Baroness Rawlings: My Lords—
Baroness Rawlings: Thank you. My Lords, despite financial difficulties, some national museums are prevented by law from deaccessioning. What is the Government’s policy towards regional museums?
Baroness Rawlings: To ask His Majesty’s Government what support they are providing to help protect telecommunication cables in the Red Sea.
Baroness Rawlings: My Lords, I thank my noble friend for his Answer. The Red Sea is particularly vulnerable to attack because of its narrow and shallow proximity to Iran’s naval bases. Digital data is not in the cloud but depends 97% on seabed cables, and trillions get transferred yearly. Unlike ships, there are no flags, and they are not legally registered to any country. They are easily cut, causing major...
Baroness Rawlings: My Lords, we have the finest universities in the world. What are the Government’s plans for Erasmus?
Baroness Rawlings: To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to announce who will be appointed as the new Chair of Historic England.
Baroness Rawlings: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the continued supply and availability of (1) prescription, and (2) non-prescription, drugs.
Baroness Rawlings: I thank the Minister for his Answer. Despite what the Government are doing, would he agree that, even though there are pharmaceutical shortages worldwide, aspects of this in the UK have been exacerbated by Brexit? As of April 2023, there are 301 drugs in shortage—100 more than in the same time five years ago. I know the Government have kept a close eye on shortages and supplies, but what...
Baroness Rawlings: My Lords—
Baroness Rawlings: My Lords—
Baroness Rawlings: Thank you. Many lives are at risk through the shortage of nurses, frequently through the lack of retention. Following the spirit, wisely suggested by our King, of the importance of supporting volunteering, will HMG consider allowing volunteer Red Cross and St John nurses to help to ease the situation? I declare my interest of having been a Red Cross nurse for many years.
Baroness Rawlings: I know the noble Lord does care desperately, but we have not heard one word this afternoon about the architectural and historical importance. Can the noble Lord make sure that this will be included?
Baroness Rawlings: My Lords, I will follow on from the very good question from the noble Lord, Lord Teverson. One of the worst methane leaks happened with the rupture of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. Our report on UNCLOS detected a possible lack of protection of seabed pipelines. Can the Minister assure your Lordships that the MoD is making extra sure that these are better protected in future?
Baroness Rawlings: My Lords, my question very much relates to that asked by the noble Lord, Lord Carlile. Do we still have troops or observers on the South Ossetia-Georgia border, which was very much being controlled by Russians on my last visit? I wonder how much has changed since the war with Ukraine.
Baroness Rawlings: My Lords, I wish to raise three related points: transparency, cost and risk. At the outset, a long time ago, we were promised a transparent, open process throughout. Alas, it has been the opposite. A recent Answer to a Parliamentary Question revealed that £212 million has already been spent on R&R, almost all of it on consultants, professionals and salaries, as we have heard from the noble...
Baroness Rawlings: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many drugs which have received regulatory approval since January 2019 are only available through the NHS and cannot be prescribed by private physicians.
Baroness Rawlings: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contractual arrangements they have, if any, with pharmaceutical companies that prevent the sale of antiviral drugs for COVID-19 by private clinicians.
Baroness Rawlings: To ask Her Majesty's Government what legislation requires Public Health England to provide antiviral treatments for COVID-19 to only those people with particular health conditions.
