Backbench business

Charles Walker Excerpts

Thursday 14th February 2013 Westminster Hall

[Caroline Nokes]

I welcome the opportunity to summarise briefly. We have had a full and interesting debate. I pay particular tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon—I am sorry, I mean Braintree (Mr Newmark). I am trying to send him to a different part of the country. Everywhere in Essex begins with B! His contribution was fantastically personal and moving. I am convinced that many other hon. Members in the House have had personal experience of eating disorders in their families or personally, and we must, as the Minister said, take such disorders more seriously. I was delighted to hear his words this afternoon about his personal commitment while he remains in his job—long may that be so.

I thank all hon. Members who spoke. Many were unable to be here for the full time, but they came and went. Two important debates are taking place in the House this afternoon, which were also granted by the Backbench Business Committee, so I am conscious that we have been competing with others for parliamentary time and attention. I want to take this opportunity to reiterate some of the key points that we have made.

There must be continuity of care. We heard the important point about the transition from child services to adult services, and how some sufferers can fall through the gap. Equally, that transition, whether from school to college or college to university, may be a tipping point for those who suffer eating disorders when they need continuity of care. My strong argument to the Minister is that there must be flexibility in both specialist services and GP services so that if a young person moves away to university, there is joined-up thinking and treatment, and no moment of crisis when a young person does not get the care they need.

We have heard from hon. Members about the impact of eating disorders on male sufferers. They are the fastest-growing group, but that does not detract from the fact that clearly the majority of sufferers are women, and the vast majority are young women.

One stark statistic that I want to close on is that 20% of anorexia nervosa sufferers die from that condition. We must do more to ensure early intervention so that that number falls.

I thank the Minister for his time, and you, Mr Walker, for chairing the debate. I also thank all hon. Members who took part this afternoon.

[Mr Charles Walker (in the Chair)]

Thank you, colleagues, for such an informative debate, which was Parliament at its very best.

Question put and agreed to.