Baroness Stroud

Conservative - Life peer

Became Member: 1st October 2015


Baroness Stroud has no previous appointments


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Baroness Stroud has voted in 348 divisions, and 18 times against the majority of their Party.

23 Feb 2021 - Trade Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 33 Conservative Aye votes vs 188 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 367 Noes - 214
2 Feb 2021 - Trade Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 40 Conservative Aye votes vs 165 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 359 Noes - 188
1 Dec 2020 - Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020 - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 27 Conservative Aye votes vs 178 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 64 Noes - 246
15 Jun 2020 - Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 43 Conservative Aye votes vs 125 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 112 Noes - 388
28 Apr 2021 - Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021 - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 36 Conservative Aye votes vs 156 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 93 Noes - 418
28 Apr 2021 - Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021 - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 26 Conservative Aye votes vs 151 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 63 Noes - 401
28 Apr 2021 - Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021 - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 34 Conservative Aye votes vs 144 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 70 Noes - 409
15 Dec 2021 - Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021 - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 11 Conservative Aye votes vs 105 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 38 Noes - 205
28 Feb 2022 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 10 Conservative Aye votes vs 85 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 112 Noes - 89
2 Mar 2022 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Conservative Aye votes vs 147 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 208 Noes - 155
2 Mar 2022 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 3 Conservative Aye votes vs 127 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 178 Noes - 130
2 Mar 2022 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 4 Conservative Aye votes vs 117 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 169 Noes - 122
2 Mar 2022 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 3 Conservative Aye votes vs 118 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 172 Noes - 120
8 Mar 2022 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 5 Conservative Aye votes vs 119 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 207 Noes - 123
4 Apr 2022 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 9 Conservative Aye votes vs 124 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 199 Noes - 132
30 Nov 2022 - Procurement Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 161 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 191 Noes - 169
5 Jul 2023 - Illegal Migration Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 7 Conservative Aye votes vs 155 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 232 Noes - 169
12 Jul 2023 - Illegal Migration Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Stroud voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 3 Conservative Aye votes vs 118 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 174 Noes - 122
View All Baroness Stroud Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lord Bethell (Conservative)
(7 debate interactions)
Baroness Williams of Trafford (Conservative)
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
(6 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(46 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(13 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(8 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Nationality and Borders Act 2022
(7,838 words contributed)
Domestic Abuse Bill 2019-21
(6,451 words contributed)
Illegal Migration Act 2023
(2,855 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Baroness Stroud's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Baroness Stroud, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Baroness Stroud has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Baroness Stroud has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 35 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
19th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of deaths from (1) dehydration, (2) malnutrition, and (3) bed sores, in (a) care homes, and (b) hospitals, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Dear Lady Stroud,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question regarding what estimate has been made of the number of deaths from (1) dehydration, (2) malnutrition, and (3) bed sores, in (a) care homes, and (b) hospitals, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (HL10551).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing the number of deaths registered in England and Wales. The most recent set of final figures published are for deaths registered in 2019[1]. The final information on deaths registered in 2020 will be released in summer 2021.

As part of our provisional analysis for 2020 so far, we released an article, Analysis of death registrations not involving coronavirus (COVID-19), England and Wales: 28 December 2019 to 10 July 2020[2]. Table 1 shows the number of deaths in each week and the corresponding 5-year average for disorders of fluid electrolyte and acid-based balance (dehydration), malnutrition and nutritional anaemias. Information on bed sores, and breakdowns by care homes and hospitals, is not available.

Cause of death is defined using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th edition (ICD-10).

