Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has in place to improve cross-Government co-operation on matters relating to the commissioning of menstrual health and reproductive health services in the Women’s Health Strategy; and what steps he is taking to improve the cohesiveness of decision-making by commissioners.

Issues related to reproductive health will be addressed in the new Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy, which is due to be published later this year. We will be considering ways to improve the cohesiveness of existing commissioning arrangements as part of the Strategy’s development process.

Improving menstrual health will be considered as part of the Women’s Health Strategy. The 14-week call for evidence included questions on menstrual health and reproductive health. The responses to the call for evidence will inform the priorities in the strategy. We will respond to the call for evidence after summer and aim to publish the Women’s Health Strategy by the end of the year. We will work to ensure cohesion between the two strategies.