22/02/2018 House of Commons


22/02/2018

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supporting the autonomy of the

Kurdish region is important. But so

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is supporting the right of the Iraqi

government to territorial integrity.

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We now come to the second select

committee statement. He will speak

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on this subject on this subject

during which are no interventions

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will be taken. I will then call

members to ask questions in the

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usual way. I called the chair of the

Justice committee.

Thank you very

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much, Deputy Speaker. This report

results from what was described by

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Her Majesty 's Chief Inspector of

prisons as one of the worst

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inspection reports of a prison he

had ever seen. It is to meet the

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worst inspection report that our

committee had ever seen, and it is

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because of the gravity of that

situation that we took the unique

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step of holding a specific evidence

session into that individual

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inquiry. Not only do it highlight

conditions which the Chief inspector

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describes as squalid as Liverpool

prison, and a history of

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deterioration over a two-year

period, and a history of failure of

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management at a local national and

regional level over a period of

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time, but also we believe it

highlights a number of systemic

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problems which need to be addressed

by the Ministry and Her Majesty 's

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prison and probation service. And

also, highlights the need for

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approaching a fresh way in which we

deal with Her Majesty 's of prisons

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is self. May I pay tribute to my

colleagues on the select committee,

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a number of whom are present today,

for their work on this report? And I

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may also welcome to his place my

Hons friend the Minister, and I

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appreciate that he came and gave

evidence to our inquiry so early on

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in his appointment to the posting

which he now serves. Can I briefly

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outline the report against that

grave background? This was a

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situation where Liverpool prison was

inspected in 2015. It was failing

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them, it was a re-inspected again in

2017, it had got worse. Some of the

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conditions, a man with a mental

health problems in a cell that was

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not fit the habitation, and that

there was a serious maintenance

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backlog, were in fact the

maintenance backlog had doubled from

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1000 - 2000 over that period where

its marking the guess the various

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tests have gone backwards indicate

not only was there a gross failure

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of management locally and of

oversight at a regional and national

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level, but also that the detailed

recommendations of Her Majesty 's

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Inspectorate made in 2015 had not

properly been addressed, the first

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systemic matter that we addressed.

It's pretty clear that the national

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leadership was not the lurch to the

situation as to what was happening

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on the ground. -- was not alert. The

head of the prison service told us

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he had been informed by the local

management that some 60% of the

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recommendations in 2015 were on

track to be met. That was wrong. In

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fact, only 25% were met, 60% were

not met. The leadership nationally

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was out of touch. When asked what

was the role for the deputy Minister

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for corrections, who is supposed to

have oversight for 12 prisons in

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that region, clearly there was

failure in communication but a

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breakdown in the way the system

operates there. Secondly this is not

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unique. The chief Inspectorate

indicated to us this is a regular

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occurrence, that recommendations by

the Inspectorate are not acted upon.

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The Minister rightly says to us that

much greater use should be made of

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the Inspectorate's recommendations

to drive changes in behaviour, he is

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right. We therefore recommend two

specific matters to make greater use

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of that. Firstly at the moment, the

prison service marks its own

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homework, that is not satisfactory

and can breed complacency. We

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recommend the Inspectorate of

prisons can be given an additional

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resource to follow up on the

implementation of their

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recommendations and hold the prisons

to account. This is not a large sum

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in the overall scheme of things,

perhaps one inspection team should

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be sufficient to do that task and

the overall saving will be offset.

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Secondly, ministers should take

personal responsibility for seeing

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the inspection reports should be

acted upon and accounts to the House

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for that perhaps through a letter to

the Justice select committee. The

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first of our practical

recommendations which we believe

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will offer a way forward. Secondly,

there is the whole question of the

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oversight itself. Given that were

these failings, we believe that

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greater work should be done on

ensuring transparency and

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accountability of the above

establishment teams within the

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Department. Thirdly, there was a

clear problem with the facilities

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management contract. Not only had

the backlog got worse, it's pretty

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clear that the basic issues which

should be picked up in the contract

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were not done so. The fact we had

rats and cockroaches infest it

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indicates the level of the problem.

We are not satisfied with the

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explanations given for the failures

in that contract and we believe

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there is need for greater

transparency. So, we recommend that

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a major contracts, a national

contract, will be subject to a

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public framework outlining the

expectations, performance of

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penalties levies against the

providers of failure and if there

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are penalties, they should frankly

be a system of naming and shaming

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and a public notification of were

failures occur and how much penalty

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is levied as a percentage of the

contract against the provider.

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That's the point of outsourcing, to

drive changes in behaviour but we

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need transparency and openness to do

that. We also noted that part of the

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problem derives from persistent

overcrowding. Liverpool prison was

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not understaffed, it was up to

establishment but it was nonetheless

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pressed for numbers. So we recommend

the ministry and prison service

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published a plan to resolve the

problem of persistent overcrowding

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of the estate. The new governess for

Liverpool was clearly doing a

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difficult job under difficult

circumstances but we need an overall

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plan to deliver on overcrowding and

must aim to reduce the prison

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population and or increase safe

capacity. Can't have it both ways.

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We were also concerned with the poor

situation with health care

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discovered at that stage. We were

glad to see commitments from the

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prison services and NHS England

publish a partnership agreement as

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to how they work together. The last

partnership however it expired in

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April 2017 and a new one will not be

in place until 2018. A one-year gap

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is not satisfactory and we need to

have steps taken to ensure that does

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not happen again. And finally, we

need to have a commitment there to

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make sure there is decent health

care. It was explained to us because

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of the overcrowding and the nature

of the regime, frequently prisoners

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could not be brought to health care

appointments from their cells. We

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need a better approach to that.

Those are the principal

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recommendations of our report which

I commence to the House. At the end

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of the day, the decency of a society

is judged by the way in which it

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treats those who offend against it

as much as the way it treats those

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who do well by it. Liverpool failed

in that regard. We did not House

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prisoners in the decent conditions

that boasts, humanity and our

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international and domestic legal

obligations order that we should.

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That failure cannot be allowed to

happen again. Making greater use of

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the Inspectorate and its tools and

adopting our recommendations will I

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hope be a constructive way forward

to assist the ministry in what I

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entirely believe is his intention,

to get the basics right and

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improving the prison service. In

that spirit, we put the report

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before the House and commend it to

him.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I

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welcome the committee report and

thank the chair of the select

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committee for his quick decision to

hold an evident session on HM

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peelable? I -- HMP Liverpool. I

commend his statements to hold this

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to a camp in prisons fail. We lost

another life in prison this week,

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Anthony Payne suffered with mental

health problems and died in his cell

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on Monday. The report does not

mention in detail the failure to

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invest in infrastructure, renovate

wings or loss and replacement of

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prison officer numbers. And

critically, resources. Having seen

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the prison with my own eyes, there

is no doubt these are basic but

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expensive requirements. In a written

answer to me, the Minister says

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there is no plan to publish the cost

or programme of urgent works at HMP

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Liverpool. Will he agree with me

that is a vital we now have

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transparency across our prison

network and the improvements that

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are necessary, if we are to see a

real change?

I'm grateful to the

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Gentleman, I know he knows Liverpool

Wharton Jail, as often called

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locally, very well. I entirely

understand the point of his remarks

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and I hope the ministry will reflect

upon that. The whole thrust of our

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report is to say we need to shine

the light on transparency and

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publicity on these matters. We've

also in a separate piece of work

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have in hand and enquiry into the

shape of the prison population by

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2020 and part of that is again

dealing with overcrowding. Our

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recommendation is part of that,

getting the fabric right is

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necessary, Wharton Jail, Liverpool

prison is one of the old Victorian

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prisons and there is a real need for

work done there. If we are

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publishing the public framework

arena on facilities maintenance, I

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don't see why we should be able to

have similar publicity about the

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capital works.

Thank you, deputy

Speaker. This is also a historic

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opportunity. It's almost the first

time in more than 200 years of our

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prison service in which we have had

an individual prison to base it on

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the floor of the House. I'd like to

pay to reach to the Justice select

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committee to bring this forward, the

situation in Liverpool prison was

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genuinely shocking. It is very

disturbing and it's unbelievably

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important that select committees,

inspectors, members of Parliament

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hold us accountable for prisons.

These are closed communities, often

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hidden away from the public. Often

in many areas, they can be forgotten

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and without this scrutiny, standards

can drop and standards dropped very

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seriously in the Liverpool prison.

The condition in itself is

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unacceptable, the conditions with

which prisoners were treated was

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unacceptable, the lack of purposeful

activity was unacceptable. We are

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now addressing this very hard and

quickly, but there is still huge

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lessons to be learned through the

system. I'd like to pay tribute to

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the new governor. So, the new

governor has come in, she has taken

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ourselves out of commission and is

very clear both that she has cleaned

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the prison but also that her

objective over the next six months

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is to get those cells into a smart,

good condition. We now have the

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money in place to put new windows in

place and she is very focused on

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making sure that the education and

employment activity is good. But

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more generally, there are lessons

here right the way through the

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prison system. We need to get the

basics right, there is no point

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talking about rehabilitation or

dealing with reoffending and less we

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have clean, decent safe spaces for

all prisoners. So, we want our

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prisons to be smart and well

functioning. We're bringing in over

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2000 more prison officers and that

will relieve some of the prison

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estate pressures. But these are new

prison officers, they are going to

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need training, the support until

they have the prison craft to be

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able to deliver what we require.

More generally, we also need to

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invest I believe a lot more in

training. Because prisons are

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unbelievably complex environments,

the governor needs to have the

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support, the training and I think

this could be months of training, to

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make sure the governor is in

position to turn around the prison.

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Training needs to apply to uniform

staff and finally the role of the

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inspector in the select committee

will be vital in improving

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performance. And he very much, Mr

Deputy Speaker.

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I am grateful to the Minister for

that response. He was very much on

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the case in recognising that we must

get basic things, basic willingness,

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basic decency come a basic

maintenance, the ability to run a

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regime where people can actually get

out to appointment is for health

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care. All of that is critical.

Unless we turn those things around,

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we face a crisis in our prisons. I

look forward to working with him on

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those matters, especially if he will

take up our recommendations with

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regards to the Inspectorate. I can

say that this is a case of a small

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investment paying off in the

long-term.

I rise to speak in my

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role as co-chair of a Parliamentary

group. While I welcomed the report,

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it is is that the Justice committee

did not take evidence from union

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representatives. I understand that

maintenance contractors refused to

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undertake pest control at HMP

Liverpool. The previous governor,

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who is also not called to give

evidence, had to use is already hard

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pushed Budget. The autonomy is a

convenient cover for the prison's

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state.

The select committee engaged

with the POA on a number of

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occasions, and on an ongoing basis

will stop secondly, the issues in

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relation to facilities maintenance

were examined in some detail as far

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as that matter is concerned. We

indicate a report that we are not

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satisfied with the outcome is and

intends to return to that. Thirdly,

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it was specifically not the role to

examined the position of the

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previous governor going forward. We

had evidence from the current

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governor as to what is happening

now. We did not think that going

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back into the history would be

constructive. We are trying to make

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sure that this state of affairs does

not occur again.

One of the most

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distressing aspects of this report

is its relationship to health care.

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My honourable friend has spoken

about health care. Does he, like me,

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share the view that we have no

confidence in the partnership

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agreement that is going to be

brought forward, because one thing

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it will not do is to get prisoners

out of their cells to attend

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appointments?

He is right. I am

grateful to him for his work on the

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select committee on this and many

other reports. That is why we are

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calling for the partnership

agreement to be published, so we can

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actually examine it. At the moment,

we cannot be satisfied it is fit for

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purpose. Previous partnership

agreements have broken down, so we

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need to know how this will be

different both in its structure and

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how it will operate, to have the

reassurance we will not have a

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repetition of what happened in the

past.

Let me congratulate the chair

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and the members of the committee for

what is an excellent and timely and

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important report. If we are to move

out prison estate from being simply

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places of detention in whatever

apparatus condition, to where

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rehabilitation is key, which is what

prisons have to be. While this moves

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us forward, we have a lot of journey

to travel. There does need to be

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something that can reconcile whether

we are delivering the policy of

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health care and education and all

the other things that are necessary

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inside a prison to allow how young

men to come out and be acceptable

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citizens.

He is absolutely right. I know how

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closely he has followed this as a

police and crime Commissioner in his

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part of the world. This is a useful

step forward, but I don't pretend it

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can be more than that. It has to be

part of a system exchange, and I

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hope it drives that. We have to look

at a long-term strategy of what the

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purpose of our prisons is.

I thank

him and his committee for their

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report. When the Care Quality

Commission goes into investigate

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local hospitals, it makes a

recommendation, and goes back at a

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later date to see whether those

recommendations have been

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implemented. I can't see why that

cannot take place with prisons. It

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is alarming that the information

from the prison to the head of the

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prison service was so inaccurate.

Given the speed of the report, witty

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encourage the Minister to be equally

quick in responding to the findings

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is committee has delivered?

The

quick answers are yes, yes, yes and

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yes. I'm sure the Minister will be

quick in doing that. I'm sure it

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will be similar to an Ofsted report

or a CQC report where they will not

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be ignored for very long.

I thank

the committee for their quick action

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and their quick reports. We must not

forget how we arrived at this

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situation. Pleased about the

announcement sometime ago about

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recruiting an extra 2500 prison

officers, but we must not forget we

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lost 7000. there is a 4500 gap. The

nature of the inmates changed. We

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have had all of the historical

sexual abuse cases, with different

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health needs than and prisoners that

were already in prison. There have

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been drains on the resources. At the

same time, the loss of those 7000

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meant there were spikes in drugs.

Morale went down with the loss of

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those prison officers. When we

started to recruit, a baggage

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handler could be paid more than a

new recruit. It is important that

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when we do recruit, and we are

recruiting now, when we do recruit

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that they are trained properly. Not

a week or something like that, but

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months. It is resources that are

needed. Money is important, but it

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is also how that money is used.

Contract management, there has been

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absolutely no contract management

from what I can see. I called for a

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debate on mental health in prisons,

and it didn't appear that there was

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any communication between the

prisons and the Health Service. The

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contract was awarded, money given,

no monitoring of the contracts. As

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the chair of the Justice select

committee said, it is about systems,

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about getting them right. It is also

about resources, getting the right

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people in, training them.

Excellent.

I very much welcome the honourable

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lady back to the committee, where

she has served before. I am glad

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she's back with us once more. It is

quite right that we have to look at

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all of these issues, there is no

silver bullet to address that. We

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need a comrade 's plan. I urge the

Government -- we need a

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comprehensive plan. I look forward

to working to achieve that.

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Staffing, resources, training,

morale, management and proper

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contract management are all part of

the mix that we will need to

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address.

Motion number one on

estimates. Minister to move. Thank

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you. The question is as the order

paper. There is a lot of enthusiasm

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here! I'm not sure we need this

estimate. I think we will say the

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ayes have it. We now come to the

backbench. A backbench motion on the

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role of disabled people in economic

growth. Up to 15 minutes speaking.

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Many thanks. I would like to pay to

be to give the backbench Business

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Committee for enabling this

extremely important debate to take

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place today. Mr Deputy Speaker,

before I begin, I want to pay

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tribute to the many organisations

that continuously championed the

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rights of people with disabilities

across the UK. Without their

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injuring commitment, we would not be

debating this important issue today.

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-- enduring commitment. I want to

pay to beach to Leonard Cheshire and

0:23:140:23:21

disability rights UK

0:23:210:23:31

pay to beach to Leonard Cheshire and

disability rights UK. There are

0:23:310:23:35

dedicated medics that contributed to

the all-party parliamentary groups

0:23:350:23:41

ahead of the enquiry report. Since

commissioning the report, the

0:23:410:23:48

disability all-party Parliamentary

group has been pressing the

0:23:480:23:51

Government to address the disability

employment gap as a matter of

0:23:510:23:55

urgency. I know the minister today

is open and willing to listen to the

0:23:550:24:00

report's suggestions. Mr Deputy

Speaker, the backbench debate is a

0:24:000:24:06

significant step forward in the

fight for equal rights for disabled

0:24:060:24:11

people. To my knowledge, this is the

first time that people with

0:24:110:24:15

disabilities will be debated in the

main chamber with a focus on their

0:24:150:24:23

abilities and as contributors to our

economy, not as employees but also

0:24:230:24:27

as entrepreneurs and business

leaders.

Would she agree with me

0:24:270:24:35

that many employers need education,

particularly those with mental

0:24:350:24:43

health issues, as many employers are

scared or reluctant to take on such

0:24:430:24:53

issues.

I thank him for his

contribution. I think it is an

0:24:530:25:00

extremely important contribution.

Just prior to this debate, only

0:25:000:25:04

yesterday, I was contacted by a

number of people and organisations

0:25:040:25:08

reminding me to highlight that very

issue. People with mental health

0:25:080:25:12

difficulties and people with not

apparent disabilities find it

0:25:120:25:23

difficult to raise awareness of

their disabilities and the

0:25:230:25:25

adjustments they require. We need

heightened awareness amongst

0:25:250:25:31

employers and Parliament, I may

suggest, to make sure that we can

0:25:310:25:38

harness the skills and potential of

everyone for our economy. I thank

0:25:380:25:42

the honourable gentleman. All too

often, people with disabilities are

0:25:420:25:48

portrayed as passive and and willing

to work. However, this could never

0:25:480:25:52

be further from the truth. I want to

use this debate to change the

0:25:520:25:56

narrative. I want to see meaningful

action rather than research and

0:25:560:26:04

rhetoric. I want to see a welfare

system that treats people with

0:26:040:26:08

disabilities as a willing and able

workforce. I want to see

0:26:080:26:12

improvements in current access

routes, the development of work

0:26:120:26:18

those cultures that reflect a

genuine appreciation on the part of

0:26:180:26:22

employers to the positive

contributions that people with

0:26:220:26:26

disabilities make. I want to see

accredited business schemes that no

0:26:260:26:30

further than ticking boxes. While I

might not be able to cover all of

0:26:300:26:35

these points in my speech today, I

know colleagues cross-party around

0:26:350:26:38

the benches will be passionately

advocating similar policy changes

0:26:380:26:46

and attitude changes which are much

needed. I hope the Minister will

0:26:460:26:49

take on board everyone's suggestions

here the date, and they will make

0:26:490:26:54

progress going forward. I want to

start my speech on a positive,

0:26:540:27:00

uplifting note. I have been

absolutely heartened hearing

0:27:000:27:03

accounts of disabled entrepreneurs,

employees and businesses that are

0:27:030:27:08

champions of their fields in the

past few weeks was dubbed I would

0:27:080:27:14

like to share some examples today. A

tech entrepreneur recently run an

0:27:140:27:21

award for disabled entrepreneurs,

run in conjunction with Leonard

0:27:210:27:25

Cheshire disability. After creating

a video diary app that supports

0:27:250:27:30

people to manage their mental

health, called Mental Snap. They can

0:27:300:27:38

rate their mood and named their

feelings. It is innovation at its

0:27:380:27:45

finest, I applaud her for creating

the app which will help so many

0:27:450:27:50

people moving forward. A business

leader that owns his own sock

0:27:500:28:01

company that made several million

pounds in its first year. Its owner

0:28:010:28:05

has Down's syndrome. He runs the

company in conjunction with his

0:28:050:28:18

father and is the face of the brand.

He is a business leader and manager.

0:28:180:28:22

Nearly a third of his staff have

disabilities. He is a businessman,

0:28:220:28:31

and therefore is looking for good

0:28:310:28:35

disabilities. He is a businessman,

and therefore is looking for good,

0:28:350:28:36

reliable workers, and he believes

the disabled community have a vast

0:28:360:28:39

and untapped pool of workers. There

are also benefits to a diverse

0:28:390:28:46

workforce. Channel 4 and Sainsbury

is a good examples of inclusive

0:28:460:28:51

employers. Sainsbury's and Channel

4's workplace adjustment guide is

0:28:510:28:57

second to none top both companies

choose to focus on positive aspects

0:28:570:29:02

of making adjustments, rather than

their legal duty and minimal

0:29:020:29:07

requirements to do so. Most

importantly, these policies are

0:29:070:29:10

dissed to be did to all line

managers so everyone is aware of the

0:29:100:29:16

adjustments they are entitled to

creating, and inclusive implement

0:29:160:29:21

and environment workforce so that

employees and the companies output

0:29:210:29:26

can thrive.

0:29:260:29:30

Channel 4 goes further by issuing

passports for employees after

0:29:300:29:34

receiving a workplace adjustment, so

when they move into a new roller or

0:29:340:29:39

perhaps their line manager changes,

the passport can be referred to and

0:29:390:29:44

used in all future discussions with

the new line managers. Whilst there

0:29:440:29:48

are many other great examples of

disabled business owners and

0:29:480:29:53

entrepreneurs and also inclusive

employers, I wanted to highlight

0:29:530:29:57

these particular three. Each example

shows that in every corner of our

0:29:570:30:03

economy, in every type and size of

business, inclusivity should be

0:30:030:30:07

championed. Not just for ethical

reasons, but also because it makes

0:30:070:30:12

good business and economic sense to

do so.

I thank her for securing this

0:30:120:30:21

debate and also for the examples is

given about the good practices in

0:30:210:30:25

certain organisations, but is she

aware that only 16% of people with

0:30:250:30:31

autism are in full-time employment

and only 30% of autistic adults are

0:30:310:30:36

any kind of employment at all and

will she agreed with me much more

0:30:360:30:38

needs to be done to close the

employment gap in autism?

I thank my

0:30:380:30:45

colleagues for that extremely

important intervention. And for

0:30:450:30:51

highlighting the autism employment

gap, which is far too large, much

0:30:510:30:54

larger even than the disability

employment gap. We much make extra

0:30:540:31:00

strides to support people with

autism into work because they have

0:31:000:31:02

great skills and abilities. And they

will be fantastic tribute to our

0:31:020:31:09

economy given appropriate

opportunities to do so.

I'm grateful

0:31:090:31:14

for giving way and for securing this

important debate. I would like to

0:31:140:31:18

salute the work she does on

disability. I sit on the Work and

0:31:180:31:26

Pensions select committee and one of

the things we are looking at the

0:31:260:31:29

moment is how employers, work

coaches, and people with disability

0:31:290:31:37

can better understand the assistive

technology emerging. Does she think

0:31:370:31:41

that we could do more to bring those

three interested parties together to

0:31:410:31:47

help people to enter and stay in the

workforce?

I thank him for a very

0:31:470:31:52

important intervention. I am not a

technical buff myself, but I'm

0:31:520:31:57

always heartened when we can see

technology assisting people to

0:31:570:32:03

achieve their potential into work

and I think it is extremely

0:32:030:32:05

important example he is giving. We

need collaboration to dig those

0:32:050:32:09

issues forward. Thank you. Mr Deputy

Speaker, examples of best practice

0:32:090:32:16

are exactly that, examples to aspire

to, and as uplifting as they are,

0:32:160:32:20

they are not a true reflection of

the experience of many disabled

0:32:200:32:25

people. They do not reflect the

systemic problems and barriers faced

0:32:250:32:29

by people with disability looking

for work or trying to retain it, and

0:32:290:32:33

it is time for Parliament to

question why these practices in

0:32:330:32:36

moving forward and in developing

inclusivity are not more

0:32:360:32:40

commonplace. In 2017, a report was

published which found that one in

0:32:400:32:48

two people with disabilities had

experienced bullying and harassment

0:32:480:32:51

in work and felt that they could no

longer take place in work

0:32:510:32:57

comfortably, and over half, 58%,

felt the risk of losing their jobs,

0:32:570:33:02

so not only is it about getting

people into work, but ensuring an

0:33:020:33:06

environment which maintains people

in work and helps them to achieve

0:33:060:33:10

their potential throughout. Disabled

people also have to apply for more

0:33:100:33:16

jobs than non-disabled people before

finding one. Research has indicated

0:33:160:33:22

almost up to 60% more jobs have to

be applied for. Lauren Pitt, in

0:33:220:33:29

2017, reported to the Independent

she had to apply for over 250 jobs

0:33:290:33:34

before securing one, so something is

obviously not working correctly and

0:33:340:33:38

we must ensure that employers are

open to employing people with

0:33:380:33:43

disabilities. Seeing their skills.

Seeing their ability and value to

0:33:430:33:46

the workplace and the economy. The

disability employment gap is large

0:33:460:33:51

and enduring for the most recent

figures from 2017 showed the gap

0:33:510:33:58

currently stands at 31.4%. 80% of

non-disabled people of working age

0:33:580:34:04

are in work, but the figure for

people with disabilities is just

0:34:040:34:09

49%. This has routinely been

recognised by the Government and, in

0:34:090:34:14

the 2015 manifesto, they committed

to having this disability employment

0:34:140:34:18

gap, but research from the all-party

Parliamentary group shows, on the

0:34:180:34:23

basis of progress to September 2016,

this would have taken 49 years to

0:34:230:34:28

achieve. The 2017 manifesto replaced

this commitment with a new

0:34:280:34:35

commitment to get 1 million more

disabled people into work in the

0:34:350:34:37

next ten years. Analysis shows this

new target is weaker and likely to

0:34:370:34:43

be met perhaps because of the number

of disabled people within the

0:34:430:34:48

working age population itself

increasing. This means that even

0:34:480:34:51

though local Government could meet

their new target, the size of the

0:34:510:34:55

disability employment gap may not

actually fall and this is something

0:34:550:34:59

that we must take account of. Most

of the Government's proposals for

0:34:590:35:06

reaching the more attainable

commitment are published within the

0:35:060:35:08

command paper improving lives, and

brief look at this paper shows

0:35:080:35:13

almost all of these policies are

dependent on further research and

0:35:130:35:17

pilot schemes and cost of very

little to run. So I would ask that

0:35:170:35:21

we have adequate resourcing and

prioritisation. We cannot afford to

0:35:210:35:25

sit and wait. Unemployed people with

disabilities are entitled to the

0:35:250:35:32

same opportunities now as everyone

else. Our economy cannot afford to

0:35:320:35:36

sit and wait either. Scope estimated

using the employment gap for

0:35:360:35:43

disability by just 10% and generate

a further £12 billion to the

0:35:430:35:48

exchequer by 2030, so this makes

absolute economic sense. Finding a

0:35:480:35:53

solution to the problem goes

significantly beyond the

0:35:530:35:57

Government's current focus on

welfare and benefits. Instead, we

0:35:570:36:02

will not see significant increases

in the number of disabled people in

0:36:020:36:05

employment unless employers can be

in courage to increase their game

0:36:050:36:09

and acknowledge the positive

contribution that people with

0:36:090:36:12

disabilities make in the workplace

and develop new workplace cultures

0:36:120:36:15

and practices that are

accommodating. Reasonable

0:36:150:36:19

adjustments are key. I will very

briefly...

Very briefly, just to

0:36:190:36:28

support what she is saying about the

businesses, does she think that

0:36:280:36:33

there may be a case for having

larger employers report on the

0:36:330:36:40

proportion of their workforce that

has a disability, so that we can see

0:36:400:36:43

those larger employers that are not

pulling their weight and taking

0:36:430:36:47

advantage of the high quality

disabled employees in the market?

0:36:470:36:53

Yes, I agree entirely with the

honourable gentleman on that point,

0:36:530:37:00

and it is particularly concerning

that the Office for National

0:37:000:37:03

Statistics has suspended publication

of disability statistics from the

0:37:030:37:06

labour Force survey, so I think

that's something we should be

0:37:060:37:09

ensuring is taken forward. It is in

an employer's self-interest to make

0:37:090:37:16

a difference in this area, not least

because it gives a solution to the

0:37:160:37:21

labour market problems likely to

face the country in tighter controls

0:37:210:37:25

on the free movement of people. The

UK currently has a skills shortage

0:37:250:37:29

that will become more profound once

we leave the European Union. Indeed,

0:37:290:37:35

KPMG recently published figures

indicating almost 1 million EU

0:37:350:37:39

citizens, many highly qualified,

planning to leave following Brexit.

0:37:390:37:45

We already have a willing workforce

of people with disabilities whose

0:37:450:37:50

skills are undervalued, who should

be trained in sectors that are

0:37:500:37:53

developing and which are much needed

for the future. Health and tech

0:37:530:37:59

sectors are extremely important. It

is fundamentally a labour supply

0:37:590:38:03

issue full for the Government will

not be able to deliver on its

0:38:030:38:08

industrial strategy if it does not

have the capacity to do so. So we

0:38:080:38:11

need to train our working workforces

across the UK and see more

0:38:110:38:18

investment in apprenticeships and

targeted widespread advertising and

0:38:180:38:21

of current access to work schemes to

encourage the business community to

0:38:210:38:26

utilise their workforce. The new

commitment in the industrial

0:38:260:38:30

strategy is to increase the

proportion of apprenticeships

0:38:300:38:32

starting by people with disabilities

by 20% and I commend the Minister,

0:38:320:38:38

but it is not enough, it is part of

the solution. The Government

0:38:380:38:44

acknowledges this critical role for

employers but its main policy with

0:38:440:38:46

regards to this is to encourage or

employers to sign up to confidence

0:38:460:38:51

schemes forth as I've argued

previously in Parliament, the

0:38:510:38:55

evidence from disability confidence

is variable, it shows the scheme

0:38:550:39:00

does not refer enough and result in

enough people being employed and it

0:39:000:39:04

is particularly worrying therefore

that improving lives command paper

0:39:040:39:07

uses this scheme is one of its

central policies for achieving

0:39:070:39:10

targets. The all-party Parliamentary

group points out a number of

0:39:100:39:16

alternative bold new policy

initiatives the Government should

0:39:160:39:19

pursue. These include using public

film and contracts as leveraged by

0:39:190:39:24

stipulating that such contracts will

only go to firms which monitor

0:39:240:39:28

disabled people's employment and

commit to adopting an inclusive

0:39:280:39:34

approach to employment and retention

policies and to that end, Government

0:39:340:39:37

initiatives should think of people

with disabilities not just as

0:39:370:39:41

employees but entrepreneurs and

business leaders also. The

0:39:410:39:45

Government must ensure disabled

entrepreneurs receive the support

0:39:450:39:47

they need from business advisory

networks such as the Federation of

0:39:470:39:52

businesses and local chambers of

commerce. And the financial support

0:39:520:39:55

that they need from bodies such as

innovate UK and the British business

0:39:550:40:00

bank. Mr Deputy Speaker, I refer to

two examples of entrepreneurs with

0:40:000:40:06

disabilities Ilia and the notion

disabled people can be business

0:40:060:40:09

owners and entrepreneurs as one as

employees was completely missed by

0:40:090:40:13

the improving lives paper. We must

ensure disabled people are not

0:40:130:40:18

pigeonholed into one sector and have

the opportunity to choose their own

0:40:180:40:22

future and be masters of their

lives, and that is why the access to

0:40:220:40:26

work scheme should also apply to

start-ups, to accommodate the talent

0:40:260:40:30

and innovation of people with

disabilities. The Government must go

0:40:300:40:35

further and find a specialist advice

services about taxation and benefits

0:40:350:40:39

for people with disabilities who

want to explore the opportunities of

0:40:390:40:43

self-employment. As I have laid out

today, the solutions are there and

0:40:430:40:48

every corner of the economy, if

action is taken the benefits could

0:40:480:40:54

be felt by all in society

immediately but for this to happen

0:40:540:40:57

we need to change the current

narrative so that good policy is put

0:40:570:41:03

into practice. So my constituents

and those of other honourable

0:41:030:41:06

members throughout the land

recognise that we do need to tap

0:41:060:41:11

into the underutilised and important

human resource of people with

0:41:110:41:14

disabilities who are willing and

able to work. The workforce is there

0:41:140:41:18

and ready and it will only grow when

we leave the European Union. It in

0:41:180:41:25

the self-interest of employers,

Government, of everyone to engage

0:41:250:41:29

with this agenda and to accommodate

a diverse and inclusive workforce.

0:41:290:41:37

There are far too many disabled

people who are facing no real

0:41:370:41:40

prospect in today's job market. This

is simply unsustainable and, quite

0:41:400:41:48

frankly, bad economics. So I am

pleased to have been able to bring

0:41:480:41:50

this debate to the chamber today and

I look forward to hearing from other

0:41:500:41:56

colleagues's experiences and I look

forward to working together as part

0:41:560:42:01

of the Parliamentary group for

disability across the House in

0:42:010:42:04

taking this extremely important

issue forward.

The question is as on

0:42:040:42:09

the order paper.

