Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to reform the NHS Health Check to identify individuals at increased risk for dementia.

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

The NHS Health Check programme, a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme, already aims to prevent some cases of dementia in eligible people by making them aware that many of the risk factors for CVD are the same as those for vascular dementia.

All attendees aged 65 to 74 years old should be made aware of the signs and symptoms of dementia and be signposted to memory services where appropriate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to include a hearing check as part of the NHS Health Check to help identify mid-life hearing loss.

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

The NHS Health Check’s Expert Scientific and Clinical Advisory Panel considered proposals to include a hearing check as part of the programme in 2019 and 2021. The proposals were not supported by the panel, in line with the UK National Screening Committee which has recommended against screening for adult hearing loss. For these reasons, there are no current plans to include a hearing check as part of the NHS Health Check.

The Department is carefully considering options to improve the impact of the NHS Health Check programme, and this work is ongoing.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the flow and quantity of humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, being sent into Gaza.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer I provided on 24 October to Question HL10829.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to increase the amount of aid, in particular the amount of medical supplies, provided to Gaza.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer I provided on 24 October to Question HL10829.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that biological male prisoners are not held in women's prisons.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Almost all transgender prisoners are already allocated in line with their biological sex. Over 95% of transgender women are held in men's prisons, and the majority of those in the women's estate are held on E Wing at HMP/YOI Downview, a separate unit where they cannot access the wider regime unless risk assessed as being safe to do so and they are supervised by staff.

No transgender women who retain their birth genitalia and/or have any history of sexual or violent offences can be held in the general women’s estate unless an exemption is granted by a Minister.

The small number of transgender women who are held in the general women's estate are there because they have been risk-assessed as being safe to do so, and because there is a compelling reason to hold them there (which can include risks to them from a placement elsewhere).

We are reviewing transgender prisoner policy following the For Women Scotland vs. The Scottish Ministers Supreme Court ruling and will be able to say more about this in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review or reform the basis on which National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assesses whether to authorise new drugs for NHS use.

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

The Department regularly has discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues. NICE is responsible for the methods and processes that it uses in the development of its guidance and recommendations and has processes in place to keep its methods and processes under review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to issue guidance to the NHS on single sex changing rooms and hospital wards.

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

NHS England is currently reviewing its Delivering same-sex accommodation guidance and will ensure that it reflects the Supreme Court’s For Women Scotland Ltd v. The Scottish Ministers ruling, and is aligned with the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s statutory Code of Practice (the Code) when that becomes available.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has submitted its draft updated Code to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The Government will consider the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the Minister will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have a 40-day period to consider the Code.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will issue guidance to schools, colleges, universities and youth facilities on single-sex changing rooms and facilities, and related issues to comply with the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this government.

Schools must always protect single-sex spaces with regard to toilets, showers and changing rooms. The School Premises (England) Regulations 2012 and the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 impose statutory requirements for both maintained and independent schools to provide sex-separated toilets and suitable changing accommodation and showers for pupils (apart from individual toilets in fully enclosed rooms).

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has also submitted the draft updated Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations to my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Women and Equalities, which the government is considering prior to next steps.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure biological males cannot be recorded as women in the crime statistics.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is considering the implications of the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of sex within the Equality Act.

The Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team, based in the Office for National Statistics, are also in the process of reviewing standards and guidance for statistical data on sex and on gender identity.

Once this has concluded the Government will review current guidance to agencies that collect crime statistics across the criminal justice system.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether negotiations on a sanitary and phytosanitary deal with the EU have begun; if not, why not; and when any such negotiations are due to begin.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We have begun negotiations with the EU on an SPS agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and removing barriers to trade for British producers and retailers. While those negotiations are ongoing, we cannot comment further on the SPS agreement

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the regulation of online food takeaway platforms to protect the payment information of local businesses.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Regulation when well designed and carefully implemented, is important for promoting growth and investment. It is essential for protecting consumers, supporting vulnerable communities, and providing the stability businesses need to thrive.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulations organisations must have appropriate technical and security measures in place to protect the personal data they hold or disclose, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to resume trade discussions with Israel.

Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)

The UK has formally paused negotiations on the upgraded Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It would take a sustained shift in the positions of the Israeli government for the UK to consider restarting the FTA negotiations.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners recorded as transgender women who either still retain genitalia or have a history of sexual or violent offences have been granted an exemption by a Minister to serve their sentence in a male prison.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The latest available figures for transgender prisoners are set out in the table below:

The Ministerial exemption process only applies to the placement of transgender women (defined in HMPPS as biological males who identify as females) in women's prisons. Transgender women with birth genitalia and/or any history of violent or sexual offending can only be placed in the general women's estate in exceptional circumstances and where an exemption has been granted by Ministers. No transgender women have received such an exemption under this Government.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many transgender women are currently serving a prison sentence.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The latest available figures for transgender prisoners are set out in the table below:

The Ministerial exemption process only applies to the placement of transgender women (defined in HMPPS as biological males who identify as females) in women's prisons. Transgender women with birth genitalia and/or any history of violent or sexual offending can only be placed in the general women's estate in exceptional circumstances and where an exemption has been granted by Ministers. No transgender women have received such an exemption under this Government.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners recorded as transgender women are currently serving their sentence in a male prison.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The latest available figures for transgender prisoners are set out in the table below:

The Ministerial exemption process only applies to the placement of transgender women (defined in HMPPS as biological males who identify as females) in women's prisons. Transgender women with birth genitalia and/or any history of violent or sexual offending can only be placed in the general women's estate in exceptional circumstances and where an exemption has been granted by Ministers. No transgender women have received such an exemption under this Government.