Ashley Dalton
MP for West Lancashire · Labour · United Kingdom
“My right hon. Friend is being very generous; I thank him for giving way. It was my sombre privilege to work with him on this matter when I was a Minister in the Department of Health.”
“I recently visited the Liberty Centre in my constituency, a fantastic charitable organisation that supports individuals and families who have been affected by domestic abuse and violence. It told me that it could fill its refuge places three times over, but it does not have the resources.”
“It can be diagnosed after a primary diagnosis—primary breast cancer is potentially curable—or the first time that a person is diagnosed with breast cancer. That is called a de novo diagnosis. That is what secondary breast cancer is and, as we have heard, I have it, along with many, many other people.”
“There is also a myth that the treatment for your primary cancer was somehow wrong or had failed if you get metastatic breast cancer. Again, that is absolute nonsense. Breast cancer can still spread, even after successful treatment for a primary cancer, and even with the best treatments in the world.”
“As ever, it is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I first acknowledge the campaigners from Make 2nds Count, METUP UK and Breast Cancer Now and the fellow MBC patients who are joining us in the Public Gallery.”
“I do not say that to terrify people, but to say that it is absolutely imperative that they are aware of the signs and symptoms of secondary breast cancer in case they ever have them, no matter how long it has been since their primary diagnosis—or indeed, if they have ever had one.”
The complete record
Every one of 602 lines we hold for Ashley Dalton, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 10 of 13.
“I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) for raising this important issue, and I congratulate him on leading the first substantive debate on Parkinson’s in the House. I also thank all Back Benchers for their insightful contributions, which raised various issues. Although the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti), my hon.”
“In parallel, however, it is vital that we continue to work to foster a culture of safety, compassion, honesty and one that is actively anti-racist, which must be led by outstanding leadership. I am pleased that all 150 maternity and neonatal units in England have signed up to the perinatal culture and leadership programme. For clarity, and I think particularly for the shadow Minister, we recognise that racism and unconscious bias need to be tackled, that they are unacceptable and must be tackled in the NHS.”
“There have been some great examples of local best practice within those plans, ranging from targeted pre-conception health support to tailored support to ensure equitable access to care, and bespoke communications for pregnant asylum seekers and refugees. As part of the three-year delivery plan, all local areas are working to implement version three of the Saving Babies’ Lives care bundle, which provides maternity units with guidance and interventions to reduce and tackle the inequalities in stillbirths, neonatal deaths, brain injuries and pre-term births. Those local and national interventions are essential steps to improving equity and equality in maternity care.”
“The focus must be to address inequalities and the action taken to do so for women and babies. NHS England is now in the final year of delivering its three-year plan to improve maternity and neonatal services. Central to the plan is the objective to reduce inequalities for all in maternity access, experience and outcomes, and taking steps to tackle and address inequalities for black women. To achieve this objective, all local areas now have in place and are implementing their equity and equality action plans. Those plans detail local interventions tailored to population needs, in order to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.”
“Importantly, our ambition must also extend beyond maternity services, so that we can tackle wider health inequalities, including the determinants of ill health. I know that health inequalities do not start at the door of maternity services, and nor do they end when women go home. Here is what we are doing and where we need to go further. We are aware of calls for a national inquiry into maternity care, which we will carefully consider. There have been a number of reviews, inquiries and wider research in recent years that have provided a shared and clear sense of the issues in maternity and neonatal care. The most important priority must remain for us to target resources and efforts to address the existing issues identified and avoid any further delays.”
“Our manifesto committed to setting an explicit target to close the black and Asian maternal mortality gaps. That commitment has not wavered—we are working hard not only to set a target but to set the actions that will help deliver it. It is crucial we set the right targets and ensure the system is supported to achieve them, which is why the Government are currently considering the action needed that would drive change on the ground, ensuring that targets set are evidence-based, and women and baby-centred. Our ambition is not just to improve maternal outcomes; we want to improve black women’s experiences of maternity care too. We know that too often black women are not listened to and experience racism and bias. That is completely unacceptable.”