Thank you, Mr

Deputy Speaker Fulston I shall try

0:42:090:42:14

to be better behaved today. I'm

truly grateful to the honourable

0:42:140:42:18

lady for East Kilbride for leading

this afternoon 's debate and for the

0:42:180:42:21

tone she strikes and her

constructive ideas. This follows a

0:42:210:42:24

valuable Westminster board debate

tabled by the Member for South

0:42:240:42:29

Perthshire on the government's

disability confidence scheme which

0:42:290:42:31

she also made a thoughtful

contribution to. During that debate,

0:42:310:42:34

members highlighted some of the

economic opportunities before us if

0:42:340:42:38

we increased participation of

disabled people in the workplace. We

0:42:380:42:41

also focused on barriers to

employment, the disability

0:42:410:42:44

employment gap, and the access to

work scheme and as such, I shan't go

0:42:440:42:48

into the subject again be on

suggesting that the disability

0:42:480:42:51

employment gap is an issue every

business and other workforce diverse

0:42:510:42:55

have as a challenge. That a lack of

employment awareness of the support

0:42:550:43:01

available and we ought to lead in

publicising the Government

0:43:010:43:04

assistance and in this vein I have

now signed up as a disability

0:43:040:43:07

employer and have discussed at my

local job centre the possibility of

0:43:070:43:11

offering a work placement for local

disabled job-seekers with an

0:43:110:43:13

interest in politics. This afternoon

however I wish to focus on economic

0:43:130:43:18

costs if we fail to unlock the

potential of disabled people of all

0:43:180:43:22

ages as well as economic power of

disabled people as both an active

0:43:220:43:25

consumer group and as a motivation

to develop new assisted technologies

0:43:250:43:29

with broader application to a

growing elderly population. I have

0:43:290:43:33

previously highlighted the case love

two artistic constituents who

0:43:330:43:36

desperately want to work but

struggle with the initial stage of

0:43:360:43:39

any new job. But in the past few

weeks I've met families of autistic

0:43:390:43:43

children who believe that early

0:43:430:43:55

support intervention as Woody must

be focusing our attention. I

0:43:560:43:58

recently visited first step, local

charity which provide intensive

0:43:580:44:00

development full support to

preschool children. It can be a huge

0:44:000:44:02

shock to parents to discover their

child has a disability. It they

0:44:020:44:04

assess and not just the development

of a child of supporting parents

0:44:040:44:07

themselves in a very non-judgemental

environment. Caring for a child

0:44:070:44:09

disabilities conveys a huge

financial strain on a family

0:44:090:44:11

particular parents need to take time

off work and do not have the right

0:44:110:44:13

support network in place. However,

in the words of one local parent, a

0:44:130:44:16

failure to develop a child is not

only a moral mistake, but also an

0:44:160:44:20

expensive financial one.

0:44:200:44:27

With no support, they will be left

in adult daycare centres or worse.

0:44:270:44:31

Too often, local authority support

is either entirely absent or limited

0:44:310:44:36

and patchy. It increases the chance

of economic participation when that

0:44:360:44:47

child reaches adult hood and reduces

the need for adult services later in

0:44:470:44:51

life. We also need steady

improvements to the transport

0:44:510:44:56

system. The less daunting it is to

leave home, the more disabled people

0:44:560:45:00

will be able to participate in the

economy by working and spending. I

0:45:000:45:06

support several campaigns. I would

be appreciative if the Minister

0:45:060:45:13

could apply pressure on the Mayor of

London to improve facilities.

0:45:130:45:30

Finally, with the advent of new

assistive technologies, there is

0:45:300:45:34

greater scope than ever before for

disabled people to contribute to

0:45:340:45:39

growth. As the financial Times

suggested in a recent article, 1

0:45:390:45:46

billion people across the world have

some form of disability. As people

0:45:460:45:49

live longer, often with conditions

that reduce their ability to use

0:45:490:45:54

their hands or coordinate, the

market will grow sharply, meaning

0:45:540:45:58

that accessibility is important.

0:45:580:46:09

Technology will be vital not just in

terms of quality-of-life but in

0:46:120:46:14

making it easier for disabled people

to participate fully in the

0:46:140:46:17

workforce. Disability sport has in

recent years been critical of

0:46:170:46:25

changing perceptions of people with

disabilities. I hope that

0:46:250:46:29

technological advances could help

but Judge -- help that trajectory.

0:46:290:46:45

I should be most grateful to the

Minister if she could update the

0:46:450:46:48

House on how the Government is

promoting accessibility, and would

0:46:480:46:54

also appreciate her views on early

investment and transport.

I would

0:46:540:47:04

like to pay tribute to my honourable

friend, the chair. It is an issue on

0:47:040:47:18

and off that I've been working in

for over 20 years. So it's quite

0:47:180:47:23

interesting to see that, despite all

the efforts that many people have

0:47:230:47:28

made over the years, we have just

under 4 million people with

0:47:280:47:33

disabilities that are called

economically inactive, which means

0:47:330:47:38

they are of a working age to be

implied but are not. -- to be

0:47:380:47:44

employed. I have been working with

people to support John Major in

0:47:440:47:52

getting the DDA, which is a game

changer. This meant there was a

0:47:520:48:01

regulatory framework, meaning you

could not discriminate against

0:48:010:48:05

disabled people in goods and

services educate not discriminate

0:48:050:48:09

against people in employment. The

reason that was a game changer as

0:48:090:48:18

often discrimination is tacit and

nuanced. It could be the poor you

0:48:180:48:26

model, you poor, brave disabled

person. We don't mean to do that, it

0:48:260:48:36

is part of human nature, a lack of

understanding. It can be difficult

0:48:360:48:41

to break through. It still can be,

sadly, although I do believe there

0:48:410:48:45

has been some progress over the

years. One area of the DDA that

0:48:450:48:51

worked well this on goods and

services. The reason for that is if

0:48:510:48:56

I'm in arrest and and I don't put a

ramp outside -- if I own a

0:48:560:49:04

restaurant, and I don't put a wrap

outside and someone with a

0:49:040:49:08

wheelchair cannot get in, they can

sue me. Often when you make

0:49:080:49:19

something accessible, you make more

than enough money to pay for the

0:49:190:49:21

cost of the access ability. It is

harder with employment. Particularly

0:49:210:49:29

if you are disabled and you are

applying for a job. If you are

0:49:290:49:33

someone who works for a company and

acquire a disability, the DDA and

0:49:330:49:39

also the broader knowledge now, I

think, means that businesses, either

0:49:390:49:46

in the public or private sector, are

likely to make the necessary effort

0:49:460:49:49

to keep you in the job. What is

harder is if you have a disability

0:49:490:49:58

is to get over the threshold to get

that job. That is a difficult one.

0:49:580:50:03

It is something that I struggled

with many years ago, with some very

0:50:030:50:07

good disability consultants who have

done so much over the years. The

0:50:070:50:23

four of us work for many years in

this area with the employers Forum

0:50:230:50:29

on disability and others to try to

break through. It was difficult. It

0:50:290:50:35

is interesting since I've lost the

election, been away at a comeback,

0:50:350:50:40

and again the committee is going

great guns. To be honest, Mr Deputy

0:50:400:50:55

Speaker, I still feel a little bit

downhearted. It is not my nature.

0:50:550:50:59

Anyone who is liberal and

downhearted is in the wrong party,

0:50:590:51:03

they are in the wrong party. You

have to be an optimist was. It can

0:51:030:51:15

be a game changer. One of the

utility companies, one of the big

0:51:150:51:23

ones, had a call centre in north

London. I'm sure the members of the

0:51:230:51:32

House no that they turn over you

have in call centres is very high

0:51:320:51:37

because it is a difficult job. With

a number of others, I worked with

0:51:370:51:42

this utility to persuade them to

take on 15 people with disabilities

0:51:420:51:48

as call centre agents. It was hard

work, but to give them that you

0:51:480:52:03

, they did their best. People often

just left the carpet and sweep

0:52:040:52:10

people with disabilities under the

carpet. That is something that I

0:52:100:52:16

found very frustrating and it made

me very angry. With this call

0:52:160:52:23

centre, they did finally agree, and

we found the right number of

0:52:230:52:28

disabled staff to be interviewed, 15

or so were hired. What I can tell

0:52:280:52:37

you is that, a year later, 14 of

them were still there. Two years

0:52:370:52:43

later, there were still 14 of them.

One of the fundamental advantages of

0:52:430:52:48

hiring disabled staff, in my view,

is that they will actually offer me

0:52:480:52:53

more reliable work than non-disabled

people. It makes the business case

0:52:530:53:01

for hiring disabled people very

strong. They will need some

0:53:010:53:06

guidance, some support, not least

because their disability, take my

0:53:060:53:13

own disability of hearing loss, I

need a hearing loop. It is a matter

0:53:130:53:20

of providing the right facilities

for that disabled person so they can

0:53:200:53:28

shine. The bigger issue is the quiet

discrimination of either they're not

0:53:280:53:37

being capable or, you don't have to

deal the situation, and those things

0:53:370:53:45

are difficult to change. So where

are we at? The report on improving

0:53:450:53:52

lives is important because it

highlighted some of the figures. 3.7

0:53:520:53:57

million economically inactive, as I

mentioned. Another figure was that

0:53:570:54:00

if you take out 1% of ESA, of

disabled people not receiving ESA

0:54:000:54:08

because they have gained employment,

it would save the Exchequer 250

0:54:080:54:14

million and boost the economy by a

further 260 million. So half £8

0:54:140:54:20

billion. That seems important for

making that bit of extra help to get

0:54:200:54:28

people into jobs. -- half a billion

pounds. I have already mentioned the

0:54:280:54:35

disability challenges, but if you

have been out of work for many years

0:54:350:54:38

it is hard to get back into work.

With the right levels of support, it

0:54:380:54:43

is transformational for those

individuals and their families. A

0:54:430:54:48

recent report by Joseph Rowntree

found that half of households in

0:54:480:54:54

poverty have at least one disabled

member of the House. It is one of

0:54:540:54:58

the reasons why we know that getting

people into jobs and out of the

0:54:580:55:06

cycle of poverty is the key reason

we're here. Is not just enough to

0:55:060:55:19

say we need things. I have been here

four years. Well-meaning isn't

0:55:190:55:23

enough. It needs regulation. The

DDA, the of conservative Prime

0:55:230:55:33

Minister John Major introduced ...

I'm tremendously grateful for what

0:55:330:55:43

he did. It allowed for change. When

you have emotional attitudes, you

0:55:430:55:51

often don't realise that you could

be wrong or you could be

0:55:510:55:54

discriminating. That is why there

are certain times, even as a

0:55:540:56:01

liberal, you need to bring in

legislation. DDA is one, seat belt

0:56:010:56:10

is another. I have been here long

enough to remember the uproar around

0:56:100:56:14

seat belts. You had to wear a seat

belt, if not you got busted by the

0:56:140:56:17

law was up since then, the number of

people dying from car accidents has

0:56:170:56:24

plummeted. It is the same with

disability. What we need more with

0:56:240:56:33

the DDA, I believe is the need to be

greater incentives for people to

0:56:330:56:47

recruit disabled people. You need to

be as perceptive as this to break

0:56:470:56:50

this logjam. I think the need for it

is more than ever because, with

0:56:500:56:55

Brexit, whatever side of the divide

we sit on, we know that there will

0:56:550:56:59

be substantial people's shortages in

employment in the coming years. A

0:56:590:57:07

recent report identified that Tier

two occupations, there would be 32

0:57:070:57:14

areas of Shoreditch of staff. -- of

of shortage staff.

0:57:140:57:28

I think this government's decision

to change the work-related component

0:57:310:57:39

of ESA to mean that they would

receive a lot less money than they

0:57:390:57:43

had earlier is a really foolish and

short-sighted decision. There are

0:57:430:57:48

three areas of ESA, the support

group which means you have a

0:57:480:57:52

disability that is such that you

cannot work, and then their risk

0:57:520:57:58

basic ESA at the front end and in

the middle there was something which

0:57:580:58:06

recognised a disability that Pete

extra money above and beyond the

0:58:060:58:10

normal jobseeker's allowance because

it saw that your disability meant

0:58:100:58:13

that you faced further costs. It

also recognised you are ready to

0:58:130:58:19

work with support. You got people

into that frame of mind where they

0:58:190:58:26

were ready to take a risk, to leave

the structure of support ESA. Then,

0:58:260:58:36

after the coalition and the Liberals

were given a straight edge, George

0:58:360:58:41

Osborne quickly cut it. It was cut

by 30%. -- the Liberals were given a

0:58:410:58:59

defenestrated. If I did go for a

job, never underestimate how strong

0:59:030:59:11

fear is in those situations. With

edible encouragement, I will step

0:59:110:59:15

into the component, and a properly

tell me I am having my salary cut by

0:59:150:59:22

30%. I will do whatever it takes to

stay in the support group because

0:59:220:59:26

that is human nature. It is not

rocket science, it is what you would

0:59:260:59:33

do. It is what I would do, even

someone as intrepid as you would do

0:59:330:59:37

that, Mr Speaker. Because you can be

sure you have the money for the roof

0:59:370:59:44

over your head and your children. It

was a foolish idea, and I'm bitterly

0:59:440:59:50

disappointed the Government did it.

Clearly, not surprisingly, and I

0:59:500:59:54

know from my own constituency

mailbag, I have people try to get

0:59:541:00:03

back into the support group. I

support them.

1:00:031:00:09

I would like the disabilities

minister to address that and perhaps

1:00:091:00:13

take that to the Chancellor that it

was a bad idea and we can change it.

1:00:131:00:18

Finally, where are we act? Again,

I'm very grateful for the honourable

1:00:181:00:26

member for East Kilbride bring this

debate. It's important. It affects

1:00:261:00:33

hundreds and hundreds of thousands

of people across the country.

1:00:331:00:36

There's not an MP in this House who

will not have hundreds if not

1:00:361:00:40

thousands of disabled people in

their constituency. It is so

1:00:401:00:45

important. We know in this room, in

this chamber from our own casework

1:00:451:00:49

levels just how many people with

disabilities come and for help and

1:00:491:00:52

support. I would just love to see

this Government or a Government step

1:00:521:01:01

up and just do a DDA part to around

employment that absolutely said

1:01:011:01:09

businesses, private and public

sector, organisations, charities

1:01:091:01:11

have to do so and employ ex-member

of disabled people, to at least show

1:01:111:01:22

because I don't want it to be

tokenistic, people are disabilities

1:01:221:01:27

have tremendous skills about

opportunity, so maybe it would be

1:01:271:01:30

pleased to show you have systems and

processes that you have interviewed

1:01:301:01:37

a record number of people for every

job with disabilities. I know if

1:01:371:01:42

that happens, it will transform I

think the employment opportunities

1:01:421:01:49

for disabled people, it will

transform many, many millions of

1:01:491:01:53

families because of the poverty are

a lot of people live in, where one

1:01:531:02:01

or both parents are disabled, it be

a game changer that this nation

1:02:011:02:05

deserves and with Brexit coming up,

it could be possibly something

1:02:051:02:09

positive to come out from Brexit.

Many thanks, Mr Deputy Speaker.

1:02:091:02:14

Thank you very much.

I thank the

honourable lady for East Kilbride

1:02:141:02:21

for bringing this backbench debate

to the size. I'd also like to pay

1:02:211:02:27

tribute to my honourable friend the

Member for Hornchurch and Upminster

1:02:271:02:31

who was an actual friend as well,

and she made a very powerful speech

1:02:311:02:40

and she definitely still at least

half of the things I was going to

1:02:401:02:45

say. People often ask why do to go

into politics? I'm sure we all get

1:02:451:02:53

asked that and we all have many

reasons for going into politics, not

1:02:531:02:58

just one, but, for me, the most

important reason why I am in

1:02:581:03:03

politics is to enable everybody to

use their God-given talents whatever

1:03:031:03:10

they are in as best they way as they

can and contribute both for

1:03:101:03:16

themselves, their family, society

and the country and that is why I am

1:03:161:03:19

in politics and people with

disabilities are fully included

1:03:191:03:22

within that and that is why I think

this debate and this subject is of

1:03:221:03:28

critical importance. Now, there will

be those who say that many

1:03:281:03:36

disability benefits should be more

generous and in some ways they

1:03:361:03:40

probably should be. And I'm sure

that the Minister, because I know

1:03:401:03:47

her to strongly believe in this

brief, and the Treasury ministers

1:03:471:03:51

will always do what they can to make

up sure appropriate resources are

1:03:511:03:54

there to help those who need them.

But let's not kid ourselves. What is

1:03:541:04:02

really important, and the subject of

this debate is economic growth but

1:04:021:04:08

it's actually important for people's

well-being, for their lives, is the

1:04:081:04:12

opportunity to make the most of

themselves in a professional work

1:04:121:04:15

career capacity, that is critically

important, and so, yes, benefits are

1:04:151:04:21

critically important but we all

silly to do everything we can to get

1:04:211:04:24

everybody who has a disability into

appropriate work where possible. --

1:04:241:04:31

absolutely everything. That is what

I regard to be the heart of social

1:04:311:04:34

mobility. Now we often talk about

social mobility in this House, in

1:04:341:04:40

many different ways, in education

debates, higher education, in the

1:04:401:04:46

Treasury, business departments, all

over the place, and usually the way

1:04:461:04:50

we talk about social mobility as we

say there's an individual who has

1:04:501:04:55

usually come from a very poor

background and they've overcome the

1:04:551:04:59

odds, achieved something fantastic

and got to the top of a profession

1:04:591:05:02

and we should celebrate that. It is

what Britain is about but actually,

1:05:021:05:06

in my view, social mobility is

really more fundamental. It is about

1:05:061:05:10

ensuring that society uses the

skills and innate talents of those

1:05:101:05:17

who both, with and without

disabilities, to their fullest, that

1:05:171:05:24

is true social mobility, so that

everybody has the ability to use

1:05:241:05:29

their God-given talents and make the

most of their lives. So where are we

1:05:291:05:36

now for policy perspective,

governmental perspective? The

1:05:361:05:39

Conservative Party manifesto 2017, I

did read it, and that's a good thing

1:05:391:05:43

as a new candidate, I read a very,

very carefully, it stated, "One

1:05:431:05:49

million more people with

disabilities should be into

1:05:491:05:52

employment in the next ten years."

Now, by my calculation is, we need

1:05:521:05:58

to grow numbers, because people are

disabilities have fallen to 4.5

1:05:581:06:05

million people, over the next ten

years, in order to achieve that

1:06:051:06:10

target, it would mean a growth of

almost 30% on current levels, and I

1:06:101:06:14

think we would all agree on this has

that is a big task and something

1:06:141:06:19

that the Government and this party

is very focused on and in fact I

1:06:191:06:24

suspect from across the House we

will find agreement on that. What

1:06:241:06:29

does the Government aimed to do? In

November 2017, the Government set

1:06:291:06:34

out a 10-year plan to improve the

situation and to deliver on this

1:06:341:06:37

manifesto pledge and I'm sure the

Minister will elucidate on this plan

1:06:371:06:41

further and whether Government is

with it, but, in essence, it is, on

1:06:411:06:47

reading it, it appeared that the

main thrust of it appeared to be

1:06:471:06:53

linking up the welfare system, the

workplace and health care and in

1:06:531:06:58

particular, and this has already

been alluded to in this debate,

1:06:581:07:01

bringing in new technologies,

especially assistive technologies to

1:07:011:07:04

really help turbo-charge this growth

that we have been gradually seeing

1:07:041:07:12

so people with disabilities can

enter the workplace. Now, a 5% rise

1:07:121:07:18

in employment among people with

disabilities would bring an increase

1:07:181:07:23

in GDP of £23 billion with tax

revenues up somewhere in the region

1:07:231:07:26

of 5-6 billion pounds, a

considerable number. Research by

1:07:261:07:33

Scope, the disabled charity, is

found 58% of disabled people however

1:07:331:07:37

have felt at risk of losing their

job because of their impairment or

1:07:371:07:41

condition. And it is quite clear to

me and clear to most if not all

1:07:411:07:47

members of this House that we need

to work much more closely and

1:07:471:07:51

intensively with employers in order

to drive change. Now several decades

1:07:511:07:58

ago, there were many employers who

did not like to employ women. And

1:07:581:08:02

what happened, over time, this

House, working with employers and

1:08:021:08:09

through legislation, helped drive

change. A few decades ago, there

1:08:091:08:13

were several employers who didn't

like taking on, a time where people

1:08:131:08:20

did not look like me in this place

all the other place, or the lady

1:08:201:08:25

opposite, and they did not like to

employ people of ethnic minorities,

1:08:251:08:30

and what happened, this House with

the legislation and working closely

1:08:301:08:33

with employers, helped drive change.

Now the time has come for those with

1:08:331:08:39

disabilities to get much better

access to employment opportunities.

1:08:391:08:43

And the Government needs to work

with employers, along with a

1:08:431:08:47

legislation already in place, to

help drive change. No disability

1:08:471:08:52

confident as a good scheme and I

think that it is welcome across the

1:08:521:09:00

business community and Government

and civil society, but I believe we

1:09:001:09:04

can go further and the Government

should bear in mind the huge gains,

1:09:041:09:10

not just economic gains, but the

huge games and life chances and

1:09:101:09:14

economic potential of this huge

group of people. In my view, there

1:09:141:09:20

are two main things that we need to

go further to do, in order to help

1:09:201:09:26

drive this change, drive this

turbo-charge. The first is to

1:09:261:09:32

financially incentivise perhaps

through the tax system or in another

1:09:321:09:38

way employers to take on more people

with disabilities, especially in

1:09:381:09:42

industries where typically today

they may not be found. But, in

1:09:421:09:46

conjunction with that, and this is

the critical bit, the way that that

1:09:461:09:50

will happen appropriately and this

is what businesses tell me when I

1:09:501:09:53

have this discussion with them, is

that we need to be able to have a

1:09:531:09:59

much better understanding of the

different capabilities of different

1:09:591:10:01

people with disabilities, so that we

can make sure you match the right

1:10:011:10:06

employment opportunities with the

right people and if we do that

1:10:061:10:10

properly, combined with proper

incentives for business, I think we

1:10:101:10:13

can really see a huge increase in

this area. Wants more people with

1:10:131:10:19

disabilities I believe getting to

the workplace, and not just get into

1:10:191:10:24

it, but progress within their

workplace, get promoted, get to the

1:10:241:10:27

top of their businesses, they will

show what they can do. They will

1:10:271:10:32

show you what they can contribute

and this will send a powerful

1:10:321:10:35

message not just to them or Society

or this House, but to the country as

1:10:351:10:41

a whole, but...

Jayme Stone.

Thank

you very much for them, I

1:10:411:10:56

congratulate the honourable member

for East Kilbride in placing this

1:10:561:10:58

debate before us? It an

extraordinarily important subject

1:10:581:11:02

and it is perhaps a shame this not

more members here today but we have

1:11:021:11:08

some of the best groups in the

chamber. As Miss Jean Brodie

1:11:081:11:13

would've said, we can consider

ourselves the creme de la creme. I

1:11:131:11:17

have a personal interest in this

matter, which I will make note of

1:11:171:11:21

the House, because my wife is

disabled. She has been disabled

1:11:211:11:29

since 1999 and therefore has

featured largely in our lives and as

1:11:291:11:32

a members may be aware, I was a

member in Scotland. I quickly

1:11:321:11:44

realised the temporary Scottish

Parliament, it was completed

1:11:441:11:49

unsuitable for anyone who was

disabled and I volunteered to go on

1:11:491:11:55

the small committees and was given

the responsibility building the new

1:11:551:11:59

building and we put in place

complete disabled access including

1:11:591:12:04

in the chamber of Holyrood itself. I

might say that that job at that time

1:12:041:12:08

very nearly cost me my seat such as

the controversy attached to the

1:12:081:12:14

Scottish Parliament. That was then

and this is now on I must say for

1:12:141:12:17

the record I'm proud to be involved

in building such a disabled friendly

1:12:171:12:20

place. The Member for East Kilbride

talked about examples and that seems

1:12:201:12:27

to me to be ultra important. Just

two points, the first being that in

1:12:271:12:33

the summer of this year, one of the

northernmost Highland games, the

1:12:331:12:41

Prince of Wales who will attend in

the summer, and for the first time,

1:12:411:12:47

disabled servicemen are going to

take part in the event at the May

1:12:471:12:50

games, a historic first for the

Highland games, in Scotland, and

1:12:501:12:55

certainly for the far North. And the

other example that will stay with me

1:12:551:13:00

to my dying day was a former member

of this place, Dame Anne Begg, who

1:13:001:13:09

graced the Labour benches for number

of years here. I knew her because

1:13:091:13:13

she was involved in a cross-party

group of oil and gas and I was in

1:13:131:13:18

the Scottish Parliament and she was

here in Westminster, and I will

1:13:181:13:21

never ever forget going to visit an

oil installation in a field in

1:13:211:13:28

Norway, and we were in a semi open

boat with a noisy diesel engine and

1:13:281:13:33

there was an in their wheelchair.

The weather can change in the

1:13:331:13:41

Atlantic, and a storm came. The boat

was going backwards and forwards and

1:13:411:13:44

we had to attach her wheelchair to

prevent it going overboard but such

1:13:441:13:52

was their courage and good humour

that she never blinked once and I

1:13:521:13:56

think that was example of someone

with disability facing adversity in

1:13:561:14:00

life and she got on with it and I

will never forget that as an example

1:14:001:14:04

of somebody I thought was very,

very, very brave indeed.

1:14:041:14:11

The ambition based on these examples

is there. Particularly I pay tribute

1:14:111:14:15

to the honourable member for Hitchin

and Hutton for bringing that point

1:14:151:14:20

up. It is hugely important. Today,

my wife volunteers for the local

1:14:201:14:28

museum in my hometown, and she is up

in raising money for Marie Curie.

1:14:281:14:32

The point of this is that these

underpaid involvements enrich her

1:14:321:14:39

life. It makes everything much more

worthwhile. If you can broaden that

1:14:391:14:45

out into employment, you can see the

great gift it would give. The points

1:14:451:14:52

that have been made about taxation

at benefits are absolutely right. I

1:14:521:14:57

was intrigued yesterday. I have an

Irish son-in-law who came by

1:14:571:15:09

Westminster in search of a smaller

freshman, and he asked me what I

1:15:091:15:14

would be talking about today. I said

it would be about this particular

1:15:141:15:19

issue, about disability and using

resources. He struck thing by saying

1:15:191:15:24

that he is involved in the textile

business in the Republic of Ireland.

1:15:241:15:28

There is a government incentive

scheme to encourage the implement of

1:15:281:15:35

people in this situation. We could

learn something from the Republic on

1:15:351:15:39

that. The point has been made that

we are mugs if we don't utilise the

1:15:391:15:53

skills and abilities and ambition

and enthusiasm that is out there.

1:15:531:15:58

Goodness knows, during the next few

years, we will have to mobilise

1:15:581:16:01

everything we have got in the UK

because it is an ever more difficult

1:16:011:16:05

and competitive world. That is the

reality is we have to use every

1:16:051:16:11

single person we have got, and they

will relish the opportunity. I have

1:16:111:16:17

absolutely no doubt whatsoever. I

look forward with great interest to

1:16:171:16:21

see what the Minister has to say. We

are as one in this chamber. I guess

1:16:211:16:27

as a not so new member, 7.5 months,

I'm sure this is one thing that

1:16:271:16:38

Westminster does best, to get on to

issues like this. I'm astonished it

1:16:381:16:43

hasn't been debated before. Never

mind, here we are today. I believe

1:16:431:16:53

it is as simple as this. There is a

bargain to be struck here. I think

1:16:531:16:57

that disabled people are offering

their half of the bargain, and I

1:16:571:17:02

think it is up to the Government and

all of us in society in the UK to

1:17:021:17:09

grasp the hand and on how half of

the bargain and make their lives

1:17:091:17:15

better. Thank you.

I would like to

start by bringing my congratulations

1:17:151:17:22

to the member for East Kilbride on

this important debate today. I'm

1:17:221:17:27

delighted to speak in today's debate

on the role of disabled people in

1:17:271:17:30

economic growth. Economic growth is

built on development and progress.

1:17:301:17:39

But also on people, the essential

building block. People who are

1:17:391:17:43

manual workers, managers,

entrepreneurs, females and males,

1:17:431:17:51

all ethnicities and able-bodied and

disabled people. Disabled people

1:17:511:18:00

play an important role in economic

growth. The wording is a little too

1:18:001:18:07

crude. It is not enough for disabled

people to be in jobs to boost

1:18:071:18:13

growth, but they deserve the same

career opportunities. It is not a

1:18:131:18:16

question of economics but also one

of equality. Only half of working

1:18:161:18:23

age people in the UK who are

disabled or have a health condition

1:18:231:18:25

or in work. The work rate for people

without disabilities is 80.6%. We

1:18:251:18:33

must rectified this inequality. We

must hire those who have overcome

1:18:331:18:42

obstacles. We must empower and

assist the disabled so they have the

1:18:421:18:45

confidence and the tools to work in

an even playing field. That is why I

1:18:451:18:51

fully back the commitment and

strategy to getting 1 million more

1:18:511:18:57

disabled people into employment by

2027. I'm delighted that 100,000

1:18:571:19:00

more people disabilities were in

work last year compared to 2016.

1:19:001:19:06

Working with employers is key to

reaching this target, which is why

1:19:061:19:11

the Government has pledged to work

with industry. Disabled people have

1:19:111:19:20

overcome adversity and can offer

workplaces skills such as

1:19:201:19:28

determination, they generally stay

in workplaces for longer and have

1:19:281:19:32

lower rates of absenteeism. But only

one half of employers have reported

1:19:321:19:35

that they recognise the benefits of

employing someone with a disability

1:19:351:19:41

or health condition for their

organisation. It's about changing

1:19:411:19:46

attitudes and cultures, especially

in certain sectors. For example, the

1:19:461:19:48

rate of disabled people in

engineering and science and

1:19:481:19:54

technology is very low. The problem

is twofold, you have to encourage

1:19:541:20:01

disabled people to believe that they

can do these roles, and also

1:20:011:20:06

ensuring that the jobs exist. The

disability confidence scheme has

1:20:061:20:11

done great work in this area.

Helping organisations to improve how

1:20:111:20:14

they attract, recruit and retain

disabled workers. As of the 16th of

1:20:141:20:20

November last year, there were 5359

employers signed up to the scheme.

1:20:201:20:26

We need to do work to make sure more

take part. One of the biggest

1:20:261:20:37

hurdles is the adaptations that are

needed to the employer's offices.

1:20:371:20:46

There is also a lack of awareness

that the 2010 equalities act mean

1:20:461:20:52

that employers are based attitude

duty to make reasonable adjustments.

1:20:521:20:55

I'm keen to hear from the minister

about how he plans to challenge this

1:20:551:21:02

lack of awareness. Adapting

workplaces is also important when a

1:21:021:21:08

staff member becomes disabled. The

disability employment gap is partly

1:21:081:21:22

driven by disabled people who have

fallen out of employment. One in ten

1:21:221:21:26

disabled people falling out of work

each year, convert to one in 20 in

1:21:261:21:30

the non-disabled work population.

Retention is key. That is why I

1:21:301:21:36

welcome the proposed sophistication

of the scheme to enable employers to

1:21:361:21:40

better understand and support their

employees' needs. It is important to

1:21:401:21:45

note that their access for work

grants that can pay for special

1:21:451:21:48

equipment adaptations or support

worker services. I'm delighted that

1:21:481:21:55

it is being rolled out to the

self-employed. We need to raise

1:21:551:21:58

awareness of these. Out of work

grants have been taken up by 25,000

1:21:581:22:03

people on average per year. These

figures have stagnated for the last

1:22:031:22:09

three gears, indicating we really

need to promote awareness. In

1:22:091:22:11

addition, we really need to reach a

younger age group. I have spoken a

1:22:111:22:23

lot about employers but it is also

important to encourage individuals

1:22:231:22:30

to apply for jobs. Physically

disabled people are also in need of

1:22:301:22:37

emotional and mental health support

when re-entering the workplace, and

1:22:371:22:42

it is important not to forget the

physical this abilities and mental

1:22:421:22:44

health challenges are not mutually

exclusive.

1:22:441:22:51

Ritchie agree with me that way you

have a disabled person who is in

1:22:511:22:57

rewarding employment, that that

person could perhaps take some time

1:22:571:23:00

be encouraged to act as a mental

1:23:001:23:13

-- encouraged to act as a mentor.

Being role models for other people

1:23:131:23:19

and acting as mentors is a wonderful

initiative we should be doing to

1:23:191:23:24

encourage more people to have the

self belief and determination to

1:23:241:23:28

progress their dreams and explore

opportunities. We should not just

1:23:281:23:34

treat physical this abilities and

mental disabilities in silos, we

1:23:341:23:42

need to treat them together for the

best outcomes. I'm delighted that

1:23:421:23:45

the key outcomes for the white paper

includes this area. The roll-out of

1:23:451:23:52

personal support packages includes

the recruitment of 200 community

1:23:521:23:58

partners, 300 disability employment

advisers, 100 small employers

1:23:581:24:01

advisers and an extra 1000 mental

health and support bases. In

1:24:011:24:08

conclusion, over the last two gears,

the disability employment gap has

1:24:081:24:12

reduced by 1.9%, so we are on the

right track was top we could save

1:24:121:24:24

240 million and provide a boost to

the economy is 206 the million.

1:24:241:24:27

Getting more disability into jobs is

essential. It would be of great

1:24:271:24:33

financial benefit to our country,

but I actually think the main

1:24:331:24:37

benefit will be to the disabled

people themselves. In turn, making

1:24:371:24:41

our society more equal. I shall end

what I began and stressed that it is

1:24:411:24:45

not just an issue of economics but

also one of equality.

1:24:451:24:52

First of all, it is always a

pleasure to follow the honourable

1:24:521:24:59

lady and I thank her for her aunt

ablution. -- for her contribution.

1:24:591:25:16

She is clearly a champion for those

with disabilities, and I'm pleased

1:25:161:25:20

to be a part of the group that she

chairs. Yesterday, I was able to

1:25:201:25:28

participate in some of those things

that the honourable lady put forward

1:25:281:25:31

and give a Northern Ireland

perspective to it. I will probably

1:25:311:25:35

do that today as well. Also nice to

see the Minister in her place. As an

1:25:351:25:45

expression of her interest in this

subject, we had the disability

1:25:451:25:51

confident event that the Minister

organise. It was good to go along

1:25:511:25:56

and support what she is doing, but

also to have a greater knowledge.

