Clive Jones
MP for Wokingham · Liberal Democrat · United Kingdom
“Sir David was renowned for his tireless campaigning on issues ranging from animal welfare to tackling fuel poverty. He was also a passionate advocate for children with learning disabilities. He championed women with endometriosis by launching an all-party parliamentary group.”
“Social media has also transformed political debate; while it has created opportunities for engagement, it has also enabled anonymous abuse, threats against public representatives, and the rapid spread of misinformation. Such behaviour fuels hostility and weakens trust in our democratic institutions.”
“554.] The then Leader of the Opposition, the right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Keir Starmer), echoed those sentiments, urging us to “use the memory of Sir David’s life…to recommit ourselves in standing for the things that he stood for…for decency in our disagreements, for kindness in our hearts, for our great democ…”
“Sir David’s killer targeted him because of his parliamentary record. This tragedy reminds us that extremism can take many forms, but its goal is always the same: to intimate, divide and undermine our democracy.”
“I want to raise a concern on behalf of my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford West and Abingdon (Layla Moran). I understand that a number of MPs were not invited to a call this morning outlining the impact of local government reorganisation. I hope that the Leader of the House agrees that that was unacceptable.”
“Nearly a thousand families of children with special educational needs and disabilities are supported by Camp Mohawk and its fantastic daycare centre in my constituency.”
The complete record
Every one of 600 lines we hold for Clive Jones, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 12.
“The Conservative Thames Valley police and crime commissioner has said that the public should be doing more to stop shoplifting. This week, my constituent Sarah described being “smacked into” during a shoplifting incident and the fear that she felt at that moment. Does the Minister agree with the police and crime commissioner that Sarah is part of the problem, or does he think the bigger problem is that shoplifters know that more than 80% of these offences result in no charge at all?”
“In Wokingham, there is a real issue with mainstream schools declaring that they cannot meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities. Specialist providers are also unavailable, which leaves children effectively out of formal education for many months, if not years. Can we have a debate in Government time on radically and rapidly expanding the availability of specialist provision for children with SEND to ensure that every child has a place at school?”
“Q6. Targets for cancer patients beginning treatment within 62 days have not been met by any NHS trust for 10 years—a legacy of the last Conservative Government. If those targets had been met in every month of 2025, so far nearly 3,000 breast cancer patients would have started their treatment on time. Will the Prime Minister ensure that the national cancer plan, which I asked for a year ago, makes it possible for the 62-day target to be met, along with recruiting much-needed cancer specialists and replacing outdated equipment?”
“I thank the hon. Member for bringing this very important subject to Westminster Hall. She is absolutely right. Fatty liver disease is the fastest rising cause of liver cancer death in the UK and highlights the risk of developing a less survivable cancer for people living with obesity. Does the hon. Member agree that improvements to diagnosis of and treatment for fatty liver disease should be covered in the national cancer plan, which I called for a year ago and the Government are to announce early next year?”
“Investment is needed in research, nurses, radiographers and infrastructure, as well as in embedding research into routine care and protecting staff time to deliver trials. The Royal College of Radiologists is clear that delays caused by staffing gaps are endangering patients. Without investment, waiting times will lengthen, treatment delays will worsen and costs will rise. I hope it is clear to all of us that workforce shortfalls are a massive barrier to early diagnosis and effective, timely treatment across all cancers. The Government must increase recruitment, training and retention, support primary care referrals, invest in diagnostic infrastructure and education, guarantee access to clinical nurse specialists and prioritise support for patients with less-survivable cancers.”
“Less survivable cancers must have their own section in the national cancer plan. Advanced treatments such as CAR T-cell therapy for leukaemia are not available everywhere due to a lack of trained staff and infrastructure, resulting in a postcode lottery for lifesaving treatment. The Government must invest in training, especially in primary care, and increase specialist training places in radiology and oncology, as called for by the Royal College of Radiologists. The Government must also end recruitment freezes. On research, only 12% of brain tumour patients have taken part in a clinical trial, and 42% say they were never informed about opportunities to be part of a trial.”
“Again, the Royal College of Radiologists reports that the median age of radiologists leaving fell from 56 in 2021 to 49 in 2024, and for clinical oncologists from 59 to 54 in one year. Around 20% of clinical oncology consultants will retire in the next five years. The NHS is losing staff faster than it can replace them. What will the Government do to replace those doctors before they retire? People with less survivable cancers often have rapid disease progression and experience severe symptoms. Around 70% of pancreatic cancer patients receive no active treatment; many are too unwell or diagnosed too late. Specialist symptom management and supportive care must be expanded to reduce emergency admissions and improve quality of life, yet the NHS cannot currently deliver this.”
