As it is the first time I have had the pleasure of speaking in the House since your election to the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker, may I congratulate you and say how pleased I am to be speaking this evening under your guidance?

The doctors and consultants in Brent, like those...

As it is the first time I have had the pleasure of speaking in the House since your election to the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker, may I congratulate you and say how pleased I am to be speaking this evening under your guidance?

The doctors and consultants in Brent, like those...

The situation in north London is clearly shocking. Does my hon. Friend know whether any of the tests that were outsourced relate specifically to diabetes, which is a huge problem for people who live in Brent? About 10% of the population is thought to suffer from diabetes.

The situation in north London is clearly shocking. Does my hon. Friend know whether any of the tests that were outsourced relate specifically to diabetes, which is a huge problem for people who live in Brent? About 10% of the population is thought to suffer from diabetes.

It is a great pleasure to be speaking in the Chamber under your chairmanship for the first time, Madam Deputy Speaker. I congratulate you on your success in being appointed.

I congratulate the hon. Member for Brent North (Barry Gardiner) on securing this debate. Before I correct some of the assertions...

It is a great pleasure to be speaking in the Chamber under your chairmanship for the first time, Madam Deputy Speaker. I congratulate you on your success in being appointed.

I congratulate the hon. Member for Brent North (Barry Gardiner) on securing this debate. Before I correct some of the assertions...

The Minister rightly says that clinicians are best placed to make clinical judgments about their patients’ needs, and there is no dispute between us on that. My concern is that in a case such as that of TDL the clinicians understood the clinical need but clearly did not have the...

The Minister rightly says that clinicians are best placed to make clinical judgments about their patients’ needs, and there is no dispute between us on that. My concern is that in a case such as that of TDL the clinicians understood the clinical need but clearly did not have the...

I hope that the hon. Gentleman will forgive me for saying that many of the contracts to which he is alluding were put in place under the old arrangements, before this Government’s reforms, which have delivered clinical leadership. Many of these contracts were negotiated under the powers put in place...

I hope that the hon. Gentleman will forgive me for saying that many of the contracts to which he is alluding were put in place under the old arrangements, before this Government’s reforms, which have delivered clinical leadership. Many of these contracts were negotiated under the powers put in place...

The Minister will have been aware of the report on TDL in north-west London and in no sense could it have been said that a satisfactory service was being delivered. So why did the CQC not intervene in a timely fashion? Why, when the initial report by the GP was...

The Minister will have been aware of the report on TDL in north-west London and in no sense could it have been said that a satisfactory service was being delivered. So why did the CQC not intervene in a timely fashion? Why, when the initial report by the GP was...

Clearly, the events that the hon. Gentleman has raised were distressing and appear to have caused difficulties for patients, and I know that local commissioners found that regrettable. I do not know whether the case was reported to the CQC. He will also be aware that the CQC has come...

Clearly, the events that the hon. Gentleman has raised were distressing and appear to have caused difficulties for patients, and I know that local commissioners found that regrettable. I do not know whether the case was reported to the CQC. He will also be aware that the CQC has come...

This was in 2012.

This was in 2012.

Indeed, and the Francis inquiry took place this year and a lot of action has been put in place by the Secretary of State to recognise where there have been failings in the health system in the past. We know that the majority of the health service, however it is...

Indeed, and the Francis inquiry took place this year and a lot of action has been put in place by the Secretary of State to recognise where there have been failings in the health system in the past. We know that the majority of the health service, however it is...

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his intervention, and he is absolutely right that diabetes is a major problem in the Brent area. Given that many of the tests related to phlebotomy, I would assume that some of them might have related to diabetes, but I do...

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his intervention, and he is absolutely right that diabetes is a major problem in the Brent area. Given that many of the tests related to phlebotomy, I would assume that some of them might have related to diabetes, but I do...

Agreed to on question.

Agreed to on question.

Agreed to on question.

Agreed to on question.

The purpose of this debate is to seek an update from the Minister on the discussions on the future of Porton Down in my constituency. Since the debate I called in June 2010, to which my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Anne Milton) responded, I have had numerous interactions...

The purpose of this debate is to seek an update from the Minister on the discussions on the future of Porton Down in my constituency. Since the debate I called in June 2010, to which my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Anne Milton) responded, I have had numerous interactions...

I should like to congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (John Glen) on securing this debate. I also thank him for helpfully providing me and my officials with advance details of his speech. That has been of great assistance to us, because it enables us to provide answers...

I should like to congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (John Glen) on securing this debate. I also thank him for helpfully providing me and my officials with advance details of his speech. That has been of great assistance to us, because it enables us to provide answers...

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether charging for tests in Public Health England microbiology laboratories is on a per test basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether charging for tests in Public Health England microbiology laboratories is on a per test basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her latest estimate is of the number of police laboratories that will be accredited to ISO17025 by November 2013.

[166203]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her latest estimate is of the number of police laboratories that will be accredited to ISO17025 by November 2013.

[166203]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many laboratories in the UK are able to conduct the DNA tests necessary to identify adulterated horsemeat.

[142942]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many laboratories in the UK are able to conduct the DNA tests necessary to identify adulterated horsemeat.

[142942]

My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have taken an interest in this debate and I want to express my thanks to Julian

Elderfield, a master’s student at the London School of Economics last year, who has prepared for me some very interesting notes on this topic....

My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have taken an interest in this debate and I want to express my thanks to Julian

Elderfield, a master’s student at the London School of Economics last year, who has prepared for me some very interesting notes on this topic....

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Harris of Haringey, for initiating this extremely important debate and being kind enough to let me have sight of that excellent research paper from Mr Julian Elderfield. Without that, I would not have been able to speak in this debate such is...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Harris of Haringey, for initiating this extremely important debate and being kind enough to let me have sight of that excellent research paper from Mr Julian Elderfield. Without that, I would not have been able to speak in this debate such is...

My Lords, this is a cosy and intimate debate given the seriousness of the risks that we are discussing, but I still want to congratulate my noble friend Lord Harris on having set it up and on his excellent introduction. There are three sets of factors which make biological threats...

My Lords, this is a cosy and intimate debate given the seriousness of the risks that we are discussing, but I still want to congratulate my noble friend Lord Harris on having set it up and on his excellent introduction. There are three sets of factors which make biological threats...