Tag: Jim Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of NHS treatment options for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

The two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis only affects the large intestine whereas Crohn’s disease affects the whole of the digestive system.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance indicates that ulcerative colitis has an incidence in the United Kingdom of approximately 10 per 100,000 people annually, and a prevalence of approximately 240 per 100,000. This amounts to around 146,000 people in the UK with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. In addition to this, there are currently at least 115,000 people in the UK with Crohn’s disease.

The Department does not hold information on diagnosis levels in Wales specifically; this is a matter for the devolved administration.

NICE published Crohn’s Disease Management in Adults, Children and Young People in October 2012 and Ulcerative Colitis Management in Adults, Children and Young People in June 2013. These set out best practice in the management of these conditions.

Treatment for both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is largely directed at symptom relief to improve quality of life, rather than cure. Management options include drug therapy, dietary and lifestyle advice and, in severe or chronic active disease, surgery. The aims of drug treatment are to reduce symptoms and maintain or improve quality of life.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11448, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of providing free school meals for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils in each of the next five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The government is currently conducting a Spending Review across all its programmes. Our assessment of cost scenarios forms part of that review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the number of students with a disability in higher education; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson

The latest statistics available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that in the academic year 2013/14 there were 1.1 million UK domiciled enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions, of which 138,670 declared a disability.

Further information is published on the HESA website and can be located from this web-link https://www.hesa.ac.uk/content/view/1973/239/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the total cost to the public purse was of the disability students’ allowance in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson

Information on students awarded and paid Disabled Students’ Allowance is published annually by Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education England’. The latest statistics are available at the following link: http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/financial-support-awarded/england-higher-education.aspx

Payments to full-time undergraduate students are presented in table 3b on page 21 and payments to part-time undergraduates and postgraduates in tables 5a and 5b on page 31.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has reviewed the adequacy of financial support for students with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson

Disabled Students’ Allowances are available to help meet the additional costs that a disabled student is obliged to incur, in relation to their study, by virtue of their disability.

Disabled Students’ Allowances, along with all other types of student support, are reviewed before laying the annual student support regulations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people have received the disability students’ allowance in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson

Information on students awarded and paid Disabled Students’ Allowance is published annually by Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education England’. The latest statistics are available at the following link: http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/financial-support-awarded/england-higher-education.aspx

Payments to full-time undergraduate students are presented in table 3b on page 21 and payments to part-time undergraduates and postgraduates in tables 5a and 5b on page 31.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent review her Department has conducted of the threat posed to UK agriculture by invasive species; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

Defra commissioned Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International to produce a report, entitled “The Economic Cost of Invasive Non-native Species on Great Britain”, which was published in 2010. The report sets out the economic impacts of invasive non-native species to a range of sectors, including agriculture.

The Great Britain Non-native Species Secretariat undertakes risk assessments on potentially invasive non-native species and has completed 75 to date. These risk assessments consider the impacts on a wide range of sectors including agriculture.

An updated Great Britain Invasive Non-native Species Strategy was published in August which sets out a comprehensive framework for delivering action to address the impacts from these species.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of crowded airspace on British military assets operating in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon

UK air assets are operating in Iraq as part of the coalition to counter ISIL. The traffic within this airspace is jointly managed by the coalition and the Government of Iraq to ensure that both military and civilian aircraft continue to operate safely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Russian intervention in Syria; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We remain committed to seeking a political solution to the conflict. Russia’s intervention in Syria, including targeting the moderate opposition, has complicated an already difficult situation. We are actively engaging with international partners to address this and to reinvigorate a political process that leads to a solution based on the principles of the Geneva Communiqué.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to better identify pyramid schemes involving UK nationals; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Boles

The Department has no plans to identify pyramid selling schemes.

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) regulate how traders market and promote goods and services to consumers by prohibiting unfair commercial practices, such as the use of misleading actions or aggressive commercial practices. Establishing, operating or promoting a Pyramid scheme, where the intention is that a consumer receives compensation primarily from the introduction of other consumers into the scheme, rather than from the sale or consumption of products, is a banned practice under the CPRs. Enforcement of the CPRs is by local authority trading standards services.

Alleged breaches of the CPRs should be reported, in the first instance, to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 08454 04 05 06 (https://www.adviceguide.org.uk/). The helpline offers a free service advising consumers on their rights and passes on details of complaints to Trading Standards services where appropriate.

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