The Baroness Merron
Labour
Member of the House of Lords
F
Baroness Merron's full title is The Baroness Merron. Her name is Gillian Joanna Merron, and she is a current member of the House of Lords.
Allowance claims · 2026
Daily attendance allowance
£0
17 days attended across 1 published month
Total claimed
£0
Source: House of Lords Finance Office monthly publications, refreshed on the 5th of each month.
Ministerial activity
Records on file
195
195 meetings ·
0 hospitality ·
0 gifts ·
0 overseas trips
· 2024-07-01 → 2026-03-31
Recent meetings · latest 20 of 195
| Date | Met with | Purpose | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-25 | British Medical Association | to discuss mental health services for children and young people | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-24 | Endometriosis UK, Cysters | to discuss inequalities and endometriosis care | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-24 | National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce | meeting of the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to discuss maternity and neonatal care | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-24 | Simon Opher MP, Manchester Metropolitan University, Policy Connect, Wellcome Trust, Chilren and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, Centre for Mental Health, Autism Action, Mental Health Innovations, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, 42nd Street, Queen Mary University | to discuss primary prevention for children and young people's mental health | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-18 | Calum Miller MP, Survivor Space | to discuss support for victims of sexual violence | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-17 | BEAT, First Steps ED, Support and Empathy for people with Eating Disorders (SEED), King's College London, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorder Association (SWEDA) | to discuss eating disorders | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-16 | College for Sexual and Reproductive Health | to discuss women's health | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-16 | Wellbeing of Women | to discuss women's health | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-16 | Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists | to discuss women's health | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-16 | Chris Hinchcliff MP, It's Never You | to discuss mental health support for families of children with a serious illness | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-10 | APPG for Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention, Samaritans | to discuss the Government's work on suicide prevention | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-03-04 | Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, GreensquareAccord | to discuss women's health | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-02-10 | Modality | to discuss women's health | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-02-09 | Sarah Olney MP and Philip Pirie | to discuss suicide prevention and suicide stigma | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-02-04 | Money and Mental Health, Nationwide, Lloyds Bank, HSBC, Santander, Barclays, Monzo, Natwest, Starling, TSB, Yorkshire Building Society, Building Societies' Association | to discuss suicide prevention and the role of financial services | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-02-04 | Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists | Introductary meeting with the incoming President of RCOG | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-01-27 | Professor Louis Appleby | to discuss suicide prevention | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-01-22 | National Children's Bureau | to discuss children's mental health | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-01-22 | Women's Trust | to discuss domestic abuse and therapeutic support | department-of-health-and-social-care |
| 2026-01-21 | Jessica Toale MP, Autism Action, bereaved families and people with lived experience | to discuss autism in women and girls and mental health | department-of-health-and-social-care |
Source: gov.uk ministerial transparency returns. Coverage:
HM Treasury and DSIT. Published quarterly under the Ministerial
Code; refreshed monthly on the 7th.
Lords votes · 2026
189 divisions
5 Content(2.6%)
167 Not-Content(88.4%)
17 didn't vote(9.0%)
2026-07-21
Not-Content
173–234
Not-Content
2026-07-13
Not-Content
41–118
Not-Content
2026-07-13
Not-Content
142–138
Content
2026-07-13
Not-Content
158–239
Not-Content
2026-06-09
Not-Content
13–66
Not-Content
2026-04-27
Not-Content
58–138
Not-Content
2026-04-23
Not-Content
152–207
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
27–89
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
30–130
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
46–117
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
135–154
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
65–173
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
178–231
Not-Content
2026-04-13
Not-Content
69–332
Not-Content
2026-03-26
Not-Content
115–197
Not-Content
2026-03-26
Not-Content
64–140
Not-Content
2026-03-25
Not-Content
95–137
Not-Content
2026-03-24
Not-Content
70–132
Not-Content
2026-03-24
Not-Content
80–166
Not-Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
193–143
Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
194–140
Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
198–139
Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
208–142
Content
2026-03-05
Not-Content
214–142
Content
2026-02-04
Not-Content
62–295
Not-Content
2026-01-12
Not-Content
201–169
Content
Source: lordsvotes-api.parliament.uk. "Result" shows the headline
Content vs Not-Content tally (including tellers). The Lords doesn't
publish a "didn't vote" attendance roll like the Commons, so the
figure above conflates absence with abstention.
