Stephen Kinnock MP: speeches

Speeches

• 14 Jul 2026 · General Practice Partnership Model · Hansard source

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  The Carr-Hill review is ongoing and will be published very soon. On access right across the country, we have invested an extra £1.6 billion in general practice, recruited over 2,000 more GPs and extended online services throughout core hours, helping deliver 12.7 million more appointments compared with last year. More than three quarters of people now say it is easy to contact their GP, up from a very disappointing—I am sure the hon. Member will agree—61% in July 2024. When we entered office, general practice was on its knees, but we are rebuilding it, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last two years.

• 14 Jul 2026 · General Practice Partnership Model · Hansard source

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  Well, thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving the hon. Gentleman the opportunity to ask that second question. I am absolutely delighted that you did that. [ Laughter. ] Missing from both of the hon. Gentleman’s questions were any congratulations on the Government’s outstanding achievement. When we came into office, 61% were satisfied with access to their GPs. That now stands at a stunning 77%. I am still waiting for the words of congratulation from the hon. Gentleman. As I say, there is no attempt to change the model. There is a partnership model that works, but where it is not working, we of course look at other options. He seems to be obsessed with the inputs to the system, rather than the quality of the outcomes we deliver. That perhaps explains why there was so much neglect and incompetence over 14 years of Conservative government.

• 14 Jul 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I have discussed this issue with my hon. Friend and I know he feels very strongly about it. I would be delighted to meet him to follow up. It sounds as if some progress is being made, but we need to ensure we get this sorted.

• 14 Jul 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for that question and all the campaigning she does on this issue. Our modern service framework will transform palliative care by basing it on strategic commissioning. That will enable us to tackle rising demand, identify patients much earlier, and ensure that quality of care no longer depends on someone’s postcode. I would of course be happy to meet her and Baroness Finlay to discuss that further.

• 14 Jul 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Dementia is a vital issue, and we are of course committed to creating a national care service. Baroness Casey’s independent commission will set out recommendations to deliver that. She recently made recommendations in her speech at the Nuffield Trust, and we are already implementing those, including the creation of a dementia tzar to push forward all those issues, in terms of both psychosocial care and clinical research.

• 14 Jul 2026 · Social Prescribing · Hansard source

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  I am sure that the hon. Lady welcomes the £3 million that we are granting to the National Academy for Social Prescribing. Social prescribing needs to be commissioned locally by integrated care boards, and I am confident that as and when it delivers valuable services, those services will continue to be commissioned by ICBs.

• 9 Jul 2026 · Lobular Breast Cancer: Moon Shot Project · Hansard source

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  I think my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis) was first.

• 9 Jul 2026 · Lobular Breast Cancer: Moon Shot Project · Hansard source

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  In a nutshell, what I am trying to lay out is that it is not an either/or question. There is a tremendous amount of work going on to research cancer, including lobular breast cancer, which is a vital subset of that work. The challenge for us is the idea of ringfencing £20 million, because ringfencing is not the standard process. The standard process is to have applications that are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. If there is a difference of view in the Chamber today, it is whether we have an ecosystem of cutting-edge research, applications and competitive process, based on the principles I have just outlined, or a ringfenced fund. I have to be absolutely clear and straight with my hon. Friend that currently the Government are not of the view that a ringfencing approach is the right way to go. The worry is that that approach could potentially cut across the ecosystem-based approach that we are seeking to nurture and foster, which we believe will deliver better outcomes in the end.

• 9 Jul 2026 · Lobular Breast Cancer: Moon Shot Project · Hansard source

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  Okay. I thank the hon. Lady. That is what we will do.

• 9 Jul 2026 · Lobular Breast Cancer: Moon Shot Project · Hansard source

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  My understanding is that there are bids that are good enough and they are the ones that have attracted funding for research into lobular breast cancer. What I do not know at this moment is precisely where the live bids are and whether they are making the cut in terms of the quality that we are looking for. I will absolutely follow up with my ministerial colleague, and I will write to my hon. Friend on that point.

• 9 Jul 2026 · Lobular Breast Cancer: Moon Shot Project · Hansard source

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  As I mentioned earlier, unfortunately I am not the lead Minister on this issue, so I do not have the most up-to-date information on the proposal that has been submitted. If it is okay with the hon. Lady, I will speak with the ministerial colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Washington and Gateshead South, and write to the hon. Lady on that subject, providing an update on exactly where the proposal is in terms of the overall process that we have. Have I understood her intervention correctly?