1:25:561:26:00

One thing about being an MP is you

learn every day if you want to. I

1:26:001:26:07

want to extend my knowledge of those

things. It was an opportunity to do

1:26:071:26:13

that yesterday. I could expect to

them what we were doing. A number of

1:26:131:26:22

things in my constituency in

relation to what we are doing, what

1:26:221:26:28

private businesses are doing. The

Shadow Minister and her

1:26:281:26:35

contribution. I look forward to her

contribution. I stand in the shape

1:26:351:26:43

to speak out for many people in our

communities stop the get that

1:26:431:26:50

knowledge from our everyday

interactions in our communities.

1:26:501:26:57

Over 7 million people of working age

are disabled or ... I would hope

1:26:571:27:15

that they would have an opportunity

to see how they can achieve that

1:27:151:27:18

goal. Some disabled cannot work,

that is a fact of life which has to

1:27:181:27:29

be accepted. Those who want to work,

which we are trying to make happen

1:27:291:27:34

through this debate. The employment

rate for people with disabilities

1:27:341:27:47

was higher in 2017 than 2016. There

is quite clearly a strategy that is

1:27:471:27:58

trying to address the issue, because

there are more people with

1:27:581:28:01

disabilities in employment and were

a year ago. That has got to be a

1:28:011:28:07

good news. When you see the chart at

the library provided, they provide

1:28:071:28:24

some excellent information for us

when it comes to preparing for these

1:28:241:28:27

debates, and gives us his chance to

do things well. I read the action

1:28:271:28:33

report hard at work, which was

interesting reading, as opposed to

1:28:331:28:37

just citing their work 33% of

disabled people in work in Northern

1:28:371:28:40

Ireland, but asked the question why.

I will ask that today. I am

1:28:401:28:45

conscious that the Minister as there

was possible to four Northern

1:28:451:28:51

Ireland, and I respect that. To give

the detail to the debate and the

1:28:511:28:57

Northern Ireland perspective of it.

Some of the things that are done in

1:28:571:29:02

Northern Ireland can be done here on

the mainland as well. The overall

1:29:021:29:10

employment rate is 5% lower and for

some groups it is much wider. 33% of

1:29:101:29:19

disabled people are in employment,

less than half the rate of

1:29:191:29:24

non-disabled people. Many applicants

did not feel Constable about

1:29:241:29:37

disclosing their disability. I think

that is something we have do

1:29:371:29:41

address.

1:29:411:29:50

We are well aware of the story in

the press yesterday, slightly

1:29:501:29:53

different from what we are doing

today, but when people are to

1:29:531:29:55

disclose, are you pregnant or having

a child, I think it's the wrong

1:29:551:30:01

question to ask anybody when they go

for employment. The same thing could

1:30:011:30:05

apply for those with disability. By

not telling them you are disabled

1:30:051:30:09

you have a better chance of getting

a job but if you do tell them you

1:30:091:30:13

are disabled, is they can be a box

marked that they are not the right

1:30:131:30:17

people? Employers often did not feel

confident about being open with

1:30:171:30:24

their disability. Even when they do

get employment, if there's a

1:30:241:30:28

problem, they tend to keep it to

themselves. 50% of people feel they

1:30:281:30:38

face discolouration in employment

and less than half of the

1:30:381:30:41

respondents to eight survey said

this. If people feel disseminated

1:30:411:30:46

against, or they are afraid to ask

for reasonable adjustments, I think

1:30:461:30:51

maybe there is a big role for

business to carry out. The reasons

1:30:511:30:55

for not asking where not wanting to

draw attention to their disability

1:30:551:31:01

or because it would be embarrassing

to do so. Nearly a third said they

1:31:011:31:05

received little or no help following

their request. Perhaps it underlines

1:31:051:31:10

the other issue, when you ask for

it, you're not sure it will be done.

1:31:101:31:15

They need to look about as and maybe

sometimes you have to enforce it

1:31:151:31:20

through legislation and through

Government intervention. Little

1:31:201:31:24

wonder many people with so much to

offer feel like they are a burden in

1:31:241:31:27

the workplace and that is a concern

people have referred to so far.

1:31:271:31:36

Concerns among employers in relation

to employing disabled people could

1:31:361:31:40

be a risk to productivity, financial

indications, confusion and negative

1:31:401:31:49

perceptions and maybe the blade

beware of what legislation means for

1:31:491:31:53

them in business as well. Despite

the sea financial indications, a

1:31:531:32:00

survey of over 1000 employers said

the majority provided adjustments.

1:32:001:32:05

The majority tried to the right

things to flexible working patterns.

1:32:051:32:10

I'm not sure but is there financial

incentives available for businesses

1:32:101:32:23

to do those changes, because I think

sometimes, because of the cost, his

1:32:231:32:27

Mrs are concerned about that and if

there was any help to make those

1:32:271:32:31

adjustments happen, I think that

would be helpful. The recent survey

1:32:311:32:37

said the option of modified hours

with part-time working would be an

1:32:371:32:41

important factor in enabling them to

stay in work. Over the years, I've

1:32:411:32:48

had the opportunity to the DLA,

those people who have therapeutic

1:32:481:33:00

work, sometimes people are not fully

able to carry out the duties because

1:33:001:33:07

of their disablement, but

therapeutically, it's good for them

1:33:071:33:10

to have some type of work for a

certain period of time. Maybe we

1:33:101:33:16

could have some thoughts upon where

that features? The problems may be

1:33:161:33:27

the civil service has and what we

need to do as an example, but

1:33:271:33:35

disabled people in the public sector

reported being passed over for

1:33:351:33:37

development and promotion

opportunities and being unfairly

1:33:371:33:41

assessed in terms of their

performance, suggesting talent is

1:33:411:33:43

being wasted and there's a culture

of discontent fostered. So every

1:33:431:33:48

have not got our own House in order,

Madam Deputy 's big, as a

1:33:481:33:53

Government, at all levels, -- Madam

Deputy Speaker, and so one, we must

1:33:531:34:01

address in this place it. When it

comes to Government, they must set

1:34:011:34:10

the example. There was a DDA form

filled in and this woman's employer,

1:34:101:34:20

the civil service, was aware she had

colitis. She applied for a transfer

1:34:201:34:27

to a department closer to home, and

she was not accommodated full

1:34:271:34:32

subduing to the occupational health

service meetings and was told, yes,

1:34:321:34:36

she would be off work sick and

should not be returning to work

1:34:361:34:43

until it settle down and engine was

medically retired because it was

1:34:431:34:46

felt she was not fit for work. She

applied for benefits but was not

1:34:461:34:55

allowed to get it and she was

advised to go for employment. You

1:34:551:34:59

expect someone to hire according to

the PSA, so when we look the civil

1:34:591:35:07

service process, at the age of 28,

she was classified as not fit by the

1:35:071:35:13

civil service had made to feel like

a scrounger for feeling at the civil

1:35:131:35:18

service with their hundreds of

offices could not facilitate an

1:35:181:35:21

illness she would have no chance in

the private sector. Thankfully, we

1:35:211:35:25

were able to help her when it comes

to the issue of getting her

1:35:251:35:28

benefits. Both took reviews but

ultimately she won. Nobody believed

1:35:281:35:37

she could not work. The fact she

couldn't, because they paid her off,

1:35:371:35:41

because she was medically unfit, it

made no sense and that's why we must

1:35:411:35:45

lead by example and put into place

initiatives that help disabled

1:35:451:35:49

people be confident in their

abilities. Instead of feeling only

1:35:491:35:53

their disabilities are important.

It's hard to expect small businesses

1:35:531:35:56

to understand a disability does not

mean an inability to be a vital

1:35:561:36:00

player in a team whenever we, as

civil servants, are not able to do

1:36:001:36:10

this, putting schemes to rent this

happening, and this House is one

1:36:101:36:14

place where I'm advocating we get

our House in order quickly. I look

1:36:141:36:20

to my constituency and I'm very

conscious of time, and I see the

1:36:201:36:23

potential of young people, in Long

Stone, behave real school where

1:36:231:36:28

people with disabilities who need

educational challenges, are trained

1:36:281:36:36

to work and sometimes for them, it's

a big bad world, but it's a world of

1:36:361:36:42

opportunity and we should try to

move it towards that, and we have so

1:36:421:36:46

much more to offer. Should

reconsider apprenticeships with

1:36:461:36:50

financial support to those with

learning disabilities? We respect

1:36:501:36:59

greatly this. I'm certain many

partnerships would turn into

1:36:591:37:04

employment. What can we do to help

those who want to work, who have

1:37:041:37:09

skills to offer, and yet feel there

is no place for them in the modern

1:37:091:37:12

workplace? To me, that is what this

debate is about, giving hope,

1:37:121:37:17

vision, opportunity and if we could

do that I believe we are moving in

1:37:171:37:20

the right direction. I don't have

the answers, not to everything in

1:37:201:37:25

the world, but I do try to at least

seek out the answers and I see the

1:37:251:37:31

great advantage of this debate

today, but I'm asking the Minister

1:37:311:37:36

and her department to really

seriously consider this issue. I'm

1:37:361:37:42

sure she would come back to the

floor with amazing plan to make this

1:37:421:37:49

happen and we can start with the

civil service. I commend the

1:37:491:37:53

honourable lady for her compassion

and one of the members who today

1:37:531:37:56

came on the third afternoon, to

participate in a debate which is

1:37:561:38:01

really, really important.

Thank you.

Can I also, as a member who has a

1:38:011:38:14

constituency, congratulate my

honourable friend from East Kilbride

1:38:141:38:21

and commend the honourable member

for attempting that earlier. You did

1:38:211:38:26

very well indeed. I think we heard

from my honourable friend earlier

1:38:261:38:30

speech which was rich in detail, in

understanding and empathy, someone

1:38:301:38:36

who really truly understands the

subject, and I fully commend her for

1:38:361:38:43

bringing this very positively titled

debate about the role of disabled

1:38:431:38:46

people in economic growth to the

chamber today. It is somewhat

1:38:461:38:52

scandalous that we haven't had the

opportunity to debate this before,

1:38:521:38:54

but that is a wrong which has been

invited today. We in the SNP no

1:38:541:39:02

disabled people continue to make a

fantastic contribution to the

1:39:021:39:05

economy and I've got to say, with

all the words we have heard here

1:39:051:39:11

today, the empathy, the joint

approach taken for these issues in

1:39:111:39:18

the chamber, comments that actually

come from the Government themselves

1:39:181:39:23

can do a lot of harm. I think our

approach to disabled people, the

1:39:231:39:29

approach we have heard here today is

in stark contrast to the UK

1:39:291:39:34

Government's Chancellor who said

recently he thinks disabled people

1:39:341:39:36

are reducing productivity and I

would like to quote from my

1:39:361:39:42

honourable friend, not from her

speech today, but from an excellent

1:39:421:39:45

article she wrote recently, saying

the answer is simple, invest in

1:39:451:39:48

improving the Pathways to work,

invest in the disabled

1:39:481:39:54

entrepreneurs, improve reasonable

adjustment guidelines and encourage

1:39:541:39:57

businesses to diversify the

workforce. Create incentives rather

1:39:571:40:00

than enforce sanctions. If the £108

million spent by the Government to

1:40:001:40:05

deny disabled people the benefits

they are entitled to was redirected

1:40:051:40:09

into creating an apprenticeship

scheme, entrepreneurship, and

1:40:091:40:14

training opportunities for example,

perhaps the narrative of people with

1:40:141:40:17

disabilities could change. I think

those are very wise words. I'm also

1:40:171:40:24

grateful Madam Deputy Speaker to

scope for the briefing they have

1:40:241:40:27

sent along for this debate and

before I move on I want to get onto

1:40:271:40:31

that comment made by the Chancellor.

Scope said we found the Chancellor's

1:40:311:40:37

statement before the Treasury Select

Committee on the naked

1:40:371:40:39

Committee

1:40:391:40:40

negative impact to be entirely

untrue and unacceptable and they

1:40:401:40:47

underline the fact brought out by my

honourable friend, who said a ten

1:40:471:40:53

percentage point rise in the

employment rate amongst disabled

1:40:531:40:57

people would increase GDP by £45

billion by 2030 and result in a £12

1:40:571:41:03

billion gain to the Exchequer, so I

do hope that the Minister, who is

1:41:031:41:07

known to be a thoughtful person,

will reflect on those comments from

1:41:071:41:11

the Chancellor and will distance

herself from those remarks. There is

1:41:111:41:22

a real opportunity for a positive

impact of tackling the disability

1:41:221:41:26

employment gap in the economy.

Delivering the reforms needed to

1:41:261:41:29

support more people to enter, remain

and progress in work but progress up

1:41:291:41:34

until now has been slow. Government

and employers need to do more to

1:41:341:41:38

harness economic benefits and

increase the disability employment

1:41:381:41:45

rate. Tackling the disability

employment gap would mean, as I have

1:41:451:41:49

said, economic growth and

productivity would increase.

1:41:491:41:54

Employing disabled people is an

opportunity for employers,

1:41:541:41:58

delivering significant benefits to

business and the economy, so it's

1:41:581:42:01

important to underline the

Parliamentary group on disability,

1:42:011:42:08

all of those are relevant, but

especially the tailored and targeted

1:42:081:42:13

support for the self-employed

disabled people from the business

1:42:131:42:16

bank, the funding for reasonable

adjustments for disabled recipients

1:42:161:42:18

of tech start-up support from

innovate UK, and bringing forward

1:42:181:42:23

working requirements the plan for

recruitment, but it's also vital to

1:42:231:42:28

recognise the additional challenges

that faced by disabled people. My

1:42:281:42:33

honourable friend earlier talked

about the bullying and high numbers

1:42:331:42:36

of applications required simply to

get a job interview, let alone get

1:42:361:42:43

to a job and she said earlier we

cannot afford to sit and wait.

1:42:431:42:49

Throughout this debate today we've

heard many people agreeing on the

1:42:491:42:52

need for action. I think what

disabled people want to see now is

1:42:521:42:55

action. I'm happy to give away.

He

quite rightly mentions the

1:42:551:43:04

challenges disabled people have. One

is that, depending on the form of

1:43:041:43:11

disability, the fatigue element as

the day progresses can be quite

1:43:111:43:13

critical to that person, so I do

believe employment opportunities

1:43:131:43:18

could be tailored with specific

reference to how this fatigue can

1:43:181:43:24

kick in after two or three hours of

concentrated work.

Thank you. I

1:43:241:43:31

think it's important to look at the

whole size and scale of this, the

1:43:311:43:36

challenges people have and to take

all of them into account to make

1:43:361:43:39

sure that we are able to take full

advantage of this. Now, as my

1:43:391:43:43

honourable friend also said earlier,

the UK has already skills shortage

1:43:431:43:46

and the Brexit exodus of skilled

labour means the opportunity of

1:43:461:43:51

training and pensions must be

embraced falls as we said, the

1:43:511:43:54

Government at the moment is not

going far enough, specialist advice

1:43:541:43:58

services for self-employment are

required and we need to start to

1:43:581:44:02

avoid stereotypes in these debates.

1:44:021:44:11

The additional challenges also come

down to hard cash and the extra

1:44:111:44:14

costs they have to cope with. New

research from Scope shows that an

1:44:141:44:19

average disabled people have do find

an extra £750 per month related to

1:44:191:44:24

their condition on top of any Social

Security payments designed to meet

1:44:241:44:28

these costs. The financial penalty

box disabled people out of being

1:44:281:44:33

able to make a positive contribution

to the economy. They need practical

1:44:331:44:38

help, and the Government can help

now with reversing the trend of

1:44:381:44:43

removing, for example, another issue

that my honourable friend is keen to

1:44:431:44:49

bring up, the ability of most

ability when people are having their

1:44:491:45:00

ability to move around restricted.

I was interested to hear that more

1:45:001:45:11

money should be spent on disability

payments. There should be more from

1:45:111:45:16

this Social Security to support

disabled people, particularly given

1:45:161:45:21

the disadvantage they have. In terms

of the recent work of the pensions

1:45:211:45:30

committee, it presented real

evidence that the assessments are

1:45:301:45:32

failing a substantial minority of

claimants, with claimants stories

1:45:321:45:37

highlighting clear errors being

made, and the SS is lacking

1:45:371:45:44

knowledge and expertise. It is not

just about putting more money into

1:45:441:45:47

the system, but about making the

system work for more disabled

1:45:471:45:51

people. I will give way.

We can meet

with some of the officials in

1:45:511:46:03

Northern Ireland, and I was just

that if it is possible to have a

1:46:031:46:10

meeting that we would then get the

hotline for people who can make the

1:46:101:46:13

changes. Those people who are doing

the assessment would be up to speed.

1:46:131:46:21

Capita nisi changed some of the

things they are doing. Can I suggest

1:46:211:46:28

that others do the same in their own

regions ration

1:46:281:46:30

that others do the same in their own

regions ration?

Having listened to

1:46:301:46:35

me on issues of Universal Credit for

many occasions, he can be a I

1:46:351:46:47

reassured. I believe that it is a

good thing to do. It does not I

1:46:471:46:53

nabbed the difficulties. -- remove

the difficulties. Between April 2016

1:46:531:47:02

and March 2017, the Scope helpline

saw eight 542% rise in calls related

1:47:021:47:14

to PIP payments. There is much more

that the Government can do to help

1:47:141:47:25

on this. I want to finish with some

criticisms, but also given the fact

1:47:251:47:33

that the Minister will be listening

carefully and looking for ways to

1:47:331:47:36

take action today, and that we are

looking at things back in our own

1:47:361:47:46

constituencies. I hope that the

Minister will listen carefully and

1:47:461:47:49

take on board some of the

opportunities to perhaps learn or

1:47:491:47:54

think about how things might be done

differently. We have seen the impact

1:47:541:48:02

that the UK government's system has

had on people in Scotland. In

1:48:021:48:08

October, between 7000 and 10,000

disabled people per year were being

1:48:081:48:11

affected by the removal of the work

activity component of employment and

1:48:111:48:16

support allowance. That is

completely appalling and simply

1:48:161:48:20

unacceptable. It also found that

40,000 disabled people claiming

1:48:201:48:25

implement and support allowance had

been affected by the bedroom tax.

1:48:251:48:28

TSA is supposed to support disabled

people into employment, but the

1:48:281:48:33

Government has said that the £30 a

week cut was to remove incentives to

1:48:331:48:37

be out of work. That is an

outrageous thing to do. It is

1:48:371:48:42

pushing people into poverty and

crisis. The PIP assessment process

1:48:421:48:46

is failing disabled people.

According to the DWP figures, one in

1:48:461:48:54

five claimants who went through

mandatory reconsideration had their

1:48:541:48:58

reward changed, meaning there is a

20% of those decisions that were

1:48:581:49:06

wrong. With the limited powers that

have been transferred to Scotland,

1:49:061:49:13

there are changes where disabled

people should have equality to

1:49:131:49:18

access the work. The Scottish

government is committed to reducing

1:49:181:49:23

the gap by half. With financial

support available to businesses, it

1:49:231:49:34

would make sense that they would

recruit from the widest pool of

1:49:341:49:38

talent possible. While disabled

people make up 20% of the

1:49:381:49:46

population, they represent a lower

proportion in the public and private

1:49:461:49:56

sector. The Scottish government

introduced employer ability

1:49:561:50:06

programmes. In July last year, a

campaign was launched to boost the

1:50:061:50:11

awareness amongst businesses of the

benefits of employing people with

1:50:111:50:14

disabilities, specifically targeting

small and medium-sized enterprises.

1:50:141:50:19

From April 2018, a new programme

will take a new approach to make

1:50:191:50:25

sure that disabled people are

offered support which is

1:50:251:50:29

appropriate. Disabled people

engaging with the programme will

1:50:291:50:36

receive support which identifies and

develops their strengths and assets

1:50:361:50:39

while focusing on sustainable

employment outcomes. Only today, the

1:50:391:50:44

Scottish Dummett and as that people

will no longer see a reduction in

1:50:441:50:47

their payments during the appeal

process for benefits. That is

1:50:471:50:52

something the Minister, given her

response, can say that the UK

1:50:521:50:57

government will consider taking

action. The message from the chamber

1:50:571:51:03

today, from all sides of the

chamber, has been crystal clear.

1:51:031:51:06

Let's do all that can be done to

realise and release the potential of

1:51:061:51:12

disabled people for economic growth.

1:51:121:51:22

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Let

me firstly begin by congratulating

1:51:231:51:26

the member for East Kilbride for

securing this important and also

1:51:261:51:32

timely debate. I also want to

commend her for all the work that

1:51:321:51:37

she has led on the disability all

party Parliamentary group. I would

1:51:371:51:44

also like to extend a thank you to a

number of different disability

1:51:441:51:50

organisations, including the

disability rights UK, the RNIB,

1:51:501:51:56

Scope, Leonard Cheshire and also

action on hearing loss for all of

1:51:561:52:02

their work that they have done

around improving the employment

1:52:021:52:06

opportunities for disabled people

and also for the important briefings

1:52:061:52:10

that they have provided for today's

very important debate. Madam Deputy

1:52:101:52:17

Speaker, there are currently around

11.6 million disabled people in this

1:52:171:52:23

country, people like me who have

factors that could act as a barrier

1:52:231:52:27

to engaging in a wide range of

valued activity, not just economic

1:52:271:52:32

activity. That is obviously the

focus of our debates today. Disabled

1:52:321:52:39

people make up around 16% of the

working age population, yet we face

1:52:391:52:44

barriers in all aspects of life,

including in education, in

1:52:441:52:49

transport, access to justice, access

to voting, housing, health and most

1:52:491:52:56

importantly employment. Almost eight

years of Tory austerity has had a

1:52:561:53:04

disproportionate impact on disabled

people. We know that half of those

1:53:041:53:07

who live in poverty are disabled or

live with somebody who is. In part

1:53:071:53:15

because of the additional cost of

their disability, but also because

1:53:151:53:22

the labour market does not work well

for disabled people who were able to

1:53:221:53:25

work. The duty to make reasonable

adjustments to support disabled

1:53:251:53:30

people to access education,

employment, housing and goods and

1:53:301:53:37

services is a key feature of the

equality act of 2010, but we know

1:53:371:53:42

that from the House of Lords report

in 2000 15/16 or the equality act

1:53:421:53:47

and disabled people that legislation

needs strong government action to

1:53:471:53:54

ensure it is strongly upheld and to

remove the barriers in society that

1:53:541:53:58

disabled people who have a

condition. It is of concern that we

1:53:581:54:10

have a government who speak of

removing barriers but then create

1:54:101:54:16

others through Social Security cuts.

They made a commitment that they

1:54:161:54:28

were found to be behind on. They

have replaced the pledge and reduced

1:54:281:54:34

it to committing to getting 1

million more disabled people into

1:54:341:54:37

work. As we have heard today, the

rate for disabled people being

1:54:371:54:44

employed stands at 49 when -- 49.2%.

In the most recent period where

1:54:441:54:56

these figures were available. The

disability employment gap lies at

1:54:561:55:03

around 31.3%, which is even wider

among specific disability groups. If

1:55:031:55:10

you take the registered blind

individuals, only one in four of

1:55:101:55:15

working age people are in work. My

honourable friend from Enfield

1:55:151:55:20

Southgate also made reference to the

employment gap among those living

1:55:201:55:23

with autism. The Office for National

Statistics recently announced that

1:55:231:55:31

it was suspending publication of the

disability employment rate in

1:55:311:55:33

definitely. The motion today's

refers to the fact that there will

1:55:331:55:41

be an implement gap after Brexit, at

the current gap is above the

1:55:411:55:46

European union level of around 20%.

It highlights the failure to take

1:55:461:55:56

action. In light of this, why has

the Government weakened its

1:55:561:56:01

commitment to reducing the

disability employment gap? It would

1:56:011:56:04

also be helpful if the Minister

could set out what measures she is

1:56:041:56:08

taking to improve disabled people's

ability to enter work, but also to

1:56:081:56:13

actually stay in work. So around

retention. Many barriers faced by

1:56:131:56:21

disabled people are shaped by false

perceptions about the role that

1:56:211:56:24

disabled people face in the work

place. Research by the Scope charity

1:56:241:56:31

found that almost half of disabled

people have worried about making

1:56:311:56:35

employers aware of their impairment

or condition. One of the key

1:56:351:56:41

barriers highlighted is how we shape

employer attitudes around employing

1:56:411:56:46

people with a disability. I would

like two ask the Minister, what with

1:56:461:56:54

the Government do to support

employees and especially small

1:56:541:56:57

businesses given they make up almost

half the workforce. How cancel

1:56:571:57:04

businesses access timely health

support, and how can best practice

1:57:041:57:09

be shared? I was surprised that, in

the Budget, disability or disabled

1:57:091:57:17

people were not mention, given a

negative message to disabled people

1:57:171:57:24

about their role in the economy, and

the regrettable impression that

1:57:241:57:31

there could be she was not being

championed or prioritised by this

1:57:311:57:33

government. We on this site of the

House will build an economy that

1:57:331:57:39

includes everybody because that is

how you can develop an economy that

1:57:391:57:44

works for everybody and not just for

a few. Madam Deputy Speaker, I

1:57:441:57:49

cannot stand here speaking on the

subject without mentioning the

1:57:491:57:55

comments made in December last year

by the right honourable member for

1:57:551:58:01

Runnymede during a select committee

questioning. The Chancellor linked

1:58:011:58:05

low productivity growth to the

employment of disabled people.

1:58:051:58:08

Unfortunately, there has been no

apology for the comments and his

1:58:081:58:13

lack of a Morse after the

scapegoating of disabled people

1:58:131:58:20

after the failed economic policy

speaks volumes. Does the Minister

1:58:201:58:27

agree that there is a need for a

clear and coherent message from the

1:58:271:58:30

Government that employing disabled

people can enhance productivity and

1:58:301:58:35

make a real contribution to

organisations and businesses across

1:58:351:58:38

the UK? Despite this, the Government

did manage to finally publish its

1:58:381:58:44

long-awaited improving lives paper

late last year. 90% of disability

1:58:441:58:51

and long-term health conditions are

acquired, so it is right to examine

1:58:511:58:57

how employers can make reasonable

adjustments to support android to

1:58:571:59:00

stay in work if they become

disabled. -- to support an employee.

1:59:001:59:11

They do not set out how they would

achieve this aim. Today, the

1:59:111:59:15

disability confident campaign

launched in 2014 has been a dismal

1:59:151:59:21

failure, making a negligible impact

on the disability employment gap.

1:59:211:59:27

The campaign has yet to produce any

concrete evidence or results, so can

1:59:271:59:32

the Minister confirm how many

additional disabled people have

1:59:321:59:37

found work as a direct result of the

disability confident campaign?

1:59:371:59:52

Access to work when it works well

provides invaluable support that too

1:59:521:59:55

often I hear about the problems in

administration and the timeliness of

1:59:552:00:00

payments as well as the cap on

individual awards. Miss French is a

2:00:002:00:07

visually impaired person, her

experience found that when the

2:00:072:00:09

subject of access to work came up,

recruiters would say the employer is

2:00:092:00:14

into much of a hurry and will not be

able to wait for an access to work

2:00:142:00:19

assessments to be completed. Access

to work as we all know is probably

2:00:192:00:26

the best kept secret, but a also the

scheme also helps far too few people

2:00:262:00:31

and will need significantly more

resources if the government is to

2:00:312:00:33

get anywhere near the aim of getting

1 million more disabled people into

2:00:332:00:41

work by 2017. In the case of a deaf

person, Mr Will, they were a job by

2:00:412:00:53

a different ability -- disability

confident employer, however once the

2:00:532:00:59

employer realised they would have to

meet the rest of the costs after the

2:00:592:01:05

cap, that job offer was withdrawn.

So, will the minister set out what

2:01:052:01:08

substantive action the government is

taking to support people in work,

2:01:082:01:12

what work have they done with

disabled people to ensure this

2:01:122:01:14

support is flexible and responsive

to need, and more importantly, what

2:01:142:01:19

additional funding is the government

going to make available, especially

2:01:192:01:24

to access to work? We also have

concerns around the language used in

2:01:242:01:31

the government's Improving Lives

paper, which centres around the idea

2:01:312:01:36

that employment can promote

recovery. It's a familiar sounding

2:01:362:01:42

phrase, disabled people and people

with chronic conditions would

2:01:422:01:47

recover if only they tried a bit

harder, or were subject to an ever

2:01:472:01:51

tougher system. Again, can the

minister reassure people with

2:01:512:01:58

disabilities that have limitations

to work, and those that are actually

2:01:582:02:00

unable to work, that this is not the

intended message that her government

2:02:002:02:08

is trying to convey, or in fact that

the government believes in? Over

2:02:082:02:16

nearly eight years, disabled people

have become the brunt of cuts

2:02:162:02:21

inflicted on them by this government

and the coalition government for

2:02:212:02:23

them. The cuts have had a

detrimental impact on the lives of

2:02:232:02:36

disabled people, cutting living

standards and undermining their

2:02:362:02:37

access to education, to social care

and also to justice. And in a 2016

2:02:372:02:42

United Nations convened committee,

state violations were investigated

2:02:422:02:44

of the UN Convention on the rights

of and persons with a disability,

2:02:442:03:00

and the report concluded that the

government had committed grave,

2:03:002:03:06

systematic violations of the rights

of

2:03:062:03:17

Persons with a disability. And this

is a damning indictment of the

2:03:192:03:30

treatment of disabled people by this

government, one which shames us as a

2:03:302:03:39

country, yet the government has

failed to act and we believe in a

2:03:392:03:42

social model of disability, a

society which removes the barriers

2:03:422:03:44

restricting opportunities and

choices for disabled people. We will

2:03:442:03:46

incorporate the UN Convention and

the rights of Persons with

2:03:462:03:48

disabilities into law, and I would

ask the minister why does the

2:03:482:03:52

government refuse to do the same?

Currently there are 4.2 million

2:03:522:03:54

disabled people who live in poverty,

and new evidence indicates that this

2:03:542:03:57

number is increasing as a result of

cuts and support. Again, according

2:03:572:04:03

to Scope, the 2012 welfare reform

act has cut nearly 28 billion in

2:04:032:04:13

social security support from a 3.7

million disabled people. The 2016

2:04:132:04:21

welfare reform act cuts are adding

to the real suffering many disabled

2:04:212:04:23

people are experiencing and, of

course, this doesn't include the

2:04:232:04:25

cuts in social care, the NHS,

education and transport. All of

2:04:252:04:28

which have had a direct effect on

disabled people. Research by Scope

2:04:282:04:30

that was published this week

revealed that on average, disabled

2:04:302:04:32

people face an extra cost of £570 a

week, I'm sorry, a month, related to

2:04:322:04:35

their impairment or condition, and

this is on top of the social

2:04:352:04:38

security payments designed to help

meet those costs. Extra costs mean

2:04:382:04:40

that disabled people's money simply

doesn't go far. £100 for a

2:04:402:04:45

non-disabled person is the

equivalent of just £67 for a

2:04:452:04:47

disabled person. In addition to the

four-year freeze in social security

2:04:472:04:57

support affecting disabled people,

the 9016 welfare reform act at

2:04:572:05:00

financial support I £1500 a year to

half a million disabled people who

2:05:002:05:08

had been found not fit for work but

who maybe in future on the activity

2:05:082:05:14

group. Can the minister provide the

House with an assessment of the

2:05:142:05:18

impact of this social security

disabled people and their ability to

2:05:182:05:21

actually stay in work and the

current social security system is

2:05:212:05:27

not working for disabled people, and

new analysis this week of the

2:05:272:05:31

treatment of unemployed disabled

claimants has revealed that there

2:05:312:05:35

are up to 53% -- snap up to 53% more

likely to be docked money than

2:05:352:05:44

claimants who are not disabled.

Disabled people hit with a million

2:05:442:05:48

sanctions since 2010. Under this

government we have seen the social

2:05:482:05:52

security system penalising people

with disabilities, cutting

2:05:522:05:55

much-needed support and making it

harder for them to access the

2:05:552:05:58

support that is available. The

assessment process for both ESA and

2:05:582:06:07

PIP are not fits for purpose. The

widespread distrust of the

2:06:072:06:15

assessment process by sick and

disabled people is, with a record

2:06:152:06:19

68% of PIP decisions taken to

tribunal being overturned by those

2:06:192:06:22

tribunal judges. Under private

contractors, the assessment process

2:06:222:06:28

is getting worse and not better. So,

I ask, wire won't be government act

2:06:282:06:34

to end privatisation and replace the

current system with a more holistic

2:06:342:06:39

process? I do welcome the

opportunity to have this important

2:06:392:06:45

debate in this Chamber today

2:06:452:06:46

opportunity to have this important

debate in this Chamber today, and

2:06:462:06:49

also thanking members across the

House for their contributions.

2:06:492:06:51

However I believe that until the

government take into account the

2:06:512:06:57

reality that far too many disabled

people in the social security system

2:06:572:07:02

that punishes them, rather than

support them, and a labour market

2:07:022:07:06

that shuts them out rather than one

which opens up their potential and

2:07:062:07:11

opens up to their skills. It is

incumbent on the government to

2:07:112:07:15

harness the potential of everyone

and create a truly inclusive society

2:07:152:07:22

that works for the many and not just

a few. Thank you.

