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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) disability living allowance have died during the process of (i) assessment and (ii) appeal in the latest period in which figures are available.

Mike Penning

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (with which appeals are lodged) do not have figures relating the number of appellants that have died during the appeals process.

The information requested is not readily available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with (a) the Royal Colleges and (b) pharmaceutical companies about the efficacy of anti-depressants.

Norman Lamb

A search of the Department’s records and those of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has found no record of any such correspondence or discussions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on whether the use of shellfish supplements increases life expectancy.

Jane Ellison

The Department does not hold any information on whether the use of shellfish supplements increases life expectancy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on whether the use of painkillers increases the risk of a stroke.

Norman Lamb

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) continuously monitors the safety of all medicines on the market in the United Kingdom. The MHRA holds data from clinical trials, published literature and spontaneous reports of suspected adverse drug reactions collected through the Yellow Card Scheme.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used and effective medicines for the treatment of arthritis and other painful conditions. It has been known for many years that NSAIDs are associated with a small increased risk of heart attacks or strokes, particularly when used at a high dose and for a long time.

The MHRA has widely communicated the information and advice for healthcare professionals on the risk of heart attack and stroke with NSAIDs in letters and bulletins, and other publications through liaison with the British National Formulary and National Prescribing Centre. In addition, product information (including patient information leaflets) has been updated in order to support informed decision-making in relation to the choice of painkiller.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of premature deaths per year attributable to air pollution from diesel-fuelled vehicles; and what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges about ways of reducing such deaths.

Jane Ellison

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions with the Royal Colleges on actions to reduce the health impacts of air pollution. The actions the Government is taking to reduce the health impacts of air pollution have been given in a previous reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Luciana Berger) on 28 April 2014, Official Reply, columns 474-75W.

In 2010, the Department’s expert advisory Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants published an estimate of the mortality effect in 2008 of long term exposure to particulate air pollution arising from human activities. The mortality burden for the United Kingdom was estimated as an effect equivalent to nearly 29,000 deaths. Whilst this includes mortality attributable to particulate matter arising from diesel engines, separate figures for the impact of diesel-fuelled vehicles have not been produced by the Department.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Iraq on its proposal to legalise the marriage of girls from nine years of age.

Hugh Robertson

We have raised our concerns about the draft Personal Status law with the Iraqi Justice Minister. The law remains in draft, and has not been approved by Iraq’s parliament. We expect Iraq to uphold its international obligations under UN conventions to protect the rights of women and children.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of black-backed gulls.

George Eustice

Defra is not taking action to reduce the number of lesser or great black-backed gulls. Like all wild birds, gulls are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Under this Act it is an offence to kill or injure any wild bird; to take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while that nest is in use or being built; and take or destroy an egg of any wild bird.

However, Natural England has issued general licences for gulls which allow users to kill or take lesser black-backed gulls, to take, damage or destroy their nests or take or destroy their eggs, for a range of purposes. These include protection against damage to livestock or crops, or where the gulls are posing a risk to public health and safety. General licences need not be applied for by users, as long as they meet the conditions of the licence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of China on the persecution of Christians in (a) Zhejiang Province and (b) elsewhere in eastern China.

Mr Hugo Swire

We have concerns about restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in China, and I raise them regularly with my Chinese counterparts. We are aware of particular recent cases, such as the demolition of Sanjiang church in Zhejiang Province and the arrest of Pastor Zhang in Henan Province, and we raise them publicly through our Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.

As the Honourable Member will recall, on 1 May, in a debate on the floor of the house on freedom of thought, conscience and religion, I also expressed my concern about violations of the right to freedom of belief in China, in particular the closure of house churches and the treatment of Falun Gong. We also plan to raise our wide range of concerns directly with Chinese officials during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to enable small businesses to claim a rates reduction to help them retain staff.

Brandon Lewis

As announced at the Autumn Statement, the Government has introduced in England a £1 billion package of business rates support for 2014-15. That includes the continued doubling of Small Business Rate Relief for a further year which we estimate will support 540,000 businesses. The Localism Act has also made it easier for small firms to claim the rate relief to which they are entitled. This support builds on the £11 billion a year of tax cuts this government has announced to corporation tax, employer National Insurance Contributions and fuel duty.

Business rates in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.