Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1331864

registered interest
date	10/06/2021
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Northern Ireland Office: Artificial Intelligence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to what extent their Department makes use of artificial intelligence in the implementation of its policies; and how much was spent from their Department’s budget on artificial intelligence in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	14051
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>The Northern Ireland Office does not currently use artificial intelligence in the implementation of its policies. No money was spent on artificial intelligence in each of the last three years.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 14:06:02 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1332048

registered interest
date	10/06/2021
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland, what urgent steps he is taking to ensure that those services are fully (a) funded and (b) staffed.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	13878
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>Funding for all health services is a matter for the NI Executive.</p><p> </p><p>It is our clear position that these are devolved policy matters to be implemented through devolved bodies. As a result, the costs should be met from the Northern Ireland Block grant. The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) will continue to work closely with the Department of Health in taking forward implementation of this important devolved issue. The NIO will also provide advice as appropriate around any relevant requests for funding, and I continue to encourage the Health Minister to ensure that women and girls in Northern Ireland are provided with local, safe and high-quality healthcare.</p><p> </p><p>We made the Abortion Regulations in March 2020 - and remain disappointed with the continuing failure to commission abortion services that are consistent with the Regulations to ensure women and girls have safe local access to this healthcare service. While medical professionals have taken forward some service provision on the ground in Northern Ireland from last April and over 1,100 abortions have been provided to date, more needs to be done.</p><p> </p><p>We have always said that we believe that the commissioning of services by the Department of Health would remain the most appropriate way to progress the matter. However, after a year of engaging to see positive progress made, with no success, the legal duties and moral obligations are such that we have taken further action.</p><p> </p><p>The Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021, which came into effect on 31 March 2021, give the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a power to direct relevant Northern Ireland Ministers, departments and agencies to commission abortion services, consistent with the conditions set out in the 2020 Regulations.</p><p> </p><p>We will not let progress be drawn out indefinitely. We are clear that we want to see concrete progress towards the commissioning of abortion services before summer recess, and if this is not achieved, we will not hesitate in issuing a direction immediately so direct action is taken so that the rights of women and girls can be properly upheld and they can have safe and lawful access to abortion services locally.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to engage with the Department of Health to try and find a way forward and will provide every opportunity to move forward with commissioning before we have to issue the direction.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 14:54:41 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker previous answer version 6602 answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1332049

registered interest
date	10/06/2021
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what timeframe he plans to agree with the Minister of Health in Northern Ireland on the introduction of a fully funded and commissioned abortion service; and what steps he is taking to ensure that service is made available.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	13879
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2021 answer text <p>We made the Abortion Regulations in March 2020 - and remain disappointed with the continuing failure to commission abortion services that are consistent with the Regulations to ensure women and girls have safe local access to this healthcare service. While medical professionals have taken forward some service provision on the ground in Northern Ireland from last April and over 1,100 abortions have been provided to date, more needs to be done.</p><p> </p><p>We have always said that we believe that the commissioning of services by the Department of Health would remain the most appropriate way to progress the matter. However, after a year of engaging to see positive progress made, with no success, the legal duties and moral obligations are such that we have taken further action.</p><p> </p><p>The Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021, which came into effect on 31 March 2021, give the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a power to direct relevant Northern Ireland Ministers, departments and agencies to commission abortion services, consistent with the conditions set out in the 2020 Regulations.</p><p> </p><p>We will not let progress be drawn out indefinitely. We are clear that we want to see concrete progress towards the commissioning of abortion services before summer recess, and if this is not achieved, we will not hesitate in issuing a direction immediately so direct action is taken so that the rights of women and girls can be properly upheld and they can have safe and lawful access to abortion services locally.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to engage with the Department of Health to try and find a way forward and will provide every opportunity to move forward with commissioning before we have to issue the direction.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 15/06/2021 14:58:25 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1332050

