Jon Ashworth
MP for Leicester South
Lab
Questions Asked by This MP
Parliamentary questions and government responses.
Prime Minister's Questions
No PMQs questions found for this MP.
What urgent support and guidance is he offering local councils, such as mine in Leicester, given more ransomware attacks?
Context
The MP highlights a sophisticated ransomware attack on Leicester City Council that disrupted services and inconvenienced constituents. He asks about urgent support and guidance offered to local councils.
Oliver Dowden
We are working on remediation through the National Cyber Security Centre. To prevent such attacks, £2.6 billion was invested in a national cyber strategy to improve cyber-resilience and reduce legacy technology. We continuously improve performance with intelligence agencies and NCSC.
Session: Cyber Threats to Public Institutions and Services
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We had scandals such as Baroness Mone's; at the time, there was a hedge fund in Mauritius getting £250 million for face masks unusable and a jeweller in Florida receiving millions for gowns unusable. The Government incinerated billions of pounds worth of faulty PPE. That is taxpayers' money literally going up in smoke. Yet, the Health Secretary said: 'where a contract is not delivered against, we do not intend to pay taxpayers' money.' But taxpayers' money was spent; why wasn't that promise met?
Context
The question addresses discrepancies between the previous Health Secretary's assurances about non-payment for undelivered PPE and actual expenditure. There are concerns over the government's accountability regarding contracts that were not fulfilled.
Alex Burghart
I gently refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I just gave. The fact is that, although problems arose with PPE procurement in this uniquely difficult environment in which officials were working unbelievably hard for the public good, PPE procurement is still subject to ongoing contract management controls, active dispute resolution and recovery action. The Department of Health and Social Care realised the risk of fraud early on, established a counter-fraud team, and used legal tools to recover taxpayers' money.
Session: Covid-19 Procurement Fraud
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I, too, wish to put on the record my condolences to Tony Lloyd's family. The Government lost £9 billion through duff, unusable PPE. The Prime Minister, when Chancellor, signed off £7 billion-worth of dodgy covid loans. Even today, the Government are losing £10 billion to tax fraud, £6 billion to universal credit fraud, and billions more across the public sector as a whole. Is the truth not that families are paying £1,200 more on average in tax because the Government simply cannot be trusted with taxpayers' money?
Context
Concerns arise about the Government's handling of taxpayers' money through various instances of loss and fraud.
Alex Burghart
I really struggle with that line of questioning. Opposition Members have very short memories. This was the worst pandemic that we have had in over a century. The pressures on Government were immense.
Session: Public Procurement Covid-19
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Can he tell us which group of pensioners he had in mind when talking about who should lose the winter fuel payment?
Context
The Paymaster General was reported as saying that some pensioners do not need the winter fuel payment.
John Glen
I was making known my views on some of those choices and the challenges in delivering them. I was not deviating from Government policy, and I am very happy to put the record straight on the Floor of the House.
Session: Topical Questions
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Are they going to use AI to deal with benefit fraud and error, or should we assume that this is another example of how nothing works after 13 years?
Context
The loss of £8 billion a year due to benefit fraud and error.
Alex Burghart
Over the past three years, the Government have saved billions of pounds using the latest technology. The hon. Gentleman will be delighted to hear that over the past three years the Government have saved billions of pounds using the latest technology.
Session: Artificial Intelligence
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The working-age disability benefit bill is going to rise to £25 billion—it was £19 billion before the pandemic—but in the last 12 months, the DWP has cut the number of disability employment advisers by 10%. Why is that?
Context
Concerns about cuts in disability employment advisers by the DWP.
Mel Stride
The right hon. Gentleman is right that inactivity is increasing among the long-term sick and disabled, while it is reducing in others. We have White Paper plans to ensure we focus on what those who are long-term sick can do at work.
Session: Topical Questions
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Will the Secretary of State be voting to sanction someone who has just taken early retirement at age 59, or is he advising him to work in a pub?
Context
The Secretary of State suggested unemployed individuals should work in restaurants or pubs.
