Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jane Ellison and Lord Cryer

Tuesday 25th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Jane Ellison]

I am encouraged by the evidence from Australia. We have seen some really impressive statistics regarding the cessation of smoking. The Government have not yet made a final decision on the matter, but Health Ministers are on the record as saying that we are minded to move forward on this, and we want to make progress. I regret the loss of jobs in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency, but I know that he will be working hard to assist his constituents in looking for other employment.

[John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead) (Lab)]

If plain packaging were introduced, what assessment has there been on whether that will make life easier or more difficult for the counterfeiters?

[Jane Ellison]

That is one issue that we will weigh up before making a final decision. Obviously, we received a large amount of evidence from the consultation, and we are looking at it in detail. Some of it was around that matter, although it is also the case that Sir Cyril Chantler made some robust statements in his report, rebutting some of the claims, but that is all part of the final consideration that the Government will make.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jane Ellison and Lord Cryer

Tuesday 25th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Jane Ellison]

We anticipate that we will be able to share the data collected with all appropriate Government Departments and partner organisations. On local education campaigns, I see no reason why requests to access the data would not be approved. We want to build a proper national picture of what is going on with FGM so that we can do all we can both to care for victims and to stamp out this abuse.

[John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead) (Lab)]

On the issue of widening education, could the Minister encourage her colleagues at the Department for Education to write to schools to raise awareness of this abhorrent practice?

[Jane Ellison]

Fahma Mohamed, the brilliant young woman who has led the campaign on this, will meet the Education Secretary today and there is a lot of work under way across all Government Departments. There was recently a cross-Government declaration on the things that are going on to stamp out FGM and to care for its victims. The hon. Gentleman’s question is a matter for the Department for Education, but I assure him that the Government as a whole are hugely committed to wiping out FGM within a generation and to caring for its victims.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jane Ellison and Lord Cryer

Tuesday 26th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Jane Ellison)]

My hon. Friend may know that specialist NHS stoma nurses offer a range of support and advice to help patients adapt to life with a colostomy, and this advice can cover colostomy irrigation, if appropriate. This is supplemented with patient literature on colostomy, which is widely available in the NHS.

[John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead) (Lab)]

Further to question 15, I understand that responsibility for walk-in centres has been devolved. Why does that necessarily prevent central Government from collecting those figures centrally? It is pretty staggering that a Minister should turn up and say, “Well, the decisions are made locally so we just don’t bother finding out.”