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Table 1: Weekly provisional figures on Non-COVID-19 deaths due to disorders of fluid electrolyte and acid-based balance (dehydration), malnutrition and nutritional anaemias. England and Wales, weeks 1 to 28 combined[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

ICD-10 codes

Cause of death groups

Age group

Deaths

2020

E86–E87

Disorders of fluid electrolyte and acid-based balance (dehydration)

173

E86–E87

Disorders of fluid electrolyte and acid-based balance (dehydration)

65+

172

5-year average

E86–E87

Disorders of fluid electrolyte and acid-based balance (dehydration)

103.4

E86–E87

Disorders of fluid electrolyte and acid-based balance (dehydration)

65+

128.8

2020

D50–D53, E40–E64

Malnutrition and nutritional anaemias

29

D50–D53, E40–E64

Malnutrition and nutritional anaemias

65+

75

5-year average

D50–D53, E40–E64

Malnutrition and nutritional anaemias

20.8

D50–D53, E40–E64

Malnutrition and nutritional anaemias

65+

66

Source: ONS

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/deathsregisteredinenglandandwalesseriesdrreferencetables

[2]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/analysisofdeathregistrationsnotinvolvingcoronaviruscovid19englandandwales28december2019to1may2020/28december2019to10july2020

[3] A non-COVID-19 death is a death where COVID-19 is not mentioned on the death certificate. The ICD 1 definitions for COVID-19 are UO7.1 and UO7.2.

[4] ‘Due to’ refers to when the condition was the underlying cause. An ‘underlying cause of death’ refers to the main cause of death.

[5] For deaths registered from 1 January 2020, cause of death is coded to the ICD-10 classification using MUSE 5.5 software. Previous years were coded to IRIS 4.2.3. Further information about the change in software is available on the ONS website: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/causeofdeathcodinginmortalitystatisticssoftwarechangesjanuary2019

[6] These figures represent death registrations. There can be a delay between the date a death occurred and the date a death was registered. More information can be found in our ‘Impact of registration delays’ release: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/impactofregistrationdelaysonmortalitystatisticsinenglandandwales/2018

[7] All figures for 2020 are provisional.

[8] Figures include deaths of non-residents.

[9] Caution should be used when analysing conditions with low numbers of deaths as these can have high levels of year on year variation relative to the number of deaths.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of SMEs employing staff with disabilities between 2015 and 2020.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are defined as businesses which employ less than 250 employees.

In 2019, there were 5.82 million small businesses (0 to 49 employees) and 35,600 medium-sized businesses (50-249 employees) in the UK. 4.46 million of these do not employ anyone. 1,155,385 had 1-9 employees, 211,295 had 10-49 employees, and 35,585 had 50-249 employees.

Source: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (2020). Business population estimates for the UK and regions: 2019 statistical release.

While there are currently no robust estimates of the total number of businesses that employ staff with disabilities, DWP research does provide evidence of the proportion of establishments who have recruited employees who are disabled or have a long-term health condition in the previous 12 months.

The 2015/2016 DWP Employer Experience Survey and the 2018 DWP Employer Engagement Survey collected data from 4,200 and 4,201 telephone interviews of GB employers respectively. The surveys only considered workplaces with at least two members of staff.

The fieldwork periods for the two surveys were October 2015 to February 2016 and February to June 2018.

The surveys asked those employers who said they had tried to recruit in the last 12 months whether they had recruited someone who is disabled or who has a long-term health condition:

Establishment size

% of establishments that had recruited in the last 12 months

Of those establishments that had recruited, whether they had recruited someone who is disabled/has a long-term health condition

Yes

No

Don’t know

2015/16

2018

2015/16

2018

2015/16

2018

2015/16

2018

2-9 employees

43%

38%

12%

11%

86%

82%

2%

7%

10-49 employees

82%

76%

15%

19%

81%

74%

4%

6%

50-249 employees

96%

96%

31%

31%

57%

51%

11%

18%

250+ employees (2015/16 only)

97%

55%

22%

23%

250-499 employees (2018 only)

99%

44%

35%

21%

500+ employees (2018 only)

100%

53%

25%

22%

Sources: Department for Work and Pensions (2019). DWP Employer Engagement survey 2018. Research report 977.

Department for Work and Pensions (2017). DWP Employer Experience survey 2015/16. Research report 948.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support SMEs to employ more staff with disabilities.

The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap and seeing a million more disabled people in work between 2017 and 2027. We offer support to employers of all sizes and to disabled people who wish to get or keep employment, through a range of initiatives.

Disability Confident engages with employers ranging from large multinational corporations to local businesses. This scheme, which was developed by employers and disability organisations, encourages and supports employers to think differently about disability and to take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled employees.