Mel Stride
I am happy to meet the right hon. Gentleman in any pub that he cares to name, and I am sure we will have a very convivial evening.
Session: Topical Questions
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Why is the Minister introducing a new universal credit health element and in-work progression offer despite his Department's report showing that sanctions do not work? This will inevitably mean exposure to sanctions for disabled people, causing distress.
Context
The Department's own report shows that sanctions do not work, yet the Government introduces a new universal credit health element with eligibility through PIP which could be more restrictive than WCA. The in-work progression offer will expose disabled people to sanctions.
Tom Pursglove
Congratulations on your marathon time. The Centre for Social Justice is characterised as a think-tank with common-sense reforms reflecting feedback from disabled people. Over 20% of disabled people could start work in two years; the Government aims to support them constructively, meeting their circumstances and needs.
Session: Personal Independence Payments Application Process
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Could the Minister ask her officials whether people use food banks due to £20 weekly cuts in universal credit, deductions from payments, lower real earnings than in 2007, higher taxes on working people, economic crashes raising mortgages and rents? Is it because of 13 years of economic failure?
Context
The questioner challenges the Minister on food bank usage reasons, questioning Government cuts to universal credit, real earnings decline since 2007, increased taxes on workers, and broader economic issues.
Mims Davies
The Minister reminded Jon Ashworth about doubled tax-free allowances, commended charitable organisations supporting communities, and mentioned adding internationally used food security questions to Family Resources Survey. However, she did not directly respond to the specific ask.
Session: Universal Credit Recipients Food Banks
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Will he make universal credit work by introducing more flexibility in how it operates, or is he prepared to punish hard-working parents by pushing them into more debt?
Context
The question questions the government's strategy on tackling inactivity, specifically regarding childcare cost caps under universal credit.
Mel Stride (Financial Secretary to the Treasury)
I am afraid that I am just going to have to repeat what I have said, which is that the right hon. Gentleman will have to be patient. I am confident that we will have some things to say about the matters he has raised, but he will just have to wait another couple of weeks before he learns what we are doing.
Session: Economic Inactivity Working-age People
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Why has he now frozen the childcare cost cap in universal credit for the seventh year in a row?
Context
The question concerns the government's struggle to convince the OBR that their inactivity plan will meet targets, and the issue of childcare costs acting as a barrier to work.
Mel Stride (Financial Secretary to the Treasury)
As to whether the OBR is or is not scoring the various measures that are being presented to it by the Treasury, I am intrigued as to how the right hon. Gentleman seems to know that it is having problems. The OBR operates under conditions of utter confidentiality in these matters, and I would not doubt that that is the way it has proceeded this time around. As for childcare, he is absolutely right. He will have to be a little patient—I know that he sometimes struggles to be patient—and we will then come forward with measures, and no doubt we will have something to say about the matter he has raised.
Session: Economic Inactivity Working-age People
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With many businesses expanding and hiring locally, will the Secretary of State join me in commending the excellent work done by the Huddersfield jobcentre staff as they prepare for a jobs fair on 2 February to help people find employment?
Context
Local businesses in the Colne and Holme valleys, Lindley are expanding and hiring. The Huddersfield jobcentre organises several job fairs each month.
Mel Stride
I thank my hon. Friend for mentioning the Huddersfield jobcentre and its staff, who organise several job fairs monthly to help people into work.
Session: Topical Questions
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The number of economically inactive individuals, especially those who are long-term sick, is increasing significantly. Why did the Secretary of State withdraw funding for these important programmes despite their aim to help long-term sick people return to work?
Context
Economic inactivity has been rising over three years. The Department withdrew funding from Andy Street's West Midlands and South Yorkshire programs aimed at helping the long-term sick.
Mel Stride
We have invested £7 million in the west midlands engine pilot, and we are reviewing it closely. The right hon. Member criticises our employment measures, but during Labour's time, unemployment was higher at the end of their term than when they started.
Session: Topical Questions
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The Secretary of State will have seen the Office for Budget Responsibility's projection that we are likely to spend more than £8 billion extra on health and disability benefits. We are getting sicker as a society, yet only one in 10 unemployed disabled people or older people are getting any employment support. Does he think that is acceptable? How will he fix it?
