Oral Answers to Questions

John Baron Excerpts

Tuesday 24th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Bim Afolami. Not here. This is a rum state of affairs. I hope the fellow is all right. He was here earlier, but he has beetled out of the Chamber at a most inopportune moment. Well, there is nothing to be done, and the grouping breaks down, but I hope Bim’s okay. Reports would be welcome.

[Mr John Baron (Basildon and Billericay) (Con)]

16. What steps the Government are taking to ensure that the recommendations of the cancer strategy will be implemented by 2020.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Steve Brine)]

I, too, hope my hon. Friend the Member for Hitchin and Harpenden (Bim Afolami) is okay.

Saying that gave me a crucial few seconds. [Interruption.]

[Steve Brine]

We are very clear that achieving the 62-day standard is not a prerequisite for transformation funding, but the better the performance against the standard, the more funding alliances will receive. Most have now received 75% to 100% of the funding requested. This is taxpayers’ money, so we must ensure alliances are operationally strong and ready to achieve transformation.

[Mr Baron]

I welcome the new Secretary of State to his post.

There remains the inconvenient truth that, despite all Governments bombarding the NHS with process targets in recent decades, cancer survival rates are not catching up with international averages. The last Government’s estimates suggested that that needlessly costs 10,000 lives a year as a result. Will the Minister work with the new Secretary of State, in drawing up the next cancer strategy, to put outcome indicators at the very heart of the process? For example, holding the local NHS accountable for its one-year figures would encourage initiatives to promote earlier diagnosis, cancer’s magic key.

[Steve Brine]

I thank my hon. Friend for his work chairing the all-party group on cancer over many years, as I know he is about to step down. He has two answers in one here. Yes is the answer. Improving cancer patient outcomes will be the seam that runs through the centre of the NHS’s long-term plan, like the proverbial stick of rock.