Clinical Waste Incineration

John Howell Excerpts
Tuesday 16th October 2018

(5 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Steve Barclay Portrait Stephen Barclay
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the issues we have experienced with the supplier have not affected the NHS’s ability to maintain its service. That has been our key objective throughout, and that continues to be the case.

John Howell Portrait John Howell (Henley) (Con)
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Will the Minister confirm that, after the NHS trusts had terminated their contracts with HES, a new contract was given almost immediately?

Steve Barclay Portrait Stephen Barclay
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right. One of the key issues was to have alternative provision in place as quickly as possible so that we were not in the situation of waste being stored on site beyond the absolute minimum. It is a tribute to officials in the Department and in the NHS, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and elsewhere that a quite complex set of legal arrangements has been mobilised in such a short period to ensure that services are maintained.