Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that tropical viruses such as West Nile Virus have spread to Europe, what assessment they have made, if any, of the case for screening blood donations for tropical viruses.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

United Kingdom blood services test blood donations for West Nile virus (WNV), if it is indicated by the information provided in the individual’s donor safety questionnaire that they have travelled to an area where WNV is circulating. Other tests for malaria, cytomegalovirus, and the parasite trypanosoma cruzi may be conducted if the donor has a history of recent travel to an area where one or more of these conditions is common.

The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) advises the Government on the most appropriate ways to ensure the safety of blood, including screening. The SaBTO Virology Subcommittee is conducting a review into the approach of screening for WNV. A report with their recommendations will be published following completion of the review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what contingency planning, if any, they have conducted to anticipate the spread of tropical virus transmission to the United Kingdom.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The outbreak of an emerging infectious disease is a categorised risk, in the 2023 National Risk Register. Working closely with the Department and NHS England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has a programme of work in place to plan and respond to this risk.

The UKHSA continues to monitor the global epidemiology of infectious diseases, to inform the assessment of risk to the United Kingdom’s population. Routine surveillance is carried out for a range of viral infections that may be acquired overseas. Data on some of these infections is published in the annual Travel-associated infections reports. Information collated from these various sources are routinely reviewed and assessed through the relevant UKHSA Horizon Scanning Group, with appropriate public health actions proposed to mitigate any threats.

The Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory has a small serological study, partnering with NHS Blood and Transplant and at-risk groups, to look for evidence of exposure to Usutu, West Nile, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses. The Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology group study vector distribution, and look for the presence of tropical and other viruses in relevant arthropod species in an ongoing surveillance programme. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has a programme of surveillance in wild birds and mammals. The Department of Health and Social Care, the UKHSA, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published a national contingency plan for invasive mosquitoes that may spread vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to appoint a UK Special Envoy for the Sudan crisis who would work to facilitate humanitarian access to Sudan and bring the conflict to an end.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea spends a significant amount of time on efforts to secure peace in Sudan, working closely with other envoys covering Sudan. Our HMA to Khartoum - now based in Addis Ababa - continues to engage with key international partners on achieving the UK's strategic objectives to support peace in Sudan, as do other British Ambassadors in the region.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the effectiveness of UK Official Development Assistance spending in Zimbabwe.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Zimbabwe works primarily through multilateral organisations, non-governmental organisations and private contractors, to ensure maximum impact and targeted support for the poorest Zimbabweans. A portfolio evaluation of the UK's work in Zimbabwe under the 2016-2020 business plan is publicly available as are annual reviews for each programme.

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