“And just put my appointment through when I was constantly asking. If they had the notes there properly I wouldn't have been treated that way.” She said the fact she was mixed race led midwives to focus on diabetes and high blood pressure rather than other high-risk indicators. I wish I could stand here and say that Amber was an isolated case, but her story will sound familiar to black women up and down the country, and it shows in the figures. The latest data from MBRRACE-UK shows maternal mortality rates for women from black ethnic backgrounds are more than double those for white women. Black women and their babies are also at higher risk of stillbirth, neonatal death and miscarriage. That should shame us in modern Britain. Tackling inequalities and racism in maternity services is an absolute priority for this Government.”
“I will seek to pick up and answer all their queries, but if they feel I have not done so by the end of the debate, I ask them to please get in touch and I can ensure we respond. I want to thank the charity Sands for shining a spotlight on some of the most heartbreaking cases of baby loss in the UK, and for giving a voice to so many black and Asian women who have gone through the nightmare of losing a child. One such case was Amber Lincoln from Woolwich in south-east London. She was miscategorised as low risk when she was pregnant, and nearly died from undetected complications after her delivery. A series of individual and systemic failings led to cancellations and delays, and her twins, Anaya and Mael, were born and died at 22 weeks in November 2022, before she could access the care she needed. Amber said: “If the NHS just listened to me.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Furniss. Before I begin, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Clapham and Brixton Hill (Bell Ribeiro-Addy) for securing this important debate during Black Maternal Health Awareness Week. It is so important that we raise awareness of the disproportionate challenges faced by black mothers during pregnancy and after childbirth; debates in weeks such as this are critical to that. I want to pay tribute to the charities that do so much vital work in this space: the Motherhood Group, Five X More, Black Mums Upfront, which is part of Bliss, and Ebony Bonds, to name just a few. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for women’s health and patient safety, Baroness Merron. I also want to thank all hon. Members for their contributions to this debate.”
“I will finish what I am saying and then I will give the shadow Minister an opportunity to come back to me. To clarify, this work is not only about the behaviours that we must tackle in the NHS; it is also about the systems that we create in the NHS and ensuring that those systems do not consciously or subconsciously discriminate against people on the grounds of their race. That is what we mean and that is why we are putting in place training for leaders in our maternity units. We will ensure that they are signed up to the perinatal culture and leadership programme, to ensure that those systems are as equitable as they possibly can be.”
“The shadow Minister will know that that is not actually the question that my hon. Friend asked. She asked about systemic racism. We recognise that racism and unconscious bias can play a part both in the behaviours of some people, which must be tackled, and in the way that systems are structured. That is why the training that we are introducing will help to tackle racism. It is not necessarily the case that there is racism throughout the NHS, but we must do everything we possibly can to make sure that NHS systems are as equitable as they can be.”
“I therefore reiterate our commitment to setting an explicit target to close the black and Asian maternal mortality gap. We must get this right. Targets must be evidence based, and that is why it is so important that the data is collected, as I have said, that our targets are women and baby-centred and, crucially, that the system is supported to meet the targets that are set. To this end, NHS England has undertaken a review of the evidence base and conducted extensive stakeholder engagement to identify the key drivers of inequalities for black and Asian women and babies—again ensuring that black women’s voices are heard.”
“The data is used to disaggregate reporting of adverse outcomes, such as maternal mortality, by ethnicity. Differences by ethnicity are also reported as part of the Care Quality Commission’s annual survey, which asks a sample of pregnant women and new mothers about their experiences of NHS maternity services. NHS trusts are incentivised to collect this information through the maternity incentive scheme, which is a financial incentive programme that is designed to enhance maternity safety in NHS trusts. Safety action 2 of the maternity incentive scheme incentivises trusts to submit digital information, including ethnicity data, to the maternity services dataset. Some of our processes will take time to implement, but we need to understand the immediate actions that can begin to deliver change here and now.”
“Many of these initiatives began under the previous Government, and although there has been some progress across maternity and neonatal care—for example, good progress has been made in reducing the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths—we have much further to go to improve care and tackle inequalities. Looking forward, we are clear that we want to see high-impact actions to tackle inequalities and racism in maternity services. Baroness Merron and the Secretary of State are working closely across the sector to identify the right actions and interventions to deliver the required change. The shadow Minister asked about data collection. Data on women’s ethnic background is routinely collected by services at multiple points throughout maternity care.”
“Local maternity and neonatal voices partnerships bring together the voices and experiences of women and families to improve maternity and neonatal care. More than a quarter of the partnership leads are from ethnic minority groups. Women’s voices must continue to be at the heart of our improvements to care. I will be frank with colleagues: although the measures I have set out are important, I do not believe they will be enough to meet the scale of our ambitions. The Government are committed to ensuring that all women and babies, regardless of their ethnicity, background or location, receive the high-quality, equitable care they deserve.”