Context
83% of people with a cancer diagnosis experience financial impact.
Mel Stride
On assisting the disabled into employment, this Government have an excellent record through Disability Confident. Our work coaches do a huge amount of work to ensure that those with disabilities are in work. The right hon. Gentleman will know the Department is currently undertaking a large amount of work on economic inactivity.
Session: Topical Questions
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The Secretary of State will know that employment is lower than before the pandemic, that 2.5 million people are out of work for reasons of sickness—a record high—and that half a million young people are not in education, employment or training. There is a £1 billion underspend on Restart and other schemes, so why not use that money to help the economically inactive get back to work?
Context
Unemployment is lower than before the pandemic, but there are issues with economic inactivity.
Mel Stride
As the right hon. Gentleman will know, we look at our budgets on an ongoing basis. Where we have an underspend, such as on the Restart scheme, it is largely because the Government have been so successful in lowering the level of unemployment. Compared with 2010, youth unemployment is down by almost 60%. It is 29,000 down on the last quarter, and 77,000 down on the year.
Session: Topical Questions
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Now then: last week in Parliament, I met a young lady called Florence who has Down's syndrome. She told me that she has five paid jobs and three voluntary jobs, because she is trying to get into the workplace, and she is coming across lots of barriers. Does the Minister agree that we should do more to help people with special educational needs, like Florence, to get into the workplace? What better place to start than right here in Parliament?
Context
A young lady named Florence, who has Down's syndrome and is trying to get into the workplace, faces barriers.
Tom Pursglove
I strongly agree. Programmes such as the Access to Work scheme have supported the Government in meeting five years early their commitment to see a million more disabled people in work in the decade to 2027. We want to create more of those opportunities—in which spirit, I commend Florence for her determination. As a Government, we are determined to help her to succeed.
Session: Topical Questions
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The Prime Minister tells us that we do not need a general election because the 2019 manifesto gives him and the Conservative party a mandate. Given that that manifesto committed to the triple lock, why can he not give pensioners the reassurance that they deserve? Let me ask him about a second point: can he give a categorical assurance that, in the autumn statement, he will rule out means-testing personal independence payments, carer's allowance, attendance allowance and disability living allowance for children?
Context
The Prime Minister claims the 2019 manifesto gives him a mandate. The manifesto committed to the triple lock, but pensioners are facing real-term cuts.
Mel Stride
The right hon. Gentleman is inviting me, in a whole host of areas, to break with what has been a very long-standing and quite correct convention that Ministers simply do not provide a running commentary about what may or may not be in a major fiscal event. However, he has my personal assurance that when and as it is appropriate to pass him information of that kind, he will be the first to know.
Session: Topical Questions
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I frequently get complaints from people in agriculture that they cannot find workers locally. What can the Department do, perhaps working with educational institutions like Duchy College in Cornwall, to help jobseekers enter these roles?
Context
The MP inquired about addressing the agricultural sector's worker shortages.
Julie Marson
My hon. Friend is a strong advocate for her constituents. Jobcentres work with employers in all sectors, connecting them with jobseekers looking for employment. Local jobcentres are encouraged to reach out, and DWP staff have held events with the National Farmers Union and promote jobs through sector-based work academy programmes.
Session: Topical Questions
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Given that colleagues have made £30 billion to £40 billion-worth of unfunded tax cut promises, how do these tax cuts affect state pension, universal credit, and disability benefits? Is it not true that the next Tory Prime Minister will exacerbate the cost of living crisis?
Context
The MP questioned the feasibility of unfunded tax cut commitments.
Therese Coffey
Far from it; this Conservative Government has stepped up to address the cost of living challenge, with £37 billion in support. Future leaders will be judged on their policies as we focus on delivering additional payments starting this week.
