Tag: Jim Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps the Government has taken to help the 223 girls kidnapped in North East Nigeria.

Mark Simmonds

We remain committed to helping Nigeria to find the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok. On 12 June my Right Honourable Friend, the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), the previous Foreign Secretary, hosted the London Ministerial on Security in Northern Nigeria. At this meeting with Nigeria, her neighbours and other international partners, we agreed a number of further measures designed to help the girls abducted on 14 April by Boko Haram, and the hundreds of others like them. We continue to offer intelligence support to the Nigerian authorities and are also agreeing with them the increased training and tactical support we committed to in London.

We will review progress further at a Ministerial follow up meeting in Abuja in September.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of breast radiologists employed by NHS trusts.

Dr Daniel Poulter

The latest monthly workforce statistics, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), provides information on the numbers of clinical radiologists working in the National Health Service in England, however it is not possible to break this data down into sub specialties.

There are currently 3,789 (full-time equivalent) doctors with a specialty of clinical radiology working in the NHS, an increase of 15% (497 full-time equivalent) since May 2010.

It is for local employers to determine the workforce based on the needs of their local community and they are best placed to do so.

Health Education England’s Workforce plan confirms an increase in Clinical Radiology training posts by 16 in 2015-16. This continues to build on the 14 additional posts commissioned in 2014-15.

The Society of Radiographers may be able to supply more information on radiographers. Their website is available at: www.sor.org/

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how the £1 million pledged by the UK to the UN’s Safe Schools Initiative is being used to ensure that children are being protected.

Lynne Featherstone

DFID is providing technical support to the design and development of the Safe Schools Initiative, as well as working through our existing education programmes in northern Nigeria to ensure safe access to learning. The Safe Schools Initiative was launched in May. The Government of Nigeria are leading on implementation. The aim is to provide a response for the protection of schools and the prevention of future attacks on schools. It will include a combination of school-based and community interventions to create safer environments in which schools can operate, improve school security measures and support provision of safe opportunities for learning.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will assess the chance of a possible increase in shark numbers in and near UK waters as a result of climate change.

George Eustice

Defra continues to collect data on the distribution and abundance of sharks through dedicated fisheries surveys. This and all other relevant information will contribute to future assessments of the state of UK seas and our progress towards achieving Good Environmental Status as required under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Such assessments will take into account climate change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will review the capacity of NHS trusts to provide specialist mammography services; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

NHS England has been working with Public Health England, the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and the British Society of Breast Radiology on this matter. The RCR is planning to undertake a survey this spring of all breast imaging services to evaluate the current and future work force and service needs. We will work with Health Education England to support workforce development and change as needed for this area of radiology.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on the delivery of the package of assistance pledged by the Prime Minister to the Nigerian government following the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls in that country.

Mark Simmonds

We continue to provide support to the Nigerian authorities in the search for the Chibok schoolgirls. In addition to the support announced by the Prime Minister, on 12 June we announced a further package of assistance. This package includes training and advice to the Nigerian armed forces; support to the Nigerian government in bringing increased development and prosperity to the North East; a commitment to draw 1 million more children into education in Northern Nigeria by 2020 and £1 million for the UN’s Safe Schools Initiative. We are agreeing the implementation of these measures with the Nigerian authorities and look forward to reviewing progress at a Ministerial meeting in Abuja in September.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-05-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance NHS England has issued to strategic clinical networks on the role that breast network site-specific groups should play in the current strategic clinical network framework.

Jane Ellison

The requirement for the provision of site-specific groups (SSGs), such as those for breast cancer, is written into national cancer peer review requirements. In consultation with strategic clinical networks (SCNs), NHS England has developed an SCN framework. The framework reiterates the role and importance of clinical networking groups as support for the commissioning process, but allows for local agreement to how those groups are supported.

There are 12 SCNs and we would expect all to have a breast network SSG. This will be evidenced by the annual report published for the SCN and relevant area team. The National Peer Review Programme “Manual for Cancer Services; Breast Cancer Measures” states that network groups should meet regularly.

The Review Programme further states that the network group should produce an annual work programme in discussion with the SCN and agreed with the director of the relevant Area Team. It should include details of any planned service developments and should specify the personnel responsible and the timescales for implantation. The SSGs also develop protocols for the treatment of patients within the SCN and agree audits and research projects that will be supported.

The Review Programme also states that network groups should meet regularly. It gives guidance on the roles that should be represented on the group but not numbers.

We do not hold information on how many breast network SSGs existed and how many times each group met prior to April 2013.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to prevent illegally-harvested timber and endangered hardwoods being imported into the UK.

Dan Rogerson

In March 2013 the Timber and Timber Products (Placing on the Market) Regulations were introduced in the UK. The regulations implement the EU Timber Regulation, which aims to prevent the trade of illegally harvested timber in the EU by:

• prohibiting the placing of illegally harvested timber and timber products on the EU market for the first time;
• requiring operators who place timber products on the market for the first time to exercise ‘due diligence’; and
• requiring traders to keep records of their suppliers and customers in order to facilitate the traceability of timber products through the supply chain.

The UK also provides financial and in-country support to the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) process between the EU and timber producing countries under the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan. Once VPAs are in operation, EU-bound timber exports will be issued with FLEGT licences which guarantee the timber’s legality.

In addition, the import of a number of endangered hardwood species into the UK is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) licensing system. The system aims to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of endangered species and is implemented in the EU by the Wildlife Trade Regulations.