Alcohol Consumption

Debate between Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe and Baroness Jolly

Tuesday 27th January 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Jolly]

I am not quite sure. I can tell noble Lords about licensing. We are actively working with Public Health England on the practicalities of how health-related objectives for the licensing of premises selling alcohol would work at a local level.

[Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Lab)]

My Lords, while we welcome the reduction in the amount of alcohol being sold in certain areas, is it not true that growth is taking place in other areas? In particular, the drinks industry is trying to get its brands into the heads of young people. Is the Minister content to see supermarkets now selling alcoholic lemonade that is stronger than many beers? Is she content to see them selling ginger beer and other soft drinks with more alcohol than is contained in many beers? Should we not be doing something about that?

NHS: Finances and Services

Debate between Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe and Baroness Jolly

Tuesday 27th January 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Jolly]

My noble friend makes a very interesting point. Perhaps they should look at some of the examples that are actually used in the NHS in England.

[Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Lab)]

Is it not true that in Scotland and in Wales, there are more chronic, long-term sick patients than there are in the UK generally? Will the Minister say why, each time a Minister replies to questions on the failing performance, they pray in aid the number of additional patients who are now going into the NHS? Is this coming as a great surprise? Is it a surprise that people are getting older? What is the projection for the next five years about the numbers that we have to deal with? Surely this should be planned for.

[Baroness Jolly]

Indeed it should be planned for. There are now a million more people over 65 than there were at the beginning of this Parliament, but at the beginning of this Parliament there were no plans to cope with that onward growth.

Health: Alcohol Minimum Pricing

Debate between Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe and Baroness Jolly

Tuesday 1st March 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe]

My Lords—

[Baroness Jolly]

My Lords—

[Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe]

My Lords, now that the Minister and the Government have accepted that raising the price of alcohol is one of the ways in which we can minimise harm to those who are abusing alcohol, why have the Government’s recent proposals been so minimal? The cost of a can of lager will be increased, or minimised, to 38p under the new arrangements. This is hardly going to make any change whatsoever. We have to wait for the White Paper in the summer, but in the mean time why could a more positive approach to raising the cost of alcohol not have been taken and more fundamental changes made to the ever increasing easy access to alcohol, which is another problem that needs addressing?