6 APPG Officer Positions (as of 18 Jun 2025)
Hong Kong, International Freedom of Religion or Belief, Nigeria, North Korea, Uyghurs, Yazidis19 APPG Memberships
Afghan Women and Girls, Belarus, Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC) and the Pacific Islands, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Republic of Korea, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax, Babies (Pregnancy to Age 2), British Jews, Faith and Society, Global Education, Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, Liverpool City Region, Refugees, United Nations Global Goals, Woods and Trees, Armenia, War Crimes, Aid Match28 Former APPG Officer Positions
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Bangladesh, British Council, Burma, CAFOD, Conception to Age Two - First 1001 Days, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dying Well, Egypt, Eritrea, Haiti, Hazaras, Hormone Pregnancy Tests, International Law, Justice and Accountability, Jazz, Liverpool City Region, Maldives, Pakistan, Pakistani Minorities, Public Accountability, Religion or Belief, Rohingya, Sudan and South Sudan, Tibet, Uganda, War Crimes, Water and Sanitation in the Third World, West PapuaDivision Voting information
Debates during the 2024 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
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(36 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(33 debate contributions)
(26 debate contributions)
(23 debate contributions)
(19 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(9,280 words contributed)
(7,925 words contributed)
Lords initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Lord Alton of Liverpool, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
9 Bills introduced by Lord Alton of Liverpool
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the regulation of the re-export of military equipment and goods further to their original exportation from the United Kingdom.
Thursday 27th January 2011
A Bill to provide for the High Court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Court of Session in Scotland to make preliminary determinations concerning the undertakings made by the United Kingdom as a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“Genocide Convention”) under international law; for the referral of such determinations to relevant international courts or organisations; for response to reports on genocide; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to amend the Mesothelioma Act 2014.
Friday 20th November 2015
A Bill to provide for the High Court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Court of Session in Scotland to make preliminary determinations concerning the undertakings made by the United Kingdom as a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“Genocide Convention”) under international law; for the referral of such determinations to relevant international courts or organisations; for response to reports on genocide; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit the falsification of slavery and human trafficking statements; to establish minimum standards of transparency in supply chains in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking; to prohibit companies using supply chains which fail to demonstrate minimum standards of transparency; and for connected purposes
A bill to provide for the High Court of England and Wales to make a preliminary finding on cases of alleged genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes; and for the subsequent referral of such findings to the International Criminal Court or a special tribunal
A Bill to provide for the High Court of England and Wales to make a preliminary finding on cases of alleged genocide; and for the subsequent referral of such findings to the International Criminal Court or a special tribunal.
Monday 13th June 2016
A bill to amend the Mesothelioma Act 2014.
Thursday 17th July 2014
First reading took place on 21 January. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the Bill's journey through the Lords.Second reading - the general debate on all aspects of the Bill - is yet to be scheduled.The 2013-14 session of parliament has prorogued and this Bill will make no further progress. A bill to amend the Mesothelioma Act 2014
Tuesday 21st January 2014
Lord Alton of Liverpool has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)The Government continues to look at ways to make sure the government’s digital communications better reflect the way the public now consumes information online. The policy around the use of TikTok on government devices hasn’t changed.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Cabinet Office does not collect this data centrally. Where an essential business requirement necessitates the use of TikTok, this is managed through a formal exemptions and approvals process which takes place at departmental level.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The restriction on use of the TikTok app on government devices remains in place. Where an essential business requirement necessitates the use of TikTok, this is managed through a formal exemptions and approvals process.
In March 2023 the previous government introduced a precautionary ban on the TikTok application on government electronic devices following a security review. This review looked at the potential vulnerability of government data on government devices and risks around how sensitive information could be accessed and used.
Restricting use of the TikTok application on government devices is a prudent, proportionate measure to protect government device data. This data can be sensitive, particularly in relation to ministers' devices given the sensitive nature of their role.
All government organisations and their Arm's Length Bodies are required to control which third-party applications are permitted for use on their corporate devices under the cross-government Mobile Device Management policy. We keep our cyber security policies under constant review.
