Parliament and politicians

Terrence Higgins Trust works with politicians in the Westminster Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and local government across England and Wales. Among the work we do is:

• supporting individual constituents to lobby their Member of Parliament (MP) or Assembly Member (AM)
• meeting with MPs and AMs on matters of concern to them or us
• working with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS and other relevant all-party groups
• giving evidence to select committees and other enquiries
• working with the Independent Advisory Group which scrutinises progress on the Government’s Sexual Health and HIV Strategy
• asking all MPs to sign a declaration against HIV prejudice
• producing publications to inform politicians of the concerns and needs of people with HIV or poor sexual health.

We are also a member of the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS for the Government.

25 Things the Government can do

THT’s main lobbying agenda is contained in our publication 25 Things the Government can do. These are 25 goals for change in legislation or guidance that we believe would make a great impact on the lives of people with HIV or those in at-risk groups.

The 25 things are:

1. Reduce undiagnosed HIV from 32% to 25% by 2012
2. Ring-fence public health funding
3. Legalise and regulate home testing for HIV
4. Plan to reduce the sexual health impact of the 2012 Olympics
5. Make Sex and Relationships Education part of the core curriculum
6. Give free HIV treatment to everyone living in the UK
7. Create a new National Strategy for HIV and sexual health by 2010
8. Clarify and reform the law on criminal prosecution
9. Stop discrimination on the grounds of perceived disability
10. Lobby to end the US entry ban
11. Introduce a vaccination programme for HPV
12. Support Armed Services personnel with HIV
13. Increase chlamydia screening
14. Reinvest in specialist HIVmental health services
15. Increase HIV training for primary care practitioners
16. Stop employers asking irrelevant health related questions
17. Update the list of conditions conferring prescription charge exemption
18. Retain and increase the AIDS support grant
19. Encourage routine screening for Hepatitis C
20. Introduce measures to improve sexual health in prisons
21. Expand the role of school nurses
22. Decriminalise and regulate sex on premises venues
23. Reconfirm the current policy of no forced HIV testing at borders
24. Promote STI screening to all drug users
25. Provide HIV awareness training for Jobcentre Plus staff