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When we speak of making condoms freely available on the NHS, of course someone has to pay, but it would be a small up-front investment that resulted in massive long-term savings: savings on preventing unwanted pregnancy and the need for abortion or maternity services; savings on preventing sexually transmitted infections, reducing the need for treatment and the demand for screening; savings on the massive price of medication to treat HIVa lifelong infection for which there is still no
cureand savings on the human cost of that and other infections, such as chlamydia, which leave an ever-increasing number of both men and women infertile, and cost the NHS huge amounts in fertility treatment.
Condom provision must be free because, as with any consumer product, the higher the price, the lower the take-up. In the July 2004 edition of The Lancet the RAND corporation reported an interesting experiment that proves the point. The corporation distributed 13 million free condoms annually in Louisiana through almost 2,000 retail outlets and publicly funded clinics. After three years, there was an increase in condom use from 40 to 54 per cent. by men and from 28 to 36 per cent. by women. At the end of the three years, the corporation tried to recoup some of the programmes costs by selling heavily subsidised condoms to retail outlets and letting them resell the condoms for just 25 cents each. Instantly, condom distribution nose-dived by 98 per cent. Free distribution was reinstated, and condom use rose again.
As the author of the RAND report says:
The lesson: even in the worlds richest country, the right price for condoms is zero.
The question is not whether we can afford to dispense free condoms at GP surgeries, but whether we can afford not to. We need to make it easier for young people and those in hard-to-reach groups to get hold of condoms free. That way, they are more likely to get them and more likely to use them. The GPs surgery is the most logical place for people to go, and providing condoms in general practice will encourage patients to start talking about contraception and sexual health to doctors and practice nurses. That would be another massive step in the right direction.
The Government have done much to raise awareness of good sexual health and the need for protection. The current awareness campaign, Condom Essential Wear, is a good example and was welcomed by the independent advisory group on sexual health and HIV, but it, too, stressed the need for sufficient free condom supplies and said that GP surgeries were a key outlet for provision to
meet demand stimulated by the campaign and support the message.
The Government are due to give their response to the independent advisory groups report in March. It would be great if they took account of its recommendation and allow GPs to dispense free condoms, which would go at least some way towards easing the difficulties faced by contraceptive services in the UK as a whole.
Many family planning and community contraceptive clinics are being closed or reduced because primary care trusts have to cut their budgets. Contraceptive services and centres are an easy target, and as they remain the only outlets where condoms are provided free, there is now an even bigger access issue. As such centres close down, more and more contraceptive services are pushed into general practice, so it is only right that GPs should be able to provide equally comprehensive services and extend their provision of free contraception to condoms. The general practice of the future may commission services as well as provide them. The Bill is forward-thinking and would ensure
that if GPs commission sexual health services, the provision of condoms free of charge is included as a matter of course.
The final aspect of the Bill concerns promoting and advertising free access to condoms. Signposting is fundamental to encourage take-up and promote education, and will help normalise the use of condoms, which in turn will lead to more responsible condom use and greater awareness of the importance of sexual health.
The Bill is supported by the Family Planning Association, the Terrence Higgins Trust, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Nursing and the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. The all-party pro-choice and sexual health group, the all-party AIDS group and the independent advisory group on sexual health and HIV also support it. I hope that the House will do likewise.
Bill ordered to be brought in by Natascha Engel, Mr. Neil Gerrard, Chris McCafferty, Norman Lamb, Lynne Featherstone, Lorely Burt, Anne Main, Laura Moffatt, Dr. Howard Stoate, Dr. Doug Naysmith, Dr. Evan Harris and Mr. David S. Borrow.
Natascha Engel accordingly presented a Bill to make provision about access to contraceptive services; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 15 June, and to be printed [Bill 57].
Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I noticed that during the excellent speech made by my hon. Friend the Member for North-East Derbyshire (Natascha Engel) on her ten-minute Bill, there was not a single Opposition Front-Bench health spokesman present. Is it not a convention
Mr. Speaker: Order. The hon. Gentleman should not draw me into these matters.
Not amended in the Public Bill Committee, considered.
(1) In section 17 of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 (c. 33), the inserted section 21A of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47) (Northern Ireland department with policing and justice functions) is amended as follows.
(2) For subsections (1) and (2) substitute
(1) An Act of the Assembly that
(a) establishes a new Northern Ireland department; and
(b) provides that the purpose of the department is to exercise functions consisting wholly or mainly of devolved policing and justice functions,
may (but need not) make provision of the kind mentioned in subsection (3), (4), (5) or (5A).
