King’s Speech (4th Day)

Debate between Lord Kennedy of Southwark and Lord Sherbourne of Didsbury

Monday 22nd July 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Sherbourne of Didsbury (Con)]

My Lords, I begin by giving a very warm welcome to the noble Lords, Lord Livermore and Lord Vallance, in their new ministerial posts. I also congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Vallance, on an excellent and very meaty maiden speech. In his absence, I also congratulate my noble friend Lord Petitgas for his captivating and insightful maiden speech.

During the election campaign, we heard two words repeatedly from the Labour Party: growth and change. When people talk about economic growth, they always think of the Treasury as being the lead economic department, but the fact is that growth does not come from an equation or an econometric model; it comes from people. The only way to get growth is by having a well-educated, highly trained, energetic and enterprising workforce, and a fit and healthy population.

We should think of the three departments of education, health and employment as the real drivers of economic growth. If we are to make them effective, we need radical change. I hope that when the Labour Government get going, the word “change” will not have been a slogan but will be reality.

Taking education first, we all know the importance of students leaving school and college with the skills that employers want—it is talked about a lot—but they will have to be very adaptable, because the world is going to change in ways we cannot even imagine. In 10, 20, 30 years’ time, employment will be completely different than it is today. We need to make sure that they are trained and educated in ways that help them to adapt, and that the importance of vocational and technical training is raised again and again, as it was last week by my noble friends Lord Baker of Dorking and Lord Willetts.

We should also think more creatively about how we can bring into our schools people who might not otherwise have thought of teaching, but who come perhaps half way through their careers because they are good communicators and motivators and can bring experience of the outside world from business or charities to motivate our young people.

The second area is health. Again, here we need radical change. I am encouraged by the words we keep hearing from the new Secretary of State for Health. He knows that the NHS is not the envy of the world; there are many other health services around the world that are more effective and efficient. I hope that the Secretary of State will bring forward some radical changes to the health service. If he does, I hope very much that they will be supported by this side of the House and will not get sniped at, as I suspect would have happened if such reforms were brought in by a Conservative Government.

We also need to look very carefully at how we can make our population fitter and healthier, not just treating illness but preventing it. There is a huge job to be done on the food people eat and in encouraging them to be more active. This is a crucial area.

On employment, as the noble Lord, Lord Birt, alluded to, there are now over 9 million people of working age who are not in work and are not looking for a job. Some of those people may have very good reason not to be doing so. However, as he said, that is a huge loss of economic capital which is not being deployed. Again, the Government will have to think very carefully about how they can incentivise people to come back into the workforce, perhaps also with disincentives to encourage them to do so. Radical thinking there is needed as well.

Therefore I hope again that when the Government talk about change, they mean change, not just a slogan.

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, before we carry on with the debate, I remind colleagues that the advisory speaking time is five minutes. When noble Lords get to four minutes, they should begin to make their wind-up remarks so that we can finish. A few contributions have gone to over six minutes, and if that carries on we will be here gone midnight. If noble Lords can just focus their minds a bit and try to keep to the advisory time, we will all get home at a reasonable hour.