plain packaging of tobacco—quite the reverse. We want to take the time needed to consider fully the many relevant issues around standardised packaging, before making any decision. My noble friend’s last comment might have had greater force if I had been announcing that we would not be proceeding with plain packaging, but that is not the case.

Medicine: Experimental Drugs

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Taverne

Monday 10th June 2013 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is at the forefront of the negotiations at European level to ensure that the new clinical trials regulation, which will replace the current directive, is much more conducive to companies directing their clinical trials towards Europe, in particular, we hope, the United Kingdom. This needs to happen. The trend over the past 10 years has been in the wrong direction and we want our own market share to increase; there are already signs that it is doing so.

[Lord Taverne]

The Minister’s Answer is encouraging. Does he agree that if one looks at the possible benefits to patients and the public from avoiding delays and extra costs, to press on with it is a no-brainer?

Homeopathy

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Taverne

Tuesday 19th March 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taverne]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Department of Health removed from the NHS Choices website the advice that there was no good quality evidence to show that homeopathy was more successful than placebo.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe)]

My Lords, NHS Choices consults the Department of Health as necessary to ensure the consistency of its information with government policy. A recent review of the homeopathy web pages led to a change in the way the evidence was presented. Following concerns that the changes were unclear, NHS Choices has further clarified this information.

[Lord Taverne]

My Lords, I am delighted to hear that the passage has been restored. However, it is disturbing that inquiries made under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that officials deleted the passage as it stood in response to lobbying by a charity founded by the Prince of Wales. They seemed to be more concerned not to offend that formidable lobbyist than to listen to the advice of their Chief Medical Officer, who declared in a recent statement to a House of Commons Select Committee:

“I am perpetually surprised that homeopathy is available on the NHS”.

I have only recently learnt that a BBC South West programme found that Prince Charles’s favourite pharmacy has been selling sugar pills as vaccines against some serious diseases. I am sure that my noble friend, to whom I could not give notice of this point, will look into the matter. Will he assure the House that the policy of the Department of Health is to promote evidence-based medicine and not treatment based on nothing but water?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, I shall certainly look into the particular matter raised by my noble friend. The change in the way the information was presented on NHS Choices was as a result of a formal review, which happens automatically to all NHS Choices pages every 24 months. The page on homeopathy reached the formal 24-month review point in January 2011. The policy of NHS Choices is to provide objective and trustworthy information and guidance on all aspects of health and healthcare, and the page on homeopathy does exactly that.

NHS: Evidence-based Medicine

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Taverne

Wednesday 10th October 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taverne]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that treatment provided by the National Health Service is founded on evidence-based medicine.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe)]

My Lords, evidence should be at the heart of modern medicine. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance that we expect the National Health Service to take fully into account in its decision-making. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of clinicians to determine the most appropriate treatments to prescribe, in discussion with their patients and taking account of individual clinical circumstances.

[Lord Taverne]

My Lords, the Secretary of State has announced his support for homeopathy and his opposition to research into hybrid stem cells. He has also stirred up the abortion debate. Would the Minister perhaps persuade the Secretary of State to make a public reassuring statement that he will not use his position as head of the health service to promote the kind of anti-science views and primitive social attitudes which are normally associated with the American Tea Party?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, I would expect that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State is well aware of the public comment on his recent statements, but he is entitled to his personal views. The Government’s position remains that it is the responsibility of local NHS organisations to make decisions on the commissioning and funding of healthcare treatments, such as homeopathy, for NHS patients.

Drugs: Prescribed Drug Addiction

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Taverne

Thursday 12th July 2012 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

Most certainly yes, and that conforms to all the expert advice that we in the department and local commissioners have received.

[Lord Taverne]

Will the Minister ensure that whatever else is done, nothing shall prejudice the treatment of illegal drugs and of alcoholism, which is the greatest problem? Will he also take note that in the distant past, when I was a Home Office Minister and Roy Jenkins was Secretary of State for the first time, the use and possession of drugs such as heroin was not a crime and that this greatly facilitated the possibility of access to treatment?

[Earl Howe]

There are no plans to revert to the former situation as regards heroin, but my noble friend makes the point that alcohol addiction is an extremely important issue. The commissioning of services to treat addiction will in the future architecture of the system be devolved to local areas. The all-party group on benzodiazepines on which the noble Earl sits has done some important work in exposing those areas where services are not as good as they should be.

Alcohol

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Taverne

Thursday 2nd February 2012 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, as I have already said, we recognise that the irresponsible sale of alcohol at a loss or heavy discount is undesirable. We know that price is important in this equation but we also know that it is not the only factor that affects demand for alcohol. We need to find ways to change people’s relationship and behaviours with alcohol. We do not believe that the only way to do this is by more rules and regulations but the issue of price will be addressed in the forthcoming alcohol strategy.

[Lord Taverne]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Taverne]

My Lords, the Sheffield University report to NICE in 2010 pointed out the extreme importance of price rises. It came to the conclusion that a 10 per cent price rise would, among other things, reduce hospital admissions by something like 50,000 a year, crimes by something like 96,000 and absenteeism from work by something like 500,000 per annum. Very similar huge social benefits would also come from introducing a minimum price. Does the Minister agree that price rises are probably the most important single weapon in dealing with this social matter?

[Earl Howe]

My noble friend makes a very good point, which is why the Government have taken action on tax. We will be raising alcohol duty by 2 per cent above inflation every year to 2014-15. We introduced a new additional duty on high-strength beers to address the consumption of cheap super-strength lagers and a reduced rate of duty on low-strength beers to encourage consumers to switch to those brands.

Herbal Medicines

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Taverne

Thursday 13th January 2011 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, on the noble Lord’s first point, the Government are acutely aware of how important an issue this is for many millions of consumers. That is why we are working to reach what I hope will be a workable solution to ensure continuing access to popular and widely used products. I am sure that the House is well aware of the noble Lord’s position as regards the European Union. I simply say that the medicines legislation framework is set at a Community level for a good reason. It exists both to protect public health in relation to medicines placed on the EU market and to ensure a level playing field for operators. But within that European framework there is flexibility for EU member states to operate national arrangements for the regulation of medicines in situations where an authorised health professional determines that an individual patient has special needs. We are considering the case for using that flexibility in relation to herbal medicines.

[Lord Taverne]

My Lords, do not most of the senior professional bodies, such as the MRC, the royal colleges and the Physiological Society, oppose registration because it gives a spurious authority to practices that are not based on science? Do the Government ignore these representations and listen instead to lobbyists such as the Prince of Wales, who believes in traditional medicine? Do they not recognise that medical practice is not like a piece of antique furniture that grows in value with age?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, again I think that the House is well aware of the noble Lord’s views, which I know are sincerely held, although personally I regret his comments about the Prince of Wales. However, I am sure that, with regard to herbal medicines, he will be aware that there is an international trade in sometimes poor-quality, unregulated and unlicensed herbal preparations. Some of these have been found to contain banned substances, heavy metals or pharmaceutical ingredients or substances from outside the UK that may not be subject to any form of regulation at all, so there is a public safety issue.