| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
15 Nov 2007 : Column 582
Baroness Crawley: My Lords, the noble Baroness is right. The report shows how all those factors are interrelated in obesity. Obesity is not simply about eating less, exercising more. Although that is very much part of it, it is too simplistic. There are food production factors in the industry, which the noble Baroness mentioned, food consumption, physiology, psychology, individual physical activity, and the physical environment that we live in. Modern life is making us more overweight, more obese, because of convenience foods, high technology and new modes of transport. It is about individuals' willpower, but it is about much more than that.
Baroness Trumpington: My Lords, I am not sure that I should be talking about obesity, but surely the Minister agrees that obesity in children is mainly started by a lack of home cooking and the cheapness and availability of ready-made foods and drinks containing a great deal of sugar, apart from anything else?
Baroness Crawley: My Lords, I have to agree, and noble Lords might agree that I am not the best person to be answering a Question on obesity. I kept wanting to have a biscuit when I was working on this brief. I absolutely agree with the noble Baroness: this is very much about nutritional food. Anything that the Government and all other stakeholders can do to increase the proportion of nutritional food and to decrease our reliance on high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar content food is a good thing.
Lord Harrison: My Lords, with regard to the concerns raised by the noble Countess, Lady Mar, can my noble friend tell us whether the Foresight group is looking at the steep rise in diabetes 2 among children and its association with obesity?
Baroness Crawley: My Lords, my noble friend raises a very important point. The Foresight report, which I recommend to noble Lords because it is absolutely fascinating, predicts that by 2050, 60 per cent of men, 50 per cent of women and 26 per cent of children will be clinically obese without action—that is not predetermined, it is without action. My noble friend referred to diabetes type 2. It would rise to 70 per cent, strokes by 30 per cent and chronic heart disease by 20 per cent.
Baroness Butler-Sloss: My Lords—
Lord Grocott: My Lords, we are well into the 24th minute.
Middle East: Gaza Strip
11.29 am
Baroness Williams of Crosby asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What representations they are making to members of the Middle East quartet as well as the Government of Israel regarding the urgent reopening of additional road access to the Gaza strip.
15 Nov 2007 : Column 583
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): My Lords, there is a pressing need to overcome the obstacles to reopening Gaza’s crossings for humanitarian goods, trade and people. The quartet, consisting of the United States, the European Union, the UN and Russia, has expressed concern over the continued closure of major crossing points. The UN is actively involved in trying to find a solution. The EU has called on all parties to work towards an opening of the crossings in and out of Gaza. The UK’s representative on the Middle East, Michael Williams, most recently raised our concerns about the situation in Gaza with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 7 November.
Baroness Williams of Crosby: My Lords, I thank the Minister very much for his Answer. Unemployment in Gaza has now reached 50 per cent. Eighty-four per cent of the people there are living below the poverty line. According to the World Bank, 46 per cent of public servants and their families are not receiving enough food to survive, and only in the past day or two has Israel confirmed the closing of the super-crossing, which up to now has taken 70 per cent of humanitarian aid into Gaza. We are facing both a humanitarian disaster and the potential for an irreversible economic collapse. First, does the Minister agree that this is exactly the kind of situation that, frighteningly, radicalises young Muslims throughout the world? Secondly, in this desperately urgent situation and with the Annapolis conference still without a clear date, could the United Kingdom not call on the quartet for an urgent meeting to consider how to deal with this impending disaster?
Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, the noble Baroness is of course correct that the situation in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe with completely unacceptable levels of economic despair. Let me provide the up-to-date situation on the crossings into Gaza. Two are presently operating: Kerem Shalom, which is allowing access for humanitarian aid and commercial supplies; and Erez, for personnel movements, although its opening hours have been reduced. I completely support the noble Baroness’s basic premise that unfortunately the noose is growing ever tighter and the humanitarian consequences are devastating.
Lord Janner of Braunstone: My Lords, does my noble friend agree that it is not simply a question of how the Israelis behave but how the Gaza citizens behave? Does he know that almost every day rockets are fired from Gaza into surrounding Israeli towns and villages—apparently, there were seven yesterday—and that the people who live in these towns and villages are in constant fear of attack? Although of course it is important to both sides, and to all of us, that the situation in Gaza should improve and that we should do everything in our power to help in that improvement, does my noble friend agree that, before the Israeli Government can open access to these roads, there must be a viable Palestinian infrastructure that can ensure the safety, security and well-being of both parties, and indeed that we should all welcome the current efforts of Tony Blair and the Middle East quartet to achieve that result?