Over 16,500 employers are currently signed up to Disability Confident, of whom over 80% are small and medium enterprises, and that number is growing all the time.

Access to Work supports people with a disability or health condition that affects the way they do their job to enter, sustain and progress in their employment. The scheme offers individually tailored support, advice, and if necessary a discretionary grant of up to £59,200 per year to cover costs above the level of employers’ statutory obligation to provide reasonable adjustments.

We will publish a National Strategy for Disabled People before the end of 2020. This will look at ways to improve the benefits system, opportunities and access for disabled people in terms of housing, education, transport and jobs.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to conduct an audit to determine the most common physical impairments to employment; and when any such audit may take place.

The table shows the numbers of disabled people in or out of work, and the employment rate of disabled people by main physical health condition in the UK in April to June 2017. The most common physical conditions for disabled people in and out of work are musculoskeletal conditions.

In work (000s)

Out of work (000s)

Total disabled people (000s)

Disabled employment rate (%)

Problems or disabilities (including arthritis or rheumatism) connected with arms or hands

246

212

458

53.7

Problems or disabilities (including arthritis or rheumatism) connected with back or neck

585

452

1,036

56.4

Problems or disabilities (including arthritis or rheumatism) connected with legs or feet

432

333

765

56.5

Difficulty in seeing

47

38

85

54.9

Difficulty in hearing

40

24

65

62.3

Severe disfigurements, skin conditions, allergies

53

30

82

64.0

Chest or breathing problems, asthma, bronchitis

235

198

433

54.4

Heart, blood pressure or blood circulation problems

203

210

412

49.1

Stomach, liver, kidney or digestive problems

217

143

361

60.3

Diabetes

142

117

259

55.0

Epilepsy

26

66

92

28.0

Progressive illness not included elsewhere (e.g. cancer, multiple sclerosis, symptomatic HIV, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy)

157

259

416

37.7

Total with a physical health condition

2,381

2,082

4,463

53.4

Source: Characteristics of disabled people in employment, DWP/DHSC, Table 4, April to June 2017

Notes:

  • For those who are out of work the reason they are out of work may not be due to their disability.
  • The Department have announced the planned publication of Official Statistics on 24th March on ‘Employment of disabled people 2019’. These statistics give a detailed analysis and break downs of the number of disabled people in employment.
  • Disability status is defined according to the Government Statistical Service harmonised standard, in line with the Equality Act 2010 core definition.
  • 'Main health condition' refers to the health condition that the survey respondent considers their main condition.
  • Out of work refers to both those who are unemployed and economically inactive.
  • Figures are for the working age population, comprised of people aged 16 to 64.
  • Data is subject to sampling variation and is not seasonally adjusted.
  • Precision of statistics is limited by small sample sizes.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government by what percentage they expect to close the Disability Employment Gap in (1) 2020, (2) by 2025, and (3) by 2030.

We are committed to reducing the disability employment gap, and will report on progress regularly. We will consider the case for a target as part of our work on the new National Disability Strategy which we have committed to publish by the end of 2020.

In 2017, the Government set out its commitment to see one million more disabled people in employment by 2027. In the first two years of the commitment (between Q1 2017 and Q1 2019), the number of disabled people in employment increased by 404,000 while the disability employment gap has reduced by 1.4 percentage points.

We help disabled people enter and stay in work through a range of programmes including the Work and Health Programme, the new Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme, Access to Work and Disability Confident. We have invested in a programme of trials and tests to identify effective models of health and employment support to help people with health conditions or disabilities to stay in work or return to work. In the 2019 consultation, Health is Everyone’s Business, we set out proposals to support and encourage employers to be better at managing health issues in the workplace. A copy is attached.

The Government has also announced that the Department for Work and Pensions will be bringing forward a Green Paper in the coming months on health and disability support. This will explore how the welfare system can better meet the needs of claimants with disabilities and health conditions now and in the future, to build a system that people trust and enables them to live independently and move into work where possible.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the Disability Employment Gap by 2030.

