Health Bill

Becky Gittins Excerpts

2nd reading
Monday 1st June 2026 Commons Chamber

[James Murray]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the single patient record applies to the NHS in England, but my colleagues in the ministerial team have regular conversations with our counterparts in Scotland and in other devolved Governments to ensure that we are working on such cross-border issues wherever we can.

[Becky Gittins (Clwyd East) (Lab)]

Does the Secretary of State agree that the introduction of the single patient record will be a huge step forward in the safe treatment of people with allergies? Will he join me in calling on the new Minister in the Plaid Cymru Government in Wales to follow our lead for the betterment of allergy care for people in Wales?

[James Murray]

I very much join my hon. Friend in urging the new Health Minister in Wales to follow our lead by introducing a way for patients to access the data and, crucially, for clinicians to be able to see all a patient’s data when making those decisions. With complex cases, where people see multiple nurses, doctors, consultants and so on, it can be crucial that clinicians see all the relevant information when making choices on how to treat their patients. I thank my hon. Friend very much for her question.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I should make some progress, as I know that many Members wish to speak this evening. I am getting a nod from you that that is the right thing to do.

As I have set out how the single patient record will help to improve patient safety, I also want to be clear that no Government should ever pretend that things do not go wrong. When they do, it is crucial that the right systems are in place to hold people accountable, and to ensure that we learn from mistakes in order to prevent them from happening again. As I mentioned earlier, Dr Penny Dash conducted an independent review into the patient safety landscape. What she found was a confusing landscape of multiple, overlapping organisations that are responsible for patient safety in the NHS, making it harder for staff and organisations to do the right thing. That is why the Bill simplifies the patient safety landscape, streamlining and consolidating functions to make the system more effective and efficient, and to restore patient confidence.

Infected Blood Inquiry

Becky Gittins Excerpts

Tuesday 19th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority will obviously take—and I know this because of the discussions I have had with Sir Robert Francis—a sympathetic view of the level of evidence that will be required. Sometimes the problem is that the issues complained of date from so long ago, but another chilling aspect of this scandal is, in some cases, the wilful destruction of documents. That is something that we have to take into account when it comes to securing justice for people. I have had the privilege of meeting several members of the community, and I am grateful to them for continuing to campaign on this issue. Let me also openly express my gratitude to Sir Robert Francis and David Foley of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority for continuing to work with the community to drive that delivery of compensation forward.

Ending the defensive culture in the civil service and Government is a cultural change that should unite all of us throughout public life. That is why work is under way across Government to strengthen responsibilities relating to candour and transparency for public servants. In the King’s Speech that opened this Parliament, the Government set out their commitment to legislation to introduce a duty of candour for public authorities and public servants, and the Prime Minister confirmed at the party conference that such legislation would be delivered. He said:

“It’s a law for the sub-postmasters in the Horizon scandal. The victims of infected blood. Windrush. Grenfell Tower. And all the countless injustices over the years, suffered by working people at the hands of those who were supposed to serve them.”

He also said that the Hillsborough law would be introduced to Parliament before the anniversary of that event, on 15 April next year.

[Becky Gittins (Clwyd East) (Lab)]

One of my constituents contacted me recently to talk about the death of her husband, who contracted hepatitis C as a result of infected blood. The impact on her and her family has been massive, even with the interim payment that she and they have received. Can the Minister confirm that the Infected Blood Compensation Authority has been established and is undertaking the necessary work to deliver payments to victims of this injustice as soon as possible?

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

I can indeed confirm that. The authority is working in a way that will allow it to scale up as quickly as it possibly can. The need for speed in delivering compensation payments is paramount.

Memorialisation will be really important in how we remember the victims of this scandal. Sir Brian Langstaff makes a compelling case about the need to recognise what happened to people, and for it to be recognised by future generations. Officials have begun the necessary work to respond to Sir Brian’s recommendations on memorialisation, and we recognise that this is an incredibly sensitive issue that we need to get right.

Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations call for fundamental changes to the way that politics and Government operate, and for one of the largest compensation schemes in UK history. That is entirely in line with the scale of the injustice that he has uncovered. Given the scale of the recommendations, I am committed to updating formally on them within the 12-month timeframe set out by Sir Brian Langstaff, but I assure Members of this House, and, indeed, the infected blood community, that we will drive forward this vital work. We will deliver the changes that are needed, which will stand as a testament to the bravery and determination of people who have been so badly failed.

I pay tribute to all those who fought so hard to bring us to this moment. Their efforts are monumental, and we commit again today to ensuring that they have not been in vain. I commend the motion to the House.

Income Tax (Charge)

Becky Gittins Excerpts

Tuesday 5th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Becky Gittins (Clwyd East) (Lab)]

I begin by welcoming the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, particularly the part about smoke-free spaces. For those of us with anaphylactic allergies, vapes represent a higher risk, because clouds of vape smoke contain allergens. We have seen the first report of anaphylactic reactions to second-hand vape smoke, so I very much welcome the prevention included in the Bill.

I will move on to the Budget. There is a reason why people across Wales overwhelmingly rejected the Conservatism that crashed our economy, failed to fund our public services and oversaw economic decline. Furthermore, the Conservative Government were not honest about the challenges that we faced. They were not honest with farmers in Clwyd East, small business owners, public servants or potential investors. They spent money that was not budgeted for—the height of irresponsibility. To say that they overpromised and underdelivered would be a colossal understatement.

Last week, however, this Labour Government delivered an honest Budget that gave hope to the people of Wales, with the largest funding boost that Wales has received since devolution: £21 billion, with a £1.7 billion Barnett formula uplift for the Welsh Government to support the vital public services on which my constituents rely. That includes £250 million for capital investment. It is the biggest Budget settlement for Wales since devolution.

We are working with the Welsh Government to invest in our NHS and increasing the national minimum wage, benefiting more than 70,000 workers across Wales. Some £2.3 billion has been provided for prison expansion, to sort out the mess that the previous Government made of our criminal justice system. We have provided £5 billion for the farming budget, to accompany a new veterinary agreement that this Government are seeking in order to cut the red tape and get Welsh food exports moving. We have provided £100 million to support steel communities, and £25 million to make coal tips safe.

Importantly, we are ending the injustice of the mineworkers’ pension scheme. As someone who grew up in a coalfield community and whose family worked at the Point of Ayr colliery, I was proud to stand on a manifesto pledge to return the investment reserve—over £1 billion—to those who need and deserve it: the former miners themselves. That means a huge amount to the nearly 300 former mineworkers in Clwyd East. We owe them this, and we delivered it. While the Budget makes difficult choices, it sets us on a path to growth and provides vital investment for Wales. It has my full support.