Victims and Prisoners Bill

Debate between Lord Evans of Rainow and Baroness Meacher

Report stage
Tuesday 30th April 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Meacher (CB)]

My Lords, this is my amendment, so I think my job is to bring this—

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

My Lords, the noble Baroness has already spoken, so it is not appropriate for her to continue.

Primary Care: Inequality

Debate between Lord Evans of Rainow and Baroness Meacher

Monday 19th June 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

Our Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care, published on 9 May, sets out our ambitions to reduce the number of people struggling to contact their practice and make sure arrangements are made for patients’ care on the day they contact their practice. This plan is committed to improving access experience and outcomes for all patients, including those in diverse groups and rural areas.

[Baroness Meacher (CB)]

My Lords, have the Government considered making it compulsory for every GP practice to have a physiotherapy and a psychological therapy service available in the practice? The numbers of hours, of course, would depend on the size of the practice.

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

The noble Baroness makes a very good point and she is absolutely right: GP practices are diversifying in the number of people and the types of services that they offer, including those she mentioned.

Health: Economic Inactivity

Debate between Lord Evans of Rainow and Baroness Meacher

Thursday 18th May 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

My Lords, it is great to see the noble Lord in his place. When I saw him sat there, I had déjà vu from his green Bench in the House of Commons—he is in exactly the same place to ask those Exocet questions. On his specific question, health can be linked to welfare payments, but it is also linked to unemployment because being in good-quality work benefits people’s health and well-being and that of all communities.

[Baroness Meacher (CB)]

My Lords, when chronic fatigue, whether triggered by Covid or some other virus, contributes so substantially to the numbers of economically inactive people, can the Minister explain what progress has been made to find a treatment for these very severely handicapped patients? What are the Government doing to make sure that a treatment is urgently found?

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

The noble Baroness asks a difficult question that I cannot answer in full. But the Government are supporting disabled people and have done for over a decade now. It is important that people who can work should do so, including disabled people. But I cannot give a fulsome response to the noble Baroness’s question, so I will write to her.

Cancer Therapies Access

Debate between Lord Evans of Rainow and Baroness Meacher

Monday 6th February 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

My Lords, I can assure the noble Baroness that the new major conditions strategy will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that sets out a shift to integrate whole-person care. Interventions set out in the strategy will aim to alleviate pressure on the health system as well as support the Government’s objective of increasing healthy-life expectancy and reducing ill-health-related labour market inactivity. We will cover the patient pathway from prevention to treatment and set out the standards patients should expect in the short term and over a five-year lifetime. Many stakeholders have already responded to the Government’s call for evidence on cancer.

[Baroness Meacher (CB)]

My Lords, we now know that there are drugs that attack cancer cells directly, without damaging the surrounding tissue. These literally non-invasive treatments are available to some, but can the Minister assure the House that these drugs are now available to every trust throughout the country?

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

My Lords, I do not have a specific answer to that question, but I can certainly respond in writing.

Vulnerable Teenagers

Debate between Lord Evans of Rainow and Baroness Meacher

Thursday 26th January 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Meacher (CB)]

Before the Minister sits down, I wonder whether I might pick up one point that the Minister made. Mental health support in schools reaches a quarter of the children who need it at present and the aim is to increase that percentage—

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

My Lords, I am sorry, the noble Baroness was not here at the beginning of the debate, so it is not appropriate for her to intervene. She can certainly write to the Minister, who will respond in writing. Thank you.