The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans the Government has to introduce a tax relating to the sugar content of food.
Jane Ellison
There are no plans to introduce a tax on sugar. However all taxes are kept under review, with decisions being a matter for the Chancellor as part of the Budget process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to improve the security of mobile devices that are used to access internet banking.
Mike Penning
Through the National Cyber Security Programme, the Government committed £860 million in the last Parliament to increase the cyber security of the UK. This has included a range of work with industry to increase their cyber resilience. For example, the Cyber Essentials scheme sets out the basic technical controls organisations should have in place to protect against common cyber attacks. As the Chancellor also announced on 17 November, spending on the UK’s cyber security programmes will be almost doubled over the next five years, with £1.9 billion funding. Although Government is making a significant investment, partnership between the public and private sector is crucial to making the UK one of the safest places to do business online. By identifying and closing down vulnerabilities in their systems and processes, the private sector can make it much more difficult for criminals to operate. That is why we are working closely with the private sector to drive up standards. In the coming months we will also publish, in collaboration with industry, information to help the public better understand key cyber security principles of devices to help them to make more informed decisions. This work will be a part of the Government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, which I intend to Publish next year.
At the same time, through our Cyber Streetwise campaign, we are helping to inform the public of simple security measures, such as installing security software, which in themselves can protect them and their devices against fraud.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in the last year.
Jane Ellison
No assessment has been made of the number of people who have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in the last year.
In 2007 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produced the clinical guidance Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children, which estimates that the annual prevalence is approximately 4,000 cases per million of the population.
There is no medication available to specifically treat CFS, however the NICE guidance recommends that pharmacological pain relief may be appropriate for the relief of chronic pain that the condition can cause. Other methods of treatment that may be of benefit are cognitive behavioural therapy, graded exercise therapy or activity management. The guidance can be found at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg53
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of trends in media ownership in Romania.
Mr David Lidington
The British Embassy in Bucharest follows developments in the Romanian media closely, including changes in media ownership. The economic crisis of 2008 resulted in questions over the profitability of many media outlets and changes in ownership. The Government considers that a pluralist media is important for media freedom and the freedom of speech as provided for in the Romanian Constitution.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the UK plans to take as a member of the UN Security Council to facilitate diplomatic negotiations on protecting civilians in Syria.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Protection of civilians in Syria, as well as those who have been forced to flee the country, is a priority for the UK. In the Security Council we have co-sponsored a number of humanitarian resolutions that call for an end of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including the use of barrel bombs, starvation as a method of warfare and obstructing the flow of humanitarian aid. Specifically, the UK played a key role in negotiating resolution 2191, which has allowed the UN and its partners to deliver aid across Syria’s borders to people who were previously denied access, including food for 2.1 million people and medical supplies for 2.5 million people.
The long term protection of civilians requires an end to the conflict in Syria and a political settlement. The International Syria Support Group in its communiqué of 14 November called on all parties to adhere to International Humanitarian Law and end immediately indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance the UK has offered to Central African Republic with preparations for elections in that country in December 2015.
James Duddridge
Free, fair and inclusive elections are critical for the Central African Republic’s future stability, and for successful future reconciliation. As such, the UK supports the Constitutional Court’s ruling that all citizens of the Central African Republic, including internally displaced people and refugees in neighbouring countries, have the right to vote in upcoming elections. The UK is supportive of an EU Election Mission to the Central African Republic. The UK contributes to the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic and is one of the largest humanitarian donors to the country, providing £58 million since 2013 to Central African Republic and Central African Republic refugees through non-governmental organisations and international organisations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s most recent estimate is of the number of illegal firearms in the UK.
Mike Penning
The Home Office does not maintain records of firearms seized by police forces in England and Wales.The National Ballistics Intelligence Service regularly assesses the volume and type of illegal firearms in use in the UK. The information is operationally sensitive and is not suitable for release.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Scottish Government on strategies to prevent premature births.
Ben Gummer
In the last seven months, since the General Election, the Secretary of State, myself as I have responsibility for maternity care, and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Jane Ellison) who has responsibility for public health, have not held any discussions with Health Ministers in the Scottish Government on strategies to prevent premature births.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many tickets to the Thiepval Memorial event on 1 July 2016 have been allocated to applicants from (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
Tracey Crouch
Tickets to the Commemorative Event at the Thiepval Memorial were allocated in pairs to residents of the UK via a random ballot, which gave no weighting to residents of a particular area of the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to promote opportunities for women in rural areas to participate in public life.
Caroline Dinenage
The Government believes that public life is strengthened by the participation of people with different skills, backgrounds and experiences, from right across the country. As a country we cannot afford to waste the talents of half our population and that is why we must ensurewomenare better representedacross all walks of life, including those from rural areas.
The 2015 General Election was a great step forward for women’s representation. We now have the highest number of female MPs in Parliament and a third of our Cabinet is made up of women. We know women continue to be under-represented on local councils; that is why schemes such as the Be a Councillor campaign, which has been run by the Local Government Association since 2012, are so important. The Government is also committed to increasing the diversity of public appointments and has set the aspiration that 50% of new appointments should go to women.