The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with tinnitus in each of the last five years.
Jane Ellison
This information is not collected. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates that around six million people in the United Kingdom have some form of tinnitus with about 600,000 experiencing it to an extent that it affects their quality of life.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timescale is for the extension of the provisions of the Armed Forces Bill to the Channel Islands.
Mark Lancaster
Clause 21 of the Armed Forces Bill provides for the Bill’s extent outside the United Kingdom. Clause 21(1) deals specifically with extent in the Channel Islands. By extent, we mean the jurisdictions outside the United Kingdom in which the Bill’s provisions will, or may, form part of the law. There are no provisions in the Bill which extend automatically to the Channel Islands but the changes that the Bill makes to the Armed Forces Act 2006 may be extended there by Order in Council (though it does not necessarily follow that such an Order will be made). The other changes that the Bill makes (such as changes to the powers of MOD fire-fighters) may not be extended to the Channel Islands.
We are not currently aware of any requirements which would necessitate an Order in Council being made to extend to the Channel Islands any of the changes that the Bill makes to the Armed Forces Act 2006. However, it should be noted that the question of whether the 2006 Act extends to (i.e. forms part of the law of) the Channel Islands is entirely separate from the question of whether members of the Armed Forces are subject to the 2006 Act as a matter of UK law when they are in the Channel Islands. As a matter of UK law, the 2006 Act applies to members of the Armed Forces wherever they are in the world.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Chinese government on the sale of wildlife from Zimbabwe.
Rory Stewart
The UK is working in close cooperation with China on the illegal wildlife trade. In the UK-China Joint Statement on Building a Global Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century, issued on 22nd October on the occasion of the State Visit of President Xi Jinping, the UK and China recognised the importance and urgency of combating the illegal wildlife trade, and committed to take active measures to tackle this global challenge. We warmly welcome the recent announcement by China that it intends, in due course, to close its legal domestic market for ivory, and will continue to work with China to encourage this to happen as soon as feasible.
Through our Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, we are also supporting projects which address the rising demand for illegal wildlife trade products in China.
Defra has had no discussions with China over the sale of wildlife from Zimbabwe.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his most recent estimate is of the number of EU migrants entering the UK.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of blood donation.
Jane Ellison
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) provide blood donation services to the National Health Service, supplying a reliable, efficient supply of blood in England and North Wales. To secure a consistent donor base, NHSBT runs donor recruitment campaigns throughout the year to attract new donors, for example last year’s Missing Types Programme which featured the removal of the letters of A O B from famous locations and high street brands. NHSBT also ran the #BleedForEngland campaign around the World Cup using rugby celebrities which led to 100,000 new donor registrations. The recently completed New Year 2016 recruitment campaign also saw more than 30,000 people register to give blood.
On 1 February 2016 NHSBT confirmed that more than one million people are now registered to book blood donation appointments online.
NHSBT is also taking specific action to increase the number of blood donors from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community, particularly from Black African, Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian communities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Colombian government on steps to tackle paramilitary groups in the Nariño region of the country.
Mr Hugo Swire
I am concerned about the continued negative influence of organised criminal gangs and resulting violence in Colombia, which challenges the implementation of the peace process. I am pleased to see that the Colombian Minister of Defence announced that tackling organised crime is a top priority for the Government of Colombia in 2016.
British Embassy officials in Bogota regularly discuss the challenges posed by armed criminal groups (so called ‘Bandas Criminales’ or BACRIM) in their meetings with the Colombian government. Our Ambassador to Colombia met the Minister of Interior on 1 February when they discussed security challenges, including those posed by the BACRIM. In forthcoming meetings with the Minister of Defence and Minister of Post-Conflict, the Ambassador will seek to raise these issues again. We are also contributing £1m to the MAPP-OAS (the Organisation of American States’ Peace mission) which is monitoring demobilisation.
On 1 February, President Santos created a committee to tackle organised criminal groups. He has ordered the military to intensify operations to prevent criminal groups stepping into a vacuum created by demobilising FARC units. He also stated that new ‘special forces’ will be created, including joint operations and intelligence. This new strategy will be accompanied by social programmes and aims to benefit communities in Colombia.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential future savings to the public purse of reducing (a) hepatitis C related end-stage liver disease and (c) liver cancer.
Jane Ellison
No such formal assessment has been made, although the potential benefits of new treatments becoming available are widely recognised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on enabling foreign nurses to fill vacancies in the NHS.
Ben Gummer
Overseas nurses and their contribution to the National Health Service was discussed with the Home Office Secretary on 17 June 2015 in a scheduled bilateral meeting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will provide support for producers of anaerobic digestive installations in completing planning applications for those installations.
James Wharton
My Department has made clear, through planning guidance, that anaerobic digestion as a form of waste development needs to be planned for. It is for local authorities to decide on the most appropriate strategy for managing waste in their area in line with planning policy and guidance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have registered as deaf in 2015.
Alistair Burt
The data requested is no longer collected centrally. On 31 March 2010, 56,360 people were recorded on the deaf register.