Oral Answers to Questions

Beccy Cooper Excerpts

Wednesday 12th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady’s constituents are right to be frustrated about the empty, unfunded promises that were left behind by the Conservatives—a point made by her and by my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Luke Murphy). Under the previous Government’s plan, a new hospital in Basingstoke would simply not have been delivered because it was unfunded: it was a promise without anything behind it. We have put in place a funded, deliverable plan that will see the hospital built, and we will work closely with the trust to ensure that it is.

[Dr Beccy Cooper (Worthing West) (Lab)]

The Government’s devolution plans are a welcome progressive development to shift power and resources from Whitehall to our communities. There are discussions now about the process and the realisation of benefits for our communities. Will the Prime Minister assure my residents in Worthing West, and those in all constituencies starting priority devolution programmes, that Sussex devolution will give us meaningful control of our local priorities, including housing, transport and social care?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising devolution, which will see her constituents in Sussex get meaningful control over local priorities. The devolution priority programme will see a wave of mayors elected next year, including in Sussex. I believe that those with skin in the game make the best decisions about their communities.

Oral Answers to Questions

Beccy Cooper Excerpts

Thursday 23rd January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

I understand and recognise the strong interest in what happens in 2026 when the arrangements that were negotiated by the previous Government end. I say to the right hon. Gentleman that I will listen and engage. We will protect the interests of our fisheries, and also fulfil our international commitments to protect the marine environment.

[Dr Beccy Cooper (Worthing West) (Lab)]

13. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reform public services.

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Pat McFadden)]

As I set out in a speech last month, modern government is about not just what the Government want to do but reform of the state itself. We want to see public services that revolve around the needs of service users, using new technology in the best way possible to secure value for money and better outcomes for our citizens. We have launched a number of test and learn projects with local authority areas to get better results on difficult issues such as temporary accommodation. Just this week, we announced that we will launch a new gov.uk app in June, which will be a step change in fast and easy public access to Government services.

[Dr Cooper]

I thank the Minister for those comments. How will he ensure that tackling health inequalities is baked into public service reforms, devolution agreements and local growth plans?

[Pat McFadden]

At the heart of what we want to do is improving living standards, outcomes and opportunities for all. One of the consequences of the long waiting times and waiting lists in the NHS in recent years is that it has been tougher on those who simply cannot afford to pay. It is therefore in the interests of good health and equal access to put in the investment that was announced by the Chancellor in the Budget, which is being taken forward in the plans announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Oral Answers to Questions

Beccy Cooper Excerpts

Wednesday 13th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Sir Stephen Timms]

We are working very closely with disability organisations, and I pay tribute to the work of those to which the hon. Gentleman referred. We will certainly ensure that barriers that too often confront disabled people are removed by this Government. That is the mission that we are on.

[Dr Beccy Cooper (Worthing West) (Lab)]

T5. According to the Darzi report, there has been a substantial decline in the social determinants of health, such as poor-quality housing, access to clean air and good nutrition. How is the Minister working with Cabinet colleagues to include health in policies that address those social determinants of health and tackle the health inequalities that are the legacy the Conservative Government left the country to deal with?

Oral Answers to Questions

Beccy Cooper Excerpts

Thursday 24th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Pat McFadden]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to draw attention to two things: the good work that civil servants do and the valuable role that whistleblowers play. That is why the last time we were in government, we legislated for legal protection for whistleblowers. It is important that people can come forward without fear of what they have to reveal.

[Dr Beccy Cooper (Worthing West) (Lab)]

T9. The United Nations calculates the human development index, which ranks countries based on GDP per capita, but also includes health and education measures such as life expectancy and school enrolment. As an integral part of our mission-led Government, will the Minister please outline the steps they are taking across Departments to ensure health indicators can be considered alongside economic indicators, as a measure of sustainable growth for our country?

[The Minister without Portfolio (Ellie Reeves)]

We have seen record numbers of our fellow citizens—2.8 million—excluded from the workforce because of long-term sickness. This Government recognise that taking action to improve health outcomes and address economic inactivity is vital for achieving sustainable economic growth. We will produce a White Paper to get Britain working. That will support other steps that we are taking across Government, creating more good jobs in clean energy through our modern industrial strategy, making work pay and improving the quality of work through our new deal for working people. We are also committed to cutting NHS waiting times, improving mental health support so that we can tackle the root causes of inactivity and fix the foundations.

Oral Answers to Questions

Beccy Cooper Excerpts

Wednesday 9th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Gill German (Clwyd North) (Lab)]

3. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on future earnings.

[Dr Beccy Cooper (Worthing West) (Lab)]

13. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on future earnings.

--- Later in debate ---

[Bridget Phillipson]

Yes, I give my hon. Friend that assurance. We will work closely with devolved Governments to make sure that we are all pulling together to break down the barriers that too many of our young people face. That is why the work on child poverty that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and I are leading on is so crucial. We know that child poverty is an issue that blights too many lives across the UK.

[Dr Cooper]

Coastal areas, including my constituency of Worthing West, experience lower life expectancy and higher preventable ill health than many non-coastal areas. That is directly related to the fact that they often have higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation. What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to address the specific inequalities in coastal communities?

[Bridget Phillipson]

My hon. Friend is a real champion for her constituents and for coastal communities, and I recognise that different communities have distinct challenges. Work is already under way to ensure that where someone is from does not determine whether they can succeed, but I would be happy to discuss that further with my hon. Friend.