Results 1-20 of 2,832 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Gillian Merron

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Barron), the Chairman of the Health Select Committee, on ensuring that hon. Members have the opportunity to debate the Committee's vital report on the important issue of health inequalities. At the outset, may I say that I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his encouragement and support for the seriousness with which...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: We have agreement and harmony on the issue already. May I make some general points before referring to the specific matters raised, because I want to allow my right hon. Friend to have the last word, as is right and proper? Tackling health inequalities and improving the health of people in disadvantaged areas and groups has been a priority for the Government since 1997. A comprehensive...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: Before I do so, it is worth saying that life expectancy has improved faster in the non-spearhead areas than in the disadvantaged spearhead areas. It is true that the gap has not narrowed as we would wish, but infant mortality is at an historic low level, even for disadvantaged groups. In each of the past three years, the gap has narrowed and if that trend continues, that aspect of the target...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I do not share the doom and gloom of the hon. Gentleman—although I am sure that he did not intend to come across in quite that way—and I think it is important to show where progress has been made. Perhaps he will allow me to explain why I feel that we should acknowledge that this is a difficult matter to turn around and why it would be wrong of me to suggest otherwise. I know that...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I will in one second. I want to say up front—this matter has been mentioned—that I very much look forward to Professor Sir Michael Marmot's report, who I recently had the opportunity to meet. His report will review health inequalities and will set us on a firmer footing for the development of a national cross-Government health equalities strategy.

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I will give way to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) first. The review will report to Ministers at the end of this year and will be published in the new year. Before I take interventions, it is important that I set out the challenge. Health inequalities are extremely difficult to change. They start early in life and continue into not just old age, but future generations....

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: The hon. Gentleman mentions a matter that I was coming on to—as did the hon. Members for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) and for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone). I am happy to talk about that now. Within the NHS, the target revenue allocations to primary care trusts are based on the fair funding formula, as we have discussed, and are recommended by the independent Advisory Committee on Resource...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will allow me to answer some of his earlier questions. It is important to remember that the allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11 show an average PCT growth of something like 5.5 per cent. a year, with minimum growth figures of 5.2 per cent. in 2009-10 and 5.1 per cent. in 2010-11. The most under-target PCTs will benefit from the highest increases in funding. Over the...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: The hon. Gentleman has previously secured a useful Adjournment debate on that issue, to which I responded. Of course, there are differences in responses to prostate cancer, but that issue is not simply about the inequalities that we are talking about today. There is a whole range of factors to consider, but I am sure that you would say, Mr. Bayley, that they would be better discussed in a...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I have already outlined the progress that has been made on that, and I assure the hon. Gentleman, as my colleague Ministers have, that we will continue to make progress. Comments have been made about the bleak outlook before us, and I have expressed my concerns about the picture that the hon. Member for North Norfolk painted of the situation. The latest life expectancy data for 2006-08 showed...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: That is the theme that I have been trying to develop. It is true that inequality remains a challenge, but it is not true that no progress has been made. That is the only point to which I draw the hon. Gentleman's attention. We know that it will not be easy to reverse the trend of widening health inequalities and to improve the health of all. There is no single formula or blueprint for...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: rose—

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: We have already had that argument. I know the hon. Gentleman still resents the effort the Government have agreed to make on tobacco control, but the fact is that the Bill was always written to allow either restrictions or a ban, as he knows. We said we would test the will of the House and that is what we did. Rightly, the House spoke and the Government gave effect to that. I gently suggest...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: My hon. Friend always makes clear and informed points. As I said earlier, health inequalities widened over those 20 years because of inaction, and now we are in a position—[Interruption.] Opposition Members may not like it, but there has been an improvement and, more importantly, there are moves forward. I am afraid the idea that all that can be turned around overnight is totally...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I would like to continue, because Opposition Members have raised several points already. My right hon. Friend the Member for Rother Valley referred to evaluation. We have audited and reviewed the results of a range of programmes, including our own work on health inequalities, to make our effort on narrowing the gap more effective. I recognise that we need to strengthen policy and programme...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I do not think that is necessarily a helpful distinction. I know from my own experience that the fact that all families can access those services removes stigma. One of the great successes of Sure Start has been that the promotion of breast-feeding, good parenting and good nutrition, for example, is not aimed only at the most disadvantaged.

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I will take one more intervention.

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I am a little worried that hon. Members are suggesting that we should cut back on Sure Start. I know that it is the policy of the Opposition to close Sure Start centres and move the services elsewhere. I remember the pilot from way back, and I think that the Sure Start centres and services we see are extremely popular and well received.

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: I will not give way because I want to allow time for my right hon. Friend the Member for Rother Valley to speak. At the local level we do see changes. For example, the gap between women's life expectancy in Southwark and that of the rest of England has been not only narrowed, by closed completely: female life expectancy in Southwark has jumped from 78.7 years to 82.4 years, which is higher...

Free Fruit in Schools (10 Nov 2009) has video

Gillian Merron: I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Todd) on securing this debate on the important matter of the Government's provision of free fruit and vegetables in schools. I share the interest and passion that he showed for free fruit and vegetables in schools. He generously describes this Government scheme as a "shining star", and I welcome his support for it. On his...