Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of whether all clinical staff working at abortion clinics are trained to level three of the intercollegiate framework; and if he will publish the evidence upon which that assessment is based.

All clinical staff are expected to be trained to at least level 3 of the intercollegiate framework Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and competences for healthcare staff. The senior manager or director of the clinic should be responsible for ensuring that all clinical staff have their qualifications, knowledge and skills reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they are kept up to date with current practice.

The Care Quality Commission's (CQC's) inspection approach includes checks on whether abortion providers have at all times sufficient numbers of suitably trained and suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff to safeguard the safety and welfare of service users. This includes making sure that there is a named safeguarding lead and that the provider has taken account of statutory guidance as set out in the intercollegiate framework. The CQC has begun to roll out a new, stronger methodology. As part of this, the arrangements for safeguarding will always be inspected.