Commons Chamber

Tuesday 25th November 2025

(began 1 hour, 53 minutes ago)

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Wes Streeting Portrait Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ilford North, Labour)
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm proud to see this government's improvements to GP services making a real difference locally. With over 2000 more GPS hired and new investment already reaching investment already reaching practices like general surgery in Farnborough. However, many of my older and more vulnerable constituents still tell me they're struggling to get through on GP phone lines, especially as more practices move online. What steps practices move online. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to ensure phone lines remain accessible to those who rely on accessible to those who rely on them, so that everyone benefits from our NHS health plan? So stay well? it.

We've got a doctor in the house who's phone was alive as this very issue was raised by my hon. Friend. Such is the commitment of doctors in our NHS to be available to patients wherever and whenever they are needed. This Labour government was elected on a pledge to end the scramble, and that is exactly what we're doing. We know that not everyone wants to contact their practice online. That's why practices must offer patients the option to telephone or visit in option to telephone or visit in person, in person, in addition to online access.

But I do want to thank GPS up and down the country for the work they're doing, the progress we're making and improving online access, improving access generally and improving patient satisfaction. Lots done. Lots to do.
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None Portrait Q5. What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people waiting for NHS treatment. (906529)
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**** Possible New Speaker ****

hon. Friend is absolutely right. More patients are waiting a year for treatment in Scotland and the entire south west of England. And
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Luke Evans Portrait Dr Luke Evans MP (Hinckley and Bosworth, Conservative)
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Yes, I can give him that guarantee. The last government could have learnt the lessons of some of those, those PFI schemes that were very costly and didn't run. And why didn't they learn those lessons? Why didn't they take action to reverse some of that decline? Why didn't they take control of the system and do something about it? We have learnt the lessons from those schemes, thanks in part to the great work thanks in part to the great work done by parliamentarians on committees like Public Accounts Committee.

We have learned those lessons. The new system to build lessons. The new system to build the new neighbourhood health centres, which are fundamental to our drive to shift care at hospital, will be different and they will be publicly owned. They will revert to the public. They are fundamentally different. I'm very happy to talk different. I'm very happy to talk about it in more detail. So stay. first of all commend my hon. Friend for not just leading the recent International Men's Day debate, but also for his courage in speaking so openly about his own experience of sexual assault and the need to sexual assault and the need to tackle the stigma surrounding it.

For too long, Men's Health has been overlooked, with a reluctance to accept that men suffer specific inequalities and hardships. As men and boys, we know men are less likely to come forward for likely to come forward for healthcare. So from partnering with the Premier League to rolling out health support in the workplace, we're meeting men and boys where we're meeting men and boys where they are and supporting them to live longer, healthier lives.
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None Portrait Ministerial statement: G20 and Ukraine
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always said our A must be a just and lasting peace. And both of those words, Mr. Speaker, are important, just and lasting. So, Mr. Speaker, I welcome the continued efforts of the United States to end the war and stop the killing. The initial draft of the 28 point plan included points that were not acceptable, but also some very important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace. For example, it sets out steps on security guarantees from the US and partners.

This is very significant, and the discussions in Geneva took important steps forward with progress between the US and Ukraine on an updated peace framework. I can reassure the House that work is ongoing to refine this plan. And, Mr. Speaker, we are clear about the fundamental principles here that Ukraine's sovereignty must be maintained, that Ukraine should be able to defend herself in future, and that matters about Ukraine and its future must be determined by Ukraine. We are clear their voice must always be at the heart of the process and elements relating to Europe and NATO will need the consent of Europe and NATO members.

So there's still a long way to go and a tough road ahead. But we're more committed than ever to this cause and to keeping pushing forward on this process. And that's why, Mr. Speaker, later this afternoon, President Macron, Chancellor Mertz and I will convene the coalition of the willing, which now has 36 members, to discuss how we can advance the peace process and to discuss how we can continue to keep Ukraine in the fight. Right now, because, Mr.

Speaker, Ukraine continues to hold the line. They continue to mount a fearless defence of their country. And they deserve not just our respect, but our help and our support. After all, it is not just our values that are at risk here. It's our security too. In addition to targeting energy and food prices, Putin continues to seek to undermine our security, including Mr Speaker, by sending Russian ships into our waters. The Royal Navy intercepted two Russian ships in our waters in the last two weeks.

