Found: Reproductive Healthcare; Liberty Human Rights; British Society of Abortion Care Providers; British Pregnancy
Found: Reproductive Healthcare; Liberty Human Rights; British Society of Abortion Care Providers; British Pregnancy
Correspondence Sep. 07 2023
Committee: Health and Social Care Committee (Department: Department of Health and Social Care)Found: Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Maria Caulfield MP, on The Independent Pregnancy
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 ensure the adequacy of funding for alcohol treatment programmes for pregnant women.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) can have a significant impact on the early years of development of children and their life chances. Officials regularly meet with third sector organisations and academics to discuss the risks and impacts of alcohol consumption in pregnancy.
While we are not developing a specific FASD prevention strategy, we are taking a wide-ranging approach to reducing alcohol harms. Through the Drug Strategy, we committed an extra £532 million of funding over three years, through to 2024/25, to improve alcohol and drug treatment services. Local authorities are encouraged to develop programmes which provide tailored support to different populations, such as pregnant women.
Some £27 million has been invested in establishing specialist alcohol care teams in a quarter of acute hospitals in England with the highest need, and we are providing approximately £300 million in funding to 75 local authorities through the family hubs and Start for Life programme. Family hubs funded through that programme are encouraged to provide full wrap-around support for families and pregnant women, which may include alcohol support services.
The Department has recently consulted on the first ever United Kingdom-wide clinical guidelines on harmful drinking and alcohol dependence, which includes guidelines setting out how maternity, alcohol treatment and other healthcare professionals should support pregnant women to reduce or stop their alcohol use as quickly and safely as possible. The consultation closed on 8 December 2023 and a response will be published in due course.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the safety of pregnant women in prison.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In September 2021, the Ministry of Justice published a new Policy Framework on Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) and Maternal Separation from Children up to the Age of Two in Women’s Prisons. The policy set out in the Framework was developed jointly with NHS England and NHS Improvement, and as a result of extensive consultations with key stakeholders, including women with lived experience, the children’s social care sector, academics and charities.
Over £500,000 of additional funding was provided to better equip Mother and Baby Units and to support the introduction of a new liaison officer role. Pregnancy and Mother and Baby Liaison Officers have been recruited to all women’s prisons and multi-disciplinary care planning for pregnant women, based on their individual needs, is now compulsory. We have also introduced additional training for prison officers on the care of pregnant women in prison. All women are now provided with free telephone access to local NHS Pregnancy Advice Services and appropriate Social Services support: this includes any pregnant women who refuse to engage with ante-natal services.
Under the policy, care planning based on individual needs is in place for all women identified as pregnant, regardless of the level of engagement. The policy explains how prison staff should support women not engaging with services. Operational guidance that accompanies the policy highlights specific barriers to engagement and how these might present, to enable staff to identify and address complex needs and ensure access to relevant support services.
The policy can be found at the following link: Pregnancy, MBUs and maternal separation in women’s prisons Policy Framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Mentions:
1: Lord Sikka (Lab - Life peer) and Human Rights Commission reported that 77% of working mothers experienced discrimination during pregnancy - Speech Link
2: Baroness Thornton (Lab - Life peer) My Lords, the Minister and I both know what the law says about pregnancy and maternity, but the facts - Speech Link
3: Baroness Barran (Con - Life peer) I have touched already on issues of maternity and pregnancy discrimination. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Maria Caulfield (Con - Lewes) certificate service has launched today.As the House will be aware, the Government published the independent “Pregnancy - Speech Link
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her planned timetable is for publishing guidance on the implementation of the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of our efforts to communicate the changes which are being introduced under the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023, the Government will be producing guidance. The guidance will be published in the New Year to support the commencement of the regulations.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when her Department plans to table secondary legislation to implement the Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government was pleased to support the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act, which received Royal Assent on 24th May 2023. Regulations under this Act to deliver additional redundancy protection for pregnant women and new parents were laid on 11th December.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2024/9780348254846/pdfs/ukdsi_9780348254846_en.pdf