Reducing Health Inequality

Lindsay Hoyle Excerpts

Thursday 24th November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Relevant document: Second Report of the Health Committee, Public health post-2013, HC 140.]

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

There are 11 Back-Bench contributors to this debate. Will Members bear that in mind, in order to give everybody a good chance of having equal time?

--- Later in debate ---

[Rebecca Pow]

rose—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. I do not want us to get into a forestry debate. I admire this love-in for the south-west, but I think we need to get back to health.

[Rebecca Pow]

I did actually go out on a boat up the Thames this morning with Greenpeace to look at the issue of microplastics in water, and we also saw some trees. Trees are important and serve a good purpose in taking in air pollution, which has an effect on health; we have a lot of asthma in our cities. If we plant more trees, we will help to combat all that.

It has been demonstrated that mental health can be aided through contact with nature. As a keen gardener, I can vouch that getting one’s hands in the soil, watching things grow, planting seeds and watching the seasons change definitely does lift the spirits and is a pick-me-up.