Oral Answers to Questions

Heidi Allen Excerpts
Tuesday 19th June 2018

(6 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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And that advice will be proffered on a very large number of occasions in this Chamber until the right hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Dame Cheryl Gillan) gets what she seeks—I think I can say that with not just confidence, but certainty.

Heidi Allen Portrait Heidi Allen (South Cambridgeshire) (Con)
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15. What steps his Department is taking to support NHS foundation trusts to tackle shortages in clinical staff.

Steve Barclay Portrait The Minister for Health (Stephen Barclay)
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The workforce strategy we are bringing forward will include investment and an expansion in the number of medical schools— five new medical schools—alongside those 1,500 new doctor places.

Heidi Allen Portrait Heidi Allen
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I had wanted to ask the Secretary of State to get behind exempting nurses and doctors from the tier 2 visa process, but I do not need to do that; I just have to thank him for his support in doing that. Instead, for his next challenge, will he commit to looking again at the pensions cap, which I fear might be one reason some senior NHS professionals and doctors are retiring sooner than they might otherwise do?

Steve Barclay Portrait Stephen Barclay
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I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s support on tier 2 visas. She will be aware that clinicians who reach the £1 million lifetime allowance limit can expect a pension of about £44,000, payable at age 60, increasing with inflation, plus a tax-free lump sum of about £132,000. Although these are ultimately issues for the Treasury, it is important that we ensure that tax allowances, two thirds of which go to higher-rate taxpayers, are fair to other taxpayers.