Terminal Illness: Mental Health Support

Jeremy Wright Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Westminster Hall

[Mr Rand]

I could not agree more that throughout treatment we need a whole-person approach. It is the stated aim of the Government to develop that offer in our communities and in our national health service. The extraordinary toll it takes on friends and families is something that our health system should think more about, and we should give more consideration to.

The issue is so important that if we do not get it right, as I think Members across the House would reflect, the consequences may be tragic for people going through their most difficult times and experiences. For Sarah and Mike and the countless other people touched by cancer, I urge the Minister to work with me and Mike on improving mental health support for those with a terminal diagnosis.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for opening the debate. I say this mostly for the benefit of those in the Public Gallery, but we are expecting votes in the main Chamber soon. If that happens, I will suspend the sitting and we will reconvene when the votes are complete. I call Jim Shannon.

--- Later in debate ---

[Dr Ahmed]

The mental health investment standard is something that we expect ICBs to meet. I will gently push back on what the hon. Gentleman is saying because, as we have been so succinctly reminded in this debate, investing in mental wellbeing is about more than just headline figures. For instance, we need psychology in oncology, in children’s health, and in other forms of cancer care. The provision of such services is not always recorded in the way that the hon. Gentleman would wish it to be recorded, but there are still formats and sub-types of mental health support.

The Government are also keen to press ahead with our 10-year plan, and we are setting out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country while delivering the shift from hospital to community. As part of that process, we wish to open around 85 mental health emergency departments, reducing pressure on busy A&E services, which are the last places that people with mental health needs should be, and ensuring that people have the right support they need in a calm, compassionate environment.

We will also use new integrated health organisations to break down barriers between services, which I also think is really important in the context of this debate, and to ensure integrated and holistic care, addressing both physical and mental healthcare needs, with more freedom to determine how best to meet the needs of those local populations. That will build on the work that has already begun to bring down waiting lists. As I said, we are investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services. On staffing, I am pleased to say that almost 7,000 extra mental health workers have been recruited since July 2024, against our target of 8,500 by the end of this Parliament.

We are also expanding talking therapies, and we have committed to continuing that expansion over the coming years. More adults already benefit from better access to those therapies, and the aim is for over 900,000 people to complete a course of treatment with improved effectiveness and quality of services by March 2029. Anyone who develops a common mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression, in any context, including terminal illness, can self-refer to talking therapies. [Interruption.]

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

Order. I am sorry to interrupt the Minister, but a Division has been called. I am very much in the Minister’s hands at this point, and I am conscious that there may be more he wishes to say. If he has only a minute or two of his speech remaining, I gather there will be several Divisions, so I do not want to force everyone to come back for just that. If he has more to say, there is of course more time for him to take, and the same applies to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale West. I am in the Minister’s hands; does he wish to conclude now, or would he rather come back?

[Dr Ahmed]

I am grateful for your direction, Sir Jeremy. I need one minute to conclude my remarks, and I will then pass on to my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale West.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

Order. I am afraid that we will now need to suspend as the Division is active. I will suspend the sitting for 15 minutes for the first Division and for 10 minutes for any subsequent Divisions. I gather that there may be several Divisions, so I apologise to the Minister and all other Members who will have to wait.

[Jim Shannon]

On a point of order, Sir Jeremy. We have 15 minutes to go and vote for the first Division. I am not telling you what to do, but if we need only two minutes, can we conclude the debate? There will be four votes; the first will take 15 minutes, and the other three will take 10 minutes each, which means it will be 45 minutes before we can come back.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

I do not want to compress the debate, as I appreciate it is a very sensitive subject. If the Minister can complete what he has to say in less than a minute, I will allow him to do so. If he needs longer, I will allow that after the Divisions.

[Dr Ahmed]

Thank you, Sir Jeremy. Can I reassure all Members participating in this debate of the Government’s commitment to deliver on the issues that have been raised? We will work constructively with everyone, including patients and their families, as we develop the framework that Members have already outlined. We will also work with other mental health partners, local authorities and charities so that everyone can be assured that the Government are playing their part in delivering a better standard of access to care for not only palliative care but mental health care in that context.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

The hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale West may have a very brief word.

[Mr Rand]

I thank everyone who has contributed to the debate in a really constructive way, and I hope that we can work together on both sides of this House to tackle this important issue. I am incredibly grateful to the Minister for his response, and for offering a meeting with myself and Mike. Of course, my last thanks go to Mike for sharing his story with me in such a personal and considered way.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

I am very grateful to the hon. Member.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered mental health support for people with terminal illnesses.