We are committed to reducing the disability employment gap, and will report on progress regularly. We will consider the case for a target as part of our work on the new National Disability Strategy which we have committed to publish by the end of 2020.

In 2017, the Government set out its commitment to see one million more disabled people in employment by 2027. In the first two years of the commitment (between Q1 2017 and Q1 2019), the number of disabled people in employment increased by 404,000 while the disability employment gap has reduced by 1.4 percentage points.

We help disabled people enter and stay in work through a range of programmes including the Work and Health Programme, the new Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme, Access to Work and Disability Confident. We have invested in a programme of trials and tests to identify effective models of health and employment support to help people with health conditions or disabilities to stay in work or return to work. In the 2019 consultation, Health is Everyone’s Business, we set out proposals to support and encourage employers to be better at managing health issues in the workplace. A copy is attached.

The Government has also announced that the Department for Work and Pensions will be bringing forward a Green Paper in the coming months on health and disability support. This will explore how the welfare system can better meet the needs of claimants with disabilities and health conditions now and in the future, to build a system that people trust and enables them to live independently and move into work where possible.

15th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 23 April (HL14837) in which he said that the Department of Health and Social Care had made "no assessment" of the ability to screen for ectopic pregnancies via telemedicine abortion services, how they are ensuring that the clinical guidance set by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is sufficient to prevent ectopic pregnancies from going undiagnosed.

It is the role of clinical experts such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to set clinical practice and ensure that it includes appropriate guidance on identification of ectopic pregnancies.

12th Apr 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ability to screen for ectopic pregnancies via telemedicine abortion services.

No assessment has been made. The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has issued clinical guidelines Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and abortion care: Information for healthcare professionals. A copy is attached. The guidance sets out that taking a history and a symptom-based approach, with an ultrasound if indicated, is consistent with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on the diagnosis and management of ectopic pregnancy. The Royal College’s guidance includes a decision aid for clinicians to use to help determine if an ultra-sound scan is required.

2nd Mar 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care on 16 February (151601 and 150684), what consideration the Human Tissue Authority gave to the ethics of the home use of abortion pills, approved in March 2020; and what assessment that Authority has made of the impact of at home abortions on (a) sewage and (b) non-recyclable waste systems.

It is not within the Human Tissue Authority’s remit to consider the ethics of the home use of abortion pills or to make any assessment of the impact on sewage and non-recyclable waste systems.

19th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any national triage system has been put in place in hospitals for the upcoming winter period; if so, (1) what are the criteria of that system, (2) what guidance they have circulated to hospitals about that system, and (3) whether any such guidance states that all patients should be triaged based on care need rather than age.

The National Health Service has repeatedly instructed staff that no patient who could benefit from treatment should be denied it. Clinicians are focused on assessing the individual needs of patients and providing the care that will benefit them best.


When issuing guidance on restoration of non-COVID-19 health services, NHS England instructed providers to make full use of available capacity whilst protecting the most vulnerable. Furthermore, throughout the pandemic, public health measures have protected our most vulnerable patients. For example, we have ensured care home residents and staff are protected, including testing all residents and staff, ring-fencing £1.1 billion for infection control and making a further £4.6 billion available to councils to address pressures caused by the pandemic.

19th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that a triage tool has been used to deny elderly patients access to intensive care during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what guidance, if any, they circulated to hospitals about the use of any such tool.

Claims that frail and elderly patients were denied care in wave one of the coronavirus pandemic, in part because of a triage tool which was developed for use if the National Health Service was overwhelmed, are categorically untrue. Guidance to help clinicians make rational, evidence-based decisions in the event of intensive care units being overwhelmed was commissioned by NHS England’s National Medical Director and the four United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers but work was halted when it became clear the NHS would not be overwhelmed.

28th Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bethell on 15 July (HL Deb, col 2028) that they intend to keep measures, and regulations introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic under constant review, what plans they have to review the (1) physical, and (2) psychological, impact of the temporary introduction of at-home use of early medical abortion pills.