(3) After subsection (5) insert
(a) for the department to be in the charge of a Northern Ireland Minister elected by the Assembly; and
(b) for that Minister to be supported by a deputy Minister elected by the Assembly.
(a) for and (5) substitute , (5) and (5A);
(b) at the end insert , or by Order in Council under subsection (7C).
(5) After subsection (7) insert
(7A) If it appears to the Secretary of State that there is no reasonable prospect that the Assembly will pass an Act of the kind described in subsection (1)(a) and (b), he may lay before Parliament the draft of an Order in Council which
(a) establishes a new Northern Ireland department;
(b) provides that the purpose of the department is to exercise functions consisting wholly or mainly of devolved policing and justice functions;
(c) provides for the department to be in the charge of a Northern Ireland Minister elected by the Assembly and for that Minister to be supported by a deputy Minister elected by the Assembly; and
(d) provides for Part 3A of Schedule 4A to apply in relation to the department (with any necessary modifications).
(7B) The draft of an Order laid before Parliament under subsection (7A) may contain supplementary, incidental, consequential, transitional or saving provision.
(7C) If the draft of an Order laid before Parliament under subsection (7A) is approved by resolution of each House of Parliament, the Secretary of State shall submit it to Her Majesty in Council and Her Majesty in Council may make the Order.
(7D) No more than one department may be established by virtue of an Order under subsection (7C).
(6) After section 21A of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47) insert
21B Section 21A(5A): transitional provision
(1) This section has effect in relation to
(a) the first Act of the Assembly to establish a new Northern Ireland department and to make provision of the kind mentioned in section 21A(5A); or
(b) an Order in Council under section 21A(7C) establishing a new Northern Ireland department.
(2) The Act or the Order may include provision for or in connection with securing that the department is to be treated, for the purposes of section 17, as not having been established until the time at which devolved policing and justice functions are first transferred to, or conferred on, the department (the time of devolution).
(3) The Act or the Order may include provision for or in connection with applying paragraph 11E(3) to (6) of Schedule 4A (with any necessary modifications) to enable elections to be held, before the time of devolution, to select
(a) a member of the Assembly (the relevant Minister designate) to be the person who is to hold the relevant Ministerial office as from the time of devolution; and
(b) a member of the Assembly (the deputy Minister designate) to be the person who is to hold the deputy Ministerial office as from that time.
(4) Where the Act or the Order includes provision by virtue of subsection (3), it shall secure that (notwithstanding paragraph 11E(1) of Schedule 4A)
(a) if the relevant Minister designate affirms the terms of the pledge of office within a specified period after the time of devolution, he shall become the relevant Minister;
(b) if the deputy Minister designate affirms the terms of the pledge of office within that period, he shall (subject to paragraph (c)) become the deputy Minister;
(c) if the relevant Minister designate does not affirm the terms of the pledge of office within that period
(i) he shall not become the relevant Minister, and
(ii) paragraph 11E(10) and (11) of Schedule 4A shall apply as if the relevant Minister had ceased to hold office at the end of that period otherwise than by virtue of section 16A(2);
(d) if the deputy Minister designate does not affirm the terms of the pledge of office within that period
(i) he shall not become the deputy Minister, and
(ii) paragraph 11E(10) of Schedule 4A shall apply as if the deputy Minister had ceased to hold office at the end of that period otherwise than by virtue of section 16A(2).
(5) In this section devolved policing and justice function has the same meaning as in section 21A (see subsection (8) of that section).
(6) In this section relevant Minister, relevant Ministerial office, deputy Minister and deputy Ministerial office have the same meaning as in Part 3A of Schedule 4A.
(7) After section 21B of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47) insert
21C Section 21A(5A): power of Assembly to secure retention or abolition of deputy Ministerial office
(1) This section applies if a new Northern Ireland department is established
(a) by an Act of the Assembly which makes provision of the kind mentioned in section 21A(5A); or
(b) by an Order in Council under section 21A(7C).
(2) Standing orders shall require the committee established by virtue of section 29A to consider the operation of the Ministerial arrangements provided for by Part 3A of Schedule 4A.
(3) The committee shall, by no later than two years and ten months after the time at which devolved policing and justice functions are first transferred to, or conferred on, the department (the time of devolution), make a report on the operation of the Ministerial arrangements provided for by Part 3A of Schedule 4A
(b) to the Executive Committee,
and the report must include a recommendation as to whether or not the deputy Ministerial office (see subsection (8)) should be retained.
