Oral Answers to Questions

Virendra Sharma Excerpts

Tuesday 17th July 2012 Commons Chamber

[Paul Burstow]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight those issues and the emerging findings from the survey. It is important to say that data will be a key consideration in how the next spending review is shaped, along with the priorities that the Government will give to different demographic pressures as a result.

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

13. What recent representations he has received on the reconfiguration of children's heart services.

[The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr Simon Burns)]

I have received representations about the review of children’s heart services via letters, parliamentary questions and e-mails from hon. Members, via letters and e-mails from organisations and the public, and via meetings. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received two overview scrutiny committee referrals, one from the Yorkshire and Humber joint health and overview scrutiny committee and one from the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

[Mr Sharma]

Is the Secretary of State confident that the committee has properly balanced the clinical decisions with the practical transport issues faced by families of children with heart problems?

[Mr Burns]

The assurance I can give the hon. Gentleman is that we certainly believe so, but these are matters for the joint committee of primary care trusts, which carried out this review. As he will appreciate, it is totally independent from the Department of Health, and rightly so.