Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 13 October (HL2369), what measures they have in place to monitor for an increase in dengue fever cases; how many cases would be sufficient to warrant further investigation; and what such investigations may involve.
Answered by Lord Markham
Dengue fever cases reported in the United Kingdom have been acquired as a result of travelling to endemic areas, such as South and South East Asia, South and Central America, Africa and the Caribbean. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises health professionals to be alert to the possibility of dengue fever in returning travellers. Where a case is suspected, health professionals should contact the UKHSA’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory for advice and diagnosis.
There is no pre-determined threshold for the number of cases which would warrant a response. Laboratory clinical and epidemiological teams monitor changes in the pattern of diagnosis and respond as appropriate, such as updating current advice for travellers and the National Health Service, increasing diagnostic testing and reporting in accordance with international health regulations. The UKHSA also works with local authorities, port health and the Animal and Plant Health Agency to monitor points of entry for the invasive mosquito species currently implicated in local cases of dengue in France.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what fiscal steps they are taking to support women and girls' (1) sexual, and (2) reproductive, (a) health, and (b) rights, in countries on which their funding is targeted.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK is committed to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). This is demonstrated by our success in securing a landmark statement at the UN General Assembly third committee and the publication of the UK approach to Ending the Preventable Deaths of mothers, babies and children. We also provide funding to key organisations working on SRHR such as the Reproductive Health Supplies partnership.
Aid prioritisation decisions will be guided by the UK International Development Strategy that includes support to women and girls and global health. The UK also supports countries to mobilise their own resources through policy input and support to programmes such as the Global Financing Facility.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 13 October (HL2370), whether the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will provide an update on the progress made in the areas of mutual interest for cooperation under its Memorandum of Understanding with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on matters of communicable diseases prevention and control.
Answered by Lord Markham
These discussions are continuing. However, the United Kingdom has a nominated EpiPulse Focal Point to oversee and manage access as a non-European Union country within the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s (ECDC) co-operation framework. EpiPulse was launched on 22 June 2021 and integrates several surveillance systems, provides new functionalities and access to data in a single platform. The platform facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and connects users from different sectors through which the ECDC aims to strengthen the prevention and control of infectious diseases by enhancing early threat detection and assessment.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the Minister of State for Climate will no longer be attending Cabinet.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy formally represents climate in Cabinet, ensuring it is included in any relevant policy discussions. Attendance at Cabinet is the prerogative of the Prime Minister.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change last met; and whether it will be chaired by the Prime Minister.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
GOV.UK is updated regularly with the terms of reference and membership of Cabinet Committees.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what data they hold on the (1) incidence, and (2) impact, of dengue fever on different demographic groups in the UK.
Answered by Lord Markham
Dengue case numbers in the United Kingdom were provided annually to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control until 2019, which is the most recent data available. This information showed there were 827 dengue cases in the UK in 2019.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) holds data on dengue infections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, comprised of laboratory reports from the UKHSA’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory at Porton Down. However, the UKHSA does not routinely receive information on outcomes and clinical details, including information on symptoms, deaths and risk groups for these cases. In the event of an apparent increase in dengue cases, the UKHSA would undertake additional investigations.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are still (1) engaged with, and (2) submitting reports to, the memorandum of understanding on communicable diseases agreed with the European Centre for Disease Control on 1 December 2021.
Answered by Lord Markham
Future cooperation with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was included in the United Kingdom’s mandate for the future relationship with the European Union and reference was included in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. On 1 December 2021, the Director of the ECDC and the Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the collaboration between the ECDC and the UK on matters of communicable disease prevention and control.
Conversations about the future relationship with the ECDC are ongoing. To ensure effective, continued engagement, a joint action plan with objectives and performance metrics is under discussion. The UKHSA and the ECDC aim to meet once a year to review activities within the scope of the MoU. The UKHSA is committed to maintaining technical and expert collaboration on matters related to serious cross border health threats with its international partners, including the ECDC.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that cuts to Official Development Assistance have had on research projects concerning dengue fever in the UK.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government, through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, have made significant investments in global health research for novel health technologies and implementation research to combat diseases of poverty, including HIV, TB and malaria as well as Neglected Tropical Diseases. The FCDO has not supported direct research on dengue fever although it is addressed indirectly through our health systems research programmes and our support to technology development programmes such as the Liverpool based Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC).
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support women’s access to contraceptive services in South Africa.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Women's empowerment and gender equity are top priorities for the UK Government in South Africa, including through work on skills and youth employment, and tackling gender based violence. While the UK does not currently provide support to women's access to contraceptive services in South Africa, the UK has supported 9.5 million women and girls to use modern methods of contraception since 2018 through the Women's Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) programme, across 17 African countries.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to support (1) maternal health, and (2) family planning provision, for (a) those in Ukraine, and (b) those who are now refugees, in light of Russia's invasion of that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK has now committed £395 million in aid to the current crisis. This includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance which will be used to save lives, and protect vulnerable people inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. This funding will help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation by providing access to basic necessities and medical supplies. UK Government humanitarian experts have also deployed to the region to support those fleeing the violence in Ukraine. The UK has matched pound for pound the public's first £25 million for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, which has now surpassed £130 million. Donating will help DEC charities provide food, water, shelter and healthcare to refugees and displaced families.
To date, we have contributed £3.5 million to provide medical supplies to Ukraine. Five commercial flights with supplies have been sent plus a further shipment on a military flight. We are preparing another five flights over the next week and we are working with Department of Health and Social Care and Devolved Administrations to identify and prepare supplies which meet the most pressing needs with a focus on pharmaceuticals.