Session: Topical Questions
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The number on out-of-work benefits has increased by 1 million since the pandemic. We have the highest level of worklessness due to ill health for 20 years. Increasing numbers of over-50s are leaving the labour market who might stay in it if there was flexible work. More parents are leaving the labour market because they cannot afford childcare. And this is at a time of 1.3 million vacancies. We need to increase the supply of workers to get inflation down, so why does the Secretary of State not have a plan to deliver that?
Context
The number of people on out-of-work benefits has increased by 1 million since the pandemic. There is a high level of worklessness due to ill health and increasing numbers of over-50s leaving the labour market. With 1.3 million job vacancies, there is a need for a plan to increase the supply of workers.
Therese Coffey
There is an ongoing activity on childcare support across Government. More people are currently on payroll than before the pandemic, but challenges remain for self-employed individuals and those who leave the labour market due to ill health.
Session: Topical Questions
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I join the Secretary of State in congratulating all those who worked over the weekend, and in saying that it was a fabulous platinum jubilee weekend. May I congratulate her on her sung prayer that she shared on Twitter yesterday, which shows that it is not just at karaoke where her singing excels? Work should be the best defence from the rising cost of living, yet millions in work are in poverty. The numbers in overall employment are down by 500,000 since before the pandemic, and there are 3 million people on out-of-work benefits not looking for work. Sheffield Hallam University estimates that about 800,000 of those people on out-of-work benefits could be helped back into work with the right support and a plan. The Secretary of State promised to help the economically inactive find work. Why is she failing?
Context
The Secretary of State is praised for her work during the jubilee weekend. She also shared a sung prayer on Twitter. The MP raises concerns about those in poverty despite being employed and questions why support for economically inactive people finding jobs has not been effective.
Therese Coffey
The priority is those currently on benefits and receiving financial support, but there are efforts across Government with employers to ensure that the economically inactive come back into the workplace.
Session: Topical Questions
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People are struggling right now, and the Secretary of State is about to cut benefits to the tune of £500 for 9 million households. That is a choice that she has made. She has also made a choice by breaking her promise on the triple lock and cutting the basic state pension in real terms by £388 this year, according to The Daily Telegraph. Her justification for that was that the increase in earnings was at 8%. The Bank of England estimates that inflation will hit 8%. Can she rule out breaking the triple lock again this year?
Context
The basic state pension is being cut in real terms, breaking the triple lock promise as highlighted by The Daily Telegraph.
Therese Coffey
As was explained at the time of the emergency legislation, the increase in earnings was a statistical anomaly due to the impacts of covid. That is why the Opposition supported the Bill right through this House on its very first day—
Session: Topical Questions
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Families and retirees are facing rising energy bills so unaffordable, tax rises so punishing, real-terms cuts in the basic state pension so deep, and cuts in universal credit and disability benefits so severe that money-saving expert Martin Lewis has said that people will either starve or freeze. Secretary of State, Mr Lewis is correct, is he not?
Context
Families are facing rising energy costs, tax rises, real-terms pension cuts, and severe benefits reductions as per Martin Lewis's assessment.
Therese Coffey
We still have the household support fund, which is available for people to apply to, to get extra support from their local council. I encourage people who are struggling right now to make that approach to their council as quickly as possible.
Session: Topical Questions
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The shadow whipping operation will be pleased that the karaoke queen is standing by the party and the Prime Minister. The right hon. Lady talks about getting people into work. Earlier today, the pensions Minister, the Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the hon. Member for Hexham (Guy Opperman) said that pensioner poverty has gone down. However, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report shows that pensioner poverty is increasing. Why is she today pushing through real-terms cuts to the pension credit and the basic state pension, which will result in more pensioners in poverty?
Context
None provided, supplementary question.
Therese Coffey
As we will discuss later, the one-year approach we take every year is the basis on which almost all benefits are uplifted. We will continue to have that consistent approach.
Session: Topical Questions
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Will those million pensioners who do not pay council tax get the £150 rebate automatically or will they have to apply for it? If they have to apply, will he guarantee that 100% of pensioners will get that money this April?
Context
Many pensioners are facing an impossible choice between heating and eating. Pension credit and the basic state pension are being cut in real terms today.
