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Written Question
Babies
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the five recommendations made in the report by the First 1001 Days Movement, A Manifesto for Babies, published on 19 March; and whether they intend to respond to each recommendation.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is strong evidence that the 1,001 days from pregnancy to the age of two years old set the foundations for our cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Investing in this critical period presents a real opportunity to improve outcomes and tackle health disparities by ensuring that thousands of babies and families have improved access to quality support and services. The Government is therefore already taking forward a range of actions in line with recommendations in the report by the First 1001 Days Movement to ensure that every baby gets the best start in life.

For example, in March 2021, the Government published The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days, a copy of which is attached. This vision sets out six action areas for improving support for families during the 1,001 critical days to ensure every baby in England is given the best possible start in life, regardless of background.

The Government is also investing approximately £300 million to improve support for families though the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. The programme is implementing many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation. Many local authorities without funding have also chosen to implement elements of the vision.

The programme funding package includes £10 million to enable five local authorities and their partners to pilot innovative early years workforce models, with the aim of improving the access, experience and outcomes of babies, children, and families, and supporting the capacity and job satisfaction of the workforces involved.

To support new parents, Statutory Maternity Pay is paid by employers to qualifying employed women for a maximum of 39 weeks, the first six weeks of which are paid at 90% of the women’s salary followed by 33 weeks at the lower of either the standard rate or 90% of the woman’s average weekly earnings. For those who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance may be available. This is a benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to eligible women and is intended for those who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay. The standard rate of maternity pay is reviewed annually.

Paternity Leave arrangements enable employed fathers and partners, including same sex partners, who meet the qualifying conditions to take up to two weeks of paid leave within the first eight weeks following the birth of their child or placement for adoption. The Government has recently announced changes to make Paternity Leave and Pay more flexible for working families from April 2024. This includes allowing fathers and partners to take their leave and pay at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child.

A Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme is also available, giving working families much more choice and flexibility about who cares for their child in the first year, and when.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: Women
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to introduce a compensation scheme for women affected by the Pensions Act 1995.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are considering the Ombudsman’s report and will respond in due course.


Written Question
Contraceptives: Endometriosis
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS guidance webpage entitled Getting an IUD (intrauterine device) or copper coil fitted or removed, last reviewed on 15 February 2024, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the extra pain relief that can be made available during the fitting of intrauterine devices on levels of people with endometriosis having intrauterine devices fitted.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Long-acting reversible contraceptive fitting services are commissioned at a local level to meet the needs of the local population. Local authorities and integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring services are delivered in accordance with quality and safety standards and clinical guidance.

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), who are responsible for the clinical issue of pain relief during intrauterine contraception procedures, have published updated clinical guidance for healthcare professionals on pain management during these procedures. FSRH guidance is clear that healthcare professionals should work in partnership with women to establish the best strategies for reducing anxiety, and the most effective interventions for minimising pain during intrauterine contraception procedures.


Written Question
Clinics: Contraceptives
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the ability of sexual health clinics to administer local anaesthetic for the fitting of intrauterine devices.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Long-acting reversible contraceptive fitting services are commissioned at a local level to meet the needs of the local population. Local authorities and integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring services are delivered in accordance with quality and safety standards and clinical guidance.

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), who are responsible for the clinical issue of pain relief during intrauterine contraception procedures, have published updated clinical guidance for healthcare professionals on pain management during these procedures. FSRH guidance is clear that healthcare professionals should work in partnership with women to establish the best strategies for reducing anxiety, and the most effective interventions for minimising pain during intrauterine contraception procedures.


Written Question
Afghanistan and Iran: Women
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to the report of the Gender Apartheid Inquiry Shattering Women's Rights, Shattering Lives, launched on 4 March, and whether they intend to formally respond to its findings and recommendations.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO is aware of the report. There are complex legal and political questions which arise in considering any new crime of 'gender apartheid'. We are considering these questions and consulting legal advisers and subject matter experts.

We have repeatedly condemned Taliban and Iranian policies and actions that restrict the rights of women and girls. Officials from the UK Mission to Afghanistan regularly press Taliban acting ministers to reverse their harmful policies on women and girls. Since Iran's mass protests of 2022-23, we have sanctioned 94 individuals or entities for human rights abuses, including senior decision makers responsible for Iran's oppressive hijab law. We will continue to work with the international community to address women and girls' rights issues in Afghanistan and Iran.


Written Question
Financial Services: Equality
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to accelerate progress towards gender equality in the financial services industry.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has a wide programme of work aimed at tackling gender inequality and supporting women in the workplace.

Since 2017, organisations with 250 or more employees have been required to publish specific data on their gender pay gaps annually, ensuring they are aware of their gender pay gaps and are taking steps to improve gender equality in their organisation.

The Government has taken action to ensure that working parents can balance work and care by expanding childcare entitlements, making flexible working simpler to access, and introducing carer's leave.

Regarding the financial services industry specifically, the Government has taken action to ensure the sector remains world-class, and as productive, innovative and competitive as it can be. In 2016, the Government launched the Women in Finance Charter, which aims to ensure that the right talent is being attracted to the sector and that the best and brightest can continue to rise to the top, regardless of their gender.

