Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will require the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to publish the responses by the peer reviewers to (a) Fetal awareness: review of research and recommendations for practice, published in 2010 and (b) the forthcoming set of guidelines on fetal pain.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
The Royal College is currently reviewing ‘Fetal Awareness: Review and Recommendations for Practice’, independently of Government. The Department has brought Dr Stuart Derbyshire’s research to the attention of the College, which established a review group to consider the latest evidence on fetal pain and fetal awareness. The gathering of evidence for the review is a matter for this group.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of research conducted by Dr Stuart Derbyshire, if he will ask the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to update its guidelines on the use of fetal painkillers from 18 weeks gestation prior to an abortion.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
The Royal College is currently reviewing ‘Fetal Awareness: Review and Recommendations for Practice’, independently of Government. The Department has brought Dr Stuart Derbyshire’s research to the attention of the College, which established a review group to consider the latest evidence on fetal pain and fetal awareness. The gathering of evidence for the review is a matter for this group.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department have had with their counterparts in the Government of Nigeria on the human rights of Mubarak Bala.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK Government has followed Mr Bala's case closely, and has raised his case on multiple occasions with the Nigerian authorities, including following his recent sentencing. We believe that the right of individuals to express opinions is essential to a free and open society.
We are concerned by the severity and length of sentence received by Mr Bala at trial. The British High Commissioner has expressed these concerns to the Kano State Government and the Nigerian President's Chief of Staff. We will continue to follow developments in Mr Bala's case closely, and will continue to stress the importance of Mr Bala being treated in full accordance with his human rights, the rule of law, and the Nigerian constitutional right to freedom of religion or belief.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using surplus accommodation on his Department's sites as temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees.
Answered by Leo Docherty
Formal approaches can be made to the Ministry of Defence for the leasing of void housing stock and requests made by Local Authorities for the use of military housing for Ukrainian refugee relocation and resettlement purposes are being handled in a similar way to the Defence Afghan Relocation and Resettlement Programme (ARAP). When formal requests are received for Defence to assist with accommodation for Ukrainian refugees, they are considered in line with Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) principles.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her Department's objectives are for the international conference to promote freedom of religion or belief due to take place in London in July 2022.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK-hosted International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in July 2022 will drive forward international efforts on this agenda and demonstrate the UK's leading role in supporting freedom and openness. This conference will allow us to use our global influence to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all internationally. Preparations for the conference are ongoing, including consultations with our international and domestic partners to consider possible themes and outcomes.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her Department's budget is for the international conference to promote freedom of religion or belief due to take place in London in July 2022.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK-hosted International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in July 2022 will drive forward international efforts on this agenda and demonstrate the UK's leading role in supporting freedom and openness. This conference will allow us to use our global influence to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all internationally. Preparations for the conference are ongoing, including working with delivery partners to develop a comprehensive budget.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to ensure that flying space above and around RAF Scampton is preserved for the use of the RAF Aerobatic Team once his Department disposes of that site.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Ministry of Defence has no requirements to preserve the restricted flying space above and around RAF Scampton for the use of the RAF Aerobatic Team and the site will be sold without any encumbrances.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which RAF bases in the UK his Department has disposed of since 2000; how much each site was sold for; and to whom or what entity each was sold.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
A copy of the information relating to those RAF locations where significant Ministry of Defence assets have been disposed of during the period in question is attached.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason his Department is maintaining the temporary at-home abortion policy in place while other covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We are considering all evidence submitted to the Government’s public consultation on whether to make permanent the temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion. We will publish our response as soon as possible. The approval was put in place on a temporary basis and is time limited for two years or until the end of the pandemic.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department's response to the consultation on home use of both pills for early medical abortion will be published.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We are considering all evidence submitted to the Government’s public consultation on whether to make permanent the temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion. We will publish our response as soon as possible. The approval was put in place on a temporary basis and is time limited for two years or until the end of the pandemic.