Speeches by Robertson.

“Given that the Government’s plan for change tracking dashboard is still in development, can I ask the Minister to include a column or facility to track all the U-turns—or, as the Government may prefer to call it, “The Changes to the Plan for Change (Subject to Change)”? That way, the public can see where those U-turns …”

“14. What progress he has made on publishing a tracking dashboard for the plan for change metrics.”

“My local Healthwatch, which is currently very valuable in scrutinising and holding the ICB to account, will have its functions merged into the ICB. Clearly, there is no longer that separation and independence of scrutiny.”

“So my local Isle of Wight Healthwatch is going to be merged into the directorate?”

“Let us finish by going back to the beginning. You criticised the “Find a dentist” tool and said that it was not fit for purpose. That is the sort of opinion that is valuable, and we would see on a local level. When you are abolished, who will be able to provide that honest, independent viewpoint to help decision makers…”

“Joe Robertson, Isle of Wight East. I am thinking about Healthwatch and its abolition soon. Certainly in my local experience on the Isle of Wight, Healthwatch has played a really valuable role in advocating for patients, particularly in dentistry, where we have a desert. It has certainly helped local councillors, throug…”

“My experience of local Healthwatch has certainly been valuable to assist others in holding to account, and obviously providing information. More generally, does Healthwatch have any insights or opinions it would be helpful to share about tackling dental deserts, or meeting the needs of patients with the greatest dental…”

“I suspect that quite a few ICBs will feel a bit relieved and will feel a release of accountability with Healthwatch abolished, because, speaking from experience, it has certainly been very valuable in holding ICBs’ feet to the fire. It sounds like I am going to have to come to you directly to sort out Hampshire and Isl…”

“Minister, I know that for you and your Government, a key theme in your plans is devolution and having decisions made locally where possible. Speaking as a local MP and local councillor who used to sit on our health policy and scrutiny committee, one of our biggest and best tools for holding our ICB and other decision m…”

“As the Secretary of State knows, the biggest connectivity issue for the Isle of Wight is its ferry services. I welcome her engagement on that issue. Might she consider cross-Solent ferry services to be part of the UK’s road and rail network? The Isle of Wight’s roads and rail are connected to the rest of the UK only vi…”

“The backlog of cases in the Isle of Wight coroner service is the worst in the country, causing pain and distress to too many families, some of whom are waiting 800 days to find out what is happening to their loved ones. Will the Minister offer any comment or support to those families, and will she agree to meet me to d…”

“15. What steps her Department is taking to reduce the use of asylum accommodation.”

“The Government may not be buying hotels, but it is filling them up with asylum seekers. The number has gone up in the past year, not down, yet the Government say that they will reduce them to zero by the end of this Parliament. Will the Minister confirm whether the commitment to end the use of asylum hotels by the end …”

“I will make a point that I have made before, following on from the shadow Minister’s description of clause 38 as revealing, and of the Bill as transparently not providing funding for anyone. The clause would also be helpful to demonstrate to small local authorities and local authorities that provide over large rural ar…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Siobhain. I rise to talk briefly about floating bus stops and therefore new clause 47. Floating bus stops exist not least to help with the flow of cyclists, and I support that aim, but they present challenges for the safety of pedestrians, particularly those with …”

“Hello. I want to explore how well speech and language services are integrated into wider service provision. What are your experiences delivering speech and language services through family hubs? What factors contribute to how well speech and language support is delivered in this setting? How can we replicate these cond…”

“What sort of activities could we see if that funding could be used for a lower-age cohort?”

“Janet, I think you said in your submission that the current guidance on family hubs does not allow early language and home learning environment funding to be used to target parents of children younger than two. Jane, you have just referred to going back to the womb. What activity does that prevent hubs from undertaking…”

“Janet, you have argued for a strategic lead for speech and language and communication in every ICS. How do you see that role working?”

“More broadly, what practical steps could be taken to improve integration in commissioning of speech and language services in early years?”