Thank you very

2:07:222:07:32

much, Madam Deputy Speaker. I would

like to add my personal

2:07:322:07:38

congratulations to those offered by

everyone else this afternoon to the

2:07:382:07:43

member for East Kilbride. I am not

going to throw everybody's named

2:07:432:07:49

constituencies because I have got so

little time left, but I think she

2:07:492:07:54

did a magnificent job introducing

this debate. I would echo the words

2:07:542:07:59

that people have said on all sides

of the House about her commitment to

2:07:592:08:04

this really important issue, her

sincerity and the way in which she

2:08:042:08:07

presented her debate in such a

positive weighbridge has been in

2:08:072:08:13

marked contrast to some of the later

contributions in this debate, quite

2:08:132:08:16

sadly. The work of the AP Gigi and

voluntary sector organisations that

2:08:162:08:23

do sue so much to support their work

and in the myriad of ways that we

2:08:232:08:27

have heard this afternoon. It is

really important to hear all the

2:08:272:08:32

voices across the House today, and

we have heard some very powerful

2:08:322:08:44

personal testimony from the members

of Eastbourne and Battersea and

2:08:442:08:55

others about their lived experience

of disability, and they have all

2:08:552:08:58

made significant contributions in

improving disabled people's

2:08:582:09:00

opportunities in playing their full

part in society. The member for

2:09:002:09:10

Battersea raised to some individual

cases, and I would appreciate her

2:09:102:09:14

providing me with the specific

details so that I can resolve those

2:09:142:09:27

matters. I would like to

congratulate the member for

2:09:272:09:36

Hornchurch and Upminster on becoming

a disabled, confident employer.

2:09:362:09:49

Yesterday she joined some 78 mamas

of Parliament who have done this,

2:09:492:09:55

and there will be further

opportunities for those that have

2:09:552:09:57

taken up this scheme. I would really

like to praise her and encourage her

2:09:572:09:59

for the work that she's going to be

doing her constituency with her

2:09:592:10:02

Jobcentre plus. That personal work

that we can do in our

2:10:022:10:04

constituencies, advocating amongst

local employers, to take seriously

2:10:042:10:06

all of our desire to see more

disabled people in employment, is

2:10:062:10:08

really important and really

powerful. She raised a really

2:10:082:10:10

important point about enabling

disabled children to develop their

2:10:102:10:12

employment skills, and to have the

same opportunities as all other

2:10:122:10:14

young people to gain work

experience. So, she will be pleased

2:10:142:10:16

to know that the Department for

Education completely agrees with her

2:10:162:10:18

and is increasing its commitment and

funding to enable young people to

2:10:182:10:21

have supported internships. We've

also heard from the member for

2:10:212:10:23

hitching and Harper didn't and

Chippenham, who have both made

2:10:232:10:25

powerful speeches about the level of

ambition we all share in closing the

2:10:252:10:27

discipline disability employment

gap. They both stress the importance

2:10:272:10:29

of working closely with employers on

culture change, and I completely

2:10:292:10:31

agree. We are considering the issues

that they raised about improving the

2:10:312:10:34

disability confidence scheme,

although I absolutely refute what

2:10:342:10:35

the member for Battersea set, this

is not a failing skin, it is a

2:10:352:10:38

growing scheme. We are looking at

what more we can do to incentivise

2:10:382:10:44

businesses, publishing the levels of

disability employment, especially

2:10:442:10:45

from large employers, and looking at

what more we can do to communicate

2:10:452:10:50

the wide range of help that is

available to support businesses and

2:10:502:10:54

public sector organisations to

employ disabled people. Now, I'd

2:10:542:10:59

like to congratulate the member for

Strangford unbecoming at a

2:10:592:11:04

disability confident employer

yesterday. And he raised a very

2:11:042:11:06

important point about how important

it is that people feel confident to

2:11:062:11:14

disclose their disability, and how

important it is for employers to

2:11:142:11:16

feel confident about hearing that

news, and how we can work together

2:11:162:11:20

to make sure that happens. Because

there is financial support

2:11:202:11:25

available, both to the disabled

person through access to work but

2:11:252:11:28

also to employers who will be

employing a disabled person. And I

2:11:282:11:35

can absolutely assure the member for

Inverness that each and every year,

2:11:352:11:41

we are increasing our investment in

benefits for disabled people, and

2:11:412:11:46

those with health conditions. This

year alone we're spending more than

2:11:462:11:49

£50 billion more than the defence

budget, and I'm proud to be part of

2:11:492:11:55

a government that prioritises

supporting disabled people. That is

2:11:552:11:58

an increase of £7 billion since

2010. And we are determined to

2:11:582:12:03

continuously improve the processes

of the operation of the system which

2:12:032:12:08

administers our disability benefits.

I will give way. I am grateful to

2:12:082:12:11

the minister for giving way.

I feel

that in addition to this point that

2:12:112:12:17

she is due to address the comments

made by the Chancellor and distance

2:12:172:12:20

herself from that, but on that

specific point, what does she say to

2:12:202:12:24

those people who have lost the

severe disability allowance, then,

2:12:242:12:35

from disability payments?

As he has

so intervened on me, I will not

2:12:352:12:38

leave that without commenting on it.

It is absolutely irresponsible of

2:12:382:12:42

the gentlemen to so deliberately

misrepresent what the Chancellor has

2:12:422:12:48

said at the select committee. We all

owe a huge, we all have a huge

2:12:482:12:55

responsibility in this House, to be

very careful of what we say so that

2:12:552:12:58

we honour the truth, and we don't

make comments which will scare among

2:12:582:13:04

and frighten some of the most

vulnerable people... No, I'm not

2:13:042:13:08

going to give way, I've been very

generous in giving way and I will

2:13:082:13:12

not indulge the honourable gentleman

any more in pursuing things which he

2:13:122:13:16

has met was misrepresented and

quoted out of context. Madam Deputy

2:13:162:13:22

Speaker, returning to the spirit of

the debate, which his colleague, the

2:13:222:13:28

honourable lady, so well-set for

this House, of cross-party, all this

2:13:282:13:33

House coming together to speak to

disabled people outside this

2:13:332:13:36

Chamber, to show how much we value

them, how much more we want to do to

2:13:362:13:42

enable them to play their support in

society, how much we all want to do

2:13:422:13:46

to enable employers to take able on,

I'm going to return to the tone

2:13:462:13:50

which was ably set by the honourable

gentleman's colleague and I hope he

2:13:502:13:55

can respect his own colleague and

the tone she set for us. Madam

2:13:552:14:02

Deputy Speaker, last week I visited

North Devon district Hospital with

2:14:022:14:05

the excellent member of Parliament,

and we met some young people who are

2:14:052:14:09

doing really valued jobs in hospital

on wards with patients and in

2:14:092:14:14

vitally important support services

such as in the engineering

2:14:142:14:17

department. All these excellent

young people had been supported by

2:14:172:14:20

their local college and plus through

a government funded scheme. They

2:14:202:14:24

were really supported through work

experience and placements in the

2:14:242:14:29

hospital, and this programme has

been working for five years. All of

2:14:292:14:34

these young people have learning

disabilities.

2:14:342:14:41

They were being employed not as an

act of charity but because of who

2:14:412:14:44

they were. I have the privilege as

the Minister for disabled people to

2:14:442:14:49

meet disabled people doing

extraordinarily good work in every

2:14:492:14:54

sort of work right across this

country. Just this morning, I was at

2:14:542:15:01

Channel 4, who kindly hosted the

first year anniversary of our sector

2:15:012:15:06

champions. Each sector champion is a

leader in their industry. They are

2:15:062:15:12

working to improve access for

disabled people to their industry,

2:15:122:15:17

from financial services to retail,

tourism, media and transport. Each

2:15:172:15:22

sector leader is an inspirational

leader in their field, driving real

2:15:222:15:27

change in access for disabled

people. They are doing this not just

2:15:272:15:32

because it is the right thing to do

but because it makes good business

2:15:322:15:36

sense for them as well. There are an

estimated 13 million disabled people

2:15:362:15:41

in our country. Each year, they

spend an estimated £250 billion. If

2:15:412:15:50

businesses are not accessible, they

are missing out on a great deal of

2:15:502:15:52

business. Access ability, as members

have said, does not need to be

2:15:522:15:58

expensive. What our champions are

doing is sharing best practice and

2:15:582:16:02

information so more people are

confident about employing disabled

2:16:022:16:05

people. Disabled people are not

2:16:052:16:12

Mickey huge contributions as

consumers at, as we have heard

2:16:122:16:13

today, in all aspects of our

society. That does include

2:16:132:16:19

employment. As the Government is

building a bridge and which is fit

2:16:192:16:22

for the future, when no one is left

behind, we have been clear that we

2:16:222:16:28

want our economy to harness the

skills, talents and contributions of

2:16:282:16:33

every person in society. We have

made significant progress. There are

2:16:332:16:39

now 6000 more disabled people in

work than there were four years ago

2:16:392:16:43

for the -- there are now 600,000

more disabled people in work.

2:16:432:16:52

Implement rates are at record highs.

But we know that only half of the

2:16:522:16:58

disabled people who would like to

work or in work. New analysis also

2:16:582:17:02

shows that over the course of the

year disabled people are twice as

2:17:022:17:06

likely to fall out of work, and

almost three times less likely to

2:17:062:17:10

move into work when compared to

non-disabled people. That is simply

2:17:102:17:14

not acceptable. I will give way.

I

thank the Minister for giving way.

2:17:142:17:21

Apropos of what the Minister has

just said, which she agree with me

2:17:212:17:26

that if you are disabled and living

in a very remote area, such as my

2:17:262:17:31

constituency, getting to work, the

physical travel poses very special

2:17:312:17:37

and difficult challenges for these

people, and that is something the

2:17:372:17:41

Government will have to think about

very carefully so that my

2:17:412:17:43

constituents in this situation are

not disadvantaged.

He makes a good

2:17:432:17:49

point. Representing a constituency

in Cornwall, I completely sympathise

2:17:492:17:56

with the issues he raises. Access to

work funding is available, which

2:17:562:18:02

includes transport, enabling people

to get to their places of

2:18:022:18:03

employment. It is also important

that we look at what more can be

2:18:032:18:11

doing, joining up community

transport with public transport. In

2:18:112:18:15

areas like the one to represent,

public transport isn't as good a

2:18:152:18:21

service as it is in urban areas.

There is more work to be done there.

2:18:212:18:25

With more than one in six people of

working age reporting a disability,

2:18:252:18:31

it is important that we do

everything we can to make sure their

2:18:312:18:35

talents do not go to waste. That is

why we do have an urgent and copper

2:18:352:18:40

of plans in action. We have the

personal support package, £330

2:18:402:18:50

million of funding for a range of

new initiatives for those in the

2:18:502:18:54

right group, so they can have

tailor-made personal support to

2:18:542:18:57

enable them to take the steps to

work. We have already recruited over

2:18:572:19:04

300 additional disability employment

advisers, bringing special advice

2:19:042:19:07

and support into the job centre. We

have begun introducing 200 new

2:19:072:19:13

community partners you are able to

share their lived experience of

2:19:132:19:17

disability across our job centre

network. I will not take any more

2:19:172:19:22

interventions because I am seeing a

slight impatience because there is a

2:19:222:19:27

second debate this afternoon and

there are some point I need to

2:19:272:19:29

address that have been raised this

afternoon. Our work and health has

2:19:292:19:35

lodged, which has contracted value

of over £500 million to give

2:19:352:19:39

specialist support, including two

disabled people. An important point

2:19:392:19:43

was raised this afternoon about the

entrepreneurial spirit of disabled

2:19:432:19:49

people. Our new enterprise allowance

has allowed daily 20,000 people --

2:19:492:19:57

nearly 20,000 disabled people to set

up businesses. We also have our

2:19:572:20:07

small employer offer them again to

help more disabled people into

2:20:072:20:11

employment. Bearing in mind the

time, I would really encourage

2:20:112:20:18

members to read the improving lives,

which sets out an ambitious plan of

2:20:182:20:25

detailed actions and investments

that the Government is taking,

2:20:252:20:29

including in assistive technology.

It is absolutely not what the mother

2:20:292:20:34

for Battersea said it was. We are

not saying those things, which I

2:20:342:20:39

will not repeat in this House

because they are so fundamentally

2:20:392:20:41

wrong. What we are about is

recognising the talents of disabled

2:20:412:20:46

people and making sure that there

are no barriers all its so those --

2:20:462:20:55

no barriers or limits so those

talents can take them as far as they

2:20:552:20:58

can. I'm delighted to say that in

the devolved administrations, they

2:20:582:21:01

are taking all sorts of different

actions. We are working closely with

2:21:012:21:06

the Scottish government, and we are

jointly funding the single gateway

2:21:062:21:12

project in Dundee and five, which is

a good, innovative programme which

2:21:122:21:15

I'm looking forward to looking

closely with to see the lessons we

2:21:152:21:18

can learn to roll it out. It is a

single point of contact between the

2:21:182:21:23

job centre and employers and

disabled people themselves. Of

2:21:232:21:27

course we will continue to work

closely with devolved

2:21:272:21:30

administrations to see what more we

can do. To finally summarise, I want

2:21:302:21:37

to congratulate the member for East

Kilbride on bringing this issue to

2:21:372:21:42

the House, achieving our ambition of

seeing at least 1 million more sabre

2:21:422:21:48

people in work requires all of us to

work together. Of course, the

2:21:482:21:54

Government has got a role to play

but so do businesses, the health

2:21:542:22:03

sector and the voluntary sector. We

all have vital roles to play. I hope

2:22:032:22:12

they will support me and the

Government in delivering our

2:22:122:22:17

ambitious vision for a society in

which disabled people can play their

2:22:172:22:20

full part and go as far as the

talents will take them.

2:22:202:22:30

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I

would like to thank everyone from

2:22:302:22:32

across the House. It is an important

debate and we have done it justice.

2:22:322:22:41

This is the starting point for the

work that we take together. I am

2:22:412:22:47

keen that people become disability

confident employers, so I would

2:22:472:22:52

encourage MPs to do that and hold

events in your constituency, to

2:22:522:22:58

encourage employers locally. I would

also like to pay tribute to our

2:22:582:23:05

speaker in this Parliament, who has

now created internship schemes over

2:23:052:23:10

the next five years for people to

come with disabilities to work in

2:23:102:23:14

Parliament with MPs. I think it is

important that Parliament is a role

2:23:142:23:19

model and leads the way, that we

don't just talk the talk but also

2:23:192:23:25

walk the walk. He is a shiny example

in that light. We are in politics to

2:23:252:23:29

make a difference to enable, and we

can create the inclusive society

2:23:292:23:37

that everyone deserves stop so thank

you.

Thank you. The question is has

2:23:372:23:41

the order paper. As many of that

opinion, say I. I thought some more

2:23:412:23:49

enthusiasm! The ayes have it. We now

come to the backbench debate on

2:23:492:24:04

cancer strategy. Before we begin

this debate, I would like to remind

2:24:042:24:12

honourable members, and some of the

offenders have just left the

2:24:122:24:15

chamber, that there is not unlimited

time in this place, and that I

2:24:152:24:22

didn't impose a time-limit on the

last debate because I thought it

2:24:222:24:25

would run naturally to finish about

15 minutes ago. It didn't, it

2:24:252:24:31

overran, and I would like to point

out to the House the following. The

2:24:312:24:35

proposer of the motion, all three

front and two other members

2:24:352:24:43

significantly exceeded the amount of

time they ought to have taken. I was

2:24:432:24:48

hoping that in a good-natured

debate, we might have some self

2:24:482:24:56

regulation. It didn't happen. In the

next debate, I will have to impose

2:24:562:25:01

time limits. I should also point out

to those members taking part in the

2:25:012:25:06

next debate that the reason they

have less time to speak in this

2:25:062:25:10

debate is because their colleagues

in the last debate took longer than

2:25:102:25:14

they ought to have. I will leave it

to honourable members, although some

2:25:142:25:21

of the offenders have left the

chamber. I will find them later. Act

2:25:212:25:33

in an honourable way. As I call

Doctor Lisa Cameron, who is working

2:25:332:25:36

very hard this afternoon, to propose

this next debate, I hope that she

2:25:362:25:41

will do so in 15 minutes or less.

Doctor Lisa Cameron.

Thank you so

2:25:412:25:50

much, Madam Deputy Speaker. I will

indeed tried to behave myself much

2:25:502:25:56

better in this debate, timewise. It

is an honour and privilege to

2:25:562:25:59

introduce this debate, and I want to

pay tribute to the backbench

2:25:592:26:06

Business Committee, and also for the

all-party Parliamentary group for

2:26:062:26:12

cancer for the timely and extremely

important report, and particularly

2:26:122:26:16

to the member for a sudden, who

could not be with us today but who

2:26:162:26:24

has done an awful lot of work on

this subject and deserves our thanks

2:26:242:26:30

in that regard. We are an essay on

site against cancer in this House,

2:26:302:26:36

and we are all on the same side in

achieving world-class cancer

2:26:362:26:40

outcomes. This speech will address,

very briefly as I have been

2:26:402:26:52

instructor, the issues raised in a

recent report. The report had over

2:26:522:26:56

80 contributions from charities and

bodies, and truly reflects the

2:26:562:27:01

passion from this sector. But it is

also a cry for help and progress,

2:27:012:27:06

and a positive way forward. The

speech will address the report's

2:27:062:27:12

four main areas of concern,

workforce strategy, data

2:27:122:27:16

transparency and funding. The debate

is open for contributors to raise

2:27:162:27:26

all issues. I will stick to the

group's recent report

2:27:262:27:34

recommendations. It considered

progress as we reached the halfway

2:27:342:27:37

point of the NHS cancer strategy

2015 to 2020. It was the result of

2:27:372:27:45

an all-party enquiry from last year.

It was formally launched at the

2:27:452:27:50

summer reception last July, and the

written submissions were larger than

2:27:502:27:59

anticipated, showing the dedication

of those working in the field. Many

2:27:592:28:01

submissions came from cancer

alliances, those at the front line

2:28:012:28:07

of the services that are being

provided, who identify many

2:28:072:28:10

pressures and challenges in the way

forward. The evidence from front

2:28:102:28:14

line services in particular seemed

to amount to a call for help and in

2:28:142:28:20

the report the Parliamentary group

indicated that while progress has

2:28:202:28:26

been made since its launch, the NHS.

Or to achieve the objectives set out

2:28:262:28:30

in the cancer strategy and less

corrective action is immediately

2:28:302:28:34

taken. To this end, the all-party

Parliamentary group has listed

2:28:342:28:40

recommendations, a copy of which

will be sent to all MPs. The lack of

2:28:402:28:45

workforce planning a merged as a key

concern. The cancer workforce is

2:28:452:28:52

constantly recognised as the biggest

barrier to implement in cash

2:28:522:28:54

strategy. -- implement in our

strategy. The strategy was

2:28:542:29:08

originally promised for 2016.

Written evidence suggests that the

2:29:082:29:15

workforce is the greatest barrier to

the strategy. The group also heard

2:29:152:29:21

that transformation funding is being

withheld from cancer alliances

2:29:212:29:25

because of the performance against

the 62 data waiting time targets. A

2:29:252:29:32

new conditioner funding which only

at a merged after the bidding

2:29:322:29:35

process emerged.

2:29:352:29:43

I thank her for giving way and I

appreciate the fact that she

2:29:432:29:46

acknowledged organisations like

Macmillan nurses for example, who

2:29:462:29:50

very often rely on subscription.

And

they should be encouraged to give

2:29:502:29:56

more subscriptions where possible.

Absolutely. The honourable gentleman

2:29:562:30:00

makes an excellent point. These

agencies are working at the front,

2:30:002:30:06

with people who are just at their

most vulnerable point, and their

2:30:062:30:12

families, and they deserve all of

our encouragement and praise and, of

2:30:122:30:15

course, funding. In addition to

setting out how cancer alliances are

2:30:152:30:25

going to be funded and supported

both for the duration of the

2:30:252:30:28

strategy in the future, the

all-party Parliamentary group

2:30:282:30:30

strongly wreck ends -- strongly

recommends that the 62 day waiting

2:30:302:30:37

time target is decoupled. The

previously mentioned issues prevent

2:30:372:30:41

progress in improving cancer care

and treatment which is not our

2:30:412:30:45

collective vision. The all-party

Parliamentary group also heard that

2:30:452:30:48

improving transparency as regards to

priorities and accountability would

2:30:482:30:54

help support the delivery of the

strategy. At the moment, a lack of

2:30:542:30:59

clarity and lines of communication

are delaying its ink limitation.

2:30:592:31:02

Publishing a detailed progress

update on each of the strategies' 96

2:31:022:31:10

recommendations would indeed be a

positive step forward. In addition,

2:31:102:31:14

following on from the previous

point, it is generally accepted that

2:31:142:31:18

the 62 day waiting target has been

treated as a high priority amongst

2:31:182:31:23

CCG and cancer alliances leaders

than survival or stage diagnosis as

2:31:232:31:30

shown by the linkage between funding

and performance against this

2:31:302:31:33

measure. So, decoupling funding and

process target performance in favour

2:31:332:31:37

of a greater focus on outcomes would

strongly be in the interest of

2:31:372:31:41

patients, not least because if

outcomes are good, survival rates

2:31:412:31:47

increasing, processes will also be

functioning efficiently and

2:31:472:31:49

correctly.

Will my honourable friend

give way? I will indeed. That 62 day

2:31:492:31:57

target has not been met since 2014,

and as such, that is an issue that

2:31:572:32:01

has been around for quite a while.

Wilshere agree with me that more

2:32:012:32:05

funding needs to be put in to make

sure that that target is met and is

2:32:052:32:10

met as soon as possible?

I

absolutely agree with the honourable

2:32:102:32:13

gentleman. It is absolutely

essential that that target is met

2:32:132:32:16

and that resources are put in to

ensure that it is. The all-party

2:32:162:32:21

Parliamentary group also found

access to detailed and timely data

2:32:212:32:25

is critically important for the

success of the strategy,

2:32:252:32:28

particularly in relation to data for

the rare and less common cancers.

2:32:282:32:33

Strong concerns were also raised as

to how future protection regulations

2:32:332:32:39

on data might affect surveys such as

the cancer patient experience

2:32:392:32:41

survey. The value of the cancer

patient experience survey should be

2:32:412:32:47

emphasised, along with outcomes

from... We must hear from those who

2:32:472:32:53

are experiencing services. They are

the ones who know how to improve

2:32:532:32:58

things for the better. In addition,

the ageing UK population cannot be

2:32:582:33:04

left out of the conversation. The

cancer patient is experience survey

2:33:042:33:10

suggests that older people are less

likely to have access to a clinical

2:33:102:33:15

nurse specialist. Additionally,

older patients are less likely to

2:33:152:33:18

know the full extent of their

illness. Age discrimination must

2:33:182:33:21

come to an end, especially in terms

of cancer care. The all-party

2:33:212:33:27

Parliamentary group recommends the

NHS and Public Health England's data

2:33:272:33:33

teamwork to produce more timely

cancer data and to make it publicly

2:33:332:33:39

available. The all-party

Parliamentary group advocates that

2:33:392:33:41

the government ensures that the

cancer agent experience survey and

2:33:412:33:47

other such surveys are able to

continue in a way which allows

2:33:472:33:50

patient experience to be considered

on a par with clinical

2:33:502:33:54

effectiveness, rather than leaving

patients without sufficient

2:33:542:33:58

information regarding their cancer

and care. Furthermore, in terms of

2:33:582:34:02

specific cancers like breast-cancer,

there are key priorities for

2:34:022:34:05

delivery in the cancer strategy. It

must ensure data is collected for

2:34:052:34:11

people living with incurable

secondary cancer. Everyone with

2:34:112:34:16

secondary breast-cancer has a

specialist nurse with the right

2:34:162:34:20

skills and expertise and everyone

has access to the right support

2:34:202:34:25

after finishing treatment for

primary cancer, so they are able to

2:34:252:34:28

live well after breast-cancer. We

should not ignore the fact that the

2:34:282:34:33

strategy has had positive effects.

In the last year, 60 cancer

2:34:332:34:40

alliances and three vanguards have

been established, and £200 million

2:34:402:34:43

has been made available to them for

earlier diagnosis and post-diagnosis

2:34:432:34:48

of support. In addition, 23 NHS

trusts have now received new and

2:34:482:34:55

upgraded radiotherapy machines.

However, as the report makes clear,

2:34:552:34:58

there is much more work still to be

done. I want to just reflate in the

2:34:582:35:05

few minutes that I have left to

speak a bit more about less

2:35:052:35:08

survivable cancers. The less

survivable cancers task force has

2:35:082:35:14

been in touch with me prior to

today's debate, made up of

2:35:142:35:18

pancreatic cancer UK, the British

liver trust, the brain tumour

2:35:182:35:21

charity and axing against heart

bonus offer go cancer and call or

2:35:212:35:27

digestive diseases. There is a

staggering 55% gap in morbidity, and

2:35:272:35:34

that a shock is absolutely

unacceptable. Much, much more must

2:35:342:35:40

be done. I recently myself lost a

very dear uncle to pancreatic

2:35:402:35:49

cancer, and as a family going

through that experience, and knowing

2:35:492:35:55

that we need much more research, we

need much more specialist

2:35:552:36:01

understanding, we need to have the

investment in those areas, it's

2:36:012:36:04

absolutely crucial. I want to ensure

that other families have a better

2:36:042:36:08

chance of a longer survival rate,

and I would also pay tribute to my

2:36:082:36:14

own uncle for his courage in terms

of coping with that condition right

2:36:142:36:19

till the end. Hospice care I would

say is also absolutely essential.

2:36:192:36:25

And we must ensure that families and

patients have dignity at the end of

2:36:252:36:30

life. It's just absolutely

imperative. I have watched far too

2:36:302:36:39

many family members die in hospital

beds, surrounded by other patients,

2:36:392:36:44

with the curtain screen drawn, to

know that that is not dignified, and

2:36:442:36:49

that where possible, we must improve

services and access to Hospice care.

2:36:492:36:56

Very quickly, I want to also pay

tribute to Teenage Cancer Trust,

2:36:562:37:02

because often we think of cancer as

an illness which affects older

2:37:022:37:04

people, but also, young people are

diagnosed with cancer, they do

2:37:042:37:13

fantastic work, Vanessa Todd in my

own constituency is an absolute

2:37:132:37:17

advocate for Teenage Cancer Trust,

and we must ensure that whilst it

2:37:172:37:22

may not be something that GPs

expect, when a young person comes

2:37:222:37:27

with symptoms that are perhaps not

easily identifiable, but it is

2:37:272:37:31

something that we increase awareness

of to make sure that the gnosis is

2:37:312:37:35

very quick and timely for young

people to improve their prognosis. I

2:37:352:37:39

want to thank everybody, thanks once

again the all-party Parliamentary

2:37:392:37:42

group, and as I say, it has been a

privilege to date to open the debate

2:37:422:37:48

for the honourable member who is

Chair of that group, and who leads

2:37:482:37:53

that group in these issues so well.

The question is, this House has

2:37:532:38:02

considered the cancer strategy. And

before I call the next Speaker, I

2:38:022:38:09

will try to continue my experiment

of seeing if people will self at the

2:38:092:38:13

and behave in a decent and

honourable fashion. That means

2:38:132:38:18

taking 8-9 minutes, not 13 or 14 or

15 minutes, and I trust the well

2:38:182:38:29

experienced Mr David Tredinnick to

do so first.

Thank you, Madam Deputy

2:38:292:38:34

Speaker, it is an honour to be

called first on this side of the

2:38:342:38:37

House and I have heard what you said

and intend to respect what you said.

2:38:372:38:40

Madam Deputy Speaker, on the 25th of

January in the Other Place, in the

2:38:402:38:46

House of Lords, as we tend to call

it now, a very distinguished former

2:38:462:38:50

Secretary of State for Culture,

Media and Sport in this House,

2:38:502:38:54

former minister of the Olympics,

someone who did much to bring the

2:38:542:38:58

Olympics to London, Tessa Jowell,

now Baroness Jowell, made an

2:38:582:39:01

impassioned speech about the brain

tumour which she has suffered. And

2:39:012:39:09

this is something that I can

identify with, I don't normally talk

2:39:092:39:13

about family matters, but I will

share with the House that my sister

2:39:132:39:16

died of a brain tumour. What a

Baroness Jowell said in her speech

2:39:162:39:24

is something that I think the

Parliamentary undersecretary, the

2:39:242:39:28

member for Winchester, should mark.

I know he has a strong interest in

2:39:282:39:31

cancer. She said... For what would

every cancer patient want? First to

2:39:312:39:40

know that the latest science was

being used and available for them.

2:39:402:39:42

What else would they want? They need

to know that they have a community

2:39:422:39:47

around them, supporting and caring,

being practical and kind, while

2:39:472:39:54

doctors look at the big picture. We

can all be part of the human sized

2:39:542:39:59

picture. Now, Madam Deputy Speaker,

yesterday at the all-party cancer

2:39:592:40:08

group, of which I am a deputy

chairman, one of the things we

2:40:082:40:12

looked at was recovery packages. And

this is something which is very dear

2:40:122:40:15

to my heart, as the member who has

chaired for much of the 30 years

2:40:152:40:22

that I've been in this House, the

all-party group for integrated

2:40:222:40:24

health care, and my researcher has

told me that I have chaired over 120

2:40:242:40:33

meetings in this House of that

group. What we have try to do over

2:40:332:40:39

the years is to look at how to

support cancer patients in a broader

2:40:392:40:46

way. And if I can share a figure

with the House straightaway, in the

2:40:462:40:51

United Kingdom, according to Cancer

Research UK, 33% of those who have

2:40:512:40:58

cancer use some sort of additional

support the repeat, often

2:40:582:41:02

compliments with therapy. For

sometimes of cancer, such as breast

2:41:022:41:08

cancer, this number is even higher,

at almost 50%. -- some types of

2:41:082:41:14

cancer. Why people use it is because

when used alongside conventional

2:41:142:41:19

cancer treatments such as

radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it

2:41:192:41:22

makes it easier for them to cope

with the cancer and it makes them

2:41:222:41:26

feel that they play a part in how

they coped. It helps them relax,

2:41:262:41:31

reduces stress, it enables them to

take more active roles in their

2:41:312:41:38

treatment and recovery in

partnership with their therapist. It

2:41:382:41:41

enables them to feel more in control

of their feelings and emotions. And

2:41:412:41:45

there is very strong evidence that

these therapies work effectively,

2:41:452:41:49

although more research is always

welcome. The use of acupuncture now

2:41:492:41:54

to relieve sickness caused by some

in the therapy drugs is

2:41:542:41:59

well-established. And also for

relieving a sore mouth after having

2:41:592:42:05

treatment for head and neck cancer.

Not far away from here, there are

2:42:052:42:11

three good examples of how these

additional therapies have helped at

2:42:112:42:17

guys Thomases NHS Trust. They're

offering in the outbreak clinic

2:42:172:42:21

aromatherapy massage, reflexology

and quantitative data analysis shows

2:42:212:42:30

that the statistics show a

statistically significant

2:42:302:42:33

improvement. At the Royal Marsden

the global world-renowned hospital

2:42:332:42:39

not far away from here, they're

using aromatherapy, mass arch and

2:42:392:42:45

have treated 1000 patients to date

at the full circle therapies unit at

2:42:452:42:53

St George is NHS Foundation Trust,

they're using reflexology, massage

2:42:532:42:58

therapy and relaxation training.

Professor Smith, the professor of

2:42:582:43:06

haematology there, said the therapy

team has made a fantastic difference

2:43:062:43:09

to the well-being of our patients.

And there are other citations here.

2:43:092:43:13

I give way.

I am grateful to my

honourable friend for giving way,

2:43:132:43:20

and I know having been a minister of

his assiduous commitment to this

2:43:202:43:23

cause. He mentioned the Noble

Baroness Jowell, would he agree with

2:43:232:43:28

me that the sight of her and the

Prime Minister together, embracing,

2:43:282:43:31

and the Prime Minister's

announcement of £40 million for

2:43:312:43:35

brain cancer, is good news and it is

done in the spirit of cross-party

2:43:352:43:39

commitment to tackling disease and

will give a lot of hope to that

2:43:392:43:42

community. On the point about

alternative therapies, does he agree

2:43:422:43:46

with me that it is very important

that the medical community and the

2:43:462:43:50

national institute of health

research does the research to look

2:43:502:43:53

at the extent to which these

therapies, even if they may not be

2:43:532:43:57

rooted in the tradition of empirical

science, if there is data to show

2:43:572:44:00

that they help patients' recovery

time, then that is worthwhile and

2:44:002:44:04

should be looked at?

2:44:042:44:12

If you look at the trials that have

taken place, we have randomised

2:44:122:44:19

control trials, controlled studies,

the person who came up with the

2:44:192:44:21

notion of evidence -based medicine

has said that the practice of

2:44:212:44:28

evidence -based medicine means

integrating individual clinical

2:44:282:44:31

expertise with the best available

external evidence, which means you

2:44:312:44:36

have to look at the patient and see

what they think and what the

2:44:362:44:42

patient's experience is. Deputy

Speaker, we're often told by the

2:44:422:44:50

front bench, Treasury bench and

others that we need more evidence,

2:44:502:44:54

there must be evidence. When you

produce evidence and proper trials,

2:44:542:44:58

it is often ignored. I have chosen

this particular subject, healing,

2:44:582:45:04

therapeutic touch, call it what you

like, because it appears that with a

2:45:042:45:10

very good evidence people who are

able to use their hands to transfer

2:45:102:45:13

some kind of energy, and I have

studied Reiki myself, once ended up

2:45:132:45:24

speaking to 5000 therapists in Japan

at a conference many years ago, but

2:45:242:45:28

a study in 2007, according to Cancer

Research UK, found that up to 40% of

2:45:282:45:36

people in America uses some kind of

spiritual healing. In this country,

2:45:362:45:42

there is very good evidence to

suggest that seeing a healer helps

2:45:422:45:47

people. In the UK, long-term hormone

therapy for women with breast cancer

2:45:472:45:53

can be enhanced and patients can be

helped if he really is given to them

2:45:532:46:03

for the side-effects of the

treatment. -- healing is to them.

