The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome in each of the last five years.
Jane Ellison
The information requested is not collected.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on the persecution of Christians in that country.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We remain concerned about the persecution of religious and other minorities in Pakistan, including Christians. In August, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised religious freedom and human rights with Interior Minister Nisar. In June, I conveyed our concern about minorities in Pakistan to the Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK.
We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to meet its international obligations to uphold the human rights of all its citizens. Our concerns about minorities in Pakistan are documented in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual Human Rights Report.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received on the introduction of a 10 year firearms licence.
Mike Penning
The Home Office has received representations from one organisation on the introduction of a 10 year firearms licence.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent support his Department has provided to building construction firms to ensure their bills are paid on time.
Nick Boles
Late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK. The Government is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts.
Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to help small business resolve disputes with large companies, tackling, in particular, late payment. The Commissioner will act as a disincentive to unfavourable payment practices, and build the confidence and capabilities of small businesses to help them to assert themselves in contractual disputes and negotiate more effectively with larger businesses.
This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors. This will allow full public scrutiny of payment performance.
We have also strengthened the Prompt Payment Code to ensure it is a recognised and demonstrated beacon of best practice, and we recently consulted on proposals to give representative bodies wider powers to challenge grossly unfair payment practices.
Government promotes fair payment practices in construction through legislation (the “Construction Act”), the use of public procurement (promoting prompt payment to Tier 3 and the use of Project Bank Accounts), and by working with the industry through voluntary measures (such as the Prompt Payment Code and the Construction Leadership Council’s Payment Charter).
The Payment Charter includes a commitment of zero retentions by 2025. To support this work, the Government recently announced a review of the practice of cash retentions under construction contracts.
Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour. Once implemented, the Government is confident that these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK’s payment culture.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what medication is available on the NHS for chronic fatigue syndrome.
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
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations the UK has made to other NATO member states on committing two per cent of their gross domestic product to defence.
Michael Fallon
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) to Question 13408 on 30 October 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage people to walk for up to 30 minutes a day.
Jane Ellison
The Government recognises that walking is a key part of being active. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines for adults recommending 150 minutes of physical activity every week, identify walking as the easiest way of building physical activity into everyday life. To raise awareness of the guidelines, we have recently created an infographic for health professionals to use when they discuss physical activity with their patients. We have made walking a key part of the recommended activity.
Following the Infrastructure Act 2015, the Department of Health has also been working closely with Department of Transport on plans which will underpin the first Cycling and Walking Delivery Plan to be published in the summer. This will take forward the vision set out in the Cycling Delivery Plan 2014, to make walking and cycling the natural choices for short journeys or as part of a longer journey.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance the UK has provided to the government of Nigeria for (a) development of the education system in that country and (b) promotion of education aimed at countering extremist ideologies; and what support the UK provides to the government of Nigeria in monitoring what is taught in madrassas in that country.
Mr Nick Hurd
Over the last 5 years DFID’s education programmes have supported federal, state and local government education systems as well as schools, communities and teachers to enable over 600,000 children to access better quality basic education. This support has included teacher training, activities to improve access for the most marginalised children including girls, and working with the government to improve education management and financing.
In Nigeria, where access to education is low, ensuring that children have learning opportunities to acquire basic skills is a critical element in reducing their vulnerability to extremist ideologies. Our teacher training and school improvement approaches promote inclusion and positive values. DFID is working with Quranic schools in northern Nigeria to integrate basic education into their curriculum, including a social studies syllabus with lessons on religious diversity. DFID programmes have provided assistance to the government of Nigeria to design and implement a training programme for Imams and Islamic scholars in communication to counter radical messages. We also support state government institutions to monitor Quranic schools.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy for the NHS to screen all people over the age of 55 for hearing loss.
Alistair Burt
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the NHS in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy.
In 2009-10 the UK NSC recommended that routine screening for adult hearing loss should not be offered because of the lack of evidence to warrant a screening programme. In particular:
– it is not clear what the test should be;
– there is no agreed time or schedule for carrying out the testing;
– the acceptability of the test and in particular the treatment (hearing aids) is unclear; and
– there had been no randomised trials of screening.
As part of its routine evidence review process the UK NSC has just reviewed its recommendation on screening adults for hearing loss again. Ministers expect to receive a recommendation from the UK NSC shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to incentivise the development of new drugs to treat TB.
Mr Nick Hurd
DFID has supported the development of new drug combinations to treat TB since 2005. Funding is provided to the TB Alliance, a product development partnership (PDP). PDPs bring together partners from the public, private and philanthropic sectors to develop new products in a way that de-links the cost of development from the final cost of product. The TB Alliance is currently testing a number of new drugs combinations to simplify and shorten TB treatment times and provide new treatment options for drug resistant TB.
In addition we committed in our manifesto to lead a major new global programme to accelerate the development of vaccines and drugs to eliminate the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. In November the Chancellor announced the new £1 billion Ross Fund which will deliver on this commitment. The Ross Fund will target infectious diseases including malaria and tuberculosis, supporting work to develop, test and deliver a range of new products (including vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to help combat these diseases in developing countries.