Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to help the mental health of boys who were impacted by the lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want to ensure that all children and young people get the mental health support they need, including boys.
By the end of 2023/24 the overall spending on mental health has increased by more than £4.7 billion in cash terms since 2018/19 (before the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were introduced).
There are now around 400 mental health support teams in place across England, covering 3.4 million children or around 35% of pupils in schools and colleges. We estimate this will increase to 44% by April 2024 and we are working to increase this coverage to 50% of pupils by March 2025.
There are also currently around 65 locally funded early support hubs in England. These hubs are open to those aged 11 to 25 years old and, importantly, they are for anyone who may not meet the threshold to receive National Health Service support. Following a competitive commercial process from hubs across the country, the government is now providing up to £8 million to 24 existing hubs to provide even more support. This means children and young people, including boys, who are experiencing feelings of anxiety or stress will have a physical space to go to in their community when their problems first emerge, without the need for a referral.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Abortion Act 1967 on UK birth rates.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made of the impact of the Abortion Act 1967 on United Kingdom birth rates. Parliament decided the circumstances under which abortion can legally be undertaken. Under the act, women have access to safe, legal, regulated abortion services.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the UK of the global decline in fertility rates.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such assessment has been made.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in sexually transmitted infections among 15–24 year-olds since the end of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The number of new sexually transmitted infections diagnosed among 15 to 24 years olds has increased by 29.3% from 2021 to 2022, or from 135,045 to 174,592. In particular:
- chlamydia diagnoses have increased 26%, from 88,367 in 2021 to 111,380 in 2022;
- gonorrhoea diagnoses have increased 91.7%, from 16,919 in 2021 to 31,037 in 2022;
- first diagnoses of genital herpes have increased 14.4%, from 8,270 in 2021 to 9,461 in 2022;
- diagnoses of infectious syphilis, including primary, secondary, and early latent, have increased 11.1%, from 968 in 2021 to 1,075 in 2022; and
- first diagnoses of genital warts have decreased 23.3%, from 7,559 in 2021 to 5,801 in 2022.
The data represents the number of diagnoses reported and not the number of people diagnosed. Data reported in 2020 and 2021 is notably lower than previous years due to the disruption to sexual health services during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced access to face-to-face appointments. Access to services subsequently recovered with the use of remote consultations and online testing expanding rapidly across the country.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to bring forward a strategy for addressing the recent increase in sexually transmitted infections among 15–24 year-olds as called for by respondents to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Select Committee on 24 January.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are considering the next steps needed to continue improving the sexual health of the whole population. The UK Health Security Agency is undertaking work with partner organisations to identify best use of existing and emerging interventions to address the increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The Department for Health and Social Care published the HIV Action Plan in 2021 which sets out the actions that we are taking over the period of 2022 to 2025 to move towards ending HIV transmissions, AIDS, and HIV-related deaths within England by 2030. As part of the plan, we are investing £4.5 million in our National HIV Prevention Programme, which annually runs National HIV Testing Week as well as summer campaigns. Their aim is to raise awareness of ways to prevent the spread of HIV and other STIs among the most affected communities, with a particular focus on young people and other at-risk populations.
The Department for Education is currently reviewing the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance which includes reference to STI transmission, testing and prevention methods and is expected to soon launch a public consultation on the guidance. Following the consultation, they will make a decision about any new or revised content to be included in the RSHE curriculum, including the use of resources, and whether any further action would be appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the new private clinic Gender Plus operates safely for the children and young people who come under its care.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
All healthcare providers should follow clinical best practice and must be registered with their professional body and any other regulators, as appropriate, for that service.
If a private organisation which is within the scope of regulated practice fails to meet the standards expected of it, then regulators, including the Care Quality Commission, have powers to inspect these services to determine whether patient safety is at risk or if best practice is not being followed.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they will ensure guidance for the Down Syndrome Act 2022 is compliant with the Equality Act 2010 in respect of other genetic conditions similarly profound in their impact, such as 22q deletion and duplication syndromes.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Down Syndrome Act does not remove the duties under the Equality Act 2010 for services to assess all the needs of people they provide support to, including those with genetic conditions such as 22q deletion and duplication syndromes. We are clear that prioritising funding or resources for people with Down syndrome above other groups without proper assessment of people’s needs would be unlawful.
We recognise that there are overlaps between the services that support people with Down syndrome and those that support people with other genetic conditions and/or a learning disability. The Down Syndrome Act guidance will focus on the unique support needs of people with Down syndrome. We will, however, highlight where best practice in service delivery would also be applicable to those with another genetic condition and/or a learning disability, including DiGeorge syndrome (22q11.2 deletion syndrome) and duplication syndromes.
An Equality Impact Assessment will be carried out on the draft guidance once produced to ensure it does not disadvantage certain groups relative to others. There will be a full public consultation on the draft guidance. The guidance will make clear the requirements on relevant authorities in respect of the Equality Act.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022 fits with their wider strategy for supporting people affected by disabilities.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made. Under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 we will be developing guidance for relevant authorities focused on how to meet the unique support needs of people with Down syndrome but which highlights where best practice in service delivery would also be applicable to those with another genetic condition and/or a learning disability. There will be a full public consultation once a draft of the guidance has been produced.
The Act will help achieve the Government’s wider commitment to improving outcomes for disabled people. In December 2022, Minister Pursglove, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, announced a new Disability Action Plan (DAP) which will be consulted on and published this year. The Government will consider all responses to the consultation carefully before publishing the final DAP.
This Plan will set out the practical action planned across government over the next two years to improve disabled people’s lives. The Plan will lay out joint action government departments can take to make a tangible difference to disabled people’s lives in the immediate term, as well as where we can make meaningful progress towards a longer-term goal, for example improved disability data and evidence.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to take a more holistic approach to men’s health, given that there are common underlying factors such as alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide, which are identifiable and frequently preventable.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is taking action to address conditions that affect men, including suicide, alcohol and drug abuse. As with other major conditions and drivers of ill health, we consider the impact that each issue has at a population level and the most effective ways to address them, including for the groups most impacted.
On Tuesday 24 January, in the Written Statement on Major Conditions and Diseases, we announced that we will publish a refreshed suicide prevention strategy. This will reflect the most up to date evidence and address current challenges, risks, and opportunities to prevent suicide. The strategy will set out key areas for action, including those the government will take, to prevent suicide. We will continue working with our expert advisory network to inform this, including the National Advisory Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group chaired by Professor Sir Louis Appleby.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the development of a Men’s Health Strategy.
Answered by Lord Kamall
Although the Department does not have any current plans to develop a men’s health strategy, we have measures in place to address specific health issues which disproportionately affect men. This includes commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan to reduce stroke and heart attacks and the forthcoming new Tobacco Control Plan and significant investment in suicide prevention.