2:46:032:46:07

There is a study that said that over

a period of ten weeks they had fewer

2:46:072:46:14

side-effects. In the National Health

Service, there was a two year trial

2:46:142:46:23

involving 200 hospital patients with

long-standing illness is, the

2:46:232:46:28

largest of its kind funded by the

lottery and supervised by the

2:46:282:46:32

University of Birmingham. The

methodology looks at the

2:46:322:46:39

effectiveness of refuelling in

dealing with irritable bowel

2:46:392:46:45

syndrome, 200 patients were seen.

After these patients were assessed,

2:46:452:46:55

the measure yourself medical outcome

profile showed a very significant

2:46:552:46:59

improvement after six, 12 and 24

weeks. This was a trial on irritable

2:46:592:47:04

bowel syndrome and IBD, but it was a

scientifically carried out trial and

2:47:042:47:14

it worked, so it would almost

certainly work for cancer. We need

2:47:142:47:18

to do more research to look at this.

I say to my honourable friend, the

2:47:182:47:24

drug showed the same results,

especially at minimal cost, it would

2:47:242:47:30

be recommended by NICE. More trials

are needed. Part of the Government's

2:47:302:47:36

efforts to get more rigorous

assessment has been conducted by the

2:47:362:47:40

professional standards authority,

which was set up to oversee the UK's

2:47:402:47:45

nine health and care professional

bodies, previously named as the

2:47:452:47:54

Council for health care regulatory

excellence. In February 2013, it

2:47:542:47:58

lost its accredited registered

scheme, a Government backed scheme,

2:47:582:48:04

and now has 24 accredited registered

covering 31 occupations and 80,000

2:48:042:48:12

practitioners. Among the registers

it has the Association of child

2:48:122:48:18

psychotherapist, the British

acupuncture Council, the British

2:48:182:48:20

Association of sport rebuild

teachers and trainers, the

2:48:202:48:24

Federation of holistic therapists,

the national hypnotherapist society

2:48:242:48:30

and many others. Madam Deputy

Speaker, in its summary, the Chief

2:48:302:48:47

Executive of the professional

standards authorities said, a key

2:48:472:48:53

recommendation is for practitioners

to have the authority to make a

2:48:532:49:01

direct NHS referrals. That is the

practitioners that they are

2:49:012:49:05

regulatory. Inappropriate places,

thereby reducing the administrative

2:49:052:49:12

burden on GP surgeries. Please mark

what I've said here. They are saying

2:49:122:49:18

that practitioners on that register

should have the authority to make

2:49:182:49:23

direct NHS referrals. If this was

possible, you bring into the service

2:49:232:49:32

30,000 additional practitioners. I'm

trying to figure out, perhaps you

2:49:322:49:39

can guide me.

I can guide to the

honourable gentleman. Around 11

2:49:392:49:45

minutes to date, but he has taken

the few interventions, therefore I

2:49:452:49:49

am not compelling him to sit down.

But I'm sure he is going to conclude

2:49:492:49:53

quite soon.

I'm very encouraged to

see that Leicester's hospitals have

2:49:532:50:03

entered into a memorandum of

understanding with university

2:50:032:50:08

affiliated hospital in China. It

attempts to have cooperation between

2:50:082:50:16

the two middle. I have used Chinese

medicine for 20 years and the use of

2:50:162:50:22

acupuncture and herbal medicine, in

my belief, looking through the

2:50:222:50:29

testimonials, dramatically increases

the sense of well-being for those

2:50:292:50:33

whose software cancer and frequently

extend the life span. I absolutely

2:50:332:50:38

come into the hospitals of Leicester

sure when they are discussing this

2:50:382:50:42

with the authorities in China to

look at the possibility of training

2:50:422:50:47

therapists in Chinese therapy. Thank

you, I rest my case.

Thank you,

2:50:472:50:59

Madam Deputy Speaker, and it is a

pleasure to follow the honourable

2:50:592:51:04

member who made a very interesting

speech. I also want to think thank

2:51:042:51:12

the honourable member for a school

pride for securing this very

2:51:122:51:16

important debate. We all know

someone who has had or has been

2:51:162:51:22

affected by cancer. My family is no

exception, both my parents had

2:51:222:51:28

cancer and my husband lives with

cancer every day of his life. I

2:51:282:51:33

could talk about cancer for ever not

I'll try to limit myself to the

2:51:332:51:40

recommended time. We know that the

cancer strategy sets out such eejit

2:51:402:51:46

priorities and recommendations which

aim to radically improve the

2:51:462:51:52

outcomes for people affected by

cancer but we also know that the

2:51:522:51:55

specific needs of a lot cancer

patients are not being fully met by

2:51:552:52:01

this cancer strategy. -- blood

cancer patients. This is because

2:52:012:52:11

their experience is different to

solid tumour patients so it is not

2:52:112:52:16

all that effective in meeting their

needs. These unmet needs occur any

2:52:162:52:21

number of priority areas identified

in the cancer strategy, including

2:52:212:52:27

awareness and early diagnosis,

patient experience, living with and

2:52:272:52:32

beyond cancer, access to new

treatments and researching NHS

2:52:322:52:36

commissioning. Today I want to focus

on one particular issue, the need

2:52:362:52:42

for post stem cell transplant care

for patients. This is for patient

2:52:422:52:54

experience, living beyond cancer and

NHS commissioning. It is estimated

2:52:542:52:59

by 2020, they will be more than

16,000 people in the UK living post

2:52:592:53:04

transplant, many of whom will be

experiencing both physical and

2:53:042:53:08

psychological side-effects from the

treatment. That can last for months

2:53:082:53:12

and even years. The side effects can

include second cancers, infertility,

2:53:122:53:20

depression, isolation and

post-traumatic stress disorder.

2:53:202:53:24

Unfortunately, we know that there

are worrying gaps in their care and

2:53:242:53:27

support available to stem cell

transplant patients after treatment.

2:53:272:53:33

It is particularly concerning that

only half of those who need

2:53:332:53:36

psychological support actually

receive it. The same is true for

2:53:362:53:41

practical support. One and five are

not offered any specialist care to

2:53:412:53:50

help with physical recovery. These

are reflected in the expenses of

2:53:502:53:53

many blood cancer patients who feel

after their transplant, when they

2:53:532:53:58

are sent home, the level of support

and the level of support available

2:53:582:54:03

to them actually falls away. They

feel they have no one to talk to

2:54:032:54:07

about the effects and being

challenged by its complications.

2:54:072:54:12

Also about the psychological burden

of living with and beyond cancer and

2:54:122:54:17

its treatment, their dietary needs

or infertility problems and even

2:54:172:54:22

practical issues such as when they

can start to resume everyday

2:54:222:54:26

activities. The ones they had

enjoyed before the treatment

2:54:262:54:29

started. This is because the

commissioning of post transplant

2:54:292:54:35

services is simply not working for

every patient. After 100 days,

2:54:352:54:40

responsibility transfers from NHS

England to CCGs, but this arbitrary

2:54:402:54:47

cut-off leaps to fragmentation and

gaps in the support. There must be a

2:54:472:54:54

review of that 100 day cut-off as

well as the care currently provided

2:54:542:54:57

to patients after a stem cell

transplant to ensure that all

2:54:572:55:01

patients can access the support they

need. This includes ensuring that

2:55:012:55:06

all patients have access to

appropriate emotional and

2:55:062:55:12

psychological support services and

access to clinical specialist or

2:55:122:55:15

equivalent model of support. Both of

which are pledges in the cancer

2:55:152:55:18

strategy. This issue very much ties

into what the cancer strategy says

2:55:182:55:24

about the commissioning of cancer

services being highly fragmented. It

2:55:242:55:30

recommended setting clear

expectations by the end of 2015 for

2:55:302:55:35

how cancer services should be

commissioned. As we had rapidly

2:55:352:55:41

towards 2020, it is important that

we continue working hard to resolve

2:55:412:55:45

the confusion that still exists. I

hope the Minister when winding up

2:55:452:55:52

can update us on how work in this

area is progressing. I have outlined

2:55:522:55:57

to do just a few of the priority

areas were much more needs to be

2:55:572:56:01

done to ensure that blood cancers

and the needs of the patients are

2:56:012:56:08

appropriately addressed by the

cancer strategy. I believe that

2:56:082:56:12

thorough and robust action in these

and a number of other key areas will

2:56:122:56:19

have an impact for blood cancer

patients, Inc approving care on

2:56:192:56:23

their journey from diagnosis to

treatment and through to recovery.

2:56:232:56:27

Thank you.

I'm delighted to be

taking part in today's debates,

2:56:272:56:36

which I know is such an important

area the Government. Can I

2:56:362:56:41

congratulate the members for

securing time today to speak on it?

2:56:412:56:48

Since 2010, the Government has

recognised the need to improve

2:56:482:56:52

cancer services offered by the NHS

and make the UK a world leader in

2:56:522:56:57

cancer research, diagnosis,

treatment and care. Many innovations

2:56:572:57:01

are being introduced, such as the

Cancer Drugs Fund and the

2:57:012:57:05

implementation of the independent

cancer task force strategy. Cancer

2:57:052:57:09

survival rates are a record high and

access to the world's leading cancer

2:57:092:57:15

continues to improve, so it is clear

great work is already being done. I

2:57:152:57:21

want to focus on the area of breast

cancer. It has been a honour to be

2:57:212:57:27

co-chair of the breast cancer group

for three years, and I have worked

2:57:272:57:32

with a range of really inspirational

people of patients through to

2:57:322:57:37

clinicians. It is great to see two

former chairs representing both

2:57:372:57:43

frontbenchers here today. I know the

minister did some really good work

2:57:432:57:49

during his time on aid related risk

and it is good to see that he is

2:57:492:57:53

carrying that one. I believe we may

be able to tempt him to talk about

2:57:532:57:58

some of the work he is doing in his

remarks later. As we know, breast

2:57:582:58:03

cancer is the UK's most common, with

11,500 women and easy men dying from

2:58:032:58:09

the disease every year. But great

strides are being made in diagnosis

2:58:092:58:14

and treatment, leading to survival

rates doubling over the last 40

2:58:142:58:18

years. One of the key

recommendations in the cancer

2:58:182:58:21

strategy is and early diagnosis were

the targets by 2020 that 95% of

2:58:212:58:26

patients will be diagnosed and

receive results within four weeks. I

2:58:262:58:33

want to concentrate on an area that

is critical in achieving that

2:58:332:58:37

ambition and is often preferred to

as the biggest breast cancer risk

2:58:372:58:40

women are not aware of, breast

density. During my work, the issues

2:58:402:58:48

surrounding breast density has

become clear, particularly the

2:58:482:58:52

increased risk and masking of

cancers in mammography. This is the

2:58:522:58:57

main method of national screening

and well considered the gold

2:58:572:59:01

standard, evidence shows it is not

as effective for women with a dense

2:59:012:59:05

breast'. It is important to

understand what its implications

2:59:052:59:10

are. I would point out it is not an

uncommon situation, with 40% of

2:59:102:59:16

women aged over 40 having dense

breast tissue. Although it is

2:59:162:59:22

completely normal, as is also a

well-established predictor of

2:59:222:59:25

developing breast cancer, with women

having the highest density between

2:59:252:59:30

four and six times more likely to

develop the disease than those with

2:59:302:59:34

less dense breasts.

2:59:342:59:35

The challenge is that on a mammogram

in more than 50% of cases the cancer

2:59:382:59:44

is missed. To illustrate the

significance of this it is useful to

2:59:442:59:48

recount a couple of examples given

to me by patients which highlight

2:59:482:59:51

the importance of the issue and the

differences in approach by country.

2:59:512:59:56

One lady living in the UK underwent

mammogram screening from 2004-2012

2:59:563:00:03

receiving a clean bill of health

each time. Shortly after her fourth

3:00:033:00:11

mammogram she found a lump which was

found to be seven centimetres in

3:00:113:00:14

size and had been missed over ten

years due to her breast tissue being

3:00:143:00:19

75% dense. She underwent a

mastectomy and as a result of her

3:00:193:00:23

illness was forced to give up her

business. Six years later she

3:00:233:00:27

continues to undergo breast

construction surgery. Compare this

3:00:273:00:33

to another patient I met who lives

in France. In 2016 her first ever

3:00:333:00:38

mammogram was clear but as she was

also diagnosed as having dense

3:00:383:00:42

tissue she was immediately referred

for an ultrasound scan which

3:00:423:00:46

revealed an 8mm invasive tumour. As

a result of the early detection she

3:00:463:00:51

received minimal treatment and an

extremely positive outcome. Sadly

3:00:513:00:57

the first experience is not unusual

with three and a half thousand

3:00:573:01:00

breast cancer is going undetected

each year in the UK alone. I'm aware

3:01:003:01:06

there is a global movement to

educate not only women but also

3:01:063:01:09

health professionals about the

implications of density with a view

3:01:093:01:13

to ultimately saving lives by

promoting earlier diagnosis so that

3:01:133:01:17

tumours can be found when they are

small. Currently in the USA 30

3:01:173:01:22

states have passed legislation to

provide women with some level of

3:01:223:01:24

information on breast density

detailing the increased risk they

3:01:243:01:29

face and how effective mammograms

are likely to be for them. I know

3:01:293:01:33

this is an area that the Minister

has a great deal of interest in as

3:01:333:01:36

it is something I have raised

previously and it is pleasing to see

3:01:363:01:39

that in the UK some action is

already being taken. But the

3:01:393:01:44

government commissioning research by

Warwick University on the subject.

3:01:443:01:48

There is also clear evidence showing

high breast density eclipses family

3:01:483:01:52

history as a risk factor for

developing breast cancer. So what

3:01:523:01:57

are the solutions? In an ideal world

the answer is to change screening

3:01:573:02:01

guidelines and offer further

screening to those women at risk.

3:02:013:02:04

But I appreciate the changes on the

skill needs we wait on the outcome

3:02:043:02:10

of the research so long-term

decisions can be reached. But there

3:02:103:02:16

is a straightforward solution which

can be found right now, there is a

3:02:163:02:24

definite need to promote awareness

not only to women but also health

3:02:243:02:28

professionals including GPs who are

the usual first port of call for

3:02:283:02:32

women concerned about their health.

This simple task of educating about

3:02:323:02:38

breast density can potentially

promote more positive health

3:02:383:02:42

outcomes, lead to less harsh

treatments, reduce mastectomies,

3:02:423:02:47

avoid secondary cancer and

ultimately save lives. To conclude

3:02:473:02:51

Madam Deputy Speaker over the past

two years I have learned an awful

3:02:513:02:54

lot about breast density and I would

like to think that as a result of

3:02:543:02:58

today's debate more people will be

informed about the impact it can

3:02:583:03:02

have. But questions remain, do the

women in your family or friends know

3:03:023:03:07

the risk that is posed to them from

breast density? Does your wife,

3:03:073:03:11

mother, sister or daughter now that

a clear mammogram may not actually

3:03:113:03:16

be clear? And shouldn't these

potentially life-saving pieces of

3:03:163:03:20

information be available to every

single woman to ensure that the

3:03:203:03:24

government 's excellent ambition of

an even better cancer survival rate

3:03:243:03:29

and delivering a world-class cancer

outcome can be achieved?

Thank you

3:03:293:03:35

Madam Deputy Speaker, it's a real

pleasure to follow the member who

3:03:353:03:40

reminds us of the importance of

using the expertise and knowledge we

3:03:403:03:43

have got in the system to improve

and accelerate improvements of

3:03:433:03:47

outcomes now. I would like to thank

the honourable member for Basildon

3:03:473:03:52

and Billericay who I know is

disappointed not to be here for

3:03:523:03:55

securing the debate and for his time

and education in chairing the

3:03:553:04:02

all-party group so well and

impressively over the last nine

3:04:023:04:05

years. This debate is focused on the

cancer strategy and the current

3:04:053:04:09

challenges it faces. It is important

as well to reflect on the positives.

3:04:093:04:14

In the space of my lifetime the

progress made in understanding,

3:04:143:04:19

diagnosing and treating cancer has

been remarkable Madam Deputy

3:04:193:04:23

Speaker. In the 1950s there was a

limited knowledge of cancers and the

3:04:233:04:29

risk factors associated, the NHS had

only recently emerged and there was

3:04:293:04:33

no coordinated plan to treat cancer.

We've come a long way since then.

3:04:333:04:39

Since the 1970s cancer survival

rates in the UK have doubled, this

3:04:393:04:42

is a real credit to the countless

health Provisionals, researchers,

3:04:423:04:47

volunteers charities and of course

patients who have pioneered progress

3:04:473:04:51

and continue to do so every day. It

is because of them we are where we

3:04:513:04:55

are, where a person in the UK is

more likely to survive cancer than

3:04:553:05:00

to die from it. However the remain

massive challenges. My constituent

3:05:003:05:05

came to see me after losing her

husband to pancreatic cancer in

3:05:053:05:11

2009, it is her fault I have ended

up as the chair of the all-party

3:05:113:05:14

group of pancreatic cancer. Kevin's

own mother died of the same thing 40

3:05:143:05:21

years earlier and the shocking thing

about that story is that the chances

3:05:213:05:26

of survival were no better than his

mothers and in most parts of life

3:05:263:05:30

the world has moved on rapidly in 40

years but in this part it has not.

3:05:303:05:33

In fact less than 7% in the UK,

pancreatic cancer has the worst

3:05:333:05:40

five-year survival rates of the 20

most common cancers with the new

3:05:403:05:43

Cray ranked 26th out of the 27 EU

countries

3:05:433:05:50

Cray ranked 26th out of the 27 EU

countries. Sadly pancreatic cancer

3:05:503:05:52

is on course to become the fourth

biggest cancer killer by 2026 so

3:05:523:05:57

action is needed now.

I am grateful

to the honourable gentleman for

3:05:573:06:05

giving way, would he agree that it

is vital, if we are to attack those

3:06:053:06:10

outliers that as well as the great

research we do here we make sure the

3:06:103:06:13

NHS is better at adopting and taking

up innovative medicines? That is a

3:06:133:06:18

large part of what the exhilarated

access review, the Informatics

3:06:183:06:23

programme is about, making sure the

NHS is capable of not just doing the

3:06:233:06:27

research but of enlightened

procurement to take up more quickly

3:06:273:06:32

drugs that work?

Absolutely and I

will come to that in my speech. As

3:06:323:06:35

the honourable member moving the

debate pointed out so well we are

3:06:353:06:41

almost halfway into the five-year

implementation plan of the

3:06:413:06:44

governments cancer strategy for

England. At this point there are

3:06:443:06:48

concerns about the rate of progress

being made. The workforce plan is

3:06:483:06:52

not yet as effective as we would

like. As the royal college of

3:06:523:07:00

pathologists point out while it can

take up to 15 years to train a

3:07:003:07:05

pathologist pathology services are

unable to recruit two vacant posts

3:07:053:07:09

today and it's anticipated that a

third of consultants will retire in

3:07:093:07:12

the next five years. This is just

one example of the we face.

3:07:123:07:18

Workforce capacity must be addressed

to change survival outcomes. It

3:07:183:07:26

would be good if the Minister could

update us on what is being done to

3:07:263:07:31

provide the funding needed based

upon England's cancer workforce

3:07:313:07:34

plan. Fast access to quick and

accurate diagnosis test is crucial

3:07:343:07:39

for pancreatic cancer patients many

are diagnosed too late. When surgery

3:07:393:07:44

is no longer available. In the

all-party pancreatic group early

3:07:443:07:49

diagnosis enquiry time to change the

story there was anecdotal evidence

3:07:493:07:54

from a health care professional that

a CT scan can be done quite quickly

3:07:543:07:59

but the report can sometimes take

ten weeks. It would be helpful if

3:07:593:08:04

the Minister's department were able

to respond to the recommendations in

3:08:043:08:08

the report and the progress being

made in that area. Not only

3:08:083:08:13

pancreatic cancer but other cancers

like blood cancers diagnosis can be

3:08:133:08:17

confiscated because symptoms can be

misunderstood or misdiagnosed.

3:08:173:08:24

Delays can have a major impact on a

patient's quality of life and

3:08:243:08:27

overall outcome and last elder

diagnosis would make a difference

3:08:273:08:31

for many not all blood cancers. To

change this recommendations for

3:08:313:08:36

early diagnosis should be reviewed

to ensure that all people with blood

3:08:363:08:41

cancer are benefiting from early,

accurate diagnosis. GPs could be

3:08:413:08:45

encouraged to ask for a simple blood

test for people displaying one or

3:08:453:08:49

more blood cancer symptoms.

Diagnostic techniques also have the

3:08:493:08:56

potential to guide what treatment

options are likely to be effective.

3:08:563:08:58

Last month it was provisionally

rejected to use five tumour

3:08:583:09:05

profiling test to gauge treatment

decisions on whether patients with a

3:09:053:09:08

particular type of early breast

cancer should also have received

3:09:083:09:11

chemotherapy following surgery,

reversing the previous guidance

3:09:113:09:17

recommending the option. This goes

to the point the honourable member

3:09:173:09:22

opposite was saying about using

genomics effectively and any precise

3:09:223:09:27

way. Breast cancer now is concerned

this could be a backward step for

3:09:273:09:33

some breast cancer patients

especially in the context of the

3:09:333:09:37

current cancer strategy is welcome

ambition to enable more personalised

3:09:373:09:40

treatment. I will indulge the

honourable member.

Would he agree

3:09:403:09:48

that on the subject the work of the

Institute in Birmingham led by

3:09:483:09:54

Professor Charlie Craddick and the

cure lead to the team working on

3:09:543:09:56

blood cancers has written the

playbook on how we do early

3:09:563:10:00

diagnosis. They have pulled in £200

million of free drugs for NHS

3:10:003:10:05

patients by doing exhilarated

access.

There is wonderful work

3:10:053:10:09

going on and it goes back to what

the member before me said, that we

3:10:093:10:13

need to grab this wonderful work and

move it forward and not be held back

3:10:133:10:16

by frameworks which are not quick

enough to move with the times. The

3:10:163:10:22

ability to personalise treatment

based on Trym profiling which would

3:10:223:10:26

allow many to avoid the brutal side

effects as the potential to reduce

3:10:263:10:32

the associated costs with the

therapy. It can give clinicians and

3:10:323:10:37

patients are valuable reassurance

that they may safely not have

3:10:373:10:40

chemotherapy which reduces

overtreatment. Nice is not community

3:10:403:10:44

clearly enough the reasons behind

rejecting the use of tumour

3:10:443:10:48

profiling tests as it is unclear if

this is a result of additional

3:10:483:10:54

evidence, the cost, or both. Behind

the recent provisional rejection of

3:10:543:11:03

tumour profiling tests to gauge

treatment decisions any specific

3:11:033:11:06

group of breast cancer patients. The

cancer strategy calls on Public

3:11:063:11:10

Health England to continue to invest

in campaigns to raise awareness of

3:11:103:11:16

the possible symptoms of cancer.

It's a big challenge for pancreatic

3:11:163:11:20

cancer as well as others. A poll

carried out in 2017 found that 35%

3:11:203:11:26

of adults in the UK would not be

worried if they had few of the

3:11:263:11:31

penitential symptoms of pancreatic

cancer. Last year Public Health

3:11:313:11:34

England launched an exciting

regional pilot including persistent

3:11:343:11:42

diarrhoea, although the results were

positive it's not yet been rolled

3:11:423:11:45

out nationally. I would be keen to

know when the minister plans a

3:11:453:11:50

national roll-out on the campaign.

In conclusion Madam Deputy Speaker

3:11:503:11:54

much has been done and much is

happening but there is much more to

3:11:543:11:58

do. Cancer Alliance has a

significant role in delivering

3:11:583:12:01

effective change and many are

clearly making a difference.

3:12:013:12:06

Workforce planning, early diagnosis

and greater symptom awareness are

3:12:063:12:09

key areas we need to up our game as

we move into the second half of this

3:12:093:12:14

five-year cancer strategy.

3:12:143:12:17

Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I

would like to also thank the

3:12:213:12:27

honourable member for East Kilbride

for securing this debate and I would

3:12:273:12:30

like to take this opportunity to

discuss blood cancer in particular

3:12:303:12:34

as many will know there are many

different types of blood cancer from

3:12:343:12:37

leukaemia, lymphoma and Mullah Omar

to the rarest that affect just a few

3:12:373:12:43

people. Blood cancer is a complex

and much misunderstood gees Leave

3:12:433:12:53

disease area. It is the third

biggest cancer killer and the fifth

3:12:533:12:57

most common overall with over

230,000 people living with blood

3:12:573:13:01

cancer. Compare to other cancers

those blood cancer patients had to

3:13:013:13:05

see her GP significantly more times

before being referred to hospital,

3:13:053:13:11

more than 35% had to see their GP

three or more times before referral

3:13:113:13:16

compare to only 6% for breast cancer

and 23% for other solid tumour

3:13:163:13:22

types. Blood cancer is by far the

most common cancer among people

3:13:223:13:26

under the age of 30. Despite that

Madam Deputy Speaker there are still

3:13:263:13:32

a number of issues with blood cancer

which need addressed. As the

3:13:323:13:37

honourable member for Scunthorpe has

said diagnosing can be very complex

3:13:373:13:41

at times, symptoms such as back pain

or tiredness are often misunderstood

3:13:413:13:46

and diagnosed as other conditions.

Those delays can lead to major

3:13:463:13:52

problems for the patients, not only

for quality of life but the overall

3:13:523:13:55

outcome. Recommendations for early

diagnosis in the cancer strategy

3:13:553:14:01

should be reviewed to ensure all

people with blood cancer and

3:14:013:14:05

benefiting from early and accurate

diagnosis. GPs should be encouraged

3:14:053:14:08

to ask a simple blood tests for

people displaying one or more blood

3:14:083:14:12

cancer symptoms. And the cancer

strategy says all cancer patients

3:14:123:14:16

will have had access to the recovery

practice by 2020. This helps once

3:14:163:14:21

the treatment has ended to return to

their normal lives.

3:14:213:14:24

It includes a review of the cancer

care but the package is based around

3:14:293:14:33

the needs for people with solid

tumour cancers. People with chronic

3:14:333:14:43

leukaemia, relapsing and phoning,

say that the term such as beyond

3:14:433:14:46

cancer and post treatment are not

applicable to them. In order to

3:14:463:14:49

ensure that people with blood cancer

receive sufficient support, I would

3:14:493:14:55

like to ask if my right honourable

friend would consider how all blood

3:14:553:15:01

cancer patients can benefit from

after-care support, including

3:15:013:15:05

ensuring the recovery package takes

account of the unique

3:15:053:15:09

characteristics of blood cancer.

Madam Deputy Speaker, 5000 people a

3:15:093:15:13

year with some slow-growing blood

cancers are put on a regime of watch

3:15:133:15:19

and wait instead of starting

treatment straightaway. Though

3:15:193:15:25

cancer is monitored potentially for

many years before treatment needs to

3:15:253:15:28

start. This can be difficult for

many patients and can lead to

3:15:283:15:34

psychological distress. Tailored

psychological support must be made

3:15:343:15:37

available to those patients and

watch and wait. I'd like treatment

3:15:373:15:41

of solid shimmer cancers, blood

cancers are not often treatable

3:15:413:15:47

through the use of surgery or

radiotherapy. This means blood

3:15:473:15:51

cancer is more dependent on the

development of new drugs and being

3:15:513:15:55

able to access them, and in order to

continue to improve patient

3:15:553:15:58

outcomes, that's very important.

Continued Government investment in

3:15:583:16:05

blood cancer research, including a

clinical trials infrastructure, is

3:16:053:16:09

required to capitalise on the UK's

position as a reader in blood cancer

3:16:093:16:14

research. This will benefit patients

but also help the Government reach

3:16:143:16:20

ambitions outlined in the UK life

sciences industrial strategy. The

3:16:203:16:25

cancer strategy sets out to clinical

leaders should work together in

3:16:253:16:29

Cancer alliances with those affected

by cancer to decide on how local

3:16:293:16:34

care and services should be

delivered. But despite this

3:16:343:16:37

omission, patients often find the

services are fragmented, adding

3:16:373:16:42

stress to their experience. This can

be a particular problem for blood

3:16:423:16:47

cancer because patients are often

treated in haematology units rather

3:16:473:16:50

than oncology. Cancer alliances

should reduce fragmentation between

3:16:503:16:55

the different stages of care for

blood cancer patients by

3:16:553:16:59

acknowledging and bridging the

recognised gaps between oncology and

3:16:593:17:03

haematology departments and between

primary and secondary care. To

3:17:033:17:08

conclude, the cancer dashboard has

been developed following a

3:17:083:17:12

recommendation on the cancer

strategy. It allows clinicians and

3:17:123:17:16

others to compare performance of

clinical commissioning groups and

3:17:163:17:19

identify areas for improvement.

However it only covers the four most

3:17:193:17:27

common salute tumour types, long,

breast, prostate and colorectal, and

3:17:273:17:32

this equates to less than half of

all cancer cases. Can my right

3:17:323:17:37

honourable friend provide ensures

that the health service will

3:17:373:17:40

actively work to include blood

cancer in the cancer dashboard? As

3:17:403:17:45

the fifth most common cancer and to

ensure that decisions about future

3:17:453:17:49

services to disregard these

patients. -- don't disregard these

3:17:493:17:56

patients.

It is an honour to follow

the right honourable man member who

3:17:563:18:05

spoke knowledgeably. Like everyone

in this House, I'm sure I can speak

3:18:053:18:10

about many aspects of cancer as we

probably all can, including my own

3:18:103:18:14

experience. I could speak about the

very moving speech made by Baroness

3:18:143:18:21

Jowell, a very special moment in

Parliament's history and one I will

3:18:213:18:24

be glad to be there for but I'm very

sad that she had to be. I could

3:18:243:18:32

speak about how horrible

chemotherapy is and how deeply a

3:18:323:18:34

girl can feel the loss of her

eyelashes. I could speak about my

3:18:343:18:42

support for health labelling and

alcohol, because people are unaware

3:18:423:18:45

of the connections between it and

cancer. I hope he will support

3:18:453:18:51

better labelling. I could speak

about how important healthy habits

3:18:513:18:57

are generally for reducing cancer

and would ask the minister if he

3:18:573:19:00

would do more to urge people to take

up healthy habits from an early age.

3:19:003:19:04

I could speak about how women should

learn how to check their breasts

3:19:043:19:08

properly because many have told me

they don't know how. I could tell

3:19:083:19:13

you what I learned last week about

the contribution CERN has made to

3:19:133:19:20

improving diagnoses of cancer

through the development of the

3:19:203:19:23

magnetic resonance imaging machine.

I also spoke to scientists who are

3:19:233:19:28

doing what they can to reduce the

very frightening knocking effects

3:19:283:19:31

that happens when you are in fact

cited. But I'm going to speak about

3:19:313:19:37

the patient experience of a very

specific group, children and young

3:19:373:19:41

people with cancer and their

families. I say to those children

3:19:413:19:46

and young people, their parents, the

clinicians and charity supporting

3:19:463:19:51

them, this speech is for you. I pay

tribute in particular to the teenage

3:19:513:19:56

Cancer trust and thank them and all

other charities who help children

3:19:563:20:01

and young people with cancer every

day. I want to give very personal

3:20:013:20:05

close to my sister-in-law Emily, who

is following the hearing,

3:20:053:20:12

fundraising is an inspiration to

many and whose personal knowledge

3:20:123:20:14

has taught me so much. I will

happily give way to my noble friend.

3:20:143:20:21

As a parent of a child who has had

the support of the charity, and it

3:20:213:20:28

is and then supporting you only from

a medical point of view, it is

3:20:283:20:32

people to talk to to understand what

your child and you are going

3:20:323:20:37

through.

