Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to provide Descovy as a HIV prevention drug.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The updated NHS England clinical commissioning policy establishes the use of generic and second line pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus prevention, including emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide (Descovy®) as a second line treatment option for individuals who meet the inclusion criteria and cannot take the usual first-line PrEP therapy due to risk factors.
The commissioning policy was published on 22 May 2023 and is available at the following link:
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to support LGBTQ+ communities in Uganda providing HIV prevention, testing and care services.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Through our contributions to the Global Fund, the UK is helping to tackle HIV/AIDS in Uganda by providing targeted prevention, testing and treatment services. This is through community outreach and the facilitation of drop-in centres that offer services such as legal and human rights, psychosocial and mental health support. The UK is the third largest donor to the Global Fund, having contributed £4.4 billion since its inception. Last year, the UK committed to providing a further £1 billion over three years to the Global Fund which will help to reach three million members of key populations, such as LGBT+ groups, worldwide with prevention programmes.
The UK was proud to play a strong role with our partners in shaping the progressive new Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Global AIDS Strategy "Ending Inequalities" 2021-26 and an ambitious UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS in June 2021 to enhance reporting against targets to end AIDS by 2030.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's guidance is for HIV and AIDS organisations applying for bilateral funding under the International Development Strategy.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
FCDO spending on global health is guided by the International Development Strategy together with the Department's Health System Strengthening and Ending Preventable Deaths approach papers. Prospective partners seeking bilateral funding should consult these documents and the terms of any calls for proposals when submitting applications.
Health systems strengthening is key to the UK's long-term approach to protecting and promoting good health, including HIV prevention and response. The UK will focus on integrating essential services, including HIV services, through improved primary health care that includes public health functions, quality of care, rights and equity, including for women with HIV who have some of the highest maternal death rates.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) financial and (b) other support to help other countries reduce cases of HIV and AIDS.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK remains a world leader in efforts to end the global AIDS epidemic and funds all key partners in the global AIDS response, including the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria.
Our recent pledge of £1 billion to the Global Fund will save over 1 million lives, including by providing antiretroviral therapy for 1.8 million people and HIV counselling and testing for 48 million people. Our funding for the Robert Carr Fund and UNAIDS supports initiatives to empower local civil society and grassroots organisations, predominantly in the Global South, to increase access to HIV prevention, testing and care services.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken steps to offer support to local organisations who provide prevention, testing and care services for HIV and AIDS in the Global South.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK remains a world leader in efforts to end the global AIDS epidemic and funds all key partners in the global AIDS response, including the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria.
Our recent pledge of £1 billion to the Global Fund will save over 1 million lives, including by providing antiretroviral therapy for 1.8 million people and HIV counselling and testing for 48 million people. Our funding for the Robert Carr Fund and UNAIDS supports initiatives to empower local civil society and grassroots organisations, predominantly in the Global South, to increase access to HIV prevention, testing and care services.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has conducted research on the potential economic impact of duty-free shopping in other countries for arriving passengers; and if he will make an assessment of the potential economic impact of introducing duty-free shopping for passengers arriving in the UK.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Duty-free on arrival would place additional pressure on the public finances to which excise duty makes a significant contribution.
Any loss in tax revenue would have to be balanced by a reduction in public spending, increased borrowing or increased taxation elsewhere.
Although there are no plans to introduce such a scheme, the Government keeps all taxes under review and considers all available evidence as part of the tax policymaking process.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the withdrawal of tax-free shopping for passengers travelling to non-EU destinations on spending by non-EU international visitors since 1 January 2021; and what data his Department holds on spending by non-EU international visitors (a) in each of the five years before and (b) since 1 January 2021 in (i) France and (ii) Italy.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Chancellor announced on 17 October 2022 that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping scheme.
Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost as it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending which already occurs without a tax relief in place.
The independent Office of Budget Responsibility published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the refurbishment of the residence at the UK embassy in Washington DC will be completed by June 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, along with our suppliers, continue to work hard to deliver the important project of restoring our prestigious Residence in Washington DC, to a high standard, as soon as we can.
Our ambition is to complete the refurbishment work in June 2023. It is important that we ensure that the works carried out are of a high standard, and are sympathetic to Sir Edwin Lutyens' 1928 design.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to hold Pride receptions in June in embassies and posts to celebrate LGBTQ+ people.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is proud to champion LGBT+ rights around the world. Through our international programmes and diplomatic engagement, we bring communities and governments together to strengthen rights and freedoms in every part of the world. The UK's diplomatic missions are encouraged to host events, receptions and joint statements with like-minded partners to celebrate local LGBT+ communities as well as to attend Pride parades. Support will also be given to UK missions this year to deliver the UK's new GREAT Love marketing campaign to highlight the UK's commitment to inclusion.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has plans to hold World AIDS Day receptions in embassies and posts on 1 December.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK remains a world leader in efforts to end the AIDS epidemic and continues to fund all key partners in the global AIDS response, including UNAIDS, the WHO and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. We recognise the importance of World AIDS Day for raising awareness and galvanising the global AIDS response. We will be planning our engagements for the next World AIDS Day on 1 December 2023 nearer to the time.