15 Nov 2007 : Column 584
Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, my noble friend is correct to draw attention to the continuant shelling from Gaza into civilian settlements in Israel. The Government have made it clear that this is unacceptable and that we need the Hamas administration of Gaza to accept the quartet principles of the right of Israel to exist, of the suspension of violence, and of the acceptance of the road map and the other negotiating arrangements. Obviously, people of good will on both sides devoutly hope that a solution can be found so that this suffering does not continue, with the inevitable political consequences that it brings with it.
Lord Howell of Guildford: My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Williams, is right that this is an horrific situation, with only the Kerem Shalom crossing now open, although I think Erez is allowing some pedestrians through. Fuel supplies are being reduced, electricity is being cut off, and we could see 1.4 million people forced into starvation. We agree with all that but is there not also a serious dilemma, about which the noble Lord, Lord Janner, has just spoken? The Al Fatah guards have fled—they are no longer controlling these crossings because the Hamas people have driven them away—and the mortar attacks are continuing. Is this not a question of talking directly to the Israeli officials and ministry about how they will manage this very difficult situation?
I do not have easy solutions, but it seems that general propositions to the quartet or railing against the Israelis are not enough. People are dying and immediate, careful, planned action is required to cope with the dilemmas that I have described.
Looking for a little hope in the longer term, is it not correct that this tiny strip of land, the Gaza Strip, is sitting on a massive offshore gas reservoir which will supply fuel for the whole area and bring some prosperity to this miserable situation?
Lord Malloch-Brown: My Lords, the House is united with regard to the sentiments expressed by the noble Lord that this is a situation of utter frustration for all of us who wish to see progress. Indeed, the incidents that have been so eloquently described this morning have led us to a point where the humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly with potentially devastating results. Everyone seems to be caught in a position where nobody can act effectively and operationally to find solutions. I reassure the noble Baroness that we expect the Annapolis meeting to occur next week. We hope that it will be the beginning of a process that can lead to solutions on this and other issues.
Administration and Works Committee
Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee
Intergovernmental Organisations Committee
11.36 am
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): My Lords, I beg to move the first three Motions standing in my name on the Order Paper.
15 Nov 2007 : Column 585
Moved, That a Select Committee be appointed to consider administrative services, accommodation and works, including works relating to security, within financial limits approved by the House Committee;
That, as proposed by the committee of Selection, the following Members together with the Chairman of Committees be appointed to the committee:
B Anelay of St Johns,L Campbell-Savours,B D’Souza,L Grocott,B Harris of Richmond,B McIntosh of Hudnall,B Masham of Ilton,L Naseby,L Shutt of Greetland,Bp Southwell and Nottingham,V Ullswater.That the committee have leave to report from time to time.
Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform
Moved, That a Select Committee be appointed to report whether the provisions of any Bill inappropriately delegate legislative power, or whether they subject the exercise of legislative power to an inappropriate degree of parliamentary scrutiny; to report on documents and draft orders laid before Parliament under Sections 14 and 18 of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006; and to perform, in respect of such draft orders, and in respect of subordinate provisions orders made or proposed to be made under the Regulatory Reform Act 2001, the functions performed in respect of other instruments and draft instruments by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments;
That, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the following Members be appointed to the committee:
L Boyd of Duncansby,L Brett,V Eccles,L Faulkner of Worcester,B Fritchie,B Gardner of Parkes,L Goodhart (Chairman),L Razzall,L Shaw of Northstead.That the committee have power to appoint specialist advisers.
That the committee have power to adjourn from place to place within the United Kingdom.
Intergovernmental Organisations
Moved, That a Select Committee be appointed to consider how contemporary issues of international policy are addressed through United Kingdom membership of intergovernmental organisations (excluding the European Union), including their impact and effectiveness and value for money, and that, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the following Members be appointed to the Committee:
L Bowness,L Desai,15 Nov 2007 : Column 586
That the committee have power to appoint specialist advisers;
That the committee have power to adjourn from place to place;
That the committee have leave to report from time to time;
That the reports of the committee shall be printed, regardless of any adjournment of the House;
That the evidence taken by the committee shall, if the committee so wish, be published;
That the committee meet on 19 November at 3.30pm.—(The Chairman of Committees.)
On Question, Motions agreed to.