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Public procurement is a key lever for enabling delivery of the Government’s missions, both in terms of sourcing the goods and services required by the public sector but also in using procurement policy to drive up standards.
The government will be ensuring that the powers in the Procurement Act are utilised to support the new government’s priorities. New measures in the Act, which are due to come into force in October 2024, strengthens the rules on disregarding bids and excluding suppliers where there is evidence of modern slavery. This will apply even in circumstances where there has not yet been a conviction or technical breach of an international treaty.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This government will continue to speak up on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. The new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition.
The strategy will promote responsible and transparent supply chains, including through greater adoption of responsible business practices to protect local communities and the environment. The strategy will set the long term ambition of securing supply of critical minerals and harnessing our competitive advantage in midstream and recycling. It will also set out how this will be achieved by optimising domestic production and by working collaboratively with international partners to achieve this. We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK's existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains and take action where appropriate.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This government will continue to speak up on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. The new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition.
The strategy will promote responsible and transparent supply chains, including through greater adoption of responsible business practices to protect local communities and the environment. The strategy will set the long term ambition of securing supply of critical minerals and harnessing our competitive advantage in midstream and recycling. It will also set out how this will be achieved by optimising domestic production and by working collaboratively with international partners to achieve this. We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK's existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains and take action where appropriate.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This government will continue to speak up on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. The new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition.
The strategy will promote responsible and transparent supply chains, including through greater adoption of responsible business practices to protect local communities and the environment. The strategy will set the long term ambition of securing supply of critical minerals and harnessing our competitive advantage in midstream and recycling. It will also set out how this will be achieved by optimising domestic production and by working collaboratively with international partners to achieve this. We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK's existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains and take action where appropriate.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This government will continue to speak up on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. The new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition.
The strategy will promote responsible and transparent supply chains, including through greater adoption of responsible business practices to protect local communities and the environment. The strategy will set the long term ambition of securing supply of critical minerals and harnessing our competitive advantage in midstream and recycling. It will also set out how this will be achieved by optimising domestic production and by working collaboratively with international partners to achieve this. We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK's existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains and take action where appropriate.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We have concluded a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This is a unique deal that ensures UK industries are protected; talks with the US are ongoing. Conversations on labour practices, including forced labour in supply chains will form part of the broader discussions on a wider UK-US Economic Deal.
This government will continue to stand firm on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. I raised the UK's concerns over human rights abuses, including in Xinjiang, with counterparts during my recent visit to China.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We have concluded a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This is a unique deal that ensures UK industries are protected; talks with the US are ongoing.
The UK will continue to use investment screening measures that are already in place. The agreement is an opportunity to build on our economic security collaboration and further increase the resilience of our supply chains.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has noted the European Commission’s recent Omnibus proposal to update the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This Directive will apply to UK companies generating over €450 million in turnover within the EU.
We continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK’s existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools that are emerging, including in the EU, to ensure we can best promote responsible business practices.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Under the previous government the then Department for International Trade (DIT) ran Project Defend from April 2020 to March 2021 when the project closed.
We recognise the importance of strengthening the resilience of UK supply chains to boost our preparedness for potential disruptions and shocks, Further consideration will be given to this in our forthcoming Trade Strategy. More widely, we are carrying out a full and comprehensive audit of the UK’s interests with regards to China, which will bring a consistent, long-term and strategic approach.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
No UK business should be complicit in forced labour. Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36m or more are required to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains.
This Government will stand firm on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang and will continue to hold China to account. The Government continues to review how we can best tackle forced labour in supply chains and continues to consider measures that would improve supply chain transparency and traceability.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Discussion among CPTPP Members is progressing on how to take forward accession applications. The UK and other CPTPP members have reaffirmed on several instances that the CPTPP is open to Accession Requests by economies that can satisfy the “Auckland Principles”, namely being able to meet the agreement’s high standards, having a track record of compliance with trade commitments, and commanding consensus of the Parties. It is right that we work within the principles of the group to achieve a consensus decision, rather than providing our own individual narrative on the applications of specific economies.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In November 2023, the British Representative in Taipei and the Taipei Representative in the UK signed an Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) Arrangement setting out the UK and Taiwan’s priorities for the future cooperation, including an energy and net zero pillar. The Government regularly promotes international business opportunities to UK firms and has previously supported business delegations to Taiwan. UK Export Finance, the Government’s credit agency, has also provided over £900million of financing to Taiwanese offshore wind projects, supporting Taiwan’s energy transition and UK businesses.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK operates one of the most transparent export licensing systems in the world. There is a long record of the UK granting licences for exports of controlled goods to Taiwan, on a case-by-case basis, where those applications are consistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.
