John McDonnell
Yesterday in the House of Commons, the Rt Hon John Redwood MP for Wokingham, sought to make the Secretary of Health come to the House to answer questions on the state of the health service.
The exchange with the Speaker is shown below.
Mr. John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Have you been notified of the Health Secretary's intention to make an urgent statement to the House and answer questions on the crisis in the NHS? Otherwise, we will be in the same position on this matter, with the Health Secretary out and about giving all sorts of information to the media and answering questions from them, but saying nothing in this House on a matter of grave concern to right hon. and hon. Members on both sides.
Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley) (Con): Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Following the remarks by the Secretary of State for Health, I looked at the accounts of a hospital in Fullwood in my constituency, and found that it has a deficit of £4 million. I will not now have an opportunity to question the Secretary of State on that until after the Whitsun recess. Could she be brought to the House so that MPs have an opportunity to question her on her statement?
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr. Speaker: Order. This matter has been raised in the House, and it will be raised again. Therefore, what the Secretary of State has said outside the House has already been brought to the attention of the House. It is my priority that the Secretary of State keep the House informed, and as long as she does so, she conforms to the requirements that I have always stipulated. There are other ways of questioning a Minister other than orally; as the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) knows, questions can be put in written form.
