Trinity Term 2010

"This House would rather be unwell in Britain than America."

Proposition:

Andrew Lansley MP - The Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire since 1997. He has spoken extensively on the need to maintain current levels of NHS spending, and is an advocate of improved ‘patient choice’ over centrally set targets

Nigel Griffiths MP - The former Deputy Leader of the House of Commons and Labour MP for Edinburgh South since 1987. He has voted strongly in support of the NHS and in favour of foundation hospitals. In 2007 he resigned from the Government in protest at the renewal of Trident

John Black - The President of the Royal College of Surgeons. He opposes hospital reorganisation, and argues that politicians often “fudge” vital decisions in the NHS

Kevin Barron MP - The Chairman of the Health Select Committee and Labour MP for Rother Valley since 1983. He has used these roles to campaign against smoking and in favour of NHS reforms

Norman Lamb MP - The Liberal Democrat spokesman on Health and MP for North Norfolk. He has voted against the government’s NHS reforms, and advocates devolution of NHS governance as a solution to its problems Opposition:

Opposition:

Dr Karol Sikora - The Chief of the World Health Organisation’s Cancer Programme and the Clinical Director of Services at Hammersmith hospital. He has spoken extensively on the need to change the “Stalinist NHS Quango”

Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen - A member of the BUPA Foundation board and a former Scottish Secretary for the British Medical Association. After returning from Melbourne he became disillusioned with the NHS and joined BUPA