Feryal Clark
MP for Enfield North · Labour · United Kingdom
“I thank the Minister for her response. Our world-class bus drivers are the backbone of London’s bus service but have borne the brunt of the extreme heat that the city has been experiencing.”
“I welcome the Secretary of State’s actions to protect children from online harm, especially the harms-based approach she is taking. I have heard evidence from educational digital content creators, whose resources are a lifeline for young people.”
“I welcome the Minister to her place. My constituency was one of the lucky ones that was awarded a banking hub two years ago, and I worked with Cash Access UK to secure a temporary place in the council library. Two years on, it has failed to secure an accessible permanent site and is refusing to engage with me.”
“One of the issues that set Labour apart from other parties is the sheer number of new jobs we are creating in priority areas such as tech, defence and our green industries in constituencies such as mine, Enfield North, as well as across Wales and the rest of the UK.”
“I thank my right hon. Friend for visiting Enfield Wash in my constituency last week. After 14 years of Conservative cuts, Enfield lost around 60% of its funding, hitting vital services such as adult social care, youth services and our high street.”
“Does my hon. Friend agree that the measures are so sweeping that it is not just asylum seekers who are caught by them, but, as my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Limehouse (Apsana Begum) mentioned, those who arrived under the ECAA route, also known as the Ankara agreement?”
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“Shockingly, it has fallen to them to act, because retail crime and the abuse of shop workers has exploded under this Government. After 13 years of Tory Government, over 90% of crimes are going unsolved, meaning that criminals are less than half as likely to be caught than they were under the last Labour Government. More criminals are being let off and far more victims are being let down. The Tories’ shoplifting charter means that offences involving goods under £200 are rarely investigated properly and criminals are rarely brought to justice. We have also had the decimation of neighbourhood policing, with town centre policing controls cut. Even when offenders are detained by security—as we heard from my hon.”
“If we talk to anyone in retail, they will say that it is not just petty thieves behind this, but serious and organised crime. Criminals operating in gangs are stealing large quantities of goods and selling them, and retail workers are operating on the frontline of this shoplifting epidemic. The Co-op sees an estimated 1,000 cases of shoplifting in its stores a day, and every day four or five staff members are physically attacked. As we have heard, they describe attacks involving syringes and knives; it is truly appalling. No worker should ever have to go into work in such fear or under such a threat of attack. I pay tribute to the shop workers’ union, USDAW, for running a robust campaign on the issue to better protect its members, and to the retailers investing in anti-theft measures and better security for their stores.”
“Retail crime, violence, threats and abuse towards shop workers have increased substantially in recent years, and my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon set out the harrowing levels of violence and assaults. Research by the Co-op shows that there have been 300,000 incidents involving shoplifting, abuse and violence in its stores in the past year alone. Figures from the British Retail Consortium, the retail trade body, show that retail crime in England and Wales was up 26% in 2022, which equates to a staggering 850 incidents every day. That is goods being lifted and staff being abused physically or threatened with weapons. Of course, there is a cost to retailers and consumers too. The BRC estimated that, in 2021, even before the current peak in shoplifting incidents, stolen goods had cost retailers £1 billion.”
“The impact of the abuse of shop workers is far-reaching, whether that is the physical and emotional toll on those who suffer the abuse, the impact of theft on employers and retailers or the knock-on impact of those issues on our high streets, which lose out massively when local residents say they do not feel safe in their communities. I pay tribute to the contributions made by my hon. Friends the Members for Manchester, Withington (Jeff Smith) and for Stockport (Navendu Mishra) and the hon. Member for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill (Steven Bonnar)—I hope I have that right. Retail crime is a blight on our high streets and local communities. Anecdotally, it is felt by our constituents on a daily basis, but that is also borne out in the statistics, which reveal horrible and worrying trends.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. It is also a pleasure to stand across the Chamber from the Minister for the first time. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Liz Twist) on securing this important debate, and I thank all the Members who have participated and put on record why it is so important. I spent a great many years—about 10 years from the age of 14—working in retail. Granted, that was a long time ago, but I do not remember things being so bad for retail workers.”
“Women continue to be failed by maternity services across England, as has been highlighted by a string of scandals including East Kent, Nottingham and Morecambe Bay. The Care Quality Commission’s maternity inspections over the past year downgraded many maternity units, branding two thirds of them as dangerously substandard and highlighting shortages of staff, among other problems. What additional steps is the Minister taking to ensure that a woman can go into maternity services knowing that she and her baby will come out alive, and can she tell us whether the recommendations of the Kirkup and Ockenden reviews have been fully implemented?”
