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Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) Tuesday Volume 586 21 October 2014 No. 46 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 21 October 2014 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2014 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 739 21 OCTOBER 2014 740 The US chief negotiator confirms that the United States House of Commons has no provision in its trade agreements on health. The EU chief negotiator says: Tuesday 21 October 2014 “I wish… to stress that our approach to services negotiations excludes any commitment on public services, and the governments remain at any time free to decide that certain services should be provided by the public sector.” The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Mr Watts: Before the election, there was a promise that there would be no top-down reorganisation of the PRAYERS NHS. Given the concern of the Opposition and the BMA, will the Minister meet the BMA to work out how we can get a cast iron assurance that these TTIP talks [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] will not be used to privatise the NHS? George Freeman: I will happily meet the BMA, but such a request is a bit rich coming from a Labour party Oral Answers to Questions that legislated to introduce competition in the health service and to pay private sector providers 11% more, which is now illegal under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Let me be clear about this, and I can be no HEALTH clearer than the Labour member of the all-party group for TTIP, who said that The Secretary of State was asked— “my direct discussions with the EU’s chief negotiator have helped produce an EU promise to fully protect our health service…TTIP Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership could have no impact on the UK’s sovereign right to make changes to the NHS.” 1. Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion) (Green): What Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) (Con): I am grateful progress he has made on negotiations relating to the to the Minister for confirming that these negotiations potential effect of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment will have no effect on NHS services and how they are Partnership on the NHS. [905538] provided. With his life sciences hat on, will the Minister also confirm that this treaty gives us a real advantage as 6. Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North) (Lab): What UK companies will be able to compete in the American assessment he has made of the potential effect of the market? Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on NHS services. [905543] George Freeman: My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. As well as providing a £10 billion boost to the The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health economy, which I am surprised to see that the left is not (George Freeman): The Government’s aim and my central in favour of, and securing 13 million jobs in the EU, this mission as the new Minister for life sciences is to accelerate treaty also helps our NHS pioneers and innovators and access for NHS patients to the very latest diagnostic our UK life science companies generate revenue for this devices and drugs by making the UK the best place in country from our innovations in health care in the the world in which to develop innovative treatments. world’s biggest health care market. The US is a world leader in medical technology and TTIP will help NHS patients get faster access to those Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry) (Con): Is it not the innovations. Let me be clear: the treaty excludes the case that free trade agreements have always grown the NHS from binding commitments. Parliament will retain economies that have contracted within those agreements, sovereignty over how we organise and fund our health and a growing economy can only benefit the NHS in the system and NHS England is free to decide how best to future? commission NHS services in the clinical interests of George Freeman: My hon. Friend makes an important local patients, as it does today. point. The truth is that we cannot have a strong economy without a strong NHS, and we cannot have a strong Caroline Lucas: I thank the Minister for his answer NHS without a strong economy. In a modern society, and I welcome him to his new post. If his assurances health and wealth go hand in hand, which is why this were remotely credible then surely the British Medical treaty, with the safeguards that we have secured, is good Association would not have called for health to be for Britain and good for NHS patients. excluded from TTIP entirely. Will the Minister confirm that under the investor-state dispute mechanism, US Keith Vaz (Leicester East) (Lab): Some 3 million corporations will be able to challenge our national people with diabetes have not received their full health health policy decisions for ad hoc arbitration tribunals checks, and 630,000 people have diabetes but do not and potentially sue us for millions of dollars in damages know about it. Will the Minister give us an assurance for loss of profit in the event of any moves to reverse the that nothing in this deal will affect the ability of people coalition’s privatisation agenda and bring the NHS to have free diabetes tests? back fully into public hands? George Freeman: The last time I checked the TTIP George Freeman: No, I will not confirm that, but the negotiations do not make any specific provision for hon. Lady does not have to take it from me. She can access to those services within the NHS. All I can do is take it from the people who are doing the negotiations. remind the right hon. Gentleman that over the course 741 Oral Answers21 OCTOBER 2014 Oral Answers 742 of this Parliament, we have invested another £12 billion, “The…CCG will continue to commission MSK related trauma hired more doctors and nurses and increased the provision from the current providers and the intention is for this to continue of diagnostics in the NHS. This treaty does not affect for the duration of this MSK…contract”. that. 23. [905562] Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab): What is the Minister doing to retain GPs as Sir Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con): Will my hon. Friend there is considerable concern in Coventry about the confirm that there is absolutely no requirement in TTIP number who are leaving practice? for this or any future Government to open NHS health care services to further competition and private sector Dr Poulter: I hope that I can reassure the hon. Gentleman provision, and that TTIP will have no effect on the that there are now 1,000 more GPs in training and ability of local NHS commissioners to decide who working in the NHS under this Government than when delivers services to patients? we came to power in 2010. We are committed to training even more GPs to ensure that we can widen access to George Freeman: I can absolutely provide that guarantee. general practice services. UK sovereignty on health is not in any way threatened by TTIP. As I have already told the House, safeguards Andrew George (St Ives) (LD): In what circumstances on this are being built in by both the American and the can clinical commissioning groups treat the NHS as a European negotiators. As my right hon. Friend points preferred provider, and in what circumstances are they out, clinical commissioning decisions in the NHS will forced to contract out services? rightly remain with the clinical commissioning groups, which include the people who are closest to the patients. Dr Poulter: As my hon. Friend will be aware, when commissioning services, it is important that regard is Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP): For the given not only to competition because, under the 2012 avoidance of any doubt, given that health is devolved to Act, we have ensured that there must be regard to Northern Ireland, what assurances can the Minister delivering an integrated and joined-up approach for give us that not just the UK Government, but the local services. That is an issue for local commissioners devolved Administrations, will be safeguarded from to decide in the best interests of the patients they look the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism? after. George Freeman: The treaty’s provisions apply to the John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead) (Lab): Are not whole United Kingdom, so it will be for the delegated certain CCGs starting to merge decision-making processes, authority of the people of Ulster and their Administration meaning that some important strategic decisions are to give effect to the treaty locally. removed even further from local communities and there is therefore a complete lack of accountability? NHS Facilities (Contracting Out) Dr Poulter: For some more specialist services, collaboration between various parts of the local NHS 2. Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) will always be needed. That is about good health care (Con): What safeguards are in place for the sustainability commissioning and ensuring that services are joined up of NHS facilities when clinical commissioning groups in a collaborative way. Whereas day-to-day, bread-and- contract out local services. [905539] butter services will be commissioned by a local CCG, for more specialist services, clinical commissioners will The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health of course need to work together to ensure that local (Dr Daniel Poulter): The previous Government introduced centres of excellence are commissioned. greater competition to the NHS. This Government have ensured that it is for local doctors and nurses through Steve Baker (Wycombe) (Con): The sustainability of clinical commissioning groups, rather than bureaucrats, NHS facilities is often prejudiced by the millstone of to decide how best to procure NHS services in the Labour’s private finance initiative deals.
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