Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the (a) individuals and (b) organisations consulted prior to the publication of the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education in England Government consultation response; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Modern pressures children face such as harms related to the internet, as well as long-standing issues such as abuse or drug misuse, mean children are growing up in an increasingly complex world. That is why we are making making relationships education compulsory for all primary pupils, relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory for secondary pupils, and health education compulsory for all state-funded pupils.
There is clear evidence that good quality RSE also has a protective function in other important areas, supporting further our rationale for making the subjects compulsory. For example, there are several studies that show a positive association between RSE and contraceptive use, and between RSE and later ages for first sexual intercourse, which are behaviours that reduce the risk of teenage pregnancy. Improving contraceptive use to prevent unwanted pregnancy has the potential to reduce abortion rates. Further information is available at the following links:
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/3/e007837.
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005215.pub3/full.
The Department conducted a consultation on the draft regulations, statutory guidance and regulatory impact assessment, which closed on 7 November. The Department was contacted by over 40,000 individuals and organisations. These included parents, young people, headteachers, teachers, governors, subject specialists, teaching unions, charities and faith groups. The Department analysed the responses to the consultation and have since published the Government response and updated the draft statutory guidance.
The key decisions on these subjects have also been informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools, and the Department engaged with 90 organisations representing a broad range of views. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of effect of sex and relationships education on rates of (a) pregnancy and (b) abortion in those under the age of (i) 16 and (ii) 18 years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Modern pressures children face such as harms related to the internet, as well as long-standing issues such as abuse or drug misuse, mean children are growing up in an increasingly complex world. That is why we are making making relationships education compulsory for all primary pupils, relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory for secondary pupils, and health education compulsory for all state-funded pupils.
There is clear evidence that good quality RSE also has a protective function in other important areas, supporting further our rationale for making the subjects compulsory. For example, there are several studies that show a positive association between RSE and contraceptive use, and between RSE and later ages for first sexual intercourse, which are behaviours that reduce the risk of teenage pregnancy. Improving contraceptive use to prevent unwanted pregnancy has the potential to reduce abortion rates. Further information is available at the following links:
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/3/e007837.
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005215.pub3/full.
The Department conducted a consultation on the draft regulations, statutory guidance and regulatory impact assessment, which closed on 7 November. The Department was contacted by over 40,000 individuals and organisations. These included parents, young people, headteachers, teachers, governors, subject specialists, teaching unions, charities and faith groups. The Department analysed the responses to the consultation and have since published the Government response and updated the draft statutory guidance.
The key decisions on these subjects have also been informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools, and the Department engaged with 90 organisations representing a broad range of views. These stakeholders can be found in the Government response to the Call for Evidence at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/180718%20Consultation_call%20for%20evidence%20response_policy%20statement.pdf.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2019 to Question 224485 on the Alan Guttmacher Institute, in what year her Department most recently verified the accuracy of the illegal abortion statistics provided by the Guttmacher Institute; and what the outcome was of that most recent assessment.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID reviews the Guttmacher Institute’s performance in March each year and, throughout the year, keeping abreast of all publications – including estimations of induced abortions. The Guttmacher Institute has a strong reputation for producing high quality scientific research and data for evidence-based policy. As such, DFID has confidence in their independent estimates.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to her Department's paper entitled, Single Departmental Plan - Results Achieved by Sector in 2012-2018, Family Planning, what steps her Department has taken to verify the numbers of illegal backstreet abortions provided by the Guttmacher Institute; and whether her Department has conducted a separate estimate of those abortions.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID’s single departmental plan reports on the increase in family planning use from our programmes. From this, estimates are made, based on the best international expertise, on wider impact. The Guttmacher Institute’s reputation for producing high quality scientific research and data for evidence-based policy making on Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights means we have confidence in these independent estimates.
Other studies support the key Guttmacher Institute finding that unsafe abortion is a significant killer of women and restricting safe abortion does not make abortion less common, it just makes it less safe.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2019 to Question 217544 on Spina Bifida: Surgery, if his Department will make it its policy to provide pain relief to unborn babies of a similar age undergoing a termination.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Department does not set clinical practice. To support 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’ 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
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has commissioned in the last five years into the long-term effect of abortion on (a) future miscarriages, (b) premature births, (c) suicide and (d) other health issues among women (i) under 25 and (ii) of other ages.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health Research. The Department has not commissioned any such studies directly concerned with the long-term effects of abortion. However, a study currently underway, aims to provide the research and practical evidence base to deliver quality improvement in preconception care, to prevent unplanned pregnancies and abortion, and to mitigate the adverse impacts of unplanned pregnancies. This study is due to report in December 2021.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to carry out research into the physical health risks associated with the ingestion of the abortion drug misoprostol; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Government’s priority is to ensure that women who require abortion services have access to safe, high-quality care. Abortions in England must be performed under the legal framework set by the Abortion Act 1967. We are not currently in a position to recommend that the home be approved as a class of place under Section 1(3)(a) of the Abortion Act in England. However, we are keeping the position under review, including reviewing the available evidence and having regard to the ongoing legal proceedings concerning home use in Scotland.
The evidence shows that the use of misoprostol is safe for women receiving abortion treatment who have no contraindications. Common physical side effects include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dizziness, headache, nausea, rash and vomiting. Uncommon side effects are abnormal vaginal bleeding, pyrexia (high temperature) and uterine cramping.
We are not aware of any assessment of the psychological impact of passing a fetus at home but in 2011 the World Health Organization published a systematic review, Comparative effectiveness, safety and acceptability of medical abortion at home and in a clinic. On acceptability, studies were examined that looked at satisfaction with the method, the likelihood of choosing the method again and the likelihood of recommending medical abortion to a friend. For medical abortions completed at home the average satisfaction rate was 88.4% and analysis showed no difference in satisfaction rates between women taking misoprostol at home or in clinic. In England, most women undergoing early medical abortion leave the clinic after taking the misoprostol and complete the procedure at home. A copy of the review can be viewed online at:
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/5/10-084046/en/
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Health, what clinical guidance advises on (a) at what stage of pregnancy anaesthetic is applied to a fetus before an abortion procedure and (b) for which kind of abortion procedures anaesthetic is applied.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
To support clinical practice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists provides guidance on the use of anaesthesia in abortion procedures in guidelines on The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion and Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice, which can be viewed online at:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
and
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policy on abortion of research demonstrating the capacity of foetuses to react to pain.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
As with other matters of conscience, abortion is an issue on which the Government adopts a neutral stance. It is accepted Parliamentary practice that proposals for changes in the law on abortion come from back-bench members and that decisions are made on the basis of free votes.
The Department does not set clinical practice in abortion services. To support clinical practice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has published evidence based guidelines, ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which can be viewed at:
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the prevalence of gender-selective abortion in the UK.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
In August 2015, the Department published an ‘Assessment of termination of pregnancy on grounds of the sex of the foetus’ on the gov.uk website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/abortion-on-grounds-of-sex-of-the-foetus
A further analysis of birth ratios in Great Britain was published on the gov.uk website in October 2017 at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gender-ratios-at-birth-in-great-britain-2011-to-2015
No substantiated evidence was found of gender selective abortions taking place in Britain. The Department will continue to monitor this issue closely through repeating the analysis of birth ratios annually, and working with other government departments and researchers. This includes collaborating with a successful applicant to the Economic and Social Research Council on research into son preference and sex selection against females in the United Kingdom, which will look at evidence, causes, trends and implications.