“Friend the Member for Clapham and Brixton Hill mentioned funding for research. The National Institute for Health and Care Research has launched a £500 million funding call that challenges researchers and policymakers to come up with new ways of tackling maternity inequalities and poor pregnancy outcomes. The NIHR has also invited applications for funding of up to £500,000 for a research project to understand how biases in medical devices used during the pregnancy and neonatal period might be contributing to inequalities for women and babies. NHSE is working closely with the NHS Race and Health Observatory on the outputs of the learning and action network programme, which aims to address inequalities for women and babies from black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds.”
“I think that we have to do everything possible to make sure that all the systems in the NHS are as equitable as possible. We have set clear expectations for escalation and accountability through the three-year plan, and all 150 maternity and neonatal units in England have signed up to the perinatal culture and leadership programme. We are supporting staff to hold up their hands when things go wrong through the Freedom to Speak Up initiative. Our approach to tackling inequalities in maternity and neonatal care must be underpinned by evidence, research and—critically—working with women and their families. As my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood Forest (Michelle Welsh) pointed out, it is crucial that women’s voices, including black women’s voices, are heard. My hon.”
“Friend the Member for Clapham and Brixton Hill that this issue keeps us up at night. I know that she will continue to hold us to account. I began my speech by referencing Amber’s story. She asked how she could put her trust in a system that let her down so badly, and I completely understand why she felt that way. It is our duty to make sure that women like Amber can trust the system with something as precious as their children, and to prevent what should be one of the most joyful days in their lives from becoming a tragedy.”
“We are working at pace, ensuring that what we do is right and that it is achievable. The shadow Minister will be aware that the Government are developing a 10-year plan for health, and women’s health, including maternity health, will be at the centre of it. We want to ensure that whatever we put in place dovetails with all the other interventions and actions that the Government are putting forward. The areas identified for intervention so far include the improper management of existing conditions, racism and discrimination, and access to care. We are clear that we want to see innovative and high-impact ideas that will shift the dial. We want to make sure not just that we are coming up with some sort of plan, but that it can be delivered and will be impactful. Let me assure my hon.”
“The Government will continue to work to improve the regulatory framework for devices. Technology does not stand still, and neither should our regulations. In conclusion, I hope I have demonstrated that the draft regulations are necessary for continuity and innovation, for safety and smart regulation, and for growth and the people’s priorities. I commend them to the Committee.”
“The reference to the EU decision on IVD devices will be replaced with a reference to the updated EU common specifications, which reflect the latest scientific and technical progress in that area. The EU regulation on electronic instructions for use will be replaced with the latest version of those rules, with some modifications for the GB market. That regulation allows manufacturers to take a more flexible and proportionate approach to providing electronic instructions for use instead of paper copies. The remaining two pieces of assimilated EU law will also be replaced in due course, as part of our ongoing efforts to improve the regulations. Indeed, the pre-market SI is not the end point of our work to ensure that the regulatory framework is up to date, safe and proportionate.”
“That will be a huge step forward in reducing unnecessary and duplicative red tape for the medtech industry, where appropriate regulatory approval has been granted in a comparable country. That will mean that a patient waiting for a device that has already been approved by our friends in Australia, for example, does not need to wait for it to go through the same lengthy process in Great Britain. Those measures address some of the key recommendations of the Cumberlege review, while providing alternatives to the assimilated EU law in question. That pre-market legislation is being developed with the intention of it coming into force in 2026. As well as the measures I have described, it will remove the need for two of the pieces of assimilated EU law: those relating to IVD devices and to electronic instructions for use.”
“As the name suggests, those regulations will bring further improvements to patient safety, with additional measures that must be taken before a product goes to market. Those will include measures for unique device identifiers and implant cards, which improve the traceability of devices; new rules to ensure that claims that manufacturers make about their devices are consistent with the device’s intended purpose, so that patients are not misled; and changes to the classification of some medical devices, so that the level of regulatory burden is proportionate to the risk of the device. That pre-market SI will also include an international reliance scheme for medical devices.”
