Immigrants (NHS Treatment) Debate

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Department: Department of Health and Social Care

John Pugh

Main Page: John Pugh (Liberal Democrat - Southport)

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Oral Answers to Questions

Immigrants (NHS Treatment)

John Pugh Excerpts

Points of Order
Monday 25th March 2013

(11 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jeremy Hunt Portrait Mr Hunt
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The rules existed for 13 years under the Labour Government, who did absolutely nothing to change them. We are tackling the problem. If Labour Members had any grace, they would thank us for doing so.

John Pugh Portrait John Pugh (Southport) (LD)
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When I tabled questions last year, I was told that we collect £51 million a year for treatment from EU countries, but that they collect £451 million—nine times more—back from us. Is this an issue not of immigration, but of coding, charging and collecting?

Jeremy Hunt Portrait Mr Hunt
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My hon. Friend might be right—we need to look at that—but as I have told my hon. Friend the Member for Dover (Charlie Elphicke), one factor is that a number of our pensioners retire to sunnier climates, which leads to that imbalance.

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