Covid-19 Vaccination Harm

Jeremy Wright Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd September 2025 Westminster Hall

[Sir Christopher Chope (Christchurch) (Con)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered Government support for people harmed following covid-19 vaccinations.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Lewell. This is a hot topic. The Secretary of State told my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Kenilworth and Southam (Sir Jeremy Wright) in June that it was on still on the boil. We hope today to find out a bit more about what the Government will do in response to the representations that have been made.

I have been campaigning on this issue since the summer of 2021, when it first became apparent that some people had suffered serious adverse reactions—in a few cases fatal ones—as a result of having taken vaccines against covid-19. That summer, over four years ago, I presented a petition calling from reform of the vaccine damage payment scheme, to

“maintain vaccine confidence and provide urgent support for those injured/bereaved through covid-19 vaccinations”.

The complacent Government at the time responded:

“Once more is known about the possible link between the vaccine and potential side effects, it will be considered whether a wider review of the VDPS is needed”.

Is it not regrettable that four years on we are in exactly the same position? The new Government’s line is, “We are not sure whether we’re going to review the VDPS and, if we do, how we’re going to review it and in what respects.”

What has happened since the summer of 2021? On 10 September 2021, in speaking to my Covid-19 Vaccine Damage Bill, I expressed my concerns about the victims of these vaccines. At that stage, there had been only 154 applications under the vaccine damage payment scheme. Four years later, as of June 2025, the number of claims had risen to 21,444. This is a big and serious issue, yet the Government continue to be in denial about the validity of causal links between covid vaccines and injury or death.

Now, in the face of evidence, the Government have had to change their tune, not least because, as of May 2025, 224 awards of £120,000 had been paid in respect of people who had been proved to have suffered death or serious injury as a result of having the vaccines. It is no longer open to the Government to deny that causality, but it seems that they are still intent on playing hard to get for those people who are still seeking compensation or redress for what they have suffered.

This fits closely with the whole issue of vaccine confidence. We have heard recently about the declining take-up of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and other childhood vaccines; our levels of take-up are now well below those recommended by the World Health Organisation. The vaccine damage payment scheme was introduced to give confidence to people who did the right thing in public health terms: they got themselves vaccinated, and they knew that if something went wrong, the Government would come in and support them. That now is not happening, or at least it is not happening in sufficiently large quantities. As a result, the word on the street is that if someone takes a vaccine—if they take that risk for the sake of public health—and something goes wrong, they will probably have to pay the consequences themselves, and the Government will not help.

It is now universally accepted that covid-19 vaccines were not absolutely “safe and effective”, as was claimed at the time. For a few people, the vaccines have been a disaster. The charity UKCVFamily continues to campaign fearlessly for those victims; later this month, it will host in London a two-day seminar with leading lawyers and medical practitioners to consider some of these issues. In January, UKCV and others gave evidence on module 4 of the covid-19 inquiry, arguing for reform of the vaccine damage payment scheme. The hope at the time was that there would be an interim ruling or report, before this point, basically asking the Government to get to grips with reviewing the scheme because of the injustice that was being caused. So far, nothing seems to have happened about producing an interim report in relation to module 4.

The recognition that the reluctance of Government to face up to the facts about covid-19 vaccines is widespread globally led to the publication of “Canary In a Covid World”, a collection of essays from 34 contributors across different countries. I was privileged to be one of them. Another contributor and co-author was Dr Peter McCullough, whose latest book, “Vaccines: Mythology, Ideology, and Reality”, was published in July and for a time was in the New York Times bestseller list. The importance of this issue for tens of thousands of people cannot be overstated, yet the Government continue to vacillate.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth and Southam) (Con)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend not just on securing this debate, but on all the work he has done on this subject. He knows that he and I and our right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Esther McVey) and others have been raising it for many years now. He also knows that the Secretary of State has said he wants time to think about the appropriate solution. That is reasonable, but he has had plenty of time to think about it now, has he not? Are not our constituents who are affected now entitled to know what the Government have decided to do, not just in the interests of those affected but, as my hon. Friend said, in the interests of the effectiveness of Government policy on vaccination?

[Sir Christopher Chope]

My right hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right. I have before me the answer that he received from the Secretary of State when he raised the matter at Health questions on 17 June:

“I reassure the right hon. and learned Gentleman, the constituents of his I have met and other campaigners that I am having discussions with the Cabinet Office about how we deal with that and other issues that have been raised this morning…He knows the complexities involved, and I have been grateful for his advice as a former Attorney General. I do not have specific progress to report now, but I reassure him and campaigners that this issue has not gone off the boil and we are working to find a resolution.”—[Official Report, 17 June 2025; Vol. 769, c. 159.]