(4) If before the end of the period of three years beginning with the time of devolution (the initial period) the Assembly resolves that the deputy Ministerial office should be abolished at a time specified in the resolution (before the end of the initial period), the Secretary of State shall make an order abolishing the deputy Ministerial office (see subsection (9)) at, or as soon as reasonably practicable after, the time specified.
(a) subsection (4) does not apply; and
(b) the Assembly does not resolve, before the end of the initial period, that the deputy Ministerial office should be retained for an additional period ending after the initial period,
the Secretary of State shall make an order abolishing the deputy Ministerial office as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of the initial period.
(a) subsection (4) does not apply;
(b) the Assembly resolves that the deputy Ministerial office should be retained for an additional period ending after the initial period or for one or more further additional periods; and
(c) one of those additional periods ends without a further additional period having begun,
the Secretary of State shall make an order abolishing the deputy Ministerial office as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of that period.
(7) A resolution of the Assembly under this section shall not be passed without the support of
(a) a majority of the members voting on the motion for the resolution;
(b) a majority of the designated Nationalists voting; and
(c) a majority of the designated Unionists voting.
(8) In this section deputy Ministerial office has the same meaning as in Part 3A of Schedule 4A.
(9) In this section references to an order abolishing the deputy Ministerial office are to an order amending this Act and any other enactment so far as may be necessary to secure that the Northern Ireland Minister in charge of the department for the time being
(a) is not to be supported by a deputy Minister (within the meaning of Part 3A of Schedule 4A); and
(b) need not belong to the largest or the second largest political designation (within that meaning).
(10) An order under this section may contain supplementary, incidental, consequential, transitional or saving provision.
(8) Schedule (Northern Ireland department with policing and justice functions) (Northern Ireland department with policing and justice functions) shall have effect.
(9) In section 96 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47) (orders and regulations) in subsection (1), after 17(4), insert 21C,.. [Mr. Hanson.]
Brought up, and read the First time.
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. David Hanson): I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.
Mr. Speaker: With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:
New clause 2 Powers of the Secretary of State with regard to conditions for devolving policing and justice matters
After section 4 of the Northern Ireland Act, 1998 (c. 47), insert
4A (1) If by 1st May 2008 no resolution has been passed by the Assembly of the type referred to in section 4(2A), then, notwithstanding anything in section 4(2) or (2A), the Secretary of State may lay before Parliament the draft of an Order in Council amending Schedule 3 so that devolved policing and justice matters cease to be reserved matters with effect from such date as may be specified in the Order.
(2) If the draft of an Order laid before Parliament under subsection (1) is approved by resolution of each House of Parliament, the Secretary of State shall submit it to Her Majesty in Council and Her Majesty in Council may make the Order.
(3) An Order made under this section
(a) must confer all functions with regard to devolved policing and justice matters on the Northern Ireland department referred to in section 21(3) of this Act, if established by Act of the Assembly;
(b) must establish a new Northern Ireland department in the charge of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister acting jointly, if not already established by Act of the Assembly;
(c) may make such modifications of enactments as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient in consequence of the transfer of devolved policing and justice matters; and
(d) may make such consequential, supplemental or transitional provision as appears to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient.
(4) Nothing in this section prejudices the operation of Part III of this Act and the Assembly may amend or revoke an Order made under this section.
(5) In this section devolved policing and justice matter has the same meaning as in section 4...
New clause 4 Primacy in intelligence gathering
(1) The Police Service of Northern Ireland shall retain primacy in matters of intelligence gathering in Northern Ireland.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), primacy in matters of intelligence gathering in Northern Ireland shall include in particular lead responsibility in Northern Ireland for the
(a) strategic assessment of intelligence needs;
(b) overall assessment of intelligence gathered;
(c) appropriate dissemination of intelligence gathered;
(d) recruitment, conduct and use of covert human intelligence sources;
(e) interception of communications; and
(f) deployment of directed and intrusive surveillance
in matters connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland.
(3) Sub-section (1) applies whether or not the intelligence concerned relates or may relate to national security..
Government new schedule 1 Northern Ireland department with policing and justice functions.
Mr. Hanson: Right hon. and hon. Members will be aware of the significant and historic progress that has been made over recent weeks in Northern Ireland. First, we had the agreement at St. Andrews. Last week we had the latest Independent Monitoring Commission report, which confirmed the Provisional IRAs ongoing commitment to an exclusively political path. Last week also saw the unprecedented move by Sinn Fein in favour of support for Northern Irelands policing and justice institutions, which I think that all sides will welcome, and which I hope will be built on over the next few weeks and months.
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