Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 27 November 2025 (HL12262), why annual totals of reports they have received via the HSA4 abortion notification form of women who have died within 14 days of taking at-home abortion medication prescribed by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service would risk the identification of individual patients; and how many of those reports they have received in total in the past four years.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department continues to review the release of abortion statistics, to ensure the trustworthiness, quality, and value of these statistics, and also to mitigate the disclosure of sensitive information. Following the 2023 abortion statistics publication, all data is rounded to the nearest five. This aligns with the Code of Practice for Statistics and enables the Department to release more detailed information to the public.
We apply Statistical Disclosure Control with the aim to prevent the release of data that could identify individuals. This is particularly important when counts are low or zero, as small numbers increase the risk of disclosure. As a result of this change, counts of zero can mean no or a small number of procedures in the given field.
From 2020 to 2023, the number of deaths recorded via the HSA4 form for abortions where either one or both abortion medications were administered at home and had been prescribed by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service was zero, rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Please note that this is the number of cases recorded in the statistical datasets used for publication, which are a snapshot of the data at the time it was compiled, and therefore will not include late submissions or changes.
Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the financial pressures on local councils arising from internal drainage board levies in areas where they have increased in recent years.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government supports and values the vital work internal drainage boards (IDBs) undertake in managing water levels and reducing flood risk, benefitting communities, businesses and farmers.
In recognition of IDB cost increases and the impact on local authority special levies, the government announced as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement Policy Statement, that it will provide £5 million in funding for the local authorities most impacted by IDB levies in 2026/27. This follows the £5 million grant awarded in 2025/26. As in previous years, allocations for the 2026/27 IDB levy support grant will be announced in due course once IDB levy data has been received towards the end of the financial year.
We recognise the need to ensure IDBs are set up for the longer term. Defra and MHCLG have commissioned a research project into IDB funding and costs, which launched in early September and will close in summer 2026.
Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 18 November (HL11324), how many reports they have received via the HSA4 abortion notification form of women who have died within 14 days of taking at-home abortion medication prescribed by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in each of the past four years.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is unable to provide this information as to do so would risk identifying individuals due to the small numbers involved.
Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to develop a sustainable funding solution for internal drainage board levies; and whether the funding support provided to councils will be further increased in the financial settlement.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government supports and values the vital work internal drainage boards (IDBs) undertake in managing water levels and reducing flood risk, benefitting communities, businesses and farmers.
The Government’s £91m IDB Fund is supporting greater flood resilience for farmers and rural communities. IDBs are delivering projects that are already benefiting over 400,000 hectares of farmland and over 200,000 properties.
In recognition of IDB cost increases and the impact on local authority special levies, the government announced on 20 November 2025 as part of the 2026/27 Local Government Finance Settlement Policy Statement, that it will provide £5 million in funding for the local authorities most impacted by IDB levies. This follows the £5 million grant awarded in 2025/26. Allocations for the 2026/27 IDB levy support grant will be announced in due course.
However, we recognise the need to ensure IDBs are set up for the longer term. In response to rising financial pressures on IDBs, and the farmers and local authorities who fund their work, Defra and MHCLG have commissioned a research project into IDB funding and costs. This is focussed on financial efficiency, value for money, and the broader benefits which IDBs deliver for local communities. It will include examination of whether any changes are needed to their funding model. The research project was launched in early September and will close in summer 2026.
Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many women have died after taking six misoprostol tablets that were prescribed (1) by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service after a telephone consultation, and (2) after a face-to-face consultation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In accordance with the Abortion Act 1967, registered medical practitioners must notify the Chief Medical Officer of abortions within 14 days. The Department collects information on abortions via the HSA4 abortion notification form. The form does not record the number of misoprostol tablets prescribed by the abortion provider nor whether they received a telephone consultation, therefore the Department does not hold this information.
Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Aerospace Technology Institute has provided grants using public funds to (1) British Airways, (2) Airbus, (3) Polvair Plc, (4) Farnborough International, (5) Cadence Design Systems, (6) GKN Aerospace, (7) Spirit AeroSystems, and (8) Bombardier, since 2014; and if so, how many grants in each case.
Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)
The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) is an independent advisory organisation to government and industry and does not itself award grant funding. Grants under the ATI Programme are awarded by Innovate UK on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to support innovation in the UK aerospace sector. Details of all ATI Programme grants, including recipients and values, are published by Innovate UK and can be accessed online at: https://www.ukri.org/publications/innovate-uk-funded-projects-since-2004/
Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding they have allocated to the Aerospace Technology Institute in each financial year since 2014.
Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)
The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) is an independent organisation that is co-funded by government and industry to support innovation and growth within the UK aerospace sector. The Government grant allocations to the ATI for each financial year since 2014 are as below. These grants are for administration and do not include the cost of grants for R&D awarded to industry and the research base.
Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times spit hoods have been used on members of the public in each of the English territorial police forces in each of the last three full years for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of times a spit hood was used on members of the public by police force area in the statistical publication on the police use of force. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-use-of-force-statistics-april-2023-to-march-2024
The number of times a spit hood tactic (referred to as a spit and bite guard in the statistical publication) was used on members of the public, broken down by police force area, and by financial year for each of the last three years, can be found in data table 14 and is copied below.
From Table 14 of the Police use of force, England and Wales April 2023 to March 2024 statistical publication. The number of times spit and bite guard tactics were used by police force area for the last 3 years are included below. Data for 2024/25 will be published in November/December 2025.
Year | Police force | Tactic | Total number of tactics |
2021/22 | Total England and Wales | Spit and bite guard | 8,281 |
2021/22 | Avon & Somerset | Spit and bite guard | 416 |
2021/22 | Bedfordshire | Spit and bite guard | 77 |
2021/22 | Cambridgeshire | Spit and bite guard | 87 |
2021/22 | Cheshire | Spit and bite guard | 113 |
2021/22 | City of London | Spit and bite guard | 17 |
2021/22 | Cleveland | Spit and bite guard | 12 |
2021/22 | Cumbria | Spit and bite guard | 46 |
2021/22 | Derbyshire | Spit and bite guard | 98 |
2021/22 | Devon & Cornwall | Spit and bite guard | 345 |
2021/22 | Dorset | Spit and bite guard | 145 |
2021/22 | Durham | Spit and bite guard | 46 |
2021/22 | Dyfed-Powys | Spit and bite guard | 32 |
2021/22 | Essex | Spit and bite guard | 333 |
2021/22 | Gloucestershire | Spit and bite guard | 45 |
2021/22 | Greater Manchester | Spit and bite guard | 636 |
2021/22 | Gwent | Spit and bite guard | 83 |
2021/22 | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | Spit and bite guard | 117 |
2021/22 | Hertfordshire | Spit and bite guard | 158 |
2021/22 | Humberside | Spit and bite guard | 115 |
2021/22 | Kent | Spit and bite guard | 225 |
2021/22 | Lancashire | Spit and bite guard | 92 |