The Department is carefully monitoring the impact of and compliance with the temporary approval of home administration of both sets of abortion medication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials have regular meetings with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Care Quality Commission and abortion service providers. The Government has committed to undertake a public consultation on making permanent the COVID-19 measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. The current COVID-19 measure will be kept in place until the public consultation concludes and a decision has been made. Work to develop the consultation will begin soon and further details will be available in due course.

30th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the impact on the mental health of women performing an early medical abortion on their own at home during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

The Department is carefully monitoring the impact of and compliance with the temporary approval of home administration of both sets of abortion medication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials have regular meetings with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Care Quality Commission and abortion service providers to discuss the impact and any issues arising.

The Department’s Required Standard Operating Procedures for independent sector providers set out that ‘Women are not required to have compulsory counselling or compulsory time for reflection before the abortion. Clinicians caring for women requesting abortion should be able to identify those who require more support than can be provided in the routine abortion service setting, for example young women, those with a pre-existing mental health condition, those who are subject to sexual violence or poor social support, or where there is evidence of coercion. For the minority of women who require formal, therapeutic counselling, services should have referral pathways in place with access to trained counsellors with appropriate expertise.’

30th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many sets of pills for early medical abortions at home have been distributed; and what assessment they have made of the number of early medical abortions that have been carried out at home.

Abortion data is published annually and data for 2020 is not due to be published until 2021. The data requires full quality assurance prior to release. The Code of Practice outlined in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 prohibits the pre-release of official statistics before the due date of publication.

30th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what investigation they have made, if any, of reports of misadministration of the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol from a telemedicine appointment during the COVID-19 pandemic leading to the death of an unborn child at 28 weeks; and how many other cases of such misadministration they are aware of.

Public safety and continued access to key services is our priority during this difficult period. We are monitoring the impact of the temporary approval to approve women’s homes as a class of place where both sets of medication for early medical abortion can be taken. We are aware that a small number of incidents have been identified which the Department is looking into working alongside the Care Quality Commission and others.

30th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to remarks by Lord Bethell on 15 June (HL Deb, col 2028), when these reviews took place; what opportunities there were for external input into these reviews; and what conclusions they reached regarding the need to maintain the approval of women’s homes as a class of place where pills can be taken for early medical abortion.

The Department is carefully monitoring the impact of and compliance with the temporary approval of home administration of both sets of abortion medication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials have regular meetings with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Care Quality Commission and abortion service providers to discuss the impact and any issues arising. The Department is keeping under review when the temporary approval will be removed.

2nd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the risk of allowing the at-home administration, following a telephone consultation, of mifepristone and misoprostol for an abortion.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has issued clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals on Coronavirus infection and abortion care. The guidance sets out the circumstances where women should be asked to attend a clinic for an ultra-sound scan, however it states that “most women can determine the gestational age of their pregnancy with reasonable accuracy by last menstrual period (LMP) alone”. The RCOG guidance has recently been updated and now includes a decision aid for clinicians to use to help determine if an ultra-sound scan is required.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends in their guidance Abortion Care that services should consider providing abortion assessments by phone or video call, as evidence shows that community services and telemedicine appointments improve access to abortion services. Abortion providers will discuss possible complications with the woman in the consultation, and women will be provided with information about possible symptoms, including those which would necessitate urgent review. Copies of these guidance are attached.

It is a legal requirement for two doctors to certify that there are grounds for an abortion before treatment can proceed unless an emergency situation has arisen.

The approval to allow women to take both sets of pills for early medical abortion at home is on a temporary basis only and is limited for two years, or until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. It is not permanent.

2nd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that mifepristone and misoprostol are only prescribed for medical abortions at home where women are less than 10 weeks pregnant; and what plans they have, if any, to reconsider allowing such treatment to be prescribed without seeing a clinician in person.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has issued clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals on Coronavirus infection and abortion care. The guidance sets out the circumstances where women should be asked to attend a clinic for an ultra-sound scan, however it states that “most women can determine the gestational age of their pregnancy with reasonable accuracy by last menstrual period (LMP) alone”. The RCOG guidance has recently been updated and now includes a decision aid for clinicians to use to help determine if an ultra-sound scan is required.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends in their guidance Abortion Care that services should consider providing abortion assessments by phone or video call, as evidence shows that community services and telemedicine appointments improve access to abortion services. Abortion providers will discuss possible complications with the woman in the consultation, and women will be provided with information about possible symptoms, including those which would necessitate urgent review. Copies of these guidance are attached.

