Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill

Lord Duvall Excerpts

2nd reading
Wednesday 4th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Duvall (Lab) (Maiden Speech)]

My Lords, like my noble friend Lord Roe, it is an honour and a privilege to make my maiden speech today. Just over three weeks have passed since my introduction to this House. I have a sense of awe and pride at the history of this House but also the knowledge of how I have encountered Members from all sides of the House.

I would like to extend my thanks to the doorkeepers, the housekeepers and the catering staff, along with Garter, Black Rod and the Clerk of the Parliaments. I would like also to thank my introducers, my noble friend Lord Harris and my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer, who are former colleagues and valued friends with whom I have worked over many years. My thanks go to the Leader of the House, of course, and to the Chief Whip for the support and wise advice that they have given me.

I am also thankful for the way that I have been welcomed and received by noble Lords, again from all sides of the House. I have worked with many noble Lords in my time in local and regional politics, and it is a pleasure to be working with so many of you again for the benefit not just of London but of the country.

I want to take a moment to thank my partner, Jackie Smith. I am not referring to Jacqui Smith, my noble friend Lady Smith—I do not want to set any hares running. My Jackie Smith hails from Bermondsey, south London; perhaps I should not have mentioned, but a number of us have south London connections. I owe a lot to my Jackie. She has her own political career and her own achievements. She has been a councillor in her own right, and she has achieved many great things locally for the council and for the people that she serves. She supported me unfailingly over many years, and when I underwent a double bypass, she and the NHS carried me through it. There were difficulties, and, quite honestly, I would not be here today without her. In every sense, I am a better man because of her.

My journey—and it is a journey that I have been on before coming to this House—would not have been possible without the opportunities created for me by others: in education; in employment; and in the Labour Party and my trade union NUPE, now Unison. It also rests on the enduring influence of my mum and dad, who are not here to share this moment today.

I was made in Woolwich. The place has always been my home. Woolwich is full of history at every level, from its deep military traditions to its social legacy of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society and the polytechnics that opened the way for part-time learning and women returners into education. I am proud of my Anglo-Indian roots, proud of my mixed heritage and proud to be part of our nation of countries and nations. I am in Woolwich partly because of the Royal Artillery; I share that with my noble friend Lord Roe. My dad and both my grandfathers were gunners, and their service greatly impacted on my life. I am, by choice, the Mayor of London’s Armed Forces champion, and I will continue to advocate for our service men and women, veterans and their families in this Chamber if I can.

What most people do not know about my life is that I had ill health as a child. I spent 10 years in a special school. I left school at 16 and went straight into the world of work. My first role was working in a youth centre with young people. I was young myself; it takes me a while to think about that. I then became a trainee, what we would call an apprenticeship trainee, in local government, which gave me a solid grounding in public services.

I was also active in the trade union movement, representing and advocating for colleagues. I served as a shop steward and later I became a branch secretary. More importantly, I took advantage of the training opportunities that the trade union movement, and my employer, offered me. I remain grateful for that to this day.

I am also proud that I have had some opportunities to do international work. I have been involved, through the Commonwealth Local Government Forum and with colleagues in the Council of Europe, in promoting best practice within local government in regional chambers.

Closer to home, I am proud that I led Greenwich council and that I have spent the past 25 years at the London Assembly, taking on both scrutiny and many executive responsibilities. It is a real privilege to be in public life and serve people, and it is a privilege I never take lightly. I have spent my political life responding to and promoting change. You have to pre-empt, prepare and shape change, not be carried by it. It is interesting in the context of the debate that we are having tonight. Our country faces that change now, and the work which this Government are undertaking, the policies we scrutinise in this House and the way we do it define how the country embraces that change.

The Bill before us is about changing how medical training posts are allocated in the UK, ensuring that those trained here are first in line for NHS training programmes. It says something about the economic challenges our young people face today that those graduating from medical schools after five years of university study are often struggling and waiting to secure their first roles in medical training posts.

The Bill will help us develop the next generation of healthcare professionals. Internationally trained doctors will continue to make a huge contribution to our NHS. Nobody will be excluded from applying. There are some issues around the detail, which the Minister will want to respond to, but it will help us ensure that young people who have spent their early lives working incredibly hard in our schools and universities can fulfil their dreams. It will give them certainty as to where their hospital posting will be, and it will help maintain an NHS workforce that can continue to provide world-leading, life-saving care. I see this as giving an opportunity, in the same way that others have created opportunities for me throughout my life. Thank you.