Asked by: Mike Freer (Conservative - Finchley and Golders Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made in developing a HIV prevention strategy; and what timetable he has set for the development of that strategy.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Department’s Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England (2013) addresses HIV prevention as part of wider action to improve sexual health and modernise sexual health services. It sets out the evidence base for sexual health improvement, including for people at risk of HIV. In addition, Public Health England (PHE) is currently consulting on its Health Promotion Strategic Plan for Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV. This will complement the Department’s Framework and PHE expect to publish their strategic plan later this year.
Asked by: Mike Freer (Conservative - Finchley and Golders Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the Government's proposed £200 million reduction in the local government public health grant will apply to public health funding in each local authority area.
Answered by Jane Ellison
We will shortly publish a consultation on how best to implement these savings in ways that minimise any impact on services.
Spending decisions on particular services, such as sexual health services, will remain for local authorities to make in the light of their local priorities. They are best placed to assess local needs and prioritise the deployment of their available resources accordingly.
Asked by: Mike Freer (Conservative - Finchley and Golders Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the level of future funding for open access to sexual health services which local authorities are obliged to provide under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
Answered by Jane Ellison
We will shortly publish a consultation on how best to implement these savings in ways that minimise any impact on services.
Spending decisions on particular services, such as sexual health services, will remain for local authorities to make in the light of their local priorities. They are best placed to assess local needs and prioritise the deployment of their available resources accordingly.
Asked by: Mike Freer (Conservative - Finchley and Golders Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of trialling HPV vaccinations for men who have sex with men in a small number of GUM clinics as part of a wider cost-effectiveness evaluation.
Answered by Jane Ellison
It is the role of the independent expert body, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), to provide advice on vaccination programmes following consideration of evidence, including on the cost effectiveness of immunisation strategies.
In June 2015 the JCVI human papillomavirus (HPV) subcommittee met to consider a revised impact and cost effectiveness assessment by Public Health England on a targeted HPV vaccination programme for men who have sex with men (MSM). This revised consideration took into account comments from an independent peer review and a stakeholder consultation. The results of a small pilot study (unpublished) that was conducted in North West London on the feasibility and acceptability of a vaccination programme for MSM were also used to inform the revised assessment.
The JCVI is due to consider the results of the HPV Subcommittee meeting at its October 2015 meeting, when it is anticipated that the Committee will be in a position to finalise its advice to the Department on an HPV vaccination programme for MSM.
Asked by: Mike Freer (Conservative - Finchley and Golders Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to implement HPV vaccinations for (a) boys and (b) men who have sex with men.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Government is advised on all immunisation matters by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI is considering the potential extension of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme to include adolescent boys and men who have sex with men (MSM).
Following provisional advice issued by the JCVI last year that the HPV vaccine should be offered to MSM aged 16-40 years attending Genito-Urinary Medicine and HIV clinics, if it can be delivered at a cost effective price, the JCVI hopes to consider further evidence on this later this year. A final statement will be issued by the JCVI following the completion of the work and the development of its final advice.
The JCVI’s advice on a vaccination programme for boys will take into account Public Health England modelling work on the impact and cost-effectiveness of such a programme. This is a complex piece of work and the JCVI may not be in a position to provide final advice until 2017.
We look forward to receiving the JCVI’s final advice on these important issues in due course.