“Some members of the Committee may recall the Medical Devices (Post-market Surveillance Requirements) (Amendment) (Great Britain) Regulations 2024, which were debated in the House in November. Those will come into force in June this year and will strengthen the legal requirements for manufacturers to monitor and report on their devices once they are being used in the real world. That will mean that safety issues can be identified, investigated and resolved faster, saving the NHS time and money. It will amplify patients’ voices by requiring manufacturers to engage with patients and the public during their post-market surveillance, where appropriate. That SI will go hand in hand with the pre-market regulations, which we are currently developing.”
“We need only look at digital health products involving software, advanced diagnostics and AI. Diagnostic accuracy for cancers and other conditions has vastly improved, alongside tools that can identify previously undiagnosed spinal fractures. However, that is not the only reason we need updated regulations. In 2020, Baroness Cumberlege published the recommendations of her independent medicines and medical devices safety review, including those relating to device regulations. We must also keep up with the regulations of both our friends and competitors internationally. For all those reasons, we have published plans to introduce several SIs to amend the regulatory framework for medical devices, which will improve patient safety, drive access to devices and support innovation.”
“These laws may seem technical, but they are also necessary, and they have been working as intended since they were introduced in the 2002 regulations. Without them, the resulting changes to well-established regulatory requirements would create industry disruption, and we would be unable to effectively regulate the medical devices industry and ensure that devices are safe and effective for patients. However, I want to be clear that this statutory instrument is a temporary measure to maintain the status quo, pending wider reforms. In time, the Government intend to fully replace these pieces of assimilated EU law as part of a broad programme of medtech regulatory reform. Medtech has transformed the quality of care for patients since the 2002 regulations were introduced.”
“Those four pieces of assimilated EU law are: first, the decision on common specifications for IVD devices, which sets out the technical specifications—for example, around performance testing—that ensure that these devices are safe and accurate; secondly, the regulation on electronic instructions for the use of medical devices, which sets out when instructions may be provided electronically instead of on paper; thirdly, the regulation on devices manufactured using animal tissue, which sets out what must happen before these devices are placed on the market; and fourthly, the regulation on the designation and supervision of approved bodies—approved bodies are the organisations that assess whether certain medical devices meet the regulations, and this piece of EU law allows them to be properly monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.”
“The 2002 regulations originally transposed three EU directives into UK law, and they reference other pieces of EU law that form part of the regulatory framework for Great Britain. We are working to reform the regulations to improve patient safety and access to the latest innovations, but I will say more on that shortly. The statutory instrument we are discussing today prevents four of those pieces of assimilated EU law from expiring by revoking their sunset dates. Without it, they would expire on 25 and 26 May this year.”
“I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Medical Devices (Amendment) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I am grateful to be debating these short but important regulations. I will start by setting out some background. The Medical Devices Regulations 2002 provide for the safe and effective regulation of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic, or IVD, devices in Great Britain. Those regulations promote the safety and availability of such devices for British patients and ensure that the UK remains a great place to research, develop, manufacture and supply medical devices. We have a thriving life sciences sector, and this Government are determined to harness that power for growth.”
“Of course, we will ensure that any future legislation meets our obligations under the Windsor framework. On US tariffs, the Committee will appreciate that there is an ongoing discussion, and decisions have not yet been made by the US. I would not want to pre-empt or second-guess any decisions made by colleagues. Obviously, those tariffs will be taken into account once we have a final view of what they might look like.”
“I thank the shadow Minister for her input, and I will try to respond to the points she raised. The MHRA has published the road map for this process, and I can let her have a copy of it after the debate; it sets out the timeframe for the various steps that need to be taken. Specifically on further SIs, there will be a further SI dealing with two of these issues by the end of the year, and two further SIs in 2026 and 2027. On Northern Ireland, we are obviously aware that there are concerns and issues that have to be dealt with differently. Once the provisions have been updated, the GB framework will still refer to EU law, but certain domestic requirements may differ from those in other jurisdictions. However, we recognise the benefit of international harmonisation of medical device regulations.”
“I am not able to give further clarity on that today, but I am more than happy to write to the shadow Minister when we have some more clarity. I hope I have set out why these regulations, while only a small part of the wider reform programme, are nevertheless important to ensuring a smoothly functioning regulatory environment. They will give manufacturers certainty and ensure that patients can continue to access safe and effective devices. They are just a small part of the reforms that are under way, and I am grateful to members of the Committee for playing their part in bringing them into force. Question put and agreed to.”