Guy Opperman
First, I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his kind comments. I wanted him to stop there, but I fully understood why he did not. On his specific point, I understand that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is publishing guidance on that today.
Session: Poverty Pensioners
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Mr Speaker, may I associate myself with your remarks and thanks directed at Her Majesty the Queen? I read in the newspapers at the weekend that the Secretary of State is considering resigning over the Prime Minister's rule breaking and partying. Before she heads for the exit door, given that 550,000 children are destitute, half a million children do not have a suitable bed to sleep in and she has cut universal credit by £1,000, why is she pushing through real-terms cuts to support that mean 10 million households will lose £290? How many more children will be in poverty as a result?
Context
None provided, supplementary question.
Therese Coffey
Mr Speaker, I want to assure you, the right hon. Gentleman and the House that I am fully behind our Prime Minister as he gets on with the job. Not only has he got Brexit done, but we are getting more people on to the payroll and achieving all the other things voted for by the British public in 2019. What I will say to the right hon. Gentleman is that I do not recognise some of the numbers he used. However, I am conscious of what we will be voting on later. I am also conscious that elements were based on the fact that it was a temporary uplift to universal credit, recognising the impact of what was happening early on, as people new to the benefit system were able to get a similar amount as people on statutory—[Interruption.]
Session: Topical Questions
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I was surprised to learn that child benefit ceases at the age of 16 for somebody starting an apprenticeship. That is clearly a disincentive for some parents to recommend that their children follow that route. Will my right hon. Friend look at this policy and consider making changes?
Context
Current policy states that child benefit ceases at age 16 for someone starting an apprenticeship, which may discourage some from pursuing this route.
Mims Davies (Minister for Apprenticeships, Skills and Youth Employment)
It may be more appropriate for HMRC and DfE to respond but I will flag up anything that deters young people from entering apprenticeships and moving into long-term work.
Session: Topical Questions
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I fear the Secretary of State's answer betrays poverty of ambition. The last Labour Government lifted 1 million children out of poverty and we did not need footballers to run campaigns on child hunger. With universal credit still being cut for many families, prices going up in the shops, heating bills going up and taxes going up because this lot voted for them, can she guarantee that in 2022 child poverty and the shame of destitution will not also be going up?
Context
The previous Labour government lifted a million children out of poverty, raising concerns about the current government's efforts to reduce child poverty.
Therese Coffey (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions)
The right hon. Gentleman should reflect on his party's opposition to extra funding for the NHS through the health and social care levy. The Government are focused on getting people into work, collecting child maintenance, and lifting children out of poverty.
Session: Topical Questions
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The Secretary of State's social care programme is not levelling up when the promise in his manifesto that no one should have to lose their home to pay for care is broken and in tatters after last night. The Secretary of State's next promise was to give the NHS “everything” to get through the backlog. With waiting lists growing at pace, ambulances backed up outside hospitals, and cancer operations getting cancelled, what will he do to recruit the staff we need? He is apparently not going to support the cross-party amendment in the name of the former Health Secretary, the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Jeremy Hunt), tonight, and he failed to win the funding needed for recruitment and training in the Budget, so how will he deliver on his promise to give the NHS “everything” when it does not have the staff to deliver the care to bring waiting lists down?
Context
The Secretary of State's social care programme is criticized as not leveling up, with pensioners losing their homes to pay for care while richer ones are protected. The MP asks about staff recruitment for the NHS.
Sajid Javid
Once again, the right hon. Gentleman proves he still does not understand the social care programme that this Government have set out. I think that is deliberate; he chooses not to understand it. For the first time, catastrophic costs are being capped for everyone in the country, regardless of where they live, and the generous means-testing system will ensure that the vast majority of people will benefit and that no one will lose out. The right hon. Gentleman asks me what I am doing about the workforce. We are making the biggest investment in the workforce that this country has ever seen.
Session: Topical Questions
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At the weekend, the Secretary of State effectively ditched his promise to deliver 6,000 extra GPs. Last week, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority said his promise to deliver 40 new hospitals is 'unachievable'. Last night, he whipped a vote that sees poorer pensioners lose their homes to pay for care, while the homes of the richer are protected. Can he tell us which promise is he going to break next?
