Results 1-20 of 1,836 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Kevin Barron

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Kevin Barron: I thank hon. Members for taking part in this debate and for their kind words about the operation of the Health Committee. I thank the three members of the Committee who contributed this afternoon. I would like to run through a few things and give a view on them, as I truncated my speech earlier. The Minister rightly says that personal, social and health education will be introduced under the...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Kevin Barron: Let me finish first, please. The Committee took evidence from numerous people as eminent as Richard Wilkinson. I remember Professor Kay-Tee Khaw from the university of Cambridge saying that such issues are not necessarily about income inequality but about what people do or do not do. They are lifestyle choices. Many people who were born and brought up in my constituency are very much like I...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Kevin Barron: Indeed, the Committee has seen it, and we visited northern Europe to look at how income inequalities were measured. Before I move on, let me refer to paragraph 48 of the Committee's report. This was not our idea, and it was not one of the recommendations, but when the hon. Gentleman spoke earlier, I was reminded of this paragraph in the report: "Moreover, while the view that reducing relative...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Kevin Barron: That is right, and I would like to move on to what my hon. Friend said about the local environment. An issue that we looked at that has not been highlighted in this debate is the availability of food in a locality. Jamie Oliver was a witness to the Committee. Some sceptics on the Committee said that he should not have been included. We tried to tie him down—in view of what was said...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Kevin Barron: And I have no doubt that some people probably did much more manual labour, as well. Our lifestyle has changed significantly in my lifetime, and those are the reasons why. That is what we have to address. I wish briefly to deal with two more things. I agree with what has been said about capitation fees. My dilemma is that last year the target got higher because of a reassessment, so Rotherham...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Kevin Barron: I say to my hon. Friend that there is an invitation as of now to go and have a look at the institute in some detail, when the cameras are not there unfortunately—although they might be there for her. She will then be able to see what work is being done in communities that need that type of work, which is not necessarily top-down stuff. The institute shows what health clinicians and...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Kevin Barron: My response to the point of order is that nothing prevents hon. Members, including members of the Select Committee on Health, from applying for time in Westminster Hall for a debate at a later stage if we think the debate has been too truncated this afternoon. I shall start with a few remarks about the background to the Committee's inquiry. In 2003, the Government established the first ever...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Kevin Barron: We are going to get into semantics here. We are not measuring other schemes, either; we said that there is a lack of good evaluation in this whole area. We will not know where money would get a better return if we do not carry out an evaluation. On that basis, although we think that the Government have done some good things, that is difficult to measure. We commended the Government for taking...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Kevin Barron: The simple answer is yes. As I said earlier, local agreements with local authorities will be essential to improving health inequalities. When considering the role of the health service, the Committee found that getting people to adopt a healthy lifestyle was widely acknowledged to be difficult. Evidence suggests that traditional public information campaigns are not successful, especially with...

Oral Answers to Questions — Health: Social Care (13 Oct 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: If we are going to introduce a national care service, why should it not be funded in the same way as our national health service is?

New Member: Schedule 6 — Repeals and revocations (12 Oct 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: I shall not detain the House for too long; I rise just to support the Third Reading of the Bill. Opposition Members have said that it is something of an omnibus Bill, but I wish to comment on the small parts relating to tobacco. When the Bill has passed through all its stages, it will finish off some of this House's unfinished business on the advertising and promotion of tobacco in this...

New Member: Schedule 6 — Repeals and revocations (12 Oct 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: For years, the tobacco industry has been saying that advertising is all about market share and that has not been true. In this case, it is, but it was not true when there was general advertising of tobacco products in this country. It was a case for the defence and it was a very weak one. Since we brought a general advertising ban into this country there has been decrease in smoking, which I...

New Member: New Clause 1 — Purchase of tobacco on behalf of children (12 Oct 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: The Smee report did say what the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) said, but it also said that people smoke or not depending on whether they have positive or negative attitudes to cigarettes. Surely advertising gives them positive ones.

Olympics: Swine Flu Update (20 Jul 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: The Department, the Secretary of State and his predecessor have handled the swine flu outbreak very sensibly. While I accept that the outbreak has had tragic consequences for a few people, it is still mild and self-limiting. Is it not incumbent on all of us, both Members of Parliament and the media, to ensure that any reporting takes place on that basis, and that people are not panicked into...

Political Parties and Elections Bill (Extension of Carry-over): Clause 8 — Declaration as to source of donation (13 Jul 2009)

Kevin Barron: That is not true!

Bill Presented: Health Bill [ Lords] (8 Jun 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: rose—

Bill Presented: Health Bill [ Lords] (8 Jun 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: My right hon. Friend will recall that Labour Members often said that the Conservative party was addicted to the tobacco industry.

Bill Presented: Health Bill [ Lords] (8 Jun 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: Could I first say— [ Interruption. ] I have to tell hon. Members on the Opposition Front Bench that I have got quite broad shoulders; I have had them for 26 years in this place, and they will remain. Let me first say to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State—I congratulate him on getting his new position on the Front Bench—that I support the Bill. It is quite...

Bill Presented: Health Bill [ Lords] (8 Jun 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: I agree with the hon. Gentleman's first point. The first option—allowing smoking in public houses that did not serve food, but not in those that did—was not a public health measure. From a public health point of view, it was not the brightest proposed legislation. The amendment from the Health Committee probably changed minds about the free vote. None the less, the evidence was...

Bill Presented: Health Bill [ Lords] (8 Jun 2009) has video

Kevin Barron: I am happy to listen to the case for any amendments to improve people's health and stop the selling of a substance that creates ill health and is addictive. I think that a member of the Conservative Government in the early 1990s said that if tobacco had been discovered and brought to this country today, it would be banned. I think that most people agree. However, it was discovered long ago...