Tuesday Volume 551 23 October 2012 No. 54 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 23 October 2012 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2012 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 813 23 OCTOBER 2012 814 Mr Bone: The Conservative-led coalition Government House of Commons are increasing spending on the NHS, unlike what Labour would do. In my constituency, we will get an urgent care Tuesday 23 October 2012 centre in a few months as a result of Tory health reforms. People in Corby already have an urgent care centre as a result of Tory reforms. Does the Secretary of The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock State agree that, while Labour talks about the NHS, Conservatives deliver on the NHS? PRAYERS Mr Hunt: I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. Indeed, last week we announced that waiting times are [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] at near-record lows. The number of hospital-acquired infections continues to go down and mixed-sex wards have been virtually eliminated. I am very pleased that BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS my hon. Friend has an urgent care centre, and am sure that Mrs Bone will appreciate it even more than he does. NEW WRITs Ordered, Grahame M. Morris (Easington) (Lab): Does the That the Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Secretary of State recognise that the Office for National Crown to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to Statistics survey shows that the mortality rate in north-east serve in this present Parliament for the County Constituency of England is 12% higher than that in the rest of the UK? Corby in the room of Mrs Louise Daphne Mensch, who since her Does he recognise the need to invest in more advanced election for the said County Constituency has been appointed to the Office of Steward or Bailiff of Her Majesty’s Manor of radiotherapy equipment, bearing in mind that 70 of the Northstead in the County of York.—(Sir George Young.) 212 systems will need to be replaced by 2015? Ordered, Mr Hunt: I would not necessarily expect the hon. That the Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Gentleman to follow announcements that are made at Crown to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to the Conservative party conference, but we did make the serve in this present Parliament for the Borough Constituency of Cardiff South and Penarth in the room of Alun Edward Michael, big announcement that access to radiotherapy will be who since his election for the said Borough Constituency has been transformed, making it available to everyone for whom appointed to the Office of Steward or Bailiff of Her Majesty’s it is clinically necessary and cost-effective. Improving Three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham in mortality rates is extremely important. As I have set the County of Buckingham.—(Ms Winterton.) out, one of my key priorities is to transform the NHS so Ordered, that we have the best mortality rates in Europe. I hope That the Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the that that is welcome news for his constituents. Crown to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough Constituency of Charlie Elphicke (Dover) (Con): Does my right hon. Manchester Central in the room of Mr Anthony Joseph Lloyd, Friend agree that there will be less budget pressure on who since his election for the said Borough Constituency has been the NHS if we do better with long-term conditions, get appointed to the Office of Steward or Bailiff of Her Majesty’s better at integrated care and use data better to predict ill Manor of Northstead in the County of York.—(Ms Winterton.) health? To that end, will he come and see the work of the Kent Health Commission on those issues? CITY OF LONDON (VARIOUS POWERS)BILL [LORDS] (BY ORDER) Mr Hunt: I would be delighted to see the innovative Second Reading opposed and deferred until Tuesday things that are happening at the Kent Health Commission. 30 October (Standing Order No. 20). Looking at how we deal with people with long-term conditions—that is 30% of the population, and the proportion is growing with the ageing population—will Oral Answers to Questions be a vital priority for the NHS over the coming years. Andy Burnham (Leigh) (Lab): May I welcome the Secretary of State and his new team to their positions? HEALTH As the only other person to have made the jump from Culture to Health, I am sure that he will find me a constant source of useful advice. The Secretary of State was asked— The Secretary of State has not said much since his appointment, but he did set out his mission in The NHS Cost Spectator: “I would like to be the person who safeguards Andrew Lansley’s 1. Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con): What his legacy”. latest estimate is of the likely cost of the NHS in Let us talk about that legacy. Just last week, the Secretary 2012-13. [124134] of State slipped out figures on the latest costs of NHS reorganisation. Would he care to update the House on The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt): the current estimates? The latest estimates of NHS spending are those published in the 2012 Budget. The planned NHS spending for Mr Hunt: Let me tell the right hon. Gentleman that 2012-13 is £108.8 billion. Andrew Lansley’s legacy is— 815 Oral Answers23 OCTOBER 2012 Oral Answers 816 Mr Speaker: Order. The Secretary of State has been The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt): in the House for seven and a half years. I think he The Department’s records date back to 2010-11. The knows that we refer to Members by constituency, not by number of ambulance handovers delayed by longer than Christian name. It is not difficult. half an hour was 63,892 between 1 November 2010 and 24 February 2011 and 77,543 between 1 November 2011 Mr Hunt: First, may I say how delighted I am that the and l March 2012. right hon. Gentleman and I once again have the same brief? I look forward to having a constructive relationship Tom Blenkinsop: On 27 September, patients and with him, not with total optimism, but I will try my best. paramedics were left waiting outside James Cook university The right hon. Gentleman talked about my predecessor’s hospital in Middlesbrough for two and a half hours reforms and legacy. One of the finest things about my before being handed over. Dr Clifford of the college of predecessor’s legacy is that he safeguarded the NHS emergency medicine described such delays as being due budget—indeed, he increased it during this Parliament to an unacceptable mismatch in demand and supply. by £12 billion—when the right hon. Gentleman said Does the Secretary of State agree with Dr Clifford, and that it would be irresponsible to increase it. what steps will he take to ensure that those problems do not recur for my constituents? Andy Burnham: Look at the figures: the previous Secretary of State gave the budget a real-terms cut for Mr Hunt: I am extremely concerned about what two years running. Let me give the exact figures, which happened on 27 September. I can confirm to the hon. the Secretary of State did not give the House. The costs Gentleman that all the red 1 calls on that day were met of the reorganisation are up by 33% or £400 million, within the target time of eight minutes, but the delays making the total £1.6 billion and rising. And what is were completely unacceptable. I know that the trust is that money being spent on? A full £1 billion is being taking measures to ensure that the problems are not spent on redundancy packages for managers: 1,300 have repeated, particularly looking forward to the winter got six-figure pay-offs and there are 173 pay-offs of time when there is likely to be extra pressure on ambulance more than £200,000. Scandalously, that news comes as services. I will follow the matter very closely, and I we learn today that the number of nurse redundancies expect the trust to come up with measures to ensure has risen to more than 6,100. Six-figure pay-outs for that his constituents are properly safeguarded. managers, P45s for nurses and the NHS in chaos—is that the legacy that the Secretary of State is so proud of? Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con): In the summer, I spent an interesting and thought-provoking Mr Hunt: Let us look at some of the facts. The day observing the work of a crew of the East Midlands number of clinical staff in the NHS has gone up since ambulance service. Can my right hon. Friend confirm the coalition came to power. The right hon. Gentleman that ambulance trusts across the country, including the talked about the cost of the reforms, which is about East Midlands ambulance service, are performing well £1.6 billion. Thanks to those reforms, we will save in meeting their response time targets? £1.5 billion every single year from 2014 and the total savings in this Parliament will be £5.5 billion.