Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Northern Ireland Executive on a freeport designation for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Robin Walker
Freeports will be national hubs for international trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK; attracting new businesses, spreading jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities across the country.
We want to ensure that the whole of the UK can benefit, and we are working with HM Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as working constructively with the Northern Ireland Executive, to establish at least one Freeport in Northern Ireland as soon as possible.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent progress the Government has been made on bringing forward legislative proposals on legacy issues in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government has been clear that it will bring forward legislation to address the legacy of the troubles that focuses on reconciliation, delivers for victims, and ends the cycle of investigations.
We continue to engage with victims groups and civic society stakeholders, as well as the Irish Government and Northern Ireland parties in order to find a way forward as soon as possible. We will provide further details in due course.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Northern Ireland Executive on the inclusion of Northern Ireland infrastructure projects for support under the Levelling Up Fund.
Answered by Robin Walker
I have held, and will continue to hold, engagements with colleagues across the UK Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and with other stakeholders in Northern Ireland on the Levelling Up Fund.
The Levelling Up Fund will invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities. It will run from 2021/22 to 2024/25, and drive regeneration in places in need. The prospectus for the Levelling Up Fund was published last week and sets out that the Fund will focus on three themes in its first year: smaller transport projects that make a genuine difference to local areas; town centre and high street regeneration; and support for maintaining and expanding the UK’s world-leading portfolio of cultural and heritage assets.
The Fund is being delivered as part of a broad package of complementary UK-wide interventions, including the UK Community Renewal Fund and the UK Community Ownership Fund.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many notification forms were received where the second abortion pill only was taken at home after 10 weeks, in 2019.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2019, the number of abortions where the Department was notified that prostaglandin was provided for home use is as follows:
- 52,309 at three to nine weeks gestation; and
- 37 at 10 weeks gestation and above.
The information presented is based on information contained in abortion notification forms (HSA4) submitted by clinics and hospitals to the Chief Medical Officer at the Department.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 27 December 2018 approval of the home of a pregnant woman in England who is undergoing treatment for termination of pregnancy as a class of place where the second stage of treatment for early medical abortion may be carried out, how many maternal deaths occurred under the 27 December 2018 approval as a result of the second abortion pill taken at home in (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020 to date.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is not possible to identify the type of abortion performed from the mortality statistics. Mortality statistics published by the Office of National Statistics, show that for there was one death in 2018 where abortion was listed as the underlying cause of death on the death certificate. There were no deaths recorded in 2019. Data for 2020 is not available.
The Department is aware of reports of two women who died after seeking abortion treatment earlier this year. Both deaths have been appropriately investigated and in one case investigations are continuing. For the other case, the coroner concluded that there was no evidence to suggest the pregnancy or abortion contributed to the death either directly or indirectly. Both women attended an abortion service in person and based on information provided to the Department, at least one of these women was supplied with pills to take at home under the 2018 approval.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings the Government has had with the Care Quality Commission to monitor the evidence on the safety of abortion pills taken at home since 30 March 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has had four meetings with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to monitor the evidence on the safety of abortion pills taken at home since 30 March 2020.
The Department continues to closely monitor the impact of the temporary approval for women’s homes to be classed as a place where both sets of medication for early medical abortion can be taken up to 10 weeks gestation. Officials have regular meetings on abortion issues more generally at which the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the CQC and abortion service providers are present and the evidence on the safety of abortion pills taken at home may have been discussed at these meeting in addition to the meetings outlined.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what procurement arrangements he is putting in place for businesses wishing to provide logistical support to the planned covid-19 vaccination programme.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The National Health Service is ready to deliver a COVID-19 vaccination programme as soon as it is authorised for use by the medicines’ regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. As part of the extensive planning, the NHS is working with all stakeholders, including the United Kingdom logistics industry, to be ready to mobilise when a vaccine becomes available. NHS England and NHS Improvement are utilising existing Crown Commercial Services and NHS procurement frameworks to identify suppliers for all goods and services required to support delivery of non-vaccine goods and services to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s cohorts.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings the Government has had with abortion providers to monitor the safety of abortion pills being taken at home since 30 March 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government have had eleven meetings with abortion providers to monitor the safety of abortion pills taken at home since 30 March 2020.
The Department continues to closely monitor the impact of the temporary approval for women’s homes to be classed as a place where both sets of medication for early medical abortion can be taken up to 10 weeks gestation. Officials have regular meetings on abortion issues more generally at which the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Care Quality Commission and abortion service providers are present and the safety of abortion pills taken at home may have been discussed at these meetings in addition to the meetings outlined.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication on 1 October 2020 of supplementary analysis of the January-June 2020 abortion statistics, what gestation was reported on the notification form for each of the cases where abortion pills were taken after 10 weeks for (a) the 40 cases where the second pill only was taken at home and (b) the 10 cases where both pills were taken at home.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Further breakdowns of the provisional data by gestation and home use are not currently available as we are reviewing and assuring the underlying data in advance of the annual National Statistics publication in summer 2021.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what changes in data collection requirements have been made for recording complications and maternal deaths for early medical abortions since 30 March 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No changes in data collection requirements have been made for recording complications and maternal deaths for early medical abortions since 30 March 2020.