That was almost three months ago, so what has happened in the interim? I hope that the Minister, whom I am pleased to see in her place, will be able to deliver a response to the questions as to what review is being carried out, which aspects of the scheme are being reviewed, when evidence will be invited, if that is to happen, and what the timescale is for all this, because at the moment people are in the dark, as my right hon. and learned Friend said.

Down’s Syndrome Regression Disorder

Jeremy Wright Excerpts

Tuesday 8th July 2025 Westminster Hall

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

I remind all colleagues that they should continue to stand if they wish to be called.

--- Later in debate ---

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

Three Back Benchers are seeking to speak. I hope it will assist colleagues if I say that I intend to start calling Front Benchers at about 5.08 pm.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jen Craft]

I thank all colleagues who have taken part in today’s debate. I hope it has been a chance to raise awareness of this much overlooked and under-researched condition. I thank colleagues who shared stories of their individual constituents. My hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Amanda Martin) shared the story of Ewan, and my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Josh Dean) shared Jude and Ruth’s moving story.

I also appreciate the contribution of the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), who talked about the wider implications for families of caring for someone with Down’s syndrome, as well as the contribution from the hon. Member for Birmingham Perry Barr (Ayoub Khan), who raised the need for more awareness of Down’s syndrome regression disorder.

I thank the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller), for her kind words and for talking about the need for co-ordinated care and lifelong support for those with Down’s syndrome. I am also grateful to the right hon. Member for East Hampshire (Damian Hinds) for his contribution. He spoke about the need for more research, and for better support and care for the families of people with Down’s syndrome.

My thanks also go to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Cheshire (Andrew Cooper) for sharing a passionate plea to listen to parents and families, as we are the real experts. That is something I would like the Minister to embed in the guidance under the Down Syndrome Act—listening to those who are experts in the condition. Fairly often, when a person does not receive timely treatment for things like Down’s syndrome regression disorder, it is because those who know them best are not listened to. They are seen the way they have presented on the day, without their entire history being taken into account.

I also thank the shadow Health Secretary, the right hon. Member for Melton and Syston (Edward Argar), for saying that this is very much a cross-party issue. I hope we can move forward in that spirit and see it as something that is beyond the political sphere. We need to act on it so we can come to a resolution for those who are affected by this horrifying condition.

Finally, I thank the Minister for his comments, and particularly on his commitment to publishing the Down Syndrome Act guidance in the autumn, which I am sure will be welcomed by many. I hope there will be specific measures to raise awareness of Down’s syndrome regression disorder, and a pathway so that parents, carers and those with Down’s syndrome regression disorder can get support. Signposting can often be helpful in showing them where to go.

One thing that comes up time and again, when speaking to parents of children or young people with Down’s syndrome regression disorder, is that they are often unaware of it until it happens. It is helpful to understand that what is happening to their child is not unique, and that it is a recognised condition for which treatment is available. That is one of the more helpful things that the Government can do.

Again, I thank everyone for taking part in this debate, and I hope this is the start of real progress on the issue.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (in the Chair)]

I add my thanks to all who participated.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered Down’s syndrome regression disorder research.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jeremy Wright Excerpts

Tuesday 17th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wes Streeting]

We do want to put GPs at the heart of neighbourhood health services, and we want people to have care close to home. There are benefits to primary care working at scale, so I would not want to criticise them for doing that. The important thing is different courses for different horses. Some of us are much more mobile, more active and more online and would welcome that flexibility. For others, continuity of care that is close to home, or indeed in their home, is important. It is important that people get the right care, in the right place, at the right time, wherever they live, and that is what we will deliver.

[Sir Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth and Southam) (Con)]

I am grateful for the consideration the Secretary of State has already given to finding a fairer and more effective way of compensating those injured by a covid vaccination, but he knows that those who are profoundly affected by such injuries are anxious for news. Can he give me, and indeed them, a progress report?

[Wes Streeting]

I reassure the right hon. and learned Gentleman, the constituents of his I have met and other campaigners that I am having discussions with the Cabinet Office about how we deal with that and other issues that have been raised this morning, including the sodium valproate scandal. He knows the complexities involved, and I have been grateful for his advice as a former Attorney General. I do not have specific progress to report now, but I reassure him and campaigners that this issue has not gone off the boil and we are working to find a resolution.