Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 merits of updating the existing regulations on (a) composition, (b) marketing and (c) labelling of commercial infant and toddler foods.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life.
It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional and compositional standards for commercial baby food. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to integrated care boards of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no assessment has been made. The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Acy 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on the text for an updated statutory code of practice, which will close on 30 June 2025. We will consider any further implications following the outcome.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to primary care networks of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no assessment has been made. The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Acy 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on the text for an updated statutory code of practice, which will close on 30 June 2025. We will consider any further implications following the outcome.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to NHS Trusts of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no assessment has been made. The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Acy 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on the text for an updated statutory code of practice, which will close on 30 June 2025. We will consider any further implications following the outcome.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to urgent care services of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no assessment has been made. The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Acy 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on the text for an updated statutory code of practice, which will close on 30 June 2025. We will consider any further implications following the outcome.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to GPs of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no assessment has been made. The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Acy 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on the text for an updated statutory code of practice, which will close on 30 June 2025. We will consider any further implications following the outcome.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to hospitals of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission proposed code of practice for services, public functions and associations, published on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To date, no assessment has been made. The Supreme Court’s ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Acy 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on the text for an updated statutory code of practice, which will close on 30 June 2025. We will consider any further implications following the outcome.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 Question 44527, tabled by the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon on 4 April 2025.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 May 2025 to Question 44527.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 identify people exposed to Diethylstilbestrol.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 1971, it was identified in a US study that DES could cause a distinct type of cancer in the daughters of women who took DES in early pregnancy. It was subsequently contraindicated in pregnancy, pre-menopausal women, children and young adults. The issue of DES and vaginal carcinoma in the daughters of women who took DES in pregnancy was reviewed by the predecessor to the Commission on Human Medicines, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) in the early 1970s. In 1973, the CSM wrote to all doctors to inform them of the results of the US study and the absence of cases identified in the UK.
Since 1992, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the US National Institutes of Health has been conducting the DES Follow-up Study of more than 21,000 mothers, daughters, and sons, exposed in the womb during the mother’s pregnancy, to better understand the long-term health effects of exposure to DES. The findings of this study have been published in the scientific literature.
As such, work has been undertaken to contact historic users of DES. Our sympathies are with anyone harmed by its historic use.
The UK Health Security Agency advises that routine cervical screening is appropriate for those who believe they were exposed to DES in utero. Further information is available at the following link:
Participation in the National Breast Screening Programme is also recommended. Pregnant women who know that they were exposed in utero to DES should inform their obstetrician and be aware of the increased risks of ectopic pregnancy and preterm labour.
The MHRA continuously assesses the benefit risk balance of all medicines at the time of initial licensing and throughout their use in clinical practice, carefully evaluating any emerging evidence on their benefits and risks.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 expand the provision of capital investment for the primary care estate.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, by fixing the front door to the NHS and shifting the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community. At the Autumn Budget 2024, we established a dedicated capital fund of £102 million to deliver approximately 200 upgrades to general practice surgeries across England, supporting improved use of existing buildings and space, boosting productivity, and enabling delivery of more appointments. This funding represents a first step in delivering the additional capital the primary care sector needs.
The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments, and the Department is currently reviewing capital requirements in line with the Government’s missions and as part of our preparations for Phase 2 of the Spending Review.