National Health Service (Amended Duties and Powers) Bill

Debate between John Healey and Dan Poulter

Friday 21st November 2014 Commons Chamber

[John Healey]

rose—

[Dr Poulter]

I will give way to the hon. Member for Eltham and then I will conclude.

[Dr Poulter]

I was simply quoting the reassurances that his right hon. Friend had given to all hon. Members, which was that

“any ISDS provisions in TTIP could have no impact on the UK’s sovereign right to make changes to the NHS”.

If TTIP is good enough for the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne , it should be good enough for everyone in the Labour party.

[John Healey]

Would the Minister be good enough to concede that that has absolutely nothing to do with what the Government have been arguing; that is to do with the EU and their negotiation. The Trade Minister in charge has said that he does not want the NHS to be excluded in the way that we want.

[Dr Poulter]

No; I am simply quoting what the right hon. Gentleman has already put on the record about reassurances that he has received from the EU about an EU trade settlement. Surely, if the reassurances were good enough for him when he wanted to communicate them more broadly to his colleagues, and more broadly to members of the public, they are good enough now. It is very difficult to climb down from those reassurances, which he has previously given, and in the remarks I have made I have further reassured the House about the protection that this Government have made for the NHS in TTIP.

I am immensely proud of the way our NHS has already responded to the challenges of a growing and ageing population, meeting increased demand through a purpose and drive to improve the quality of patient care. That is why our NHS was recently ranked No. 1 in the Commonwealth Fund’s assessment of 11 global health care systems. This is at a time of unprecedented challenge to public finances across the globe, and testifies to the incredibly hard work of NHS staff and a very tough choice by this Government to protect our NHS budget and increase it by £12.7 billion between 2010 and 2015—a decision that the right hon. Member for Leigh called irresponsible but one of which we are very proud.

I remind the House of the words of the right hon. Member for Leigh when he was a Health Minister defending Labour’s record on introducing private providers into our NHS:

“I think the NHS can finally move beyond the polarising debates of the last decade over private or public sector provision”.

I agree: it is definitely time to move on. Our NHS focus needs to be on delivering for patients, so let us put distractions aside and let our hard-working doctors, nurses and health professionals get on with the job.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Healey and Dan Poulter

Tuesday 26th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Dr Poulter]

It was a great pleasure to open the walk-in centre in Morecambe, which was led by local commissioners to meet local clinical need.

[John Healey (Wentworth and Dearne) (Lab)]

The European Union has just agreed a trade deal with Canada that excludes health care, so will the Secretary of State ensure that the proposed EU trade and investment agreement with the US also excludes health care?