National Cancer Plan

Debate between Andrew Gwynne and Adam Jogee

Tuesday 4th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Gwynne]

Absolutely. Things are advancing so quickly in technology and innovation. It is quite remarkable that science fiction is becoming science fact. We are obviously interested in minimally invasive therapies, and they will form part of the plan. That is why we are consulting. That is the purpose of this exercise: so that we can look at what technologies are here today, what the emerging technologies are and how they will shift the dial on some cancers.

[Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)]

The House will know that my family, like many others in Newcastle-under-Lyme, has been impacted by cancer in recent times, so I thank the Minister for his statement and his personal commitment to getting this right. On World Cancer Day, I join him in paying tribute to the charities he mentioned in his statement, and particularly my constituents Mary and Colin, who raise so much money every year for Macmillan. Health inequalities in some of our poorest communities and our ethnic minority communities play a big role in cancer being diagnosed. Can the Minister tell me and my constituents in Newcastle-under-Lyme how we will tackle those health inequalities alongside this national cancer plan?

[Andrew Gwynne]

My hon. Friend makes a very good point, and it relates to not just cancer but a whole range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, strokes and so many others—it is the same areas that have the worst outcomes, because there are endemic health inequalities that we have not shifted the dial on for decades. Life expectancy is much lower, and healthy life expectancy is much worse, than in less deprived areas. It is part of our health mission to drive forward better health outcomes for people living in the poorest areas, and our national cancer plan will be a key part of that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Gwynne and Adam Jogee

Tuesday 7th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)]

T2. I pay tribute to my constituents Sheila and Joe Ward, who have long campaigned for vaccine-injured people and bereaved families following the death of their husband and father. The vaccine damage payment scheme has received 16,824 claims. When can people who are still mourning the loss of loved ones expect to receive the compensation that they deserve?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Andrew Gwynne)]

In September the Secretary of State and I met the families of people who had suffered harm following the covid-19 vaccination, including my hon. Friend’s constituent Sheila Ward, and they raised the need for reform of the vaccination damage scheme. We listened closely to their descriptions of what they had been through and agreed to look at a number of options, noting that cross-cutting Government decisions might be necessary. We are also working with the NHS Business Services Authority to improve claimants’ experiences of the scheme, and to ensure that claims are processed quickly.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Gwynne and Adam Jogee

Tuesday 23rd July 2024 Commons Chamber

[Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)]

4. If he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential effects of toxic air from landfill sites on people’s health in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Andrew Gwynne)]

I warmly welcome my hon. Friend, the new Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme, and thank him for raising this important issue. The UK Health Security Agency works with the regulator, the Environment Agency, to advise on health risks from landfill sites. In relation to the site in his constituency, the UKHSA undertakes monthly risk assessments using air quality data. A multi-agency group, including Government agencies and local authorities, meets regularly to review the situation and any interventions needed. I will, of course, raise his concerns with my counterparts in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

[Adam Jogee]

I thank the Minister for his answer, and welcome him to his place. Walleys Quarry landfill in Newcastle-under-Lyme is an environmental crisis and a health one too, and my constituents Sheelagh Casey-Hulme, Jan Middleton, Lee Walford and many others are rightly scared and angry about the impact of toxic levels of hydrogen sulphide on the health and wellbeing of local people. Will the Minister come to Newcastle-under-Lyme to listen, to learn and to smell, and to help us finally stop the stink?

[Andrew Gwynne]

Public health and prevention are priorities for me and this Labour Government. Obviously, the Environment Agency takes the lead in this specific instance, but I am more than happy to jump off the train at Stoke—if my hon. Friend will pick me up—and visit his constituents to listen to their concerns, and to ensure that the public health considerations are amplified to Environment Agency colleagues.