Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Green and Jeremy Lefroy

Wednesday 12th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Damian Green]

The right hon. Lady is right to identify the issue of energy prices, and I am sure she will welcome the announcement in the Queen’s Speech that the Government will

“ensure fairer markets for consumers”

and that

“this will include bringing forward measures to help tackle unfair practices in the energy market to help reduce energy bills.”

I am sure this is an issue on which we can work across the House together.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

Q2. Mr Speaker, yesterday you kindly hosted two important talks on the future of health and social care, and their funding, including one by my hon. Friend the Member for Totnes (Dr Wollaston). My right hon. Friend the First Secretary knows that the NHS in Staffordshire and Stoke is delivering fine care, but under great financial pressure, in common with other parts of the country. May I encourage the Government to bring together people from across this House to make this Parliament the one that puts the NHS and social care on a firm and sustainable foundation?

[Damian Green]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that. I know he has been campaigning vigorously on behalf of health services in his constituency, including his local hospital, and he is absolutely right to do so. I am sure we both welcome the fact that the Government have committed an extra £8 billion over this Parliament to the NHS, and we are also committed to having a full debate, across the House, and much more widely with people, about how we can improve our social care system, because this is indeed one of the big issues facing this country.