:00:17. > :00:22.My lords, I beg leave to ask the question standing in my name on the
:00:23. > :00:25.order paper, and in doing so I declare my interest is chair of the
:00:26. > :00:32.Leeds University Law schools advisory board. My lords, as the
:00:33. > :00:35.legal profession in England and Wales and the bodies that regulate
:00:36. > :00:42.it are independent from Government, we have not made any assessment of
:00:43. > :00:49.the solicitors' regulation authority's recent approvals. Set
:00:50. > :00:52.out in 2007, it will be for the legal services board to determine
:00:53. > :00:56.whether to approve changes to the legal qualification for solicitors
:00:57. > :01:02.should the regulation authority set to proceed with its proposals. My
:01:03. > :01:06.lords, I thank the noble lord for that reply, but is he not aware of
:01:07. > :01:11.the widespread concern that the selectors regulation authorities
:01:12. > :01:15.proposals will mean that universities have to teach to the
:01:16. > :01:20.solicitors qualifying examination if they are to remain competitive,
:01:21. > :01:23.potentially restraining the Brits of the curriculum that can be taught as
:01:24. > :01:35.part of the degree and stifling curriculum development? We do not
:01:36. > :01:38.believe that it would have such a stultifying effect on the University
:01:39. > :01:41.law schools to which the noble lord refers, and I would observe that
:01:42. > :01:48.there are currently 110 qualifying law degree providers, and 26
:01:49. > :01:52.providers of the legal practice course, and no consistency of
:01:53. > :01:57.examination at the point of qualification. My lords, given the
:01:58. > :02:00.massive cuts in legal aid on the rising cost of tribunal and court
:02:01. > :02:02.proceedings on the difficulties resulting from the consequential
:02:03. > :02:06.growth are the number of unrepresented litigants, shouldn't
:02:07. > :02:13.any qualification programme include a requirement to provide pro bono
:02:14. > :02:17.advice and representation? My lords, as I have already indicated, the
:02:18. > :02:20.question of what qualification requirements there should be is a
:02:21. > :02:25.matter for the Solicitors' Regulation Authority, and for the
:02:26. > :02:29.legal services board. And of course they are concerned to pursue their
:02:30. > :02:34.statutory obligations, which includes the requirement to have
:02:35. > :02:40.regard to the demands upon the profession. We are seeing something
:02:41. > :02:45.of a turf war between the SRA and the law society at the moment. One
:02:46. > :02:53.can see the case for separation with the SRA is regulator and the law
:02:54. > :02:57.society governing the profession, but the position at the moment is
:02:58. > :03:03.the SRA wants to control standards for entry into the profession, and
:03:04. > :03:08.the law society's concern is not to lower those standards. Does the
:03:09. > :03:11.Government have a view on how those issues can be resolved given the
:03:12. > :03:17.public interest in maintaining standards of legal practice? My
:03:18. > :03:21.lords, the Solicitors' Regulation Authority has no desire to see any
:03:22. > :03:25.diminishing in standards. Its concern is to increase access to the
:03:26. > :03:28.profession in order that we can have a more effective and diverse
:03:29. > :03:32.profession. As regards the test at the end of the day of what will be
:03:33. > :03:37.appropriate for the regulation of access to the progression, the Legal
:03:38. > :03:42.Services Board will make a determination in light of the SRA's
:03:43. > :03:45.determination. Does the noble lord notice that there is a distinct lack
:03:46. > :03:50.of guidance from the Legal Services Board, for one hand the barristers
:03:51. > :03:54.are taking this opportunity to upgrade the qualifications, while
:03:55. > :03:57.the solicitors are going in there other direction, and given that
:03:58. > :03:59.there are very few jobs for new solicitors, that ought to be a
:04:00. > :04:04.moment to upgrade of qualifications as well. Does he agree with me it is
:04:05. > :04:10.high time for a review of the legal services board which seems to have
:04:11. > :04:12.failed in the last Venney is to produce any of the reforms and
:04:13. > :04:18.improvements that were promised at the outset? My lords, we do not
:04:19. > :04:24.consider that there is a need for a further review at this time. As the