I thank my honourable

friend for that intervention. The

3:20:373:20:45

specialist organisations understand

what the families are going through,

3:20:453:20:48

how devastating the diagnosis can

be, but also what can be done to

3:20:483:20:52

help people through it. I set up the

all-party Parliamentary group on

3:20:523:20:57

childhood and teenage cancer last

year with the help of CLIC Sargent

3:20:573:21:04

and teenage Cancer trust for

children and young people living

3:21:043:21:05

with cancer and their parents

because they told me they want to

3:21:053:21:08

have their voices heard in

Parliament. I think the officers who

3:21:083:21:12

are almost all here, for their

support. And childhood cancers are

3:21:123:21:22

thankfully rare, just 4000 people

under 25 each year in the UK are

3:21:223:21:29

diagnosed with cancer, but this

rarity means they are often die as

3:21:293:21:32

Michael difficult to diagnose and

much more likely than Oldham

3:21:323:21:37

patients to be diagnosed at a later

stage. This also means that

3:21:373:21:41

treatment can be difficult and

children, young people and their

3:21:413:21:43

peers have to travel a long way for

specialist treatment. It can mean

3:21:433:21:47

treatment can be unpleasantly

aggressive. There are consequences

3:21:473:21:54

for children's education, future

employment, the treatment affects

3:21:543:21:59

their fertility. Some of them may

not even be thinking about them at

3:21:593:22:03

the time of diagnosis. It may cause

a disability, set them apart from

3:22:033:22:08

their friends at the time they are

finding out who they are. In

3:22:083:22:12

Bristol, the teenage Cancer trust

provides a specialist ward for

3:22:123:22:18

teenage patients. They are able to

help teenagers and their parents get

3:22:183:22:23

through this difficult time with the

services tailored to the specific

3:22:233:22:27

needs. CLIC Sargent provides a

specialist support and in Bristol

3:22:273:22:31

that includes a home for children

and their families to live and have

3:22:313:22:36

here whilst they are having cancer

treatment. A parent I met when

3:22:363:22:41

visiting the CLIC Sargent has told

me of arriving in Bristol with

3:22:413:22:45

nothing apart from them and their

child expecting a checkup and by the

3:22:453:22:49

evening discovered that their child

had cancer and that treatment was

3:22:493:22:53

due to start immediately. The CLIC

Sargent social worker can explain

3:22:533:22:58

what the House does, what the

facilities are and can help guide

3:22:583:23:01

people who are just suddenly dealing

with the really traumatising

3:23:013:23:05

experience, but also having no

supplies to cope with the next few

3:23:053:23:08

days. Two years ago, the cost of

cancer and support, whose Parliament

3:23:083:23:15

launch I had the honour of hosting,

identified specific costs for

3:23:153:23:20

families affected by chartered

cancer. I urge the Minister to look

3:23:203:23:23

at it again. We are launching our

first enquiry on Monday. We are

3:23:233:23:34

looking at patient experience, and I

know the Minister will want to

3:23:343:23:37

engage with that process as we go

forward. We want Parliament to

3:23:373:23:41

understand better the really

specific experience of children and

3:23:413:23:44

young people with cancer and their

families and identifying whether

3:23:443:23:48

there needs are being met at where

improvements can be made. There

3:23:483:23:52

might be suggestions for

improvements to diagnosis or

3:23:523:23:55

post-treatment support or help with

the very specific about of cancer

3:23:553:23:58

diagnosis. And all those other

consequences I have listed. Many of

3:23:583:24:05

us who may have had contact with

children with cancer or their

3:24:053:24:10

appearance in her constituency work

and I say to those people, this

3:24:103:24:14

enquiry is for you but it's about

you and it's with you. Young people,

3:24:143:24:19

parents and professionals can get

involved by filling in the short

3:24:193:24:23

survey online on the all-party

Twitter feed and website from

3:24:233:24:27

Monday. They can find out more about

the enquiry on the web page, just

3:24:273:24:38

Google APPG and cancer. We are

informed by what young people have

3:24:383:24:41

already told us and have heard and

analysed evidence as well as giving

3:24:413:24:47

it. The Government is committed to

collecting patient experience data

3:24:473:24:53

for the under 16. This is

progressing and we are pleased to

3:24:533:24:55

hear about it, but I would like the

Minister to consider how it might be

3:24:553:25:00

improved and tell us a bit more

about it. I will happily give way.

3:25:003:25:06

CLIC Sargent a few years ago now

produced a report about children

3:25:063:25:10

with cancer going back to school

which are really highlighted some of

3:25:103:25:15

the major problems and the lack of

guidelines about how teachers are

3:25:153:25:20

actually given the proper

understanding. Particularly if the

3:25:203:25:22

children are very young, is not only

difficult for them, but also the

3:25:223:25:26

other children at the school who

have perhaps a senior friend who

3:25:263:25:30

they saw looked perfectly normal and

now might not have hair or something

3:25:303:25:36

like that. We need a proper system

in place so those children can be

3:25:363:25:42

properly included than excluded.

Absolutely right and I know from

3:25:423:25:47

Michael Leask unions in my circle of

exactly how that can affect both the

3:25:473:25:52

young person but also their

educators and their peers. Young

3:25:523:25:56

people have spoken to me with very

difficult experiences, some who had

3:25:563:26:00

good support from their school and

others have been told they were

3:26:003:26:04

upsetting their colleagues with

their hairlessness. But it should be

3:26:043:26:15

an opportunity to work with young

people about how they can support

3:26:153:26:19

their friend and reduced their own

risk through making healthy choices

3:26:193:26:21

at that point. I will close shortly,

but I want to finish by rear to

3:26:213:26:28

rating to all honourable members in

the House and beyond that if they

3:26:283:26:32

would like to get involved with the

all-party group of this enquiry,

3:26:323:26:36

please get in touch with me. If

children, young people are parents

3:26:363:26:41

and other family members wanted

their voices heard, they can contact

3:26:413:26:45

the group myself for their own MPs.

I hope the Government and parliament

3:26:453:26:52

generally will be willing to hear

those voices, needs and experiences

3:26:523:26:55

of children and young people with

cancer and their families. I'm sure

3:26:553:27:00

everyone here is committed to that,

but we really must actually do that.

3:27:003:27:09

I would like to thank the member for

East Kilbride for securing the

3:27:093:27:14

debate today and also state that it

is an honour to follow the member

3:27:143:27:17

for Bristol worst of what was a

passionate and very well-informed

3:27:173:27:20

speech. We all have loved ones that

have been affected by cancer. I lost

3:27:203:27:27

my maternal grandparents to breast

and oesophageal cancer. Many in my

3:27:273:27:32

family have suffered from melanoma

and one of my friends is currently

3:27:323:27:35

battling cancer. We have all heard

harrowing stories by constituencies.

3:27:353:27:44

Cancer is indiscriminate and yes we

can make lifestyle changes to try

3:27:443:27:48

and avoid it and be aware with The

Simpsons, advances in medicine mean

3:27:483:27:52

we can fight it more effectively and

can detect it earlier to increase

3:27:523:27:56

the Lords, but there are still no

guarantees. Cancer is a powerful

3:27:563:28:01

rates are at a record high with

around 7000 people alive today who

3:28:013:28:05

would not have been hit maternity

rates be the same in 2010. --

3:28:053:28:10

mortality rates. This is a step in

the right direction and we are not

3:28:103:28:16

at our destination. For all those

who lose their mother or child or

3:28:163:28:21

friend today and hero of this

debate, I want them to know the

3:28:213:28:25

Government and MPs and get it, we

get that were on the right track but

3:28:253:28:28

equally there is so far to go

because cancer is still the most

3:28:283:28:33

dangerous serial killer that remains

at large and that is why we must

3:28:333:28:39

continue to prioritise this area.

The formation of the 1.2 billion

3:28:393:28:44

cancer drug fund was a massive step

forward and has helped over 95,000

3:28:443:28:49

people to access the life extending

drugs they need. As was the

3:28:493:28:53

fermentation of the pass cancer

strategy. In 2010, we had some of

3:28:533:29:06

the worst survival rates in Europe,

but we are now closing that gap.

3:29:063:29:16

57,000 more patients started cancer

treatment last year. When it comes

3:29:163:29:21

to cancer prevention is key. I do

welcome the increase in investment

3:29:213:29:26

in Cancer Research by the National

Institute for health research since

3:29:263:29:29

2010. And also the work that the

Pazdan along with Cancer Research UK

3:29:293:29:37

including a jointly funded effort of

18 experimental cancer medicine

3:29:373:29:40

centres aimed at driving the

development and testing new

3:29:403:29:44

anti-cancer treatments. In terms of

prevention I would like to draw

3:29:443:29:47

attention to the HPV high uptake,

high uptake of the HPV vaccination

3:29:473:29:54

amongst teenage girls which can

prevent around 600 cancers per year

3:29:543:29:59

and 99% of cervical cancer cases. I

have spoken before in this chamber

3:29:593:30:04

on Public Health England's Tobacco

control plan aiming to usher in the

3:30:043:30:09

first smoke-free generation by 2022.

Improving diagnosis is also equally

3:30:093:30:15

essential. Public health campaigns

such as be clear on cancer are vital

3:30:153:30:19

to raise awareness of early symptoms

especially amongst less common

3:30:193:30:24

cancers. Crucially the 200 million

which has been invested to ensure

3:30:243:30:28

patients received a diagnosis or the

all clear within 28 days by 2020

3:30:283:30:32

will make a huge difference. This

would have benefited my constituent

3:30:323:30:37

Madam Deputy Speaker whose symptoms

were initially dismissed as

3:30:373:30:41

irritable bowel syndrome and then

she waited for a long time

3:30:413:30:44

protesting. She is now terminally

ill with bowel cancer. But she is

3:30:443:30:49

trying to work hard every single day

to raise awareness and help others

3:30:493:30:52

to get diagnosed quickly. Almost

everyone will survive bowel cancer

3:30:523:30:58

if diagnosed early. In fact nine in

ten people. Yet shockingly and sadly

3:30:583:31:04

only 15% of people diagnosed, are

diagnosed at this stage.

She's

3:31:043:31:12

making a very powerful point, on the

question of early diagnosis,

3:31:123:31:17

prevention and screening, would she

agree that the hundred thousand

3:31:173:31:21

Geelong project we launched in the

UK focused on cancer and rare

3:31:213:31:24

disease which is seeking volunteers

for gene sequence

INAUDIBLE

3:31:243:31:30

Is a brilliant way for people to get

involved and if anyone is concerned

3:31:303:31:35

get involved and in role, we still

need another 50,000 patients and

3:31:353:31:39

it's a massive way of getting access

to early diagnosis.

Time did not

3:31:393:31:45

permit me to cover that so I am

grateful he has covered that. In

3:31:453:31:50

terms of bowel cancer I welcome the

new test that is going to be rolled

3:31:503:31:57

out in April, it is more sensitive

and accurate and can detect twice as

3:31:573:32:00

many cancers as the current rate.

Currently only half of those invited

3:32:003:32:05

to take part in testing do but it's

proven scientifically to increase

3:32:053:32:09

the number participating in the

programme, especially as an easier

3:32:093:32:13

and more hygienic post them current

tests. But the awareness of symptoms

3:32:133:32:18

coupled with the new test and the

ageing population is leading

3:32:183:32:22

charities within the sector to voice

concerns of a looming endoscopic

3:32:223:32:26

workforce crisis. I will cancel and

jerky and beating bowel and

3:32:263:32:33

especially as all my 48 have been

trained so far. I would like to hear

3:32:393:32:43

more from the Minister in response

to this so my constituent can be

3:32:433:32:48

assured that others may be diagnosed

earlier than she was. Madam Deputy

3:32:483:32:53

Speaker one of the key issues when

it comes to beating cancer and

3:32:533:32:58

preventing cancer is also getting

screened regularly when applicable.

3:32:583:33:02

This is especially the case of

cervical cancer. The NHS cervical

3:33:023:33:06

screening programme in England

offers screening to women aged 25-49

3:33:063:33:11

every three years and women aged 58

and 60 for every five years. Every

3:33:113:33:16

year in the UK around 3000 women are

diagnosed with cervical cancer but

3:33:163:33:21

research shows the number of women

using the service has dropped to a

3:33:213:33:25

20-year-old time low. Over 1.2

million people are not attending

3:33:253:33:30

screening and last. A recent report

showed that embarrassment is a key

3:33:303:33:36

barrier to attendance for between

one third to one half of all women

3:33:363:33:40

as is the desire not to miss work.

There is also a severe lack of

3:33:403:33:45

understanding about the importance

of the screening. Shockingly one in

3:33:453:33:50

three women aged 25-29 Mr smear yet

cervical cancer is the most common

3:33:503:33:54

for women under the age of 35. We

must address this. I have noted that

3:33:543:34:02

imperial college have conducted a

trial to assess the effectiveness of

3:34:023:34:06

texting non-responders on improving

coverage. But I do think we should

3:34:063:34:10

just do this as it can only help. I

also welcome the Department of

3:34:103:34:15

Health behavioural insight team

which has undertaken a trial to

3:34:153:34:18

investigate the use of behavioural

insights to optimise the contact of

3:34:183:34:21

the invitation letter. I must admit

that I was one of these women, I put

3:34:213:34:30

off my screening for years, I left

it on the bottom of my to-do list.

3:34:303:34:34

Let it fit in around my job. It kept

every year. I must admit if I am

3:34:343:34:40

honest I did not realise that

cervical cancer is the most common

3:34:403:34:43

in women under the age of 35. When I

did have my screening I had to go

3:34:433:34:48

through the processes once abnormal

cells were shown. As my results

3:34:483:34:56

showed high grade abnormalities I'm

extremely thankful I went when I

3:34:563:34:58

went. I would like to take this

opportunity to praise the work with

3:34:583:35:05

the information and support provided

to women, I know personally I find

3:35:053:35:08

it extremely helpful. We seem to be

very British about cervical smear

3:35:083:35:15

tests and don't like to talk about

them much. This is not promoting

3:35:153:35:19

people going. Yes it's not nice, it

hurts a little, it is awkward and

3:35:193:35:24

embarrassing. But it could save your

life. That is the message I think we

3:35:243:35:29

need to get out. I think we need to

promote cervical screening from

3:35:293:35:33

school age so women recognise all

the risks and the importance of

3:35:333:35:39

going from age 20 five. In September

and October 2017

3:35:393:35:45

to our squad activities they had

undertaken to increase coverage from

3:35:513:35:54

August 2016 to August 2017 along of

the outcomes. Of the 149 local

3:35:543:36:04

authorities who responded 32% had

not undertaken any activities at

3:36:043:36:07

all. I ask the Minister to

commission a review and a strategy

3:36:073:36:14

to increase the falling rates of

cervical screening is looking at the

3:36:143:36:18

availability and challenges of

reaching all women. And the need for

3:36:183:36:22

awareness of cervical cancer. To

conclude Madam Deputy Speaker

3:36:223:36:26

MacMillan claimed by 2020 47% of

people will get cancer at some point

3:36:263:36:31

in their life. That is almost one in

two. That's the scale of the problem

3:36:313:36:37

we face. So whilst we have come so

fast and twisted ten in terms of

3:36:373:36:42

diagnosis and treatment there is

still so far to go.

3:36:423:36:44

Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I

would like to start by thanking the

3:36:503:36:54

member of East Kilbride for bringing

this debate around, it matters a lot

3:36:543:36:58

to a lot of people. Most people will

talk about statistics but I'm going

3:36:583:37:02

to talk about the impact on the

people behind the statistics. A lot

3:37:023:37:06

of us here have been affected by

cancer, my daughter died at just 35

3:37:063:37:12

of breast cancer and I will talk

about cancer from a patient's

3:37:123:37:14

perspective. One in eight women

develop breast cancer in their

3:37:143:37:20

lifetime and 80% survival five

years. 95% of women will survive one

3:37:203:37:26

year, my daughters survived 13

months. Recent data shows 11,500

3:37:263:37:33

women and 18 men in the UK still die

from breast cancer. My daughter was

3:37:333:37:38

diagnosed with triple negative

breast cancer in April 2010 and died

3:37:383:37:45

13 months later. She was a very

bright girl with a degree in

3:37:453:37:48

politics and social work and worked

with underprivileged children, she

3:37:483:37:53

also had a husband and three small

children. She was treated at

3:37:533:37:57

Nottingham City Hospital. She had

chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a

3:37:573:38:04

mastectomy and her treatment was

amazing, they could not have been

3:38:043:38:06

better. As well as that she came

home for the final three weeks of

3:38:063:38:10

her life to die and the team who

came to support me and her husband

3:38:103:38:16

were amazing as well, I cannot thank

them enough. I want to talk a little

3:38:163:38:21

bit about some of the information

that breast cancer now charity have

3:38:213:38:25

made available to me, I am an

ambassador for them because I

3:38:253:38:28

decided one of the things I wanted

to do was be an ambassador for a

3:38:283:38:33

breast cancer charity. They have

said it will be challenging to meet

3:38:333:38:36

the objectives set out in the cancer

strategy and mice corrective action

3:38:363:38:39

is taken. My daughter 's cancer was

advanced, stage three when it was

3:38:393:38:46

diagnosed and screening would

probably not have helped but this

3:38:463:38:49

report has said breast screening is

a key initiative to ensure the early

3:38:493:38:52

detection and diagnosis and although

controversy still exists around

3:38:523:38:57

overdiagnosis its benefits are

recognised to outweigh its risks in

3:38:573:39:03

detecting 30% of breast cancers and

saving 1300 lives a year. This

3:39:033:39:09

report also talks about a shortage

of staff, 32% of radiologists

3:39:093:39:14

expected to retire between 2015-25.

My daughter developed a brain tumour

3:39:143:39:20

which is a common secondary of

breast cancer and she had to go for

3:39:203:39:25

radiotherapy, it is traumatic, she

saw flashing blue and white light,

3:39:253:39:28

she had to wear a mask and the

upsetting thing was because of staff

3:39:283:39:33

shortages she was often lying on a

trolley waiting for things. If you

3:39:333:39:37

can imagine what it's like lying on

a hospital trolley with cancer, it

3:39:373:39:43

is so distressing. That is the

effect on patients of short

3:39:433:39:46

staffing, it's just a phrase in the

report but that is what it means. I

3:39:463:39:52

also want to talk about the lack of

access to a clinical nurse

3:39:523:39:56

specialist in breast cancer now port

they said they are concerned about

3:39:563:40:03

the lack of access for secondary

breast cancer patients, only 21% of

3:40:033:40:07

organisations in England Scotland

and Wales report having one or more

3:40:073:40:12

dedicated to secondary breast

cancer. We now again this is access

3:40:123:40:16

which can make a big difference to

the way people with cancer

3:40:163:40:21

experience their care providing with

support and helping them manage

3:40:213:40:25

systems. This is especially

important for patients with

3:40:253:40:29

incurable secondary breast cancer

who have particularly complex needs.

3:40:293:40:33

I finally want to go back to the

third part of the report, I am sorry

3:40:333:40:40

I am not very co-ordinated, it's a

bit upsetting. Breast cancer now

3:40:403:40:44

have said we have serious concerns

about the future of the survey as

3:40:443:40:48

the result of an introduction of the

new opt out model scheduled on May

3:40:483:40:53

20 18. It has been a key driver of

improvements in cancer carers and

3:40:533:41:01

2010. I want to finish talking about

the aspiration by breast cancer note

3:41:013:41:06

that by 2050 everyone who develops

breast cancer will live. My daughter

3:41:063:41:10

used to say to me because I used to

say two hah I have had so much of my

3:41:103:41:15

life, more than you, I wish it could

be me and she used to say mum, I

3:41:153:41:19

wish it could be no one and I just

think as parliamentarians we have

3:41:193:41:23

got power to influence this and

change it and maybe we can and by

3:41:233:41:34

2015 nobody need die of breast

cancer. Thank you.

Thank you Madam

3:41:343:41:40

Deputy Speaker, I would like to

thank the Honourable lady, the

3:41:403:41:46

member for East Kilbride,

Strathnaver and Lesnar Hagel for

3:41:463:41:48

opening this debate. And Peter Bute

to the excellent work over

3:41:483:41:59

I am delighted to be a supporter of

this debate. As someone who was

3:42:043:42:10

always keenly interested in the

cancer strategy I wanted to

3:42:103:42:14

highlight three particular issues,

one in relation to pancreatic cancer

3:42:143:42:19

which has been very well covered by

my dear friend the member for

3:42:193:42:23

Scunthorpe, I want to make brief

reference to that and mention

3:42:233:42:26

something about the transformation

funding and make a plea to the

3:42:263:42:30

Minister. I also want to mention

advanced radiotherapy which is a

3:42:303:42:35

hobbyhorse of mine. As some of you

may be aware, I have recently

3:42:353:42:39

recovered from a re-occurrence of

lymphatic cancer. I have got some

3:42:393:42:45

first-hand knowledge of the

importance of getting cancer

3:42:453:42:48

strategy right, not least in terms

of early diagnosis and appropriate

3:42:483:42:54

treatment. I believe delivering the

recommendations set out in the

3:42:543:42:59

cancer strategy is crucial to

improving the care and support for

3:42:593:43:03

thousands of people affected by

cancer. I am not seeking to make a

3:43:033:43:07

party political point about the

nature of policy. Essentially it

3:43:073:43:16

requires resources, it requires a

plan, a strategy and commitment. I

3:43:163:43:20

wanted to mention a little bit

pancreatic cancer, it's a type of

3:43:203:43:28

cancer that sadly has taken some

personal friends of mine and it's

3:43:283:43:32

particularly nasty. It has the worst

five-year survival rate of the 20

3:43:323:43:37

most common cancers. At least 7%

across the UK, a figure which has

3:43:373:43:44

hardly changed in 40 years in most

other types of cancer, survivability

3:43:443:43:51

has gone up, with pancreatic cancer

it is unfairly flat and it really

3:43:513:43:55

needs some investment, it needs

urgent action. Because it looks as

3:43:553:44:01

if pancreatic cancer is set to

become the fourth biggest cancer

3:44:013:44:06

killer by 2026 on the current

trajectory. Indeed currently 80% of

3:44:063:44:13

pancreatic cancer patients are

diagnosed at the stage where the

3:44:133:44:17

disease is advanced and sadly

surgery, the only potential curative

3:44:173:44:22

treatment because you cannot get a

pancreas transplant as far as I'm

3:44:223:44:31

aware, surgery isn't an option when

the disease is in an advanced stage.

3:44:313:44:42

Diagnosing pancreatic cancer early

is key to improving those appalling

3:44:423:44:49

survival rates and ensuring patients

are able to live better for longer

3:44:493:44:53

periods following diagnosis. I

looked up the figures for my own

3:44:533:44:55

area and part of the attic --

pancreatic cancer took the lives of

3:44:553:45:03

188 people. Between 2010-2014, so it

is clear that much more work is

3:45:033:45:12

needed to deliver the kind of change

that we must see by people who are

3:45:123:45:17

affected and their families to

achieve the improvements in surprise

3:45:173:45:20

all trades that are so desperately

needed. -- survival rates. I had

3:45:203:45:27

deep pleasure of visiting a local

group of young volunteers. I think

3:45:273:45:36

many members took similar

opportunities. They were raising

3:45:363:45:40

money for a chemotherapy award

because of their own personal and

3:45:403:45:45

family experiences. They thought the

facilities available were inadequate

3:45:453:45:49

because the ward, although filled

with excellent and committed staff,

3:45:493:45:55

was grappling with the increasing

demand and lack of funds. They were

3:45:553:46:00

raising money to buy for firms to

keep the patient is cool and an

3:46:003:46:04

assortment of other things. It is an

indictment that when we are putting

3:46:043:46:08

additional money into the recovery

fund and encouraging people to get

3:46:083:46:12

through the treatment and we are

relying on charitable donations to

3:46:123:46:18

do this. At the Britain against

Cancer conference in 2016, the Chief

3:46:183:46:25

Executive of NHS England announced

200 million pounds of funding for

3:46:253:46:29

cancer along with improving earlier

diagnosis and funding stratified

3:46:293:46:35

pathways. This money was intended to

support the roll-out of the recovery

3:46:353:46:40

package. But since the funding was

announced, there have been

3:46:403:46:44

significant delays in reaching

cancer alliances, with only nine of

3:46:443:46:49

the 16 having received their

funding. As though Britain against

3:46:493:46:55

Cancer conference in December 2017,

the Secretary of State for Health

3:46:553:46:59

said the release of funding to

cancer alliances with be delayed in

3:46:593:47:02

areas that were unable to

demonstrate an improvement in their

3:47:023:47:08

62 day waiting time standard. That

was an additional requirement that

3:47:083:47:12

had not been included as part of the

original criteria set during the

3:47:123:47:17

bidding process. Every person

diagnosed with cancer, it doesn't

3:47:173:47:23

matter where they live, should be

able to rely upon timely diagnosis

3:47:233:47:29

and treatment when told they have

cancer. However, as the final report

3:47:293:47:33

from your party's report on cancer

said, the delays in funding to these

3:47:333:47:43

cancer alliances had had a

significant impact on their ability

3:47:433:47:46

to make progress. I hope that the

Minister is paying attention,

3:47:463:47:53

because this is a question I want to

ask him. I'm very glad to hear he

3:47:533:47:58

is. I know this is an issue that

estate to his heart, it is a serious

3:47:583:48:04

point. The Department of Health must

decouple the release of the

3:48:043:48:10

transformation funding to cancer

alliances from progress against the

3:48:103:48:14

62 day waiting time standard and I

hope he will address that in his

3:48:143:48:17

remarks. I look forward with

anticipation to the Minister's

3:48:173:48:25

remarks. It wouldn't be a

congregation for me on health if I

3:48:253:48:29

didn't mention advanced

radiotherapy. I want to just say

3:48:293:48:35

that I have regularly raised the

benefits and the applications for

3:48:353:48:39

further investment in research and

advanced radiotherapy. I think

3:48:393:48:45

investment and research, because the

cost should be evidence -based. But

3:48:453:48:49

there are a number of areas that are

quite exciting. In particular,

3:48:493:48:55

proton beam therapy. I visited

University College Hospital in

3:48:553:49:01

London for pardon my treatment and I

have seen the installation of the

3:49:013:49:07

proton beam therapy equipment there.

And adaptive radiotherapy based on

3:49:073:49:17

advanced imaging, which is a kind of

empire linear exurbs Loretto. And

3:49:173:49:29

indeed combinations of radiotherapy

with the drugs, bio markers which

3:49:293:49:32

have selections for radiotherapy and

strategies so that it precisely goes

3:49:323:49:38

to the cancer cells and indeed MRT.

I think it is necessary that we

3:49:383:49:46

evaluate the use of new radiotherapy

techniques and compare them with

3:49:463:49:52

conventional techniques, and

includes some surgical techniques.

3:49:523:49:56

Sometimes radiotherapy is more

effective than surgery or some types

3:49:563:50:00

of pharmaceutical products. I am

advocating the should be alongside,

3:50:003:50:05

not instead, and with considerable

evaluation. It could have better

3:50:053:50:12

outcomes and reduced treatment

costs. I would like to thank all of

3:50:123:50:18

my colleagues, honourable friends

and members of the House who serve

3:50:183:50:24

on the APPG on cancer as well of the

charities who continue to do

3:50:243:50:29

excellent work, and those working on

our National Health Service and the

3:50:293:50:33

cancer.

I'd like to congratulate the

honourable member from a school

3:50:333:50:43

bride and thank her for giving us

the opportunity to come and speak in

3:50:433:50:46

this matter. Some of the

contributions have been extremely

3:50:463:50:54

touching and we should thank all of

the members for their wonderful and

3:50:543:50:58

very personal contributions today.

As everyone here can testify to come

3:50:583:51:07

cancer has touched everyone and

there wouldn't be any family who

3:51:073:51:11

isn't aware of it. I think that the

year 2020, one in two should be

3:51:113:51:19

diagnosed in their lifetime. My

father survived cancer on three

3:51:193:51:23

occasions due to the skill of the

surgeon and the care of the nurses

3:51:233:51:28

and the players he believed in. In

relation to it Northern Ireland,

3:51:283:51:34

there are many things that we have

problems with, we all know about the

3:51:343:51:40

political process, but I would

encourage the Minister to remember

3:51:403:51:45

it is a devolved matter, if they

could have some discussions or

3:51:453:51:50

coordination with the permanent

Secretary of health to see anything

3:51:503:51:56

anyway he can help and encourage

health Department there. Cancer in

3:51:563:52:04

Northern Ireland has increased by

25% in the last ten years. Cancer

3:52:043:52:10

cases have reached 9000 for the

first time ever, which gives us an

3:52:103:52:13

indication of where the problems

are. 2.5 million living with or

3:52:133:52:18

beyond cancer in the UK today. I'm

thankful to Macmillan Cancer care

3:52:183:52:25

for the information they have given.

The issue is that not all of these

3:52:253:52:32

people are living well, with many

experiencing emotional, physical and

3:52:323:52:38

financial problems of treatment.

Many face disability or poor health

3:52:383:52:42

following the treatment and it can

remain for many years after

3:52:423:52:46

treatment. It is vital that the NHS

is set up to meet the changing needs

3:52:463:52:50

of cancer patients so they are able

to access advance care when they

3:52:503:52:54

need it. I'm even more conscious of

the financial implications because

3:52:543:52:58

in the five-year for review

projections, it is expected cancer

3:52:583:53:03

sellers should grow by 9%. -- cancer

services. The rubble lady and others

3:53:033:53:15

referred to cancer prevention.

Macmillan is concerned about the

3:53:153:53:21

cancer patient experiences surveys.

We have had them in Northern Ireland

3:53:213:53:24

for a period of time and it is very

important we can see what the trusts

3:53:243:53:29

are doing and the conical

commissioning groups are doing, what

3:53:293:53:33

the cancer types are and the

different aspects of the cancer

3:53:333:53:36

journey. In England, the CPES since

22 has encourage improvement in

3:53:363:53:46

results, which is very important.

Magellan is concerned, just for the

3:53:463:53:55

record, and apologies for not

looking at you directly, and for

3:53:553:53:59

using the word you, McMillan is

concerned that they will not

3:53:593:54:06

continue to deliver the same

high-quality data as the survey

3:54:063:54:11

model is not like to be viable. It's

clear that Macmillan care have

3:54:113:54:21

concerns that we've collected all

this data, done all this

3:54:213:54:26

information, and it has been done

through the CCGs, so it's

3:54:263:54:32

continuation in its current format

is vitally important. I ask you, can

3:54:323:54:39

the Minister provide clarity on the

issues outlined to gives you the

3:54:393:54:45

continued delivery of this essential

and robust patient survey? The

3:54:453:54:49

benefits are there for that date and

I thank the Minister for that.

3:54:493:54:53

Around one in eight phase mental

problems, such as anxiety,

3:54:533:54:59

depression, post-traumatic stress.

Planning is needed to ensure

3:54:593:55:03

everyone living with cancer across

Great Britain and Northern Ireland

3:55:033:55:05

can access the right care and

support, whether this is

3:55:053:55:11

information, financial assistance,

rehabilitation or emotional support.

3:55:113:55:13

Families can get so much emotional

support, but we need to reach

3:55:133:55:18

outside of that. Just 60% of people

with cancer in Northern Ireland

3:55:183:55:23

started treatment and the referrals

and I'm very much in the early

3:55:233:55:28

diagnosis category and the need to

have that in place as well. The

3:55:283:55:36

cancer deaths in Northern Ireland

are that the highest level they have

3:55:363:55:38

ever been on my party is committed

to improving the five-year survival

3:55:383:55:42

rates. We believe tackling resources

to tackle deprivation, which is

3:55:423:55:49

another issue. There is a high level

of cancer incidence in deprivation

3:55:493:55:52

as well. More needs to be done to

ensure all supporters have support

3:55:523:55:58

and access to key information to the

treatment options that are

3:55:583:56:03

available. McMillan is funding a

second Northern Ireland survey

3:56:033:56:08

launched in spring 2018. They have

invested £7 million as a vital

3:56:083:56:15

segment of the workforce is not

keeping pace with demand. They have

3:56:153:56:20

recognised there are shortcomings

and have tried to injuries finance

3:56:203:56:22

where they can to measure things go

the right way. Cancer is the most

3:56:223:56:30

common cause of death in Northern

Ireland. The end of life choices are

3:56:303:56:34

very important and the Northern

Ireland Cancer Registry found that

3:56:343:56:37

75% would prefer to die at home.

It's not subject matter that is easy

3:56:373:56:42

to speak about, but it needs to be

looked at. Jack Miller researchers

3:56:423:56:47

found people are more likely to die

any place of their choice when there

3:56:473:56:51

were voices are recorded. We believe

improvements to end of life care

3:56:513:56:57

should be included in the

opportunity to have advance care

3:56:573:57:01

planning discussions. They have made

a number of recommendations and I

3:57:013:57:05

will conclude with this. It's

referred to as the delivering

3:57:053:57:09

together strategy. I totally respect

Macmillan's reforms, including

3:57:093:57:17

specific actions to improve care and

enhance the patient explains in all

3:57:173:57:22

trusts. Making the recovery package

available to everyone with and

3:57:223:57:28

beyond cancer. Improving cancer

detection, treatment and support.

3:57:283:57:35

Also working with the GPU

federations to ensure care is

3:57:353:57:39

provided closer to home. Long-term

workforce planning to attain a more

3:57:393:57:46

knowledgeable and skilled workforce.

And with effective recruitment

3:57:463:57:50

across disciplines and settings.

Better implementation of all those

3:57:503:57:53

things in relation to the

nonclinical support at each stage of

3:57:533:57:58

the cancer journey. Providing high

quality palliative and end of life

3:57:583:58:06

care only 24-7 bases. Cancer cases

should have end of life care

3:58:063:58:14

conversation that the earliest

stage. Increase the involvement of

3:58:143:58:16

people affected by cancer in the

development of services and

3:58:163:58:20

commitment to one going use of

datum. -- ongoing use of that. And a

3:58:203:58:29

peer review programme to identify

any gaps or inequalities in cancer

3:58:293:58:33

care and pinpoint areas for

improvement locally and benchmarking

3:58:333:58:37

across the UK. I asked them to take

on board the issues we have all

3:58:373:58:44

referred to. If that's the case,

then do what can be done to help a

3:58:443:58:49

massive amount of cancer sufferers

across the whole of the United

3:58:493:58:52

Kingdom of great Britain and

Northern Ireland to have a better

3:58:523:58:57

journey, better outcome and better

support.

I'd like to thank the

3:58:573:59:06

honourable member who can't be an

seat today for being proactive and

3:59:063:59:10

getting us to debate this this

afternoon. Also the member for a

3:59:103:59:16

school pride who stepped in to open

the debate in his absence.