registered interest
date	10/06/2021
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland, whether he has plans to allocate long-term funding for the maintenance of a central access point for abortion care.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	13880
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of consulting with experts, counselling and other support services to support women and girls in accessing services and making individual decisions on these matters. I put on record my thanks to Informing Choices NI for providing a central access point for early medical abortion services, working alongside medical professionals in all Health and Social Care Trusts. I also appreciate the wider support and post pregnancy counselling services Informing Choices NI is providing to women and girls in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>Funding for all health services is a matter for the NI Executive. It is our clear position that these are devolved policy matters to be implemented through devolved bodies. As a result, the costs should be met from the Northern Ireland Block grant.</p><p> </p><p>The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) will continue to work closely with the Department of Health in taking forward implementation of this important devolved issue. The NIO will also provide advice as appropriate around any relevant requests for funding, and I continue to encourage the Health Minister to ensure that women and girls in Northern Ireland are provided with local, safe and high-quality healthcare.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 14:56:35 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker previous answer version 6604 answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1332051

registered interest
date	10/06/2021
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment his Department has made of the mental health impact on pregnant women in Northern Ireland during the covid-19 pandemic of a lack of access to abortion services in Northern Ireland.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	13881
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>I thank the Hon Lady for raising this issue. In discussing this issue, we must remember the women and girls who are impacted by the lack of safe, local and accessible healthcare. The health and safety of women and girls remains paramount in providing access to abortion services right across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>We made the Abortion Regulations in March 2020 - and remain disappointed with the continuing failure to commission abortion services that are consistent with the Regulations to ensure women and girls have safe local access to this healthcare service, including access to counselling.</p><p> </p><p>We laid further Regulations on 23 March 2021, which provide the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with a power to direct a Northern Ireland Minister, a Northern Ireland department, the Health and Social Care Board of the Public Health Agency to take action necessary to implement all of the recommendations in paragraphs 85 and 86 of the CEDAW Report. We took this action because we understood the impact the delays have had on women and girls in Northern Ireland, who cannot access safe and local healthcare.</p><p> </p><p>I recognise that this delay continues to affect women and girls in Northern Ireland and we will not let progress be drawn out indefinitely. We are clear that we want to see concrete progress towards the commissioning of abortion services before summer recess. If this is not achieved, we will not hesitate in issuing a direction immediately so that the rights of women and girls can be properly upheld and they can have safe and lawful access to abortion services locally.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 14:58:32 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker previous answer version 6603 answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1332053

registered interest
date	10/06/2021
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether an Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out on the Department of Health's decision not to commission abortion services in Northern Ireland.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	13882
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2021 answer text <p>I recognise the Hon Lady’s work on this important issue, and appreciate the engagement we have had to date. The Hon Lady will be aware that my department carried out an Equality Impact Assessment before the framework for abortion in Northern Ireland was set out in Parliament last year. As a designated public authority for the purposes of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, if a further Equality Impact Assessment is required on the Department of Health’s decision not to commission services, then this would be a matter for that department to take forward.</p><p> </p><p>Service provision should be delivered and overseen locally by the Department of Health and relevant health bodies with the relevant legal powers, policy and operational expertise to do so. We are disappointed with the subsequent and continuing failure of the Department and Health and the Northern Ireland Executive to commission abortion services that are consistent with those Regulations - despite having extensively engaged with the Minister for Health, his Department and wider members of the Executive on this issue for over a year now.</p><p> </p><p>We laid further Regulations on 23 March 2021, which provide the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with a power to direct a Northern Ireland Minister, a Northern Ireland department, the Health and Social Care Board of the Public Health Agency to take action necessary to implement all of the recommendations in paragraphs 85 and 86 of the CEDAW Report. We took this action because we understood the impact the delays have had on women and girls in Northern Ireland, who cannot access safe and local healthcare,</p><p> </p><p>I recognise that this delay continues to affect women and girls in Northern Ireland and we will not let progress be drawn out indefinitely. We are clear that we want to see concrete progress towards the commissioning of abortion services before summer recess. If this is not achieved, we will not hesitate in issuing a direction immediately so that the rights of women and girls can be properly upheld and they can have safe and lawful access to abortion services locally.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/06/2021 14:59:53 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker previous answer version 6601 answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson