The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-02-10.
To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, Article 3, Part 2 and the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine to interventions aimed at modifying the genome of the recipient’s descendants.
Jeremy Wright
By convention whether or not I have given advice or conducted legal assessments, is not disclosed outside of Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-07-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the British Medical Association and cancer groups on studies of the potential effects of aspirin on cancer.
Jane Ellison
We know that research carried out so far shows that taking a low dose of aspirin daily may lower the risk of getting cancer and it may lower the risk of some cancers spreading to other parts of the body. However, aspirin can cause serious side effects such as internal bleeding and we have to be certain that the benefits of taking aspirin outweigh the risks.
The third annual report of Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer, published in December 2013 reported that an international consensus statement on the use of aspirin in the general population has been developed by experts around the world, but is awaiting publication. Once the international consensus statement is published, we will assess what this means for policy in England, such as when the benefits might be outweighed by the disadvantages (particularly, the increased risk of gastric bleeds) and how best to manage the use of aspirin for prevention and treatment of cancer.
Cancer Research UK advises that anyone thinking of taking aspirin to reduce the risk of getting cancer should talk to their doctor first.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to enforce prompt payments to small and medium-sized enterprises by large companies.
Matthew Hancock
The Government is taking forward a suite of measures to tackle prompt payment.
Through the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill, currently before Parliament, we will introduce measures to improve transparency on payment practices and policies. Increased transparency, through a tough and transparent new reporting requirement on the UK’s largest companies, will help take significant steps to addressing the current imbalance in economic power between small and large contracting parties. Our consultation on draft secondary regulations to underpin these measures closed on 2 February. We will publish a summary of responses shortly.
The Government is currently seeking views on how to best give representative bodies wider powers to be able to challenge grossly unfair payment practices on behalf of members. The discussion paper is available online and is open until 9 March.
The Government is also working to strengthen the impact of the Prompt Payment Code. We are currently considering proposals, including introducing a maximum payment term for Code signatories, more rigorous monitoring of signatory behaviour, and the enforcement of tougher sanctions on bad payers. We will announce our proposals in Spring.
These measures will drive forward a shift in payment culture that will make it unacceptable for large companies in positions of extreme bargaining imbalances to exploit smaller suppliers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-07-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy that the operation to remove fibroids by MR Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) be available on the NHS.
Jane Ellison
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for determining clinical commissioning policy (including the availability of, or eligibility for, NHS funded treatment) on fibroid treatments. Local CCGs decide on how to best use funding allocated to them, underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs.
The Department is aware that in November 2011, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published Interventional Procedures Guidance [IPG413]: Magnetic resonance image-guided transcutaneous focused ultrasound for uterine fibroids.
The Department expects CCGs to consider any relevant NICE guidance as they design services to meet the needs of patients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to encourage universities in the UK to enter into partnerships and twinning arrangements with the British University in Egypt.
Mr David Willetts
I am keen that UK universities broaden their engagement with their Egyptian counterparts in recognition of the country’s growing research strengths. The newly created UK – Egypt Newton – Mosharafa Fund presents a real opportunity to take UK – Egypt institutional engagement to another level, by investing £20 million over five years in a bilateral partnership focussed on science, research, innovation and education.
The British University Egypt will be eligible to apply for calls once the fund is launched.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice his Department provides to pensioners on how to invest their money.
Andrea Leadsom
At Budget 2014, the Chancellor announced a number of measures to give people more choice about how they use and manage their money in retirement.
The Chancellor announced that from April 2015, anyone 55 and over will be able to access their defined contribution pension savings and use the savings as they choose.
A new service, Pension Wise, will provide guidance online, face-to-face and on the phone, and will be up and running in time for April 2015.
The website, in pilot form, is already available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-07-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women in each age group had hysterectomies in the UK in each of the last five years.
Jane Ellison
This information is not available in the format requested.
The attached table shows information concerning the number of finished consultant episodes for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans for the next Government trade delegation to visit Egypt; and if he will include in that delegation construction companies from the UK.
Michael Fallon
I am planning to visit Egypt from 12-15 October 2014 with a business delegation. Our Embassy in Cairo intends that the visit should focus on the following four sectors: Energy, Education, Retail and Construction.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on how many people have experienced adverse health effects as a result of using the drug ruxolitinib.
George Freeman
Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card Scheme. The Yellow Card Scheme collects information relating to suspected adverse drug reactions, which include both serious and non-serious effects which a health care professional or patient suspect may have been due to a medicine.
The MHRA has received a total of 74 United Kingdom spontaneous suspected ADR reports in association with ruxolitinib up to and including 10 February 2015. This number includes reports received directly from healthcare professionals, patients and indirectly through pharmaceutical companies which have a legal obligation to report suspected ADRs.
The inclusion of a particular ADR in a report does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the drug, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have, or it had a close temporal relationship to the administration of the suspect drug. The fact that symptoms occur after a treatment does not necessarily mean that they have been caused by the drug itself, as underlying illnesses and other conditions may be responsible.
In 2013, the product information for ruxolitinib was updated to warn healthcare professionals that cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) have been reported with ruxolitinib and to recommend that patients are monitored at regular intervals for any new or worsening neurological symptoms or signs. The Market Authorisation Holder is currently conducting studies to investigate the risk of PML further. The benefits of ruxolitinib to adult patients with myelofibrosis who have an enlarged spleen or symptoms related to the disease are considered to outweigh the risks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-07-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy that internal defibrillators be available on the NHS.
Jane Ellison
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators – internal defibrillators – are already available on the National Health Service.
The decision about whether to implant a defibrillator into a patient is a clinical one which we would expect to take account of any relevant guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.