Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure abortion providers are accountable for verifying that abortion pills sent by post are issued only to women within the legal time limit for such pills.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Abortion Act now requires that, in relation to early medical abortion, the doctor terminating a pregnancy must be of the opinion, formed in good faith, that the pregnancy is not beyond 10 weeks. This opinion is formed following a consultation with the woman concerned. If a woman is not sure of her gestation, or if the doctor is concerned about health issues, she will be asked to attend a clinic. This certification must be recorded on form EMA1 or a similar certificate and must be kept for three years from the date on which the medicine for the treatment of the pregnancy is prescribed.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
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 risks of the provision of abortion pills through the post to women who are beyond the legal limit for gestational age; and if he will commission an urgent review into the potential impact of at-home abortion provision on women’s (a) health and (b) safety.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
No assessment has been made. The Government has no current plans to commission a review into the impact of home use of pills for abortion on women’s health and safety.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
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 how many providers of abortion medications have been prosecuted for sending abortion pills out past the 10-week limit in each of the last five years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department does not hold this information. Decisions to bring a prosecution in relation to the law on abortion are for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department takes to help ensure that providers of abortion medications are held accountable for sending abortion pills to women outside the legal conditions.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
All independent sector services wishing to perform termination of pregnancy must be approved by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) before they are able to provide abortion services. The CQC inspect independent sector abortion services. If a CQC inspection identifies instances of non-compliance, then appropriate regulatory action will be taken.
The Regulations require registered medical professionals to certify in ‘good faith’ that the gestation period is below 10 weeks if the doctor terminating the pregnancy prescribes the abortion pills from their home, or if one or both pills for early medical abortion are to be taken by the pregnant woman at her home. This certification must be recorded on form EMA1 or a similar certificate and must be kept for three years from the date on which the medicine for the treatment of the pregnancy is prescribed.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Procedures for the approval of independent sector places for termination of pregnancy (abortion) in England, what specific implications relating to the taking of abortion medicines beyond the legal limit of 9 weeks and 6 days gestation women should be made aware of under that guidance when having an early medical abortion at home.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Women having an early medical abortion at home should be informed of the implications, health and otherwise, of taking the abortion medicine beyond the legal limit of nine weeks and six days gestation. Women would also be advised on self-management including any signs and symptoms and when to obtain healthcare support, how to dispose of or return the abortion pills if they are not used and how they can be sure that the pregnancy has ended.
The Department’s Required Standard Operating Procedures, which all independent abortion providers must comply with, set out that woman seeking an abortion should be informed about their options so that they can make an informed choice about their preferred course of action within the legal framework for abortion in England.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the safeguards used in the abortion pills by post scheme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Following amendments to the 1967 Abortion Act that allow women in England and Wales to take early medical abortion (EMA) pills at home, the Department have taken forward work to ensure that robust safeguarding processes for home-use EMA are embedded across all services. This included publication of national safeguarding guidance for under 18 year olds accessing EMA services, and strengthening the Department’s Required Standard Operating Procedures, which all independent abortion providers must comply with, to require providers to have robust safeguarding processes in place to identify and support women and girls who need it.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish an impact assessment into the change in the law allowing women to take abortion bills at home.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department plans to publish the Impact Assessment on the change in the law allowing home use of pills for early medical abortion in due course.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to ensure that all women and young people have access to the telemedical pathway for early medical abortion.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
In March 2022, Parliament voted to amend the Abortion Act 1967 to allow women in England and Wales to take one or both pills for early medical abortion at home. The Abortion Act does not set a legal age limit for access to early medical abortion via the telemedicine pathway. The Department continues to work with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and abortion providers to ensure that children and young people have timely access to all abortion services, including telemedicine abortion services.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women have been (a) hospitalised, or (b) required ambulance care following use of at-home abortion pills.
Answered by Caroline Johnson - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the number of cases of domestic abuse and coercion connected with the home use of early medical abortion pills since March 2020.
Answered by Caroline Johnson - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises safeguarding as an essential aspect of abortion care and officials are working with the Domestic Abuse Commissioners Office to understand issues related to domestic abuse and coercion and home-use of early medical abortion (EMA).
All abortion providers are required to have effective arrangements in place to safeguard women and girls accessing abortion services who may be experiencing domestic abuse or coercion. Following Parliament’s decision to make provisions for at home early medical abortion to be made permanent from 30 August, the Department is ensuring that robust safeguarding systems and processes for home use of EMA are embedded in all abortion services.