So let me assure the House we are more ready and determined than ever to protect our territory and protect the British people. As we work towards that end. We will never let up on the support that Ukraine needs, the vital defensive capabilities it needs to protect its people and the economic pressure that we must continue to mount on Russia to cut off the fuel to their war machine. Mr. speaker, the urgent need to take Russian oil and gas off the global market was something I discussed extensively at the G20.

This is vital, especially now as winter begins to bite in Ukraine and Putin continues his barbaric attacks on civilians and civilian energy infrastructure. Because, Mr. Speaker, as this House knows, and the British people know, there is only one nation that wants this war. Only one nation that launched this illegal invasion, and only one nation that deploys a constant barrage aimed at murdering innocent civilians. We saw that again last night, Mr. Speaker, with Russia's strikes on Kyiv.

Indeed, in the last week before last night, Russia launched over 1200 drones and over 60 cruise and ballistic missiles at Ukraine, killing children like seven year old Amelia, a Polish citizen killed alongside her mother by a Russian missile in Ternopil last Wednesday, an attack that took 34 lives in total. And Mr. Speaker, last night as a family, we celebrated my daughter's 15th birthday. Later, I saw images on the news of a young girl about the same age being pulled from the rubble of a building in Ukraine where her mother had just been killed.

It's abhorrent. It's beyond belief. Yet Ukraine lives this same story every night in their cities and every day on the front line, where so many Ukrainians are killed fighting for their freedom. And, Mr. Speaker, we should not forget that Putin's aggression is illegal actions and his total disregard for human life has taken a huge toll on his own people. Thousands of Russian soldiers are killed every single day. 100,000 have been killed attacking Donetsk. In total, more than 1 million Russians have been killed or injured, all because of the depraved ambitions of one man.

So, Mr. Speaker, we say again, this country will never falter in our support for the Ukrainian people. We will maintain a unity of purpose with our allies, and we will focus on delivering the calm, serious leadership that is needed to advance a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, Ukraine, and indeed for the whole of Europe. Mr. speaker, let me now turn to my broader discussions at the G20. I took the opportunity in South Africa to raise the ongoing and utterly horrifying situation in Sudan.

We are working with our partners to break the restrictions on humanitarian aid and demand accountability. We must rally global pressure to stop the slaughter, achieve a sustained ceasefire and ultimately to deliver a transition to civilian rule. Mr. speaker, in South Africa, I also chaired the Global Fund replenishment alongside President Ramaphosa, leading the charge in the global fight against Aids, TB and malaria. Work that has already saved over 70 million lives. Yet Mr Speaker malaria still kills a child under the age of five.

Nearly every minute. 4000 adolescent girls and young women still contract HIV every week, and TB remains the world's single deadliest infectious disease. Even though we've had a cure for nearly a century, so we will keep driving this project forward because it's the right thing to do, and because it helps protect the United Kingdom from future pandemics and health emergencies. Mr. speaker, a central priority at the G20 was delivering economic security and opportunity, as it is at every international meeting I attend.

A strong economy allows us to be strong in the world. Economic security is national security. So, Mr. Speaker, I can tell the House we delivered for the British people this weekend, including deals with South Africa, for British firms to upgrade their railways and submarines. A £370 million deal for Rolls-Royce to supply jet engines to Algeria, and a 4 billion deal with Indonesia for new ships delivering 1000 jobs in Rosyth, Plymouth and Bristol. And delivering upon my say another rebuke, rebuke to all the people who prematurely wrote off British shipbuilding.

Mr. speaker, we can only achieve these things. We can only deliver for the British people by working with our partners. And I think this is a moment to raise our sights. Mr. speaker, the House will recall that it was when the global financial crisis struck that the G20 showed its full potential. When my predecessor, Gordon Brown, marshalled a global response to that crisis to protect the savings of finances of the British people. And so, in this moment of growing fragility and crisis around the world, it is time once again to take a more purposeful, unified approach focussed on global growth and stability.

I called for a response based on the right balance of investment and fiscal discipline, open markets, reforming the global trading system and tackling the cost of living crisis. That approach was echoed by the Leaders Declaration from Johannesburg. Mr. speaker, I am also pleased to say that the summit confirmed that the UK will take on the presidency of the G20 in 2027, the first time it has returned to the UK since 2009. It will be a proud moment for our country.

