Business of the House

Lee Pitcher Excerpts

Thursday 12th September 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I am sure the Education Secretary would be happy to answer the hon. Member’s questions on that. It a clear policy of this Government. We want to ensure that the 93% of children who attend state schools get access to the high-quality education and expert teachers they desperately need, and that is why we are imposing VAT on private school fees. Our analysis suggests that many schools and parents will be able to absorb that cost. Unfortunately, that is the situation as it is.

[Lee Pitcher (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme) (Lab)]

Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating Hatfield Town cricket club in my constituency on its 150th anniversary? At the recent anniversary celebration, many residents asked me about my commitment as their MP to reopening Doncaster Sheffield airport. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the Government will continue to work with me, Mayor Ros and Doncaster city council and others to support progress with its reopening?

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend, and I join him in congratulating Hatfield Town cricket club on its 150th anniversary. He has been a real leader on the issue of reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport, and I know that progress is being made. A 125-year lease has been agreed, and I very much look forward to the progress that he and Mayor Ros will continue to make in once again getting planes flying over Doncaster.

Business of the House

Lee Pitcher Excerpts

Thursday 5th September 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

Fortuitously, my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General is sitting beside me. As the hon. Gentleman may know, the Government worked apace over the recess to meet our statutory deadline for setting up the compensation scheme, and my right hon. Friend has already made two statements on the matter during the three or four short weeks during which the House has sat since the election. I know that it is a personal commitment of his to ensure that those affected have justice and compensation, and I know that he has heard what the hon. Gentleman has said today.

[Lee Pitcher (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme) (Lab)]

At an advice surgery that I held recently in Moorends, I heard yet again about the perils of the 30-minute rush to get a GP appointment. I hear the same desperation throughout my constituency. Not only is the system not inclusive, but it is unfair. Many people are commuting at that time, or dropping children off at school, and those who are unable to telephone must rely on others who cannot always be there at 8 am. What action can my right hon. Friend take to stop this anxious 30-minute race?

[Lucy Powell]

All of us, and many of our constituents, are familiar with the 8 am scramble for a GP appointment. It is no way to access our primary healthcare system, which is why my right hon. Friend the Health Secretary and the Government are committed to the creation of 40,000 more GP appointments each week over the current Parliament. My right hon. Friend is dedicating a large amount of his time to delivering that, and I am sure he has heard what my hon. Friend has said today. However, my hon. Friend may wish to raise the matter again during Health questions after the conference recess.