Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet representatives of women and children's rights groups to discuss proposals announced by the Law Commission on 29 March 2023 in relation to surrogacy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Law Commission consulted widely as part of the preparation for their report. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health will be writing to the Chairs of the Law Commissions of England, Wales, and Scotland shortly, to follow up their meeting on 5 November 2024. A Government response to the commissions’ report will be published as time allows. As such, the Department is not planning to meet women and children’s rights groups to discuss the matter at this time. We welcome future meetings on the topic at the appropriate time.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what services his Department and the NHS offer to people choosing to detransition.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of new prescriptions issued by NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services for (a) oestrogen and (b) testosterone to young people aged 16-18 since 1 April 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on which (a) cognitive behavioural therapy, (b) family therapy, (c) exploratory therapy and (d) other non-medical treatments are offered to young people by NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England commissions gender services for children and young people in line with its interim service specification for children and young people with gender incongruence.
Children and young people are cared for holistically by specialist multi-disciplinary teams based in specialist children's hospitals. The multi-disciplinary teams include expertise in child and adolescent mental health, including family therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and neurodevelopmental conditions.
Each child or young person will have a tailored individual care plan to meet their needs. Depending on individual need, the gender service for children and young people will provide psychosocial and clinical interventions, including support for the family.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the NHS review of adult gender dysphoria clinics to report its findings.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is currently undertaking a review of adult gender services, chaired by Dr David Levy. The review will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients, with the aim of producing an updated service specification. The review will report its findings at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will meet representatives of the Sex Equality and Equity Networks.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) meets with a broad range of external stakeholders to test and develop its public-facing policies and initiatives, but does not meet with internal staff networks. Matters relating to internal Civil Service policies can be discussed with the Government People Group or individual departmental HR teams as necessary.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the sale of his Department's Old Park and Chequers Wood site in Canterbury on levels of biodiversity.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation has undertaken a Baseline Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment for Old Park and Chequers Wood.
This Assessment details primary habitats and provides an ecological baseline for the site.
The site is being disposed of in accordance with the Department's standard process as mandated by His Majesty's Treasury. The site is designated in part as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and any development potential is limited. However, once sold, the future use of the site is a matter for the potential purchaser in conjunction with the local planning authority, and this is something the Ministry of Defence cannot influence.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria is being used to select the body administering funding from the statutory gambling levy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In line with the Gambling Act 2005, the levy will be collected and administered by the Gambling Commission under the strategic direction of the government. As set out in the government’s response to the statutory levy consultation, we have appointed UK Research and Innovation and NHS England as the research and treatment commissioners respectively. This approach will leverage world-leading expertise among existing public bodies, maximise efficiency and see levy funding directed where it is needed most. Further consideration of the evidence is needed in order to appoint an appropriate body to lead the prevention strand of the levy system. We will confirm our decisions in due course.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the publication entitled Farmed fur animals harbour viruses with zoonotic spillover potential, published by Nature on 4 September 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This paper has been discussed at the Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group, the cross-Government risk assessment group, where it was recognised that there are several novel viruses detected in fur farmed animals as well as other species farmed for other uses (rabbits and nutria). Further work is now taking place to analyse the risk these viruses may pose to public health as well as animal health, bearing in mind that fur farming is not permitted in the UK but that such “exotic” animals (raccoon dogs, mink, squirrels) may be kept as pets.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the finding by Ofgem that Drax had misreported data in relation to their annual profiling submission between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, published on 29 August 2024, whether he plans to investigate its subsidies during the previous 10 years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Ofgem did not find any evidence to suggest that Drax had been issued with subsidies incorrectly. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.