Speeches by Robertson.

“I congratulate the hon. Member, my neighbour, on securing this debate, which is important not only for us on the Isle of Wight, but for so many MPs, hence the wonderful turnout in the Chamber today. In particular, I thank him for highlighting our issues with ferries. I am sure he would agree that it is not just the pri…”

“I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving me an opportunity not to chunter from a sedentary position and to remark that this tedious rhetoric about the last 14 years—when all the public want to do is hear about plans for the future and how they will work—is the reason why we are in the state that we are. Will my hon. …”

“As my hon. Friend the Member for Farnham and Bordon said, we on the Health and Social Care Committee heard from the Secretary of State yesterday. These new clauses were obviously drafted in advance, but the timing of their consideration is rather good. We had the opportunity to ask the Secretary of State, who sits righ…”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that there is an overarching issue here of public confidence in the safety of their data? That is not about one company or another; it is about ensuring that robust safeguards are in place for everyone and for every provider of a data and record-keeping system. If the public do not have confid…”

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Lewell. I find myself unequal to the level of analysis and detail that the hon. Member for Lichfield brought to public health in the Ministry of Defence. I will add just a few brief thoughts. The good intention of extending the life expectancy of the people in this co…”

“I thank the right hon. Member for his statement. What a shame he has been asked to look at this issue only now, when his party had 14 long years in Opposition to work out what they wanted to do. Given that he acknowledges the system needs reform—as every new Government acknowledge—does he accept that, in today’s world,…”

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Dr Huq. My hon. Friend the Member for Farnham and Bordon has set out the arguments clearly; I will just add some of my own views. As he stated, the single patient record provides a unique and special opportunity to improve efficiency across the whole health and social ca…”

“I am grateful to the hon. Member for Winchester for introducing these new clauses and for the debate that that is allowing us to have. Unpaid carers are too often a silent and fundamentally unappreciated part of society, which the system could not cope without. They are family members who are thrown into the role of lo…”

“I think that the hon. Member has spoken very well, too, and I am grateful to him for airing this important subject through his new clause.”

“To strip this back further, can the Minister confirm whether a deal has been done?”

“I am talking about the moral and ethical considerations of whether it is right to gather clinical evidence that does not exist from children as young as 11.”

“Secretary of State, you have been clear that you think the puberty blocker trial should go ahead because the Cass review says there is a lack of clinical evidence of the potential benefits of injecting, or administering, powerful drugs for young children. Do you not think that there is a moral and ethical consideration…”

“I do not agree with your decision, but thank you. I will move on to the forthcoming modern service framework for dementia. The head of the Alzheimer's Society, Michelle Dyson, said that it is “not going to be worth the paper it is written on” because the diagnosis target for 18 weeks has been removed. Why have you remo…”

“A lack of clinical evidence on the possible benefits of puberty blockers does not mean it is morally or ethically right to go and gather that evidence by administering powerful drugs to physically healthy children as young as 11, does it?”

“The boss of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency told MPs in person that 93% of CROs surveyed were happy with moving to an unpaid volunteer model. That was false: the survey data shows that in many areas across the UK, nearly half would reduce their hours or quit. I am amazed that the Minister has any confidence in the b…”

“They are already available. You are just paying the US more for them without knowing how much it is going to cost or where the money is coming from.”

“The Government have agreed to pay 25% more for drugs that are already available, without knowing how much it is going to cost. How can you possibly do that? I do not understand.”

“I agree with all that, but how much is it going to cost to pay more for US drugs that are already available?”

“Thank you. I urge you to include that 18-week diagnosis target because dementia is Britain’s biggest killer. Such targets apply to other big killers, such as cancer. Finally, can I ask about the new hospital programme? Secretary of State, are you committed to phases 2 and 3—that is, the remaining 18 of the 40 sites? Ar…”

“Please do write.”