Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with social media companies about protecting the mental health of under-16s, especially girls, using their platforms.

Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department met with TikTok and Meta in December 2022 and January 2023, to discuss the mental health of children and young people, including girls who are under 16 years old.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of psychedelics in the treatment of mental health; and what steps they are taking to support advanced research in this sector.

Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has conducted scientific advice meetings with research organisations developing drugs with psychedelic properties for the treatment of mental health conditions. The MHRA does not conduct research, however they enable clinical trials research to take place and have procedures in place to review marketing authorisation applications submitted to them, with regard to the drug’s quality, safety and effectiveness.

The Department of Health and Social Care commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which has invested £1.1 million in a randomised controlled trial to examine the feasibility, safety and efficacy of the use of psilocybin in people with treatment-resistant depression.

The NIHR also invests in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies through its infrastructure. For example, the Imperial Biomedical Research Centre aims to investigate the potential of treating psychiatric disorders with psychedelics. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential neurodevelopmental impacts in children from prolonged screen time using mobile phones and social media, and how any such assessment informs public health guidance for families and schools.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In 2018, the United Kingdom’s Chief Medical Officer commissioned independent researchers at University College London to map published research on screen time, social media, and children and young people’s mental health. Their findings were published by the National Institute for Health Research.

On 7 February 2019, the Chief Medical Officer published a commentary on this research, alongside their advice for parents and carers, and their recommendations for other stakeholders. They determined that the evidence was insufficiently conclusive to support the Chief Medical Officer’s evidence-based guidelines on optimal amounts of screen use or online activities, such as social media use.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the evidence-base for the use of ketamine to treat trauma-related mental health conditions, and whether they plan to provide such treatments through NHS mental health services.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ketamine does not have a marketing authorisation in the United Kingdom for use in the treatment of any mental health conditions. Esketamine nasal spray, an isomer of ketamine, is licensed for treatment-resistant depression that has not responded to at least two different antidepressants in the current moderate to severe depressive episode in adults, and for the treatment of adults with a moderate to severe episode of major depressive disorder, as acute short-term treatment for the rapid reduction of depressive symptoms, which, according to clinical judgement, constitutes a psychiatric emergency.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new, licenced medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources.

The NICE has been unable to recommend esketamine for treatment-resistant depression due to uncertainties in its clinical and cost-effectiveness. It is not therefore routinely funded by the NHS in England for any indication.

The NICE was unable to make recommendations on the use of esketamine nasal spray for the treatment of major depressive disorder because the marketing authorisation holder did not provide an evidence submission.

Found: Lord Lebedev is, among many things, a rara avis.

Found: hadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party on appointment of Lord Lebedev

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will publish a list of meetings he held with Dominic Cummings in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Since May 2010, the Government has published on gov.uk details of official government meetings with external organisations.

In 2011, this was extended to include details of meetings with senior media executives, covering official government, social and political meetings.

But otherwise, the Government does not record political meetings.

I would observe that since 2016, the Labour Party has stopped publishing its own meeting data on shadow frontbench meetings with senior media executives, breaking a commitment made by the then Labour Party leader (the Rt Hon Member for Doncaster North) during the Leveson Inquiry. The Hon. Member may recall how previous data illustrated his engagement with Evgeny Lebedev (now Lord Lebedev). As a shadow DCMS spokesman, the Hon. Member may wish to raise this subsequent shyness with his Opposition colleagues.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions the Prime Minister had with Lord Lebedev on 21 May 2022; where they met; whether (a) officials and (b) advisers were present; whether minutes were taken of the meeting; and whether his Department holds any other records about the meeting.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

Since July 2011, on the initiative of the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, the Government has published in its Ministerial transparency data details of meetings with senior media executives, including not only official meetings, but social and political meetings.

As outlined in the transparency return for the Q2 2022 period, this was a social meeting. The Government does not hold details of such informal, non-governmental meetings.

I would observe that since 2016, it is the Labour Party which has stopped publishing transparency data on frontbench meetings with senior media executives, breaking a commitment made during the Leveson Inquiry.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his evidence to the Liaison Committee on 6 July 2022 that he probably did meet The Lord Lebedev in Italy on 28 April 2018 without officials from his Department, whether he informed his personal protection team that he was attending that meeting; whether any security services attended that meeting; and whether he received any documents at that meeting.

Answered by Boris Johnson

I have committed to write to the Liaison Committee with further details. A copy of that letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will provide a timetable for the publication of the information detailed in the Humble Address motion tabled on 29 March 2022 regarding Lord Lebedev of Hampstead and Siberia.

Answered by Michael Ellis

Further to the passage of a Humble Address motion in the House of Commons on 29 March, the Government is carefully formulating its response to the request for information in relation to Lord Lebedev’s nomination to the House of Lords, and will respond in due course.

In doing so, the Government will give careful consideration to the public interest, including freedom of information principles and data protection legislation, in line with our response to previous Humble Address motions – and as laid out in March 2019 by the Government in its response to Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee's Fifteenth Report of session 2017–19, Status of the Resolutions of the House of Commons, HC 1587.

Found: Library Research Briefing, 6 January 2023 • an Opposition Day debate on the Appointment of Lord Lebedev

@PesticideCollab Just when theAlice in Wonderland thing that is the EU Retained Legislation Bill was finishing its surreal passage for the day, Lord Lebedev coming through the Chamber @UKHouseofLords and taking the oath of allegiance topped the whole thing off.

Silly me the editor of the BBC Today programme will shortly make a statement on an upcoming interview with Lord Lebedev!

If Amol Rajan can interview members of the House of Lords could we now hear him asking Lord Lebedev for his response to Norma Percy’s Putin expose? @BBCr4today

And just under a week later, I received this from the noble Lord Lebedev of Hampton and Siberia: https://t.co/0o5RnQu7Gd

Still no sign that Amol Rajan has persuaded Lord Lebedev to join him to discuss Ukraine & the Russian invasion! @BBCr4today

will Lord Brownlow or Lord Lebedev be picking up the bill ? https://t.co/OTO3kZnIwF

Has Amol Rajan spoken to Lord Lebedev yet about the Russian invasion of Ukraine? @BBCr4today

In line with a @UKLabour motion passed on 29th March, the Government should have presented all documents about the appointment of Lord Lebedev to the @UKHouseofLords by now. I asked @CommonsLeader why they haven't done so.

How long have I been taking an interest in lord Lebedev & why as a member of the House of Lords no one in the media ever seems to interview him?

Hiding in the shadows from the sunlight of scrutiny. Boris Johnson’s interference in the award of a seat at the heart of our Parliament - despite intelligence services concerns - to his friend Lord Lebedev risks our national security. The public have a right to the truth. https://t.co/a2I3hlgQom

@mongoose3228 @Keir_Starmer What is there to explain about Lord Lebedev? For about 120 years every newspaper proprietor who wanted it has been ennobled. The question would be if he hadn’t been given a peerage.

Boris Johnson has failed to comply with Parliament’s instruction to reveal his role in the Lord Lebedev affair. What’s he got to hide? The whole thing reeks of a cover-up by the Prime Minister. The public deserve answers on this whole murky business. https://t.co/Fi5dVecrY9

Weeks ago now MPs instructed the Prime Minister to publish the security advice relating to the appointment of Lord Lebedev within 28 days. Today his time has run out.⌛️ But he refuses to come clean.? As I said - it’s time to get to the bottom of this whole murky business. ?? https://t.co/QW6kOiseJ3

Found: Address motion of the House of Commons passed on 29 March 2022, in respect of the appointment of Lord Lebedev

Found: This is in respect of the appointment of Lord Lebedev to the House of Lords.