2021/22 | Leicestershire | Spit and bite guard | 113 |
2021/22 | Lincolnshire | Spit and bite guard | 55 |
2021/22 | Merseyside | Spit and bite guard | 310 |
2021/22 | Metropolitan | Spit and bite guard | 1,557 |
2021/22 | Norfolk | Spit and bite guard | 115 |
2021/22 | North Wales | Spit and bite guard | 4 |
2021/22 | North Yorkshire | Spit and bite guard | 61 |
2021/22 | Northamptonshire | Spit and bite guard | 83 |
2021/22 | Northumbria | Spit and bite guard | 403 |
2021/22 | Nottinghamshire | Spit and bite guard | 83 |
2021/22 | South Wales | Spit and bite guard | 159 |
2021/22 | South Yorkshire | Spit and bite guard | 127 |
2021/22 | Staffordshire | Spit and bite guard | 79 |
2021/22 | Suffolk | Spit and bite guard | 68 |
2021/22 | Surrey | Spit and bite guard | 167 |
2021/22 | Sussex | Spit and bite guard | 222 |
2021/22 | Thames Valley | Spit and bite guard | 269 |
2021/22 | Warwickshire | Spit and bite guard | 43 |
2021/22 | West Mercia | Spit and bite guard | 163 |
2021/22 | West Midlands | Spit and bite guard | 502 |
2021/22 | West Yorkshire | Spit and bite guard | 399 |
2021/22 | Wiltshire | Spit and bite guard | 61 |
2022/23 | Total England and Wales | Spit and bite guard | 8,275 |
2022/23 | Avon & Somerset | Spit and bite guard | 379 |
2022/23 | Bedfordshire | Spit and bite guard | 86 |
2022/23 | Cambridgeshire | Spit and bite guard | 114 |
2022/23 | Cheshire | Spit and bite guard | 91 |
2022/23 | City of London | Spit and bite guard | 15 |
2022/23 | Cleveland | Spit and bite guard | 151 |
2022/23 | Cumbria | Spit and bite guard | 80 |
2022/23 | Derbyshire | Spit and bite guard | 101 |
2022/23 | Devon & Cornwall | Spit and bite guard | 309 |
2022/23 | Dorset | Spit and bite guard | 150 |
2022/23 | Durham | Spit and bite guard | 35 |
2022/23 | Dyfed-Powys | Spit and bite guard | 19 |
2022/23 | Essex | Spit and bite guard | 398 |
2022/23 | Gloucestershire | Spit and bite guard | 46 |
2022/23 | Greater Manchester | Spit and bite guard | 688 |
2022/23 | Gwent | Spit and bite guard | 103 |
2022/23 | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | Spit and bite guard | 104 |
2022/23 | Hertfordshire | Spit and bite guard | 146 |
2022/23 | Humberside | Spit and bite guard | 75 |
2022/23 | Kent | Spit and bite guard | 173 |
2022/23 | Lancashire | Spit and bite guard | 116 |
2022/23 | Leicestershire | Spit and bite guard | 107 |
2022/23 | Lincolnshire | Spit and bite guard | 52 |
2022/23 | Merseyside | Spit and bite guard | 278 |
2022/23 | Metropolitan | Spit and bite guard | 1,421 |
2022/23 | Norfolk | Spit and bite guard | 91 |
2022/23 | North Wales | Spit and bite guard | 32 |
2022/23 | North Yorkshire | Spit and bite guard | 66 |
2022/23 | Northamptonshire | Spit and bite guard | 88 |
2022/23 | Northumbria | Spit and bite guard | 423 |
2022/23 | Nottinghamshire | Spit and bite guard | 137 |
2022/23 | South Wales | Spit and bite guard | 150 |
2022/23 | South Yorkshire | Spit and bite guard | 104 |
2022/23 | Staffordshire | Spit and bite guard | 60 |
2022/23 | Suffolk | Spit and bite guard | 83 |
2022/23 | Surrey | Spit and bite guard | 134 |
2022/23 | Sussex | Spit and bite guard | 227 |
2022/23 | Thames Valley | Spit and bite guard | 276 |
2022/23 | Warwickshire | Spit and bite guard | 39 |
2022/23 | West Mercia | Spit and bite guard | 80 |
2022/23 | West Midlands | Spit and bite guard | 619 |
2022/23 | West Yorkshire | Spit and bite guard | 395 |
2022/23 | Wiltshire | Spit and bite guard | 34 |
2023/24 | Total England and Wales | Spit and bite guard | 9,844 |
2023/24 | Avon & Somerset | Spit and bite guard | 410 |
2023/24 | Bedfordshire | Spit and bite guard | 64 |
2023/24 | British Transport Police | Spit and bite guard | 359 |
2023/24 | Cambridgeshire | Spit and bite guard | 109 |
2023/24 | Cheshire | Spit and bite guard | 84 |
