Dr Ketan Dhatariya, consultant diabetologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, condemned the MP's remarks and said it is disgraceful. He said. "It's an insult to people with type 1 diabetes and their families and it's an insult to people in Norfolk. There's no suggestion that that is the case. It's not the way that the genetics works. There is a genetic element but it may be triggered by an environmental factor. Nobody knows why it is rising."
Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, Norman Lamb, said that the comments were "offensive" and "surprising."
Following outburst to his remarks Mr. Gibson in an interview to BBC Radio 4's has said, "It's obviously caused a lot of offence and for that I unreservedly apologize."