Business of the House

Barry Sheerman Excerpts

Thursday 14th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

My right hon. Friend raises a very important point. Of course, we have done a huge amount and are currently considered to be world leaders in this space. All credit goes to the RAF, for some of the pioneering work it has done, and to the Virgin-led coalition that led to the first transatlantic flight on sustainable aviation fuel. He will know that the next Energy Security and Net Zero questions will be on 16 January, and Business and Trade questions will be on 25 January. I will make sure that the relevant Ministers have heard his interest today, but I also encourage him to raise it with them directly.

[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

Yesterday, a brave group of women lobbied us in this House about lobular breast cancer. It is a much lesser known cancer, but thousands of women in our country suffer from it, and the diagnosis and treatment are still not perfected. The wonderful people who lobbied us yesterday told me that just £20 million on research would make such a difference to getting real answers in both treatment and diagnosis. Will the Leader of the House allow us an early debate on the matter?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question and all right hon. and hon. Members who went to the drop-in that took place this week to raise awareness of this important matter. Good diagnostics are key to good health outcomes, which is why we have stood up an additional 160 diagnostic testing centres to ensure that we are getting through the remaining waiting lists. He will know that the reforms we have introduced in the life sciences sector—which enable people, whichever institutions they sit in, to work on problems jointly, as opposed to in competition with each other—have led to breakthrough drugs, and we have also had our investment and research missions for particular therapy areas. I can tell that there is an appetite to do more in this area. I encourage him to raise it at the next Health questions, but I will also make sure that the Secretary of State has heard what he has said.