Blog

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the lung cancer drug Zykadia to be available on the NHS.

George Freeman

Zykadia (ceritinib) is licensed for use in the treatment of Zykadia (ceritinib) in the United Kingdom.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising Zykadia for previously treated anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small-cell lung cancer.

In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make the shingles vaccination available for people over 70 years old on the NHS.

Jane Ellison

A shingles vaccination programme was introduced in September 2013 for 70 year olds; with a progressive catch-up to ensure all those aged 71 – 79 years old could also benefit from the vaccine. A schedule indicating which age groups will be eligible for the shingles vaccine in 2015/16 and beyond is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/who-is-eligible-for-the-shingles-vaccine-beyond-2016

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome there have been in each of the last five years.

Ben Gummer

We are advised by the Health and Social Care Information Centre that the data requested is not held.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that most up-to-date treatments for women with pelvic floor related urinary conditions will be available on the NHS.

Jane Ellison

All treatments which are set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guidelines for pelvic floor urinary conditions are available on the National Health Service.

The guidelines can be found here:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg171/chapter/1-recommendations.

NHS England published new guidance on 16 November 2015 to help improve the care and experience of people with continence issues. This includes the most up to date evidence to support commissioners and providers. The guidance can be found on NHS England’s website and accessed via the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2015/11/16/continence-care/

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that the six item cognitive impairment test is properly used to diagnose dementia.

Jane Ellison

The diagnosis of dementia is a clinical decision and one which needs to be made by suitably trained clinicians. The six item cognitive impairment test is one of a number of tools used to help and support clinicians when assessing individuals who are considered to have the early signs of dementia. Different tests and diagnosis tools are used by clinicians, dependent on the circumstances which are presented to them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the connection between memory loss and viral illness.

Jane Ellison

No such discussions have taken place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government has provided to the Lebanese government for vetting and security checking refugees entering that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK has contributed £34 million to support the Lebanese Armed Forces’ ability to defend the border and contain spillover from the Syria conflict. The UK funded Land Border Regiments are successfully protecting the integrity of the Lebanese border for the first time in the country’s history. We are also considering what further support we can offer either bilaterally or through the EU to better support Lebanese security forces with border management.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government has provided for the generations for peace programmes in Jordan.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Government has provided no support for the Generations for Peace programme in Jordan. The UK has contributed £228m to support peace and stability in Jordan since the start of the Syria crisis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Saudi Arabian government on the role of religious police in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We have not recently discussed the role of the religious police in Saudi Arabia with the Saudi Government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Open Doors World Watch List on the persecution of Christians, what discussions his Department has had with the Jordanian government on ensuring that Christians in that country are not persecuted.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We have had discussions with the Jordanian Government on the status of Christians and other religions in Jordan. The Jordanian Government and His Majesty King Abdullah II are explicit about the need for religious tolerance, as demonstrated by King Abdullah’s 22 December 2015 message to the nation on the occasion of Christmas and the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.