“For leukaemia, just 9% were offered a holistic needs assessment, which CNSs help to deliver. The national cancer plan must ensure that every patient has access to a CNS, but instability is worsening. The Royal College of Radiologists’ 2024 census found that colorectal oncology has the highest locum reliance, at 13%. One in five colorectal consultants will retire within the next five years. How are we going to replace those healthcare professionals? The British Association of Urological Surgeons reports that 12% of consultant roles are unfilled, with a growing reliance on costly locums. In haematology, the east midlands has twice as many vacancies as filled clinical scientist roles, with 32% of haematology clinicians planning to reduce their working hours.”
“GPs should be allowed to request neuroimaging directly for concerning symptoms. For prostate cancer, in July 2025, only 55% of men began treatment within 62 days—a 5% drop since January. Even this year, we are still heading in the wrong direction. Men are waiting weeks or months for MRI and biopsy results due to staff shortages. England also has one of the lowest numbers of radiologists per head of population in Europe, a situation that must be rectified. Clinical nurse specialists are essential to patient support, yet in 2024, 31% of blood cancer patients did not know who their clinical nurse specialist was, and 22% did not know how to contact them. That information is from Blood Cancer UK. Among secondary breast cancer patients in 2019, 25% had not seen a CNS since diagnosis, and only 65% said their CNS had sufficient time for them.”
“The national cancer plan and workforce plan must ensure that all frontline healthcare professionals—from GPs to A&E staff and opticians—are trained to recognise cancer symptoms in young people. Services in deprived areas also need support. Those communities face heavier workloads, greater pressure and less funding. The Government must provide targeted support for those areas. Forty-three per cent of brain tumour patients saw a healthcare professional three or more times before diagnosis, and 55% of parents said their child’s tumour was misdiagnosed. In 2020, 45% of brain tumours were diagnosed in emergency settings—double the 22.5% for all cancers. According to the Brain Tumour Charity, shortages of neuroradiologists and limited imaging access, alongside GP training gaps, have caused these delays.”
“Acute myeloid leukaemia patients who faced avoidable delays were 22% more likely to die within a year of diagnosis. The Government should audit and invest in phlebotomy services, as called for by Leukaemia UK and the Royal College of General Practitioners. The Government also need to establish a national register of available phlebotomy sites. Cancer remains a leading cause of death from disease among teenagers and young adults, but it is too often missed. Around 46.3% of 16 to 24-year-olds saw a GP three or more times before diagnosis, according to the Teenage Cancer Trust. That diagnosis delay is exacerbated by a nationwide decline in GPs, meaning longer waits and reduced access to diagnostic services.”
“The Government must increase endoscopy and pathology capacity, and that requires the improvement of staffing levels. Less survivable cancers—lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach—are most affected by workforce shortages. Only 35% of pancreatic cancer patients receive treatment within 62 days. Less survivable cancers account for 20% of cases but cause 42% of cancer deaths, with a five-year survival rate of just 16%, compared with 55% in more survivable cancers. A new national cancer plan must include a strategy specifically for less-survivable cancers. Between 2015 and 2023, one in four leukaemia patients faced avoidable diagnostic delays. A Leukaemia UK survey found that insufficient phlebotomy capacity was the top reason for delays in basic full-blood-count tests—a simple, inexpensive diagnostic tool.”
“Nearly everyone who is diagnosed with bowel cancer early survives for five years, but only one in 10 survive if they are diagnosed late. Still, just 38% of patients in England are diagnosed at stages 1 or 2. One respondent shared how her daughter, who was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, waited months to start treatment due to delays caused by workforce issues. In July 2025, only 50% of lower gastrointestinal cancer patients were treated within 62 days of referral, although 93% began treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat. That shows that the delays occur early in the diagnostic process. At the same time, 91,400 people were waiting for a colonoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy. Around 28% waited for more than six weeks and 13% for more than 13 weeks.”