:04:25. > :04:28.noble baroness will be aware, the legal education and training review
:04:29. > :04:30.was jointly undertaken by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority and
:04:31. > :04:33.the bar standards board on the chartered Institute of legal
:04:34. > :04:39.executives, and that review resulted in a report which was published in
:04:40. > :04:45.June 2013. The review did find weaknesses in the current system of
:04:46. > :04:48.legal education, and the SRA are seeking to address those in their
:04:49. > :04:52.submissions to the Legal Services Board. Can I draw attention to the
:04:53. > :04:59.register in the members register of interest. Perhaps I could tempt the
:05:00. > :05:05.noble lord the Minister to reflect on the question that my noble friend
:05:06. > :05:09.Lord low raised earlier, which is the narrowing of the curriculum. I
:05:10. > :05:12.accept entirely that the SRA and the legal services board are
:05:13. > :05:18.independent, but wouldn't it be of national concern if family law, if
:05:19. > :05:25.disability rights, if social welfare law, were to be squeezed out in the
:05:26. > :05:28.narrowing of that curriculum? My lords, I understand the point made
:05:29. > :05:33.by the noble lord, and agree that we should not see a narrowing of the
:05:34. > :05:36.curriculum, but where people undertake study at a university,
:05:37. > :05:41.whether it be a law degree or some other form of degree, they did do so
:05:42. > :05:44.for the sole purpose of passing a professional examination. They do so
:05:45. > :05:47.in order to broaden their understanding in general, and in
:05:48. > :05:53.order to extend their education and their understanding of the law. So
:05:54. > :05:56.for example a study of jurisprudence may not regard it as absolutely
:05:57. > :05:59.essential to passing examinations set by the solicitors regulatory
:06:00. > :06:09.authority, but nevertheless is appropriate for anyone expecting to
:06:10. > :06:12.pursue a career in the law. My lords, I beg leave to ask the
:06:13. > :06:17.question standing in my name on the order paper. My lords, the
:06:18. > :06:19.Government recognises allotments as valuable assets that lay an
:06:20. > :06:24.important role in bringing communities together to live
:06:25. > :06:28.healthier lifestyles. Before disposing of allotments, councils
:06:29. > :06:32.must satisfy a range of statutory criteria set by the Government.
:06:33. > :06:35.Moreover, there is a range of measures through which communities
:06:36. > :06:39.can help to safeguard their allotments, including the National
:06:40. > :06:42.planning policy framework, neighbourhood planning and the
:06:43. > :06:55.community right to bid, all hopefully keeping the allotments
:06:56. > :07:07.free of Japanese knot weed. The 1908 act which smallholdings and...
:07:08. > :07:11.Sorry... They still apply, where more than six people ask for an
:07:12. > :07:18.allotment, were they not given one? My lords, my noble friend is right
:07:19. > :07:22.of the importance of the 1908 allotments act, and subsequently the
:07:23. > :07:27.1925 act, and the Government has subsequently tightened the statutory
:07:28. > :07:31.duties on local authorities in the 2014 statutory guidance, which
:07:32. > :07:36.ensures that existing allotment holders are protected where the
:07:37. > :07:42.local authority wishes to dispose of the allotments. That protection is
:07:43. > :07:48.there, my lords. While allotments make available contribution, public
:07:49. > :07:50.parks play an even larger part in encouraging health and well-being.
:07:51. > :07:52.The Heritage Lottery Fund warned in October that council cuts were
:07:53. > :07:58.endangering the condition and health of public parks, and last month the
:07:59. > :08:03.committee warned of cuts of up to 97%, with some parks facing a return
:08:04. > :08:06.to the neglect suffered in the 80s and 90s. What is the Government
:08:07. > :08:12.doing to mitigate this threat to amenity and public health? My lords,
:08:13. > :08:15.as always, the noble lord is absolutely right about the
:08:16. > :08:21.importance of green spaces, which as he will know are well protected in
:08:22. > :08:24.the housing white paper which is open for consultation until the 2nd
:08:25. > :08:29.of May, and I have no doubt that my noble lord will be consulting that.