3:59:163:59:18

The resources available to meet

those targets a reminder to us all

3:59:223:59:26

that those in the receipt of

treatment must be involved in the

3:59:263:59:29

ongoing conversations, their

experiences proving end of life care

3:59:293:59:39

to offer the dignity appropriate at

that time. The honourable member for

3:59:393:59:44

Boswell spoke about alternative

therapies and its role that it can

3:59:443:59:48

play and I would include in that

category but I'm not putting words

3:59:483:59:50

in his mouth, the investigation into

the use of medicinal cannabis. The

3:59:503:59:56

honourable member for north-east

focused on post same cell transfer

3:59:564:00:03

care and practical race port

required and also asked if he could

4:00:034:00:07

review the 100 day cut-off date.

Spoke about breast cancer, the UK's

4:00:074:00:13

most common cancer with a survival

rate doubling in the last 20 years.

4:00:134:00:17

He also highlighted dense tissue, an

area which is new to me and the need

4:00:174:00:24

for early diagnosis and called for

better education in this area. The

4:00:244:00:28

honourable member for Scunthorpe put

down challenges about pancreatic

4:00:284:00:34

cancer and where progress has been

made and it seems to be an area

4:00:344:00:37

where minimal progress has been made

over the years. I draw attention to

4:00:374:00:41

the workforce programme and ask nice

if they can possibly clarify some

4:00:414:00:46

decisions. The honourable member for

Dumfries and Galloway talked about

4:00:464:00:52

blood cancer and clinical research

and the honourable member for

4:00:524:00:58

Bristol West spoke about young

people in cancer and the role

4:00:584:01:04

fulfilled given to me by a young man

in my constituency this time last

4:01:044:01:08

year. The honourable member for

Chippenham highlighted the desire

4:01:084:01:12

the government prior Toros Cancer

Research and we've come a long way

4:01:124:01:16

but we have still got a long way to

go. She also highlighted the need

4:01:164:01:22

for early diagnosis, occurring theme

we have heard throughout this

4:01:224:01:25

afternoon. The honourable member for

Lincoln spoke very movingly about

4:01:254:01:30

the people behind the statistics

including her own daughter. She also

4:01:304:01:34

highlighted the reality of staff

shortages and what they would need

4:01:344:01:37

to patients. The honourable member

for Islington spoke with first-hand

4:01:374:01:43

knowledge of overcoming cancer and

as many speakers have said survivors

4:01:434:01:48

experience should be hugely

influential on developing better

4:01:484:01:52

treatments, who could possibly have

a better understanding? The

4:01:524:01:57

honourable member for Strangford

mentioned that every family is

4:01:574:02:01

touched in some way by cancer. He

also touched on financial

4:02:014:02:05

implications and I shall take up the

topic later on. Despite our progress

4:02:054:02:11

cancer remains a lingering, stubborn

foe and as policymakers we have to

4:02:114:02:16

report a respected health services

as they seek to improve the

4:02:164:02:20

treatment patients receive. We have

undoubtedly taken great strides in

4:02:204:02:24

our progress from a historical

perspective as well a steady

4:02:244:02:28

improvements. For individuals

months, weeks even days become

4:02:284:02:32

precious as they grapple with

uncertainties that this illness

4:02:324:02:36

brings to their life. Patients come

to terms with emotional and physical

4:02:364:02:40

impact of diagnosis and must also

continue to manage everyday

4:02:404:02:45

practicalities of life. Chief

amongst those can be finances and

4:02:454:02:51

research commissioned by Macmillan

Cancer Support shows four out of

4:02:514:02:53

five people with cancer are on

average £570 worth worse off as a

4:02:534:02:59

result of the diagnosis. I believe

you can improve the situation by

4:02:594:03:03

introducing a duty of care for

financial services as this would

4:03:034:03:06

allow cancer patients to do with

organisations such as the bank, it

4:03:064:03:11

is clear more needs to be done to

give cancer sufferers greater

4:03:114:03:15

security. Signposted financial

advice to avoid problem debts are

4:03:154:03:23

some of the ways banks might be able

to assist, I encourage the

4:03:234:03:30

government to introduce a legal duty

of care as a matter of urgency so

4:03:304:03:34

those recovering from cancer are

afforded greater support.

4:03:344:03:44

Satisfactory measures to share best

practice. The North did concluding

4:03:444:03:53

Scotland has a unique system of

safety and patient care, the leader

4:03:534:04:03

of the for, the lead author of the

report sorry said Scotland's other

4:04:034:04:12

than nations of the UK so we are

urging health care leaders from

4:04:124:04:15

England Wales and Northern Ireland

to think about what they might want

4:04:154:04:19

to import from Scotland and I am

sure the Scottish NHS will be

4:04:194:04:24

watching with interest as the NHS in

England continues to boom and the

4:04:244:04:28

cancer task force five-year strategy

for cancer care, share knowledge is

4:04:284:04:32

a vital tool for future progress.

Madam Deputy Speaker earlier this

4:04:324:04:37

year I hosted the world cancer day

drop along with the member for

4:04:374:04:40

Cambridge. It was heartening to

listen to Cancer Research UK's

4:04:404:04:45

ambassadors and reflect on the many

unsung heroes who assist cancer

4:04:454:04:49

sufferers or who have experienced

cancer themselves. I hope the

4:04:494:04:53

government is listening to the third

sector as they have through their

4:04:534:04:56

effort and commitment gathered a

huge and a valuable knowledge. The

4:04:564:05:01

honourable member for Dumfries and

Galloway talked about blood cancer

4:05:014:05:03

and child cancer and I want to

combine the two with a story about a

4:05:034:05:07

young man from my constituency, a

very young man called Nathan. He is

4:05:074:05:12

now the ripe old age of seven. He

has the love and support from his

4:05:124:05:16

mum and dad and sister and is

completing a three years of

4:05:164:05:23

treatment for lymphoblastic

leukaemia, he can save a lot better

4:05:234:05:25

than I can. Do in different

cocktails of chemotherapy, six bone

4:05:254:05:30

marrow procedures, three surgeries,

16 blood platelet transfusions. He

4:05:304:05:38

has a bead of courage for every

procedure he goes through, he has

4:05:384:05:43

earned 1500 beads of courage. Nathan

and other brave children have led

4:05:434:05:47

and others will follow. Finally may

I say that honourable members will

4:05:474:05:52

join with me in reaffirming our

commitment to these areas, consider

4:05:524:05:58

legislation help to support cancer

patients and different aspects of

4:05:584:06:00

their life including finances,

provide health services with the

4:06:004:06:05

financial support they require and

ensure that the expertise and

4:06:054:06:10

knowledge of academia around the

globe is fully utilised to formulate

4:06:104:06:14

government policy.

4:06:144:06:16

Thank you very much mud and 50

Speaker. I would like to start by

4:06:204:06:23

thanking my honourable friend, the

honourable member for East Kilbride

4:06:234:06:35

for leading this debate and for her

excellent speech. I also want to

4:06:354:06:39

thank the honourable member for

Basildon and Billericay for securing

4:06:394:06:44

this debate. He is not currently in

his seat but I want to thank him for

4:06:444:06:48

his excellent contribution to the

work of the all-party group for

4:06:484:06:53

cancer over many years. His

expertise and passion for this

4:06:534:06:56

matter is what has made it so

successful. I also want to thank the

4:06:564:07:02

other honourable members who have

spoken, I was co-chair of the

4:07:024:07:08

all-party for breast cancer and the

important issue of breast density

4:07:084:07:13

was raised and that is something we

have to make progress on as he said.

4:07:134:07:18

Also the honourable members for

Dumfries and Galloway, chipping,

4:07:184:07:23

Strangford and Inverclyde who speak

for the SNP. My honourable friends

4:07:234:07:30

for Coventry North East, Scunthorpe,

Bristol West, Lincoln who made such

4:07:304:07:36

a powerful speech, he is not in

place now, and emotional speech

4:07:364:07:39

about her daughter who I am sure

would be so proud of her bravery

4:07:394:07:44

today as I am sure the grandchildren

will be and I hope they and the

4:07:444:07:48

whole family were watching. Also

paid tribute to my honourable friend

4:07:484:07:52

the member for Easington who I think

is actually has fought cancer twice,

4:07:524:07:58

three times? It's amazing to see him

in his place and long may he stay.

4:07:584:08:06

They have all attended this debate

and made excellent contributions on

4:08:064:08:11

this important issue. Cancer is

understandably are very emotional

4:08:114:08:16

topic to discuss. One into people in

the UK will be affected by cancer in

4:08:164:08:21

a lifetime. As we have heard from

almost all honourable members who

4:08:214:08:24

have spoken in the house today we

have all affected in some way

4:08:244:08:29

ourselves. From my case I lost my

mother in law when my children were

4:08:294:08:35

very small to breast cancer and it's

one of the reasons I joined the

4:08:354:08:38

all-party group for breast cancer

and have worked on that and I'm

4:08:384:08:42

still a vice chair to that all-party

group to this day. It's this emotion

4:08:424:08:47

that really does encourage us and

encourage us all to come together to

4:08:474:08:53

tackle cancer. Over the years we've

seen a steady improvement in cancer

4:08:534:08:57

survival rates in England. But we

still lag behind the improvements of

4:08:574:09:03

our European counterparts and the

number of new cancer cases in

4:09:034:09:07

England does continue to rise

year-on-year. If these trends

4:09:074:09:12

continue it is estimated that by

2020. That is why the government

4:09:124:09:22

must take urgent steps so that

cancer diagnosis care and outcomes

4:09:224:09:27

in England can be improved. I will

start by saying that the cancer

4:09:274:09:31

strategy was a welcome step forward

to achieving the best cancer care

4:09:314:09:35

and outcomes in the world and we on

this side of the house are fully

4:09:354:09:39

committed to delivering and helping

deliver this strategy in full. As

4:09:394:09:43

has already been mentioned there are

some concerns across the house about

4:09:434:09:48

the progress of the strategy. I am

pleased some of the targets have

4:09:484:09:51

already been met but I am under no

illusion that many are now closer to

4:09:514:09:55

being reached than they were almost

three years ago. With the Minister

4:09:554:09:59

today committed to publishing a

detailed progress update on each of

4:09:594:10:05

the 97 cancer strategy

recommendations by the end of this

4:10:054:10:08

financial year so that we are all

able to celebrate success but also

4:10:084:10:12

focus our intention on more pressing

challenges were needed? There are

4:10:124:10:19

many challenges the government must

face before achieving world-class

4:10:194:10:23

cancer outcomes but I will only

touch upon a few today. They are in

4:10:234:10:27

early diagnosis, waiting times, the

workforce and finally prevention. I

4:10:274:10:31

will start with early diagnosis

because we know that if cancer is

4:10:314:10:37

diagnosed early treatment is more

likely to be successful. For cancers

4:10:374:10:41

such as ovarian cancer and lung

cancer it's often too late. The

4:10:414:10:47

National Cancer registration service

found that over a quarter of women

4:10:474:10:51

with ovarian cancer and I should

state at this point I am chair of

4:10:514:10:55

the all-party group for ovarian

cancer, a quarter of women are

4:10:554:10:59

diagnosed through an emergency

presentation and of those women just

4:10:594:11:06

45% survived for a year or more

compared to over 80% of women

4:11:064:11:10

diagnosed with a feral by their GP.

Similarly research by the British

4:11:104:11:16

Lung foundation found that more than

a third of lung cancer cases in

4:11:164:11:20

England are diagnosed after

presenting as an emergency and as a

4:11:204:11:24

result the Roy Castle lung cancer

foundation found that if caught

4:11:244:11:28

early person has up to 73% chance

surviving five years or more.

4:11:284:11:36

However the current five-year

survival rate Lung cancer is just

4:11:364:11:40

10%. Sadly one in 21 sufferers were

not diagnosed until they had

4:11:404:11:45

actually died. Cancer rate 's have

doubled but these are shocking

4:11:454:11:54

statistics. I ask the minister what

his department will be doing to

4:11:544:11:59

ensure cancers are detected even

earlier so patients are no longer

4:11:594:12:04

pushed from pillar to post to

sometimes try to find the diagnosis.

4:12:044:12:08

Unfortunately we know that once a

patient has been diagnosed they then

4:12:084:12:12

have an agonising wait for

treatment, even if it was just a

4:12:124:12:17

week it would be agonising but the

62 day target between urgent GP

4:12:174:12:23

referral and treatment has not now

been met for two years. Meaning that

4:12:234:12:28

patients are having to wait much

longer than they should for

4:12:284:12:30

treatment.

4:12:304:12:40

Cancer patients should not be

expected to wait so long. I

4:12:424:12:46

therefore ask the Minister what his

department is doing to address this

4:12:464:12:50

issue. It's no secret the NHS and

the NHS workforce are under extreme

4:12:504:12:57

pressure due to underfunding and

understaffing by this government. I

4:12:574:13:01

want to place on record that we on

this side of the house do not take

4:13:014:13:05

the NHS workforce for granted and

are incredibly grateful to them for

4:13:054:13:09

the hard work, support and kindness

to patients and their families. They

4:13:094:13:15

are doing an incredible job despite

the circumstances we find ourselves

4:13:154:13:18

in currently. We should never stop

thanking them for the work they do

4:13:184:13:23

to diagnose, treat and care for

patients. The cancer workforce

4:13:234:13:27

really are the backbone of the

cancer strategy. The improvement of

4:13:274:13:35

early diagnosis and waiting times

relies on an efficient cancer

4:13:354:13:38

workforce so the Minister must take

these concerns as a top priority if

4:13:384:13:41

the target any cancer strategy are

to be fulfilled. A report by

4:13:414:13:46

Macmillan Cancer Support and that

over half of GPs and nurses surveyed

4:13:464:13:50

in the UK say that given current

pressures on the NHS workforce they

4:13:504:13:55

are not confident the workforce is

able to provide adequate care to

4:13:554:14:00

cancer patients. This is deeply

worrying. The NHS workforce should

4:14:004:14:05

be suitably equipped to diagnose,

support and care for cancer patients

4:14:054:14:09

during and beyond cancer. Through my

work with the all-party group on

4:14:094:14:14

breast cancer I have heard as I am

sure the Minister did during his

4:14:144:14:18

time as co-chair of the overwhelming

support cancer nurse specialists can

4:14:184:14:23

bring to a breast cancer patient and

family.

4:14:234:14:25

But patients with secondary breast

cancer are likely to have access to

4:14:304:14:36

the cancer nursed specialist.

Research shows that 42% of hospital

4:14:364:14:41

trusts and health boards in England,

Scotland and Wales do not provide a

4:14:414:14:45

dedicated specialist nursing care

for people with secondary breast

4:14:454:14:49

cancer. Even though they will often

have complex emotional and

4:14:494:14:54

supportive care needs. Patients with

secondary breast cancer are

4:14:544:14:57

therefore subject to a postcode

lottery when it comes to having a

4:14:574:15:02

cancer nurse specialist. What steps

is the minister taking to ensure

4:15:024:15:06

that every cancer patient has access

to a clinical nurse specialist?

4:15:064:15:10

There is no doubt that if the cancer

workforce had the time, resources

4:15:104:15:15

and support it so desperately needs

the recommendations in the cancer

4:15:154:15:19

strategy would be achieved. I know

that this is something the cancer

4:15:194:15:23

workforce plan published in December

last year aimed to address. Will the

4:15:234:15:29

Minister did the House on the

progress in this plan and outline

4:15:294:15:32

how much funding the Government will

be granting to ensure the proposals

4:15:324:15:36

in the plan soon become a reality?

The NHS cancer workforce care for

4:15:364:15:41

and support their patients every

day, so we really need the

4:15:414:15:46

Government to fully support the

workforce, too. I move onto the

4:15:464:15:51

first issue raised in cancer

strategy prevention. The World

4:15:514:15:56

Health Organisation estimates that

one third of deaths due to cancer

4:15:564:15:59

are a result of the five leading

behavioural and dietary risks, so

4:15:594:16:05

that's high body mass index, no

fruit and vegetable intake, lack of

4:16:054:16:11

physical activity, tobacco and

alcohol. Alcohol was raised so

4:16:114:16:16

powerfully by my amazing friend, the

member for Bristol West. Coming to

4:16:164:16:22

tobacco, this was identified as the

most important risk factor

4:16:224:16:26

responsible for approximately 22% of

cancer deaths. It is therefore

4:16:264:16:31

estimated that between 30-50% of

cancers can be prevented if you take

4:16:314:16:36

all of these five are risk factors

into account. The Government's

4:16:364:16:43

Tobacco control plan which the

minister pushed to be published in

4:16:434:16:48

his first weeks in the job, and the

childhood obesity plan, are both

4:16:484:16:56

welcome, but will not go far enough

if the Government continues to slash

4:16:564:17:01

public health budgets. So will the

minister commit to strengthen the

4:17:014:17:05

public health budget so that fit and

healthy lifestyles can be encouraged

4:17:054:17:09

across all our communities and help

contribute to cancer prevention? I

4:17:094:17:13

know that the Minister is passionate

to make sure England is one of the

4:17:134:17:18

world leaders when it comes to

cancer outcomes, but we are

4:17:184:17:21

currently lagging behind but the

cancer strategy, with the right

4:17:214:17:25

funding and support from the

Government, has the potential to do

4:17:254:17:29

just that. I hope the Minister will

take all but we have heard today on

4:17:294:17:35

board and go back to his apartment

with an action plan of how best to

4:17:354:17:38

move forward so that we can achieve

world-class cancer outcomes in 2020.

4:17:384:17:49

Thank you very much, Madam Deputy

Speaker and thank you to my shadow,

4:17:494:17:55

my friend, the Shadow minister, for

her remarks. I will start by

4:17:554:18:00

congratulating the members of the

all-party group. I will leave it as

4:18:004:18:10

the member for a school pride -- is

cobranded so I don't make a fool of

4:18:104:18:19

myself. I want to thank them for

their work on the all-party group.

4:18:194:18:26

Just all of the constant work they

do. I extend my appreciation to

4:18:264:18:34

members on all sides who cheer a

different cancer all-party groups

4:18:344:18:39

for the important work they do, as

has been mentioned I was a former

4:18:394:18:44

coach with the shadow minister and

the former Lady for mid Dorset and

4:18:444:18:50

north pole. We were quite a team. We

cheered that group together for five

4:18:504:19:02

years and I was so proud to do that.

We met some amazing people and I

4:19:024:19:08

think we did some good. I was also

vice-chair to the all-party group on

4:19:084:19:15

ovarian cancer with the shadow

minister, which she still chairs. I

4:19:154:19:20

know how important it is that

Parliament allocates time to this

4:19:204:19:25

subject both upstairs and here in

the chamber. If you look at the

4:19:254:19:30

gallery, you see how many people are

there and in the House, it's the

4:19:304:19:36

quality more than the quantity, and

I would say to people watching who

4:19:364:19:40

thing, this is a debate on the

cancer strategy, it is so important.

4:19:404:19:45

It is, so why is Parliament not

forth? Because it is about what goes

4:19:454:19:52

on all over the place and is as what

goes on in here for so many members,

4:19:524:19:58

and I didn't know the shadow

minister's motivation. I have never

4:19:584:20:04

said mine and one day I will. I

realise now where she was so

4:20:044:20:08

passionate. I would say the lady

from a school pride summed it up in

4:20:084:20:14

the first line in the first page of

this debate when she said we are all

4:20:144:20:18

on the same site when it comes to

cancer. What a brilliant way to put

4:20:184:20:23

it. The other point I just want to

say is the lady from Coventry North

4:20:234:20:29

East said about her husband who

lives with cancer. In every cancer

4:20:294:20:36

debates, I always say, and Macmillan

have been brilliant with their

4:20:364:20:41

advertising around this, a mum with

cancer is still a mum. There are so

4:20:414:20:47

many people who are living with and

beyond cancer and survivorship they

4:20:474:20:53

should call us in America, and I

think we should remember that. Let

4:20:534:20:57

me start by reassuring the House

that cancer is a huge priority for

4:20:574:21:03

me, the secretary of state and this

Government, as has been set by a

4:21:034:21:09

number of members. Cancer survival

rates have never been higher, the

4:21:094:21:13

latest figures show an estimated

7000 more people surviving cancer

4:21:134:21:18

after successful NHS treatment

compared to three years prior and

4:21:184:21:21

our aim is to save 30,000 more lives

by 2020 through the cancer strategy

4:21:214:21:27

we are debating today. However, my

more than anybody knows there is

4:21:274:21:31

still so much more to do. There are

still so much more potential. That

4:21:314:21:37

is why we accepted all 96

recommendations in the cancer

4:21:374:21:40

strategy. We have backed this

commitment with over £600 million of

4:21:404:21:46

additional funding up to 2021. We

are just two years into the

4:21:464:21:50

implementation of the strategy and

the fantastic NHS cancer doctors and

4:21:504:21:55

nurses supporting us have made

tremendous progress in many areas. I

4:21:554:22:00

would echo what many members have

said and support for them. Many

4:22:004:22:04

mentioned will report back on how

we're doing? In October we published

4:22:044:22:11

the two-year report, imaging --

energising and published it. That

4:22:114:22:21

was our latest progress report and

we will be doing that again, I hope,

4:22:214:22:26

later this year. I would say, I know

that NHS England's national director

4:22:264:22:34

who is based at the Morriston and is

an incredible lady who I enjoy

4:22:344:22:39

working with very much is leading

the firm intention of the cancer

4:22:394:22:42

strategy. She is in agreement that

there are many areas where we agree

4:22:424:22:47

with the report and don't shy away

from scrutiny. That's exactly why we

4:22:474:22:51

are here. But there are lots of

areas of progress where we didn't

4:22:514:22:57

think sufficient provenance was

given in the analysis of progress

4:22:574:22:59

and we said that at the enquiry. I

think it's important I put that on

4:22:594:23:03

the record. The measure of success

of the strategy will be about

4:23:034:23:10

significant improvements in early

diagnosis. Obviously in treatment

4:23:104:23:14

and office the research. But I am

increasingly aware in this job that

4:23:144:23:20

what we need to do to make cancer

services even better beyond 2020,

4:23:204:23:26

and for this thing is to be a much

greater focus on the fourth pillar,

4:23:264:23:31

which is of course prevention. Of

course we want to be the best in the

4:23:314:23:36

world at delivering positive

outcomes for patients after a

4:23:364:23:39

diagnosis, but we have to

understand's I did a debate earlier

4:23:394:23:43

this week with members from

Oxfordshire, there has been a 120%

4:23:434:23:48

increase in the number of people

presenting with cancer in

4:23:484:23:52

Oxfordshire alone in recent years,

so the number of people presenting

4:23:524:23:54

continues to rise. We can do very

well on those first three pillars

4:23:544:24:00

and we are, but I think it has to be

prevention where we are going to

4:24:004:24:06

really move the dial as well. That's

why my whole mission as the Minister

4:24:064:24:14

for health has been about putting in

place a comprehensive system of

4:24:144:24:18

measures to reduce the risks of

cancer as well as treating it when

4:24:184:24:21

it occurs. My noble friend

mentioned, is that the shadow

4:24:214:24:27

minister, one of my first acts was

to launch the Tobacco control plan.

4:24:274:24:33

I was so keen because it is the

biggest preventable killer in our

4:24:334:24:38

country today. We have done so well

in the previous Labour Government

4:24:384:24:43

and this Government with the

legislative framework and it is all

4:24:434:24:45

about supporting local areas to

continue to bring down the number of

4:24:454:24:49

people have smoke -- who smoke. Last

year we also launched air quality

4:24:494:25:01

plans and that is really important

as well. The plan was significant to

4:25:014:25:09

reduce the pathogens in the air we

breathe, which has a big impact on

4:25:094:25:12

developing disease. Furthermore, we

published a child obesity strategy

4:25:124:25:18

in 2016. This was just the start of

a conversation about how we will

4:25:184:25:23

reduce child obesity over the next

decade. Our overarching focus is

4:25:234:25:28

that our children are supported to

live healthy, active and happy lives

4:25:284:25:32

to grow into adults who are less

likely to develop cancer. We have

4:25:324:25:37

always said that the child obesity

strategy was constantly under

4:25:374:25:41

review, it is part one and we will

go further if we need to to build on

4:25:414:25:45

this. As has been mentioned, the

biggest game changer in preventing

4:25:454:25:50

cancer is the world leading work on

genomics going on in our country.

4:25:504:25:57

The 20 16th annual report published

around the time I was first on the

4:25:574:26:02

year before I was appointed,

generation gene, set out the huge

4:26:024:26:06

potential for genomics to help us

understand the inherited causes of

4:26:064:26:12

cancer and shape the future research

and future personalised cancer

4:26:124:26:16

treatment. I think that is so

important, it's something we should

4:26:164:26:19

talk more about. Let me touch on so

many of the subjects that have been

4:26:194:26:24

raised. I'm grateful to you, Madam

Speaker, for giving me a chance to

4:26:244:26:30

do that. And the workforce,

absolutely, and I've always said

4:26:304:26:39

this, the workforce is the key to

our strategy. We've already

4:26:394:26:46

committed to investing in and

expanding our diagnostic workforce

4:26:464:26:50

to improve survival rates by

diagnosing cancer earlier. We set

4:26:504:26:58

out how we will expand our workforce

numbers but also continue to invest

4:26:584:27:02

in the skills of the stuff we have

and use their times and expertise

4:27:024:27:06

where it is most needed. We have

already committed to training 746

4:27:064:27:12

more cancer consultants and 890 more

diagnostic and therapeutic

4:27:124:27:16

radiographers which we know are in

short supply by 2021. The plan

4:27:164:27:21

further commits to the expansion of

capacity and skills, including 200

4:27:214:27:26

additional clinical endoscopist and

a 300 reporting radiographers by 21

4:27:264:27:30

as well. We will also expand the

number of clinical nurse specialists

4:27:304:27:39

and develop common consistency and

ages competencies with a clear route

4:27:394:27:42

into training to ensure every cancer

patient has access to a CNS or other

4:27:424:27:48

support worker by 2021. That and it

was constantly brought up when I was

4:27:484:27:55

cheering the group. We will follow

with the longer plan and strategy

4:27:554:28:00

later this year beyond 2021. We have

talked about transformation funding

4:28:004:28:10

is already, and the link with the 62

days standard and the performance

4:28:104:28:16

and the phasing of transmission

funding. Cancer alliances are very

4:28:164:28:21

important mechanism for improving

performance on a 62 the sergeant

4:28:214:28:25

grid standard. They bring together

commissions from primary and

4:28:254:28:30

secondary care, they ensure there is

a collective responsibility with the

4:28:304:28:34

cancer services that they provide

and they provide the necessary

4:28:344:28:37

leadership for the transformation of

services. 76 million funding has

4:28:374:28:44

already been allocated to the cancer

alliances. It is imperative they

4:28:444:28:48

have the operational rigour to

achieve the translation we need. It

4:28:484:28:53

is our constituents, taxpayers not

acrimony that is being allocated and

4:28:534:28:58

I I have to say, it is only right

and proper that the alliances can

4:28:584:29:06

demonstrate their preparedness for

this funding. That is not to say

4:29:064:29:10

that the 62 days standard is a

requirement, but it gives the basis

4:29:104:29:14

on which NHS England can improve,

along with senior clinical advice,

4:29:144:29:22

can make an assessment of their

readiness.

4:29:224:29:27

Quickly on that specific point,

those who do not achieve a 62 day

4:29:274:29:34

target, it seems completely perverse

that individuals suffering from

4:29:344:29:38

cancer in those areas are penalised

for lack of funds from the

4:29:384:29:41

transformation fund. Is the minister

singles cancer alliances can still

4:29:414:29:47

apply for that funding in measures

we put in place to ensure they do

4:29:474:29:50

reach the target?

It's not hard and

fast Madam Deputy Speaker and I

4:29:504:29:57

noted that NHS England have written

to me as an MP and all MPs today

4:29:574:30:02

with details of cancer alliances

that members have in their

4:30:024:30:07

individual areas and I bang on about

this every time but I do implore

4:30:074:30:12

members to engage with the local

cancer alliances. I suspect the

4:30:124:30:16

people in this debate do but I would

hazard a guess that many members

4:30:164:30:19

don't. Members should know who the

cancer alliances are in their areas

4:30:194:30:23

and should have a relationship with

them and I think they should know

4:30:234:30:26

them. Let me talk about the cancer

patients experience survey which the

4:30:264:30:34

member for Strangford raised and the

honourable lady for Lincoln. I will

4:30:344:30:40

say on the honourable lady for

Lincoln, I said to my officials

4:30:404:30:44

before this debate that there is

always one speech during these kind

4:30:444:30:47

of debates, and the shadow menaced

was that person a few weeks ago in

4:30:474:30:52

the other debate, there is always

someone who leaves not a dry eye in

4:30:524:30:55

the house and that today was the

honourable lady for Lincoln. I know

4:30:554:30:59

she's not in her place now and I do

not blame her but I think the whole

4:30:594:31:03

house wanted to run over and give

her a hug and many on dead. What an

4:31:034:31:13

amazing speech. We totally recognise

how important the National Cancer

4:31:134:31:20

patient experience survey is in our

continued drive to improve cancer

4:31:204:31:25

treatment and care and monitor that

progress. I have always, I have

4:31:254:31:29

always been clear that I want any

future survey to continue to deliver

4:31:294:31:33

the high quality data, it will

continue in its current form in

4:31:334:31:41

1819, it will be engaging with the

cancer community to ensure any

4:31:414:31:44

decisions about future delivery and

the model to be adopted should the

4:31:444:31:48

commission ranging speech revised

uninformed by all patients and

4:31:484:31:52

ultimately protect the integrity of

the survey and the quality of the

4:31:524:31:54

data. I saw Dame Fiona in Oxford and

discussed the subject with her. It

4:31:544:32:07

left us with a challenge. We will be

meeting all of the major cancer

4:32:074:32:14

charities at the second round table

and we will be discussing that with

4:32:144:32:17

them but I think and I hope members

in the house now that it remains

4:32:174:32:20

very much on the top of my agenda.

Let me touch an early diagnosis,

4:32:204:32:25

because everyone else has and it's

one of the most important shows in

4:32:254:32:30

town. In every conversation I have

had about how we can beat cancer it

4:32:304:32:37

early diagnosis. Survival rates have

always liked behind the best

4:32:374:32:40

performing countries in Europe and

around the world and a primary

4:32:404:32:44

reason for this is no question, late

diagnosis. The man who will stand

4:32:444:32:51

down shortly who I had the privilege

of having lunch with a few weeks

4:32:514:32:56

ago, I asked him about where we

should think about the next cancer

4:32:564:32:58

strategy and he said the rock upon

which you build your church is early

4:32:584:33:04

diagnosis and I will not be

forgetting that. It's one of the key

4:33:044:33:10

priorities of the strategy, to

diagnose cancer earlier when the

4:33:104:33:13

disease is more treatable. How are

we doing that? As part of our drive

4:33:134:33:18

we are introducing 28 day faster

diagnostic standards from GP

4:33:184:33:22

referral to diagnosis or the all

clear. I have often said and I will

4:33:224:33:29

repeat now, 28 days is not a target,

it is a maximum. I will know that

4:33:294:33:35

when people have a cancer worry 28

minutes seems like a lifetime, let

4:33:354:33:41

alone 28 days. I think the 28 day

standard is important. Five pilot

4:33:414:33:47

sites have started testing the new

clinical pathways to ensure patients

4:33:474:33:51

find out within 20 days if they have

cancer or the all clear. Today

4:33:514:33:56

Public Health England which I have

ministerial response body for has

4:33:564:34:01

launched its campaign to be clear on

cancer which focuses on breast

4:34:014:34:05

cancer in women aged over 70

something my friend from North

4:34:054:34:10

Warwickshire mentioned. That will

run until the end of March, the

4:34:104:34:17

campaign focuses on age related

risk, encouraging older women to be

4:34:174:34:22

breast aware. Particularly of

non-lump symptoms which have

4:34:224:34:27

understandably lower levels of

awareness. The other point I want to

4:34:274:34:32

make an early diagnosis is we know

the hardest cancers to detect those

4:34:324:34:36

with early symptoms which can be

vague. Often symptomatic of less

4:34:364:34:41

serious else's. That is why we are

piloting ten multidisciplinary

4:34:414:34:51

diagnostic centres as part of the

wave two of what we call the ace

4:34:514:34:56

programme, Excel rate coordinate and

evaluate. Patients can be referred

4:34:564:35:04

for multiple tests one after the

other and receive a diagnosis or the

4:35:044:35:07

all clear on the same day. The

initial findings are incredibly

4:35:074:35:14

exciting. I don't get easily excited

Madam Deputy Speaker but I am

4:35:144:35:19

excited about this. I had the

pleasure of visiting one of the ace

4:35:194:35:23

pilots in Oxford at the Churchill

Hospital last Tuesday and I have to

4:35:234:35:28

say the enthusiasm and feedback I

got from the patients I spoke to

4:35:284:35:31

about the potential of these centres

is quite incredible. I look forward

4:35:314:35:35

to seeing the analysis in the coming

months. The Shadow man is to talk

4:35:354:35:40

about presentations which is

something I remember being quite

4:35:404:35:47

shocked by, emergency room

preparations, presentations were

4:35:474:35:49

cancer are horrible but I think that

is why the 20 day standard is

4:35:494:35:57

important because when I talk to

GPs, they will fair and then there

4:35:574:36:02

will be a wait. Patients are

understandably terrified and may

4:36:024:36:07

present themselves to accident and

emergency at which point they then

4:36:074:36:10

maybe diagnosed with the primary

cancer. What that does is hit the

4:36:104:36:14

stats around emergency room

presentations were cancer. It does

4:36:144:36:18

not mean they have been carried in,

they have often walked in. But it is

4:36:184:36:23

all why we need to grip early

diagnosis better than ever. My

4:36:234:36:28

honourable friend Herb Bosworth

talked about the Baroness Joel

4:36:284:36:36

speech -- Baroness Tessa Joel speech

and it was incredibly powerful

4:36:364:36:40

speech. The investment in brain

cancer research has been limited by

4:36:404:36:47

a pretty low volume of research

proposals focused on the topic in

4:36:474:36:52

recent years and we'd been working

with charities, academics and the

4:36:524:36:56

pharmaceutical industry to address

this the last 12 months so to

4:36:564:36:59

accelerate our efforts in brain

tumour research the Secretary of

4:36:594:37:04

State has today announced alongside

Cancer Research UK and brain gym

4:37:044:37:07

research package to boost research

and investment into this most

4:37:074:37:09

harrowing form cancer.

