Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the temporary at-home abortion policy will end with the expiration of Coronavirus Act 2020 in March 2022.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We are considering all evidence submitted to the Government’s public consultation on whether to make permanent the temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion. We will publish our response as soon as possible. The approval was put in place on a temporary basis and is time limited for two years or until the end of the pandemic.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
What assessment his Department has made of the future of the provision allowing both sets of abortion pills to be taken at home.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has undertaken a public consultation on whether to make permanent the current temporary measure for home use of both pills for early medical abortion. We are considering all evidence submitted and plan to publish our response later this year. The temporary measure will be kept in place until a decision has been made.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the guidance from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine, published in 2019, that neonatal stabilisation may be considered from 22 weeks gestation.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Department has considered the ‘Framework on Perinatal Management of Extreme Preterm Birth before 27 Weeks of Gestation’ published by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine.
MBRRACE-UK published guidance in November 2020 to support health care professionals in the assessment and documentation of signs of life in extremely preterm births to support consistent decision making about birth classification.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the research by Hakansson et alia, published in the journal Pediatrics in July 2004, on increases in the number of babies born at 22 weeks gestation that can survive outside the womb and the increase in that number with proactive perinatal care, what plans his Department has to review the time limits on abortion in the UK.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance and allows hon. Members to vote according to their moral, ethical or religious beliefs.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answers of 16 February 2021 and 8 February 2021 to Questions 151601 and 150684 respectively, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the disposal of human remains in the sewage system since the temporary measure to allow home abortions in March 2020 on people working in (a) sewage and (b) waste disposal; and if the Department will consider making such an assessment.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made and there are no plans to do so.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase regional availability of palliative, respite, and end-of-life care to babies and infants by supporting the establishment of more baby and infant-specific hospices.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for the commissioning of end of life and palliative care services. CCGs develop strategic clinical plans covering a wide range of health care services based on their local population needs. This includes specialised care for babies and infants with complex needs at children’s hospices.
Within the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England is increasing its contribution to the national children’s hospice grant by match-funding CCGs who commit to increase their investment in local children’s palliative and end of life care services including children’s hospices. This will increase funding from £11 million to a combined total of £25 million a year by 2023/24.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure continuity in the provision of palliative, respite, and end-of-life care to babies and infants at Zoe's Place Baby Hospice.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether domestic waste companies and sewage treatment services were consulted before the approval of home use of both abortion pills in March 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such assessment has been made.
Domestic waste companies and sewage treatment services were not consulted before the temporary approval in March 2020.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the (a) sewage and (b) non-recyclable waste systems of home abortions since March 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such assessment has been made.
Domestic waste companies and sewage treatment services were not consulted before the temporary approval in March 2020.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2020 to Question 125929 on Abortion: Drugs, whether people can respond by email to respondents to his Department's consultation on whether to make permanent the current temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women; and what email address his Department has made available for that purpose.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
People cannot respond this consultation by email. We do not have a dedicated email inbox set up for the consultation. This is to ensure all responses are processed securely and following data protection best practice. The Department’s preferred method of response to the consultation is via submission online at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-use-of-both-pills-for-early-medical-abortion