:08:30. > :08:35.Myla Rose, I declare an interest as a plot holder in Saltaire. We have
:08:36. > :08:40.talked about the benefits to the community of communal spaces and
:08:41. > :08:44.Gardens. Does the Government give encouragement to developers
:08:45. > :08:49.developing new housing about moving back from individual gardens and
:08:50. > :08:55.individual houses towards a greater density of houses with communal
:08:56. > :08:59.space and communal gardens, which is exactly what allotments are, given
:09:00. > :09:05.the current long waiting list in so many parts of the country for
:09:06. > :09:10.allotments? My lords, first of all on green spaces in general, as I
:09:11. > :09:14.have indicated, they are the subject of consultation in the housing white
:09:15. > :09:17.paper, and my noble lord is right about the importance of appropriate
:09:18. > :09:21.density provision but with those green spaces. An allotment in
:09:22. > :09:24.particular we give special consideration and have done since
:09:25. > :09:29.1908, and if anything that production has been ramped up in the
:09:30. > :09:32.2014 guidelines. With regard to the waiting list, I have spoken to the
:09:33. > :09:36.National allotment society, and pressure has eased an allotment
:09:37. > :09:41.waiting list, there is still waiting list but it is not as long as it was
:09:42. > :09:45.ten years ago. Would my noble friend recognise that private landowners
:09:46. > :09:52.are often very well placed to make land available for allotments, and
:09:53. > :09:55.given that, would he encourage Defra to promote discussions between
:09:56. > :09:57.councillors and the NFT and other representatives of landowners to see
:09:58. > :10:03.if they can find ways to promote private provision? My noble friend
:10:04. > :10:07.makes a very important point. Having spoken with the National allotment
:10:08. > :10:11.society, they are at the moment discussing and bring to fruition a
:10:12. > :10:16.plan with British Telecom making available a lot of land that has
:10:17. > :10:19.previously been now disused telephone exchanges, I think 1200,
:10:20. > :10:24.which will be used for allotments, which is very heartening. But I do
:10:25. > :10:30.take on board what my noble friend has said and echo it. 100 years ago
:10:31. > :10:34.last month, the Germans declared unrestricted U-boat warfare on this
:10:35. > :10:37.nation and almost starved us to death, and allotments became very
:10:38. > :10:42.important as they were in the Second World War. Whilst allotments are
:10:43. > :10:45.wonderful things, does the noble lord the Minister not feel that
:10:46. > :10:46.protecting our merchant shipping and having enough warships might be more
:10:47. > :10:56.important? It's like a round of Mornington
:10:57. > :11:00.Crescent with the noble Lord, he always succeed in bringing it in but
:11:01. > :11:04.of course I agree about the importance of allotments, and
:11:05. > :11:09.ensuring we have appropriate food supplies. Whilst there are massive
:11:10. > :11:15.numbers of houses planned for the future, and I have seen no reference
:11:16. > :11:21.in the literature about that about the provision of allotments for news
:11:22. > :11:25.housing -- new housing which will be appended to many small communities
:11:26. > :11:30.which have plenty of provision but there is nothing on the map to show
:11:31. > :11:35.what will be added to that provision when the new houses are built. My
:11:36. > :11:39.noble friend I'm sure will take comfort from the fact that in
:11:40. > :11:45.neighbourhood planning, which of course those it rude to the localism
:11:46. > :11:50.act of 2011, many areas are bringing forward plans for neighbourhood
:11:51. > :11:55.allotments, Exeter, Norwich, Edward Heath just to give some examples. My
:11:56. > :12:02.Lords, further to the question from his noble friend, if the noble Lord
:12:03. > :12:07.aware that the National Trust provides some allotments and that
:12:08. > :12:11.there are a number of charities that have communal gardens to help people
:12:12. > :12:14.with mental health problems and that rooting around in the soil and
:12:15. > :12:25.seeing plants grow and harvesting them is a wonderful rehabilitative
:12:26. > :12:30.practice. My Lords, the noble countess makes a very valuable point
:12:31. > :12:34.about all of the benefits of allotments, and that is why we
:12:35. > :12:38.provide special protection for them and give such importance to them in
