Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Knight Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd June 2015 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Jane Ellison)]

The Government is quite clear, as was the coalition Government, that tackling obesity is one of the great challenges of our time for the whole of the developed world, not just this country. We are looking at a comprehensive strategy right across all aspects of Government, including local government and so on. We will address that and rise to the challenge. Everyone has a part to play, including, as has been said during this Question Time, industry and, of course, families themselves.

[Julian Knight (Solihull) (Con)]

T9. My constituent Daniela Tassa has lost her hair while being treated for secondary breast cancer. Sadly, Miss Tassa has been turned down by Solihull clinical commissioning group for a hair replacement treatment called intralace. Is there any guidance that Ministers can offer CCGs when it comes to the sanctioning of such hair replacement treatments?

[Jane Ellison]

I welcome my hon. Friend to his place. I am very sorry to hear of his constituent’s diagnosis of secondary breast cancer. It is of course vital that the NHS supports all patients in the best way possible, but clinical commissioning groups need to make decisions on whether to commission a particular hair-replacement service for patients based on their clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness. I very much hope his CCG will be looking carefully at that.