Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans she has to implement the recommendations of the Law Commission's report Building families through surrogacy: a new law, HC1236, on (a) establishing a new pathway for surrogacy in which intended parents can be recognised as legal parents from birth, when supported by Regulated Surrogacy Organisations, (b) establishing a surrogacy register to enable people born through surrogacy to find out about their origins, (c) removing the need for surrogates’ partners to consent to parental orders and (d) introducing up to date guidance on what counts as a reasonable expense within a surrogacy agreement.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Government is giving consideration to all the recommendations in the Law Commission report, Building families through surrogacy: a new law, and will publish a full response in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Government has made of the impact of postponing the implementation of the TV and online unhealthy food advertising restrictions to October 2025 on (a) rates of childhood obesity and (b) meeting the 2030 ambition to halve childhood obesity.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
A full impact assessment for the policy was published in June 2021 providing detail on the expected impact of the restrictions. We do not expect a short-term delay to the implementation to have a significant impact on the substantial benefits in the longer term.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Government made the decision to postpone the implementation of the TV and online unhealthy food advertising restrictions to October 2025; and whether new evidence was used to make that decision.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds North West Arfon on 10 January 2023 to Question 114808.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason he has delayed the introduction of a watershed of 9pm for television advertisements for food high in fat, salt and sugar.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds North West Arfon on 10 January 2023 to Question 114808.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which countries listed on the World Health Organisation's Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List currently have agreements with the UK to allow the recruitment of individuals from such countries to fill vacancies in the UK health and social care sectors; and which countries on that list the Government is currently seeking to negotiate such an agreement with.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Of those countries listed on the World Health Organization's Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, the United Kingdom currently has a memorandum of understanding on the recruitment of healthcare workers with Nepal.
We are unable to provide information requested on countries we are currently in discussion with as it would be likely to prejudice relations between the UK and other states. When signed, Government-to-Government agreements are published to ensure transparency.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on (a) the number of applications for job vacancies in the UK health and social care sector which were made by individuals from countries listed on the World Health Organisation's Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List and (b) the number of such applicants who were subsequently granted visas by the UK government, in the most recent period for which these figures are available.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of current vacancies within (a) the NHS and (b) the social care workforce the Government expects to be filled by workers recruited from overseas by the end of 2022; and what recent steps his Department has taken to facilitate the recruitment of those workers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
No specific estimate has been made. However, the Government has committed to making more effective use of international recruitment to increase the National Health Service and social care workforce. International recruitment has the potential to fill thousands of vacancies, allowing the health and care sectors to benefit from the skills of overseas workers wishing to work in England.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Memorandum of understanding between the UK and the Philippines on healthcare cooperation, published by his Department on 11 November 2021, whether any (a) special meetings or (b) consultations have been convened to discuss urgent issues arising from that agreement, as provided for in paragraph 6 of the memorandum.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
There have been no specific meetings or consultations.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Memorandum of understanding between the UK and the Philippines on healthcare cooperation, published by his Department on 11 November 2021, when he expects the next regular annual meeting of the Joint Committee established by paragraph 6 of that agreement to take place; and what specific issues his Department plans to raise at that meeting.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
There is no confirmed date for the next regular annual meeting of the Joint Committee. Initial plans were paused following the general election in the Philippines in May 2022.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Memorandum of understanding between the UK and the Philippines on healthcare cooperation, published by his Department on 11 November 2021, what recent assessment he has made of the level of compliance by recruitment agencies with the provision of that Memorandum.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
No specific assessment has been made. However, officials hold regular meetings with the Filipino Labour Attache. Where concerns have been raised with officials on compliance with the code, these cases have been referred to NHS Employers or other relevant regulatory bodies. NHS Employers hosts a list of agencies which adhere to the code to assist employers. It undertakes routine checks on compliance, responds to complaints or breaches and takes necessary action where the code is contravened.