Extracts from Commons proceedings: Nurses - July 7
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Extract from PMQs Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Streatham) (Lab): On Monday,
we celebrated the 73rd birthday of the NHS—one of the very best
things about our country. Many Opposition Members, and our
constituents, remain committed to protecting the fundamental right
to universal healthcare, free at the point of delivery, but this
Government remain a constant threat to our public health service,
with no staff pay rise, a 25% cut in the number of mental health
beds, and the widespread sell-off of GP...Request free trial
Extract from
PMQs
Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Streatham) (Lab): On Monday, we celebrated the 73rd birthday of the NHS—one of the very best things about our country. Many Opposition Members, and our constituents, remain committed to protecting the fundamental right to universal healthcare, free at the point of delivery, but this Government remain a constant threat to our public health service, with no staff pay rise, a 25% cut in the number of mental health beds, and the widespread sell-off of GP practices, such as the Edith Cavell Surgery in my constituency to American private insurance giant Centene. There is also the Health and Care Bill, which will only open the doors wider for privatisation. Why is the Prime Minister continuing to eviscerate our most essential public services, and why will he not listen to the thousands of essential workers who demonstrated on Saturday to end NHS privatisation, chronic underfunding and understaffing, and to keep the NHS public? The Prime Minister: With great respect to the hon. Lady, I do not think that I have ever heard a question that was more inversely related to reality. This is a Government that from the beginning invested the biggest amount in the NHS for a generation. Then, in the last year, we put another £92 billion into frontline care. We have increased nurses’ starting pay by 12.8% over the last three years. Above all, not only are we building 48 more hospitals, but there are another 59,000 people working in the NHS this year than there were this time last year. This is a Government who are putting our NHS first. Extracts from Commons debate (SNP) on Covid-19: Contracts and Public Inquiry Fleur Anderson (Putney) (Lab):...The Government spent £100 million on gowns without carrying out technical checks, so they could not be used. It is incredibly important that as much of this taxpayers’ money as possible is retrieved as soon as possible. Perhaps the Minister can explain to the Nurses facing a pay cut, and to the 3 million who have been excluded from any help, that the money has gone to boost the profits of the firms that received these contracts, rather than coming back to the public purse... Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con):...The manifesto, on page 9, committed to a Scotland covid review. Unfortunately, the leadership up there has now done a U-turn and has not committed to that, so on behalf of the Royal College of Nurses and the GMB union, I urge them to have a rethink and hopefully commit to delivering what was promised in the manifesto... Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Con):...First, I pay special tribute to frontline workers who have worked tirelessly at the forefront of fighting this deadly virus. Our nation is indebted to all those doctors, Nurses and other health workers who rose above the limits of their duty, saved lives and ensured the availability of essential services... To read the whole debate, CLICK HERE Extracts from Commons debate (SNP) on EU Settlement Scheme Angela Richardson (Guildford) (Con):...In my own constituency, I see EU nationals on the frontline of our fight against covid-19 as doctors, Nurses paramedics and carers and in many other capacities... Dr Philippa Whitford (Central Ayrshire) (SNP) [V]:...The hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Craig Williams) highlighted the importance of language, and I agree with him, but while our First Minister in Scotland reached out to EU citizens on the morning after the referendum, the language in this place described them as bargaining chips and playing cards. The most upsetting thing for my husband was when the former Prime Minister described EU citizens as “queue jumpers”, implying they had somehow cheated the immigration system to settle here. Such language already made EU citizens feel unwelcome even before Brexit was completed, and it contributed to an almost 90% drop in the number of EU Nurses coming to the UK. That is a loss the four national health services could ill afford, especially with the challenges of this last year... To read the whole debate, CLICK HERE Extract from Commons consideration of the Draft Coronavirus Act 2020 (Early Expiry) Regulations 2021 The Minister for Health (Edward Argar):...The Coronavirus Act 2020 continues to be an important piece of legislation. It has helped to facilitate the coronavirus job retention scheme and the self-employed income support scheme—important examples of how the Government continue to support individuals and businesses. Our justice system continues to be able to operate effectively in challenging times, thanks to sections 53 to 55 of the Act, which allow the use of video technology during court cases. The NHS remains resilient, boosted by the powers in sections 2 and 6, which have helped to permit to date the temporary registration of more than 15,000 Nurses midwives, paramedics and social workers to bolster the workforce available to tackle the pandemic... To read the whole debate, CLICK HERE Extract from Westminster Hall debate on Delays in the Asylum System Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP):...Meanwhile, we deny our economy the opportunity to benefit from the skills and experience that people bring by denying them the right to work. The Conservatives are supposed to be in favour of entrepreneurship and a liberal, free-market economy, yet the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron) spoke about the fact, which is true across the country, that tourist areas are crying out for people to work and the health service is crying out for support during covid. How many doctors and Nurses do we know who are waiting for their asylum claims to be processed, but are being denied the opportunity to help others in this society? To read the whole debate, CLICK HERE |