Yvonne Fovargue MP: ​We’ll act to protect private renters

​Awaab's law requires landlords to fix reported health hazards.

This government was right to introduce Awaab’s Law in the social housing sector, but the problem of debilitating damp and mould and landlords who fail to investigate hazards and make necessary repairs isn’t just in social housing.

The private rented sector has widespread problems with damp, mould and cold, driven by the poor energy efficiency of privately rented homes.

There is no justification whatsoever for letting private landlords off the hook for resolving mould and damp issues in their properties.

Labour has been urging this Government to extend Awaab’s Law to protect private renters but if they determine not to do so, a Labour Government will.

We’ll act to protect private renters.

Any good landlord will already be checking their properties regularly and thoroughly for damp issues.

But we are now putting those landlords who are failing to provide safe and quality housing for their tenants on notice.

Where the Conservatives have sat on their hands, Labour will stand up for tenants and do what is necessary to make the private rented sector safer.

I pay tribute to pharmacy teams in our constituency and across the country for their selfless dedication, protecting the health of the public and supporting the wider health service.

Pharmacies play a vital role in community healthcare.

Four in five people in England live within a 20-minute walk of a community pharmacy, and pharmacies allow people to access care quickly, easing the burden on GPs and hospitals.

Last week, the Health Minister stated that in order to unlock the full potential of our pharmacists, we need to go further and faster.

Pharmacy First is designed to give pharmacists the power to supply prescription-only medications, including antibiotics and antivirals.

More than 10,000 community pharmacies have signed up so far.

I welcome this step.

I have long believed that pharmacists should play a greater role in the NHS.

However, I share the concerns raised by Labour. 1,000 pharmacies have been closed under this Government, and we have seen a 2,000 cut in GPs since 2015.

This measure will not make up for that decline.

I support plans for patients to be able to access vital healthcare in their community, giving them freedom and choice over their own healthcare, and freeing up GPs to see more complex cases.

Broader plans set out by Labour will take this a step further, creating a neighbourhood health service as well as a national health service, with healthcare on the doorstep, when it is needed.