It is a legal requirement for two doctors to certify that there are grounds for an abortion before treatment can proceed unless an emergency situation has arisen.

The approval to allow women to take both sets of pills for early medical abortion at home is on a temporary basis only and is limited for two years, or until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. It is not permanent.

2nd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what factors are considered when determining whether a pregnant women should see a clinician in person during the COVID-19 outbreak to (1) have an ultrasound to determine the gestational age of the pregnancy, and (2) have two doctors certify the grounds for a termination.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has issued clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals on Coronavirus infection and abortion care. The guidance sets out the circumstances where women should be asked to attend a clinic for an ultra-sound scan, however it states that “most women can determine the gestational age of their pregnancy with reasonable accuracy by last menstrual period (LMP) alone”. The RCOG guidance has recently been updated and now includes a decision aid for clinicians to use to help determine if an ultra-sound scan is required.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends in their guidance Abortion Care that services should consider providing abortion assessments by phone or video call, as evidence shows that community services and telemedicine appointments improve access to abortion services. Abortion providers will discuss possible complications with the woman in the consultation, and women will be provided with information about possible symptoms, including those which would necessitate urgent review. Copies of these guidance are attached.

It is a legal requirement for two doctors to certify that there are grounds for an abortion before treatment can proceed unless an emergency situation has arisen.

The approval to allow women to take both sets of pills for early medical abortion at home is on a temporary basis only and is limited for two years, or until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. It is not permanent.

23rd Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ability of a medical professional to establish the gestation period of a child accurately via a telephone consultation before prescribing the at-home administration of mifepristone and misoprostol for an abortion.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has issued clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals on Coronavirus infection and abortion care. The guidance sets out the circumstances where women should be asked to attend a clinic for an ultra-sound scan. However, it states that “most women can determine the gestational age of their pregnancy with reasonable accuracy by last menstrual period (LMP) alone”. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends in their guidance Abortion Care that services should consider providing abortion assessments by phone or video call, as evidence shows that community services and telemedicine appointments improve access to abortion services. A copy of this guidance is attached.

23rd Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their decision to allow at-home administration of mifepristone and misoprostol to induce an abortion following a telephone consultation, what plans they have to review their guidance on abortion that states that “the purpose of the requirement that two doctors certify the ground(s) for termination is to ensure that the law is being observed; this provides protection for the woman and for the doctors providing the termination”.

The Government has no plans to amend the legal requirement for two doctors to certify abortion procedures under the Abortion Act 1967. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have put in place two temporary measures in England; one of which is to ease the pressures of health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing registered medical practitioners to prescribe both pills for the treatment of early medical abortion up to 10 weeks from their own homes.

23rd Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Health that “they have no proposals to change any abortion rules as part of the COVID-19 response” on 24 March (HC Deb, col 244) and the remarks by Lord Bethell that “it is not right to rush through this type of change in a sensitive area such as abortion without adequate parliamentary scrutiny” on 25 March (HL Deb, col 1762), what (1) steps they took, and (2) consultation they undertook, before deciding to permit at-home abortion using the administration of mifepristone and misoprostol following a telephone consultation.

On 30 March, Ministerial powers under the Abortion Act 1967 were used to temporarily approve women’s homes as a class of place where both abortion pills can be taken for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation following a telephone or e-consultation with a clinician. Doctors’ homes have also been approved as a place from which abortion medication can be prescribed. Following the debate on 24 March the Department was presented with strong evidence from providers that the situation in relation to abortion provision was rapidly changing, services closing and large numbers of appointments for treatment were being cancelled. It was therefore considered that the balance of risk to allow a temporary modification of the arrangements for treatment for early medical abortion had shifted and the temporary modification should be allowed. In reaching this decision account was also taken of wider advice regarding the need for some groups to isolate, that access to abortion is an urgent matter: the procedure’s risk increases at later gestations and there are legal gestational limits for accessing services. This position is being kept under review and the temporary approvals will end once the risk from the COVID-19 pandemic recedes.

