Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Tuesday 9th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[James Murray]

I have explained the position about decisions on tax. More broadly, it is critical that we have the medicines of the future that we need. One of my very first visits as Secretary of State for Health was to a company that is using AI to determine new opportunities for medicines and drugs to tackle cancers and some of the other illnesses that people face. Making sure that we are investing in businesses—British businesses—to drive that innovation is crucial, not just to the future health of our country but to economic growth.

[Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) (Lab)]

T3. At the age of six, Ellis Lake was diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy, which is treatable if diagnosed early. His parents Tracy and Luke are campaigning for newborn screening for the disease. The UK National Screening Committee did not recommend screening in its last review of the condition, but it did outline that it was gathering more evidence. Will the Minister look at how the process can be expedited?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Mrs Sharon Hodgson)]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that very important matter. My sympathy is with the Lake family, and I commend them for their advocacy on this issue. I am acutely aware of the matter, having met the hon. Member for Upper Bann (Carla Lockhart) and her constituents about this issue last week, in a very moving meeting. I assure my hon. Friend that the Department is working with partners to see whether it is possible to set up a multi-condition evaluation, so that not only MLD but other rare conditions can be assessed alongside the existing screening programmes.