“Earlier this month, Minister Kinnock wrote to sector partners and the all-party parliamentary group on Down syndrome with an update on the development of the guidance, including the Government’s plan to put the guidance out for consultation by the summer. That followed a roundtable on 26 November, which Minister Kinnock—”
“The Act lays the foundations to ensure that every person with Down syndrome can live a full and fulfilling life through accessing the health and care services they need, receiving the right education, securing appropriate living arrangements that work for them, and being supported into employment. We recognise that there is still much to do to achieve that, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman and the House that the Government are working on the implementation of the Act as a priority. The Down Syndrome Act requires the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care—including local authorities—education and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome.”
“And as the average life expectancy of a person with Down syndrome continues to rise—an increase I am very pleased to see—this means that more people require additional support in later life. This may be additional support with new, age-related health needs, as well as increased demand for social care services. This Government are committed to ensuring that all people with Down syndrome receive the care and support they need to lead the lives they want in their communities, and we are taking action to achieve that by implementing the Down Syndrome Act.”
“I thank the hon. Member for Windsor (Jack Rankin) for securing this debate on such an important topic. I am also grateful to him for his work with the all-party parliamentary group on Down syndrome. People with Down syndrome should have the same opportunities to participate fully in society like everyone else, but we know this does not always happen. There is a pressing need to raise awareness of the needs of people with Down syndrome and how they can be met. While every person with Down syndrome is a unique individual, they often face common health risks. For example, we know that almost half of children with Down syndrome are born with a heart condition. We also know that people with Down syndrome may need additional support with their speech, hearing or vision.”
“We expect that providers should be considering whether specific training on Down syndrome is required for their staff. Officials will work with stakeholders to signpost that effectively in the guidance we are developing under the Down Syndrome Act. I thank again the hon. Gentleman for securing this important debate. Question put and agreed to.”
“We are grateful to members of the all-party parliamentary group on Down syndrome for their engagement and can assure them that their comments on the guidance have been considered throughout the development process. The Minister in charge wrote to the APPG on 18 March. Officials will share a second draft of the guidance with sector partners for feedback in the coming weeks. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that I will pass on his comments to the Minister responsible, as requested. On specific training, under existing legislation, Care Quality Commission-registered providers must ensure that staff receive the appropriate professional development necessary for them to carry out their duties, and must receive specific training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role.”
“Officials will continue to work with partners to ensure the guidance has the maximum benefit for all communities involved. I can confirm to the hon. Gentleman that I have today secured a commitment that the Minister will work with sector partners to ensure that people with Down syndrome have direct access to, and are supported in taking part in, the consultation. I would like to thank the individuals and organisations across the country who have worked tirelessly to help us develop the guidance. Their contributions have been invaluable throughout, and we appreciate their continued patience while we work to finalise the guidance for consultation. We would also welcome their support to ensure that the communities they represent are aware of the consultation and can share their views.”
“While that means the development of the guidance has taken longer than we all had hoped, it is only right that the issues are given the due consideration they deserve. The Minister responsible set out his position on the issues at hand in his recent letter to sector partners. Our position remains that the guidance will be Down syndrome-specific, in accordance with the Government’s statutory duty under the Act. It is our intention to include references to where the guidance could have wider benefit. That is in line with the commitment made during the Bill’s passage through Parliament. This is not about moving the focus away from Down syndrome. The guidance is about meeting the needs of people with Down syndrome. It is about taking the opportunity, through the guidance, to help as many people as possible.”
“It has been vital that people with lived experience, and the organisations that work to support them, are involved at every stage of the work to develop the guidance. A range of sector engagement has taken place. That includes a national call for evidence, partner working groups, and a review of evidence to gain a better understanding of the specific needs of people with Down syndrome. Throughout the process, there have been differences in opinion on the scope of the guidance and how it should be drafted. Officials have worked hard to build consensus on these issues, but, as I am sure Members can appreciate, it is not always possible to resolve differing opinions quickly, especially on a topic as important as this.”
