Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 13
Fifth Report - The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in young people and other high risk groups
Published 26 Mar 2024
Paragraph 57
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Prevalence of STIs among young people All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
School nurses are a valuable resource. They are a trusted adult who children can turn to, they can pick up on safeguarding concerns, and trends in problems such as STI prevalence in a community. They can also direct children to sexual health services, 30 The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in young people and other high risk groups reducing potential demand on hospital services and risks to long term health. In response to this Report the Government should set out plans to reverse the recent substantial and damaging reductions in the number of school nurses.
From: Women and Equalities Committee, Fifth Report - The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in young people and other high risk groups (HC 463), paragraph 57, 26 March 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 7 May 2025 (deadline 26 May 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response to the Committee's recommendations is mixed: it accepts some, partially accepts most, and gives its reasons and commitments for each.
- On the public health grant, the government "partially accepts" the call for a radical increase, noting a 2025/26 rise to £3.858 billion and that, "Subject to the spending review", it "will aim to issue multi-year allocations from 2026/27 onwards".
- On assessing repeated tendering, it "partially accepts" the recommendation but says "no further assessment is planned at this stage", citing the Provider Selection Regime introduced on 1 January 2024.
- On a national sexual health strategy, it "partially accepts" the recommendation and points to a new HIV Action Plan, which it "aim[s] to publish in 2025", including an objective to stabilise and support the wider sexual and reproductive health system.
- It "accepts" the recommendations on antibiotic development, condom promotion, prevention campaigns and the chlamydia screening review, though on the last it says "insufficient time has elapsed" to evaluate any impact of the policy change.