Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps (a) her Department and (b) the police are taking to address the impact of illegal botox substitutes on members of the public.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has powers to investigate and take action when breaches or suspected breaches of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 are identified. The action taken is determined on a case-by-case basis and will reflect relevant factors and evidence. Offences under the Regulations are criminal and if appropriate, the MHRA will bring a prosecution through the criminal courts. Penalties range from a fine to a two-year prison sentence.
The MHRA works with external healthcare partners to ensure the safety of the public and the Border Force on the importation of illegal Botox substitutes. The MHRA will take action if any trends associated to the safety or efficacy of a healthcare product are identified. The information requested on police action is not held as this is a matter for the Home Office.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is monitoring the use of illegal botox substitutes by practitioners in relation to non-surgical aesthetic procedures.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department has no current plans to monitor the use of illegal botox substitutes. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the United Kingdom and ensures that all such products licensed for use meet all applicable standards of safety, quality and efficacy. The MHRA monitors the safety of all medicines and remains vigilant for any emerging new evidence from Yellow Card Reports, scientific publications or information from patients and stakeholders in relation to any illegal use of medicines and takes regulatory action where necessary.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to collect data on the costs of aftercare to the NHS, for patients who report adverse effects following (a) aesthetic and (b) cosmetic procedures.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We have no current plans to do so. However, as part of the introduction of a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, the Department will work with stakeholders to collate data and gather evidence on the incidence of consumers seeking treatment through the National Health Service for complications following private cosmetic procedures.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the risks of botox substitutes, such as botulax.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency monitors the safety of all medicines, any emerging new evidence in relation to any illegal use of medicines and will take regulatory action where necessary. Botulax is a brand of botulinum toxin not licensed for use in the United Kingdom. Botulinum toxins are prescription-only medicines and must be prescribed by a registered healthcare professional or medical practitioner. The prescriber may delegate the administration of the medicine to a secondary practitioner who is not required to be a healthcare professional. However, the prescriber retains responsibility for ensuring the treatment is provided safely.
While there have been no specific discussions with the Welsh Government, we are committed to improving the safety of cosmetic procedures. Advice for those considering receiving botulinum toxin injections for cosmetic purposes is available at NHS.UK. This includes ensuring that the chosen practitioner has the skills to perform the procedure safely and recommends asking the practitioner for the name of the product, whether it is licensed and how and where it is made.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in the Welsh Government on the use of botox substitutes during non-surgical aesthetic procedures in salons.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency monitors the safety of all medicines, any emerging new evidence in relation to any illegal use of medicines and will take regulatory action where necessary. Botulax is a brand of botulinum toxin not licensed for use in the United Kingdom. Botulinum toxins are prescription-only medicines and must be prescribed by a registered healthcare professional or medical practitioner. The prescriber may delegate the administration of the medicine to a secondary practitioner who is not required to be a healthcare professional. However, the prescriber retains responsibility for ensuring the treatment is provided safely.
While there have been no specific discussions with the Welsh Government, we are committed to improving the safety of cosmetic procedures. Advice for those considering receiving botulinum toxin injections for cosmetic purposes is available at NHS.UK. This includes ensuring that the chosen practitioner has the skills to perform the procedure safely and recommends asking the practitioner for the name of the product, whether it is licensed and how and where it is made.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what existing regulations are in place to prevent the use of botulax during non-surgical aesthetic procedures.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency monitors the safety of all medicines, any emerging new evidence in relation to any illegal use of medicines and will take regulatory action where necessary. Botulax is a brand of botulinum toxin not licensed for use in the United Kingdom. Botulinum toxins are prescription-only medicines and must be prescribed by a registered healthcare professional or medical practitioner. The prescriber may delegate the administration of the medicine to a secondary practitioner who is not required to be a healthcare professional. However, the prescriber retains responsibility for ensuring the treatment is provided safely.
While there have been no specific discussions with the Welsh Government, we are committed to improving the safety of cosmetic procedures. Advice for those considering receiving botulinum toxin injections for cosmetic purposes is available at NHS.UK. This includes ensuring that the chosen practitioner has the skills to perform the procedure safely and recommends asking the practitioner for the name of the product, whether it is licensed and how and where it is made.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people who need to access covid-19 lateral flow tests for the purposes of visiting care home residents will be given assistance in acquiring those tests.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The regular asymptomatic testing regime in adult social care after 1 April 2022 is currently under review and we will set out further details in due course. Until 1 April, testing for visitors to care homes should currently align with current guidance on testing in care homes.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring residents of care homes to be vaccinated against covid-19.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
We have no plans to mandate vaccination for care home residents. As of 20 February 2022, 95.4% of all care home residents have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and 88.4% have received a booster dose.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assistance the Government has provided to the WHO in connection with its inquiries into the origins of the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The United Kingdom supports a timely, transparent, evidence-based and expert-led study into the origins of COVID-19. In May 2020, we co-sponsored the World Health Assembly’s resolution which agreed an investigation. We supported calls from the joint report from phase one of the World Health Organization-China study for release of further data by China to inform subsequent analyses. We continue to engage internationally to support a robust phase two of the investigation.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Mental Health Bill will be published.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Legislation will be brought forward when parliamentary time allows.