Tag: Baroness Gould of Potternewton

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2015-12-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been undertaken to ensure that reductions in the public health budget do not negatively affect those who share protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government reached its decisions on implementing reductions in the 2015/16 local authority public health grant after giving full consideration to its duty under the Equality Act 2010 (the public sector equality duty, or PSED). The Government’s response to a public consultation exercise, published on 4 November 2015, contains an equality analysis of the options for making the saving. A copy is attached.

Final decisions on the distribution of the grant in 2016/17 have not yet been taken, but again will be made in the light of the PSED. Government decisions on the quantum of the grant have taken account of the PSED. Local authorities are responsible for identifying local needs and priorities for public health interventions, and for making decisions on local spending. Local authorities are themselves subject to the PSED.

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2015-12-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an assessment has been undertaken of the effect on contraceptive services of reductions in the public health budget.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Decisions on local public health spending are a matter for local authorities. Local authorities are mandated to commission open access contraceptive services that provide advice on, and reasonable access to, a broad range of contraceptive substances and appliances.

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2015-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to ensure that sports centres, theatres and other public places are being adapted to provide for those people who are physically disabled but not necessarily in a wheelchair.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination against disabled people in the provision of goods, facilities and services. Sport England has produced the ‘Accessible Sports Facilities’ guidance note to ensure that providers meet the needs of the widest range of people in the design, operation and maintenance of sports facilities.

The Arts Council has published guidance called ‘Building Inclusion: Physical Access Guidance for the Arts’ which covers access in relation to all aspects of arts buildings from arrival and circulation to toilets and signage for all users – staff, artists and the public.

The Arts Council’s current capital programme has focused on repair, renewals and refurbishments including supporting applications that seek to improve physical access. Organisations in the Arts Council’s 2015-18 portfolio will need to provide an Audience Development plan for access for deaf and disabled people as part of the Funding Agreement negotiations.