Oral Answers to Questions

Stuart Andrew Excerpts

Tuesday 25th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State, the birthday boy!

[Stuart Andrew (Daventry) (Con)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I ask the Secretary of State why he has not sorted out the strikes and disputes?

[Wes Streeting]

I wish the shadow Health Secretary a very happy birthday—21 again! It is good to see him here.

We continue to hold the door open to the British Medical Association. If it wants to engage constructively, we are ready and willing. What we will not do is be held to ransom. What we cannot afford to do is pay more than we already have. What we are able and willing to do is go further to improve their career progression and job prospects, and to work with them to rebuild the NHS, which the Conservative party broke.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I have a lot of topical questions to get through.

[Stuart Andrew]

But, Mr Speaker:

“The power to stop these strikes is in the Government’s hands.”—[Official Report, 6 February 2023; Vol. 727, c. 660.]

“They need to sit down and negotiate to end the strikes, but Ministers are too busy briefing against each other.” Those are not my words, but the Secretary of State’s words when he was standing here on the Opposition side. He said it was so simple. The Secretary of State is embroiled in a leadership battle that is taking over the need to focus on averting walkouts, and the Employment Rights Bill reduces voting thresholds on strikes and scrapping minimum service levels. Does the Secretary of State accept that things are only going to get worse as a result of the Bill? And in his words, does he agree that patients have suffered enough?

[Wes Streeting]

I was very clear in opposition about the Government’s responsibility to sit down and negotiate, and that is exactly what I have been doing. It takes two to tango. As for the other trivial nonsense the right hon. Gentleman mentions, I have been very clear that I am a faithful. Of course, if he were a gameshow, he would be “Pointless”.

--- Later in debate ---

[Wes Streeting]

If I were the hon. Gentleman, I would be more worried about the situation close to home and the SNP’s abysmal record of failure: while waiting lists are falling in Labour-led England and Labour-led Wales, in SNP-led Scotland they are rising, despite the biggest funding settlement since devolution began. It is a record that should make him and his party blush.

[Stuart Andrew]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I know that you have been incensed by the unprecedented briefings we have seen by the Government in the run-up to the Budget. It beggars belief that, despite your clear statements on this issue, they have done it again today by announcing that the Chancellor will announce £300 million for NHS tech in her Budget tomorrow—not through a briefing to journalists but with an article on the gov.uk website. This happened just today, after a Minister stood at the Dispatch Box yesterday and said:

“I can assure the hon. Member, given the respect that the Government pay to this House and to their obligations in it, that if there is an important policy announcement to be made, it will be made to this House.”—[Official Report, 24 November 2025; Vol. 776, c. 32.]

Given that that was clearly not the case in this instance, despite your statements, can you advise us as to what we as Members of this House can do?

[Mr Speaker]

It is frustrating for me and all Back Benchers, because everything should be heard here in the Chamber first. The Budget should be sacrosanct; it should be heard only on Budget day. What I would say is that it makes a change for Budget speculation to at least come to the Chamber, as that is quite out of the ordinary at the moment.

I thank the right hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. As I have said on a number of occasions in recent weeks, the Government’s own ministerial code states that major announcements should be made in the House in the first instance, not in the media. We had an urgent question yesterday on this issue. The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee has been conducting an inquiry into ministerial statements and the ministerial code. I look forward to seeing its report earlier rather than later. I would also point out that the country expects the Budget to come out on Budget day. It does nothing for the City and it does nothing for how people view this Chamber if it does not. We will leave it there.