Tag: Jim Shannon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many post offices are earmarked for closure in the next three years.

George Freeman

Government’s funding arrangements for Post Office Limited require them to maintain a network that meets nationwide access criteria.

Within that framework, the provision of post offices is the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to you on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to implement the EU Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

Karen Bradley

We are committed to ending Violence Against Women and Girls. The previous Government signed the Istanbul Convention (the Council Of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence) and this Government remains committed to ratifying it but have made it clear that we will not do so until we are absolutely satisfied that we fully comply with all articles but amendments to domestic law, to take extra-territorial jurisdiction over a range of offences (as required by Article 44), are necessary before the Convention can be ratified.

The Ministry of Justice is currently considering the approach to implementing the extra-territorial jurisdiction requirements in England and Wales and will seek to legislate when the approach is agreed and Parliamentary time allows. The Ministry of Justice will be consulting Ministers in the devolved administrations formally about whether legislative changes on extra-territorial jurisdiction in England and Wales should extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Convention applies to the whole of the UK so any changes necessary to the criminal law in Scotland and Northern Ireland prior to ratification are matters for the devolved administrations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that equipment is properly tested before purchase or procurement.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Department uses Test and Evaluation to support decision making throughout the acquisition cycle to understand the performance of the equipment that we procure.

Test and Evaluation activities are used to demonstrate that equipment is fit for purpose, safe and compliant with contract requirements. The suitability of these activities is an integral part of our normal acquisition management processes and decision points.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will ensure that any assistance provided to Palestinians in camps in Lebanon is used to encourage reconciliation between Palestine and Israel to take steps towards peace.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The main objective of our support to Palestinians living in camps in Lebanon is to meet their basic human needs, especially food needs. We also support projects aimed at improving governance and life chances for youth and communities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has had discussions with his EU counterparts on the containment of the Zika virus.

Jane Ellison

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly discusses matters across his portfolio with his European counterparts. He continues to monitor this outbreak of the Zika virus closely. In addition, Departmental officials continue to discuss the developing situation, including the measures that can be taken to contain the virus, with European colleagues through a number of channels, including at regular meetings of the European Health Security Committee.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have reported side-effects related to an organ transplant in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison

Post-transplant side-effects are monitored by the transplant centre, and all serious adverse events and reactions associated with organ donation and transplantation are required to be reported to the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), in accordance with the Quality and Safety of Organs Intended for Transplantation Regulations 2012.

Under these regulations, a serious adverse reaction is defined as an unintended response, including a communicable disease, in the living donor or in the transplant recipient that might be associated with any stage of the chain from donation to transplantation that is fatal, life-threatening, disabling, incapacitating, or which results in, or prolongs, hospitalisation or morbidity. The reporting of a reaction does not necessarily mean that someone involved has made a mistake. For example a donor may have an infection that was not known or indeed detectable at the time of donation.

The available information is shown in the following table:

Organ Donation and Transplant

Reported serious adverse reactions* in the United Kingdom, 2012 to 2016

	2012/2013** (Q3 and Q4)	2013/2014	2014/2015	2015/2016 (up to and including Q3)
Serious adverse reactions	5	12	10	10

Source: HTA

Notes:

* The data is not reflective of all side effects associated with transplantation, since they are limited only to serious adverse reactions associated with the quality and safety of the transplanted organs.

** the requirement for transplant centres to report Serious Adverse Reactions set out in Quality and Safety of Organs Intended for Transplantation Regulations 2012, commenced 27 August 2012.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for investigating the reports it receives from relevant clinical personnel, and reports to the HTA incidents which meet the definition under the 2012 Regulations. It also notifies the HTA of the steps being taken to manage the reported events or reactions and provides confirmation that all actions have been concluded. NHSBT then feeds back to the clinical community to share learning and promote best practice from incidents both in the UK and across Europe.

NHSBT also works with professional and patient organisations to ensure that all potential transplant recipients are given as much information as possible about the risks as well as the huge benefits of transplantation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to change the terms of tax conditions for UK multinational companies operating in Malawi.

Mr David Gauke

The taxation of UK companies operating in Malawi is governed by Malawian domestic tax law, where necessary modified by the terms of the UK/Malawi double taxation tax treaty. Negotiations between the two countries on a replacement treaty are substantially complete and the Malawian government has stated that it hopes to be in a position to sign the new treaty in the near future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on connections between hayfever, sleeping and allergy tablets and memory, cognitive and concentration difficulties.

Jane Ellison

No such discussions have taken place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her policy is on the role of solar thermal technologies in meeting the UK’s renewable heat targets.

Andrea Leadsom

Under the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive the UK has a target to deliver 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The government recognises that solar thermal can contribute towards the attainment of the renewable energy target. In 2014, renewable heat provided 2730 tonnes of oil equivalent, around 20% of total renewable energy. Around 2% of renewable heat came from solar thermal.

Source:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/renewable-sources-of-energy-chapter-6-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total expenditure by the NHS on HIV drugs was in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison

The indicative spend for NHS England commissioned HIV services for 2014/15 is £539 million. This figure is for the total indicative spend on HIV not just drugs, as it is not possible to extract the spend on HIV drugs alone for 2014/15. Accurate data on spend on HIV drugs from previous years is not available.