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Answer by Lord Markham on 18 December (HL661), why the 2022 and 2023 abortion statistics for England and Wales will not be published concurrently in April 2024.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 2023 Abortion Statistics for England and Wales will not be published concurrently with 2022 statistics due to the need to collect, analyse and quality assure 2023 data. Work on this analysis will begin after publication of the 2022 statistics.
Publication of the 2022 statistics has been delayed due to a number of significant reasons, including issues associated with moving to a new data processing system, ongoing technical issues with the aspects of the system, and a significant increase in the number of paper HSA4 forms being submitted. Other factors that have delayed publication of the full 2022 statistics include an increased workload following the introduction of longer paper and electronic forms to collect additional information about medical abortion following the amendment of the Abortion Act in 2022 to permit home use of early medical abortion pills up to 10 weeks gestation.
As an interim step, the Department published abortion statistics covering the first six months of 2022 in June 2023.
The report comparing abortion complications data from the Department’s Abortion Notification System and the Hospital Episode Statistics was an experimental one-time publication. It was not the intention that this would become an annual publication. No clinical or other advice was sought prior to this decision. However, the Department is inviting views on abortion statistics for England and Wales via an online user engagement survey as well as via email. We welcome responses on all aspects of abortion statistics, including future of publication of abortion complications data.
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 (1) clinical, or (2) other, advice, including that from abortion providers, they received prior to their decision not to release the abortion statistics comparing data from the Department’s Abortion Notification System and the Hospital Episode Statistics on an annual basis; and what was the evidential rationale for that decision.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 2023 Abortion Statistics for England and Wales will not be published concurrently with 2022 statistics due to the need to collect, analyse and quality assure 2023 data. Work on this analysis will begin after publication of the 2022 statistics.
Publication of the 2022 statistics has been delayed due to a number of significant reasons, including issues associated with moving to a new data processing system, ongoing technical issues with the aspects of the system, and a significant increase in the number of paper HSA4 forms being submitted. Other factors that have delayed publication of the full 2022 statistics include an increased workload following the introduction of longer paper and electronic forms to collect additional information about medical abortion following the amendment of the Abortion Act in 2022 to permit home use of early medical abortion pills up to 10 weeks gestation.
As an interim step, the Department published abortion statistics covering the first six months of 2022 in June 2023.
The report comparing abortion complications data from the Department’s Abortion Notification System and the Hospital Episode Statistics was an experimental one-time publication. It was not the intention that this would become an annual publication. No clinical or other advice was sought prior to this decision. However, the Department is inviting views on abortion statistics for England and Wales via an online user engagement survey as well as via email. We welcome responses on all aspects of abortion statistics, including future of publication of abortion complications data.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of recent developments in human and civil rights in (1) Tunisia, and (2) Algeria.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through our annual Human Rights and Democracy Report we recognise where countries make progress but also where there is a decline in human and civil rights standards. Neither Tunisia nor Algeria are human rights priority countries but we continue to engage both countries on civil and human rights issues. At the UK-Tunisia Association Council meeting on 12 October 2023, the UK emphasised the importance of political participation, democratic freedoms and human rights. With Algeria, we engage directly with government officials and through the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) universal periodic review process and follow-up recommendations. We welcome the recent visits by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Penn on 23 November 2023 (HL173), what mechanisms are available to members of the House of Lords to encourage, via an arm’s length publicly funded body, development of land which has been historically identified and allocated for such a purpose, such as that at Great Kyne in Peterborough.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government sets clear delivery expectations in regards to developing land for housing. The role of an arm’s length body is to deliver against the government’s policy objectives, which it does via a range of agreed interventions. Arm’s length bodies are fully delegated to deliver these interventions on behalf of the government and work with a large number of delivery partners to bring a wide range of sites and projects forwards for housing. The site at Great Kyne was originally put forward for development in 2016 but was not allocated in the Local Plan by Peterborough City Council. The site was again put forward for consideration as part of the development allocation for future housing need in September 2023. The decision on whether the site will be allocated in the Local Plan rests with Peterborough City Council.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage UK ambassadors to consider the importance of engaging with local civil society organisations on issues of fundamental human rights, and especially of freedom of belief and religion.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our global diplomatic network works in partnership with civil society and human rights defenders to encourage all states to protect and advance human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). Our Annual Human Rights and Democracy Reports are an important part of this work.
FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. Fiona Bruce MP, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB works actively to raise awareness of FoRB issues in relevant countries, including by chairing a series of roundtables, bringing together civil society experts and FCDO officials.
In addition, the FCDO International Academy's "Religion for International Engagement" training is essential for FCDO officials in relevant posts and highly recommended for all FCDO staff.
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 recently with the government of Pakistan on that country’s blasphemy laws insofar as they affect Christians and converts to Christianity, and the impact of that legislation on Pakistan’s international treaty obligations.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly raise our concern over the (mis)use of Pakistan's blasphemy laws privately at the highest levels. We continue to press for due process and adherence to international obligations to prevent wrongful convictions, and speedy and fair trials for those accused. We also urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure the safety of those released. I raised the use of blasphemy laws to target marginalised religious communities, including Christians, with then-Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 27 June. The High Commissioner also raised this issue with the Caretaker Minister for Human Rights Khalil George on 12 October.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that agreements on defence and security collaboration between the UK and the EU made under the Permanent Structured Cooperation regime are subject to appropriate and timely scrutiny by Parliament.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK's interest in the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) military mobility project was discussed in the House of Commons debate on 19 May 2022, at a Commons Defence Committee evidence session on 2 November 2022. Leo Docherty MP, Minister for Europe, also discussed PESCO military mobility at two Lords European Affairs Committee evidence sessions on 7 March and 12 December 2023.
The Commons European Scrutiny Committee has also opened an inquiry into 'PESCO and UK-EU Defence Cooperation' to which HMG submitted written evidence in July 2023.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House why Written Questions HL660 and HL661, tabled on 28 November, have not been answered after 10 working days.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
As Leader of the House of Lords I have reiterated to all Departments the importance of adhering to the 10 day target for responses to questions for written answer. My office has been in close contact with the Department for Health and Social Care’s Parliamentary Team to ascertain why HL660 and HL661 went unanswered. They have now confirmed that they have been answered. The Permanent Secretary has previously reassured me that the department is working to return performance to pre-pandemic levels. As this issue has persisted I am writing again to the Permanent Secretary to highlight the lack of improvement.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the Crown Prosecution Service on responding to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in an informative and expeditious manner.
Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton - Advocate General for Scotland
The Attorney General’s Office has not had any discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on responding to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 in an informative and expeditious manner.
The CPS processes FOI requests independently and in accordance with the requirements of the FOIA 2000.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the abortion statistics for England and Wales for 2022 have been delayed and will not be published until April 2024.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to publish 2023 abortion statistics for England and Wales concurrently with the 2022 statistics in April 2024. Following publication of the 2022 statistics, we will move forward with plans to publish abortion statistics for 2023.
The publication of the abortion statistics for England and Wales for 2022 has been delayed due to several operational issues. These include issues associated with moving to a new data processing system and an increase in the number of paper abortion notification forms to process.