Business of the House

Rachel Taylor Excerpts

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

Again, that subject has been raised before in business questions, and I hope that Royal Mail has heard that, because it is a story repeated in many parts of the country. What the hon. Gentleman describes is not acceptable, not least if there is to be timely delivery of Christmas cards, but as he rightly points out, the issue affects things like hospital appointment letters, too. I will raise this with the appropriate Minister and ensure that Royal Mail is held to account.

[Rachel Taylor (North Warwickshire and Bedworth) (Lab)]

A very merry Christmas to you, Madam Deputy Speaker. My constituent Sam is a fibre engineer. He spends his days climbing ladders, fixing lamp posts and repairing wi-fi for people across north Warwickshire. He has glycogen storage disease type Ia, which is a very rare liver disorder. Despite his GP and hospital consultant telling him that he should have a blood monitor to check his blood sugar levels, Coventry and Warwickshire integrated care board has refused to fund it. Sam has to pay for it himself, at a cost of £100 every month, so that he can continue working. Will the Leader of the House refer my constituent’s case to the Department of Health and Social Care, and enable a debate in Government time on NHS support for people living with rare conditions?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising such an important case. We are committed to improving the lives of those who, like Sam, have rare diseases. Integrated care boards have a responsibility to commission services to meet the needs of those in their care, so I will refer the case to the Department of Health and Social Care, and will ensure that my hon. Friend gets a meeting, if she wants one, to see what progress can be made on these matters.