Tag: Jim Shannon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what facilities are available in the Falkland Islands for the repair of (a) helicopters, (b) ships and (c) aircraft; and on how many occasions military vehicles of each such type have been returned to the UK for repairs which were not capable of being undertaken on those Islands.

Penny Mordaunt

Technical equipment and personnel are available in the Falkland Islands to conduct routine maintenance on helicopters, ships and aircraft. On-island records extend only to the last 18 months and in that time no helicopters or ships have been returned to the UK for repairs. Aircraft are rotated on occasion between the Falkland Islands and other MOD locations in order to best utilise the fleet and to conduct complex maintenance.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of incidents of drunkenness on aeroplanes in each of the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government does not collect specific data on the frequency of incidents involving drunk passengers on aircraft. As such, no estimates have been made.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Canadian counterpart on steps to secure the release of foreign hostages held by Muslim extremists in the Philippines.

Mr Hugo Swire

We maintain a close dialogue with our international partners on terrorism and kidnapping, both on a bilateral basis and through international fora. G7 leaders have recently reaffirmed their commitment not to pay ransoms to terrorists, to protect the lives of our nationals, including by reducing terrorist groups access to funding. We do not comment on individual cases.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to implement the recommendations of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, entitled Fleeing Prosecution: Asylum claims in the UK on Religious Freedom Grounds.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office carefully considers all asylum claims on their individual merits, including claims based on religious persecution. We grant protection to those who genuinely need it in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Published guidance on the interviewing and consideration of asylum claims is regularly reviewed and takes into consideration the views of stakeholders, including religious groups. The current training and support available for asylum caseworkers includes a UNHCR endorsed Foundation Training Programme. This, and follow-on courses, covers all aspects of the asylum interview and decision making process, including the assessment of credibility and country information in religious based claims. Real-life case studies and role-play are used throughout the training programme to reinforce knowledge and understanding of the issues.

We are currently carefully considering the APPG report and its recommendations and will provide a response in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to engage the Bahraini monarchy to ensure that freedom of religion and belief is promoted and upheld.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We regularly discuss freedom of religion and belief with the highest levels of the Government of Bahrain. 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.

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of public bodies across government.

Matthew Hancock

This government will streamline the public bodies landscape through a robust programme of “tailored reviews” overseen by the Cabinet Office and department-led transformation programmes. Non-ministerial departments, non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies will be reviewed once per parliament. These reviews will examine whether their functions should still be delivered at arm’s length, and if so, aim to increase their efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. This builds on the public bodies reform programme delivered from 2010-15, which successfully produced fewer, more accountable, and more efficient public bodies.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the use of pig organ transplants for humans.

Nicola Blackwood

The Department has no plans to make such an assessment.

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 ensure that the value of shooting sports is recognised in legislation protecting wildlife.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Nature protection and management is a devolved issue, so I can only answer with respect to England. When carried out in accordance with the law, shooting is a legitimate and humane activity. In addition to its significant economic contribution, providing jobs and investment in some of our most remote areas, the Government recognises that shooting offers important benefits for wildlife and habitat conservation and can be a useful wildlife management measure.

The Government’s position is that people should be free to undertake lawful activities if they wish to do so and shooting is a permitted method of control in legislation protecting wildlife.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women in each of the last five years had a miscarriage.

Mr Philip Dunne

Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) provide information on the number of miscarriages. The table shows the number of miscarriages from 2010/11 to 2014/15 where there was a hospital admission.

Year	Number of miscarriages
2010-11	43,005
2011-12	42,538
2012-13	39,800
2013-14	38,869
2014-15	38,377

Activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector

Source: HES, Health and Social Care Information Centre

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with opticians’ associations on opticians spotting illness when carrying out eyesight checks.

David Mowat

There have been no specific discussions on this with opticians’ associations. Regular sight tests are an important measure in preventing avoidable sight loss and provide a health check for eyes that can pick up early signs of eye conditions.

Under the Sight Testing (Examination and Prescription) (No.2) Regulations 1989, when a doctor or optometrist carries out a sight test, they have a legal duty to perform such examinations that are necessary to detect signs of injury, disease or abnormality and to refer the patient for further investigation if necessary. They will also carry out tests to determine if the patient requires an optical appliance to correct a defect in sight.

These requirements apply to all sight tests, whether provided on the National Health Service or privately.

The General Optical Council (GOC) is the regulatory body for optometrists who carry out sight tests and any concern about the quality of sight tests can be raised directly with the GOC.