The Charter’s Annual Reviews have consistently shown that the Charter has stimulated positive progress across the sector. Participation in the Charter is voluntary, and the first wave of signatories to the Charter started out with an average level of senior female representation of 27%. The signatory base has grown since then and average representation now stands at 35%.

The Treasury Committee’s Sexism in the City inquiry recently made a number of recommendations to the industry, the regulators and Government to consider in order to accelerate progress. The Government will respond to the report and its recommendations in due course.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: Women
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support women affected by changes to the state pension age with the cost of living.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is committed to ensuring that older people can live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and the State Pension is the foundation of state support in retirement. Last year the State Pension saw its biggest ever cash rise, increasing by 10.1%. From April, the basic and new State Pensions will increase by 8.5%, in line with the Triple Lock.

The Government is delivering a comprehensive package of support to help those aged 50 and over to remain in and return to work. We are also committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it, including when they near or reach retirement, through the welfare benefits system. Support is available to those who are unable to work or are on a low income but are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age.

In addition, the government has provided support from 2022-23 to 2023-2024 to help households with the cost of living totalling £96 billion. We are providing further support for 24/25, including uprating working age benefits by 6.7%, raising the National Living Wage and uplifting Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of local rents which will benefit 1.6 million private renters by, on average, £800 a year.

The government is also providing an additional £500m to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund, including funding for the Devolved Administrations through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion. This means that Local Authorities in England will receive an additional £421m to support those in need locally through the Household Support Fund. This will enable further targeted support for people who require assistance to get back to a stable financial position as inflation continues to fall.


Written Question
Education: Assessments
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to help close the gap in exam results between boys and girls.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

Raising attainment for all pupils, no matter their gender or background is at the heart of this government’s agenda, and we are committed to providing a world-class education system for all.

The latest data show that, while girls continue to outperform boys across most headline measures, the gender gap between boys and girls is narrowing.

At KS2 in 2022/23, the gender gap between boys and girls at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths has decreased since 2021/22 and is the lowest it has been since 2016/17. KS4 results show the gender gap has narrowed across all headline measures when comparing 2022/23 with both 2018/19 and 2021/22.

The Schools White Paper (March 2022) was clear about the direction of travel needed to improve attainment. It set out our long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time – founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy.

This is supported by significant investment in education. Next year, including the recently announced funding for pension contributions, overall school funding is increasing by £2.9 billion compared to 2023-24, taking the total to £60.7 billion in 2024-25 – the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. This will help schools in their vital work to close attainment gaps, and level up educational opportunities.

Alongside this, the department takes a range of steps to improve attainment and outcomes for all pupils, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system, increasing attendance, and providing targeted support where needed.

We know that disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs are more likely to fall behind and need extra support to reach their full potential. This is why we provide additional funding as part of schools’ overall funding to support disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium, which will rise to over £2.9 billion in 2024-25, an increase of £80 million from 2023-24.

Programmes such as Free School Meals that support over 2 million children, the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF), and support for up to 2,700 breakfast clubs also support disadvantaged pupils.

We also continue to collaborate with other government departments to address out-of-school factors that we know have a significant impact on attainment outcomes.


Written Question
Developing Countries: Female Genital Mutilation
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what criteria his Department uses to assess the effectiveness of programs working on eradicating FGM that his Department (a) has awarded and (b) plans to award funds to.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We work with a range of organisations in our efforts to tackle Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This includes specialist FGM charities, academic institutions, private sector organisations, and grassroots organisations.

The UK has a proud record of supporting the Africa-Led Movement to End FGM. We are investing £35 million between 2019-2027 to support grassroots African organisations and activists leading change from within their communities through small grant funding. The UK also supports grassroots organisations tackling FGM through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women and the Equality Fund. We do not hold data on what proportion of FCDO spend has gone to grassroots organisations for activities that specifically address FGM.

In 2022, £75.1 million of UK bilateral Official Development Assistance was spent on tackling violence against women and girls. Results show that between April 2021 and March 2023 our work on gender-based violence, including FGM, reached 4.2 million people.

All FCDO programmes have agreed criteria for results and effectiveness against which they are measured annually. We have also developed new tools to track rates of FGM and changes in attitudes and are using these to measure the effectiveness of our FGM programmes.


Written Question
Developing Countries: Female Genital Mutilation
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to which (a) charities and (b) other organisations his Department has allocated funding to help tackle FGM in the last five years.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We work with a range of organisations in our efforts to tackle Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This includes specialist FGM charities, academic institutions, private sector organisations, and grassroots organisations.

The UK has a proud record of supporting the Africa-Led Movement to End FGM. We are investing £35 million between 2019-2027 to support grassroots African organisations and activists leading change from within their communities through small grant funding. The UK also supports grassroots organisations tackling FGM through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women and the Equality Fund. We do not hold data on what proportion of FCDO spend has gone to grassroots organisations for activities that specifically address FGM.

In 2022, £75.1 million of UK bilateral Official Development Assistance was spent on tackling violence against women and girls. Results show that between April 2021 and March 2023 our work on gender-based violence, including FGM, reached 4.2 million people.

All FCDO programmes have agreed criteria for results and effectiveness against which they are measured annually. We have also developed new tools to track rates of FGM and changes in attitudes and are using these to measure the effectiveness of our FGM programmes.