Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Ben Bradshaw asks repeated questions on the impact of a no-deal Brexit on the NHS.

Mr Stevens speaks of plans being made to stockpile medicines and equipment. Mr Bradshaw says this does not solve the issue because of short shelf-lives and last-minute supply chains.

Mr Stevens emphasises that planning is in progress.

Mr Bradshaw asks if the NHS should be calling for a Brexit least damaging to its services. "That's for Parliament," says Mr Stevens.

Dr Wollaston asks Mr Stevens to summit to the committee in writing his thoughts on the impact of Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP - and leading Brexiteer - Jacob Rees-Mogg asks the prime minister to confirm that the UK will leave customs union and no longer be subject to the common external tariff.

Yes, says Theresa May - the UK has set out the alternative proposal for the backstop in relation to Northern Ireland, which would come into place if there were any delay in putting a future customs relationship in place.

She says that at the end of December 2020 our future customs relationship with the EU will be in place.

Len McCluskey also says Jeremy Corbyn has not ruled out a so-called "people's vote".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative Anna Soubry says "people are fed up with not just Brexit, but also fudge".

She says that on Friday the Cabinet must finally settle its position on Brexit, and she says the prime minister will command support from the country if it meets the needs of British businesses.

Mrs May says that is exacty what the Cabinet intends to do on Friday.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Martin Vickers asks whether people in small towns will continue to be able to access health services locally, or whether they will have to rely on "centres of excellence" further away.

"We'll be led by clinical evidence on that," says Ian Dalton, chief executive, NHS Improvement. He says the NHS needs to improve communication with patients.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Leader of the Liberal Democrats asks what red lines Cabinet ministers cannot cross in order to be dismissed for disloyalty.

Mrs May says that in the coalition years, there were statements made by Sir Vince Cable which did not reflect joint cabinet responsibilities.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash praises the prime minister following Royal Assent of the EU Withdrawal Bill.

He says that there are concerns surrounding plans being talked about and written about in the press, of the government to enter into an EEA-style agreement with the EU.

Mrs May says she has "been clear from the start" that the EEA would not deliver "on the vote of the referendum".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The SNP's Westminster Leader Ian Blackford says it must have been "embarrassing" for the Prime Minister as she was told again that time is running out, he says that David Davis has only spent four hours in negotiations with the EU.

He accuses the government of playing politics with the livelihoods of those in the UK.

He says that it "beggars belief" to host a Cabinet meeting after going to an EU Council Summit. Two years on, the UK is "no clearer" on what the government wants. He accuses this of being wasted time.

"Where is the leadership?" he asks, he asks if it is right that the NHS is having to make preparations because she can't give simple reassurances.

Right across government, Mrs May replies, there are contingency plans taking place.

She says she believes it is right that the Commons has details on the future relationship with the EU in the white paper due to be produced next week.

She says he should be focused on making sure the UK stays in the UK.

Select Committee
Parliament

The final two experts take their seats on the panel.

Dr Wollaston asks Simon Stevens, chair of NHS England, how the NHS's 10 year plan will be formulated.

Mr Stevens says there will be a number of conversations with different NHS organisations and professionals, and then a plan will go to public consultation.

Dr Wollaston asks if Mr Stevens agrees with the priorities laid out by the government. "Yes," he says, describing his priorities as "congruent" with the government's.

He says the decisions on where hard choices will be made over the next few months as the 10 year plan is developed.

House of Commons
Parliament

Mrs May replies that the uncontrolled migration to Europe poses a "serious challenge" to Europe.

He says that the UK has been working with Italy and Greece "for some time" to help with the burden of processing migrants.

People smugglers "have no care" for the lives of the people they are dealing with, she states, which is why the UK has been part of the search and rescue teams in the Mediterranean.

She says that "at virtually every stage" the Labour party has said there has been no progress on Brexit - and she says that Labour said there would be no progress on Article 50 but then it was triggered. She adds that Labour is frustrating the process.

Labour need to get "themselves straight" on if the NHS should or should not be preparing for a no-deal Brexit, she says and adds that Labour is now refusing to rule-out a second referendum.

"I have picked the side of the British people, and they will be the ones I deliver for," she states.

EU students starting in British universities in the first year after Brexit will pay the same fees as home students.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says "all the PM says on Brexit" is that "we need clarity".

"Yes we do," he says - and adds "we've been waiting for two years for clarity".

He says he wants to express concern about migration policy, and asks what commitments the PM has made. He says he wants Mrs May to stand up to those who "try to use the plight and suffering of tens of thousands of people to incite division and hate".

Continuing on Brexit, he calls the summit "another opportunity missed" and says the Cabinet infighting is having a "debilitating effect on this country".

The prime minister's duty is negotiate a deal which would safeguard jobs and living standards, he says, and he says he looks forward to learning more about the "third option" on customs being talked about.

He says that every analysis the government has produced on the customs union shows that it is best for the UK to remain in one with the EU.

Even the NHS is having to prepare for different scenarios "as there is no clarity from government," he says.

"The people of Northern Ireland deserve honesty," he adds, saying that the PM is caught between "two warring factions" but "she now needs to pick a side".

He says that at this stage, it is unclear if she can make a deal "with her own Cabinet".

House of Commons
Parliament

On Brexit, Mrs May says "there remains some real differences between us and the European Commission on Northern Ireland," adding that the UK has reached agreement on nearly all other areas.

"We have put forward proposals and will produce further proposals" meaning that there will be no hard border in the event of a backstop needed, she says. There will be no border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, she tells MPs.

All were agreed that faster progress needs to be made, she says, and she will be having a meeting at Chequers on Friday, with a view to publishing a white paper on the future partnership next week.

She says that both sides need to show "flexibility" to get the special relationship after the UK has left the EU.

Select Committee
Parliament

Chris Hopson says the government's NHS workforce plan does not deal with immediate staff shortages. He says the plan is good on training new doctors and nurses, but these will not be available for the next five to 10 years.

He says some of the staffing issues arise because some GPs are retiring early. He urges the government to reduce pressures and increase retention.

Select Committee
Parliament

Niall Dickson, from the NHS Confederation, says a no-deal Brexit would create vulnerabilities if no planning is done.

He says stockpiling needs to be considered for imported medicines, but he has not been shown any plans.

He says staffing would be effected by a no-deal but staff are already losing morale due to the uncertainty around Brexit.

Julie Wood, Chief Executive, NHS Clinical Commissioners, says she has already seen cases where some drugs have faced shortages because of issues around Brexit. She says this meant the NHS has paid higher prices to guarantee availability.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Prime Minister Theresa May is making a statement to the Commons on the European Council summit held at the weekend.

Mrs May says the focus in the Council was on migration, and security and defence, adding that the UK "made a substantive contribution to both".

The consequences of mass uncontrolled immigration is one of the largest problems facing the EU today, she says.

The Council has agreed actions on each of the areas that the UK has "championed", she adds, saying that many migrants have sadly lost their lives making the dangerous crossing to the EU.

The UK has made a commitment to the EU's trust fund for Africa of €15m, she says, she adds that the EU has agreed that more work must be carried out on working out if migrants are economic or seeking asylum.

The UK now has law enforcement officers in 17 EU and African countries to try and prevent further people traffickers, she says.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour MP Rosie Cooper shows passionate frustration with the NHS's reliance on auditors.

She says that they have missed "every scandal of the past five years".