Lords debate ways to improve nutrition
5 October 2010
The role of regulation in the food chain and of food standards in improving nutrition will be debated in the House of Lords in the second of two debates taking place on Thursday 7 October.
Lord Whitty (Labour), a former Minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will open the debate.
- Watch the debate on food standards regulation (on Thursday 7 October at approx 2pm)
- Lords Hansard: Read a transcript of the debate (available approx 3 hours from the start of the debate)
Other Members scheduled to speak include:
- Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (Crossbench), a specialist in palliative care and former president of the Royal Society of Medicine
- Lord Giddens (Labour), director of the Centre for Social Research
- Lord Patel (Crossbench), a consultant obstetrician and council member of the Medical Research Council
- Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat), former Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
- Baroness Thornton (Labour), opposition spokesperson for Health
Earl Howe will speak on behalf of the Government.
Further Information
A 'balloted debate' provides a forum to discuss a subject rather than decide on it. This type of debate takes its name from how the subject for discussion is chosen – by randomly selecting from the topics proposed by Members of the Lords. The Clerk of the Parliaments carries this out.
Only Members on the back benches and cross benches can propose a topic for debate – known as tabling a motion.
Because of the time limit for a balloted debate, the subject for debate must be narrow enough to discuss in that time. There are limits to speaking time for Members taking part. A schedule of speakers is usually available in advance.
Five hours are set aside on one Thursday in each month for two balloted debates in the House of Lords.
Members of the public can attend House of Lords debates and follow proceedings from the public gallery.