:12:39. > :12:41.neighbourhood planning, community right to bid and the planning
:12:42. > :12:46.framework I spoke of. My Lords, again referring back to the question
:12:47. > :12:53.from the noble Viscount Hailsham, would the noble Minister agree that
:12:54. > :12:58.one of the great benefit of allotment is the diversity of what
:12:59. > :13:03.is grown on them and the effect that has the are pollinators which is
:13:04. > :13:06.extremely important to agriculture and is he not think that is a good
:13:07. > :13:15.region to encourage farmers to make land available? My Lords, the noble
:13:16. > :13:18.Baroness makes important point about pollinators and the variety of
:13:19. > :13:21.plants and vegetables in allotment and I had the opportunity to see
:13:22. > :13:27.this with my own brother and I hope he is listening so I can benefit
:13:28. > :13:31.from it again this year. My Lords, in the London area in the past the
:13:32. > :13:35.obligations were less for the local authorities also is that still the
:13:36. > :13:41.position that London is treated differently? The noble Baroness
:13:42. > :13:44.understands London like few others and she is absolutely right that
:13:45. > :13:49.that was the position in the 1908 act but I think since the 1925 act
:13:50. > :13:53.London is dealt with on exactly the same basis. If I am wrong on that, I
:13:54. > :14:00.will write to her and put a copy of the letter in the library. Does the
:14:01. > :14:05.noble Lord agree with me that once we have left the European Union are
:14:06. > :14:11.probably going to have to grow a lot more of our own food? And therefore
:14:12. > :14:15.we are going to need many more allotments in which case we need to
:14:16. > :14:18.look at the law again but can you tell me whether the Department for
:14:19. > :14:25.exiting the EU had this on its agenda? My Lords, first of all, I
:14:26. > :14:32.think as I have indicated in relation to an earlier response, I
:14:33. > :14:36.think growing our own food is of importance anyway. I don't know if
:14:37. > :14:38.we are looking at this particularly through the Department of exiting
:14:39. > :14:43.the EU but it is of extreme importance, as are all the other
:14:44. > :14:46.benefits we have from allotment and why they are so important as has
:14:47. > :14:48.been indicated today. This is my noble friend aware that concerned
:14:49. > :14:54.about public parks to which the noble Lord made reference is widely
:14:55. > :14:56.shared across the house? Can he say anything about what the government
:14:57. > :15:06.is doing now to safeguard their future while this consultation
:15:07. > :15:09.exercise grinds along? My Lords, I do share the view that this is
:15:10. > :15:14.extremely important as my noble friend as indicated as I said, this
:15:15. > :15:17.is acknowledged in the housing White Paper, we have many challenges,
:15:18. > :15:21.building more houses at the same time as predicting Green Belt and
:15:22. > :15:26.public parks and as I say, it is open for consultation to take views
:15:27. > :15:29.from people until the 2nd of May. My Lords, I beg to ask the question
:15:30. > :15:35.standing on the order paper in my name. My Lords we know the careers
:15:36. > :15:38.advice still there is usually even though there is a lot of good work
:15:39. > :15:43.underway and that is why we will publish a comrade 's career strategy
:15:44. > :15:47.for all ages later this year. We want to build on the progress so
:15:48. > :15:53.far. The careers and enterprise company has made an excellent start
:15:54. > :15:55.and is boosting the level of employer input into schools and
:15:56. > :16:00.colleges and the National careers service continues to provide free
:16:01. > :16:04.impartial support across the country and has excellent customer
:16:05. > :16:09.satisfaction rates. My Lords, there is a great need in this country for
:16:10. > :16:14.skills and many 16-year-old and others are not aware of the
:16:15. > :16:19.vocational education opportunities available. I recently met with the
:16:20. > :16:23.aerospace industry you are combining together with what other
:16:24. > :16:29.organisations and trade is to offer training and vocational
:16:30. > :16:35.opportunities. Can I say to the Minister that these opportunities
:16:36. > :16:40.are not always, people are not always aware of these opportunities
:16:41. > :16:44.for training and vocational education and suchlike and to ensure
:16:45. > :16:48.the government publicises the many opportunities that are available in