Context
The Secretary of State's promise to deliver 6,000 extra GPs was effectively ditched. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority said the promise to deliver 40 new hospitals is unachievable.
Sajid Javid
I have to say that the right hon. Gentleman is wrong on all three counts. The Government are absolutely committed to hiring more GPs, with over 1,800 full-time equivalent GPs entering primary care in the two years to September 2021. We are seeing success after success in the hospital building programme, with the biggest capital investment programme in hospitals that this country has ever seen.
Session: Topical Questions
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Last week, a whistleblower told the American Congress that Facebook had repeatedly misled the public... Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is time for Facebook to be transparent about the impact of its platform?
Context
The MP raises concerns about Facebook's impact on children's health based on whistleblower testimony.
Sajid Javid
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, and I thank her for raising this issue... In the light of that, I was astonished to learn that one of Facebook's own internal studies, which was brought to light by Ms Haugen, found that 17% of teen girls said that their eating disorders got worse after using Instagram.
Session: Topical Questions
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His wall of defence is falling down at just the point that vaccination is waning, so may I suggest that he ditches the complacency and fixes the vaccination programme now?
Context
The MP discusses the NHS booster programme, noting that only about 13% of children have been vaccinated.
Sajid Javid
Our vaccination programme has been one of the most successful in the world... I do not call that a failure; I call it a success.
Session: Topical Questions
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Trusts have been told that thresholds for accessing the elective recovery funding are rising at a critical time with more hospital admissions due to covid. Shouldn't we be providing more resources now?
Context
On Friday, trusts were informed that the threshold for accessing elective recovery funding was increasing, making it harder to access needed funds.
Edward Argar
We have worked with NHS to determine appropriate thresholds for elective recovery funding, considering infection control restrictions' impact on service delivery. The fund aims to ensure trusts are funded for above-normal activity levels to reduce waiting lists.
Session: NHS Estate
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How much will trusts receive and when? Trusts are facing increased admissions due to the ongoing pandemic and must get through their backlog.
Context
The elective backlog is at a record high of 5.3 million, with many waiting over a year for treatment. The Secretary of State promised trusts everything they need to address this.
Edward Argar
£1 billion has been committed to tackling the elective backlog, with a record NHS funding of £33.9 billion to 2023-24, reflecting the Secretary of State's commitment to this issue.
Session: NHS Estate
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Today, the Health and Social Care Committee published its report on NHS and social care staff burnout, which chronicles the emotional exhaustion and chronic fatigue felt by many frontline staff in the past year. Much support has been put in place; the 50,000 nurse target is welcome, the extra doctors and nurses hired during the pandemic extremely welcome, but still we have shortages in nearly every specialty, leading to a sense of despair. Will my right hon. Friend consider the recommendation that we make today that Health Education England should be given the statutory power to make independent workforce projections, rather as the Office for Budget Responsibility does for Budget forecasts, so that we can at least look doctors and nurses in the eye and say that we are training enough of them for the future?
Context
The Health and Social Care Committee has published a report on NHS and social care staff burnout, detailing the emotional exhaustion and chronic fatigue felt by frontline workers. The MP requests that Health Education England be given statutory power to make independent workforce projections.
Matthew Hancock (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)
I am very happy to work with the Select Committee on the forthcoming health and care Bill. The Committee has already had a huge amount of input into that Bill, and I am sure that, during its passage, we will be working together on making sure that this piece of legislation, which has cross-party support, can come through the House in the best possible state. I am very happy to look at the specific proposal, but what I would say is that we have been recruiting record numbers of doctors and nurses to try to make sure that the NHS is always there for all of our constituents and their families.
