Independent Commission on Adult Social Care
Debate between Lord Forsyth of Drumlean and Baroness Blake of Leeds
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
My noble friend raises an important point. I would stretch that out to talk about the care market’s sustainability. The whole system is in real difficulty, not least because of the funding taken away from local authorities over the past 14 years. Local authorities have had difficulties in sustaining provision. Of course, the whole market needs to be looked at so that we can find the most cost-effective and efficient ways forward which benefit the most people from the most vulnerable cohort in our society.
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Con)
My Lords, the Minister is absolutely right about the problems for local authorities, which are spending some three-quarters of their budgets on social care, with the result that core services are being cut. She said that there is no consensus on this matter, but the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee produced a report that was accepted throughout the House and was unanimous in its position, like so many other reports that have been produced.
Can the Minister admit that the problem is the Treasury and the cost, and the refusal to understand that money spent on social care will mean less cost to and take the burden off the health service? I am afraid that kicking this into touch for three years with the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, is yet another example of the Treasury playing for time and not being prepared to face up to the realities facing the most vulnerable and elderly people in our country.
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The noble Lord raises the point about consensus. I did not mean to offend anyone in this House if the report came to consensus, but the fact is that there was a feeling, particularly in the other place, that the work could not be put on to the statute book. That is where we have the problem. We have to make sure we move forward, but I reassure noble Lords that we are not talking about putting everything on hold for three years. The noble Baroness’s interim report will look at things we can do now. In the next couple of years, we will look at the longer-term issues, particularly, as the noble Lord quite rightly said, around longer-term funding. I have faith that the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, will do a thorough job engaging with all parties and outside interests, and come up with a way forward.
Weight Loss Medication
Debate between Lord Forsyth of Drumlean and Baroness Blake of Leeds
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
My noble friend raises an important point. I would not stand at the Front Bench and counter what he has said. I will be very happy to pick up his ideas after this session and look at all the innovative ways in which we can take future work forward.
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Con)
I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Watts. For once I find myself in complete agreement with him. Is he not right in saying that we should be tackling the causes not the symptoms, and that the causes lie with food manufacturers, which deliberately produce products that are addictive and processed, and form the cheaper foods diet of people in our country? The time has come to take action other than just trying to prevent advertising to children.
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I am delighted to hear the intervention from the other Benches. This is something to be welcomed. Obesity is complex. I would not like to stand here and put it down to one cause. There are multiple causes, as we heard earlier, around mental health and so many other issues. Everything needs to be on the table. It is a serious issue, costing this country, and other countries around the world, dearly. We need to look at every possible outcome.
US Tariff on UK Films
Debate between Lord Forsyth of Drumlean and Baroness Blake of Leeds
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
My Lords, the film sector is, as my noble friend says, a key part of the UK’s world-class creative industries and, as such, we are committed to ensuring that it continues to grow and create good jobs across the UK. Inward investment is vital, and we will work with international partners to continue to build on current successes. Supporting our domestic sector is equally important, and we will, as my noble friend asks, soon publish our creative industries sector plan to set up further support for the film industry and the wider creative industries, including increased support from the British Business Bank to access finance.
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Con)
My Lords, I congratulate the Government on their calm approach, but will the Minister take this opportunity to acknowledge that none of this—the defence of the film industry and other industries—would be possible were it not for the fact that we had left the European Union?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I am not sure where to start with that one, to be quite honest. I think we have heard all the way through the difficulties that the Brexit agreement has left our creative industries with. I cannot subscribe to the opinion that the noble Lord has put forward. These are indeed interesting times. When I woke up this morning and heard the news about an announcement later today—sometimes you feel like putting your head back under the duvet. But there you go. The noble Lord is entitled to his opinion, but it is not one that we share.
Carer’s Allowance: Repayments
Debate between Lord Forsyth of Drumlean and Baroness Blake of Leeds
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I think it is absolutely right that proportionality is at the centre of this. We have to respect DWP officials to make sure that they look at the way this is handled and make sure every single case is dealt with fairly and in a sympathetic way. We have already heard today about the cliff-edge principle, which has already caused difficulties for carers, and we need to make sure, as far as we possibly can, that they have all the information, as well as regular review of their cases, to make sure people do not fall into this position again.
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Con)
My Lords, we were all moved by the campaign of the leader of the Liberal Democrats on carers and caring during the election campaign. I seem to recall there was a suggestion that a Labour Government would introduce a royal commission on social care and caring. What has happened to that idea? Unless we can get all-party agreement—we have had endless reports about this—and some action, this problem will continue. It is central to dealing with the problems of the health service, which the Government have said is broken.
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord for his question. I think it is appropriate that we wait. We are only very shortly into this Government. Let us wait for the relevant departments to announce how it is going to take this forward. I look forward to his input when the work in progress is announced.