:16:49. > :16:56.this country for training, education and vocational. I share the noble
:16:57. > :17:00.Lord's concern about the lack of awareness in some cases in these
:17:01. > :17:06.opportunities and of course we are determined to increase the status of
:17:07. > :17:09.technical education which we are discussing in the technical and
:17:10. > :17:13.further education bill and we have accepted an amendment from Lord
:17:14. > :17:17.Baker in that built to require schools to allow principles of
:17:18. > :17:22.institutions offering technical education to come into the schools
:17:23. > :17:25.to meet the pupils. My Lords, in a recent report by the young women's
:17:26. > :17:30.trust on apprenticeships it was found that young women received less
:17:31. > :17:33.average pay, less on-the-job training and were more likely to be
:17:34. > :17:37.out of work after their apprenticeships than their male
:17:38. > :17:41.counterparts and are declared an interest as a trustee of the young
:17:42. > :17:44.women's trust. Part of the problem is the occupational segregation that
:17:45. > :17:47.occurs so will be noble lord say what the government is doing to make
:17:48. > :17:55.sure that young women received the appropriate careers advice? I share
:17:56. > :18:01.the noble lady's concern about this. Our reforms to career guidance are
:18:02. > :18:05.based on schools connecting with pupils to understand the breadth of
:18:06. > :18:08.opportunity available to them and particularly in relation to girls,
:18:09. > :18:14.we welcome initiatives like the inspiring women campaign run by
:18:15. > :18:22.inspiring the future and we also have a lot of activity underway to
:18:23. > :18:25.stimulate more interest in the stimulating physics network and a
:18:26. > :18:30.further mass support group which provides support to schools with a
:18:31. > :18:33.particular focus on engaging girls. My Lords, I believe there is
:18:34. > :18:35.something like 58% of graduates who are employed in what is described as
:18:36. > :18:40.non-graduate jobs will I suggest part of the reason for
:18:41. > :18:46.that is that there is not an efficient functioning of guiding
:18:47. > :18:52.young people at university into career areas which are suitable for
:18:53. > :18:56.them and indeed, as comment date --, dead, people are not aware there is
:18:57. > :18:59.advice at university. I hope the government will think hard about how
:19:00. > :19:04.it can improve that and actually make our graduates get into the sort
:19:05. > :19:08.of jobs they are suitable for. My noble friend makes an extremely good
:19:09. > :19:15.point and I note might colleague Minister Johnson is very focused on
:19:16. > :19:20.this -- I know. I remember being told that we are the worst country
:19:21. > :19:27.in Europe for aligning courses in universities with jobs available and
:19:28. > :19:31.we believe that the plans on the higher education bill will make
:19:32. > :19:34.students much more focused on what are worthwhile occupations. A few
:19:35. > :19:40.months ago the noble Lord without the technical further education Bill
:19:41. > :19:43.in which he had accepted a cross-party amendment which means
:19:44. > :19:46.that from September all state funded school in England must provide
:19:47. > :19:50.access to a range of education training providers and it was very
:19:51. > :19:55.much welcome by all those in committee but in that debate he
:19:56. > :19:58.said, our career strategy will not be effective unless schools and
:19:59. > :20:01.colleges are held to account for the quality of their careers provision.
:20:02. > :20:11.Stead had an important role to play in this regard. -- Ofsted. With the
:20:12. > :20:15.noble Lord accept that when this comes into effect, Ofsted should
:20:16. > :20:18.only give an overall good or outstanding rating to a school or
:20:19. > :20:25.college if it concluded the careers advice providing by them is of a
:20:26. > :20:30.good or outstanding standard? There were about 30 different categories
:20:31. > :20:36.of ratings when we came into government and we were keen to
:20:37. > :20:37.simplify the arrangements. They have sharpened their approach
:20:38. > :20:40.specifically to careers and continues to remind inspectors of
:20:41. > :20:44.the importance of effective information advice and guidance and
:20:45. > :20:49.careers provision features within three of the four graded judgments,
:20:50. > :20:54.if that Mr -- effectiveness of leadership and management, personal
