Government Policy on Health

Lord Kennedy of Southwark Excerpts

Tuesday 10th September 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Kamall (Con)]

My Lords, the Minister will know that there have been concerns over Labour’s appointment of donors and party apparatchiks with little or no experience to senior Civil Service positions, which have led the Civil Service regulator to launch a review into Labour appointments.

I accept that this case is different. We understand that the Secretary of State is new to the role and inexperienced. We also know that Alan Milburn brings a huge wealth of experience in healthcare both in government and from personal consultancy, advising one of the largest providers of residential care for older people. I have also seen reports that he is a senior adviser on health for a major consultancy firm. I want to be clear, this is valuable experience and I applaud the Government for seeking such experience in the same way that noble Lords welcomed the appointment of the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, to review defence capabilities.

However, I am sure the Minister will also recognise the issue of real or perceived conflicts of interest—something that Labour Peers rightly questioned Ministers on when we were in government. So, in that spirit, I will ask the Minister a few questions about how the Government can look at potential perceived conflicts of interest and how they will be managed. Given Mr Milburn’s consultancy interests, can the Minister tell us what his formal role is? Is it a paid role and, if so, how much does he earn? Which meetings does he attend? Does he attend meetings without Ministers being present? Are notes taken for these meetings? How do the department and the Government ensure that he does not have access to commercially sensitive documents that could be of interest to his clients?

If the Minister cannot answer all these questions, I ask her to write to me and other noble Lords with answers and place a copy in the Library. Let me be clear, I completely understand why the Secretary of State appointed Mr Milburn—due to his experience in government and the private sector. It is valuable experience, from which a new Government could learn. I hope the Minister will accept my questions in the spirit of ensuring that the conflicts of interest are managed and there is real accountability, so that the Government can get the best out of Mr Milburn in his new role.

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

Before the Minister responds, I make it clear that these should be questions, not speeches.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) (Lab)]

My Lords, to set out some key points in respect of the right honourable Alan Milburn, he has no formal role in the department. Therefore, the conflicts of interest the noble Lord referred to do not even arise. The main thing I would like to set out is that it is very important to make a distinction between the areas of business and meetings in the department about generating ideas and policy discussion—it is those in which Mr Milburn has been involved, at the request of the Secretary of State—and the very different meetings about taking government decisions. If I might summarise it for your Lordships’ House: Ministers decide, advisers advise.