The Department for Business and Trade provides advice and support to prospective exporters of controlled goods where there is a reasonable expectation of securing licenses, but the support will vary with an individual case’s circumstances.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
No company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain. The Department for Business and Trade will be working with colleagues across Government to tackle forced labour in supply chains, including polysilicon used in the manufacture of solar panels.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is relaunching the Solar Taskforce, which will focus on identifying and developing supply chains that are resilient, sustainable and free from forced labour.
The Government's Overseas Business Risk guidance makes clear to UK companies the risks of operating in certain regions and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence when making business decisions.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government is clear that no company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain. The Department for Business and Trade will work with international partners to understand the impact of measures to combat forced labour.
There are a wide range of priorities the Department need to consider within our trade strategy. The Department's trade strategy will be growth-based, and aligned with its industrial strategy, as well as wider foreign-policy and economic security objectives.
It is important that the Department take a strategic approach to trade policy development that considers how its economic objectives can be achieved through the use of trade levers while being aligned with its values and our geo-strategic positioning.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
6 Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Questions
(View all Lord Alton of Liverpool's DESNZ questions)This Government continues to stand firm on the issue of human rights in China, including relating to forced labour. The recent visit by the Secretary of State gave the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to the UK with senior levels of the Chinese government, including areas where we disagree.
My department is committed to working closely across Government and industry stakeholders to take forward the actions needed to develop supply chains that are resilient, sustainable, innovative and free from forced labour.
The Secretary of State's recent visit to China gave the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to the UK with senior levels of the Chinese government, including areas where we disagree.
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given on 12 February by my hon Friend the Minister for Climate (Kerry McCarthy) to the hon Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine).
We cannot comment on individual investment cases, but investment into the energy sector is subject to the highest levels of national security scrutiny, and we will continue to work closely with industry to build secure supply chains and ensure the UK remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.
The Government recently set out its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which requires significant deployment of solar electricity. Developing sustainable, diverse and resilient solar supply chains, free from forced labour, is an absolute priority for this Government and the solar industry.
The Government does not hold data on the supply chains of individual businesses and therefore cannot provide details of overall expenditure or quantities of Chinese imports of solar panels. As Great British Energy will be operationally independent, it will be for the company to determine the projects and technologies it chooses to invest in, in accordance with its objectives.
The Government takes reports of complaints very seriously. Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and the Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.
The government recognises the significant benefits of promoting a culture of reading for pleasure in the home learning environment. Reading for pleasure supports the development of early language, literacy and cognitive skills, and is strongly associated with improved educational outcomes and emotional wellbeing. Through our national campaign ‘Little Moments Together’ we encourage parents and carers to chat, play and read with their children, helping to foster a love of books and stories from the earliest years. This complements our wider investment of £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs, which provides families with the tools and support to create language-rich, nurturing settings. These efforts are part of our broader ambition, set out in the Plan for Change, to ensure every child has the best start in life and develops strong foundations for lifelong learning and success.
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer of 08 July 2025 to Question 60798.
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Information about the nationality or country of birth of children in schools in England is not collected by the department.
However, ad hoc surveys of admission officers were conducted in 2022 and are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-placements-for-children-from-outside-of-the-uk.
This shows that, between 1 September 2021 and 27 September 2022, when adjusted for non-response, there had been an estimated 22,100 applications for school places for children from Ukraine. 13,100 of these were for primary school places and 9,100 were for secondary school places.