“Now that the Government have left themselves with no choice but to send fewer people to prison and let more out early because there is simply no space for them, how many convicted criminals are currently on bail awaiting sentence, compared with this time last year? When do the Government expect normal service to resume?”
“All those problems demand the very best from the Government, but sadly they have no plan to fix them. Our economy, like our country, is crying out for change. We need a Government who are on the side of working people and who have ambition, energy and ideas, but this is a tired Government who have lost their goal to govern. The Prime Minister and his Government have failed my constituents and the country. The only way to deliver the change he talks about and which the country needs is to call a general election.”
“Rents in the UK were recently reported to be the highest on record. Far too few homes are being built, mortgage rates are spiralling out of control, and families in my constituency of Enfield North are paying an extra £350 on their mortgages every month, all thanks to 13 years of economic mismanagement and the Tory party’s mortgage bombshell. Things like working hard, buying a home and raising a family are difficult enough as it is. People expect the Government to keep the economy stable so that their family’s future is secure, but meeting monthly payments is now forcing tough choices, from having to cut back on the weekly shop to abandoning family holidays. A food bank in my constituency recently told me that demand this year is out of control.”
“According to the charity Crisis, the loss of private tenancy is the leading cause of homelessness. In Enfield, the risk of homelessness increased by 38% because of section 21 notices last year. This Government have chosen to delay banning section 21 evictions for four years. These are not lifestyle choices—they are hard evidence of Tory failure. These evictions are not only deeply distressing to renters, causing grief and hardship, but costly to the public purse. In fact, Enfield Council faces spending an additional £20 million on temporary accommodation this year alone—that is £20 million that the local authority can no longer spend on public services, despite the dire need for investment and reform. That is funding it can no longer spend on housing or on stuff like social care—the list goes on.”
“My borough of Enfield has been hit particularly hard by this eviction crisis, having the highest number of section 21 evictions in the whole of London. It leads to a massive increase in homelessness, increased use of temporary accommodation such as hotels, a huge financial burden on local authorities as they try to grapple with the cost of that accommodation, and increased fear and anxiety for families across the country. I fear that the Government know all too well the impact that these evictions are having on people, but they either do not care or cannot stand up to their party. Last week, we had the former Home Secretary, the right hon. and learned Member for Fareham (Suella Braverman), declaring war on the use of tents on the streets, disgracefully stating that homelessness is “a lifestyle choice”.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this King’s Speech debate. After 13 years in power, five Prime Ministers, seven Chancellors, an economic crash and a Brexit without a plan, last week we were presented with a wafer-thin programme that honestly could be done by Christmas. Many of the Bills carried over are watered down and weakened versions of their original selves. One example is the Renters (Reform) Bill. We had to wait four years to debate the Bill. There were five months between First and Second Reading, yet the Bill goes nowhere near far enough to protect renters properly, particularly from no-fault evictions. Court proceedings for no-fault evictions are at a seven-year high.”
“I am grateful to the Secretary of State for giving way. My constituents, Esther and Fred, lost their son two weeks ago in the most horrific of circumstances. The very week that they lost their son they were served a section 21 notice, despite the landlord knowing their circumstances. What message does it send to renters like Esther and Fred that the Government are yet again delaying the abolition of section 21 evictions?”
“We need a plan and we need to see some action; I look forward to hearing the Minister tell us how the Government intend to deliver that.”
“Patients need action now. The number of cancer cases is continuing to grow, and the future of cancer care is increasingly uncertain. It is vital that the Government ensure that they have a long-term strategic plan across cancer pathways. More work is needed everywhere with cancer care, including on prevention efforts, tackling the backlog, and chronic workforce shortages—the list goes on. I will finish with some optimism for the future of cancer care. There have been huge advances in science, medicine and technology, and Britain has been leading the way. That gives us hope for the future, but cancer patients and their families need the Government to solve the huge problems in the NHS, starting with the workforce, in order to get the waiting lists down, get early diagnoses up and transform survival rates for cancer patients.”
