Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Amendment) Regulations 2018

Debate between Lord Deben and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Tuesday 27th February 2018 Grand Committee

[Lord Deben (Con)]

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend on the elegant way in which she dealt with a very difficult issue. The only reason why I am speaking is that on every occasion we should draw the attention of the House to the fact that merely taking EU legislation into British law does not actually meet the case, because that is of no use unless there is equivalence. We cannot in future operate as if we could operate on our own, because the whole purpose of this legislation is that we can pass these things without difficulty across the whole of the EU.

I do not expect my noble friend to answer what I have to say. As I said, I thought her presentation of this difficult situation was as elegant as it is humanly possible to be. But we cannot escape the fact that this is another example where leaving the EU does not solve problems but causes really serious ones. When she said that we are looking for equivalence, I have to say that there is nothing else that we could look for because nothing else would meet the needs. Anything else would cease to enable us to use these very important elements across the whole of the EU; we would have our own system.

I have just spoken to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and again I had to say that the idea that Britain is going to have her own rules about the carbon exhausts of vans is just barmy because we are not big enough to do that. Here, similarly, what we are seeing in reality in this SI is the serious damage that is being done by this whole enterprise. Although it may bore Ministers and some of my colleagues on this side of the House to be reminded of it, I do not think any of these should be passed without reminding people of the huge cost, the vast inconvenience and maybe even the lives that will be endangered by behaving as stupidly as we are by believing that we can operate without a connection with our neighbours. Indeed, we do not believe that; that is why the answer is that we will look for equivalence. If you look for equivalence, of course, what you are really doing is saying that the rules will be made by someone else and we will merely accept them.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I thank all noble Lords for taking part in this debate. It is a great pleasure to have the noble Baroness, Lady Thornton, here, because she is a great expert on these regulations. The reason why we in this country are so expert on these particular issues is probably that the noble Baroness helped to take the regulations through in the first place.

The noble Baroness asked whether we monitor. The department meets the HFEA and the HTA, and implementation will be on the agenda for discussion on a regular basis. On her other question, I might have to write to her if that is all right.

The noble Baroness, Lady Jolly, asked several questions, including one on the consultation. As I mentioned in my speech, the Department of Health and Social Care set up a stakeholder advisory group that included representation of professional bodies, tissue banks and service providers to give guidance on transposition and the potential impact on licensing establishments. I am also aware that the regulators, the Human Tissue Authority and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, have done a lot of work on the development of these regulations and preparing licensed establishments for implementation, and I am grateful to them for that.

Severe Anaphylactic Shock

Debate between Lord Deben and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Thursday 26th May 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My Lords, there were a lot of questions there. Of course, I join the noble Baroness in sending best wishes to Paul Wilson’s family after that tragic accident. That occurred in January 2014 and the new regulations came into effect in December 2014. Research by the FSA shows that there have been great improvements with food allergies since this law came in. It is up to local authorities to make sure, through their food standards operatives, that restaurants are checked and those that do not follow the law in labelling the 14 allergens as required have criminal proceedings brought against them.

[Lord Deben (Con)]

My Lords, does my noble friend accept that there has been a great increase in the incidents of allergies in our lifetime? Many of us are concerned that there does not appear to have been the amount of research necessary for us to understand the reasons for this. It is perfectly reasonable to protect people from allergies that are clear but we do not know what causes these allergies to anything like enough extent. Will the Government do more to try to help people know what they themselves can do, apart from avoiding peanuts? That is sensible in any circumstances.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My noble friend is absolutely right: there has been a 5% increase in those suffering from allergies and half of all those affected are children. I think part of the reason for that increase in allergies being diagnosed is because diagnosis is now better. There are clinics are doing good work on making sure that allergies are well known by those who suffer from them, and that they are given treatment and advised about the right way forward in how to deal with them.