Of these 22,100 applications, 20,500 offers had been made at that point in time. This figure is also adjusted for non-response. This represents 92% of applications. 12,300 of these were for primary school places and 8,100 were for secondary school places.
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by the four independent awarding organisations, AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC, rather than by central government. Awarding organisations are free to produce a GCSE in any modern language, including Ukrainian. This decision would be informed by several factors, including the level of demand from schools and the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language.
The government stands steadfast behind the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian government. The department is proud to support children and families from Ukraine during their transition to a new life and to do our part to support the Ukrainian people. The department launched the UK-Ukraine School Partnerships Programme in January, which supports UK-based Ukrainian students’ cultural ties to Ukraine and builds cross-cultural understanding among our pupils.
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Higher education (HE) institutions in England are autonomous bodies and it is for them to assess whether applications for fees which do not meet the criteria for automatic home fee status should be reduced or waived in line with individual circumstances. The department has not made an assessment on the number of international students that have successfully had their fees waived.
There are a range of resources and support for international students looking for scholarships, which can be found on the UK Council for International Student Affairs website and the British Council’s Study UK page.
Many HE institutions in the UK offer a range of bursaries and scholarships to international students and the department encourages students to contact their institution to find out what support may be available. We have not carried out an assessment of the number of university scholarships or bursaries available to prospective students on British National (Overseas) visas.
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The government has made significant strides to protect our values against those who do not respect the UK’s fundamental rights and freedoms, or whose strategic intent is hostile to UK interests. The department has committed, in the Integrated Review Refresh, to review the full set of legislative and other provisions designed to protect our academic sector, in order to identify what more the department could or should be doing.
The department recognises the potential for overseas interference in our higher education (HE) sector and we are committed to ensuring ways to increase transparency, improve HE providers’ overall resilience and economic security, whilst respecting the autonomy of universities.
A key part of the department’s International Education Strategy is diversification. Our universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risks associated with dependence on a single source of funding, whether that is from a single organisation or a single country. The Office for Students, the regulator of HE in England, monitors the risk of over-reliance on overseas income at a sector level.
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The content of textbooks is a matter for individual publishers. The department does not play a role in prescribing or authorising the books that schools can use. It is for schools to determine what curriculum resources they use, and to use their judgement in assessing their content.
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
6 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Lord Alton of Liverpool's Defra questions)Defra monitors animal disease outbreaks worldwide and assesses the risk that they might enter the United Kingdom (UK) through legal or illegal trade in animal products. Its team of veterinary and risk experts provide rapid outbreak assessments to inform import decisions and enforcement action and undertake full qualitative risk assessments in certain cases. These assessments are published on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring.
Meat imported commercially via Border Control Posts is subject to local authority-led official controls to ensure that it complies with UK import conditions. The Home Office’s Border Force has lead responsibility for identifying and seizing meat imported illegally other than via Border Control Posts.
To further mitigate the risks, it is illegal in the UK to feed catering or domestic food waste to livestock, including pigs.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have made no formal assessment of the paper by Svensson et al.
All primates are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), ensuring any international trade in these species is sustainable. Each year thousands of illegal products containing endangered species are seized by Border Force. These seizures are quantified in the UK’s annual illegal trade report to CITES and made available in the CITES Illegal Trade Database.
The UK is committed to combatting the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), including through our Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and through the National Wildlife Crime Unit’s Strategic Assessment for Wildlife Crime which aims to support UK and Global enforcement responses to IWT.
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government published the UK Food Security Report 2024 last week and remains committed to protecting our biosecurity and will maintain the appropriate level of controls to achieve this in accordance with the Border Target Operating Model. Please also see the Border Target Operating Model web page on gov.uk for detailed information on the rationale for border controls (at Final_Border_Target_Operating_Model.pdf).
