Biography
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean has engaged with health and social care topics primarily through debate speeches in the House of Lords, with particular focus on social care reform, end of life legislation, and the impact of government policies on vulnerable groups including those with autism and learning disabilities. He has emphasised the need for adequate funding to address social care and NHS waiting lists, and has raised concerns about how recent policy changes—such as VAT on private school fees and national insurance contributions—would affect families with children with special needs and the broader social care sector. His contributions reflect a concern with both the principle of parliamentary procedure and the practical consequences of government decisions on care provision.
Generated from their own Hansard record, below
“My Lords, perhaps I could be permitted a few words of my own. Ann Widdecombe was a friend of mine for more than 50 years, believe it or not. She had that quality that guarantees all other virtues: immense courage. She also had great empathy for people, even those she disagreed with.”
Record by topic
- Learning disability & autism441st of 8998.0
- Cancer332nd of 6224.0
- Palliative & end of life care294th of 5684.0
- NHS waiting lists302nd of 5344.0
- Maternity & neonatal363rd of 4382.0
- Adult social care & reform312th of 3762.0
- Dentistry access175th of 1942.0
- Care home closures & provider failure39th of 472.0
What they’ve said
“My Lords, I do not know if I am alone in being frequently asked by people, from time to time, “What is the point of an unelected House of Lords?” I now have the absolutely mind-blowing answer, which is to refer them to these two days of debate on this really difficult subject and the range of expertise which we have he…”
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill · 2025-09-19 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…My father died in agony. When I went to see him, I said, “I’m so sorry that your cancer is causing you this distress”. He said to me, “Michael, you are to blame”. I was completely poleaxed by that.”
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill · 2025-09-12 · Read on Hansard ↗
“As always, my noble friend makes an excellent point, but it takes me slightly off the subject. I am kind of arguing that these procedural arguments are trounced by the fact that what is being done here is that primary legislation is in effect being amended by secondary legislation—to which, as he says, we cannot make a…”
Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2025 · 2025-07-22 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…Treasury, which refuses to provide the money that is needed for social care and is the key to cutting waiting lists and moving forward in the health service. Should not the Government just have the courage to commit to the resource that is necessary instead of kicking this into the long grass for another three years wh…”
Social Care Reform · 2025-05-22 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…NHS, which is acute at present and even more acute for people with particularly severe orthodontic conditions, will get worse. He tells me, for example, that people can wait until their teenage years before they get treatment, and then they have to show that they have had treatment for the previous few years.”
National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill · 2025-01-21 · Read on Hansard ↗
Contributions reproduced under the Open Parliament Licence.