Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Hanson of Flint Excerpts

Tuesday 7th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Burns]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question, because he is right—under the Labour Government, Northamptonshire Teaching PCT was underfunded and is currently receiving 1.4% below its target allocation. That is why my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I are seeking, under the vision outlined in the White Paper, to free the NHS from day-to-day political interference so that the allocation of resources will be the responsibility of the NHS Commissioning Board which can seek to address the problems highlighted by my hon. Friend.

[Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)]

5. What recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the effects of proposed changes to health services in England on patients living in Wales who use those services.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Anne Milton)]

Since the election, there have been informal, but no formal, discussions between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and the Welsh Assembly Government. However, I understand that a meeting is planned for later this year. Clearly, there have been discussions between officials about the impact of the White Paper and the changes.

[Mr Hanson]

May I respectfully suggest that someone in the Government gets on and talks to the Welsh Assembly Government? A third of my constituents, who live in Wales, use the Countess of Chester hospital in England, and they use hospitals in Manchester, including the Christie and the Clatterbridge for cancer services, as well as the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt hospital in Shropshire for orthopaedic services. They are as appalled as I am by the changes being proposed by the Conservatives to destroy the NHS. Get on and talk to someone please.

[Anne Milton]

May I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question and assure him that officials have got on with it and do it constantly? It is important that we ensure that any changes are synchronised across the two areas, and I know that he will continue to raise cross-border issues. I can reassure him that we have already got on with it and he need not remind us to do so.

Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Hanson of Flint Excerpts

Tuesday 29th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Burstow]

As I said in my original answer, we recognise the crucial importance of high-quality surgery. The hon. Lady has made the important point that we must equip our surgeons with the right skills to carry out highly complex and specialist procedures. That means that we must deliver specialised training for that purpose to our existing work force.

[Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)]

Does the hon. Gentleman recognise that the 18% fall in the breast cancer rate between 1998 and 2008 was due not only to the expertise of cancer surgeons but to the target culture to which he is so opposed? What would he say to the 3,500 women who, because of those targets, did not die in 2008?

[Mr Burstow]

I imagine that that would be an answer the previous Government should be giving, and they should be sorry. [Hon. Members: “What?”] The reality is that this Government are clear that we are sticking with the targets in relation to cancer, but we are also clear that we need to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, and ensure that people present themselves at an earlier stage and get access to the appropriate diagnosis, so that they get the right treatment.