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government appreciates and values the vital work of the horticulture industry, and we welcomed the Committee’s report ‘Sowing the seeds: A blooming English horticultural sector. As part of our mission-driven government we are currently considering how we can achieve our ambitious, measurable and long-term goals for all our farming sectors.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights in line with the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
We work to maintain high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food they buy. When the country of manufacture of a processed food, such as tomato puree, is provided on the label, the label must also show if the origin of the primary ingredient (the tomatoes in this case) is different. In any case, all information must be accurate and not mislead.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In May 2024 Northern Trains launched the Yorkshire Dales Explorer, which links Manchester and Ribblehead, restoring passenger services to the line between Clitheroe and Hellifield for the first time in more than two decades. Northern has worked with local bus providers to co-ordinate services and with stakeholders including the Yorkshire Dales National Park and rambling groups, who organised walks around the timetable. This service has been a great success and won a silver award in the tourism category at the 2025 Community Rail Awards.
Rail North Partnership and Northern are now working with stakeholders including Lancashire County Council and York & North Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to assess whether additional services on this line could be operationally practical and offer value for money.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
His Majesty's Government have no plans to restrict cargo operations between Xinjiang and UK airports. The decision to operate particular routes is a commercial decision for airlines.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Equality Act 2010 and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 require employers to make reasonable adjustments and to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. These legal provisions mean that, in appropriate cases, a dedicated person or point of contact may be required for employees with Down’s Syndrome.
DWP’s efforts to ensure that all disabled people can thrive in work include a digital information service for employers to help them support disability at work and the Disability Confident scheme. The Department’s specialist initiatives for jobseekers and employers alike includes Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres, and Access to Work grants which can help with the costs of support.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
8 Department of Health and Social Care Questions
(View all Lord Alton of Liverpool's DHSC questions)An Expert Working Group (EWG) of the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) reviewed the available evidence on the possible association between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. Its review considered all available scientific evidence, including information collected from a public call for evidence.
The purpose of the EWG was to ascertain whether the available data could establish a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The EWG reported its findings in November 2017 and concluded that the totality of the available scientific data does not support a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) committed to review any new scientific data which became available following the conclusion of the EWG. Accordingly, two new CHM EWGs were established to review two new studies of hormone pregnancy tests published in 2018. The reviews concluded that they did not present evidence that was sufficient or robust enough change the scientific position since the report of the EWG was published. The MHRA also sought a further independent scientific opinion on these two studies from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, who concluded that they have no clinical implications.
In November 2024, the publication by Danielsson et al was reviewed by the MHRA and advice has been sought from the Government’s independent advisory body, the CHM. Following their review, the CHM concluded that a further review by an ad hoc EWG was not warranted at this time and supported the MHRA’s conclusion that no new evidence, with respect to a possible association between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy, was identified.
The MHRA remains committed to reviewing any new scientific evidence which may come to light.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The product information for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) provides advice on the risk of withdrawal/discontinuation reactions, and advises patients not to stop their medication suddenly. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for planning health services for their local population. This includes consideration of services for patients taking medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms, based on local population needs.
An increasing number of non-pharmacological alternatives have become available on the National Health Service, such as NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression, with over 670,000 courses of treatment provided in 2022/23. NHS England is encouraging ICBs to address inappropriate antidepressant prescribing and to consider commissioning services for patients wishing to reduce or stop prescribed medicines that can cause dependence and withdrawal.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved product information, provided to healthcare professionals and patients for all SSRIs, was updated in 2019 to inform them that reports had been received of long-lasting sexual dysfunction, where symptoms continue despite discontinuation of the SSRI. The MHRA was an integral part of the European Union wide review of the available evidence which underpinned the current warnings.
The term Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction was added to the regulatory dictionary in 2021, which will help with the recording and retrieval of Yellow Card data and literature cases, and in the future, will contribute to the much-needed research into this important health issue. Persistent sexual dysfunction following withdrawal of an SSRI as a disorder was added to the electronic health records system, known as SNOMED, in October 2024, as a code that will help with the clinical identification of patients with persistent sexual dysfunction, including those after taking SSRIs.
An Expert Working Group of the Commission on Human Medicines has been established by the MHRA to consider how the risk of sexual dysfunction which continues after stopping antidepressants is communicated in patient information leaflets, however this work will not address the clinical recognition of post-SSRI sexual dysfunction, as that is outside the remit of the MHRA.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 28 November 2024, we announced plans for England’s first Men’s Health Strategy, to be delivered this year. The strategy will consider how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men.
