UK Parliament / Open data

Health and Care Bill

My Lords, I support this amendment. I will tell a true story of a teetotal preacher who harangued his congregation that nobody should

be drinking because it is dangerous, damages our health and damages everything else. “Alcohol should be banned,” he said, “and the best thing to do is go and drown it in the river.” Unwittingly, he then said, “Our final hymn is ‘Shall We Gather at the River?’ The beautiful, the beautiful river.” He did not see the contradiction in what he said. This amendment is full of clarity, clarifying areas that need to be put fairly clearly. The obligation that it puts on the Secretary of State and, incidentally, all of us is very clear. Because of the real danger in what overdrinking does to a lot of people, I say: no, we shall not gather at that river, that beautiful, beautiful river.

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
818 c1224 
Session
2021-22
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Back to top