“Early diagnosis is key to survival, yet 73% of hospitals are failing to meet the 62-day target. Between January and July 2025, only 66.7% of breast cancer patients began treatment within 62 days of referral. According to data from Breast Cancer Now, if the 85% target had been met each month, 2,931 more people would have started treatment on time. Even under Labour we are continuing to struggle. The Government are not making enough of a difference yet. But I must say again that the problems in the NHS are down to 14 years of Conservative Governments. Best practice recommends a triple assessment, a clinical exam, imaging and biopsy in a single appointment, yet between 2020 and 2022 only 68% of people received that, due to staff shortages. The failure to streamline diagnosis creates delays and backlogs.”
“Mike Richards’ 2020 review found that histopathology activity had increased by 30% between 2018 and 2019, while consultant numbers rose by just 8%. The gap continues to widen. The UK also has among the lowest numbers of MRI, CT and PET scanners per million of the population among comparable nations, with just 10 CT scanners, 8.6 MRI units and 0.5 PET scanners per million. Even when equipment exists, staff shortages mean it is often not used. One survey respondent arrived for a CT scan to find no staff available to operate the machine. In August 2025, only 69% of patients began treatment within 62 days of urgent referral—far below the 85% target, which has not been met since December 2015. That is the fault not of this Government but of the last one, but this Government need to make some improvements.”
“The Royal College of Radiologists reports a 29% shortfall in radiologists, or 1,670 consultants, which is set to rise to 39%, or 3,112 consultants, in five years. An extra 346 radiologists are now needed to clear the diagnostic backlog—equivalent to 9% of the current workforce. The Royal College of Pathologists found that 60% of consultants said their departments lack adequate resources, including staff. Clinical oncology faces a 15% shortfall, forecast to reach 19% by 2029, with smaller cancer centres suffering vacancy rates six times higher than larger ones. In genomics, only 60% of tests are delivered on time, mainly due to a shortage of pathologists. In 2022, NHS England reported a 12% mammographer vacancy rate, rising to 15% in the midlands and south-east, and 36% of the workforce are due to retire within the next 10 to 15 years.”
“Consultants, nurses, radiologists and oncologists are all working flat out to deliver care but are being held back by staff shortages, limited equipment, outdated buildings and a lack of training. This is a legacy of the last Conservative Government. The new Labour Government must act swiftly to support our NHS workforce and deliver world-class cancer care. I welcome the commitment to a new national cancer plan that was confirmed on 4 February 2025—World Cancer Day—after I called for a national cancer plan on 31 October last year. That plan must prioritise early diagnosis and improved treatment. Perhaps it could even be launched on World Cancer Day 2026, which is 4 February. According to Lilly UK, only one third of NHS staff believe there are enough people for them to perform their roles effectively.”
“I beg to move, That this House has considered the impact of NHS workforce levels on cancer patients. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Hobhouse. I declare an interest as a governor of the Royal Berkshire hospital. Also, a family member has shares in a medical company. Being a cancer survivor, cancer diagnosis, treatment and outcomes are important to me. I thank the 136 people who responded to my survey ahead of this debate, and the Chamber engagement team for helping to highlight the real experiences of cancer patients across the country. I also thank all the organisations that have helped me and my office to prepare for the debate. Shortfalls in the NHS workforce are no secret.”
“I thank you, Mrs Hobhouse, and the Minister for leaving me time to sum up the debate. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan) for her contribution and her kind remarks, and I thank other Members for their kind remarks as well. I thank all hon. Members who have contributed so much to today’s debate, each having special stories to tell about the areas they represent. All of them are fantastic campaigners for the cancer community. We can all agree with the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon): we all hate cancer. In fact, I am sure everybody in this room today hates cancer.”
“The Government need to provide targeted support for the most deprived areas of the country, which are under immense pressure, and they need to replace doctors who they know are likely to retire in the next few years. The Government must up their game on cancer. They have been left a very difficult legacy, with no money and no enthusiasm to change the way we deal with cancer, which is a really sad indictment of the previous Conservative Government. Finally, the Government must increase recruitment, training and retention; support primary care referrals; invest in diagnostic infrastructure and education; guarantee access to clinical nurse specialists; and prioritise support for patients with less survivable cancers. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered the impact of NHS workforce levels on cancer patients.”
“I will make some progress. I must also say a big thank you to all the cancer charities and life sciences companies that have provided valuable insight into the state of the NHS workforce and its effect on cancer patients. The impact of NHS workforce levels on cancer patients is a serious topic that needs to be discussed, and the experience of patients needs to be highlighted. Today has raised key demands for the Government to address. The Government must increase endoscopy and pathology capacity. They should audit and invest in phlebotomy services, as called for by Leukaemia UK and the Royal College of General Practitioners. They also need to establish a national register of phlebotomy sites.”