4:37:094:37:20

£25 million of their money over five

years in major research centres and

4:37:224:37:28

programmes dedicated to brain

chillers and I think that's an

4:37:284:37:31

incredibly positive announcement

today. -- brain tumours.

I am

4:37:314:37:35

grateful to the minister giving way,

I was not here at the beginning but

4:37:354:37:41

my constituent has a very rare form

of cancer and has had to self fund

4:37:414:37:46

his treatment both in Germany and

Southampton but he has run out of

4:37:464:37:50

money. The treatment meant he did

not die within the weeks he was

4:37:504:37:54

given but he is now needing top up

therapy but his IFR has been

4:37:544:38:02

refused, without this treatment he

will not live. Could the minister

4:38:024:38:05

look into this?

I will not comment

on the case, I was going to suggest

4:38:054:38:11

she gets the clinicians to make an

IFR but by all means bring that case

4:38:114:38:15

to me. Let me return to breast

density, the UK National screening

4:38:154:38:22

committee commissioned Warwick

University study to investigate the

4:38:224:38:25

link between breast density and

breast cancer. Once complete if the

4:38:254:38:29

reviews suggest should be changes in

the UK National screening committee

4:38:294:38:33

which we work with will consider

less under its modification

4:38:334:38:37

programme. I am in touch with the

charity breast density matters which

4:38:374:38:42

is a small charity, small but

perfectly formed so I'm in touch

4:38:424:38:46

with them quite a lot.

4:38:464:38:47

We had a very good at Westminster

whole debate last month led by my

4:38:504:38:55

honourable friend for Crawley, many

patients with blood cancer diagnosis

4:38:554:39:00

was sadly never be cheered, what we

have heard today is watch and wait,

4:39:004:39:08

but things progress to the point

where treatment needs to begin and

4:39:084:39:12

this can take a psychological toll

on the patient and their family. By

4:39:124:39:16

2020 every patient will receive

holistic needs assessment as part of

4:39:164:39:20

the recovery package. That is

excellent. Blood cancer patients

4:39:204:39:24

this person's recovery plan will be

personalised to take account of the

4:39:244:39:28

unique characteristics of blood

cancer including their mental health

4:39:284:39:31

needs. That is why the Secretary of

State announced the additional £1.3

4:39:314:39:35

billion last July to expand the

mental health workforce. My

4:39:354:39:40

honourable friend the member for

Dumfries and Galloway made this

4:39:404:39:42

point very well I thought in his

speech. As they passed me a note, I

4:39:424:39:46

love notes. I will not because I'm

going to finish. The member for

4:39:464:39:54

Dumfries & Galloway touched on the

cancer dashboard including rare

4:39:544:39:59

cancers. NHS England and Public

Health England are currently

4:39:594:40:02

considering next steps on how we can

expand the dashboard. They know I am

4:40:024:40:06

frustrated about it being limited to

the top four and I want to see us

4:40:064:40:10

expand it and do better, in a clear

direction from me on that. The

4:40:104:40:15

honourable lady for Bristol West

spoke brilliantly and what a

4:40:154:40:19

brilliant advertisement for her

all-party group on their enquiry. If

4:40:194:40:22

there is anything I can do, I do not

know about the cost of cancer

4:40:224:40:31

report, I would love to see that if

she can send it to me and any help

4:40:314:40:35

she needs she only needs to ask. The

member for Scunthorpe talked about

4:40:354:40:38

pancreatic cancer, NHS services

pancreatic cancer has significantly

4:40:384:40:40

improved in recent years with clever

diagnostic pathways, decisions made

4:40:404:40:46

and decentralisation of pancreatic

surgery with specialised teams. On

4:40:464:40:49

the 7th of February NICE published

the final guidance on the diagnosis

4:40:494:40:53

and management of pancreatic cancer

in adults. A more quick and accurate

4:40:534:41:00

diagnosis and better access to

psychological support. He talked

4:41:004:41:04

about 2-macro myelin tests, a

decision will be made on that

4:41:044:41:08

underwater NICE to write to me on

that decision and I was sure that

4:41:084:41:11

with him. I am just including. Let

me pay tribute to the staff patient

4:41:114:41:22

groups and charities who are working

so hard as part of team cancer

4:41:224:41:25

because we are all on the same team

when it comes to cancer, to

4:41:254:41:28

implement the strategy and save

lives. We are on track to deliver we

4:41:284:41:32

think but we need to make more

progress especially in the area of

4:41:324:41:37

progress and looking further forward

on the subject of prevention. Thank

4:41:374:41:41

you for the members speaking today,

the fight goes on. Thank you.

Thank

4:41:414:41:47

you so much Madam Deputy Speaker. I

think today's debate has been so

4:41:474:41:53

profound and amazing, so many

personal contributions. I have been

4:41:534:41:58

absolutely astounded by the depth

and breadth of knowledge from across

4:41:584:42:02

the house and the absolute

dedication to the cancer strategy,

4:42:024:42:06

right across the benches. I am

assured we will be working together,

4:42:064:42:11

taking things forward very

positively and making a difference.

4:42:114:42:15

It's been important that we have

discussed that cancer is across the

4:42:154:42:20

life span and to recognise the

serious issues for young people who

4:42:204:42:25

are experiencing cancer. Also, not

just the physical aspects but the

4:42:254:42:29

mental health aspects and the

support required, that treatment has

4:42:294:42:32

to be holistic and evidence -based.

Just to also commend the absolute

4:42:324:42:42

value of the contribution of

charities, of our NHS staff, it

4:42:424:42:45

absolutely invaluable. They are at

the front line. To mention the very

4:42:454:42:53

personal contribution of the

honourable member for Lincoln, she

4:42:534:42:56

has made such an amazing speech

today, I am sure she will go on to

4:42:564:43:01

support and assist so many people

given her experience and I am

4:43:014:43:06

delighted she is a cancer ambassador

and I am sure that so many people

4:43:064:43:10

will benefit from that in the

future. Once again, to thank

4:43:104:43:15

particularly. Thank everybody today,

I look forward to working with

4:43:154:43:18

everybody on this going forward.

The

question is that this house is

4:43:184:43:25

considered the cancer strategy as

many of that opinion say aye of the

4:43:254:43:31

country no. I think the ayes habit.

The ayes have it.

I beg to move that

4:43:314:43:39

this house now adjourned.

The

question is that the house now

4:43:394:43:44

adjourned. Kate hallway.

Thank you

Madam Deputy Speaker.

4:43:444:43:49

I would rather not be here this

evening speaking on this adjournment

4:43:514:43:58

debate not because I don't care

about the issue and particularly

4:43:584:44:02

about my constituent Mr Clifford

Bale but it's such a simple matter

4:44:024:44:05

and it should have been resolved

years ago. It has not been and I did

4:44:054:44:10

give a commitment to my constituents

that I would bring this to the house

4:44:104:44:14

in an adjournment debate.

4:44:144:44:18

I want to begin by setting out the

facts before moving on to the

4:44:184:44:24

problems that I in seeking to

resolve it and the basic relevant

4:44:244:44:29

policy concern. My constituent

worked for the City of London

4:44:294:44:33

Corporation as a security and

services assistant from September

4:44:334:44:37

1989 until he suffered an injury

only six November 2000. He slipped

4:44:374:44:42

on a metal screw by what down some

marble stairs. He fell and hit his

4:44:424:44:48

head and was knocked unconscious.

His health deteriorated while he was

4:44:484:44:52

on subsequent ill-health leave. As

he went on to suffer from the loss

4:44:524:44:56

of hearing in his right ear, and

certainly in the blood dizziness,

4:44:564:45:01

loss of balance and a series of

blackouts that occurred without

4:45:014:45:06

warning, four of which led to his

hospitalisation. One tenth of

4:45:064:45:10

December 2001, the City of London

made a claim on his behalf to the

4:45:104:45:14

Department for Work and Pensions to

pay him industrial injury benefits

4:45:144:45:17

and he was assessed by a doctor. If

every 2002, he was notified he had

4:45:174:45:24

been diagnosed with a loss of mental

equilibria and loss of neurological

4:45:244:45:29

function and awarded industrial

injury benefits. For 12 months

4:45:294:45:32

before a further examination, he

continued to be awarded annual

4:45:324:45:39

industry injury benefits until 2008

when he was judged to be qualified

4:45:394:45:43

to receive industrial injury

benefits for life. On the tenth June

4:45:434:45:48

2002, he met with the City of London

Corporation about his long-term

4:45:484:45:51

absence from work and submitted a

written application for an early

4:45:514:45:57

retirement ill-health pension, but

was informed two days later it was

4:45:574:46:00

being turned down because the City

of London's in his doctor could not

4:46:004:46:05

say that his injuries were

permanent. He informed them that

4:46:054:46:10

their two at options of either early

retirement on a basic pension or

4:46:104:46:13

alternative work were not acceptable

to him and the City of London deemed

4:46:134:46:18

him no longer to be an employee from

the 24th September 2002. After

4:46:184:46:26

months of resistance, he was finally

provided with a copy of an

4:46:264:46:29

additional accident report the City

of London his helped send to the

4:46:294:46:33

health and secondary executive 17

month after his accident that said

4:46:334:46:38

they found it difficult to believe

that he could have slipped only

4:46:384:46:41

screw whilst wearing Doctor Martens

and safety issues and there are a

4:46:414:46:47

number of staff that suspect the

incident, if it really happened as

4:46:474:46:52

described, may have been

exaggerated. Not only do vague

4:46:524:46:58

beliefs and suspicions have no place

in an accident report but I

4:46:584:47:01

reiterate that he was diagnosed

annually by the apartment of work

4:47:014:47:05

and pensions for eight years before

being awarded lifetime industrial

4:47:054:47:09

injury benefits in 2008. In June

2004, Mr Bell filed a grievance

4:47:094:47:15

against the City of London for its

handling of this case and in 2005 he

4:47:154:47:19

signed a compromise agreement for

the City of London's insurers to

4:47:194:47:23

consider his case under the local

government discretionary payments

4:47:234:47:29

regulations 1996. The insurers

failed in his favour and awarded him

4:47:294:47:33

a termination package of around

£50,000, but not in ill-health

4:47:334:47:37

pension. This is the time and so Mr

Bell's case. As far as he was aware,

4:47:374:47:46

these were the relevant facts until

in 2012, he discovered the local

4:47:464:47:50

government pensions committee

circular 252, which noted the local

4:47:504:47:57

government pension scheme should

have been relevant in his case.

4:47:574:48:05

Regulation 979 states, before making

a decision as to whether a member

4:48:054:48:08

may be entitled under regulation 27

or under regulation 31 on the ground

4:48:084:48:15

of ill-health, the scheme employer

must obtain a certificate from an

4:48:154:48:21

independent registered medical

practitioner asked whether in his

4:48:214:48:26

opinion the member is permanently

incapable of discharging officially

4:48:264:48:30

the duties of the relevant local

government employment because of

4:48:304:48:34

ill-health or infirmity of or body.

Regulation 98 sets out he should

4:48:344:48:40

have received a written notification

of the decision by the eye RMP as

4:48:404:48:48

soon as possible. Giving the reason

for the decision and setting it has

4:48:484:48:53

appeal rights under regulation and

then to. The LGPS amendment

4:48:534:49:00

regulations further specified, the

independent registered medical

4:49:004:49:06

practitioner must be in a position

to certify and must include in his

4:49:064:49:11

certification a statement that he

has not previously advised are given

4:49:114:49:16

an opinion on or otherwise been

involved in a particular case for

4:49:164:49:20

which a certificate had been

requested and he is not acting and

4:49:204:49:23

has not at any time acted as the

representative of the member, the

4:49:234:49:28

scheme employer or any other party

in relation to the same case. Not

4:49:284:49:33

one of these regulations were

followed. In Mr Bell's research at

4:49:334:49:39

that time, he discovered two

relevant appeals, 869, that saw the

4:49:394:49:45

strategy of state emphasise the

importance of the opinion of the

4:49:454:49:48

independent registered medical

practitioner, including the one

4:49:484:49:53

judgment against the City of London

in 2008. By the time Mr Bell

4:49:534:49:58

discovered the Jakarta months that

had not been followed, he was well

4:49:584:50:01

out of time for consideration by the

pensions of Bosman -- on ombudsman.

4:50:014:50:11

He contacted me and I wrote my first

of many letter to the City of London

4:50:114:50:17

Corporation seeking to understand

why the rules had not been followed

4:50:174:50:19

in his case. I wrote to the City of

London on the 20th of October 2014,

4:50:194:50:25

26th of May 2015, the 6th of July

2015, the 12th of October 2015 on

4:50:254:50:31

the 4th of November 2015. Each time,

to the head of the human relations

4:50:314:50:37

department who had held dealt with

his case. On each occasion, they

4:50:374:50:42

responded by setting Mr Bell was not

eligible for an ill-health pension

4:50:424:50:46

by making reference to the 2011

local government pensions committee

4:50:464:50:51

's circular 252 and the details of

his compromise agreement he had

4:50:514:50:55

signed an ignorance of his actual

rights. Despite my reviews of the

4:50:554:51:05

asking why the rules had not been

followed in his case, they were just

4:51:054:51:09

not answered. On the 27th of January

2016, I wrote to the Chief Executive

4:51:094:51:14

of the City of London quoting Bill

97 nine of the 1997 regulations

4:51:144:51:21

simply asking why these and similar

2001 regulation should not apply in

4:51:214:51:25

this case. In his answer on the 26th

of February, he stated that in May

4:51:254:51:35

2002, the corporation's occupational

health team said there was no

4:51:354:51:42

evidence of permanent incapacity due

to ill health, so medical retirement

4:51:424:51:45

is not an option at this point. This

view was confirmed on the 11th of

4:51:454:51:52

June 2002 when a daughter who was a

corporation's in corporate doctor,

4:51:524:51:58

advised he was able to state Mr Bell

had any form of medical condition or

4:51:584:52:02

illness that would result in his

parental ability to work for the

4:52:024:52:05

corporation in his current position.

In this medical opinion meant that

4:52:054:52:09

it was not possible for Mr Bell to

be retired on the grounds of

4:52:094:52:14

ill-health. It appears that Mr Bell

has understood the application, it

4:52:144:52:22

quotes, referred to in your letter.

Rule 97 was not engaged and there

4:52:224:52:26

was no requirement for an IRMP

because the daughter's advice was

4:52:264:52:33

that Mr Bell did not, then

requirements for ill-health

4:52:334:52:36

retirement. As indicative Speaker, I

admit to becoming very frustrated at

4:52:364:52:44

this point. The suggestion was

because the internal doctor did not

4:52:444:52:48

give improvement, the independent

doctor must not be as further

4:52:484:52:53

opinion, which strikes me as a whole

point of the protections set out in

4:52:534:52:57

those regulations. In seeking to

make sense of this, I wrote to the

4:52:574:53:03

then Minister for local government

in 2016, setting out the case and

4:53:034:53:07

stating that the answer was as clear

as mud since the role clearly states

4:53:074:53:11

that independent analysis must be

obtained before such a decision is

4:53:114:53:15

made. I asked him to first confirmed

that the legal position remains as I

4:53:154:53:23

have stated in this letter,

secondly, whether they would be any

4:53:234:53:26

exemption to the requirement that

independent analysis be obtained

4:53:264:53:30

before a decision would be taken on

an individual's eligibility, and

4:53:304:53:34

thirdly, what records Mr Bell could

follow to get what he is entitled

4:53:344:53:37

to. As expected, the minister did

not go into detail, about my

4:53:374:53:46

constituent's individual case but

confirmed that the regulations were

4:53:464:53:48

in effect at the time and did not

indicate any scope for extension. I

4:53:484:53:55

wrote again on the 12th of December

2016 asking him to review his

4:53:554:54:00

decision based on the confirmation

given by the Minister. He did not

4:54:004:54:04

reply to this letter and so I had to

chase him. Not literally! He

4:54:044:54:09

eventually replied on the 30th of

May 2017 to state that, the city's

4:54:094:54:16

position as set out in previous

correspondence remains unchanged and

4:54:164:54:20

they did not believe they had any

obligation to inform Mr Bell of his

4:54:204:54:25

rights at the time. He concluded,

the city Corporation remains of the

4:54:254:54:32

view that it is acted properly and

fairly in its handling of this case

4:54:324:54:38

and believes that they are no

grounds for it to consider this

4:54:384:54:41

matter further. Mr Bell has tried

over many years since 2000 to pursue

4:54:414:54:49

down many avenues since the original

injury in 2000, but because he did

4:54:494:54:55

not discover the details of the 1997

regulations until 2000 wealthy, he

4:54:554:55:02

has by that point already exhausted

his appeal options. I had stated to

4:55:024:55:09

the City of London Corporation on

several occasions that if they could

4:55:094:55:11

not satisfactorily explain why the

rules should not have applied in

4:55:114:55:15

this case, I would have to raise the

matter in this House, and that's why

4:55:154:55:20

I believe that I've had no option

but to do so now. There are two

4:55:204:55:27

alternatives, either the City of

London is refusing to apply the

4:55:274:55:31

rules properly by the regulations as

they exist do not work to give

4:55:314:55:36

assurance of an independent

assessment as they should.

4:55:364:55:40

Industrial injuries are by their

nature unexpected, disturbing and

4:55:404:55:44

painful events. If they are to lead

to an in health requirement, it is

4:55:444:55:50

quite right that they should follow

assessment by an independent doctor

4:55:504:55:53

as soon as possible and a process

that sets out the details clearly.

4:55:534:55:59

Surely this process cannot, should

not be used short-circuited by an

4:55:594:56:06

organisation, particularly an

organisation such as the City of

4:56:064:56:09

London Corporation to use and in his

doctor and not allow the worker to

4:56:094:56:12

have their injuries are satisfied by

an independent practitioner. I

4:56:124:56:18

apologise to the Minister unto the

House for very detailed tale which I

4:56:184:56:23

wanted to put on record and ask

fundamentally, is he happy with the

4:56:234:56:28

way in which these regulations

operate? Is he aware of other cases

4:56:284:56:36

where organisations have used a

decision of an in-house doctor to

4:56:364:56:39

override the need to get the opinion

of one IRMP? If he is aware, does he

4:56:394:56:49

intend to tighten the process to

prevent this? Is he concerned about

4:56:494:56:55

organisations particularly like the

City of London Corporation, not

4:56:554:56:58

giving workers details of their

rights in instances like this one?

4:56:584:57:03

Is he aware of other complaints

about the City of London court, in

4:57:034:57:08

particular not their obligations

under these regulations because they

4:57:084:57:12

have not been forthcoming with

details to me? And possibly most

4:57:124:57:16

difficult, can he recommend any

further steps that my constituent Mr

4:57:164:57:22

Bell can follow to have his case

finally considered by an independent

4:57:224:57:27

medical professional? He is even

willing to pay for that independent

4:57:274:57:32

medical professional himself to

receive this opportunity of looking

4:57:324:57:34

at this case. Mr Bell and his

family, for 17 years, have been

4:57:344:57:41

relentlessly pursuing what seems to

me to be a grave injustice. In my

4:57:414:57:47

view, that grave injustice having

been perpetrated by one of the

4:57:474:57:50

richest local authority is in the

country makes it even more

4:57:504:57:55

disgraceful. I hope that the

Minister today will be able to give

4:57:554:57:58

me some assurance that I can give my

constituent that this will change

4:57:584:58:02

and he will get justice. Thank you.

Can I start by congratulating the

4:58:024:58:13

Honourable member for Vauxhall on

securing this debate? I had the

4:58:134:58:17

pleasure of fighting alongside her

in the referendum campaign and I can

4:58:174:58:20

see that she has applied the same

tireless and to nature 's

4:58:204:58:25

campaigning instincts that she has

two this particular case on behalf

4:58:254:58:29

of her constituent for many years

and I commend her for those efforts.

4:58:294:58:33

I particularly welcome the chance to

respond to the point is that she met

4:58:334:58:37

today and indeed share her regret

that we need to do so on the floor

4:58:374:58:40

of this House. I start off by

acknowledging that pensions are not

4:58:404:58:45

just about regulations and

procedures, they are about security

4:58:454:58:49

and peace of mind. We all want to be

able to retire only decent income

4:58:494:58:53

and as we live longer and healthier

lives, we want to be able to save

4:58:534:58:57

more and make the most of our

retirement. Public sector schemes

4:58:574:59:01

that is the local government pension

scheme also includes insurance style

4:59:014:59:05

benefits that help to cushion us

against the most unfortunate events.

4:59:054:59:22

Throughout the course of the last

100 years developed as a national

4:59:224:59:27

scheme to become a valuable and

integral part of local government

4:59:274:59:32

valued by millions. That said I can

attest to this personally as there

4:59:324:59:36

recently ensconced Minister for

local government pensions it's not a

4:59:364:59:40

simple scheme. Some of that

complexity comes from the need to

4:59:404:59:44

cover a wide range of possible

scenarios. The provisions dealing

4:59:444:59:48

with injuries at work such as those

suffered by Mr were interrupted by

4:59:484:59:56

employees own procedures and

implement law. Injuries can lead to

4:59:565:00:00

periods of sickness, permanent or

temporary incapacity and justice

5:00:005:00:05

comes from treating like cases are

like. But also in making fine

5:00:055:00:11

judgments and distinctions between

cases where appropriate. I of course

5:00:115:00:15

want to see the best possible

administration of this scheme. I

5:00:155:00:19

think it's been a key aim of the

government to improve transparency

5:00:195:00:22

and accountability in the making of

decisions by public bodies such as

5:00:225:00:27

this. The ill GPS is a national

scheme setting out in regulations

5:00:275:00:33

but it's important it is

administered locally and it's been a

5:00:335:00:37

long-standing feature of the scheme

and is one of its strengths. Local

5:00:375:00:42

authorities are independent bodies

and in the first in primary

5:00:425:00:46

instances are accountable to the

electorate through the ballot box

5:00:465:00:49

rather than central government. That

said there are routes for

5:00:495:00:56

independent redress where local

authorities fail in obligation. For

5:00:565:01:01

example through the councils own

complaints procedure, the local

5:01:015:01:05

government ombudsman or the pensions

ombudsman and potentially and

5:01:055:01:10

finally through the court by

judicial review. It's a feature of

5:01:105:01:15

any legal system of redress that

there are administrative deadlines

5:01:155:01:19

associated with each of these and I

am sure the honourable member will

5:01:195:01:23

recognise that all sides in a

dispute often benefit from the

5:01:235:01:27

certainty these afford. However I

also believe local authorities if

5:01:275:01:33

they are to retain the trust of the

people they serve should always seek

5:01:335:01:38

to act honourably and correct

mistakes even when they may be under

5:01:385:01:43

no legal obligation to do so. And

where I feel I need to college

5:01:435:01:48

mistakes, I will also do so, from

this dispatch box if necessary and I

5:01:485:01:54

hope my voice in these matters would

not be without some moral force. It

5:01:545:01:59

gives me comfort but in general the

LGPS is a well administered scheme.

5:01:595:02:06

The vast majority of complaints are

involved internally, it pays out

5:02:065:02:11

benefits each year and despite this

I am told there are fewer than 91

5:02:115:02:16

complaints to the pensions

ombudsman. But clearly some stakes

5:02:165:02:23

will be made and the impact of those

mistakes could be hugely significant

5:02:235:02:29

for people particularly vulnerable

or of limited means who rely on

5:02:295:02:33

their pensions to sustain their

dignity and standard of living in

5:02:335:02:35

old age. With this in mind I turn in

the back to the details in the case

5:02:355:02:44

of Mr Bell. The case was made

forcefully and the City of London

5:02:445:02:49

has not complied with its statutory

obligations or delivered justice to

5:02:495:02:54

Mr Bell in this case. As the

honourable member would of course

5:02:545:02:58

expect my officials have been in

touch with the City of London to

5:02:585:03:01

hear the explanation of these

events. At the outset it's worth

5:03:015:03:07

stressing the obvious difficulty in

understanding in precise detail

5:03:075:03:11

events which happened almost 20

years ago. But from hearing both

5:03:115:03:17

sides it strikes me as common ground

that as a consequence of the

5:03:175:03:21

accident on the 6th of November 2000

Mr Bell suffered some degree of

5:03:215:03:27

incapacity. The question appears to

be about the degree of severity and

5:03:275:03:33

permanence of that incapacity. I

expect it's difficult for any

5:03:335:03:37

medical expert to give a very

definite answer to those questions.

5:03:375:03:41

And it's that very reason I would

expect this to be settled as a

5:03:415:03:46

question of fact by someone that

both parties can have confidence in.

5:03:465:03:51

That is the plain meaning and intent

of regulation 97. I can see no good

5:03:515:03:57

reason why the Corporation of London

chose not to instruct an independent

5:03:575:04:01

registered medical practitioner who

could have either confirmed or

5:04:015:04:06

corrected the judgment which was

reached no doubt in good faith by

5:04:065:04:11

the Corporation's operational health

team. But not only was it not

5:04:115:04:17

instructed but other consequences

followed the failure to consider the

5:04:175:04:21

decision of any kind was due in

respect of the application of

5:04:215:04:27

ill-health retirement. The

protections and regulations whereby

5:04:275:04:31

a member is informed of his right of

appeal and a reference to the

5:04:315:04:35

pensions advisory service appear all

so not to have kicked in as one

5:04:355:04:41

might reasonably have expected. Of

course I cannot see what conclusions

5:04:415:04:48

would have been reached or whether

indeed an appeal would have been

5:04:485:04:51

successful. What I can say is that

Mr Bell does seem to have suffered

5:04:515:04:57

an injustice by being denied an

independent assessment of this case.

5:04:575:05:03

But I must note that Mr Bell did

received legal advice from a

5:05:035:05:08

reputable firm of lawyers in

settling the terms of his dismissal

5:05:085:05:11

for a limited efficiency in 2002. In

coming to a decision on how best to

5:05:115:05:17

pursue his case and whether to

accept the terms of settlement I

5:05:175:05:20

would hope the legal advice he

received was complete and accurate.

5:05:205:05:25

Let me know address directly the

question the honourable member for

5:05:255:05:32

box but to me and closing. I am

happy to place on record my concern

5:05:325:05:37

that the regulations do not seem to

have been followed in this case. My

5:05:375:05:42

view is that the facts available to

me at this time, it ought to have

5:05:425:05:47

been engaged in 2002. If the

honourable member for Foxhall

5:05:475:05:53

believes it may serve some purpose I

would be happy to write to the

5:05:535:05:58

Corporation and ask them to justify

this permission to me. Next to her

5:05:585:06:04

other questions more generally I

personally and the Department are

5:06:045:06:07

not aware of any other such cases

where this practice was followed,

5:06:075:06:12

nor of any other specific complaints

about the Corporation's

5:06:125:06:17

administrations practices. I would

hope that if there were similar

5:06:175:06:21

cases, then they would have found

their way correctly and

5:06:215:06:25

appropriately to the pensions

ombudsman. They are I believe the

5:06:255:06:29

arguments advanced would have

received a strong hearing. Next the

5:06:295:06:34

honourable member asked if I wished

to tighten the rules in this area.

5:06:345:06:40

Having reviewed its Madam Deputy

Speaker, to my mind the regulations

5:06:405:06:44

then as now are clear about the

process to be followed. The

5:06:445:06:49

regulations then as now place the

correct emphasis on the need for

5:06:495:06:52

decisions to be taken in a timely

way based on independent advice and

5:06:525:06:57

with further avenues for advice or

appeal clearly signposted. I think

5:06:575:07:03

having reflected on it that the

issue at stake here is not that the

5:07:035:07:06

regulators themselves are at fault

but whether they were properly

5:07:065:07:09

adhered to and followed. But if they

were not then at this point sadly I

5:07:095:07:18

cannot see any specific further

steps which I can take to pursue

5:07:185:07:21

this case on her behalf and a half

of Mr Bell. If we were having this

5:07:215:07:29

conversation at the time of the

incident in question Mr Bell would

5:07:295:07:32

have had the Avenue of appeal and

address through the own two stage

5:07:325:07:37

appeal process. Following that we

could have gone to the pensions

5:07:375:07:41

ombudsman, the Secretary of State or

indeed the courts through judicial

5:07:415:07:44

review. But as I said earlier, there

are good and necessary reasons why

5:07:445:07:50

we have time on its and limitations

in the determination of rights and

5:07:505:07:57

liabilities. Statute of limitations

are common across civil and criminal

5:07:575:08:01

law in this country and across the

world. Patters must be allowed to

5:08:015:08:07

know in a matter has been settled

and given where we are now 18 years

5:08:075:08:12

after the incident unfortunately the

ability to access any of these

5:08:125:08:16

avenues has unfortunately expired.

Of course at that time in question

5:08:165:08:22

Mr Bell received legal advice and

sought a settlement with his

5:08:225:08:24

employers. I very much hope his

solicitors at this time discussed

5:08:245:08:30

with him these vary avenues which

may well have been available at that

5:08:305:08:35

time. And provided advice to him on

the best course of action. It made

5:08:355:08:40

well be worth Mr Bell or the

honourable member discussing this

5:08:405:08:44

again with the solicitors to make

sure all correct procedures and

5:08:445:08:47

avenues were explored. Due to the

separation of powers of central and

5:08:475:08:54

local government I cannot intervene

in the day-to-day activities of

5:08:545:08:57

local authorities except where a

specific provision is made by

5:08:575:09:01

Parliament. I am not aware of any

specific basis on which I could

5:09:015:09:05

intervene directly in this case.

I

thank the Minister of giving way, I

5:09:055:09:11

know he's coming to the end of his

speech, I want to thank him for the

5:09:115:09:15

thoughtful way he has dealt with

this. Does he still not accept or

5:09:155:09:22

does he accept that it should have

been up to the City of London

5:09:225:09:28

Corporation, a hugely rich in

personnel counsel, to actually give

5:09:285:09:35

Mr Bell his rights, to tell him

about his rights? It should not have

5:09:355:09:39

been up to a solicitor a few years

later, surely there is a moral duty,

5:09:395:09:44

is not a legal duty and I think

there should be a legal duty and I

5:09:445:09:48

think the regulations give a legal

duty, to inform Mr Bell and allow

5:09:485:09:53

that independent medical

practitioner that is where it went

5:09:535:09:56

wrong, something so simple. Does he

now agree that the moral case is

5:09:565:10:01

there for the City of London

Corporation and I would welcome

5:10:015:10:04

Madam Deputy Speaker him writing to

the City of London on my behalf and

5:10:045:10:08

on the half of Mr Bell.

Thank you, I

can tell my honourable friend that

5:10:085:10:13

not only is there a moral duty but

she is right there is a legal duty

5:10:135:10:18

both have used an independent

medical practitioner but also to

5:10:185:10:21

have informed Mr Bell of his rights

at the time. That said Mr Bell would

5:10:215:10:29

have been aware of those rights

through the many other

5:10:295:10:31

communications which would have

happened to him as a member of the

5:10:315:10:34

scheme but at the point where it

became relevant under the articles

5:10:345:10:37

and provisions he should have been

made aware at that time again.

5:10:375:10:41

Although it is of course of limited

comfort to Mr Bell and the

5:10:415:10:45

honourable member on means being

reviewed for resolving disputes

5:10:455:10:52

locally and is looking at

simplifying the rules around

5:10:525:10:56

ill-health retirement. I'm expecting

some recommendations for them in

5:10:565:10:59

relation to these matters in due

course and the hearing of this

5:10:595:11:03

particular matter will weigh on my

mind as I review those

5:11:035:11:07

recommendations. In conclusion Madam

Deputy Speaker whilst we have

5:11:075:11:11

discussed process I don't want to

lose sight of the individual at the

5:11:115:11:14

centre of all of this, Mr Bell. The

accident which caused him to lose

5:11:145:11:19

his job seems such a small and

random piece of bad luck. We are

5:11:195:11:24

still talking about it today and

that shows how the unfairness of any

5:11:245:11:30

kind of fate or administration can

be hard to accept and live with. I

5:11:305:11:35

don't know if Mr Bell is adequately

supported today and living if a

5:11:355:11:40

filling and satisfying life but I

sincerely hope so. Finally I want to

5:11:405:11:45

know in the honourable member for

her tireless work and advocating so

5:11:455:11:49

forcefully on the half of her

constituents. I know she will keep

5:11:495:11:53

pushing the City of London

Corporation to examine a fresh if

5:11:535:11:57

they believe they have acted fairly

and in good conscience. I will

5:11:575:12:03

support her in those efforts and I

wish her and Mr Bell every success

5:12:035:12:07

as she pursues this case.

The

question is that this house now

5:12:075:12:14

adjourn as many it that opinion see

aye, the ayes have it. Order.

5:12:145:12:24

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