“I’m so sorry! That followed a roundtable on 26 November, which the Minister for Care, my hon. Friend the Member for Aberafan Maesteg (Stephen Kinnock) convened to discuss with partners how we can improve life outcomes for people with Down syndrome and the opportunities that the guidance presents in support of that. We appreciate that many of the issues that have been raised are borne out of a desire to ensure the guidance is as effective as possible and published as soon as possible. We know just how important the guidance is. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that a huge amount of work has been, and continues to be, carried out to develop the guidance. And we, like others, want to make sure the guidance is fit for purpose and impactful.”
“My Department is continuing to invest in improvements to local treatment services, which faced significant cutbacks during a decade of disinvestment, and the local authority funding allocations for 2025-26 will be announced imminently. I recognise the contributions made by my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Leigh Ingham) about the importance of community-based treatment.”
“I met my right hon. Friend the Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention just last week to discuss this complex issue. Although we have no plans to decriminalise drug possession—prohibiting drug possession helps to reduce the availability of drugs and sends a clear signal that using drugs is not normal—we support programmes that divert drug users away from the criminal justice system and into treatment. If we are really to shift the dial on drug-related deaths, we must ensure that anyone with a drug problem, wherever they are, can access the help and support they need. That means providing evidence-based, high-quality treatment. Those dedicated drug treatment services reduce harm and provide a path to recovery.”
“My Department continues to work very closely with our colleagues in the devolved Governments, and I am grateful for that ongoing collaboration. I also want to take this opportunity to put on record and add my voice to the condolences to the family and friends of Christina McKelvie. I look forward to meeting ministerial counterparts in the devolved Governments later this year to discuss how we can continue to work together to reduce drug-related deaths. On the harms caused by drugs, the hon. Members for Mid Dunbartonshire and for Brighton Pavilion (Siân Berry) raised some issues about the Home Office and public health. This is a mission-led Government and, although I stand here as a Public Health Minister, we will continue to work closely with the Home Office and the Department for Education—indeed, across Government —on the drugs agenda.”
“Although the Opposition seem to have sent the shadow Health Minister, the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Dr Johnson), here to speak almost entirely about criminal justice issues, I will focus most of my comments on the public health areas and write to her afterwards with some of the details that she raised. We know that many people struggling with drug addiction are already at the sharpest end of inequality and often have multiple and complex needs. The links between homelessness, deprivation and people who have spent time in prison with addiction are profound. Tackling the blight of illicit drugs is an issue that cuts across our four nations. It is crucial, now more than, ever that we work together and share learning to tackle the harms that drugs cause.”
“Drug and alcohol deaths are the leading cause of premature mortality in those aged under 50. These deaths are preventable, and this Government are committed, through our health mission, to ensuring that people live longer, healthier lives. We recognise that, as my hon. Friend the Member for York Central (Rachael Maskell), the hon. Member for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray) and others, including the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller), pointed out, this is a public health issue. That is why I, as the Minister responsible for public health, am standing at the Dispatch Box today. We are determined to make our communities safer, more secure and free from the violence caused by the illicit drugs market through our safer streets mission.”
“It serves as a painful reminder that, while we in this Chamber discuss policies and politics, real lives are at stake on our doorstep. Paddy’s story is not an isolated one; it is a tragic reflection of the systemic issues that continue to affect vulnerable people in our society. His death has brought home most vividly to us that behind every statistic is a human being who deserves dignity, care and support. My family, too, has been affected by drug-related death. As I rise to speak, my cousin Stephen, who we lost in this way, tragically young, is at the forefront of my mind. There is no doubt that illicit drugs have a devastating impact on communities across the four nations of the United Kingdom. Drug misuse deaths have doubled since 2012. More than 3,300 people died in England alone in 2023, the highest rate since records began in 1993.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) on securing this debate. He raised a number of important points, and I agree that the rise in drug-related deaths across the UK is deeply concerning. I thank all hon. Members for their contributions. We in the Department of Health and Social Care are aware of this issue, even on a personal level. Just last month, a homeless man known as Paddy died of a drug overdose just around the corner from 39 Victoria Street. Paddy was known to many civil servants and was noted for the gentle way he looked after his dog. His death, less than a 10-minute walk from this place, should remind us of the stark realities that many people face every day.”
“I can assure everyone that this Government are committed to reducing the harms illicit drugs pose to both individuals and across wider society. These deaths are avoidable, and I am confident that the Government’s mission-led approach will put us in a stronger position to tackle this complex issue. Harm reduction and strong public health approaches are at the heart of this Government’s work to prevent drug related deaths.”