“What level of detail will be included in the published plan, and to what degree with there be transparency in projected staffing numbers in key specialist areas? Promises of a dedicated 10-year cancer plan did not materialise last year, as we have heard. Ministers are instead consulting on a separate major conditions strategy. I know how disappointed the organisations I outlined earlier are about that. For example, Cancer Research UK stated: “It is therefore extremely disappointing the promised plan will no longer be published and will instead be replaced by a 5-year Major Conditions Strategy, of which cancer will be only one part”. What is that delay going to do to the future of cancer care, and how many patients will be affected? There seems to be a common theme of delayed reviews and empty promises with this Government.”
“If we look closer at those vacancies, according to the Health and Social Care Committee’s report on cancer services, on a full-time equivalent basis, we are due to be short of 189 clinical oncologists, 390 consultant pathologists, 1,939 radiologists and more than 3,300 specialist cancer nurses by 2030. The report is critical of the Government for lacking any serious plan to address that. We can all agree with that judgment. In a statement in autumn 2022, the Government committed to publishing a comprehensive workforce plan in 2023, including an independently verified forecast for the number of doctors, nurses and other professionals who will be needed in five, 10 and 15 years’ time.”
“It represents a two-month period of uncertainty for patients and families in this country over their future. Those stats are extremely concerning, for the reasons mentioned by Members throughout the debate. The longer patients wait for a diagnosis or treatment, the less their chance of survival. It does not seem as though the human cost of inaction has fully registered with the Government. The key reason for the lack of staff is that, although NHS staff are working incredibly hard, there are simply not enough of them. Earlier, we identified 133,000 staff vacancies.”
“That contrasts with when Labour left government, when over 95% of patients were seen within two weeks. Ministers point to the impact of covid, but we entered the pandemic with record waiting lists, and cancer targets were repeatedly being missed. Indeed, cancer patients have been waiting longer for care every year since 2010. Will the Minister explain how the Government plan to get a grip on cancer care, and co-ordinate the strategy to cut waiting times? They are truly devastating for patients and families around the country. It is not only diagnostics that are the issue. The NHS foundation that I just mentioned found in January that only 39% of patients started treatment within 62 days of an urgent suspected cancer referral, missing NHS England’s target of 85%. Only 39%; that is a damning indictment.”
“He said that Labour’s workforce plan was “something I very much hope the government also adopts on the basis that smart governments always nick the best ideas of their opponents.” I very much hope that, in tomorrow’s Budget, he takes his own advice and adopts Labour’s plans to double the number of medical school places and train an extra 10,000 nurses to alleviate some of the issues in the NHS. The current waiting times are out of control. The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust—a trust that is very close to my own constituency and is used by my constituents—found that only 79% of people saw a specialist within 14 days of an urgent suspected cancer referral in January 2023, missing NHS England’s target of 93%. If the target was met, around 520 additional patients would have had cancer diagnosed or ruled out on time.”
“Members have set out, we all know that the best way to improve cancer care and survival rates is by diagnosing and treating cancer early. However, as we heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Bootle, the Public Accounts Committee report on NHS England’s backlogs and waiting times found that waiting times for cancer were “at their worst recorded level”. Responding to those findings, the chief executive of the NHS confederation said that “a decade of austerity” had left it to “grapple 133,000 staff vacancies” and “a shortage of key equipment”. We have a health service gripped by a funding and workforce crisis. It is a terrible indictment of the Government’s policy on cancer care, and I know that that will concern Members across the House. The current Chancellor himself recognises that.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon, Mr Paisley. I will start by paying tribute to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Nicola Richards) for securing this important debate. I offer my sincere condolences on the passing of her mother and close relatives. I also want to praise the contributions of Members, including my hon. Friend the Member for Bootle (Peter Dowd) and the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron). Many important organisations do amazing work around this subject, including Cancer Research UK and Macmillan —the list goes on. We are grateful for all of the work that they do. Like me, those organisations are incredibly worried about the future of cancer care. As hon.”
“I know that the Members present are determined to ensure that the voices of patients with rare diseases are heard, and that children and adults have access to the best knowledge, diagnosis and treatment available. I look forward to hearing from the Minister.”
“Will the Minister update us on whether the Government are addressing the industry’s concerns about the fund? If the fund is available, it should be used to find new treatments for rare diseases. Finally, the indicators for measuring the success of the rare disease action plan have not yet been specified, so I would be grateful if the Minister set out when they will be specified. Without them, it will be impossible to assess whether care needs have been met or accurately measured by improvements in health outcomes. This has been a great debate, and I thank both the hon. Member for Strangford and my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon for continuing their campaign in this area. [ Interruption. ] Sorry, and the hon. Member for Edinburgh North and Leith (Deidre Brock)—I am slightly forgetful at the moment.”
