John Baron MP welcomes new Prime Minister

MP highlights frontbench diversity and cancer early diagnosis

This morning the new Prime Minister, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, gave a Statement to the House of Commons.

In the Chamber, John asked,

“I very much welcome my Rt Hon Friend to his role, and congratulate him on some cracking policies and appointments. Actions speak louder than words, and it says much that the Four Great Offices of State are held by proud descendants of immigrants.”

“But can I raise an issue that affects millions of people in this country, and that is cancer? His predecessor put the one-year survival metric at the heart of the NHS Long-Term Plan, which will encourage earlier diagnosis, and this could save tens of thousands of lives a year. Will he commit to continuing with that policy?”

The Prime Minister responded that the short answer is yes, and that the Health Secretary would be happy to discuss this further.

Afterwards, John said,

“It is great to see a Prime Minister espousing a sense of pride and optimism about this country, which is doing much to lift spirits across the nation. We have many strengths, which we need to play to in securing a better deal with the EU. If that is not possible, then the commitment for further robust preparation should we leave on WTO terms is very much welcome – terms by which we essentially trade very profitably with the rest of the world.”

“I also welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to put the one-year cancer survival metric at the heart of the NHS Long-Term Plan. More than any other measure, this will help to improve earlier diagnosis and close the gap in survival rates between the NHS and comparable international healthcare systems. This could make a real difference – in 2009, the Department of Health estimated that 10,000 lives could be saved each year if we matched European average survival rates.”