Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Tuesday 1 September 2020 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 6 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Tony Lloyd asked about the visa process for overseas doctors, requesting the Secretary of State to work with Home Office Ministers for a streamlined approach.
  • Paul Blomfield inquired if the Secretary of State would press the Chancellor for funds to properly pay health and care staff, noting significant pay rises for nurses over the last two and a half years.
  • Munira Wilson questioned the Secretary of State about the availability of regular and swift testing for residents and staff in care homes and supported living, to which the response acknowledged ongoing efforts to address supply issues and roll out asymptomatic testing.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Tony Lloyd Lab Rochdale
Immigration NHS
Context

Tony Lloyd asks about the wait times for visas for overseas doctors offered jobs in the UK.

Question

He welcomes back Tony Lloyd and then Tony Lloyd asks a simple question regarding the time overseas doctors have to wait for a visa once they are offered a job. He requests the Secretary of State to talk to Home Office Ministers to ensure a joined-up government approach.

Answer from The Prime Minister (Matthew Hancock)

Matthew Hancock welcomes Tony Lloyd back and acknowledges the importance of the question. He is working with the Home Office to introduce the NHS visa which will not only uncapped numbers but also reduce administrative burden from the General Medical Council while still ensuring that all doctors can speak English at a high enough standard.

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Q2 Paul Blomfield Lab Sheffield Central
NHS
Context

The Royal College of Nursing launched a campaign for a 12.5% pay increase to restore real pay levels.

Question

Ahead of the Budget, will the Secretary of State commit to pressing the Chancellor for funds necessary to properly pay health and care staff?

Answer from The Prime Minister (Matthew Hancock)

Of course we have put in over the last two and a half years some very significant pay rises for nurses, and the whole House commends the work that the nursing profession as a whole, and each individual nurse, has done during this pandemic. Of course we are putting unprecedented sums into the NHS, and we work to make sure that everybody has the best possible working conditions, both now and in the future.

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Q3 Alicia Kearns Con Penrith and The Border
Women & Equalities
Context

LGBT conversion therapy is considered an abhorrent and fraudulent practice.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that he will do all he can to end this abusive practice at the earliest opportunity?

Answer from The Prime Minister (Matthew Hancock)

Yes, I will. I agree wholeheartedly with my hon. Friend that so-called conversion therapy is abhorrent. I praise her for the campaign she is running on this. I agree with the Prime Minister who, from this Dispatch Box, committed to ensuring that that practice is stamped out. We have a review under way. I will make sure that I work very closely with my hon. Friend, who has done so much to make the case.

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Q4 Munira Wilson Lib Dem York Central
NHS
Context

Care homes face delays in accessing coronavirus tests, with some still unable to access regular testing.

Question

Will the Secretary of State confirm when regular and swift testing will be available for residents and staff in care homes and supported living?

Answer from The Prime Minister (Matthew Hancock)

Yes, we have been rolling out the asymptomatic testing for residents and staff in care homes. As the hon. Member will know from the statement I gave to the House in July, we had a problem with the supply of tests from one particular company, which caused some difficulties. We have spent the summer catching up on that programme.

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Q5 Kate Hollern Lab Blackburn
Care & Healthcare Workers NHS
Context

Care homes in Blackburn were told the Randox test kits they used were unsafe, yet no replacements are available.

Question

Will the Government reassure care homes that they will receive test kits regularly and rapid results?

Answer from The Prime Minister (Matthew Hancock)

In response to the last point, the turnaround time for test results is now the next day for almost every one. However, there has been a challenge, referred to just now and in a previous question, with the Randox kits. The test results from the Randox kits that were withdrawn were accurate. The challenge was that the Randox kits did not pass our very high and stringent standards; essentially they were not as clean as we would have wanted. I am informed by the clinicians that there is no evidence of any health threat from that, but of course we have to make sure that we protect people as much as possible. Hence, we had to withdraw the kits. As I said, we have a catch-up programme that is under way.

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Q6 Matthew Offord Con Hemel Hempstead
NHS
Context

The hon. Member raised concerns about the lack of cancer testing and diagnosis in the country, citing a friend's story to highlight the issue.

Question

He expressed concern over the backlog of tests that built up during the pandemic and asked for details on what measures are being taken to address this problem and improve early detection rates.

Answer from The Prime Minister (Rishi Sunak)

Matthew Hancock stated his heart goes out to the hon. Member and expressed agreement that early diagnosis of cancer is crucial for improving survival rates. He mentioned ongoing investment in rapid diagnostic centres, efforts to bring diagnostics closer to primary care, and a major work programme aimed at reducing the backlog of tests built up during the pandemic, which has reduced by about half.

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