Business of the House

Mims Davies Excerpts

Thursday 24th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend is right to raise the issue of male life expectancy in Scotland. The figures that he mentioned are worrying. This Government are committed to working with the Scottish Government to tackle the challenges that the country is facing. That is why we convened our first Council of the Regions and Nations in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago. He will be aware that Scotland questions are next week, and he might want to raise it further then.

[Mims Davies (East Grinstead and Uckfield) (Con)]

You will know the importance of Uckfield hospital, Madam Deputy Speaker—a hospital that you previously represented and that your constituents enjoy using locally. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on community and district hospitals? The Health Secretary spoke at the Dispatch Box about the importance of local access, but I hear that Uckfield hospital’s elective surgery has been mothballed for six months and that local staff are being sent elsewhere. That flies in the face of the decisions that this Government say integrated care boards should be taking.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Given the mention of Uckfield, I will be listening to the answer very closely.