Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impacts of the decriminalisation of abortion on (a) clinical safeguards, (b) informed consent procedures, (c) access to alternative support services, and (d) the protection of vulnerable women.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The House of Commons has voted to add a clause to the Crime and Policing Bill which disapplies the criminal offences related to abortion for a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy. These offences would still apply to medical professionals and third parties who do not abide by the rules set out in the Abortion Act 1967. The bill will now continue its progress through Parliament.

Informed consent is separate from the requirements set by the Abortion Act for two doctors to certify that a woman meets the grounds for abortion. Consent to treatment means a person must give permission before they receive any type of medical treatment, test, or examination. For consent to be valid, it must be voluntary and informed, and the person consenting must have the capacity to make the decision. These principles will continue to apply irrespective of whether abortion is decriminalised.

As part of standards set by the Care Quality Commission, abortion services must be able to prove that they have processes in place to ensure that all women and girls are seeking services voluntarily. It will also remain a requirement for an abortion service, as laid out in the Department’s Required Standard Operating Procedures, that staff should be able to identify those who require more support than can be provided in the routine abortion service setting, including where there is evidence of coercion.

Safeguarding is an essential aspect of abortion care, and abortion providers are required to have effective arrangements in place to safeguard children and vulnerable adults accessing their services. Providers must ensure that all staff are trained to recognise the signs of potential abuse and coercion and know how to respond. In addition, we expect all providers to have due regard to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s national safeguarding guidance for under-18 year olds accessing early medical abortion services.

The Department is continuing to monitor abortion related amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill and will consider whether current arrangements are sufficient or if additional guidance is needed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that women considering abortion are provided with comprehensive information on all available options, including parenting, adoption, and perinatal palliative care.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In line with the Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for termination of pregnancy in England, women seeking abortion services must be given impartial, accurate, and evidence-based information so that they are able to make an informed choice about their preferred course of action.

The National Health Service website provides factual information on abortion, including directing people seeking impartial information and support to their general practice or to regulated organisations such as Brook, for under 25 year olds, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, MSI Reproductive Health Choices UK, and National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service. All the main abortion providers offer pregnancy counselling, which includes advice on options such as parenting and adoption.

Following a diagnosis of fetal anomaly, women and their partners must receive appropriate counselling and support. At no stage should there be a bias towards abortion. All staff involved in the care of a woman or couple facing a possible termination of pregnancy must adopt a nondirective, non-judgemental, and supportive approach. It should not be assumed that a woman will choose to have a termination, and a decision to continue with the pregnancy must be fully supported. In addition, the charity Antenatal Results and Choices offers information and support for people who have received a diagnosis after antenatal screening.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to review the scope of statutory protections for healthcare professionals who conscientiously object to participating in abortion procedures.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no plans to review the scope of statutory protections for healthcare professionals who conscientiously object to participating in abortion procedures. In England and Wales the right to refuse to participate in terminations of pregnancy, other than where the termination is necessary to save the life of, or prevent grave injury to, the pregnant woman, is protected by law under section 4(1) of the Abortion Act 1967.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the 24-week abortion gestational limit in light of recent scientific evidence on foetal pain and advances in neonatal care.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no plans for the Government to review the gestational limits of abortion. It is for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion, including gestational time limits.

When the time limit was last reduced in 1990, there was a clear consensus from the medical profession that the age of viability had reduced from 28 weeks to 24 weeks gestation. There is currently no clear medical consensus that the age of viability has reduced below 24 weeks.

The Government does not formulate policy on fetal sentience and fetal pain. The review and determination of fetal sentience and its implications for abortion and clinical practice is reached through professional medical consensus and clinical guidance.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has carried out a comprehensive review into fetal awareness evidence. Published in December 2022, the review concluded that the evidence to date indicates that the possibility of pain perception before 28 weeks of gestation is unlikely.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department issues to abortion providers on informing women of alternative support services and pathways before an abortion is undertaken.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for termination of pregnancy, or abortion, in England sets out that women requesting termination of pregnancy must be given impartial, accurate, and evidence-based information, both verbal and written, delivered in a clear, understandable, and non-judgemental way. This includes informing women about their options so that they can make an informed choice about their preferred course of action. As early as possible, women should be provided with detailed information including alternatives to abortions, for instance, adoption and motherhood. Their choice should be respected without any unnecessary delay.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether abortion providers, including British Pregnancy Advisory Service and Marie Stopes InternationaI Reproductive Choices, provide clear and comprehensive information to pregnant women on the full range of childcare and maternity related financial support available to them.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for the termination of a pregnancy, an abortion, in England sets out that women requesting termination of pregnancy must be given impartial, accurate, and evidence-based information, both verbal and written, delivered in a clear, understandable, and non-judgemental way. This includes informing women about their options so that they can make an informed choice about their preferred course of action. As early as possible, women should be provided with detailed information, including on alternatives to abortions such as adoption and motherhood. Their choice should be respected without any unnecessary delay.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to sell her Department's vacant residential properties in Upper Bann constituency.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not own properties used to accommodate individuals in the asylum system.

Accommodation is sourced, managed, and maintained by contracted Service Providers under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC), which set out obligations to provide suitable accommodation meeting statutory requirements.

These properties are not part of the Home Office estate, and the Department has no authority over their disposal.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will publish a full list of residential properties leased or controlled by her Department or its contractors in Upper Bann constituency, including occupancy status, duration of vacancy, and cost to the public purse.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

For the safety, security and wellbeing of staff and those being accommodated, the Home Office does not disclose publicly information about accommodation sites which may or may not be utilised.

Information on asylum accommodation is published regularly in the Home Office’s transparency data and official statistics, which are available online.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many residential properties secured by her Department and its contractors in the Upper Bann constituency have been unoccupied for more than (a) three months, (b) six months, and (c) twelve months; and for what reasons each such property has not been brought into use.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not publish data on the utilisation of asylum accommodation. We aim to utilise our estate as fully as possible, however, as with all types of accommodation properties may be temporarily vacant for a variety of operational reasons, including the need for maintenance or refurbishment work, or while awaiting allocation to new occupants following the departure of previous residents.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been paid by her Department to contractors for residential properties in the Upper Bann constituency that were unoccupied at the time of payment in each of the last three financial years.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Department only makes payments for Dispersed Accommodation properties when they are occupied. Consequently, no payments have been made for unoccupied properties in the Upper Bann constituency during the period in question.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether contractors operating residential accommodation on behalf of her Department in the Upper Bann constituency have exceeded permitted profit margins.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Profit margins being exceeded are not broken down by specific constituencies.

Mears, who manage the Home Office’s asylum accommodation for Northern Ireland and other contracted regions, did exceed their profit margins. The Home Office is in the process of recouping the full amount owed, as part of the profit share mechanism within the contract.

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