Business of the House

Anna Gelderd Excerpts

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that matter. As I said previously, Sir David Attenborough has been instrumental in teaching generations about the importance of the natural world. I am sure that the whole House will join me in celebrating the monumental occasion of Sir David’s 100th birthday, and let us give some thought across the House to how best we can mark that.

[Anna Gelderd (South East Cornwall) (Lab)]

In South East Cornwall we are rightly very proud of Cornwall Air Ambulance, which, along with more than 20 air ambulance charities across the UK, carries out vital lifesaving work, responding to over 130 missions daily and attending some of the most serious incidents, from road traffic collisions to cardiac arrests and major trauma. Cornwall Air Ambulance has raised concerns with me about emergency planning, particularly around fuel resilience and rising costs. Will the Leader of the House support me in securing a meeting with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that Cornwall Air Ambulance and other air ambulance charities are fully included in national emergency and prioritisation planning, so that they can continue to deliver critical care without disruption?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising the important work of the Cornwall Air Ambulance charity and wholeheartedly join her in commending the vital work of the volunteers who keep these essential services in the sky. I will certainly take up her concerns with my right hon. Friend the Health Secretary to seek the meeting that she wants, but because it may not simply be a matter for the Department of Health and Social Care, let us give some consideration to how else we can resolve this matter at a ministerial level.