2023/24 | City of London | Spit and bite guard | 1 |
2023/24 | Cleveland | Spit and bite guard | 233 |
2023/24 | Cumbria | Spit and bite guard | 113 |
2023/24 | Derbyshire | Spit and bite guard | 91 |
2023/24 | Devon & Cornwall | Spit and bite guard | 260 |
2023/24 | Dorset | Spit and bite guard | 149 |
2023/24 | Durham | Spit and bite guard | 49 |
2023/24 | Dyfed-Powys | Spit and bite guard | 22 |
2023/24 | Essex | Spit and bite guard | 486 |
2023/24 | Gloucestershire | Spit and bite guard | 77 |
2023/24 | Greater Manchester | Spit and bite guard | 627 |
2023/24 | Gwent | Spit and bite guard | 124 |
2023/24 | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | Spit and bite guard | 153 |
2023/24 | Hertfordshire | Spit and bite guard | 170 |
2023/24 | Humberside | Spit and bite guard | 99 |
2023/24 | Kent | Spit and bite guard | 230 |
2023/24 | Lancashire | Spit and bite guard | 119 |
2023/24 | Leicestershire | Spit and bite guard | 118 |
2023/24 | Lincolnshire | Spit and bite guard | 36 |
2023/24 | Merseyside | Spit and bite guard | 361 |
2023/24 | Metropolitan | Spit and bite guard | 1,525 |
2023/24 | Norfolk | Spit and bite guard | 121 |
2023/24 | North Wales | Spit and bite guard | 36 |
2023/24 | North Yorkshire | Spit and bite guard | 103 |
2023/24 | Northamptonshire | Spit and bite guard | 142 |
2023/24 | Northumbria | Spit and bite guard | 521 |
2023/24 | Nottinghamshire | Spit and bite guard | 135 |
2023/24 | South Wales | Spit and bite guard | 165 |
2023/24 | South Yorkshire | Spit and bite guard | 133 |
2023/24 | Staffordshire | Spit and bite guard | 114 |
2023/24 | Suffolk | Spit and bite guard | 69 |
2023/24 | Surrey | Spit and bite guard | 179 |
2023/24 | Sussex | Spit and bite guard | 237 |
2023/24 | Thames Valley | Spit and bite guard | 422 |
2023/24 | Warwickshire | Spit and bite guard | 25 |
2023/24 | West Mercia | Spit and bite guard | 89 |
2023/24 | West Midlands | Spit and bite guard | 754 |
2023/24 | West Yorkshire | Spit and bite guard | 476 |
2023/24 | Wiltshire | Spit and bite guard | 54 |
Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether homes built as part of their new towns programme will count towards councils' overall housing targets in terms of the target of delivering 1.5 million new homes over this Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 16954.
Asked by: Lord Porter of Spalding (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the one-time analysis published on 23 November 2023, Complications from abortions in England: comparison of Abortion Notification System data and Hospital Episode Statistics 2017 to 2021, which discussed the limitations of the HSA4 form, what steps they are taking to improve data collection on complications from at-home tablet-induced abortions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In accordance with the Abortion Act 1967, registered medical practitioners must notify the Chief Medical Officer of abortions within 14 days. The HSA4 abortion notification form is provided to collect the required information, including details of any known complications, up until the time of the patient’s discharge from the abortion service. The HSA4 form is a statutory instrument, the content of which cannot be changed without legislation.
The Department continues to work with abortion providers to ensure that abortion complications known up until the time of discharge from the abortion service are recorded on the HSA4 form. There are no plans to require the notification of complications that occur after discharge from the abortion service.
Abortion continues to be a very safe procedure, for which major complications are rare at all gestations. Home use of early medical abortion pills is recognised to be a safe procedure by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the World Health Organisation.