Tag: Jim Shannon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on providing possible alternative oil and gas supply to the Baltic states.

Grant Shapps

I have not had bilateral discussions with European counterparts on providing possible alternative oil and gas supply to the Baltic states. The UK’s support to the Baltic states on diversification of their oil and gas supply takes place largely through the European Union. The UK continues to work closely with Brussels in pursuit of security of supply, and our efforts to improve EU energy security are carried out through the Energy Union Project. The UK appreciates the pressures that the Baltic states are under, and ending their island status in gas and oil is a key area of our work on gas supplies within the Energy Union. On the 15 October 2015, the European Commission signed a joint-declaration with the Baltic States on constructing the Gas Interconnector Poland – Lithuania (GIPL), aimed at providing a secure gas supply for the Baltic region and reducing reliance on Russian gas. Construction is intended to be completed in 2019.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of the situation of the Bahá’i community in Iran.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Baha’i community in Iran is subject to mounting persecution, and we are concerned by state efforts to identify, monitor and arbitrarily detain Baha’is. We have repeatedly expressed our concern at the harassment faced by Baha’is in Iran and at the sentencing of seven Baha’i leaders to 20 years in prison. We urge the Iranian Government to ensure that all Iranian citizens are able to practise their faith freely, as required by international conventions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to assist and advise all British ex-servicemen resident in the Republic of Ireland on financial support for medicines and medical aftercare.

Ben Gummer

Neither the Department nor the National Health Service commissions or provides medicine or medical aftercare for veterans in the Republic of Ireland (ROI).

However, all veterans who reside overseas and are in receipt of a United Kingdom war pension, a war widows’ pension or armed forces compensation scheme payments plus their spouse/civil partner and children (under 18) are entitled to receive free healthcare from the NHS in the UK.

All UK Veterans residing in the ROI are able to access the UK Ministry of Defence Veterans UK website and helpline and the Veteran Welfare Service for any additional support. Veterans UK may meet the cost of treatment for accepted war pension condition(s) provided the treatment is:

– clinically necessary for a disability due to service; and

– not available free of charge through the health system in the country of residence.

The Ministry of Defence has a contract with Leopardstown Park Hospital Trust in Dublin that provides, through the hospital, facilities for the short and long-term care of former UK service personnel and their spouses, who are resident in the ROI and can also provide financial assistance to those who have been disabled or invalided as a result of service with the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to introduce earlier forms of diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on the NHS.

Jane Ellison

The independent cancer taskforce published its report Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020 in July 2015, which recognised early diagnosis as a key priority for improving cancer outcomes. Recommendation 21 in particular refers to Wave 2 of the Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) programme, which specifically aims to speed up and improve diagnosis of cancers with non-specific but concerning symptoms through the use of a multidisciplinary diagnostic centre.

NHS England is working with partners across the health system to consider how best to take the recommendations of the report forward.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on potential links between drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco and Alzheimer’s disease.

Jane Ellison

Improving the treatment and care of people with dementia, reducing the incidence of dementia and improving dementia research, is a key priority for the Government.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular meetings with various stakeholders, including Royal Colleges, in which a wide range of topics are discussed. There have been no meetings to discuss the potential links between alcohol, tobacco and Alzheimer’s disease specifically.

Studies investigating whether alcohol consumption is linked to dementia risk have had mixed results and research is ongoing. However, very heavy drinking is known to cause alcohol-related dementia, also known as Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome.

Public Health England (PHE) has made dementia risk reduction one of their seven public health priorities for the next five years. In May 2014 PHE and the UK Health Forum published the Blackfriars Consensus, a statement calling for action on dementia risk reduction which was signed by 60 organisations and individuals working on dementia and other non-communicable diseases, as well as by the Secretary of State and the Health Ministers from the devolved administrations.

PHE is now working closely with the Alzheimer’s Society and a range of others partners to deliver concerted action to reduce people’s risk of dementia by supporting them to live healthier lives and manage pre-existing conditions that increase their risk of dementia. Their programme includes work to further develop the evidence base and improve modelling of incidence and prevalence, to embed dementia risk reduction messages into health improvement and secondary prevention activity, and to raise public and professional awareness and understanding of what can be done to reduce dementia risk.

On the latter PHE is engaging with the Royal College of General Practitioners as well as others such as Health Education England and the relevant sector skills councils.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with supermarkets to reduce or stop the sale of sugary drinks.

Jane Ellison

Departmental officials also have regular discussions with supermarkets on a range of healthy eating issues including the sale of sugary drinks.Although some supermarkets and manufacturers have made significant announcements with regard to reducing the sugar in drinks, which Ministers have welcomed, the challenge to industry to make further progress remains.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in each Office for National Statistics age group were diagnosed with melanoma in each of the last five years.

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 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison

Information is not held in the format requested.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of when the iolAMD device for eye conditions will be available on the NHS.

Alistair Burt

There is no National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the use of the ioIAMD lens. Where NICE guidance does not exist on a particular treatment, it is for local National Health Service commissioners to make funding decisions based on an assessment of the available evidence and on the basis of an individual patient’s clinical circumstances.

NHS commissioners are required to have in place clear and transparent arrangements for local decision-making on the funding of treatments and for considering exceptional funding requests.

If a patient’s local clinical commissioning group, decides, on the basis of rational, proper consideration of the evidence, that a treatment should not be provided which the patient and their doctor have requested, patients must be provided with the reasons for that decision in writing.

The Government has been clear that restricting access to services on the basis of cost alone is wrong and compromises patient care. Commissioning decisions should be made on the basis of the available evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support is available for people with diabetes to ensure that they can continue to live independently.

Jane Ellison

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence quality standard for diabetes sets out that people with diabetes should receive a structured educational programme as this is key to ensuring that they are able to manage their condition as successfully as possible.

While there is still much room for improvement, the proportion of people with diabetes being offered structured education is rising. 16% of people newly diagnosed with diabetes were offered structured education in 2012/13 compared to just over 8% of those diagnosed in 2009. In the same period the number of people newly diagnosed with diabetes offered or attending structured education rose from 11% to over 18%.

Improving the outcomes of people with and at risk of diabetes is of great concern to this Government and we will put forward our plans in due course.