“On the workforce, 7 million people are waiting for months—even years—for treatment, yet the Government cut the number of medical school places this summer. Given the need for an increased amount of care for rare disease patients, as well as more focused care, how do the Government plan to increase the number of available staff to support the aims of the 2023 action plan and wider strategy? We heard a lot about the need for funding for research into rare diseases, and I want to focus on the Government’s £340 million innovative medicines fund. That was launched last year, and it is designed to provide for quicker access to the most advanced life-saving treatments. Why has it not yet been used? The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry has significant concerns that the design of the fund makes it difficult for companies to use.”
“Lily was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease when she was born in 2006; her mum said that the family felt shocked, isolated and devastated. They researched for information and support, but found none. There is no cure for mitochondrial disease—MD—and Lily sadly passed away when she was only eight months old. Although there is no cure, there is treatment, which focuses on relieving symptoms rather than treating them. According to NHS England, many aspects of MD can be prevented or helped by early diagnosis, before symptoms start to show. The Government’s action plan states that it seeks to address the awareness of rare diseases by expanding digital educational resources on rare diseases for healthcare professionals. How will those programmes be delivered to healthcare professionals to ensure that we actually raise awareness?”
“A recent survey by Rare Disease UK found that nearly half of all respondents did not feel that they were being given enough information or support about their condition and the care that they needed post diagnosis. It is clear that we need to scale up our wonderful healthcare professionals to equip them with skills and the awareness of rare diseases. For some people, as we have heard, it can take up to five years on average to get the correct diagnosis. That brings me to the Lily Foundation story, which particularly touched me. I met Lily’s mother at one of the events organised by my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon. Lily’s mother set up Lily’s Foundation, and it was a delight to speak to her. She is a part of the mitochondrial research campaign.”
“The 2023 action plan also states that changes to the UK National Screening Committee have helped to improve how decisions are being made on newborn screening. Will the Minister clarify when those changes will come into effect and be actioned? I do not want to look back, but if we look back to 2021, the UK screened for just nine conditions—so hon. Members will understand why I was excited to see the 200 figure. We screened for only nine conditions in 2021, whereas Iceland and Italy screened for more than 40. Will the Minister update us on how many conditions are being screened for in the UK and whether the number has increased from nine since 2021? Secondly, let me focus on workforce challenges in the rare disease action plan, which my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon highlighted as one of the key areas for the rare diseases community.”
“Will the Minister clarify whether that scheme will be accepted and be implemented? As we have heard this afternoon, funding is a major issue in this area. If this plan is going to be implemented, will the Minister tell us how it will be funded? There is a lack of clarity in the action plan. Early diagnosis can prevent and mitigate many of the complications associated with rare diseases. Therefore, it is imperative that such a scheme is made available as soon as possible. We heard from the hon. Member for Strangford on MFS, and from my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon on SMA. If these conditions are diagnosed early on, while there may not be a cure, there can be treatment. That is why it is really important to get more information about this scheme as soon as possible.”
“While the occurrence of individual rare disease is low, it has been estimated that around 3.5 million people in the UK are living with one of the more than 7,000 rare diseases. The hon. Member for Strangford and my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon both noted that 75% of these diseases affect children, and more than 30% of children with rare disease die before their fifth birthday. That is truly devastating. With that in mind, I welcome the Government’s 2023 rare diseases action plan, but I have a few questions about the detail, starting with screening and early diagnosis. I was pleased to see the Government focus on that area in the action plan, which suggests that the NHS is exploring the implementation of whole genomic sequencing to screen for up to 200 rare genetic conditions in newborns. That is fantastic news.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon, Mr Sharma. I start by paying tribute to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this debate today and for all the information he provided; I feel a lot more knowledgeable about the variety of rare conditions than I did before I came to the debate. He covered quite a lot of important statistics that we should all take notice of. I also pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Liz Twist), chair of the all-party parliamentary group for rare, genetic and undiagnosed conditions, for her contribution. As has been set out, a rare disease is generally considered as one that affects fewer than one in 2,000 people.”
“However, I am concerned about where the increased costs of the fees will be absorbed. They simply cannot be absorbed by the NHS, which is already facing the worst crisis we have ever seen. I would therefore appreciate it if the Minister could outline how the Government will ensure that the increase in costs is not absorbed by the NHS. We are always looking to make further strides in patient safety, and we are confident that the SI takes that into account. I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response to some of the points I have made.”