18th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the research by Fengqing Chao et al Probabilistic projection of the sex ratio at birth and missing female births by State and Union Territory in India, published on 19 August, what representations they have made to the government of India about preventing sex-selective abortion.

We have not made any representations to the Government of India about this.

The UK strongly opposes sex-selective abortion. The UK supports partner governments' efforts to prevent this discrimination through our programmes to promote gender equality, girls' and women's empowerment and rights. In India, the British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions work closely with civil society and non-governmental organisations that are directly promoting women's awareness of their rights. We also continue to promote empowerment through events and campaigns such as "International Women's Day", the "International Day of the Girl Child" and the "Kick like a Girl" project which trained adolescent girls on leadership skills.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
7th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their strategy to address (1) female genital mutilation, and (2) child marriage, in Somalia, following the introduction of the Sexual Intercourse Related Crimes Bill in the Parliament of Somalia; and what protections they have established for the protection of British-Somali citizens from (1) female genital mutilation, and (2) child marriage.

The UK strategy towards Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early, child and forced marriage in Somalia is incredibly important. We continue our efforts towards ending FGM in all its forms and tackling early, child and forced marriage. The UK Government is lobbying the Government of Somalia to table a bill which is compatible with Somalia's obligations under international law and commitments on the protection of children and women. In 2019 we helped over 24,000 community members participate in conversations to end FGM and child marriage; engaged over 2,000 religious leaders in protecting and promoting human rights for women and girls; and supported the development of plans by over 40 communities to foster more dialogue and action on these issues.

In 2018 the Somali cabinet drafted a Sexual Offence Bill (SOB) which could be instrumental in securing basic sexual and reproductive rights for women. This SOB has not been tabled since its creation, partly due to resistance from clerics and several members of the parliament who find the SOB to not be sufficiently sharia compliant. On 8 August 2020, a modified and regressive version of the SOB, which would for example legalise child marriage, was tabled by parliament. The bill is contentious and civil society, and other development partners are working to stop it from being passed by parliament. BE Mogadishu raises the issue regularly with Parliamentarians at all levels, and supports civil society contacts to do the same.

The UK is equally committed to protecting British-Somali citizens who may be at risk of FGM or forced marriage. The UK Government has a dedicated Forced Marriage Unit leading efforts to combat forced marriage and FGM both at home and abroad and has already provided support to dozens of potential victims in Somalia last year. This support includes UK funded safe-houses in Somalia, including Somaliland, that provide British Nationals with temporary shelter and support, while the consular team establish a plan to repatriate them. Additional support is then available for victims who have returned to the UK.

7th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to dissuade the government of Somalia from pursuing the Sexual Intercourse Related Crimes Bill.

The UK continues to lobby Somalia's parliament, through private conversations as well as public statements to dismiss the 'Sexual Intercourse' bill tabled by some MPs in favour of one that is compatible with Somalia's obligations under international law and commitments on the protection of children and women. The UK is also working to coordinate advocacy efforts with international partners to ensure all messaging is aligned. The UK is encouraged by Somalis lobbying their Parliament and the Somali '#killthebill' social media campaign and continues to support civil society representatives to ensure that Somali voices are heard on human rights issues.

2nd Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 9 March (HL1991) and reports of increased violence in Plateau, Benue, Taraba, southern Kaduna and Bauchi in Nigeria, what plans they have to provide humanitarian assistance in the Middle-Belt region in Nigeria.

We are concerned by intercommunal violence that occurs across multiple states in Nigeria and has a devastating impact on affected communities. We condemn all incidents of intercommunal violence and call for solutions that meet the needs of all affected communities. FCDO is increasing our engagement with state governments in affected areas, including Plateau, Kaduna and Benue.