“It was announced yesterday that family courts will no longer presume that contact with both parents is preferred when domestic violence has occurred. Many in Wokingham, including Kaleidoscopic UK, are concerned that abusive partners will still manipulate courts by claiming that they are the victim. Family courts only get limited mandatory training; that is why residents want an expert to advise the judiciary, case by case, in order to stop abusive practice. Will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time on how we can best implement that advisory role into the judiciary to support victims of domestic violence?”
“Will the Government act urgently to address the inadequate LHA rates, which have been frozen until 2026, and implement extra support that is not first come, first served, but designed to help everyone who needs it?”
“Raising the local housing allowance alone is not enough, however, because without increasing the benefit cap, which has barely moved since 2013, many households would not see the full benefit. My constituent, Yasmin, said that finding somewhere affordable that would also take someone on benefits was like finding a needle in a haystack and that the whole process was one of the worst times of her life. She was made to feel as though she was not even a human being. What Yasmin wants is what we all want: a safe, secure home that is affordable and has long-term stability. As she says, “I really hope we can have a country where this basic human right is accessible for everyone.” It is time for a system that supports people, rather than leaving them behind.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Efford. I thank the co-sponsors of this debate, the hon. Members for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) and for Liverpool Wavertree (Paula Barker), for securing it. Local housing allowance is meant to help people on low incomes afford private rent by covering the cheapest 30% of homes in an area, but it has been frozen for years while rents have continued to rise. The result is that housing benefit no longer reflects the real cost of renting, and thousands are struggling to keep a roof over their head with no extra support. Getting a discretionary housing payment is not simple. Renters already face barriers such as needing guarantors or are discriminated against for needing extra help, and delays in securing support mean that many lose their homes entirely.”
“My hon. Friend is making a really powerful speech. The Conservatives and the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) created this crisis in small boat crossings. Before the botched Brexit deal, we had, in effect, a returns agreement with every other EU nation under the Dublin system, as our hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (John Milne) said. Now this Government, like the last, are struggling to manage a rise in small boat crossings. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government must urgently negotiate more returns agreements with other EU countries?”
“T5. According to a survey carried out by campaigners from the adoption and special guardianship support fund, just 40% of respondents believed that the previous £5,000 fair access limit was sufficient to meet their children’s needs. Following its reduction to £3,000, 71% reported a reduction in the number of therapy sessions. What will the Minister do, as a matter of urgency, to address the detrimental impacts of the changes to the ASGSF?”
“We know that at times it is hard to see a GP, and the Teenage Cancer Trust has highlighted that 16 to 24-year-olds have to see a GP more often than any other age group—often three times—before getting a referral for cancer diagnosis. Will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time on increasing access to GPs as part of the wider national cancer plan, particularly for young people?”
“For all that patrician charm he deployed to win over judges in court, he was also a savvy street campaigner his opponents underestimated at their peril. On one of his many visits to Wokingham, a local journalist asked him why he visited so often. He replied, “I have invested so much in this young man”—it was only 10 years ago!—“that I am determined to see him succeed.” He was delighted when that investment paid off last July. Ming was very generous with his time and his advice. He was a warm and generous friend to me and my family, to many colleagues and to the many, many friends he made in Wokingham along the way. He will be fondly remembered by everybody who knew him well and, by wide agreement, as being probably one of the nicest people to ever lead a political party in the UK.”
“Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I am sure that Ming would have been delighted with the tributes paid to him today by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey) and many others. Just as importantly, I think Elspeth would have been equally delighted. She would have been raising a glass of champagne in celebration. Ming is remembered as a brilliant and successful athlete and an accomplished, distinguished advocate. He was a real fixture in this House, utterly authoritative on foreign policy and defence matters for more than two decades. Less well remembered is the fact that it took him three elections and a decade to be elected to represent Fife, a seat he then held for 28 years. He was, therefore, sympathetic and hugely supportive of my similarly numerous efforts to win in Wokingham.”
“As the Prime Minister and President Trump get along, does the Prime Minister think he can secure President Trump’s support for genuine progress towards securing a two-state solution, which is the only path to ensuring peace, security and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians?”
