Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund the Ozanne Foundation via the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in 2024–28, and for what purpose.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The LGBT rights programme was publicly announced in November 2023. This programme has been set up to fund a range of partner organisations and is designed to improve the lives of millions of LGBT people around the world by reducing violence and discrimination, improving economic and social inclusion and legislative reform. The Ozanne Foundation works with religious organisations around the world to eliminate discrimination based on sexuality or gender to embrace and celebrate the equality and diversity of all. The Ozanne Foundation submitted a proposal to develop a residential course for senior religious leaders from around the world. The proposal was successful and due diligence of the lead programme partner, Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, is currently ongoing. It was announced by the Cabinet Office Minister on 13 May that all future contracts for external diversity spending will be signed off by ministers.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Ozanne Foundation to ensure that that organisation has appropriate financial oversight and management processes in place to manage projects involving large sums of public money received by grant in the 2023–24 financial year.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO's LGBT rights programme aims to transform the lives of millions of LGBT people around the world by reducing violence and discrimination, improving economic and social inclusion and legislative reform. Following a standard due diligence process the Ozanne Foundation received £20,000 in 2023/24 to initiate a project to develop a residential course for senior religious leaders from around the world. It was announced by the Cabinet Office Minister on 13 May that all future contracts for external diversity spending will be signed off by ministers.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department of Health and Social Care on 14 November 2023 (HC527), whether they intend to publish an updated version of the Department for Health and Social Care guidance on completing the EMA1 abortion form or similar certificate, to reflect the fact that the good faith opinion of the medical practitioner as to the patients’ gestation period can no longer be relied upon if an in-person consultation has not taken place.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to publish an updated version of the Department’s guidance on completing the EMA1 abortion form, or a similar certificate, before early medical abortion pills are prescribed for use in a pregnant woman’s home.
In line with the guidance, the EMA1 form, or a similar certificate, must be completed by the registered medical practitioner terminating the pregnancy. This is to certify their opinion, formed in good faith, that if the medicine prescribed for the termination of the pregnancy is self-administered in accordance with their instructions, the pregnancy will not exceed 10 weeks at the time when the first pill, mifepristone, is taken.
This opinion can be formed either via a teleconsultation, or at an in-person appointment. Most women can determine the duration of their pregnancy with reasonable accuracy from the first day of their last menstrual period alone. However, if there is any uncertainty about the gestation of the pregnancy, the medical practitioner will ask the woman to attend an in-person appointment to enable them to form an opinion, in good faith, that the pregnancy will not have exceeded 10 weeks at the time that the first pill is taken.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to medical practitioners dispensing telemedicine abortion pharmaceuticals to patients who are more than ten weeks pregnant.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst no specific guidance has been issued, the 1967 Abortion Act is clear that treatment for termination of pregnancy at gestations over 10 weeks can only be performed in a National Health Service facility or a place approved for this purpose by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many individuals who are not British citizens have had their visitor or other visas rescinded as a result of criminal activities associated with public order offences since 7 October 2023.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office does not publish data on UK visa holders who have had visas rescinded as a result of criminal activities associated with public order offences at the current time.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the European Commission on proposals to open negotiations to facilitate youth mobility between the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK recognises the cultural value of youth mobility and the importance of facilitating cultural exchange opportunities for young people. We have successful Youth Mobility Schemes (YMS) with 13 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Government is willing to explore precedent based bilateral YMS arrangements with international partners, including individual EU Member States who are interested. The Government has no plans to agree to an EU-wide Youth Mobility Scheme.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have with the Competition and Markets Authority on the recent increases in car insurance premiums and access to car insurance for motorists on lower incomes.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, including the financial services regulators, on an ongoing basis.
The Government does not prescribe the terms, conditions or price that insurance companies set when offering insurance. Insurers make commercial decisions about the pricing of insurance following their assessment of the relevant risks. The Government does not intervene in these decisions as this could damage competition in the market.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the independent regulator responsible for supervising the insurance industry. Alongside the Competition and Markets Authority, the FCA can enforce against breaches of competition law for the provision of financial services.
The FCA also requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA has been clear that it will be monitoring firms to ensure they are providing products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to remarks by Lord Markham on 22 March (HL Deb col 441), what is the legal or evidential basis of his assertion that the Government has a “duty of care not to legislate where other reasonable processes are available” and where this is further enunciated.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
When considering its approach to legislation, in all cases the Government must be guided by whether the aims of that potential bill can already be implemented through other reasonable and established non-legislative means.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they next expect to commission a foetal sentience evidence review and what organisations they will invite to undertake that and future reviews.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government does not formulate policy on foetal sentience. The review and determination of foetal sentience and its implications for abortion and clinical practice is reached through professional medical consensus and clinical guidance.
A recent and comprehensive review into Fetal Awareness Evidence was recently carried out by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Published in December 2022, the review concluded that evidence to date indicates the possibility of pain perception before 28 weeks of gestation is unlikely. A copy of the review is attached.
As an independent organisation responsible for producing clinical guidelines and setting standards for high quality women’s healthcare, the Government recognises their clinical expertise on this matter.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks of Lord Markham on 22 March (HL Deb col 441), how they reconcile his assertion that “the Government do not set policy" on foetal sentience with the provisions of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 which included the establishment of an animal sentience committee.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs formulates policy on animal welfare. The Animal Sentience Committee holds functions relating to the effect of government policy on the welfare of animals.
By contrast, the determination of foetal sentience and its implications for abortion and neonatal medical practice is reached through professional consensus and clinical guidance, rather than through policy. For example, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ most recent Fetal Awareness Evidence Review was published in December 2022, a copy of which is attached.