Medicines and Medical Devices Bill

Lord Norton of Louth Excerpts

Committee stage & Committee: 5th sitting (Hansard) & Committee: 5th sitting (Hansard): House of Lords
Wednesday 11th November 2020 Grand Committee

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Watkins of Tavistock) (CB)]

I am now able to call the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth.

[Lord Norton of Louth (Con) [V]]

My Lords, I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate and I apologise for not being able to contribute in my allocated slot.

I was very keen to add my name to the amendment to support the noble Lord, Lord Field of Birkenhead. I do not want to repeat the points that have already been made, but I draw attention to the fact that a few years ago I initiated a debate in the House on drugs policy. My point was to argue the case not for a change in policy but that policy must be—or should be—evidence-based. At the time, the Minister who replied said that opinion on this is divided. Someone afterwards pointed out that only the Minister disagreed with me because everyone else who spoke in the debate supported the case I was making that the Government were resisting going on the basis of evidence. For whatever reason, they were sticking their heels in.

As we have heard, the evidence really supports the case for change. The APPG for Drug Policy Reform showed the case and that there is evidence for the value of medicinal cannabis in relieving pain. There is a very strong argument on the basis of evidence and a moral case as well, given the sheer number of people who are forced, at great expense and possibly some danger, to find alternative ways of getting hold of cannabis for medicinal purposes, so I very much support what has been said by preceding speakers, including the noble Lord, Lord Field. I think the amendment is a step in the right direction in what it seeks to achieve. It is targeted and proportionate. It is designed to help to expand access to safe and regulated medicinal cannabis products in the United Kingdom. There were other points I was going to make in support, but I do not want to repeat points that we have already heard. I just wanted my name to be on the record as supporting the very powerful cases that have been made for the amendment.

Medicinal Cannabis

Lord Norton of Louth Excerpts

Monday 6th July 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bethell]

The noble Baroness’s point on fundraising is well made, and I think I answered it in my previous answer. We are looking at it closely. On policy-making in this area, it is extremely tough to regulate innovative drugs that simply do not have clinical trials and evidence bases behind them. We have put a huge amount of effort into this area. We are working closely with industry; I call on industry to do everything it can to help this process. We are trying our hardest to provide the right regulatory environment. As the noble Baroness pointed out, we have already made important changes to the law.

[Lord Norton of Louth (Con) [V]]

My Lords, the report of NHS England and NHS Improvement, commissioned by the Secretary of State, was published last year. Very little appears to have been done to implement its recommendations. Can my noble friend say which recommendations have been implemented and what plans he has to ensure that they are all met?

[Lord Bethell]

The noble Lord is right to point out the importance of that report, which we have taken very seriously. We have worked closely with industry to find a suitable product to take into the trial process, and it is a great shame that we have not found the right combination. We are looking at how to address that cul-de-sac and I hope to unblock it shortly.

Public Bodies Bill [HL]

Lord Norton of Louth Excerpts

Wednesday 9th March 2011 Lords Chamber

Debate on whether Clause 11 should stand part of the Bill.

[Lord Norton of Louth]

My Lords, I rise briefly to welcome the decision of the Government not to proceed with Clause 11 and Schedule 7 to the Bill. As I said on Second Reading, the prime mischief of the Bill is to be found in Clause 11 and Schedule 7. It is not the only mischief—hence several of the other amendments under discussion—but it is the prime mischief. As the Constitution Committee emphasised, the provision was objectionable on constitutional grounds. The concerns expressed in the report recurred on Second Reading and have been pursued since. There were problems with the inclusion of quasi-judicial bodies, as explained in a powerful speech by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Woolf, and the Government came to recognise the force of that argument.

However, even with the removal of the bodies with a quasi-judicial role, the basic objection to the provision remained. I saw no clear rationale for placing statutory public bodies in a living uncertainty. As I said in November, this was a lazy way of legislating: effectively parking certain bodies in Schedule 7 until such time as the Government decided what to do with them, whereupon they would place them by order in another schedule. I am very pleased that the Government have now recognised the force of the argument against Clause 11. That argument has been widely accepted in the House.

As I said on Second Reading, there is an alternative to the clause. The Government plan a triennial review of non-departmental public bodies. Why should we not have a public bodies Bill in each Parliament, thereby enabling concrete proposals to be put before Parliament and given proper scrutiny by both Houses? That is the way forward. I am delighted that my noble friend Lord Taylor of Holbeach has added his name to oppose the Motion that Clause 11 stand part of the Bill, and I pay tribute to the way in which he has listened to Members in all parts of the House and taken on board the points made.

[Lord Goodhart]

My Lords, I support what my noble friend Lord Norton said. The independence of the judiciary is a central and essential part of the constitution. In particular, the provision that would have enabled the Government to get rid of the Judicial Appointments Commission was plainly unconstitutional and could only have been dealt with by primary legislation.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath]

My Lords, I say to the noble Lord, Lord Lester, that if he continues to table amendments of this quality he will be very welcome to move them after midnight, day after day. I, too, thank him, as this is an important amendment. It provides considerable reassurance to noble Lords about how the Bill will operate when enacted. I am grateful to him; it goes right back to that first vote on day one in Committee, which seems a little time ago. I also thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay, for his great assistance, and the Bill team and the Minister. This is a very positive outcome.

[Lord Norton of Louth]

I add my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Lester, and all those involved in generating the amendment. I have previously made the point that, in terms of parliamentary scrutiny, the work on the Bill has been an example of best practice. The amendment is a particularly fine example of that in terms of the consultation that has taken place to produce an amendment for which there is agreement throughout the House. It is an excellent addition to the Bill.

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

My Lords, I am delighted that the amendment has received such a welcome. As noble Lords will know, my name is on it, too. I have a note here that thanks an awful lot of people, quite correctly, including my noble friend Lord Lester of Herne Hill, for his persistence and commitment to get this right, and my noble and learned friend Lord Mackay of Clashfern, whose advice has been invaluable to us all. I am grateful for the support that the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, has also given to this and to noble Lords opposite for their support. We have all wanted to see the amendment included. My speaking note contains no mention at all of the people who probably had to work hardest of all on the amendment—the Bill team—in trying to get the wording right. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, for mentioning that and I thank members of the team for their commitment to get this right.

As noble Lords have said, the amendment will, I hope, provide substantial reassurance to the Committee and the wider public that the Bill will be used to bring forward only necessary and proportionate reforms that will maintain the independence of those public functions that clearly need to operate at arm’s length from government. I am delighted that it has been added to the Bill and I trust that it will secure the support of all sides of the House.