We will shortly be launching a call for evidence to seek views on what is currently working and what more needs to be done to support the health of all men.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority publishes statistics for anti-depressants prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands. The following table shows the total number of items for antidepressants, British National Formulary section 0403, dispensed to patients aged under 18 years old and patients aged under 25 years old, which includes the items for under 18 year-olds, for the financial years 2015/16 to 2023/24, and a year-to-date figure for 2024/25:
Financial year | Aged under 18 years old | Aged under 25 years old |
2015/16 | 312,113 | 2,477,798 |
2016/17 | 332,706 | 2,759,953 |
2017/18 | 346,126 | 2,910,607 |
2018/19 | 367,850 | 3,202,784 |
2019/20 | 393,762 | 3,525,602 |
2020/21 | 406,391 | 3,890,347 |
2021/22 | 437,365 | 4,170,154 |
2022/23 | 448,515 | 4,119,463 |
2023/24 | 435,992 | 4,033,211 |
April to September 2024 | 176,082 | 1,911,788 |
Total | 3,656,902 | 33,001,707 |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority publishes statistics for anti-depressants prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands. The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of population. Data for 18 to 24 year-olds specifically is not published, but data for 15 to 24 year-olds is available. The following table shows the total number of male and female patients aged 15 to 24 years-old prescribed antidepressants, British National Formulary section 0403, and that number as a percentage of the estimated mid-year population, in the first financial quarter of each year from 2015 to 2023:
Mid-year population year | Financial quarter | Identified patients | Mid-year population estimate | Percentage |
2015 | 2015/16 Q1 | 240,392 | 6,838,939 | 3.5% |
2016 | 2016/17 Q1 | 277,747 | 6,789,198 | 4.1% |
2017 | 2017/18 Q1 | 288,848 | 6,705,571 | 4.3% |
2018 | 2018/19 Q1 | 306,444 | 6,667,086 | 4.6% |
2019 | 2019/20 Q1 | 332,886 | 6,649,338 | 5.0% |
2020 | 2020/21 Q1 | 332,336 | 6,607,988 | 5.0% |
2021 | 2021/22 Q1 | 383,737 | 6,638,826 | 5.8% |
2022 | 2022/23 Q1 | 382,009 | 6,746,650 | 5.7% |
2023 | 2023/24 Q1 | 369,270 | 6,861,435 | 5.4% |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) does not hold data on anti-depressant prescriptions authorised by psychiatrists specifically, but does hold data for the following three categories: hospital prescriber; general practitioner prescriber; and additional prescriber.
This answer is based on the information extracted from the NHSBSA’s ePACT2 database, using British National Formulary section 0403 for antidepressant drugs, prescribed in England.
The following table shows the total number of prescriptions for antidepressant items prescribed to patients aged 18 years old and under, by prescriber type, for the financial years 2015 to 2024, and the financial year to date for 2024/25, from April to October:
Financial year | General practitioner prescriber | Hospital prescriber | Additional prescriber including non-medical prescriber | Total items |
2015/16 | 515,803 | 8,737 | 8,873 | 533,413 |
2016/17 | 551,901 | 6,143 | 11,056 | 569,100 |
2017/18 | 580,772 | 5,853 | 14,254 | 600,879 |
2018/19 | 611,785 | 7,150 | 17,681 | 636,616 |
2019/20 | 640,218 | 11,832 | 23,367 | 675,417 |
2020/21 | 648,252 | 11,334 | 30,274 | 689,860 |
2021/22 | 702,546 | 12,975 | 33,895 | 749,416 |
2022/23 | 720,132 | 16,917 | 36,994 | 774,043 |
2023/24 | 692,467 | 20,393 | 38,775 | 751,635 |
2024/25 | 384,561 | 14,755 | 24,381 | 423,697 |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England’s regional teams are working closely with the integrated care boards to ensure that appropriate action is being taken to address and mitigate the issues identified within each declared critical incident, including at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. This includes actions to support the flow of patients through the hospital and the reprioritising of resources to support urgent and emergency care.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)