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  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision to offer a £100 million aid package which will be implemented under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa set up to tackle instability and the causes of migration.

    Baroness Verma

    Migration within and from Africa is a major development issue. It needs to be addressed in part by tackling instability and the root causes of migration. At the Valletta Summit the European Union agreed a new €1.8 billion Trust Fund focussing on four main areas linked to development priorities identified by the host governments in Africa: i) promoting greater economic and employment opportunities; ii) strengthening resilience of communities and in particular the most vulnerable, as well as refugees and displaced people iii) improved migration management in countries of origin and transit; and, iv) improved governance and conflict prevention, and reduction of forced displacement and irregular migration.

    The Trust Fund is composed of three windows, one for the Horn of Africa, one for the Sahel and one for North Africa. The proposed work of the Trust Fund complements DFID’s own approach in these regions. The UK is represented by DFID on each of the EU Trust Fund window’s Operating Committees and on the overall board of the Trust Fund. DFID, the FCO and Home Office officials work as one team to coordinate engagement with EU Trust Fund. The UK is playing a full role in shaping the Trust Fund’s strategy and we work hard to ensure that the funding is well spent and that proposed projects deliver maximum value for money.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the evidence that following the clashes between rebel and government forces in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur the number of civilians who have fled the fighting has led to the displacement of 130,000 people.

    Baroness Verma

    Whilst exact displacement figures from Jebel Marra are difficult to establish due to access restrictions and challenges with registration, we regard the UN figure of approximately 130,000 people displaced as the best possible estimate. This is of course deeply troubling, and we have raised our concerns with the Government of Sudan. We continue to press both bilaterally and at the UN Security Council for full humanitarian access to be granted to the affected areas.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the status of Public Health England’s Missed Opportunity Programme referenced in the 2014 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer, and whether they will place in the Library of the House any research findings related to that programme.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government’s Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England sets out the need to increase access to all methods of contraception including long acting (LARC) methods and that better support is needed to access contraception after childbirth. Local authorities are mandated to provide access to the full range of contraception services and should work with clinical commissioning groups to ensure that contraception is discussed and all methods of contraception, including LARC, are accessible as part of the post-natal maternity pathway. Further guidance will be available in Public Health England’s Missed Opportunities in Pregnancy report. This addresses the missed opportunities for the provision of contraception along the maternity, abortion and early pregnancy loss pathways, and is now in the final stage of revisions and is expected to be published later in 2016.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to increasing access to long-acting reversible contraception post-pregnancy as recommended in the 2014 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer, The Health of the 51%: Women, and in NICE guidelines on postnatal care.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government’s Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England sets out the need to increase access to all methods of contraception including long acting (LARC) methods and that better support is needed to access contraception after childbirth. Local authorities are mandated to provide access to the full range of contraception services and should work with clinical commissioning groups to ensure that contraception is discussed and all methods of contraception, including LARC, are accessible as part of the post-natal maternity pathway. Further guidance will be available in Public Health England’s Missed Opportunities in Pregnancy report. This addresses the missed opportunities for the provision of contraception along the maternity, abortion and early pregnancy loss pathways, and is now in the final stage of revisions and is expected to be published later in 2016.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage health trusts to include (1) advice on and (2) access to postpartum contraception in maternity care contracts.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government’s Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England sets out the need to increase access to all methods of contraception including long acting (LARC) methods and that better support is needed to access contraception after childbirth. Local authorities are mandated to provide access to the full range of contraception services and should work with clinical commissioning groups to ensure that contraception is discussed and all methods of contraception, including LARC, are accessible as part of the post-natal maternity pathway. Further guidance will be available in Public Health England’s Missed Opportunities in Pregnancy report. This addresses the missed opportunities for the provision of contraception along the maternity, abortion and early pregnancy loss pathways, and is now in the final stage of revisions and is expected to be published later in 2016.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why NHS England does not intend to reimburse some sexual health clinics for the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised that it is not changing its commissioning policy in relation to post exposure prophylaxis after sexual exposure to HIV (PEPSE). However, NHS England is aiming to produce guidance to clarify how contractual arrangement for PEPSE can work in sexual health services that are no longer provided by the National Health Service and or have no experience of prescribing of antiretroviral drugs to enable appropriate levels of monitoring for quality and safety. NHS England remains committed to reimbursement for the appropriate use of PEPSE.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many sexual health clinics will no longer be reimbursed by NHS England for the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis following the announcement by NHS England of its change of commissioning policy.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised that it is not changing its commissioning policy in relation to post exposure prophylaxis after sexual exposure to HIV (PEPSE). However, NHS England is aiming to produce guidance to clarify how contractual arrangement for PEPSE can work in sexual health services that are no longer provided by the National Health Service and or have no experience of prescribing of antiretroviral drugs to enable appropriate levels of monitoring for quality and safety. NHS England remains committed to reimbursement for the appropriate use of PEPSE.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the arrangements for assessing whether pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) should be nationally commissioned in England following the NHS England statement that they were withdrawing PrEP from consideration by them.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has agreed to carefully consider their position on commissioning Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Planning continues on the early implementer tests sites in the meantime. Irrespective of the commissioning arrangements for PrEP, decisions to fund will depend on full assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness and how it can be integrated with other HIV prevention efforts.

    The Government is investing £2.4 million in HIV prevention nationally and through this will fund a number of innovative local projects and set up a new HIV home sampling service – one of the first of its kind. National investment in home sampling has been significantly enhanced by local investment from local authorities.

  • Biography information for Earl Attlee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Biography information for Earl Attlee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Earl Attlee on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a UK power station is required to be able to make a black start”

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    National Grid procure the Black Start service from providers that have the capability to start main blocks of generation from an on-site auxiliary generator, without reliance on external site supplies. It is not a requirement for all UK power stations to have this capability.

    In the event of a Black Start, the service would require the provider to start up its main generator(s) and deliver power to start up sections of the National Transmission System and distribution network.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long the washout time is for meldonium and whether UK Anti-Doping consider that an athlete who took meldonium when it was not considered a performance-enhancing drug and not on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list before January could have still tested positive in January, February or March.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There is currently limited data available on excretion studies relating to meldonium and, as such, several studies are currently being conducted involving WADA accredited laboratories, which WADA will share when available. UK Anti-Doping is following the guidance of the World Anti-Doping Agency who recently issued a Notice regarding meldonium.