Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the World Health Organisation on (a) tackling and (b) the potential threat posed to the UK by mpox.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is engaged with our international partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), European, US and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and national public health agencies, ensuring we receive updates about international cases in a timely fashion. This information is then fed into the ongoing risk assessments that UKHSA are carrying out as the current mpox outbreak evolves.
In addition, I met with WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in July to discuss how we can work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on a range of issues, including mpox.
The UK is the largest flexible donor to the WHO globally, helping them to allocate resources where they are needed most, including responding to health emergencies such as mpox.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve men's mental health.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Men with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health.
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on the busy mental health services.
NHS Talking Therapies, which include cognitive behavioural therapy, provide treatment to men, with common mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. They can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies services, or be referred by their general practitioner.
Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men aged 45-64, and we are committed to tackling this, while ensuring they live well for longer.
The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England 2023-2028 was published in September 2023, with over 130 actions identified to reduce the suicide rate within five years (with initial reductions to be seen in 2.5 years). The strategy has identified middle aged men as a priority group and targets common factors such as financial difficulty, gambling and loneliness.
Across England, 79 organisations, ranging from local, community-led organisations through to national voluntary, community or social enterprises, have been allocated funding from the £10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund and are delivering a broad and diverse range of activity that will prevent suicides and save lives. Successful recipients of the grant fund include Lancaster Men’s Hub, Mankind UK and the UK Men’s Sheds Association through to March 2025.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that Northern Ireland is included in the free tree scheme this year.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Forestry is a devolved matter. Responsibility for tree planting in Northern Ireland is led by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Defra regularly coordinates with DAERA. There are a number of tree planting schemes in Northern Ireland provided by non-governmental organisations.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to provide levelling-up funding for community football grounds in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
At Spring Budget 2024, £2.2 million of levelling up investment was committed to the redevelopment of the South Stand at Crusaders FC. The Chancellor’s July ‘Public Spending: Inheritance’ speech forecasted an overspend of £21.9 billion above limits set by the Treasury in the Spring. We must ensure that we are making responsible decisions on public spending. Decisions that have fallen on this Government to take. In this context, the Chancellor has set out a path to confirming plans for this year and next at the forthcoming Budget on October 30th.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the provisions of the proposed Employment Rights Bill will extend to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to delivering its Plan to Make Work Pay in full. Ministers are identifying the most appropriate delivery mechanisms for the commitments in the Plan, including an Employment Rights Bill that will be introduced to Parliament within 100 days of taking office.
The scope of the Bill is still to be determined and engagement continues with stakeholders with an interest in this legislation. This includes all Devolved Governments including the Northern Ireland Executive. The Plan is a core part of the Government’s mission to grow the economy and raise living standards across the country.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many businesses in the UK have Government funded solar panels.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Solar power is at the heart of our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. The funding of solar panels is typically levied on billpayers rather than through direct taxation. Mechanisms have included the Feed-in tariff, Renewables Obligation and annual Contracts for Difference Allocation Rounds. Given the complex financial environment we are unable to provide an estimate as to how many businesses benefit from Government funding.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Colombian counterpart on sustainable access to medical services for people in that country.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Colombia work closely together on health as part of our commitment to the sustainability development goals. We are working to strengthen the capacity of public health systems in Colombia, including access issues. We recognise the importance of regulatory frameworks providing businesses with the confidence to innovate and invest in medical services, including robust intellectual property regimes. Our work on preventing sexual violence in conflict also focuses on medical services for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, where the UK provides targeted specialised psychosocial support in Colombia.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to promote shared ownership for potential homeowners.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Prospective buyers can find out more about shared ownership from the information provided on Gov.UK. This information includes a search tool that prospective buyers can use to find social landlords in their local area offering homes for sale on shared ownership terms. The Government would always encourage prospective buyers to take independent professional and legal advice before purchasing a shared ownership home.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to develop intervention strategies which tackle poor psychological wellbeing as a contributory factor to the development of dementia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Depression and social isolation are risk factors for developing dementia. They can be caused by, or contribute to, poor psychological wellbeing. By tackling these factors, we will therefore support wellbeing and reduce the risk of developing dementia.
We deliver dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR invested £2.9 million to develop an app that will address identified risk factors for dementia, including depression and social isolation.
NHS Talking Therapies provide treatment to adults with common mental health conditions including depression. People can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies Services or be referred by their general practitioner. We will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, easing pressure on busy mental health services.
Social prescribing is a key component of the National Health Service’s Universal Personalised Care. Social prescribing link workers take a holistic approach to people’s health and wellbeing. They connect people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in the UK have been diagnosed with severe visual impairments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Health is a devolved matter. In England, data is not collected centrally showing the total number of people diagnosed with severe visual impairments. Data is collected annually, showing the number of people certified as sight impaired, also known as partially sighted, or severely sight impaired, also known as blind, through the Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI). In 2022/2023, there were 23,993 CVI forms issued in England. Given certification is voluntary, this is likely to be an underestimation of those diagnosed with severe sight impairments.