Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether upholding the rights of women and girls is one of his Department's priorities.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. This includes defending their rights and freedoms and tackling the rollback on gender equality globally. The recent appointment of Baroness Harriet Harman as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls highlights our ongoing commitment to protecting women and girls' rights in the UK and around the world.
Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has learned lessons from the implementation of Official Development Assistance reductions in 2020-21.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has learned lessons from previous rounds of reductions to the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.
We recognise that the reduction demands significant shifts in the scale and shape of our ODA spending, which is why we are taking the time necessary to fully consider how we will reprioritise and refocus the ODA budget, in line with the shifts underway as we modernise our approach to development.
We are taking a rigorous approach to value for money as we work through decisions as part of the ongoing Spending Review, in order to deliver the best outcome for both UK taxpayers and our partners.
To improve predictability and certainty, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ODA budget will no longer be exposed to the volatility of ODA spending by other departments, including asylum costs, providing greater predictability and certainty for our budgets.
Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of supporting (i) women's rights and (ii) women-led organisations through Official Development Assistance.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is strong evidence showing that women's rights organisations play a significant role in securing and advancing women's rights as well as providing humanitarian assistance, tackling climate change and promoting and protecting democracy. They provide good value for money as this type of support moves away from short term project funding towards strategic investments which have wider social and economic value which sustains long after funding ends.
Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reorganisation of local government structures and devolution on the (a) (i) management and (ii) maintenance of existing affordable housing held by Local Authorities and Housing Associations and (b) the production of new affordable homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As local authorities plan for local government reorganisation (LGR) and consider the impact of greater devolution to Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, it is essential that they continue to deliver their business-as-usual services and duties, and these duties will remain in place for any newly established authorities. This includes continuing to manage their homes in line with relevant regulatory requirements and ensuring that they are safe, decent, and warm.
At the same time, we want local authorities to continue to come forward with ambitious plans to deliver the social and affordable homes that their local communities want and need, and which we are working to support. I have, for example, asked officials to explore whether the current threshold at which a local authority is required to open a Housing Revenue Account is set at the right level, or if a different threshold would help individual councils, including those affected by LGR, to increase housing provision.
Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities will be given the ability to set the strategic direction of any future affordable housing programme in their area, including shaping the tenure mix and identifying priority sites for housing development to be supported by grant.
At the Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. For further details on steps taken to contribute to this milestone, please see the answer given to Question UIN 40137 on 31 March 2025.
More broadly, in the multi-year Spending Review later this year, the government will set out the details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent. Alongside wider investment across the Parliament, it will help deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2025 to Question 30835 on Miscarriages: databases, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on including a question on experiences of miscarriage in the annual health survey for England as a way of capturing miscarriage data (a) in healthcare settings and (b) outside of healthcare settings.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not held discussions with NHS England on specifically including a question on experiences of miscarriage in the annual health survey for England, as a way of capturing miscarriage data, either in healthcare settings or outside of healthcare settings.
The reproductive health survey conducted by the Department in 2023 included a question on the experience of pregnancy loss, which including miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or stillbirth. The survey reached 52,000 women, and showed that among those between 30 and 40 years old, more than one in 10 reported experience of pregnancy loss or infertility in the last year. The Department will update on plans to conduct the survey again in due course.
Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the accessibility of playgrounds; and what steps her Department is taking to help increase accessibility of playgrounds.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is firmly committed to creating better access to play areas, and parks more widely. They are an essential part of local social infrastructure which supports more connected, stronger communities.
Local authorities must consider their obligations under the Equalities Act of 2010 in relation to work being done on play areas, this includes ensuring that they are accessible and inclusive.
We will use our bold £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods to bolster community assets, including play areas. The plan will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities across the UK, bringing together “neighbourhood boards” to develop local regeneration plans in partnership with local authorities.
Furthermore, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places.
In addition to this, the National Design Guide demonstrates through ten characteristics for well-designed places how new development can promote inclusive design by creating buildings and spaces that are safe, social and inclusive, with an integrated mix of uses that are accessible for all. This should include spaces for comfort, relaxation and stimulation, including play.
Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) encourage people to access nature and (b) ensure visitors to the countryside are informed about the statutory guidance entitled The Countryside Code: advice for countryside visitors, last updated 26 May 2023.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, expanding access to the great outdoors. We will make further announcements on plans to develop policy on access to nature in due course.
The Government is also already delivering several policies to increase access to nature including:
The Countryside Code was refreshed and relaunched in 2021 and a long-term campaign to promote the messages of the code began. In 2023, we also released a version of the Code for land managers. The Code sets out the rules that we all must follow to enjoy visits to the countryside safely and responsibly.
Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Research on research into the feasibility of pre-12-week pregnancy loss data collection.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
While miscarriage hospital stay data is collected, the majority of baby losses occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is rightly the choice of the individual who has experienced the loss to disclose this information to healthcare professionals. It is therefore not possible to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages.
The Department has not explicitly discussed the feasibility of pre-12-week pregnancy loss data collection with the NIHR, but further data is being collected to help fill the current gap. For example, the Digital Maternity Record Standard Release 2 was updated in 2024 and recommends that a code for birth outcome, including miscarriage, is recorded as well as information on previous miscarriage or pregnancy loss.
The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of maternal health, including pregnancy loss.
Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on improving the recording of miscarriage data in cases where women have had contact with health services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Some data on hospital stays related to miscarriage is collected, but the majority of baby losses occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is rightly the choice of the individual who has experienced the loss to disclose this information to healthcare professionals.
Discussions between the Department and NHS England specifically about improving the recording of miscarriage data in cases where women have had contact with health services have not taken place.
In line with the priorities outlined in NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, the Digital Maternity Record Standard (DMRS) Release 2 was updated in 2024 to improve the recording of miscarriage data in cases where women have had contact with health services. The new models of care to be added to the DMRS include women suffering from bereavement or loss. The new standard also recommends that a code for birth outcome, including miscarriage, is recorded, as well as information on previous miscarriage or pregnancy loss.
Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of extending the funding for women's health hubs beyond March 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
At the Autumn Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over this year and the next. Building a National Health Service fit for the future is one of the five missions of the Government.
Women’s health hubs aim to improve access to and experiences of care, improve health outcomes for women, and reduce health inequalities. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health care needs of their local population, which includes women's health hubs.