Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Emma Lewell-Buck

Tuesday 7th February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

The recent inquiry by the child of the north all-party parliamentary group found that, under this Government, children in the north live in greater poverty, many in destitution, and that that problem is likely to keep growing. Why is it that, when it comes to children, this Government’s mission is always to level down rather than level up?

[Jeremy Hunt]

I gently say to the hon. Lady that there has been less poverty and inequality under this Government. We demonstrated that in the autumn statement, with a huge package of support—£99 billion—for houses and families up and down the country, targeted at the lowest paid.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Emma Lewell-Buck

Tuesday 2nd April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

7. What recent assessment he has made of the strength of the UK’s diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr Jeremy Hunt)]

I visited Saudi Arabia most recently on 2 March. We have a long history of close co-operation in support of regional stability, alongside frank conversations on areas of concern, including human rights.

[Mrs Lewell-Buck]

I thank the Foreign Secretary for that answer. A UN human rights expert has said that the court proceedings relating to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi have been secret and fall short of international standards, and it was reported only today that Saudi Arabia is paying his family so that they continue to show restraint in their public statements. Can the Foreign Secretary update us on any conclusions that he has reached from the promised credible investigation into the murder?

[Mr Hunt]

I can assure the hon. Lady that we have been clear from the outset that what happened to Khashoggi was fundamentally against our values, and that there has to be full accountability and a transparent judicial process that meets international standards. That process has started and we continue to monitor it; we are sending observers to see what happens in the trial process. We continue to exercise our strong views on the issue, in private and in public.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Emma Lewell-Buck

Tuesday 2nd June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

1. What assessment he has made of recent trends in ambulance waiting times.

[The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt)]

As you said, Mr Speaker, we shall have those tributes tomorrow, but I should like very briefly to echo your comments, because I know that the whole House is shocked and deeply saddened by the umtimely passing of Charles Kennedy. He was a giant of his generation, loved and respected in all parts of the House. Our thoughts are particularly with Liberal Democrat Members who knew him well, and to whom he was a very good friend over many years. We shall all miss him as a brave and principled man who had the common touch, and who proved that it is possible to be passionate and committed without ever being bitter or bearing grudges. Our thoughts are with his whole family.

I can tell the hon. Member for South Shields (Mrs Lewell-Buck) that the ambulance service is performing well under a great deal of pressure. Although a number of national targets are not being met, the service is responding to a record number of calls, and is making a record number of journeys involving all categories of patients.

[Mrs Lewell-Buck]

I echo the comments made about the late Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber. He was one of the kindest Members of the House, and he will be greatly missed by many of us.

As for the Secretary of State’s response to my question, I think that his assessment was a bit off. When my constituent Malcolm Hodgson’s son-in-law broke his leg in a local park, he waited in agony for 50 minutes for an ambulance, and then waited a further five days for an operation. Can the Secretary of State explain how our ambulance and health services were allowed to fall into such a dire state over the past five years, and will he apologise to that young man for the delay and the pain that he suffered on the right hon. Gentleman’s watch?

[Mr Hunt]

I take responsibility for everything that happens on my watch. [Interruption.] I think it is a little early to ask the Secretary of State to resign—but maybe not. The ambulance service is under great pressure, but across the country we have 2,000 more paramedics than five years ago, we are recruiting an additional 1,700 over the next few years, and from March this year, compared with March the previous year, the most urgent calls—the category A red 1 calls—went up by 24% and the ambulance service answered nearly 2,000 more calls within the eight-minute period. There is a lot of pressure, we have a plan to deal with it, but we need to give credit to the ambulance service for its hard work.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Emma Lewell-Buck

Tuesday 15th July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I share my hon. Friend’s concerns that the car park charges in some hospitals are just too high. I understand that hospitals have financial pressures, as do many parts of the system, but I am happy to talk to him on another occasion about what specifically can be done on this issue.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

Annually 30,000 applications for funeral payments are rejected, leaving families committed to expensive funerals that they cannot afford. People who are approaching end of life are not advised, as part of their palliative care, about planning for funeral costs or their eligibility for support. What is the Secretary of State going to do to remedy this?