Oral Answers to Questions

Teresa Pearce Excerpts

Tuesday 21st February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab)]

3. What recent assessment he has made of the future of private health care.

[Teresa Pearce (Erith and Thamesmead) (Lab)]

6. What assessment he has made of the future of private health care.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

13. What assessment he has made of the involvement of the private health care sector in the NHS.

--- Later in debate ---

[Teresa Pearce]

On the BBC’s “Newsnight”, the Minister of State stated that the Health and Social Care Bill would turn the NHS into a “genuine market”. How does this belief fit in with the NHS founding principle that access should be based on need, not market forces?

[Mr Burns]

I am sorry—the hon. Lady has obviously not listened properly to me. It has been my guiding principle and my core belief from the day I entered politics that we should have a national health service free at the point of use for all those eligible to use it. In no shape or form does the Bill, or any actions by this Government, compromise that core belief of mine.