Refreshment Committee
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): My Lords, I beg to move the fourth Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.
Moved, That a Select Committee be appointed to advise on the refreshment services provided for the House, within financial limits approved by the House Committee.
That, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the following Members together with the Chairman of Committees be appointed to the Committee:
L Brougham and Vaux,B Darcy de Knayth,L Davies of Oldham,L Geddes,L Glenarthur,B Gould of Potternewton,L Lee of Trafford,C Mar,V Montgomery of Alamein,B Pitkeathley,B Rendell of Babergh,B Thomas of Winchester.That the committee have leave to report from time to time.—(The Chairman of Committees.)
Lord Boston of Faversham: My Lords, I am grateful to the Lord Chairman for taking this Motion separately. I apologise for the short notice that I have given to him and the Lord Speaker. I first invite the Lord Chairman to join in warmly thanking and congratulating the noble Baroness, Lady Fookes, on her chairmanship of the Refreshment Committee over the past several years and on the splendid way in which she carried out those duties.
Secondly, I ask the Lord Chairman whether the terms of the Motion, which include his membership
15 Nov 2007 : Column 587
The Chairman of Committees: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Boston. I join him and, I am sure, the whole House, in thanking the noble Baroness, Lady Fookes, for her excellent work in chairing the Refreshment Committee. The noble Lord, Lord Boston, it is quite right: the intention is that I chair the Refreshment Committee. I am already gearing myself up for the onslaught of advice that I will receive from noble Lords in that capacity and I am ready to listen.
On Question, Motion agreed to.
Armed Forces (Service Complaints Commissioner) Regulations 2007
Armed Forces (Redress of Individual Grievances) Regulations 2007
Legislative and Regulatory Reform (Regulatory Functions) Order 2007
Regulators’ Compliance Code
Company and Business Names (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2007
Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007 (Powers of District and JP Courts) Order 2007
Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007
Lord Grocott: My Lords, I beg to move the seven Motions standing in the name of my noble friend the Leader of the House on the Order Paper.
Moved, that the draft regulations and orders be referred to a Grand Committee.—(Lord Grocott.)
On Question, Motions agreed to.
15 Nov 2007 : Column 588
Conventional Weapons
11.40 am
Lord Elton rose to call attention to the recent proceedings of the United Nations Conference on Certain Conventional Weapons at Geneva; and to move for Papers.
The noble Lord said: My Lords, as the tide goes out, perhaps I may recommend to anyone who feels that their circulation is not stimulated enough when opening a debate to discover that they have left a vital document on the first or second floor and have to search for it during the gap between the substantive reply to the first Question on the Order Paper and the Motions which your Lordships have just heard. Your Lordships will be glad to learn that it was here all the time.
I thank your Lordships in advance for taking part in this debate because I shall have no chance to do so at the end. I do not apologise for bringing the subject of cluster munitions to the fore for a second time this year, or possibly a fourth, because the matter is so urgent and pressing. I do apologise, however, for the terms of the Motion, which does not mention that it is about cluster munitions. Had it done so, and had this not been a Thursday morning, there would be a considerably longer speakers list.
I declare an interest: I am just returned from the latest convention on conventional weapons at the United Nations. My attendance, and the cost of going to and from, was funded by the charity, Landmine Action. Its work is beyond praise, but, as a recipient of this support, I should leave it to others to sing those praises.
The background to the convention is probably familiar to your Lordships. The United Nations convention had met to discuss the possibility of doing something about cluster munitions for five years when Norway decided that enough was enough, set up a separate organisation and invited all countries prepared to sign up to a complete ban internationally by 2008 to go to Oslo at the beginning of this year. It is important to say that the principal paragraph of the Oslo declaration was a commitment to conclude by 2008 a binding international instrument that will,
- “prohibit the use ... production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians”,
and, crucially, establish a framework for co-operation and assistance that ensures adequate provision of care and rehabilitation to survivors and affected communities. These are the terms on which many of us wish to see a conclusion to the proceedings in Geneva.
However, what happened was rather different. I should explain the importance of that to readers of this debate. I know that your Lordships are familiar with this, so I shall be brief. Broadly, in layman’s terms—the definition will be crucial to the treaty—cluster munitions are containers, delivered by artillery, rocket fire or aircraft. They contain large numbers—sometimes more than 400—of sub-munitions which are designed to explode on impact with the ground and cause damage to personnel or
15 Nov 2007 : Column 589
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |