Engagements — House of Commons, 2016-10-26
Topic: Health
Questions: Twenty years ago, a Conservative Government agreed that the Christchurch and East Dorset Councils could retain their sovereignty, independence and control over their own destiny. Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that the Government will not agree to the abolition of either Christchurch Council or East Dorset Council against the will of my constituents?; My constituency forms part of the new west midlands combined authority, where new powers will be devolved to the authority and the mayor. Will the Prime Minister tell me how those new powers will help my constituents and local businesses in sectors such as manufacturing, the automotive industry, and bricks and ceramics?; The independent inquiry on child sexual abuse was established to deliver long-awaited justice for victims and survivors, and to do so it must have their confidence. The Shirley Oaks Survivors Association represents more than 600 survivors of abuse that took place in Lambeth Council-run children’s homes and has recently raised serious concerns about changes to the inquiry. Will the Prime Minister meet me, my hon. Friend the Member for Streatham (Mr Umunna) and representatives from the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association to discuss their concerns and take action, so that confidence can be restored?; The Prime Minister will be aware that our nation’s commitment to our current and former armed forces personnel and their families by way of the armed forces covenant is a work in progress, and that although we have made important moves there is still much more to do. Will she take this opportunity to assure this House of her personal commitment to the values and promises set out in the covenant, and to pledge to lend her support to efforts to continue the good work begun, and to ensure that personnel, veterans and their families face no disadvantage arising from their service and the sacrifice they have all made for our country?; . Last year, my 25-year-old nephew Matty committed suicide after a very short period of depression. His GP had referred him for talking therapy counselling but warned him that it would be at least six months before he got an appointment. These treatments in the NHS are often a waiting game—a dangerous waiting game—and a postcode lottery. What is the Prime Minister doing to sort this crisis out?; . My right hon. Friend became Prime Minister in dramatic and extraordinary circumstances, and she has proved more than capable of rising to the many challenges that—[Interruption.] It was not her fault that the Chilcot report took seven years and cost more than £10 million, but now that we know that Parliament was misled will she reassure me that she has a cunning plan to ensure that action is taken?; The Prime Minister will be aware that much of the foundation and many of the elements of the 1998 settlement and peace agreement in Northern Ireland were referenced and rooted in EU approaches and processes of laws and that leaving the EU will significantly destabilise the foundations of that settlement. Has the Prime Minister given any consideration to the extent of the potential damage the withdrawal from the European Union could do to that Good Friday/Belfast agreement and the 1998 political settlement? Does she have any plan at this stage to protect that settlement?; General Electric has shown its confidence in the UK economy and my constituents by starting construction of the second of its two new world-class research and manufacturing facilities on Staffordshire County Council’s Redhill Business Park. Will the Prime Minister meet General Electric and other west midlands manufacturers to hear just how important supply chains and markets free of tariffs and bureaucracy are to them and their hundreds of thousands of staff?; Is the Prime Minister aware of the recent reports showing the continuing and alarming increase in average alcohol consumption in the UK, particularly among women? Given the numerous health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption, will her Government, together with the drinks industry, re-examine the case for mandatory health warnings on all alcoholic products?; Given the imminence of the final decision on the eastern route of HS2, phase two, it is imperative that we invest in new road infrastructure to support the additional traffic that that will bring to the areas around the new station hubs. With that in mind, will my right hon. Friend back my campaign for a new junction 25a of the M1 to ensure that Erewash residents do not get stuck in a jam?; May I take the Prime Minister back to the answer that she gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull East (Karl Turner)? The Conservative manifesto promised shorter NHS waiting times for those who need help with their mental health, but as prescriptions for anti-depressants continue to rise my constituents in Wirral who need talking therapies have to wait a month for referral and well over four months for treatment. Was that Tory manifesto just words, or will the Prime Minister ever deliver?; As a former Wimbledonian, my right hon. Friend will understand the significance of transport for south-west London and in particular for Wimbledon. Can she assure me that the Government still support Crossrail 2, and will she ask the Secretary of State for Transport to set out the timetable for the delayed consultation?; In Indian-occupied Kashmir over the past three months 150 people have died, 600 have been blinded by the deliberate use of pellet guns, and more than 16,000 injured, many critically. There have been unexplained disappearances and shortages of food and medicine. Will the Prime Minister meet me and cross-party colleagues to discuss the human rights abuses and the issue of self-determination for Kashmiri people, as was set out in the UN resolution in 1948? Will she raise the matter with the Indian Prime Minister?; I am sure that we all recognise that the removal of the camp at Calais is not a long-term solution to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. What will the Government do to learn from the experiences in Calais and speed up the acceptance of vulnerable individuals, as they committed to do under Lords Dubs’s scheme?
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): I am pleased to say that, in fact, what we see—far from the impression that is given by some of the comments from Opposition Members—is that, since 2009-10, around 750,000 more people are accessing talking therapies and 1,400 more people are accessing mental health services every day, compared to 2010, so that is up by 40%. But my hon. Friend, who I know has a particular interest and a particular expertise in this area, is right that we need to do more, and that is why we are continuing to invest in mental health services and continuing to increase the standards that we provide.