Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to address the Sexual Reproductive Health needs of older men through his policies.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government remains committed to providing good sexual and reproductive health services to everyone in England, regardless of age and gender.
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access sexual and reproductive health services through the Public Health Grant (PHG). Individual local authorities decide on spending priorities based on an assessment of local need and commission the blend of services that best suit their population, including considering the distinct needs of younger and older men. In 2025/26, we are increasing funding through the ringfenced PHG to £3.858 billion. This represents a turning point for local health services, marking the biggest real-terms increase after almost a decade of reduced spending between 2016 and 2024.
We are currently developing a new HIV Action Plan which will be published this year, with key objectives to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment for HIV across all demographics. We are working to push this commitment forward through engagement with a range of system partners and stakeholders to understand the challenges we face, including the distinct needs of younger and older men.
The distinct sexual and reproductive health needs of younger men are also captured through statutory health education which is taught in all state-funded schools. The Department for Education is currently reviewing relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance, and revised guidance will be published at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Andrew RT Davies (Welsh Conservative Party - South Wales Central)
Question
Will the Cabinet Secretary ensure that health-related consultations engage with non-hospital and non-NHS stakeholders?
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Welsh Government aims to reach as many stakeholders as possible. We routinely target groups and communities which may not normally respond to consultations, as we want to hear and include their views in the development of policies.
There is an expectation that all health-related consultations should engage with a broad range of stakeholders impacted by any given policy. Recent examples include the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and proposals to make the food environment healthier.
The Well-being of Future Generations Act also states the Welsh Government must involve a diverse range of people in our decisions.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that ethnic minority women are adequately represented in the development of national maternity care (a) policies and (b) guidelines.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is unacceptable that there are stark inequalities for women and babies. It is a priority for the Government to make sure that all women and babies receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.
We recognise the importance of ethnic minority women being adequately represented within the development of policies and guidelines. Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships are one such forum in place that ensures these voices are at the heart of the decisions made in maternity and neonatal services. These partnerships listen to the experiences of women and families, and bring together service users, staff, and other stakeholders to plan, review, and improve maternity and neonatal care. At a local level, 27% of Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships leads are from ethnic minority groups. NHS England has provided support to improve the ethnic diversity of Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships.
NHS England also has in place a National Service User Voice Group, which informs the development of national maternity care policies and guidelines. 35% of NHS England’s National Service User Voice Group leads for maternity and neonatal care are from an ethnic minority group.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps with police forces to review the (a) effectiveness of policies to place police officers potentially experiencing mental ill-health on restricted duties and (b) adequacy of (i) the provision of psychological support and (ii) recovery time for those officers.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the responsibility of Chief Officers to effectively manage their workforce, including ensuring appropriate health and wellbeing support is in place for all officers and staff. The Government has been clear that the health and wellbeing of our police is a priority, and we continue to work with police partners to ensure that consistent standards apply across all forces.
Police Regulations require forces to follow standard procedures in the management of officers placed on limited duties following a period of ill health and this includes for periods of recuperation. The College of Policing has also provided specific guidance for line managers on the use of reasonable adjustments, including a toolkit for forces, a Workplace Adjustment Toolkit and a disability passport.
The Government continues to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service which provides evidence-based mental health guidance, advice, tools and resources to support forces and individual officers.
Open Consultation: Health: Long Term Conditions Framework
Opened: Wednesday 23rd April 2025Found: OverviewThe purpose of this consultationMany people in Scotland live with the challenges of a long term
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, what guidance they will issue to (1) the Department of Health and Social Care, and (2) agencies and public bodies that work with the Department, about updating their policies and written guidance; whether they will consult the organisation Sex Matters in doing so; and whether the revised policies and written guidance will be laid before Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Supreme Court ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers. We expect all providers to follow the clarity this ruling provides.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently reviewing sections of the draft Code of Practice which need updating. They will shortly undertake a public consultation to understand how the practical implications of this judgment may be best reflected in the updated guidance, which will be seeking views from affected stakeholders.
Apr. 30 2025
Source Page: Information regarding the Use of Force Act 2018: FOI releaseFound: to report on the use of restraint in mental health settings.
Found: claims that their tobacco policies were causing a decline in consumption.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (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 introduce (a) mandatory training and (b) policies on surgical fires within all NHS hospital settings.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
In 2023, the Centre for Perioperative Care published revised National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs2). The standards were designed to reduce misunderstandings or errors, and to improve team cohesion. The NatSSIPs2 include a requirement for providers to have a local fire safety policy, in order to minimise the risk of surgical fires, and a management plan in the event of one occurring.
The NatSSIPs2 should form the basis of improvement work, inspections, and curricula. The standards support National Health Service organisations in providing safer care, and to reduce the number of patient safety incidents related to invasive procedures in which surgical fires can occur.
At this time, the Department has no plans to make training mandatory or to introduce further policies in relation to surgical fires
Asked by: Lennon, Monica (Scottish Labour - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the Women’s Health Plan adequately addresses the specific health needs of female unpaid carers, including the need for support to access cervical and breast screening and services for menstrual health and menopause.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Our ambition is that ‘women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives’. We want to improve health outcomes for all women and girls in Scotland and working to improve access to health services which meet the needs of women is central to this.
The Scottish Government’s National Carers Strategy sets out a cross-government approach to tackling issues that affect carers, including through health and social care policies. A range of services are in place to support unpaid carers to better access healthcare. Some have a carer-specific focus, while others are more general. The Scottish Government will continue to raise awareness of these services among unpaid carers and will ensure that our health services consider the needs of carers.
As we develop the next phase of the Women’s Health Plan, we are listening to women’s voices and lived experience to seek to meet the needs of women across Scotland, including unpaid female carers.