Speeches by Cooper.

“I want to come back to the issue you were talking about on the funding and what PIP was used on. You said that one in two people with a mental health diagnosis quite often use it for private medical expenses. I am guesting this morning from the Health and Social Care Select Committee so I am interested in your take on …”

“T4. This week we celebrate the International Day of Midwives. Midwives are an essential part of ending inequity in maternal health, delivering lifesaving community-based care. Will the Minister please commit to working with the Minister for Health to ensure that our 10-year health strategy and the NHS workforce plan pu…”

“Excellent; thank you, Chris. To Jim, then, devolution has been mentioned several times in this session. As we are aware, concurrently local authority is undergoing a process of devolution. For those areas in the country that do not have devolution and are mandated to undertake it by the end of this Parliament, how is d…”

“Excellent. Good to clarify.”

“Understood, Chris. If I can perhaps direct your thinking to the Department known as OHID, presumably that is obsolete now, or continues as is but will no longer be. Where does that health inequality mandate sit moving forward?”

“By that you mean that the local authority functions will remain as they are with the DPH. We will come to devolution in a minute—that may be for Jim—but carry on.”

“I am aware that we are running out of time, so I will be quick. Chris, you have sat there silently and stoically for two hours, so perhaps I might address a question to you. With all the changes that are going on—NHSE being abolished, ICBs being cut by 50%, HSA presumably continuing as it is—where does public health an…”

“Would you say that this is the right balance between recovery and reform?”

“That aligns with the White Paper that came out around devolution, where it says it is expected that the mayor will be appointed to one of the relevant integrated care partnerships, so that aligns closely. My final question, Secretary of State, is for you. We are often accused in politics of using health as a political …”

“In terms of resources and responsibilities, do you foresee a point where integrated care boards are working so closely with combined authorities that there is a level of accountability into those combined authorities, perhaps looking at some of the accountability that currently comes to central Government? Sir Jim Mack…”

“Excellent. Do we foresee a world, not anticipating the 10-year strategy, where the functions of PHE—so the Health Security Agency, OHID, and perhaps that sort of strategic level thinking—are all brought closely together again?”

“I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way. Is he making the argument that we should not address population health issues—population health interventions have seen a reduction in smoking and a reduction in health-related damage from smoking—because of the consequences of illegal tobacco? Those issues do need to be…”

“Will the right hon. Member give way?”

“First, I should say thank you to the Minister for presenting this afternoon, and for allowing me to be on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill Committee, which was incredibly interesting. There were differing views and there was robust conversation. It is always good to listen to different views, but overall the Bill generally h…”

“I thank the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell) for organising the debate. So much has been covered already, and I do not want to reiterate or repeat it unnecessarily, but I want to draw attention to some key statistics around the fact that nutrition is a core issue, both for h…”

“Drug-resistant infections have been rising in Ukraine and remain a challenge in treating wounded soldiers and getting them back to the frontline. Such infections have also spread outside Ukraine and into Europe. In the context of conflict, what steps are the Minister and the Department taking to ensure that antimicrobi…”

“I thank the Secretary of State for her statement. Welfare reform must ensure that incentivising people into work does not produce unintended health consequences, not least by generating fear and uncertainty, as she rightly points out. Does she agree that we need to address the health inequity issues that are delaying t…”

“I thank the hon. Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller) for calling this debate. As neighbouring parliamentarians on the south coast, we are both passionate champions of the health of our residents and want the best healthcare provision for all, and that includes maternity services. Unfortunately, despite numerous r…”

“The Government’s devolution plans are a welcome progressive development to shift power and resources from Whitehall to our communities. There are discussions now about the process and the realisation of benefits for our communities. Will the Prime Minister assure my residents in Worthing West, and those in all constitu…”

“Does my hon. Friend agree with my perspective as a public health doctor that there is a need for population-level interventions? There is ample evidence of a need for stronger policy and regulatory controls that protect public health and wellbeing and prevent harm. Gambling is not simply a cultural pastime for people o…”