Recent Hansard contributions · latest 25
2026-09-15
Neighbourhood Health and Social Care
All the local systems have their line of accountability, with which I know noble Lords are familiar. Currently, for example, ICBs report to NHS England. Subject to the passing of the Health Bill, that will now come within the department and there will be
2026-09-15
Neighbourhood Health and Social Care
I certainly agree with my noble friend on that point. That is why achieving neighbourhood health will rely critically on that strong partnership, which will include civil society, as she says.
2026-09-15
Neighbourhood Health and Social Care
The Neighbourhood Health Framework published in March, which I mentioned, requires local systems to develop neighbourhood health plans. That will give a very clear basis for measuring impact, which we do not have at the moment. I certainly agree with the
2026-09-15
Neighbourhood Health and Social Care
That is a very good point. Young carers are sometimes left out, to the detriment, as I said earlier, of services and policy. I bring us back to the requirement in the Neighbourhood Health Framework, which we published just in March of this year, and add
2026-09-15
Neighbourhood Health and Social Care
My noble friend is right to identify that, if we are going to deliver neighbourhood healthcare and make improvements in social care, we have to join up the NHS and local government. That is key to our whole approach to neighbourhood health. That is why h
2026-09-15
Neighbourhood Health and Social Care
We recognise the continuing challenge that we inherited in terms of workforce, but that is why we are investing in the adult social care workforce. In 2028, the first ever fair pay agreement will come in, which will be backed by £500 million of funding.
2026-09-15
Neighbourhood Health and Social Care
The noble Baroness is quite right to talk about people having more complex needs, and, indeed, we are also living longer. However, the current health system is organised around institutions and services that are complex, disjointed and difficult to navig
2026-09-15
Neighbourhood Health and Social Care
I certainly can give that reassurance to my noble friend. I am glad she recognises that our move towards neighbourhood health is not just a shift on paper but a real turnaround in how we see people and services. Coproduction is required for neighbourhood
2026-09-15
Neighbourhood Health and Social Care
My Lords, this Government support the integration of neighbourhood health and social care. Our approach to neighbourhood health brings services together so that people experience more joined-up and person-centred care, including from integrated neighbour
2026-09-10
Patient Data: Research
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Patel, on securing this debate and on his acknowledgement of the importance of patient data to research and of what the Government have done to date. I also thank noble Lords for their very thoughtful and inf
2026-09-09
NHS: Agency Medical Staff
The noble Baroness has not asked me to make a commitment, and I am glad that she did not, because I could not give that commitment at this stage. However, in addition to the action that we are taking, which I referred to earlier in this Question, we are
2026-09-09
NHS: Agency Medical Staff
The noble Lord has welcomed our emphasis on the continuity of care. It is the best form of healthcare that we can offer. The only way to do that properly is through an established NHS workforce. The reality is, as noble Lords will be very aware, that the
2026-09-09
NHS: Agency Medical Staff
I will certainly take away the points that the noble Lord raised, but I do not recognise his description of reshuffling, not least because the requirements on local health providers to reduce agency expenditure are quite clear. They have to report agains
2026-09-09
NHS: Agency Medical Staff
Agency staff can cost the NHS more, which the noble Lord referred to. That is why we now have the agency price cap, which did not exist when agency spending rose completely out of control—for example, it stood at around £3.7 billion in 2015-16, because t
2026-09-09
NHS: Agency Medical Staff
The key theme my noble friend is raising here is very much about staff retention within the NHS. That is not only the ideal but the practical, best way forward. We are taking action, including, as my noble friend talks about, on flexible working. We are
2026-09-09
NHS: Agency Medical Staff
I am not sure about something that specific. Our whole emphasis is to end spending on agency staff, but patient safety has to come first. That is why we still have some use of agency staff, and where we need temporary staff, using the NHS staff bank, we
2026-09-09
NHS: Agency Medical Staff
On the basis we have moved beyond spring of this year, I can say that, to ensure the workforce plan reflects the new Government we have, the Secretary of State and my colleague, Minister Karin Smyth MP, the responsible Minister, are working to ensure the
2026-09-09
NHS: Agency Medical Staff
In the not-too-distant future, the mental health strategy will pull together all of the strands that the noble Baroness and her colleague are concerned with, and she is right to be concerned about them. In all these areas, patient safety comes first. Tha
2026-09-09
NHS: Agency Medical Staff
My Lords, in the 10-year health plan we committed to eliminate agency spending by the end of this Parliament. We are making significant progress. Medical agency spending fell by one-third, from £963.5 million in 2024-25 to £642.6 million in 2025-26. Over
2026-09-09
Funeral Directors: Regulatory Regime
On that point, I was interested to look at the figures, which show that the largest three businesses collectively account for approximately a third. The right reverend Prelate emphasises a point made by other noble Lords about the importance of ensuring
2026-09-09
Funeral Directors: Regulatory Regime
I can assure my noble friend that that is indeed what will guide us.
