Tag: Jim Shannon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the introduction of a graduated licence system for young drivers.

Andrew Jones

None. It is important that we strike the right balance between the safety and the freedom of young drivers. Many rely on their cars to get to work and education; so licensing restrictions could affect their ability to access these opportunities.

We’re focussing our efforts on encouraging learner drivers to be better prepared for the wonderful freedoms a driving licence offers, but without compromising on safety, which is at the heart of what we do.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to enable more radiologists to be trained and approved to carry out breast cancer mammogram imagery.

Mr Philip Dunne

Training and recruitment of the workforce needed to deliver care is a matter for the health department in each of the devolved administrations.

In England, Health Education England (HEE) is conducting work to recruit more trainees into Radiology. As part of the investment planning process, Clinical Radiologists have been prioritised with plans to increase training posts by 32 to 1,144 for 2016-17 recruitment. Clinical Radiology has also been one of the five large specialty reviews undertaken by the HEE planning team this year.

Recent trends in Clinical Radiology Consultants in the National Health Service:

As at 31 March	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	Growth 2010-15
Whole Time Equivalents	2,247	2,326	2,390	2,472	2,531	2,653	406 (18.1%)

Source: NHS Digital’s NHS Workforce Statistics – October 2015, Provisional statistics

The content and standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is an independent statutory body. The GMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that medical students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions his Department has had with Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd.

Mike Penning

Ministry of Defence officials have met Ms Meredith and other solicitors from her company from time to time to discuss a variety of legal and other issues of mutual concern, most recently on 13 October 2016.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that national security issues relating to Hinkley Point C and Bradfield in Essex remain a priority in decision-making over those sites.

Jesse Norman

Government takes the security of existing and proposed nuclear facilities very seriously.

The UK civil nuclear sector is subject to a thorough safety and security regulatory regime, overseen by the independent Office for Nuclear Regulation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on small and medium-sized businesses of the recent ruling of the European Court of Justice on time spent travelling to work.

Nick Boles

This Government wants to ensure that the Working Time Directive promotes long-term, sustainable growth and labour market flexibility, and does not impose significant burdens on business. The recent ruling of the European Court of Justice means that journeys made by workers without a fixed or habitual place of work between their homes and the first and last customer of the day constitute working time under the Working Time Directive.

All employers, regardless of size, of workers without a fixed or habitual place of work need to ensure that this time is taken into account for the calculation of working hours. The ruling has no general consequences for pay.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that people receive sufficient vitamin D each day.

Jane Ellison

NHS Choices and the Start4Life website contain information on good sources of vitamin D foods and set out, for those at risk of vitamin D deficiency, the benefits of vitamin D supplementation. This is particularly important for pregnant and breastfeeding women, for babies and children up to the age of five, for those over 65 and people who are not exposed to much sunlight.

For those at risk of Vitamin D deficiency, the UK Chief Medical Officers have also provided advice on vitamin D supplements which is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213703/dh_132508.pdf

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance stating that awareness of vitamin D supplementation should be provided to at-risk groups by local public health teams, health and social care practitioners and voluntary and community groups.

The Healthy Start Scheme is a statutory scheme which aims to improve the nutritional health of pregnant women and children under the age of four in low income families by providing vouchers that can be exchanged for free Healthy Start vitamins containing vitamin D.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical bodies on the use of oestrogen to prevent brittle bones.

Jane Ellison

There have been no such discussions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that cancer communities are targeted towards all age groups and people with learning disabilities.

Jane Ellison

We understand the hon. Member is referring to cancer communications.

Public Health England (PHE) runs a number of Be Clear on Cancer (BCoC) campaigns to encourage symptom recognition and earlier general practitioner (GP) presentation. The campaigns have been running since early 2011 and have covered a number of cancers nationally and regionally. Incidence increases with age for most cancers and BCoC targets men and women over 50, especially those from lower socioeconomic groups, as there is evidence that these individuals are more likely to delay seeing their GP. Although BCoC campaigns target people over 50, they do reach a much wider age group because of national media campaign activity.

Specialist organisations are consulted on campaign development to ensure that communications are accessible and inclusive. These have included Mencap, the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, and EasyHealth, specifically targeting people with learning disabilities and using their networks to share information effectively. In addition, campaign materials are produced in alternative formats, including easy read. Disability and carer organisations are sent tailored briefing sheets and toolkits to ensure their members are aware of campaign messages and the availability of alternative formats. Following each campaign, PHE seeks feedback from the disability and carer organisations it has worked with to evaluate the success of the engagement and ensure improvements are made where possible.

Locally, there are also a number of good examples where the National Health Service is tailoring its communications to ensure they are accessible to all groups, including those with learning disabilities. NHS England is exploring how these can be taken forward and built on at a national level. For example, easy read versions of cancer screening leaflets are available for people with learning disabilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to tackle cyber attacks originating in Russia and China.

Matthew Hancock

For security reasons we do not comment on specific details of cyber security attacks. The Government takes cyber security very seriously; from 2011 to 2016, we have invested £860 million in a National Cyber Security Programme.We plan to almost double investment in cybersecurityto £1.9bn over the next five years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will discuss with the Royal Colleges the potential side effects of osteoporosis drugs on (a) jaw and (b) general bone health.

George Freeman

As with all medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Government’s independent expert advisory body the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) keep the safety of osteoporosis drugs under continual review including their effects on the jaw and on bone health. The MHRA, together with the CHM, ensures that the product information for osteoporosis medicines contains up to date information and issues updated advice as appropriate.

Warnings about the risks of osteonecrosis of the jaw (severe bone damage in the jaw) and atypical fractures of the femur (unusual fracture of the thigh bone) are included in the product information (Summary of Product Characteristics for healthcare professionals and Patient Information Leaflet for patients) for all medicines containing bisphosphonates or denosumab which are used in the treatment of osteoporosis. New information and advice on these risks have been communicated to healthcare professionals in the MHRAsafety bulletin in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014 as new information has become available. A patient reminder card on the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw is currently being introduced for patients treated with denosumab and bisphosphonates given by injection and healthcare professionals have been informed of this new measure via the MHRA bulletin.

Information about the recognised risks of osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical fractures of the femur with bisphosphonates and denosumab is also included in the 2014 ‘Osteoporosis – Clinical Guideline for prevention and treatment’ developed by the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group which includes the Royal College of Physicians.