Tag: Jim Shannon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with Bombardier about that company’s plans for the number of jobs it provides in Northern Ireland.

Mr Ben Wallace

Northern Ireland Office Ministers regularly meet a range of businesses and business organisations from across Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland economic pact recognised the importance of Bombardier as one of Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employers. The Government continues to work with Invest NI to deliver on the commitments contained in the economic pact which included providing research and development funding to Bombardier.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-14.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the insurance industry on steps that can be taken to ensure that people with cancer can access low-cost travel insurance.

Harriett Baldwin

Insurers take into account a range of different factors when considering risk and decisions concerning the pricing of insurance products are a commercial matter for individual insurers. The Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions.

Information is available on the Cancer Research UK website for people seeking travel insurance who have been or are currently affected by cancer.

The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) may be able to provide names of specialist brokers who can advise on the availability of appropriate travel insurance, and trawl the market for the best available deals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with clinical bodies on the approach in the NHS to prescribing Ritalin for children with ADHD.

Alistair Burt

It is not appropriate for the Department of Health to be involved in operational decisions relating to the prescribing of methylphenidate (for which Ritalin is a trade name) in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. That is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which is currently revising guidance on the use of methylphenidate and will be consulting widely on that new guidance which is expected in 2018.

It is not appropriate for the Department of Health to be involved in operational decisions relating to the prescribing of methylphenidate (for which Ritalin is a trade name) in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. That is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which is currently revising guidance on the use of methylphenidate and will be consulting widely on that new guidance which is expected in 2018.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-05.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with organisations representing self-employed people on the potential effect on such people of implementing quarterly tax returns from 2020.

Mr David Gauke

The Government has no plans to introduce quarterly tax returns for business. The Government is introducing simple, secure and personalised digital tax accounts, removing the need for annual tax returns. Updating HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) through software or apps will deliver a light-touch process, much less burdensome and time-consuming than it is today.

The Government will consult on the details of these proposals throughout 2016 and will publish a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) in the usual way. This will include an estimate of the impacts on business. The Government routinely publish TIINs for tax policy changes when the policy detail for those changes is finalised or near-finalised.

HMRC has discussed these reforms with a range of professional bodies and advisory groups representing small businesses and the self-employed. HMRC has also engaged extensively with a range of professional bodies and other stakeholders representing the accountancy profession.

On 14 December 2015, HMRC set out details of its plans at its annual stakeholder conference, which was attended by a large number of different organisations representing small businesses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the Countryside Alliance on the banning of hand-guns and pistols.

Mike Penning

Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients are receiving nivolumab for locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer in (a) England and (b) Strangford; and when NICE plans to complete its appraisal of that drug.

George Freeman

NHS England has advised that it understands that the manufacturer of nivolumab (Opdivo), Bristol-Myers Squibb, received 73 registrations for nivolumab for locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme before the scientific opinion expired in July 2015. A geographical breakdown of this figure is not available.

NHS England does not currently fund nivolumab for metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer and has advised that its funding position will be determined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s final technology appraisal guidance which is expected in May 2016. Further information is available at:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-tag506

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential safety implications of the mandatory introduction of dashboard cameras in (a) cars, (b) vans and (c) heavy goods vehicles.

Andrew Jones

No such assessment has been made. The provisions on forward vision for drivers are already regulated in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (as amended).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the importance of the (a) Merchant Navy and (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary to the security of the UK.

Penny Mordaunt

The Ministry of Defence together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office and the Department for Transport, published the UK National Strategy for Maritime Security (NSMS) in May 2014. This cross-Government paper encompasses all aspects of the UK’s maritime domain, including the Merchant Navy whose cooperation, as part of the Red Ensign Group, is important to maintaining our national security and prosperity.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary plays a key role in maritime security either by directly supporting Royal Navy ships on operations or, occasionally, conducting operations in their own right. Her Majesty’s Government places great importance on all maritime capabilities, with the NSMS setting out the whole-of-Government approach required to secure the seas and oceans that Britain depends on.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has reached an agreement with the US government on the placement of US border guards in UK airports.

James Brokenshire

The US operates border pre-clearance facilities at a number of international airports to allow passengers on flights to the US to clear US customs and immigration controls before they arrive in the US. The US Government seeks to negotiate such arrangements with the relevant UK airports, as any interested airport would need to adapt its operations accordingly. However the introduction of pre-clearance operations would also require approval by the UK Government. We continue to discuss pre-clearance with the US but no formal agreement has yet been reached.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions the Government has had with NATO on reductions to the number of Russian nuclear strike missiles.

Mark Lancaster

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) has had no recent discussions with NATO regarding reductions to the number of Russian nuclear strike missiles. However, the US provides annual reports on progress made under the Treaty for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, which is known as the New START Treaty.