Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Simon Opher and Keir Starmer

Wednesday 10th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The Secretary of State for Justice will look into the matter and take up the suggestion, and I will arrange for a meeting as soon as possible.

[Dr Simon Opher (Stroud) (Lab)]

Q12. Vaccinations were invented in Berkeley in my constituency 230 years ago and, as a GP, I have jabbed literally thousands of children and adults. Will the Prime Minister update the House about our new roll-out of chickenpox vaccinations, which will further protect our children? Will he also join me in condemning other political parties that give a platform to people who spread false rumours about vaccination?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend speaks with great authority, and I am proud that Labour is protecting 500,000 children by rolling out chickenpox vaccines. In stark contrast, the man who wrote Reform’s health policy has made shocking and baseless claims that vaccines are linked to cancer, and that has been endorsed by the Reform leader, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage)—[Interruption.] They laugh at it. These dangerous conspiracies cost lives, and this shows that Reform cannot be trusted with our NHS.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Simon Opher and Keir Starmer

Wednesday 11th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the hon. Lady for raising this horrific case and the other, similar cases. My thoughts—and, I am sure, the thoughts of the whole House—are with Michael’s family and all those affected by such vile crimes. I think we all need to listen to what they have to say. I know that she has been working with my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer (Mr Charters) on this issue, and I pay tribute to her and to all those who are working so hard on the issue. I am sure that the Justice Minister will be in touch at the first opportunity to take this forward. I thank the hon. Lady again for raising a really important issue.

[Dr Simon Opher (Stroud) (Lab)]

Q2.   In Gloucestershire, after 14 years, waiting lists for both physical and mental health are finally falling. Last week I hosted a roundtable with young people and heard how music and arts programmes, such as Gloucester’s fantastic Music Works, are transforming mental health outcomes. I also chaired a Comedy-on-Prescription panel at South by Southwest with Lu Jackson and Jonathan Pie, utilising laughter to improve wellbeing and reduce waiting lists. Can I ask the Prime Minister to back our campaign for creative health, and urge him to go further in reducing waiting lists for all patients?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend has great expertise, having worked for many years in the NHS as a GP, and I support the work he is doing. As he has pointed out, our plan for change has cut waiting lists in his local trust by almost 5,000, and we are going further, including through state-of-the-art radiotherapy machines rolled out across the country. There is one going into my hon. Friend’s constituency, and more scanners are going to 27 other hospital trusts, including two hospitals in the constituency of the Leader of the Opposition. This is all made possible by the decisions we have made, and I know that the Leader of the Opposition will want to stand up and welcome that.