Health Taxes
Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Lord Hamilton of Epsom
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)
I am unable to confirm that. However, I can confirm—I think this is common knowledge—that a review on efficiency is under way and, as I said to the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, we will have to wait a couple of weeks or so to see how this will pan out.
Lord Hamilton of Epsom (Con)
Does my noble friend share my concern that many people in the NHS do not keep their appointments? Has the NHS considered having an appointment fee, which of course could be repayable if the appointment was kept?
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)
I feel certain that that has been considered but I am afraid I am none the wiser as to whether it might be taken forward. Again, I will write to my noble friend if I have any update on that initiative.
BAE Systems: Type 26 Frigate
Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Lord Hamilton of Epsom
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)
It is very much unlike my noble friend on the Front Bench to sound complacent. Even before the events of the past two years, the Government bolstered defence spending with the greatest supplement since the Cold War—an extra £24 billion over the next four years. That has enabled us, once again, to make sure that we have a proper defence programme and is a reform that puts men and women in the Armed Forces at the heart of what we do.
Lord Hamilton of Epsom (Con)
My Lords, how much worse do things have to get in Ukraine before we substantially lift the 2% of GDP that we spend on defence?
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)
Very quickly, I think the answer I gave to my noble friend Lord Lancaster applies.
Prime Minister: Meetings with First Ministers of the Devolved Governments
Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Lord Hamilton of Epsom
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)
The noble Lord is right to say that this has been an evolving process. There are no plans to take it further. Obviously, the whole process of devolution and the matters arising from it, and the links and co-operation between the four devolved nations, will continue to be discussed. The idea with the IGR is that all four will be treated equally, there will be transparency, and there will be reviews.
Lord Hamilton of Epsom (Con)
Following up on the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Anderson, do the Government agree with the previous Labour Government, who said that devolution for Scotland would strengthen the union?
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)
I can only repeat that devolution for Scotland has, of course, been rolled out in the same way as devolution for Northern Ireland and Wales. We believe that it works well, but, as I said earlier, we continue to monitor it and to make sure that the effective co-operation and links between the four nations continue as they are.
NHS: US Companies
Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Lord Hamilton of Epsom
Viscount Younger of Leckie
I do not think there is anything to come clean about, because I have already reassured the House that no privatisations will take place, and there is no privatisation in place now. The Government’s position is that the NHS is now, and always will be, a public service free at the point of need, and that it is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic. No trade agreements will ever alter these fundamental facts.
Lord Hamilton of Epsom (Con)
My Lords, does my noble friend have any evidence that the NHS has suffered from having Americans bidding for its contracts?
Viscount Younger of Leckie
I do not believe that there is any evidence for that, but I remind my noble friend and the House that, to ensure that important drugs and medicines came in from the outside, it was the Labour Government in 2003 that brought in the ISTCs, which allowed privately owned companies to supply the NHS.
Pension Schemes: Universities
Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Lord Hamilton of Epsom(6 years, 7 months ago)
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Lord Hamilton of Epsom (Con)
To pick up my noble friend’s final point, does he accept that when the Bank of England eventually starts to raise base rates to more normal levels, a lot of pension funds will be much more fundable and sustainable than they are today?
Viscount Younger of Leckie
I am not an expert in pension schemes, but let us hope that is the case. It is one of many parameters that one has to take account of in managing pension schemes.