The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Assembly on increasing connectivity with Northern Ireland through expansion of Heathrow.
Mr Robert Goodwill
There have been no recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Assembly on increasing connectivity with Northern Ireland through expansion of Heathrow.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been referred to the NHS for remedial treatments for scarring and pain after laser hair treatment in each of the last five years.
Jane Ellison
This information is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on the number of Christians in Aleppo.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
There is a lack of reliable information on the number of Christians in Aleppo. At a press conference at the UN in Geneva in March 2016 the Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, Antoine Audo (also President of Caritas Syria), estimated that the population of Christians in Aleppo had fallen from 160,000 pre-conflict to only 40,000 in 2016. My noble friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns recently met with Armenian Church leaders, including one from Aleppo, who stated his congregation had fallen by 50%.
Overall, prior to the conflict, Christians numbered about 2.2 million — 10% of Syria’s population. 40% of the Christian population have now left Syria. Many of the Christians left because of the widespread perception they supported the regime. Those remaining vehemently reject the claim.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with medical organisations on treatment of chronic bronchitis through the freezing of lungs.
Jane Ellison
There have been no such discussions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to UN Security Council Resolution 1460, on child soldiers, if he will encourage Saudi Arabia and other states in the Coalition to develop and implement a time-bound action plan to end and prevent violations against children.
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 the Coalition 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 2016-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what expertise on Russia is required of members of the 77th Brigade; what the operational deployment standards are of that brigade; and how many members of that brigade were recruited from the Reserves.
Penny Mordaunt
Russia is just one of a wide range of different nations that elements of 77th Brigade are studying in order to develop a deep understanding of their approach to operations. The focus is on specific aspects of these countries’ operational concepts and doctrine including information warfare and the use of non-military means.
As is normal for operational deployments overseas, personnel will only deploy once they have met standards laid down for each theatre by the Joint Commander.
There are currently 141 reserve personnel serving with 77th Brigade.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the merits of the Investment Case prepared by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in preparation for its replenishment conference on 16 September 2016.
Mr Nick Hurd
The investment case projects that a successful replenishment will enable the Global Fund to save 8 million lives and avert up to 300 million new infections over the replenishment period 2017-2019. The UK wishes to see a successful replenishment, both the investment case and the conclusions of the Multilateral Aid Review and Bilateral Aid Review will be important in determining the Government’s contribution to the fifth replenishment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Northern Ireland counterparts on assistance for dairy farmers in Northern Ireland; and what assistance her Department is giving such farmers.
George Eustice
The Secretary of State is writing to the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland to outline the steps we are taking to help our hard-pressed dairy farmers. These include: securing a £26.2 million aid package from the European Commission, introducing a new system of extended tax averaging, and working with the Treasury to assess whether improved access to risk management tools can contribute to the resilience of the dairy industry.
I regularly meet representatives of the dairy industry from across the UK, including from Northern Ireland, to discuss issues of mutual interest and Defra officials maintain regular contact with their counterparts in the devolved administrations on a range of dairy issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will provide support to overseas students who convert to Christianity in the UK to ensure they are not persecuted for their religious beliefs when they return to their country of origin.
Alok Sharma
The UK is a staunch defender of the right to freedom of religion or belief internationally. We believe that societies where freedom of religion or belief is protected are fairer, more tolerant and better able to resist extremist ideologies.
With this in mind, we actively lobby governments for changes to laws and practices that discriminate against individuals on the basis of their religion or belief.
In many cases students have access to alumni networks, often supported or endorsed by the British Embassy, once they have returned to their country of origin. Such networks can offer moral and practical support in times of need.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the safety of passengers at train stations in London.
Paul Maynard
We are working with train operators inside and outside of London, including through franchising arrangements, so that they maintain or increase the number of the stations which have been awarded ‘Secure Station’ status. The Secure Stations scheme is managed by the Department for Transport (DfT) and British Transport Police (BTP), and sets station design and management standards. It is aimed at:
DfT is also currently working with the BTP to review and refresh the Secure Stations scheme to ensure that it continues to drive up standards, covers wider aspects of station security and that it reflects recent changes to the operating structure of the rail industry.