:20:55. > :21:00.element, behaviour and welcome and outcomes. My Lords, what advice is
:21:01. > :21:04.provided for minority women who want to break out of the stereotypical
:21:05. > :21:12.jobs towards which they are normally encouraged to move and actually do
:21:13. > :21:16.careers who are not normally assumed to be their domain? What support
:21:17. > :21:22.once they make those choices in order to enable them to continue? I
:21:23. > :21:27.have already referred to the inspiring women and stimulative
:21:28. > :21:32.physics network and the further mass support programme which particularly
:21:33. > :21:37.focused on encouraging women into this. And of course schools should
:21:38. > :21:43.be organised to particularly encourage their female pupils to see
:21:44. > :21:49.a wide range of career opportunities for them and support them further to
:21:50. > :21:54.make sure that they are encouraged to go on visits and trips which, as
:21:55. > :21:58.we know, is sometimes not easy. Does the Minister agree that one of the
:21:59. > :22:07.things... My Lords, we all wait for this
:22:08. > :22:10.competitive strategy with great anticipation. Would the Minister
:22:11. > :22:14.agree that part of this, Brent of strategy should ensure that there is
:22:15. > :22:22.properly trained people who give face-to-face advice to people and
:22:23. > :22:27.secondly, the importance of careers and jobs and enterprise at primary
:22:28. > :22:32.school level? I agree that careers advice should start at an early age,
:22:33. > :22:37.it depends on how you pitch it but certainly all schools should be
:22:38. > :22:39.identifying their children's passions and interests and
:22:40. > :22:45.attitudes. It's interesting what he says about face-to-face advice,
:22:46. > :22:50.there is clearly evidence that if that is all one is relying on it is
:22:51. > :22:53.a very ineffective strategy and most studies have concluded that the best
:22:54. > :22:59.careers advice comes through activities with employers and there
:23:00. > :23:03.is evidence that five or more employer engagement during secondary
:23:04. > :23:08.school means that students are seven times less likely to be meat.
:23:09. > :23:17.I beg leave to ask the question standing in my name on the order
:23:18. > :23:23.paper. My Lords, the OTS's current VAT simplification review will not
:23:24. > :23:25.consider these issues. The review is focused on identifying opportunities
:23:26. > :23:31.for simple negation of the VAT system and establishing whether the
:23:32. > :23:35.system is working to minimise tax compliance burdens. The government
:23:36. > :23:39.has gone to great lengths to promote healthy eating, drinking and
:23:40. > :23:42.lifestyles, announcing a new soft drinks industry levy and a sugar
:23:43. > :23:49.reduction programme to help address childhood obesity. My Lords, I'm
:23:50. > :23:52.grateful to the noble lady for a reply but disappointed and I'm
:23:53. > :23:57.wondering whether in fact she might not be persuaded to reflect on the
:23:58. > :24:01.need for a further examination of this subject. Wilshere agree that in
:24:02. > :24:06.fact Brexit provides the opportunity for us to look at the 18th, customs
:24:07. > :24:10.and excise duty and whole range of taxes and a much more flexible way
:24:11. > :24:14.than we have been able to do before when linked to Europe -- will she
:24:15. > :24:18.agreed. Though she agree that we have a major problem with the cost
:24:19. > :24:21.alcohol is causing to the NHS and one of the ways we might change that
:24:22. > :24:24.is by the ways we might change that is by endeavouring to persuade
:24:25. > :24:28.people to move from the high-strength drinks down to lower
:24:29. > :24:34.strength drinks and that now we have this flexibility coming, there is a
:24:35. > :24:39.strong case to effect such a change? My Lords, I have some sympathy with
:24:40. > :24:42.the point the noble Lord makes. The government believes that alcohol
:24:43. > :24:48.duties should be related to the alcohol strength of drinks but as he
:24:49. > :24:53.says, EU law currently restricts changes to the rates and indeed the
:24:54. > :24:59.structure of alcohol duties. We have already said that we would like any
:25:00. > :25:03.future changes to allow duty on wine to rise in line with alcoholic
:25:04. > :25:07.strength. We are constrained until we leave the EU but we will
:25:08. > :25:13.certainly consider this issue carefully in the light of EU exit.