“We must demand higher standards on sustainability, and we must recognise the value of fashion, not just as business, but as part of our culture and identity. Our fashion industry is world leading, and the Liberal Democrats believe that, with the right support, it can remain world leading, not only in creativity but in responsibility.”
“Closer to home, my constituency of Wokingham may not host catwalks, but our young people, our schools and our small businesses are all part of the bigger creative economy. Local designers, digital start-ups and independent shops all have a stake in the future of the fashion industry. The choices that we make here in Parliament about education, sustainability and support for the arts directly affect opportunities for people in our local communities. London Fashion Week matters on many levels: economically, it is a powerhouse; culturally, it is a beacon of creativity; and socially, it has the chance to lead on sustainability and ethics, but we must not take it for granted. We must invest in the education that produces the next generation of designers.”
“Last year, out of 206 member brands at the British Fashion Council, just seven had published targets for reducing emissions and only five had targets in line with the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. That is disappointing; the UK average across all sectors is 65%. Progress has been made with the recycling of clothing, and many people use platforms such as Vinted and Depop, but around 300 tonnes of clothing are still thrown away every year. London Fashion Week is well known for embracing sustainable fashion and has a runway dedicated to it, and some designers are using recycled or eco-friendly fabrics, but we need to try to do better. The UK can and should lead the world, not just in style, but in sustainable fashion. That means tackling waste, fixing supply chains and supporting innovation in new materials.”
“Through its NEWGEN programme, the British Fashion Council gives young designers a platform to show what they can do. Many well-known names today started out with that support. Talent does not appear out of nowhere. It begins in our classrooms, our colleges and our apprenticeships. That is why we believe that arts education must be taken seriously. We would include arts subjects in the English baccalaureate, properly fund creative degrees and make sure that there are high-quality apprenticeships in creative and digital industries. Without that, we risk losing the pipeline of young people who will shape future fashion, music, film and design industries. Of course, there is more that the fashion industry could do.”
“It is not just about glamour on the runway; it is about people’s livelihoods, businesses in our towns and cities, and exports abroad. In London, the effect is clear: during the 2023 fashion week, footfall in London rose by almost 18% compared with a normal day, giving a significant boost to our traders. Shops, cafés, restaurants and taxis all benefited from London Fashion Week. That local boost matters, and it shows how culture and commerce can go hand in hand. London Fashion Week is not only about money; it is about who we are. Designers from around the world come to London to share ideas and work with our home-grown talent. Our designers shape culture, tell stories through fashion, and give Britain a strong creative voice on the world stage.”
“They had me on the runway twice in a day in each of those years, with other breast cancer survivors, parading in six or seven different outfits from top designers including Jeff Banks and Stella McCartney. We did it in front of 1,000 people at each session. Looking at me now, you would hardly describe me as a fashion model. Over the years, London Fashion Week has set new trends, not just in clothing but in values. It was one of the first runways to ban fur, and it is going further this year by banning exotic animal skins such as snake and crocodile. That is important: it shows that the fashion industry can lead the world not only in style but in responsibility. The fashion and textile industry adds more than £60 billion to our economy and gives work to more than 1 million people.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank the hon. Member for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting) for securing this debate. London Fashion Week is known worldwide. As we probably all know, it started in 1984 in a tent in a Kensington car park, where the British Fashion Council brought British designers together to show their work. From those modest beginnings, it has grown into one of the most famous fashion events in the world, showing the best of Britain: innovative and inviting the world in. I had the pleasure of working with two of London Fashion Week’s stalwarts, who sadly are both no longer with us: Hilary Alexander and Lesley Goring. They choreographed two fashion shows in which I took part for Breast Cancer Care in 2009 and 2014, helping to raise many hundreds of thousands of pounds for that charity.”
“Reforms must be ambitious; reform is an opportunity to address enormous, complex issues. In my Wokingham constituency, the number of children with EHCPs has grown by nearly 100% between 2019 and 2025. Many of these children have been out of school and in alternative provision for a long time, often because there are simply no schools available and willing to meet their needs. A fair society requires that every child is valued, supported and empowered to reach their full potential. We must ensure that vital reforms to SEND are approached with the honesty and ambition that will improve outcomes for children with special educational needs.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I and many of my constituents would like to thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Cotswolds (Dr Savage) for introducing the debate. People living with special educational needs and disabilities are like everyone else: they have dreams, passions, interests and their own individual identities. They do not want to be defined by the challenges they face, but by the capabilities they possess. Early assessment is vital. Early identification leads to better outcomes. Early support prevents difficulties from escalating, improving long-term educational and other outcomes. After years of Conservative neglect, the SEND system needs fundamental change. All stakeholders must be listened to and understood.”
