Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Polly Billington Excerpts
Wednesday 4th February 2026

(1 day, 19 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Keir Starmer Portrait The Prime Minister
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I am pleased to hear the news about the dental school in the hon. Member’s constituency. We have put in further funding for dentistry. We were left with dental deserts across many parts of the country, but we are fixing that problem.

Polly Billington Portrait Ms Polly Billington (East Thanet) (Lab)
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As the Prime Minister has pointed out, today is World Cancer Day. As outlined in our cancer plan, early detection and diagnosis is vital. Will the Prime Minister agree to consider the campaign by my constituent Gemma Reeves, who is a nurse at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother hospital, to ensure that breast cancer screening is available for all women over the age of 40, and will he meet her to discuss how such a change would save lives?

Keir Starmer Portrait The Prime Minister
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I absolutely support that, and I will make sure that my hon. Friend gets a meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss it. Early diagnosis is so important for all cancers, and we must do everything we can to ensure that early diagnosis is the norm by default.