Tag: Jim Shannon

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of UN Secretary-General’s report on Children and Armed Conflict and its Annex, published in April 2016, in which the Saudi-led Coalition is listed as committing grave violations against children in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of the UN Secretary General’s annual report on Children in Armed Conflict which was published on 2 June, which includes a section outlining the impact of the conflict in Yemen on children. The conflict in Yemen has had a significant impact on children, in terms of the numbers of child casualties, the recruitment of children as soldiers, and attacks on hospitals and schools. We consider all these reports very carefully. We note the announcement by the UN Secretary General on 6 June that removed the listing of the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition from the report’s annex, pending the conclusion of a joint review by the UN and Saudi Arabia on the cases and numbers cited in the text. We welcome co-operation between the UN and Saudi Arabia to look in to this matter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing on the NHS laser-guided shoes to people with Parkinson’s disease.

Jane Ellison

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of providing laser-guided shoes to people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) on the National Health Service. We understand this new innovation, whilst promising, remains at a relatively early stage in terms of development and testing. Good quality evidence from clinical trials would be needed before clinicians and commissioners could make appropriate assessments about the clinical and cost effectiveness of the shoes and consider their suitability for patients with PD.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on steps to support first-time buyers.

Brandon Lewis

The Secretary of State has had no formal meetings with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive.

However, the Department is actively involved with the British Irish Council, who meet frequently to discuss cross-cutting housing issues and share expertise.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Bahrain on the protection of the rights of the Shia population in that country to manifest their religion through teaching, worship and observance.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We follow the political situation closely in Bahrain, including Shia interests. We regularly discuss freedom of religion and belief with the Government of Bahrain, including at the highest levels, I did so most recently on 2 June when I met with the Bahraini Foreign Minister at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting, and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) did so most recently with his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa on 14 June 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will commission an international and independent review of organ harvesting in China.

Mr Hugo Swire

We currently have no plans to commission a review of organ harvesting in China.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in each age group were diagnosed with lung disease in each of the last five years.

David Mowat

The information is not held in the format requested.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to minimise bureaucracy for farmers.

George Eustice

During the previous Parliament Defra made significant progress in reducing regulatory burdens on all businesses. These were listed in my Written Ministerial Statement of 25 March 2015. Defra continues to take forward reforms to deliver our policy outcomes more efficiently for farmers. The Farm Visits programme was established in July 2015 to reduce the number of farm visits by 20,000 by 2020, reduce the regulatory burden on farmers and improve customer service. The programme has implemented a single helpline for farmers, started to combine inspections where it is beneficial to the farmer, and, in June established the farm visits coordination unit. I also announced in April changes to the arrangements for reporting livestock movements that will significantly reduce burdens for keepers. A Cutting Red Tape review of farm information reporting requirements is also under way whose recommendations will be published in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of whether eating butter puts people at greater risk of heart disease.

Nicola Blackwood

Butter is high in saturated fat. Evidence shows that average population intakes of saturated fat exceed United Kingdom government advice which is to limit saturated fat intake to no more than 11% of total food energy to protect against heart disease.

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition is currently reviewing the evidence on saturated fat and health; it aims to publish a draft report at the end of 2017.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that self-employed tutors are subject to criminal records checks.

Sarah Newton

Those wishing to engage a tutor to work with children may ask the tutor to show them an enhanced criminal record certificate obtained from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). A self-employed tutor can apply for such a certificate through an agency, which will process the application and confirm that the activity provides eligibility for the check. Alternatively, any individual can apply directly for a criminal conviction certificate which is available from Disclosure Scotland and which contains details of unspent convictions and cautions.

Where parents or others do not want to take on a tutor without the reassurance of a DBS check, they are free to limit their selection process to people who can show them a certificate from the DBS. Ultimately, it is for those engaging a tutor to decide who is a suitable person to fill that role, taking into account all the information which is available to them.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding her Department provides for medical support for internally displaced people in Kurdistan.

Rory Stewart

Since June 2014, the UK has committed £129.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Iraq. This includes the UK’s contribution to the UN Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund. The Pooled Fund, and other DFID funded projects, have provided access to emergency life-saving health services, emergency vaccines for vulnerable children, and expansion of maternity and child health care – including to internally displaced people in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Our cash programming, focussed in the north of the country, helps the most vulnerable people in Iraq to buy medicines and access the medical treatment that they urgently need.