Advisory Committee on Business Appointments/Ministerial Code

Debate between Ben Gummer and Greg Mulholland

Monday 20th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Ben Gummer]

I endeavour in everything I do to be as assiduous as my predecessor in my ministerial responsibilities, but I have as yet not been able to uncover anything of the kind that my right hon. Friend suggests.

[Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West) (LD)]

In the context of potential overspending in key marginal seats and concerns about the appointments of MPs with safe seats, does this situation not show the stark difference between parties’ and candidates’ approaches to marginal and safe seats? There is a real problem of representation and an issue with the first-past-the-post system.

[Ben Gummer]

That is a niche interest for the Liberal Democrats, all of whom have marginal seats. What I find extraordinary about that question is that there are Members on both sides of the House with safe seats who are incredibly assiduous in how they attend to their constituents—Opposition Members whom I am looking at now and Government Members behind me—and it is wrong for the hon. Gentleman to cast aspersions on them.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ben Gummer and Greg Mulholland

Tuesday 2nd June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Ben Gummer]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. In relation to posteriors, it is good to see his in its rightful place. I have heard of his constituent’s case, which is as distressing as that of Jagger and of all those suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It is a terrible disease that causes lasting pain to the sufferers and their families. That is precisely why we are pushing hard for a decision from NHS England by the end of this month—it could not have come as quick as he had hoped—and for interim NICE guidance by the end of this year. I am pushing officials to move as quickly as they can on this.

[Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West) (LD)]

The reality is that NHS England has failed to respond to letters or to turn up for meetings, and it has behaved in an utterly unaccountable manner in regard not only to Translarna but to Vimizim, which is used to treat Morquio syndrome. We have still not had confirmation that an interim decision will be made on 25 June, but we are now being told that there will be a decision from NICE on 5 June. Will Ministers finally get a grip on this and give the families affected by these various conditions some sense of when they might get the treatment that could improve their quality of life?

[Ben Gummer]

I am sorry to hear that the hon. Gentleman has had that experience with NHS England. My hon. Friend the Minister for Life Sciences will want to speak to him about that; if it is the case, it is clearly unacceptable. As the hon. Gentleman will have heard from my previous answer, we are hoping to get quick decisions from NHS England on the interim commissioning guidance this month, and I am pushing hard for a decision from NICE as soon as possible this year, so that we can get interim guidance from it.