Ian Roome

I thank my hon. Friend for making that point, and I totally agree. People in some areas of my constituency and my hon. Friend’s constituency use the hospital situated in my constituency, and it causes those families lots of worry. I appreciate all the work he is doing to help me on this campaign to get the maternity unit reopened. Many of these coastal towns have only very basic healthcare provision locally, and that is reflected in people’s quality of life and life chances. Coastal healthcare is a crisis that overlaps with poor housing, few economic opportunities, limited transport, as we have just heard, and other disadvantages. In one part of Ilfracombe, life expectancy is a full 10 years lower than in other parts of Devon. This Bill rightly says that the Secretary of State should be made to come to this Chamber and account for those disparities. Coastal towns have so much to offer, but across the country there is a pattern of too many coastal towns ending up in the category of “have nots”. A national strategy should exist to counter that and to deliver good healthcare for every coastal community. First-time parents in my constituency have been left all at sea. The Government must take this Bill seriously.