Post-16 Education and Skills: Funding
Debate between Lord Weir of Ballyholme and Baroness Blake of Leeds
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I was not expecting quite that angle, but the right reverend Prelate raises a very important point. It is absolutely heartbreaking when you know that children are eligible for this funding but, for whatever reason, the family do not come to the attention of people who could support them. I will look into the detail that the right reverend Prelate asked for and get back to him.
Lord Weir of Ballyholme (DUP)
My Lords, I refer to my registered interests in the FE sector. Although there is an excellent job being done by schools and FE bodies in support of young people aged 16-19, we sometimes concentrate on the institutions rather than the individual students. There is a concern that some young people with additional needs do not necessarily fit into the funding categories. What additional steps are the Government taking to ensure that young people do not fall between the cracks of the different levels of funding, which risks them getting into a downward cycle and ending up as NEETs?
Best Start Family Hubs
Debate between Lord Weir of Ballyholme and Baroness Blake of Leeds
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I am delighted to hear the noble Lord reference Ann and the brilliant work that has been done for many years. The whole principle of Sure Start was the universal approach, bringing together all sorts of people and not focusing on just one sector. Everyone needs support at different stages in their lives and everyone has something to offer. It is the interchange and support that you get through this type of vision that makes a huge difference to people’s lives.
Lord Weir of Ballyholme (DUP)
My Lords, the Best Start Family Hubs offer an opportunity for positive progress. However, if we are to provide the most assistance to families, particularly those with SEND children, it will require an integrated and holistic approach from the Government. Can the Minister outline how family hubs will integrate with the Government’s proposed reforms to SEND and their response to the Milburn report, so that we have an integrated, joined-up approach to support for families?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I probably do not have enough time in my short answer to go into all the initiatives, but I assure noble Lords that every Best Start Family Hub will have a Best Start inclusion practitioner. An enormous amount of resource is going into making sure that the training is there and the links can be made. The fundamental point that the noble Lord makes, which we absolutely endorse, is that there need to be strong local linkages, bringing together all the different services that work with young people and their families, to make sure we get the very best provision at the earliest possible opportunity to improve their outcomes.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Diagnosis and Access to Experimental Drugs
Debate between Lord Weir of Ballyholme and Baroness Blake of Leeds
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The noble Baroness is absolutely right and, if we stay as we are, the projected figures moving forward to 2040 are, frankly, terrifying. I recognise what she is saying. Do not forget that grandchildren spend so much time with their grandparents and often are the first to notice changing behaviour. I think that picks up on the point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Pitkeathley, about an awareness campaign so that when people pick up on the symptoms, they know where to go to get support. Early prevention and intervention have to be the key.
Lord Weir of Ballyholme (DUP)
My Lords, early intervention can clearly be critical, but one of the barriers to early access, particularly to new drugs, is the current modelling of NICE. I think there is a level of criticism of its cost-benefit analysis in that sometimes it does not take sufficient cognisance of the health and economic impact, not simply on the person suffering from dementia but on the family and the carers, many of whom, for instance, are missing from work for long periods to care for their relatives. Will the Government commit to looking at that modelling to try to make sure that in the future the cost-benefit analysis is fit for purpose?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The noble Lord is right: there has been a real increase in awareness of the cost to the economy and the personal cost to those who become carers. I would like to reassure him that the focus on research from this Government is intense, but we must make sure that the drugs that are brought forward have the claimed impact. I know noble Lords will be aware of the current appeal into two drugs that are deemed to be possible. It would be completely inappropriate for me to comment, as the appeal is going forward. Those cases will be heard on 8 July, and we look forward with interest to the outcome.
Maternity Commissioner
Debate between Lord Weir of Ballyholme and Baroness Blake of Leeds
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The first meeting of the taskforce is imminent. Obviously, it ties in with the review publishing its final recommendations and making sure that the right people are in the room and that they have the right call to evidence to move forward. As I have said, pace, action and delivery are fundamental to this work. Families across the country have suffered for too long and we are determined to take action that will help in this area.
Lord Weir of Ballyholme (DUP)
My Lords, one of the problems that is faced—and it is not confined to maternity services but has been seen to be fairly acute within them—is a form of postcode lottery within the health service; we have good practice and the best practice in some areas, but some other areas which are maybe only a few miles away do not provide that. While we wait with anticipation for the Amos review, what actions are the Government taking to drive consistency of delivery within the NHS?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
This comes to the absolute centre of the problem. The different health structures around the country represent very different communities and it is essential that those health services are tailored to meet the needs of their communities. The inequalities, for example, and the difference in maternal death figures between ethnic-minority backgrounds speak to the point that we must make sure that the staff working in those areas are clear about the challenges that are faced. I am afraid that practice has not been good enough in this area, but consistency and oversight—making sure that if there are problems, they are flagged and rapid reviews can go in straightaway to deal with them—will be essential.