Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) manufacturers on the effectiveness of the packaging and labelling of SSRIs in warning patients of (a) the associated risks, (b) suicidal thoughts as a side effect of their use and (c) withdrawal symptoms.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) packaging and labelling produced by marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) reflects what is known about the safety of these medicines for patients on all associated risks or side effects, including suicidal thoughts and withdrawal symptoms.

The product information can be updated based on new safety data or to address concerns. The MHRA wrote to the MAHs of SSRIs to inform them of an independent expert working group (EWG) review into how the risk of suicidal behaviour and sexual dysfunction where symptoms continue are communicated in patient leaflets. Updates to the statutory patient information leaflets (PILs) for antidepressants were agreed for the risk of “post-SSRI sexual dysfunction” for some of the 28 antidepressants involved in the review. The EWG recommended that proposed updates to the PILs on the risk of suicidal behaviour should be tested by a group of patients with a range of mental health conditions and the MHRA is currently exploring the most appropriate way to take this advice forward

In addition to this work, a review into how the risk of withdrawal symptoms is communicated in the SSRI and other antidepressants patient leaflets will be started by the MHRA later in the year and all affected MAHs will be informed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on the animal welfare of greyhounds exported to (a) China, (b) Pakistan and (c) elsewhere.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Department is not aware that there is a widespread problem with the welfare of greyhounds being exported to a) China, b) Pakistan or c) elsewhere.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of whether company directors are able to disguise personal income as business revenue to reduce child support obligations under the Child Maintenance Service 2012 Scheme.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Where a paying parent is the Director of their limited liability company, they are legally an employee of that company for child maintenance purposes. They are also legally required to provide details of unearned income such as dividends in their Self-Assessment Tax Return.

Real time income information direct from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is key to the child maintenance calculation which also includes a wide range of income types, including income from property, savings and investments (including dividends) and other miscellaneous income. This makes it difficult for most parents to misstate their income.

People working in certain positions can influence how they are paid and the amount of pay they get. These people are known as ‘complex earners’ and include company directors who can affect their level of pay or dividends they receive.

Where it is reported there is additional unearned income that has not been captured in the maintenance calculation either parent can apply to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) for an ‘additional income variation.’

The CMS has robust processes in place to investigate any misrepresentation of income and where there is credible information that fraud has been committed, or incorrect income declared the case is referred to the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). This specialist team request and validate information from financial institutions (such as banks, investment and mortgage companies) to check the accuracy of the information used in the maintenance calculation to ensure financial correctness and can make assessment changes if they discover undeclared income that is effectively being used as income.