We are working with stakeholders to respond to the drivers of violence, including the challenge of resource competition. We have provided technical support to the Nigerian Government for the development of the National Livestock Transformation Plan, which aims to promote cattle-rearing in one place to limit competition over land and resources. This is currently being implemented in eight Middle-Belt states. We also provide funding to support communities recently displaced due to violence in Kaduna State.

UK humanitarian assistance in Nigeria supports vulnerable people with the most acute lifesaving needs. Aligned with the UN Humanitarian Response Plan this is focused in North East Nigeria.

2nd Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Nigeria’s capacity to (1) investigate, and (2) prosecute, (a) war crimes, (b) crimes against humanity, and (c) other human rights abuses, committed by Boko Haram and other Islamist militia.

The Nigerian authorities have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute all war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights abuses committed on their territory.

An International Criminal Court (ICC) preliminary examination into the situation in Nigeria commenced in 2010, and focussed on alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity including by Boko Haram in the North East. The ICC Prosecutor acknowledged that steps have been taken by the Nigerian authorities to investigate these offences but requested further information and evidence demonstrating that relevant national proceedings are being conducted or are intended to be conducted.

The UK Government will continue to push for allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights abuses to be investigated by the Nigerian authorities, and for those responsible to be held to account. Suspects should have access to justice and cases should be carried out in accordance with Nigerian law and international human rights standards.

The UK Government remains committed to supporting Nigeria and its neighbours in the fight against terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa.

18th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much tax revenue has been generated by those granted asylum in the UK for the financial year 2019–20.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on the migration status of individuals paying Income Tax as that detail is not required for the operation of Income Tax.

18th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the net contribution to the economy generated by those granted asylum in the UK over the financial year 2019–20.

The Home Office has not made an assessment of the net contribution to the economy generated by those granted asylum in the UK over the financial year 2019–20.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
18th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers have spent at least six months awaiting a decision on their asylum claim in the UK.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum applications and resettlement in the Immigration statistics quarterly release. Data on the number of asylum applications that are currently awaiting an initial decision are published in table Asy_D03 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (which is attached), which includes whether cases have been waiting less or more than 6 months.

The number of people awaiting an initial decision is a subset of the total number of people in the asylum system (‘asylum work in progress’), which also includes those awaiting appeal outcomes and failed asylum seekers that are subject to removal from the UK. The total number of cases in the asylum system is published in the ‘Immigration and Protection’ data of the Migration Transparency Data collection.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
18th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact of offering the right to work to asylum seekers who have spent six months awaiting a decision on their asylum claim.

Asylum seeker right to work is a complex issue, not least given the potential incentive it can provide to make dangerous journeys to the UK or to make ill-founded claims simply to be able to work whilst they are considered

A review of the policy is ongoing.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
11th May 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement in the Home Office press release 'Alarming rise of abuse within modern slavery system', published on 20 March, that “Our generous safeguards for victims are being rampantly abused by child rapists, people who pose a threat to national security and failed asylum seekers with no right to be here”, how many people that took advantage of the modern slavery safeguards in each of the last five years fit the profiles described.

We are committed to ensuring victims of modern slavery are identified quickly and provided with the support they require to start to rebuild their lives.

In March 2021, the Government published a report on issues raised by people in immigration detention. This provides data on some of the concerns we are seeking to address through the New Plan for Immigration. This is available at: Issues raised by people facing return in immigration detention - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

There are concerns about the potential for a referral to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to be used to frustrate Immigration Enforcement processes or to gain access to support inappropriately.

For example, there has been a growth in NRM referrals being made after a person enters immigration detention. In 2019, 16% of people detained within the UK following immigration offences were referred as potential victims of modern slavery. This is up from just 3% in 2017.

This raises legitimate concerns that some referrals are being made late in the process to frustrate immigration action and that legitimate referrals are not being made in a timely way. The New Plan for Immigration will address both concerns.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
25th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report A housing design audit for England, published on 21 January, which found that the majority of new housing developments audited were considered mediocre or poor.

We have received and read the report with interest. The authors of the report provided evidence from their audit to the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission and it has informed the recommendations within the final report. The Government will be issuing their final response to the Commission’s report in due course.