Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what scrutiny arrangements the Care Quality Commission applies to (a) abortion and (b) other counselling.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is responsible for monitoring the providers of abortion services in England, to make sure they comply with the regulations set out under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (HSCA). If a CQC inspection identifies instances of non-compliance with the HSCA and Regulations then appropriate regulatory action will be taken. The CQC's Essential Standards of quality and safety require that women undergoing termination of pregnancy know that “they are able to discuss their choices and decisions with a trained counsellor” and “where services are provided to children or people with a learning disability, the counsellor available has relevant experience in discussing termination of pregnancy with them”. For other forms of counselling which are registered activities under the 2008 Act and regulations, CQC takes a similar approach to judgement and action.