Session: Topical Questions
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I wanted a commitment to extend the relief of hospital car parking charges beyond the pandemic. The Secretary of State knows that waiting lists are at 5 million and that 432,000 people are waiting beyond 12 months. Once we are through this pandemic, the priority must be to bring those waiting lists down, but he is about to embark on a reorganisation of the NHS with his integrated care legislation. Local boards permit the private sector to have a seat on them. Virgin Care has just been given a seat on the integrated care system in Bath and North Somerset. He once promised that there would be no privatisation on his watch, so will he instruct that ICS to remove Virgin Care from its board?
Context
The MP raises concerns about waiting lists, the reorganisation of NHS services through integrated care legislation, and the presence of private sector entities on local boards. The MP requests that Virgin Care be removed from an ICS board.
Matthew Hancock (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that integrating the health service with services provided by local authorities, such as social care, is absolutely critical, and I know that he supports those proposals that have come from the NHS. When it comes to delivering services in the NHS, what matters to patients is that they get high-quality services, for instance, to deal with the backlog, and what matters is getting those services as fast as we possibly can. People care much less about who provides the service than they do about the service getting delivered, and that is the approach that I take, too.
Session: Topical Questions
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Does my right hon. Friend agree that UK-wide data in the NHS, along with aligned inspection mechanisms and audit procedures, would improve transparency and ultimately lead to better service delivery?
Context
Directly comparable healthcare performance data are lacking between England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Matthew Hancock (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)
Yes. Through the pandemic, we have seen improvements in seeing what is happening across the UK's NHS, which helps us work together better to deliver services.
Session: Topical Questions
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If you have done nothing wrong, will you publish all minutes, emails, correspondence, directions given to civil servants, and text messages with David Cameron so we can understand the contract award process?
Context
There have been concerns about contracts going to Tory donors and a lack of transparency.
Matthew Hancock (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)
Yesterday, a review into this matter was announced. I will participate fully in that review.
Session: Topical Questions
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Will he step in to halt the transfer of GP services to the US health insurance corporation Centene and ensure it is fully scrutinised?
Context
A week ago, GP services with 375,000 patients were taken over by Centene without patient consultation or public scrutiny. This is seen as a stealth privatisation that could have huge implications for patient care.
Matthew Hancock
What matters for patients is the quality of patient care. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen that what matters most are quality issues. We should look out for that and support staff working hard to deliver on it.
Session: Topical Questions
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There were PPE shortages that led to nurses resorting to makeshift PPE like bin bags and curtains. Hundreds of NHS staff died. The response was to pay pest control firms, hedge funds, and a jeweller for inadequate masks and gowns. Will he apologise and commit to recovering taxpayers' money?
Context
The National Audit Office reported on PPE shortages. NHS staff resorted to makeshift PPE solutions due to shortages, leading to deaths.
Matthew Hancock
Where contracts are not delivered against we do not intend to pay taxpayers' money but also wanted to make sure as much PPE was secured into the country. There were individual instances but no national level shortage, confirmed by the National Audit Office.
Session: Topical Questions
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General Debate
Contributed to this debate
In the hours since last night’s shocking news, we have witnessed the most heartfelt outpouring of grief at the loss of Her late Majesty the Queen. Crowds have gathered. Flags have been lowered to half...
0
PMQs Asked
49
Ministerial Questions Asked
98
House of Commons Debates Involved
0
Westminster Hall Debates Led
0
Statements / Bills
0
Petitions Presented
0
Voting Record
Activity Compared to Peers
How does this MP's parliamentary activity compare to the national average across 1370 MPs?
Prime Minister's Questions
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
3.7
Ministerial Questions
+259% above average
This MP:
49
Average:
13.7
Westminster Hall Debates Led
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
2.5
Commons Chamber Debates
+1925% above average
This MP:
98
Average:
4.8
Statements / Bills Proposed
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
9.5
Petitions Presented
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
2.4
Important Context
- - Ministers answer questions rather than asking them, so have different activity patterns
- - Activity quantity doesn't measure quality or effectiveness of representation
- - Some MPs focus more on constituency work than parliamentary questions
- - Newly elected MPs will have less parliamentary history
About This Page
This page tracks Jon Ashworth's parliamentary activity including questions asked, debates (Commons Chamber + Westminster Hall), statements/bills, and petitions presented.