Oral Answers to Questions

Alan Strickland Excerpts

Wednesday 29th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for raising this important issue, which I know is of real concern to him. I reassure him that I am in regular contact with Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and the PSNI on it, as he would expect. As he is aware, we provided a record settlement of £19.3 billion a year on average for the Executive, and we invested £113 million in additional security funding for the PSNI to help to address specific security challenges. While it is for the Executive to set the PSNI budget, I reassure him that our commitment is to keeping people safe in Northern Ireland.

[Alan Strickland (Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor) (Lab)]

Q5.   I am speaking on behalf of my constituents Shannon and Tyler, who lost their two-year-old son Hudson earlier this year. Worried about their son, they called 111 and were told that he had gastroenteritis. In fact, Hudson had a twisted bowel and, after being rushed to hospital a few days later, he tragically died.Shannon and Tyler are full of praise for the NHS medical staff who worked so hard to save their son’s life, but they just wish they had been offered an in-person appointment sooner, which might have given a more accurate diagnosis. They want Hudson’s legacy to be better access to face-to-face NHS appointments for children under five, so that other families do not face this tragic situation. Their online petition on the matter has gained over 80,000 signatures. Will the Prime Minister join me in sending the best wishes of the House to Hudson’s family, and will he ensure that they meet a Health Minister to discuss their courageous campaign?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that tragic case. I am sure that I speak for the whole House in saying that we send our sympathies and thoughts to Hudson’s parents, Shannon and Tyler. I will make sure that they get the meeting that he has asked for. This is exactly why we are working to improve access to face-to-face appointments for those who want one. To enable that, we have delivered the largest cash uplift for GPs in a decade, have put over 2,500 GPs into general practice, and are upgrading 1,000 surgeries to deliver 8 million more appointments.