Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will publish details of his Department's bilateral expenditure that has directly targeted tackling HIV and AIDS in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK remains a significant funder in the HIV response. In (i) 2021 and (ii) 2022 total bilateral expenditure for HIV and AIDS was (i) £5,831,984 and (ii) £10,035,256 respectively. Of this total Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office bilateral spend was (i) £4,548,553 and (ii) £9,916,750 for 2021 and 2022 respectively. This includes our funding to the Clinton Health Access Initiative to further improve access to essential HIV medicines and our funding to the Robert Carr Fund to support initiatives with grassroots organisations, including key populations, as part of the global HIV response.
Figures for 2023 are not yet available. They will be published in Autumn 2024.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase HPV vaccination uptake.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
National Health Service commissioned School Age Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme based on population need, utilising opportunities from the move to one dose in September 2023.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with several charities to develop resources that can be used to raise awareness of HPV. The UKHSA also publishes annual statistics to support local NHS teams in developing plans to improve uptake and reduce inequalities for the HPV universal programme. These statistics are available at the following link:
NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS app, and has improved access to the vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations. The UKHSA also produces a number of HPV resources, which are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-programme
Other materials are available on the UKHSA Health Publications website in a range of languages and accessible formats, which are available at the following link:
https://www.healthpublications.gov.uk/Home.html
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will provide an update on the status of the recruitment process for the Chief Executive of the MHRA.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is in the process of recruiting a Chair to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The application and assessment process has concluded, and an announcement will be made when all required checks and approvals have been completed.
The process will run in accordance with the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol. A Civil Service Commissioner will chair this recruitment process in line with appointments of this level of seniority, and will consider the role of any incoming Chair in that process.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role the incoming Chair of the MHRA will have in the recruitment process for the new Chief Executive.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is in the process of recruiting a Chair to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The application and assessment process has concluded, and an announcement will be made when all required checks and approvals have been completed.
The process will run in accordance with the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol. A Civil Service Commissioner will chair this recruitment process in line with appointments of this level of seniority, and will consider the role of any incoming Chair in that process.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will provide an update on the status of the recruitment process for the Chair of the MHRA.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is in the process of recruiting a Chair to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The application and assessment process has concluded, and an announcement will be made when all required checks and approvals have been completed.
The process will run in accordance with the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol. A Civil Service Commissioner will chair this recruitment process in line with appointments of this level of seniority, and will consider the role of any incoming Chair in that process.