2026-09-09
Funeral Directors: Regulatory Regime
I cannot give a detailed reply to my noble friend, much as I would love to, but I will be glad to look into that and write to him. The main thing to say is that, in all this work, our focus is on the security and dignity of people after death across a wi
2026-09-09
Funeral Directors: Regulatory Regime
That, my Lords, is exactly why we are taking the action that we are.
2026-09-09
Funeral Directors: Regulatory Regime
We look forward to working with other jurisdictions to see how their best practice works, and that will, of course, include Scotland. I am very keen that we continue to work closely, for example, with the funeral provider cohort, most of whom, let us ack
2026-09-09
Funeral Directors: Regulatory Regime
I also want to express my sorrow and support for those who are so deeply affected. Those who have died cannot speak, so it is left to the rest of us to speak for them. In this case, terrible tragedies were put in the path of proper grieving and understan
Source: hansard.parliament.uk via hansard-api. Snippets shown
verbatim from the search API; click any debate title for the full record.
Register of Interests · 2 entries on file
Declarations under the Lords Code of Conduct. Free text — no monetary values, no hours worked. A declaration that an interest exists, not a claim about its size.
Category 1: Remunerated employment etc.
-
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care
registered 2024-07-12 · amended 2025-04-05
Category 3: Land and property
-
Residential property in London SW1 from which rental income is received
registered 2021-04-29 · amended 2025-04-05
Source: UK Parliament Members API (Lords register). Refreshed weekly.
Read the full
Lords Code of Conduct
for what each category covers and the disclosure thresholds.
Party history
1997-05-01 → present
Labour
current
Government posts
2024-07-09 → present
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
2009-06-09 → 2010-05-06
Minister of State (Department of Health) (Public Health)
2008-10-05 → 2009-06-09
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
2008-01-24 → 2008-10-05
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for International Development)
2007-06-28 → 2008-01-25
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Regional Affairs) (East Midlands)
2007-06-28 → 2008-01-25
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Cabinet Office)
2006-05-05 → 2007-06-28
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2004-10-28 → 2006-05-05
Lord Commissioner (HM Treasury) (Whip)
2002-01-01 → 2004-10-28
Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)
Opposition posts
2023-02-21 → 2023-10-26
Shadow Spokesperson (Culture, Media and Sport)
2021-05-18 → 2024-07-05
Opposition Whip (Lords)
2021-05-18 → 2024-07-05
Shadow Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
2021-05-18 → 2023-02-20
Shadow Spokesperson (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Committee memberships
1997-07-09 → 1998-11-09
Trade & Industry
Contact
Parliamentary office
merrong@parliament.uk
020 7219 5353 · House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
020 7219 5353 · House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
APPGs (2026) · 0 active officership(s) · 1 historic
Not currently an officer of any active APPG. Was officer of 1 group(s) historically — those rotated off in later snapshots.
Written parliamentary questions · 2026
No written questions tabled in 2026.
Bills sponsored & supported · 2026
2 bills
0 as lead sponsor
2 as supporter
| Bill | Info | Role | Status | Introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Bill | Supporter | 2nd reading | 2026-05-14 | |
| Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 | Supporter | Royal Assent | 2026-01-13 |
Source: UK Parliament Bills API. "Lead" sponsor is the
primary mover (sortOrder = 1); "Supporter" rows are
members of either House who
backed the bill at introduction. Year is the bill's first-reading
date.
Historic bills (all-time)
4 bills
1 as lead sponsor
3 as supporter
| Bill | Info | Role | Status | Introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Bill | Supported | 2nd reading | 2026-05-14 | |
| Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 | Supported | Royal Assent | 2026-01-13 | |
| Mental Health Act 2025 | Sponsored | Royal Assent | 2024-11-06 | |
| Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 | Supported | Royal Assent | 2024-11-05 |
Same source as the year-scoped panel above, but unconstrained by
year. The "Sponsored" tag = lead sponsor; "Supported" = backed at
introduction. Sorted newest first.