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Tuesday Volume 622 28 February 2017 No. 116 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 28 February 2017 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2017 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 139 28 FEBRUARY 2017 140 Mr Gauke: It was this Government who announced House of Commons a long-term, financially sustainable package, which is why, in real terms, funding for the NHS will increase by Tuesday 28 February 2017 £10 billion above inflation by 2020-21. Let us remember that since 2010 there are 2,300 more people attending accident and emergency departments within the four-hour The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock A&E standard, 5,000 more operations every day, and 1,400 more people every day treated for mental health PRAYERS conditions, and the NHS is conducting 16,000 more diagnostic tests every day. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester) (Con): For the past BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS two years the Department of Health has cut its capital budget by 20% and used that for running costs and to NEW SOUTHGATE CEMETERY BILL [LORDS] pay for salaries. Did the Treasury press for these cuts in capital spending—I hope not—and does the Chief Secretary (BY ORDER) agree that raiding the capital budget is no way to find Third Reading opposed and deferred until Tuesday efficiency savings? 7 March (Standing Order No. 20). Mr Gauke: The switch from capital to resource was actually made at the request of the health service and Oral Answers to Questions the Department of Health. In terms of finding efficiencies in the NHS, and indeed in the public sector as a whole, it is important that we deliver sustainable efficiencies, TREASURY embed a culture of efficiency, and ensure that we get value for money for the taxpayer. The Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked— Sir Gerald Howarth (Aldershot) (Con): While I welcome Department of Health: Funding this Government’s commitment to health, may I invite my right hon. Friend to take a leaf out of President 1. Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) (Lab): If his Trump’s book and increase defence expenditure by 10%, Department will increase the level of funding provided funded from the bloated overseas aid budget? to the Department of Health. [908948] Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con): Splendid 12. Paula Sherriff (Dewsbury) (Lab): If his Department idea. will increase the level of funding provided to the Department of Health. [908959] Mr Speaker: It is quite a naughty idea, not because of its merits or demerits but because it has nothing to do The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke): with the Department of Health budget, as the hon. Annual funding to the Department of Health is already Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone) is perfectly being increased by £17 billion by 2020-21. This reflects well aware. However, the Minister is a dextrous fellow the priority that the Government put on investing in the and I am sure he can answer in an orderly way. NHS. Kelvin Hopkins: OECD statistics show that the Mr Gauke: Although, as you say, Mr Speaker, there Governments of Germany, France, Holland, Sweden may perhaps have been a slightly tenuous link with the and Denmark spend an average of 9% of GDP on question, it was still a predictable question from my health compared with 7.7% in the UK—a massive hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Sir Gerald difference of £23 billion a year. The NHS is desperately Howarth). We are delivering on the 2%-plus expenditure underfunded and it is no surprise that it is suffering, so commitment on defence, and we are increasing defence is the Chancellor really going to take this seriously in spending in real terms. Again, it is important that we the Budget? have a strong economy so that we can properly fund our defence. Mr Gauke: I think the hon. Gentleman will find that the OECD has more recently put out revised numbers Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) to show that the UK’s expenditure on health is very (SNP): The shocking revelation that NHS Shared Business close to some of those other countries. The fact is that Services Ltd misplaced more than 500,000 pieces of we can only have a properly funded NHS if we have a sensitive medical data is a direct result of a health strong economy, and only the Conservative party can service that is being squeezed by the Chancellor’s purse deliver it—a point that the people of Copeland may strings. The Tory Government are clearly putting patient have noticed. safety at risk through lack of resourcing and a targeted savings drive. Will the Chancellor immediately reassess Paula Sherriff: When lives are on the line it is imperative the situation and the level of NHS funding? that we as parliamentarians get it right. We need some honesty about what the current NHS crisis means: cuts Mr Gauke: On the level of NHS funding, the hon. to staff, longer waits, and hospitals at risk of closure. Lady will find that expenditure has gone up more in Does the Minister agree that the Government need England than it has in Scotland. Given that it is a to provide a long-term, sustainable financial package to devolved matter, she might want to raise her concerns guarantee NHS services for the future? with the Scottish Government. 141 Oral Answers 28 FEBRUARY 2017 Oral Answers 142 Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): Will the Chief The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Hammond): Secretary confirm that record amounts of money are The Government will drive productivity and economic being spent on the NHS, that record numbers of patients growth in Yorkshire by investing in its infrastructure, are being treated and that he will give clear incentives to developing the skills of its people and supporting its local authorities and health services to join up the companies. At autumn statement we announced that delivery of NHS and social care? the four local enterprise partnerships covering Yorkshire will receive £156.1 million from the local growth fund Mr Gauke: My hon. Friend raises an important point. to back local priorities and support new jobs, as well He is absolutely correct about the resources that we are as £3.7 million extra investment to bolster its resilience putting in, but if we want to improve the quality of to flooding. healthcare, particularly in the context of social care, it is also important that there is greater integration. That is Jason McCartney: Will the Chancellor join me in why we announced the better care fund, which is making welcoming recent investments by the likes of Boeing an important contribution to supporting social care and McLaren in Yorkshire? Will Yorkshire continue to and improving integration. receive investment through the northern powerhouse investment fund, which is backed by the British Business Peter Dowd (Bootle) (Lab): The Chair of the Treasury Bank? Select Committee is absolutely spot on. If the Chancellor does discuss with the Department of Health any increase Mr Hammond: Yes. I welcome those investments by in levels of funding, will he point the Health Secretary large companies, which will bring a large number of in the direction of the Public Accounts Committee jobs to the area. It is also important that we support report, which says that he should stop “plundering” small and medium-sized enterprises, and the northern NHS funds? In particular, it asks him to stop his powerhouse investment fund will have a specific remit “repeated raids”on NHS capital funds, with £950 million to target and support smaller businesses across the having been taken out of £4.5 billion. north. Mr Gauke: First, may I congratulate the hon. Gentleman Rachel Reeves (Leeds West) (Lab): Fourteen months on his promotion to the post of shadow Chief Secretary? after the devastating Storm Eva floods, it is welcome He is my eighth shadow as a Treasury Minister, so I news to people in Kirkstall that the Sheesh Mahal look forward to sparring with him over the weeks restaurant will reopen tomorrow. However, many other ahead. businesses in my constituency are still struggling with Let me repeat what I said earlier: the agreement on astronomical increases in the costs of insurance and we the budget settlement for the NHS and the balance still do not have a date for having proper flood defences between resource spending and capital spending was in my constituency. What assurances can the Chancellor reached with the Department of Health. Indeed, that give businesses in my constituency that he has not switch towards more on resource was very much pushed forgotten about us? by the Department of Health. Mr Hammond: As I have said, we have put additional Peter Dowd: So I am the eighth shadow Minister, money into flood defence spending, but—notwithstanding “How very promiscuous of you”, the reopening of the Sheesh Mahal restaurant—I take as I said in my tweet to the Chief Secretary. on board the hon. Lady’s comments about the delay that others are experiencing and I will look at the facts. Some 4,000 urgent operations have been cancelled, 18,000 people a week waited on trolleys in January, 3,000 community pharmacies are going to be lost and Several hon. Members rose— £4.6 billion has been cut from social care. When those funding levels are discussed with the Department of Mr Speaker: Purely in relation to Yorkshire—Michael Health, will he tell his colleague that he should be Fabricant.

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