Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
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 potential merits of providing fetal pain relief during abortion procedures, in a similar way to that provided to fetuses in utero during open fetal surgery for spina bifida repair.
Answered by Caroline Johnson
The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines on ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
The Royal College has established a review group to consider the latest evidence on fetal pain and fetal awareness. It is expected to report on its findings by the end of 2022.
Asked by: Sally-Ann Hart (Conservative - Hastings and Rye)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the evidence base is to support the use of fetal analgesia during in-utero surgery for spina bifida from 19 weeks' gestation, but not its use before the termination of a pregnancy at the same gestation.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion (Evidence-based Clinical Guideline No. 7)’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
The Royal College is currently reviewing these guidelines to consider the latest evidence on fetal pain and fetal awareness. It has advised that that the difference in approach in the use of fetal analgesia for in-utero surgery for spinda bifida is related to the fetal stress response, which is not related to fetal pain and the need for the fetus to be immobilised during spinal surgery. There is also evidence that the stress response could impact ongoing development of the fetus.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists takes wide-ranging evidence in open session as part of its upcoming review of its fetal pain guidelines, as recommended by the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group’s inquiry into fetal pain, published in 2020.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
The Royal College is currently reviewing ‘Fetal Awareness: Review and Recommendations for Practice’, independently of Government. The Department has brought Dr Stuart Derbyshire’s research to the attention of the College, which established a review group to consider the latest evidence on fetal pain and fetal awareness. The gathering of evidence for the review is a matter for this group.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will require the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to publish the responses by the peer reviewers to (a) Fetal awareness: review of research and recommendations for practice, published in 2010 and (b) the forthcoming set of guidelines on fetal pain.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
The Royal College is currently reviewing ‘Fetal Awareness: Review and Recommendations for Practice’, independently of Government. The Department has brought Dr Stuart Derbyshire’s research to the attention of the College, which established a review group to consider the latest evidence on fetal pain and fetal awareness. The gathering of evidence for the review is a matter for this group.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of research conducted by Dr Stuart Derbyshire, if he will ask the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to update its guidelines on the use of fetal painkillers from 18 weeks gestation prior to an abortion.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
The Royal College is currently reviewing ‘Fetal Awareness: Review and Recommendations for Practice’, independently of Government. The Department has brought Dr Stuart Derbyshire’s research to the attention of the College, which established a review group to consider the latest evidence on fetal pain and fetal awareness. The gathering of evidence for the review is a matter for this group.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has (a) commissioned or (b) plans to commission research on the health and welfare of women who have used home-administered early medical abortion during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has no plans to commission research on this specific issue.
The Government’s public consultation on whether to make permanent the temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women asked questions about the impact on the provision of services for women and girls with particular regard to safety. The consultation has now closed and we are considering all evidence submitted and plan to publish our response later this year.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commission independent research on the impact of early medical abortions on (a) those experiencing domestic violence, (b) trafficked women and sex workers and (c) other vulnerable groups before any decision on their continuation is made.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to do so. commission research on these issues. The Government’s public consultation on whether to make permanent the temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women asked questions on the impact of making permanent the temporary measure on people with protected characteristics. The consultation also sought views on the potential for making permanent home use of both pills for early medical abortion to reduce or increase inequality in health outcomes experienced by different socioeconomic groups. The consultation has now closed and we will be considering all evidence submitted and plan to publish our response later this year.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the research by Hakansson et alia, published in the journal Pediatrics in July 2004, on increases in the number of babies born at 22 weeks gestation that can survive outside the womb and the increase in that number with proactive perinatal care, what plans his Department has to review the time limits on abortion in the UK.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is for Parliament to decide whether to make any changes to the law on abortion. As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance and allows hon. Members to vote according to their moral, ethical or religious beliefs.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
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 consultation, Home use of both pills for early medical abortion, which closed on 26 February 2021, whether individuals or organisations other than Ministers or officials of his Department (a) have and (b) have had access in real time to the responses to that consultation received by his Department; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
A external company has been contracted by the Department to undertake independent analysis of consultation responses. They are able to access data for reporting and analysis purposes at the Department’s request and are supporting the impartial analysis of responses to the consultation on the temporary approval. The strength and robustness of evidence or research submitted as part of this consultation will be assessed and considered alongside any potential conflicts of interest.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
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 consultation, Home use of both pills for early medical abortion, which closed on 26 February 2021, what steps he is taking to ensure the impartial assessment and evaluation of empirical evidence collected in the course of that consultation.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
A external company has been contracted by the Department to undertake independent analysis of consultation responses. They are able to access data for reporting and analysis purposes at the Department’s request and are supporting the impartial analysis of responses to the consultation on the temporary approval. The strength and robustness of evidence or research submitted as part of this consultation will be assessed and considered alongside any potential conflicts of interest.