Tag: Jim Shannon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the UK plans to meet its commitment to the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030 made at the 69th World Health Assembly in May 2016.

Nicola Blackwood

On 28 May 2016, the World Health Assembly adopted a Global Health Sector Strategy on viral hepatitis for the period 2016-2021. Within this strategy there is a target for elimination of hepatitis C as a major public health threat by 2030. This is a very ambitious goal and requires coordinated efforts across partner agencies. Success is largely dependent on the wider availability and access to new treatments combined with effective planning and integration of hepatitis prevention, testing, diagnosis and treatment within the broader health system.

In the United Kingdom, new, highly effective, interferon-free treatments for hepatitis C will contribute to this goal. 5,000 of those affected have already been treated with the new therapies, under the early access schemes operated by NHS England from 2014 to the start of 2016. NHS England are currently funding providers to treat more patients in accordance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of women undergoing chemotherapy who experience side effects of that treatment.

David Mowat

The Department has made no such estimate. Chemotherapy involves the use of powerful cancer killing drugs and side effects are common. The severity and nature of the side effects will vary from patient to patient, and will also depend to the type of drug being used and the duration of the treatment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Chinese government on banning organ tourism to China.

Alok Sharma

As My Rt Hon. Friend, the former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Hugo Swire, stated to the house on the 12 July 2016, we have raised concerns about reports of organ harvesting, as well as about the torture and mistreatment of detainees, during the annual UK-China human rights dialogue. We will do so again at the next round. My officials also raised the issue with their Chinese counterparts on 1 September 2016.

However, despite the fact that UK physicians always advise patients against, it is very difficult to prevent UK citizens travelling to less well-regulated countries to seek an organ transplant. Although numbers are not known, it is thought that very few patients in the UK choose to do so.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to provide equipment and training support to the army of the Kurdistan regional government; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning

Since 2014 UK Service personnel have been deployed to the Kurdish region to train and support the Peshmerga in their fight against Daesh. In addition, the UK has gifted some 50 tonnes of non-lethal support, 40 heavy machine guns and over a million rounds of ammunition, with the most recent shipment delivered in July 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contingency plans his Department has to respond to a raised security threat level in Northern Ireland.

Mike Penning

Policing and security remains the responsibility of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Security Service. As with the rest of the UK, there are a number of standing contingency plans in place to provide Defence support in Northern Ireland beyond the capacity of the civil authorities and in times of crisis. I am withholding the detail of these contingency plans for the purpose of safeguarding national security and in order not to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Beyond this, as with the rest of the UK, Defence will consider requests for additional assistance on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that support provided is in line with Military Aid to the Civil Authorities principles.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been diagnosed with the rare cancer rhabdomyosarcoma in each of the last five years by (a) age group and (b) gender; and what proportion of those people died in each of those years.

Chris Skidmore

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the net change in the number of jobs in the UK since 23 June 2016.

Chris Skidmore

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of suspected war criminals in the UK.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Home Office has not made such an estimate.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to control the population of grey squirrels; and if she will hold discussions with shooting organisations on their potential role in such control.

Rory Stewart

In December 2014 Defra and the Forestry Commission published an updated grey squirrel action plan for England. This reaffirms the Government’s commitment to working with land owners and other organisations as part of a reinforced package of measures to support targeted grey squirrel control. The action plan includes:

• Additional measures in forestry options of Countryside Stewardship for land managers to control grey squirrels (not just in red squirrel areas but in woodlands where squirrels are a threat to management plan objectives).
• Plans for a national squirrel partnership to help local groups outside of grant schemes.
• Support for research and evidence (for example squirrel pox vaccine and fertility control work).
• Taking action on its land holding (the public forest estate).

Defra is also one of 32 signatories to the UK Squirrel Accord, which aims to bring a concerted and coordinated approach to securing the future of our red squirrels and woodlands, and to controlling the introduced grey squirrel. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) is also a signatory and a meeting of all the signatories is planned for 10 November.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of TB in the UK.

Jane Ellison

The five year Collaborative Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy for England 2015-2020 was launched by the Department, in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), in January 2015. It lays out 10 key areas for actions needed to achieve a year on year decrease in TB incidence, a reduction in health inequalities and, ultimately, the elimination of TB as a public health problem in England.

Since the strategy was launched PHE along with NHS England have formed a TB Strategy implementation team which has facilitated the establishment of seven TB control boards covering all of England. The TB control boards will lead local TB networks in delivering the 10 key changes outlined in the Strategy.

Over the past three years there has been a year on year decline in the number of TB cases in England, from 8,086 in 2012 (a rate of 15.1 per 100,000 population), down to 6,520 in 2014 (a rate of 12.0 per 100,000 population).