Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in Sinjar.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK regularly engages with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) on the security situation in Sinjar, and we continue to advocate for the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement. Progress on this has been hindered by numerous factors, including tensions between the Government of Iraq and the KRG and the extremely complex politics of the region. We encourage both governments to agree a candidate to appoint as mayor of Sinjar, an important and necessary step to improve the security situation and lives of people living there.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the production and distribution of illicit drugs from China, especially synthetic opioids such as nitazenes; and what estimate they have made of scale on which such drugs are smuggled into the UK.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Tackling Class A drugs, including synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government due to the harm caused to users, society and the economy.
We assess that the scale of trafficking of synthetic opioids into the UK remains small, relative to countries like the USA where they have caused devastation. However, nitazenes, which the National Crime Agency (NCA) assess as often being produced in illicit labs in China, have been linked to more than 100 deaths in the UK during the last year, and we are taking action.
The cross-Government Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies, such as the NCA, the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the risk posed by synthetic opioids, and to implement effective action to stem the demand and supply of these dangerous substances.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the war in Sudan on South Sudan, including (1) the numbers of displaced people and refugees, and (2) the impact on its economy caused by the loss of receipts from the export of oil.
Answered by Lord Benyon
The UK recognises the significant pressure that the Sudan crisis is putting on South Sudan and commends them for their support to the over 630,000 people that have crossed the border since the start of the conflict. Disruption to the oil pipeline has reduced the South Sudanese government's oil production capabilities and subsequently their income, causing inflationary pressures and an increase in food prices - the UK Government continues to monitor the economic situation closely. South Sudan is facing its own humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by the Sudan conflict, with 9 million people expected to need humanitarian assistance in 2024. The UK has allocated £7.75 million to support existing and new Sudanese refugees, as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities in South Sudan.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are planning to introduce legislation to amend the International Criminal Court Act 2001 to enable UK courts to prosecute non-citizens and non-residents for crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK legal system is built on the tradition that, as a general rule, the authorities of the State in whose territory an offence is committed are best placed to prosecute the crime. However, universal jurisdiction applies to torture and other grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. It is a decision for the independent prosecuting authorities whether to prosecute such an offence. The UK remains committed to holding perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine to account, including through our support to the International Criminal Court. We have also delivered a £6.2 million package to support Ukraine's domestic investigations and prosecutions.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to propose legislation to ensure that the UK is not a safe haven for perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK legal system is built on the tradition that, as a general rule, the authorities of the State in whose territory an offence is committed are best placed to prosecute the crime. However, universal jurisdiction applies to torture and other grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. It is a decision for the independent prosecuting authorities whether to prosecute such an offence. The UK remains committed to holding perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine to account, including through our support to the International Criminal Court. We have also delivered a £6.2 million package to support Ukraine's domestic investigations and prosecutions.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how quickly their decision to increase humanitarian aid for war victims in Sudan will be made available; what it will be used for; and how it will be deployed.
Answered by Lord Benyon
We are providing £89 million for this financial year. The vast majority of this will go towards humanitarian support. This will include funding to UNICEF which will provide emergency and life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas in Sudan, including nutrition, water and hygiene services for 500,000 children under five. Current access into Sudan remains highly constrained and our top humanitarian priority remains securing immediate humanitarian access and operational security guarantees for humanitarian agencies.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people who are dying of hunger or who are food insecure in Sudan.
Answered by Lord Benyon
In Sudan 17.7 million people (37 percent of the population) are now thought to be experiencing acute food insecurity. This is likely to worsen in the coming months in parts of West Darfur, Khartoum, and among the displaced population more broadly. In 2024/2025, we are providing £89 million for Sudan, which will include assistance to address food insecurity.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the potential of an international tribunal for delivering reparations to victims of the war in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine and making Russia pay for the damage. We continue to engage in the Core Group established to explore options for a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression. We support exploring the creation of an internationalised tribunal, rooted in Ukraine's jurisdiction, with international elements. Our support to the International Criminal Court and the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine is also ongoing. Alongside the EU and US, the UK has launched the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group to support Ukraine's domestic prosecutions of war crimes.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are working with the United Nations and World Health Organisation in their efforts to strengthen laws and policies to protect women and girls from female genital mutilation in The Gambia, as committed to in the International Women and Girls Strategy 2023 to 2030.
Answered by Lord Benyon
The UK's position is clear that female genital mutilation (FGM) is a human rights violation. The Deputy Foreign Secretary spoke to The Gambia's Foreign Minister on 9 April and met with the Minister for Public Services on 29 April, to relay the UK's deep concern about the progress in The Gambia's National Assembly of the bill that would legalise FGM. He highlighted the serious implications if the bill were to become law, including for The Gambia's international reputation. The UK continues to engage broadly through regular contact with senior Gambian Government officials and other stakeholders. We are working with international partners to coordinate and complement messaging and activity.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prescriptions for amitriptyline, imipramine and atomoxetine were issued in each year since 2014; how many Yellow Card reports of sexual dysfunction and persistent sexual dysfunction the MHRA has received for each of these drugs in each year since 2014; and whether they will ensure that persistent sexual dysfunction is listed as a side effect in the patient information leaflets for each these drugs.
Answered by Lord Markham
Over the next year, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) plans to review the risk of sexual dysfunction and whether these side effects persist for all antidepressants marketed in the United Kingdom. As a result of the review product information will be updated, as necessary, and consideration will be given to whether additional risk minimisation measures are needed.
The following table shows the total number of items in each calendar year between 2014 and 2023, as well as January 2024:
Calendar Year | Amitriptyline Hydrochloride | Atomoxetine Hydrochloride | Imipramine Hydrochloride |
2014 | 11,851,704 | 118,843 | 174,731 |
2015 | 12,404,537 | 125,680 | 167,072 |
2016 | 12,943,138 | 130,731 | 164,645 |
2017 | 13,256,893 | 134,785 | 156,555 |
2018 | 13,532,567 | 138,160 | 150,526 |
2019 | 13,975,389 | 141,907 | 151,889 |
2020 | 14,468,134 | 146,346 | 137,284 |
2021 | 14,930,177 | 158,339 | 123,450 |
2022 | 15,226,816 | 174,894 | 115,360 |
2023 | 15,662,619 | 178,150 | 108,197 |
January 2024 | 1,370,670 | 15,334 | 9,072 |
Data Source: NHS Business Services Authority Open Data Portal, PCA data
The MHRA has received a total of 38 Yellow Card reports of sexual dysfunction related reactions suspected to be associated with amitriptyline, atomoxetine, and imipramine. Of these, 8 were for amitriptyline, 21 for atomoxetine, and 2 for imipramine.
‘Persistent sexual dysfunction’ does not represent a specific medical condition.
The following table shows a summary of these side effects listed in the product information:
| Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) | Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) | Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) |
amitriptyline | erectile dysfunction, libido decreased |
|
|
imipramine | disturbances of libido, impotency or abnormal ejaculation |
|
|
atomoxetine | libido decreased, ejaculation disorder, erectile dysfunction, male genital pain | Ejaculation failure | Priapism |