Part of our work to restore Britain's international leadership, which was neglected for so long. And we will use that presidency to drive the agenda that I have been talking about today, to drive growth and opportunity to create jobs, cut the cost of living and fundamentally strengthen the economic security of the British people. That is what we are doing at home and abroad. And I commend this statement to the House.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Kemi Badenoch the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. speaker. Can I thank the Prime Minister

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Can I thank the Prime Minister for advance sight of his statement? We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and our shoulder with Ukraine and our support remains unwavering. Ukraine is battling the most flagrant breach of territorial integrity in Europe in recent times. We must never forget that this war was never forget that this war was started by Putin, who is trying to extinguish a democracy on our own continent. It is important that we stand together to defend the principle that aggressors should principle that aggressors should not succeed.

The previous conservative government led Europe in support for Ukraine. We were the in support for Ukraine. We were the first country to provide modern Western main battle tanks, and to gift munitions and Storm Shadow gift munitions and Storm Shadow missiles. We led the way on sanctions and trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers on thousands of Ukrainian soldiers on UK soil. It is now incumbent on this government to leverage British
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Kemi Badenoch Portrait Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP (North West Essex, Conservative)
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influence at this crucial time for the West. Putins relentless bombardment of Kyiv and KGB style negotiating tactics show he is not serious about peace, which is why Russia must not be welcomed back into the international fold without a comprehensive peace agreement. So will the Prime Minister rule out support for Readmitting Russia to the G7?

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all want this terrible war to end. And as the Prime Minister end. And as the Prime Minister rightly said, elements of that draft 28 point plan were unacceptable. Conservatives are unacceptable. Conservatives are clear that the blanket surrender of Ukrainian territory would mean rewarding Putin's unprovoked aggression. What is the government's position on reports that Ukraine's territorial that Ukraine's territorial integrity is on the table? Because if Putin is seen to emerge stronger from these negotiations, all our potential adversaries will be emboldened.

Be in no doubt. Mr. emboldened. Be in no doubt. Mr. speaker, the axis of authoritarian states is collaborating to destabilise the West, aided by destabilise the West, aided by China, with Iran providing weapons and North Korea providing troops and North Korea providing troops for Putin. It is precisely for these reasons that the government must continue to work extremely must continue to work extremely closely with the US, and to understand their objectives. understand their objectives. Parties like the Lib Dems and the Greens, who are encouraging us to decouple from the US, are putting their anti-American prejudice above national security.

But Mr. Speaker, national security. But Mr. Speaker, given that in the last fortnight the Royal Navy has intercepted two Russian ships in our waters, and with Russian spy ships pointing lasers at RAF pilots, it is a disgrace that reform are still blaming NATO for Russia's aggression, although perhaps it should come as no surprise when their former leader in Wales was sent to prison last week for taking bribes from Putin. Earlier this year. Earlier this year, Mr. Speaker, many countries came together to form the coalition of the willing, pledging to strengthen support for Ukraine.

Can the Prime Minister update us on the planning and readiness of the coalition of the willing? What is its scope and terms of mission? And what can the Prime Minister tell us about a counter-proposal that is reportedly being submitted by the EU? Mr. speaker, to stand with Ukraine, we need to know we can also stand on our own two feet. Last week, the Commons Defence Select Committee warned that Britain is unprepared for a major attack and the government is making glacial progress towards conflict readiness.

So it is concerning that reports indicate the MoD faces a potential budget cut this financial year of £2.6 billion. Can the Prime Minister confirm whether this is true or false? Meanwhile, the EU is reportedly demanding nearly 7 billion for the UK to buy into its defence fund. Conservatives warned that this would happen. At the time the UQ reset deal was being negotiated. The shadow defence secretary said that Labour had given away 12 years of British fishing rights in exchange for nothing.

He was right. Will the Prime Minister rule out paying the EU for access to safe? Mr. speaker, it is extremely disappointing that Europe is still buying Russian oil and gas. Moscow should be denied safe harbours for its tankers and profits, and Europe should ban Russian oil and gas sooner than its current 2027 deadline. I believe the Prime Minister agrees with that sentiment. So what pressure will he put on European countries to stop them buying Russian oil and gas? Mr.

speaker, the UK's genuinely world leading support has made a material difference to Ukraine's ability to fight back against Russia's illegal invasion. Support that, I will remind the Prime Minister, began under the Conservatives. Let's not forget that in 2022, Russia thought it could capture Kyiv and subjugate Ukraine within days. So let's wake up and face that threat from Russia. So finally, can the Prime Minister reassure the House that we will be boosting our own defence capabilities, as well as using our
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