Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, it is with a real sense of privilege that I make the first of what I hope will be many contributions in your Lordships' House. In preparing to enter your Lordships' House, I trawled the Internet--something I enjoy doing enormously--to look for other noble Lords' speeches on similar occasions. I was struck by the number of times that references were made to the kindness shown to...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, on behalf of health authority chairmen, of whom I am one, I thank the Minister for his kind remarks. I believe that the planning has been a huge success. I spent part of the millennium weekend in my part of Hertfordshire working with the staff of NHS trusts and considering intensive care needs. I recognise that the collaboration that occurred between local government, the police and...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, as chairman of a health authority, I am well aware of the difficulties and problems and also the successes that have faced the health service over the past few weeks. I, too, should like to pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Cumberlege, for initiating the debate, and for the work that she has done for the health service in her years as a Minister, before that, and beyond. I was...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Perhaps I may begin by apologising to my noble friend Lord Mishcon, who I see is no longer in his place, for not giving way. I hope that my contribution will make up for my inexperience in the task. I have had the privilege of discussing with my noble friend Lord Randall for some days the issues raised in his amendment. My noble friend is aware that I am very interested in these matters...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: rose to ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the impact of their policies since May 1997 on the prospects for lone parents. My Lords, in opening this debate I thank my noble friend Lady Hollis of Heigham for her time, and that of other noble Lords who share an interest in this area of policy. It is against the backdrop of the Government's commitment to the eradication of child poverty...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I congratulate the Government on the Statement. What use has the United Nations been able to make of our holding the airport?
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, perhaps I may put the question again. I apologise to my noble friend; I probably spoke too quickly. I asked what use the United Nations has been able to make of our holding the airport.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: asked Her Majesty's Government: How many cases of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease have been detected in Leicestershire since the National Surveillance programme for Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease began in 1990.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I too am grateful to my noble friend Lord Harris of Haringey for raising this issue and pay tribute to his work with community health councils. Noble Lords may recall that I am chairman of a health authority and have just completed consultations on primary care trusts, a mental health and learning disability trust and the merger of two health authorities. All that has been done with...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, what plans does my noble friend the Minister have to integrate Ashworth into the rest of the NHS?
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I beg to second my noble friend's Motion for an humble Address. The sense of honour that I feel standing before your Lordships' House today is immense. It is a privilege tinged with delight that I follow my noble friend Lord Graham. He has served your Lordships' House well and is rightly most proud of the time when he was elected Opposition Chief Whip. He has steered those of us on...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I strongly support the principle behind the Bill of integrated education on the basis that, if it is done properly, the lives of all our children are enriched. There is no reason for education standards to fall; rather, the education experience of all children should improve. Children learn to work alongside each other, to be tolerant and to recognise that they are good at different...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: asked Her Majesty's Government: What financial support will be available to students in England and Wales in the academic year 2001-02.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: asked the Leader of the House: What steps she has taken to take forward the recommendations contained in the 7th Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Standards of Conduct in the House of Lords (Cm 4903).
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Young, for the opportunity to participate in today's debate and I look forward to debating with the noble Lord, Lord Moran, the use of technology in your Lordships' House to allow this mother of school-age children to spend more time with her children. Like many noble Lords, I am a huge fan of marriage, believing that it can provide a strong and...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I cannot speak with the eloquence or the knowledge of many noble Lords in this House. My reason for adding my name to the speakers' list lies in my own experience. In my late teens and early twenties I watched my mother die of Parkinson's Disease. It was not a good death. The moment when she and I felt that death was preferable has stayed with me. I know that other noble Lords have...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: asked Her Majesty's Government: What proposals they have to ensure the comprehensive subtitling of television programmes.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I am grateful for my noble friend's Answer. Does he agree that we should support the development of subtitling for two reasons: first, for the viewing enhancement of people who are hearing impaired; and, secondly, to provide a stimulus to British industry to be at the forefront of Smart voice recognition technology, which, linked to the ability to view simultaneous translation, is...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, noble Lords may recall my interest in healthcare as the chairman of east and north Hertfordshire health authority and chairman designate of the newly created Hertfordshire-wide health authority. In making my comments on the legislation before us I shall try to speak from the perspective of implementation--what will be the effect of the legislation on the NHS operation on the ground....
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: I am conscious of the comments made about procedure so I am not sure whether I should be speaking. I remind the House that I am chair of a health authority. I want to make an administrative point, and a moral one from a personal view. The administrative point is that I have asked my health authority, if we were implementing this legislation today, how we might go about it. I recognise that we...