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  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information is currently given to female patients concerning the potential problems of taking valproate in pregnancy; and how that information reflects the guidelines established by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on those issues.

    Earl Howe

    The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) that accompanies the medicine is intended to supplement the information provided by the prescriber. The PIL for Epilim (a brand of valproate for the treatment of epilepsy) states that women who are pregnant or of childbearing age should not take valproate unless explicitly advised by their doctor and provides information on birth defects, impaired development and other problems which may occur in babies born to mothers who take valproate during pregnancy. The PILs for other brands of valproate used in the treatment of epilepsy and to control mania in bipolar disorder contain similar warnings. The warnings in the information for healthcare professionals, the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) and the PIL are currently the subject of a Europe–wide review which was prompted by new data on the risk of developmental disorders in children born to mothers who took valproate during pregnancy.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline on epilepsy made the following recommendation as a key priority for implementation: "Women and girls with epilepsy and their partners, as appropriate, must be given accurate information and counselling about contraception, conception, pregnancy, caring for children, breastfeeding and menopause." NICE’s clinical guideline on bipolar disorder recommends that valproate should not routinely be prescribed to pregnant women with bipolar disorder.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any plans to implement a system to ensure that female patients prescribed valproate or any other anti-convulsant medication are given information relating to potential problems in pregnancy.

    Earl Howe

    All doctors, during undergraduate and postgraduate training, are made aware of all of the current evidence when prescribing in pregnancy. This is especially so when prescribing drugs that are potentially teratogenic such as anticonvulsants.

    The core curriculum for trainee obstetricians which is overseen by the Royal College of Gynaecologists contains a detailed module on epilepsy in pregnancy including sodium valproate which all trainees are required to complete.

    The Royal College of Physicians has a similar core learning module on drugs in pregnancy for physicians in training. It is recommended that women with epilepsy attend for pre pregnancy counselling so that management of their epilepsy in any future pregnancy can be discussed as well as any risks and benefits of medication they are taking.

    NHS England expects all clinicians prescribing these drugs to follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. This is a very powerful tool to improve commissioning. The NICE guidance issued in January 2012 recommends that epilepsy nurse specialists should be an integral part of the network of care of children, young people and adults with epilepsy (para 1.8.3). One of their roles is to educate, inform and support the patient and their family with specific training about the management of epilepsy.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the Department of Health plans to cover the cost of the number of children requiring specialised healthcare due to the effects of fetal valproate syndrome.

    Earl Howe

    The health and care needs of children with fetal valproate syndrome will be met by a range of services and in the majority of cases the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) will decide on the level of provision of services, taking into account the needs of the population it serves. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs.

  • Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 5 February (WA 238), whether they are now in a position to implement a revision to the personal injury discount rate.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government’s review of the personal injury discount rate is still continuing and the position remains as stated in my Written Answer to my Noble Friend of 25 February 2014 (WA238).

  • Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 12 March (WA 375), in relation to the United Kingdom general aviation sector, what action has been taken to ensure cross-party cooperation and support for the Civil Aviation Authority in encouraging the growth of a vibrant United Kingdom general aviation sector.

    Baroness Kramer

    The Government and Civil Aviation Authority are taking forward a programme of work aimed at encouraging the growth of a vibrant general aviation sector. This has involved consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. My Noble Friend, Lord Rotherwick, secured a Question for Short Debate on the regulation of general aviation on 21 January 2014 [Official Report, column GC319], at which there was wide support for our programme of work.

  • Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 12 March (WA 375), in relation to the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR), how many work packages have to date involved general aviation.

    Baroness Kramer

    The SESAR Joint Undertaking is the EU public/private partnership which is responsible for managing the SESAR programme. The SESAR Joint Undertaking seeks to involve all affected stakeholders, including General Aviation, in the development of all work packages to ensure the technologies meet their needs.

  • Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they are making in respect of Morocco’s international human rights obligations in regard to the citizens of Western Sahara; and what steps they have taken in respect of neutralising the Moroccan wall and associated weaponry.

    Baroness Warsi

    We encourage concrete progress towards improving human rights in Western Sahara in discussions with the parties to the dispute over the territory, and at the UN Security Council. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Mr Robertson), discussed human rights in Western Sahara during his visit to Morocco in March. We welcome Morocco’s recent commitments to investigate complaints of human rights violations made to the National Council for Human Rights within three months, and to end military tribunal trials for civilians.

    Demining teams from the UN peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the Moroccan Army and Polisario continue to co-operate to clear unexploded ordnance on both sides of the Moroccan wall.

  • Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the Department for International Development’s spending on research and development is devoted to developing new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for HIV.

    Baroness Northover

    The Research and Evidence Division within DFID spent £320 million during the financial year 2013-14. Research spend covers a wide range of different types of research across a number of themes including agriculture, climate and environment, education, governance, conflict and social development, growth and health research.

    The total spent on developing new drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and microbicides for HIV was £4.5m during the financial year 2013-14. Funding was provided to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM). This amount represented 1.4% of the total Research and Evidence Division spend.

  • Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they spent in each of the last three years on the prevention and control of HIV infection in the developing world through (1) multilateral bodies, and (2) bilateral programmes.

    Baroness Northover

    Over the past three years the UK Government has spent nearly £1 billion on tackling HIV through multilateral organisations and bilateral programmes.

    Details of DFID spending on HIV prevention, treatment and care are available at Section 4.1 of the 2013 evaluation of the HIV Position Paper “Towards Zero Infections” and can be found at

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/towards-zero-infections-two-years-on.

    “

  • Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was their total spending in 2013–14 on treatments for HIV infection in the United Kingdom.

    Earl Howe

    Data for 2013-14 is not available at present. Primary care trusts’ aggregate spend for 2012–13 (latest figures available) on HIV/AIDS was £630 million.