Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to letters from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health dated (a) 5 February, (b) 25 February, (c) 14 March, (d) 24 March, (e) 1 April and (f) 8 April 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health replied to the Hon. Member’s correspondence on 10 April 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to fertility treatments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues on joint advice from the Department and NHS England about the offer around NHS-funded fertility services.
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England. NICE are currently reviewing these guidelines.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 22722 on Fertility: Medical Treatments, whether he will make it his policy to collect these data centrally.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to collect these data.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 22721 on Fertility, whether he will make it his policy to collect these data centrally.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to collect these data.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press notice of 2 September 2023 entitled Consultation launched into unregulated cosmetic procedures, if he will publish the response to the consultation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to taking action to address concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector, and is exploring options for further regulation in this area. We will set out the details of our approach at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to section 180 of the Health and Social Care Act 2022, whether he plans to create a licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to taking action to address concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector, and is exploring options for further regulation in this area. We will set out the details of our approach at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department offers paternity leave to its staff from their first working day.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Paternity leave is offered from the first working day for employees. Those who have been employed for less than 26 weeks are entitled to one week, and those employed for more than 26 weeks continuously are entitled to two weeks. Those who have worked for another Government Department prior to their arrival at the Department may be eligible for two weeks paternity leave from their first working day.
As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) male and (b) female patients who have received a diagnosis of infertility are waiting for fertility treatment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) males and (b) females have an infertility diagnosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter of 20 November 2024 from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department endeavours to meet the cross-Government standard of 20 working days for MP responses.