Changes to Health Services in London

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and David Burrowes

Wednesday 30th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

There is no humiliation in doing the right thing for patients, and I will always do that. Sometimes it is difficult and we have battles with the courts, but no one is above the law. I have said that I respect the judgment made by the court yesterday, and that is what I shall do.

[Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con)]

Are there not three lessons to learn from the Secretary of State’s statement and the response from the shadow Secretary of State? First, we should listen to the opinions of local doctors. Secondly, delay puts at risk patient safety. Thirdly, we should not play politics. For Enfield, is it not the case that we should recognise that local doctors have united to say that we need to get on and implement changes, because delay would put at risk patient safety this winter, not least at our new, expanded North Middlesex hospital in Enfield? The future of Chase Farm is secure, but it could also be put at risk if we do not allow the implementation of good changes. We should not play politics, but Enfield council is doing so by trying to challenge the changes.

NHS Commissioning Board (Mandate)

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and David Burrowes

Tuesday 13th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

As the hon. Lady knows, we manage our finances extremely carefully but we do have underspends. We try to minimise them and there has been a real-terms growth in spending—actual money spent in the NHS, compared with Labour’s plans. In the first year of the review there was a real-terms increase and we will continue to manage NHS finances with a commitment to protecting the budget, which did not ever happen when the right hon. Member for Leigh was in post.

[Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con)]

I welcome the Secretary of State’s priority to reduce the disparity in health outcomes, not just across the country but across local areas. Will he reassure me that the mandate, delivered in partnership with local health and wellbeing boards and local GPs, will end the scandal—Labour’s legacy—that from the west of the borough of Enfield to the east, the age mortality rates decrease by more than 10 years?

[Mr Hunt]

My hon. Friend is right. That is why, at the heart of the mandate, is an information revolution so that the public can understand exactly how well different parts of the system work, and so that we create the right pressures on the system to improve where performance is poor. I agree that the central, top-down structures that we had before did not allow that to happen. If we had cut the budget, as the Opposition wanted, it would have been even more difficult now.

Leveson Inquiry

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and David Burrowes

Wednesday 25th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I did not know the volume and content of those text messages until yesterday. I have said that. My former special adviser has said that he had those communications without authorisation from me, but they are now published and that is why we have taken the action we have.

[Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con)]

I do not know Mr Michel, but I do know that the Secretary of State is a man of integrity and honesty. Will he make it crystal clear whether he recognises any of the conversations that have been attributed to him in Mr Michel’s e-mails?

[Mr Hunt]

None whatsoever, and indeed Mr Michel has acknowledged that in the 54 e-mails in which he refers to conversations with me, he in fact did not have any conversations at all.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and David Burrowes

Monday 21st June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con)]

T5. As we seek to host the World cup, will the Minister ensure that FIFA focuses less on excluding women in orange dresses, and more on including ordinary spectators, who are increasingly priced out of watching the beautiful game?

[Mr Jeremy Hunt]

I thank my hon. Friend for his excellent question. He is absolutely right that the great opportunity in hosting an event such as the World cup is the opportunity for people to go to these hugely exciting events who may otherwise not have the opportunity to do so. We talked about that to FIFA, and the big strength of our bid is that it will mean that 4.5 million more people play football; that every girl in the country gets the opportunity to play it; and that we have a disability football centre set up. So there are huge strengths in getting more people involved in the game.