:25:14. > :25:20.My Lords, the noble lady, my noble friend will be aware that the health
:25:21. > :25:24.Minister made reference to the ad hoc scrutiny committee on the
:25:25. > :25:30.licensing act 2003 to the effect that customs and excise duty would
:25:31. > :25:36.be reviewed precisely in this regard. Given the hard work that the
:25:37. > :25:42.noble Lord Brooke has been doing over many years in this regard, what
:25:43. > :25:49.plans does the government have to look at pricing, taxation and
:25:50. > :25:51.potentially minimum unit pricing is at staple controlling alcohol,
:25:52. > :25:54.predicted a harmful effect on all age groups of alcohol and excessive
:25:55. > :26:04.alcohol abuse? The Government obviously looks
:26:05. > :26:08.forward to the work being done by the committee looking into the
:26:09. > :26:11.licensing act, learning from what has worked well and what has worked
:26:12. > :26:16.less well, and I think it's fair to say that the Government has done a
:26:17. > :26:24.whole range of things to try and tackle the problem of cheap alcohol,
:26:25. > :26:27.the lower strength drinks have lower rates, there are higher duties on
:26:28. > :26:36.higher strength beers and ciders, we took action to ban sales in England
:26:37. > :26:42.and Wales below duty and vat, we amended the definition of ciders
:26:43. > :26:47.that only products with a minimum 35% apple or pear juice can be
:26:48. > :26:50.called cider for tax purposes. And we have worked with the Home Office
:26:51. > :26:54.and the police to take a whole load of measures which I think are very
:26:55. > :26:58.important. Noble Lords will know that I used to be in the retail
:26:59. > :27:02.industry, and this was an area that exercised me a lot, and indeed we
:27:03. > :27:05.supported the minimum unit from pricing which came in in Scotland
:27:06. > :27:16.and is now the subject of court action. I share the disappointment
:27:17. > :27:20.of my noble friend and the Ministers' reply. I understand what
:27:21. > :27:25.the Minister says when it is about signification, but it is also an
:27:26. > :27:30.opportunity. If the Education Minister can devote a levy to
:27:31. > :27:36.schools, a levy upon soft links to school sports in order to tackle the
:27:37. > :27:47.problem of obesity, why on earth can we not look at VAT to see ways in
:27:48. > :27:53.which we can ensure that the issues of heavy drinking and alcoholic
:27:54. > :28:01.drinks is tackled as being quite an acute health problem, and it needs
:28:02. > :28:04.the resources. Alcohol is a problem, and I think I gave a positive answer
:28:05. > :28:12.in relation to the direction of travel. Outlining the issues that
:28:13. > :28:17.there are in relation to the EU rates and structures of alcohol
:28:18. > :28:24.duties. The truth is that alcohol, obesity, our problems right across
:28:25. > :28:30.the board, and that is one of the reasons why local authorities have
:28:31. > :28:33.?16 billion for public health over the spending review period, and that
:28:34. > :28:41.is in addition to the Ph.D. Funding, and what the NHS itself spends on
:28:42. > :28:46.invention. Our GPs do a marvellous job, and I have been very struck by
:28:47. > :28:51.the way they support the measures that we need an alcohol. But I take
:28:52. > :28:58.the point that the licensing and tax regime are also important. My lords,
:28:59. > :29:02.could the noble baroness inform us if the Government is content with
:29:03. > :29:08.the way white cider is currently being marketed and taxed? Whiteside
:29:09. > :29:15.is in fact not cider at all, and many bottles have the equivalent of
:29:16. > :29:20.11 units of vodka in them. In some shops, it is cheaper per litre than
:29:21. > :29:27.milk. I understand that there is potential to increase tax on this
:29:28. > :29:34.within the EU guidelines to reduce its destructive effect, particularly
:29:35. > :29:37.on young people. We have made the changes in the rules that I
:29:38. > :29:43.mentioned. We have had a number of representations including Whiteside
:29:44. > :29:47.in the context of the budget. And I would only add of course that the UK
:29:48. > :29:54.cider industry is an important part of the Rock economy. It uses almost
:29:55. > :29:58.half of the apples produced in this country. -- the rural economy. The
:29:59. > :30:02.Sheffield research group has suggested that a 50p minimum unit
:30:03. > :30:07.pricing for alcohol together with a duty escalator could save around 700
:30:08. > :30:12.lives a year from alcohol-related causes. Wouldn't it therefore be in
:30:13. > :30:21.the interests of the country, the NHS and the Treasury to introduce
:30:22. > :30:26.such policies? We have of course already banned sales in England and
:30:27. > :30:31.Wales are low duty and VAT, but the minimum unit pricing introduced in
:30:32. > :30:37.Scotland is actually subject to an appeal in the Scottish courts, and
:30:38. > :30:39.whilst that is continuing, the introduction of unit pricing in
:30:40. > :30:42.England and Wales has to remain under review.