“My Lib Dem colleagues and I have repeatedly called on the Government to introduce further sanctions on Israel; we called for sanctions on Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, and now we call for sanctions on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Cabinet. Does the Minister agree that those are the people who are responsible for creating a famine in Gaza and continuing the killing of innocent civilians?”
“Russian drones over Poland suggest that Putin is testing NATO’s resolve to support its members. Will the Minister push the Prime Minister to urge President Trump and the members of the G7 to produce a cohesive plan to seize the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets held in their countries and funnel that money to the frontline in Ukraine? That money would transform Zelensky’s efforts to repel Putin’s illegal war machine. Will the Government commit to doing that?”
“The Lib Dem-run council has done that despite being one of the lowest-funded unitary authorities in the country, but Labour’s new council funding formula will take £47 million away from Wokingham over the next three years. How can the Labour Government expect councils such as Wokingham to improve services and take on the responsibilities created by this Bill without proper support from Government, as is called for in amendment 3? I wholeheartedly support new clause 2, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Tom Gordon), which proposes that time restrictions be removed from disabled people’s concessionary passes. That would be widely welcomed by many of my constituents. I also support new clause 1, tabled by the Liberal Democrats, which would restore the £2 fare cap.”
“I will speak to new clauses 1 and 2, and amendment 9. This Government are giving more powers to local authorities, such as the franchising of local bus services. They expect councils to fund more bus services, while they undermine and reduce councils’ core funding at the same time. Our amendment 3 would require the Secretary of State to assess the adequacy of central Government funding to support franchise schemes. That is essential because, due to the pandemic, bus service usage massively declined in my constituency of Wokingham. Since then, the Lib Dem-run council has acted to improve local bus services, increasing the frequency of services on key routes. It is now predicted that bus services in Wokingham will recover to pre-pandemic rates.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate. In Wokingham, the Kimel café does a fantastic job taking on neurodivergent youngsters, giving them key skills and including them in our community. Does my hon. Friend agree that more businesses should employ neurodiverse people? Does she also agree that the Government must do more to support excellent businesses that support neurodiverse people, like the Kimel café?”
“I have had many meetings with business owners across Wokingham, whether that is world leaders in the defence industry, GP surgeries, medical manufacturers, farmers, hospitality companies or exporters. It is clear that Labour’s hike to national insurance contributions has created immense financial burdens for those companies. This policy has prevented many from hiring more staff and devastated their profits, and it is stifling growth. What steps is the Minister taking to give businesses like those in Wokingham hope that this Government do have their back?”
“I welcome the Minister to his new role. There has been a spate of cyber-attacks on important UK companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, on supermarkets and on the Legal Aid Agency. What are the Government doing to restore public and, just as importantly, international trust in the UK’s cyber-security networks? Do the Government think that the attacks have come from overseas?”
“Only 1% of families answering the survey have found the new £3,000 fair access limit sufficient to meet their child’s needs. Just 1%—that is a dreadful statistic. The Government’s changes to the ASGSF have contributed to placements without adequate therapeutic support, despite us knowing the harm that this causes. The Government should think again, consult with families and the sector, reverse the cuts and ensure that a permanent fund is created that allows all families access to the right levels of specialist therapeutic support, right from the start and throughout their young lives. Only then can children heal and thrive.”
“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Alison Bennett) for securing this debate. In a recent parent and carer survey examining the impact of cuts to the ASGSF, the findings were alarming. Some 71% of children have seen a reduction in the number of therapy sessions, and 34% of families have been forced into an unethical choice between having an assessment of their child’s needs but no treatment, or treatment of unassessed needs. The cuts to therapeutic packages have led to an increase in school exclusions, which were already far greater than for non-care-experienced children. They have led to an increase in child-on-parent violence, impacting 75% of families. There are children experiencing suicidal feelings who no longer have therapeutic support.”
“Recently, I have had meetings with AI technology companies and medical professionals, seeing how AI can help speed up cancer diagnosis and make the NHS workforce much more efficient, ultimately saving lives. However, hospital systems and staff are not yet ready to start utilising new AI systems in diagnostics, so will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time so we can discuss a framework that hospital managers can adopt to implement AI diagnosis effectively and help save lives?”