Biography
Hilary Benn engaged on health and social care topics primarily through debate speeches, with particular emphasis on NHS waiting lists in Northern Ireland, which he highlighted as significantly worse than in England (52% waiting over a year for first consultant appointments versus 4% in England). He also contributed to debates on assisted dying, where he argued the Bill addresses a contradiction in current law regarding terminally ill people, and on cancer treatment waiting times, noting the need for health service reform alongside targeted funding. His contributions focused on systemic challenges within the NHS and the need for Executive action to improve service provision.
Generated from their own Hansard record, below
“…The question I put to the House is this: if we have in effect legalised assisted dying for British citizens who have the money and means to do it abroad, and that is what we have done—I have heard no one in the debate criticise that—then why are we not prepared to provide the same means to people who are terminally ill…”
Record by topic
- Learning disability & autism466th of 8996.0
- NHS waiting lists207th of 5346.0
- Assisted dying193rd of 3713.0
- Cancer365th of 6223.0
What they’ve said
“Like the whole House, I share the hon. Member’s wish to improve cancer treatment and cancer waiting times for those who are currently waiting too long. There is the public services transformation fund, and the first phase of projects was funded last year.”
Autumn Budget 2025 · 2026-02-11 · Read on Hansard ↗
“Let me start again. It is a pleasure to respond to this debate. I offer my thanks to the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim (Jim Allister) for having secured it, giving us another opportunity to debate the Windsor framework.”
Windsor Framework: Parcel Delivery · 2025-04-30 · Read on Hansard ↗
“I am not seeking to play down anything. If the right hon. Gentleman would be kind enough to write to me with further details of the business that he described, I will look into it and come back to him.”
Windsor Framework: Parcel Delivery · 2025-04-30 · Read on Hansard ↗
“I am not ignoring the general product safety regulation. This is a debate about parcels. I am well aware of the issues that arise because of its implementation. There is no bar on traders and businesses sending products to Northern Ireland, or indeed to the European Union.”
Windsor Framework: Parcel Delivery · 2025-04-30 · Read on Hansard ↗
“It certainly is. One has only to look at the waiting list figures in Northern Ireland: some 52% of those waiting for a first consultant’s appointment wait for more than a year; the figure in England is 4%. The First Minister recently described the state of the health service in Northern Ireland as “diabolical”.”
Public Services · 2025-02-26 · Read on Hansard ↗
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