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9 Jan 2006 : Column 164W—continued

SANELINE

Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what services have the funds formerly provided to SANELINE been diverted. [30955]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The funding provided for SANELINE under the Department's contract with SANE, was a specific allocation made for a time-limited period only.
 
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Sexual Health

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken by the Government to increase awareness of the risks of sexually transmitted diseases. [26236]

Caroline Flint: Measures to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were set out in the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV" (2001) and the public health White Paper Choosing Health", published last November, available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk.

The White Paper also announced a new high profile national campaign, to promote safer sex messages, aimed at reducing the prevalence and spread of all STIs. The campaign will focus on younger men and women. It will be a high profile media campaign, focusing on the risks of unprotected sex and the benefits of using condoms to avoid the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and unintended pregnancies.

Measures also include targeted HIV prevention and health promotion work with those most at risk of HIV infections, such as gay men and African communities, provided through community organisations such as the Terrence Higgins Trust and the African HIV policy network.

In addition to these national measures, primary care trusts are responsible for providing sexual health promotion and services which meet the needs of their local populations. To support them in this role, the Department, working with professional bodies, has published recommended standards for sexual health services; a toolkit of best practice for sexual health promotion, and guidance on commissioning.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research projects on (a) abortion, (b) contraception, (c) reproductive health and (d) the effects of abortion on women have been commissioned by her Department in each of the last five years for which information is available; and what the publication arrangements were in each case. [35969]

Caroline Flint: The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service. Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by NHS organisations. The remainder funds health and social care research through the Department's central research programmes. Details of relevant individual projects are listed as follows:

Health technology assessment (HTA) projects


 
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Policy Research Programme Projects

The following projects are funded through the allocation of departmental policy research programme budget to the Medical Research Council (MRC). The research is commissioned by the MRC on behalf of the Department.


 
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(forthcoming in December 2005 DfES research release)

These publications are available from the Teenage Pregnancy Unit's pages of the Department for Education and Skills website, at www.dfes.gov.uk unless otherwise stated.

The following policy research programme projects have been commissioned and are currently ongoing:

These will be published through peer-reviewed journal articles and dissemination to targeted audiences.


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