“I understand and appreciate that the MHRA has not increased its fees to this extent since 2016-17, to provide the industry with certainty and stability through the EU exit period and the covid-19 challenges. I am pleased that the MHRA has gone through the consultation process to arrive at its judgment, thereby ensuring that the views of relevant stakeholders are reflected. The MHRA needs to be financially stable to be able to deliver regulatory services that protect and improve patient safety, with high-quality, safe, effective and innovative medical products, and any steps that the Government take to address that are of course to be welcomed. We appreciate the greater clarity that the SI provides on the increased costs of providing quality care in our health services.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir George. As has been said, the SI serves to allow the MHRA to increase the fees it charges for regulating medicines and related products. Of course, any steps the Government take to ensure that the MHRA can carry out its role more effectively are to be welcomed. The SI will introduce a 10% increase in all the MHRA’s statutory fees, and an above 10% increase for 61 services that have seen costs grow significantly. Furthermore, it will introduce 22 new fees to ensure that the MHRA adequately recovers the costs of regulatory activity across all its services, in line with His Majesty’s Treasury principles on managing public money.”
“I would be grateful if the Minister could tell us whether the Government will be considering those recommendations and when we are likely to hear the response. Hospices do such fantastic work, in providing care in the most unimaginable of circumstances. We need to ensure that they continue to do so.”
“I struggle to see how that ambition will be met, in the light of hospices being under such fiscal pressure. It feels like Government support of the sector is lacking. So many of us will, at some point, rely on hospices to take care of us or our loved ones. Following the pandemic, we see even more referrals to hospices. I will be interested to hear from the Minister what assessments have been made of the ambition to improve end-of-life care in the light of the compelling arguments that Members have set out this afternoon. Yesterday, the APPG for hospice and end of life care released its report, “The Lasting Impact of COVID-19 on Death, Dying and Bereavement”. One of its recommendations is that the Government should conduct a review of hospice funding in England.”
“Although NHS services may have their energy bills paid for by the Government, hospices will be expected to raise money to pay the astronomical bills that they will receive after April. How do the Government expect already struggling communities to keep hospices running? I am sure the Minister agrees with me about how unfair that is, and I am sure he also agrees with the praise for the hospice sector we have heard this afternoon. In February, a written question in the House of Lords asked the Government what assessment they had made of the impact of the increased cost of living and energy costs on hospices in England. Sadly, the answer was: “No assessment has been made.” I would be grateful if the Minister gave a commitment to carry out such an assessment. The NHS long-term plan includes a welcome ambition to improve end-of-life care.”
“Those who run them worry about the future of their services and the level of service that they will be able to provide, but reducing energy consumption in hospices, as we have heard, is not an option. They need to keep medical machines running and the in-patient units warm for those receiving care. I am sure the Minister will point us towards the energy bills discount scheme, but, as we have heard today, under that scheme hospices will be eligible for the same reduced level of support as pubs and restaurants, and even less support than a zoo or a museum. I appreciate this is not in the Minister’s brief, but I would be grateful if he set out the rationale for that and whether the Government have a plan to reassess and address that in the coming Budget.”
“Hospices serve a huge number of our communities. As we heard today, in the UK in 2020-21 more than 300,000 people received care from hospices; that is against a backdrop of more than 650,000 deaths in the UK in 2021. Hospices also work across the system to reduce the pressure on the NHS and to train and support health and care workers. Hospices care for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. As we have heard today, the majority of hospices rely on charitable funding for a significant amount of the funding they use to deliver services. Prior to the pandemic, an average of 34% of adult hospice funding and 18% of children’s hospice funding came from the Government, but now many are struggling to pay the rising costs of energy, food and staff. Hospices face additional costs of around £100 million a year.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon, Mr Paisley. I pay tribute to and thank the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Patricia Gibson), who secured this important debate. I also praise the important contributions from my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, Southgate (Bambos Charalambous), who is no longer in his seat, the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson), and the SNP spokesperson, the hon. Member for Glasgow North (Patrick Grady). I pay tribute to the vital role that the hospice movement plays in the UK. I particularly want to mention Hospice UK and Marie Curie, who do so much in this area. The palliative care and services that hospices deliver is crucial to improving the quality of life for people with terminal illnesses. They are vital to a dignified, comfortable and compassionate end of life.”
“Since last year, the use of gas and air pain relief at a hospital’s maternity suite has been suspended on and off following a botched repair, which exposed some staff to high levels of nitrous oxide, and routine testing of the maternity suite revealed that midwives had been exposed to excess nitrous oxide levels during their shifts. It is heartbreaking that services for mothers are so poor, and maternity services are unable even to provide the basics. Access to gas and air pain relief should be a basic when someone goes into maternity, and it is really disappointing that it is not available to mothers in the area.”
“Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford) for the number of medical school places at Anglia Ruskin to be doubled, although I would go further and say that we should do that across the country, maybe every year. There is also a quality issue. Essex has five inadequate GP services, according to the Care Quality Commission, which is second only to London. Maternity services are also failing communities in the east of England day in, day out. At Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, such services have been found by the CQC not to have staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep women safe from avoidable harm.”
“We have heard about many aspects of those services, but let me start by talking about the front door of the NHS, the GPs. Primary care and GP services are struggling, and patients are struggling to gain access to primary care. The latest patient survey tells us that those who are able to get an appointment are less and less likely to see a GP because of staff shortages. The right hon. Member for Witham mentioned that patient numbers and needs are growing in the area, but we know that the number of fully qualified GPs in the east of England fell from 3,263 full-time equivalents to 3,020 in December 2022. Across NHS England, there is a shortage of 4,200 GPs, so I welcome the call from the right hon.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I start by thanking and paying tribute to the right hon. Member for Witham (Priti Patel) for securing this important debate and her continued pursuit of the issue, but also for painting a comprehensive picture of the health and wellbeing disparities in her constituency and across the east of England. I welcome her comments about and the enthusiasm she showed for further including pharmacies in the way we deliver health. I support that wholeheartedly. May I praise the important contributions made by all Members, especially my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Mohammad Yasin)? It is clear that patients are being failed in all aspects of health and wellbeing services in the east of England.”
“Although there are tragic extremes to health and wellbeing services in the east of England, they reflect issues that we see across the country, including patients not being seen on time and not receiving the care they need and deserve. That ultimately leaves them at risk at of adverse harm. Patients in the east of England—indeed, patients across the country—deserve more. I would be grateful if the Minister set out the actions the Government are taking to improve care in the east of England and ensure access to primary care, safe maternity care and dentistry. Will she also give us a further update on the mental health inquiry?”
“That is why the work of the Essex mental health independent inquiry is so important. Concerns were raised in January, and the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the hon. Member for Harborough (Neil O’Brien), said that he expected changes to be made. I will be grateful if the Minister can set out the steps the Government are taking to ensure that the inquiry can effectively investigate what went wrong and can make recommendations so that it never happens again. The inquiry is currently non-statutory. The Government said in January that they would not hesitate to change their approach if we do not see the change we need rapidly. Will the Minister tell us whether there have been any changes? Is there an update on that?”
“I welcome those points, and I absolutely agree. On mental health, the stories that the right hon. Member for Witham set out are devastating. I offer my sincere condolences to all those affected by the loss of loved ones between 2000 and 2020 at Essex mental health services. I also pay tribute to the families and the local MPs—especially the right hon. Member for Chelmsford, who is no longer in her place—for fighting for justice for the loved ones. A mental health unit should be a place of safety for patients, and it is heartbreaking that that was clearly not the case in Essex. It is imperative that the truth of what occurred in Essex is finally heard. As the right hon. Member for Witham said, it is vital that the families and loved ones get answers about what happened, and above all lessons must be learned.”
“The Minister mentioned prevention and the role of local authorities. She will know that the public health funding formula for local authorities was set in 2013 and has not been reviewed. There are real disparities across the country in how they are funded. Do the Government have a plan to review that, to ensure that areas such as the east of England get the fair funding they deserve?”
“I was pleased to hear about the Minister’s trip to Turkey and the continued aid support to Turkey and Syria. He will know that thousands of my constituents have been personally impacted by the earthquake, having lost loved ones and friends. Hundreds have written to me and to Government Ministers because they want to provide temporary relief for family members who have lost everything. Will the Minister tell me why the Government will not support their calls for an expedited temporary visa scheme?”
“Can the Minister confirm that the UK will raise the concerns and plight of Syrian refugees and the other religious and ethnic minorities in the region who are affected by the earthquake to ensure that the aid that is sent is delivered equitably in the region? Local community centres have spent day and night organising aid to be sent to Turkey via trucks. They have been holding fundraising events.”