Tag: Jim Shannon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the sale of meat and milk from cloned animals.

Jane Ellison

The sale in the European Union of meat and milk from cloned animals is subject to risk assessment under the EU Novel Foods Regulation. These Regulations are currently being revised and have been discussed at a European Council Working Group level, where the Food Standards Agency represents the United Kingdom. The European Parliament has now voted in favour of maintaining the risk assessment of products from cloned animals under the Novel Food Regulations, and the Council is expected to be asked for its formal view shortly.

The European Commission has put forward separate and more specific proposals on the cloning of farm animals and the food derived from them. The discussions on these proposals have yet to gain momentum.

There is currently no authorisation for any meat or milk from cloned animals to be in the UK food chain.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps he has taken to ensure data protection legislation is up to date; and what guidance he has issued to companies on compliance with such legislation.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government takes the protection of personal data very seriously and is committed to making sure that the data protection legislation is up to date. The Government is currently negotiating a new EU data protection package and it is important that it meets the needs of both individuals and of business.

Compliance with the Data Protection Act is regulated and enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office which maintains guidance relating to the Act. Guidance for companies on compliance with the Act can be found at the ICO’s website: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria are applied for the use of intraoperative radiotherapy for treating cancer by the NHS.

Jane Ellison

NHS England does not currently commission intraoperative radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer. To date it has been undertaken in a small number of centres in England as part of a clinical trial.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage people to consume less salt.

Jane Ellison

New voluntary salt reduction targets have been developed for 76 specific food groups that contribute most to people’s salt intakes and major retailers, manufacturers and caterers are working to meet these targets by December 2017.

Maximum per serving salt targets for the out of home sector (restaurants and caterers) have also been set, covering the 10 most popular dishes on menus and children’s meals, and these are being supported by further actions in this sector, including training chefs, reformulating dishes and procuring lower salt ingredients.

The Front of Pack nutrition labelling scheme makes it easier for consumers, at a glance, to understand what they are buying and supports them to make healthier choices including reducing their intake of salt.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with shooting organisations on the cost of firearm licences.

Mike Penning

There have not been any recent Ministerial discussions with shooting organisations on the cost of firearm licences.

Following a public consultation on a proposal to increase firearms licensing fees, a new fee structure was introduced in Great Britain on 6 April 2015.

The Firearms Fees Working Group will be reconvened in the New Year to oversee the first annual review and representative members will be invited to attend.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support he has received from the US Army in order to assist with the protection of Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.

Penny Mordaunt

The last UK troops left Camp Bastion in November 2014. Prior to that point, security arrangements for Camp Bastion, the adjacent Camp Leatherneck and the surrounding area were shared between the UK forces and the US Marine Corps. These arrangements were the subject of extensive investigation by the Defence Select Committee in their 2014-15 inquiry into the September 2012 attack on the Bastion-Leatherneck complex. Large areas of what was Camp Bastion now form part of Camp Shorabak, which is used by elements of the Afghan National Defence Security Forces.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with liver disease in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison

Information is not available in the format requested.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that young people exposed to unhealthily-thin models through advertisements are not subject to health problems relating to body image.

Alistair Burt

We want women, men, girls and boys to be confident and comfortable with their bodies and that means educating people and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle.

The Government recognises that poor body image is a common problem not only for young people but, according to the findings of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image, more than half of the population. It is a factor in eating disorders and other mental health problems.

The Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) programme is already being expanded to cover additional areas of clinical practice, and extended so that by 2018 children and young people across all of England will have access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services which have been transformed by CYP IAPT and are providing evidence based psychotherapies coupled with session by session outcome monitoring. Additionally we are investing in community services for eating disorders in order for young people to receive more effective help faster and closer to home.

The Government has also worked with the Personal Social Health & Economic Association to produce guidance for teaching about body image using quality-assured resources, and with the National Citizen Service to produce resources on body image for young people aged 16-17 to develop their own active citizenship projects on this topic.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents involving aircraft there have been in the UK in each of the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Statistics for aircraft accidents in the UK are kept by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is required to investigate events which come within the definition of accident contained in Article 1 of the EU Regulation 996/2010. AAIB also investigates "serious incidents" as defined by the Regulation.

The table below sets out the number of investigations that the AAIB has undertaken. These includes investigations into serious incidents involving commercial air transport aircraft for the sake of completeness.

Year	No of AAIB Investigations Commenced
2014	236
2013	245
2012	264
2011	251
2010	248

CAA statistics differ slightly as they are based on reports made under the mandatory occurrence reporting requirements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent diseases (a) contaminating and (b) spreading between horse chestnut trees.

Rory Stewart

Horse chestnut trees have been affected by two particular organisms in recent years; the horse chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella) and horse chestnut bleeding canker (Pseudomonas syringae pathovar aesculi).

These are both well established in Great Britain and statutory action to destroy affected trees would be impractical.

Forest Research has been involved in several studies to understand the nature of the organisms and their spread. This work has been used to develop recommendations for evidence-based disease management.

The UK Plant Health Risk Register helps to identify new and revised threats to horse chestnut trees and priority actions in response. In collaboration with EU partners we have taken actions to reduce the risk of damaging pests, such as the citrus longhorn beetle, being introduced and causing damage to horse chestnut trees.