Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of schools in England that have a fast food facility within 400m.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has not made an estimate of the number of schools in England that have a fast food facility within 400 meters, as the department has no remit over the locations of fast food outlets.
As part of the summer 2024 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation, the government sought views on how national planning policy could better support local authorities in promoting healthy communities, specifically in tackling childhood obesity.
The revised NPPF published in December 2024 introduced a new policy to restrict new hot food takeaways and fast food outlets within walking distance of schools and other places where children and young people congregate unless the location is in a designated town centre. Applications should also be refused where there is evidence that a concentration of such uses is having an adverse impact on local health, pollution or anti-social behaviour.
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, whether his Department provides consular support for Christian missionaries in (a) Kenya and (b) other countries.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and our Embassies, High Commissions and consulates provide consular support to British nationals abroad in line with published guidance on gov.uk. In Kenya we have staff based in Nairobi who provide consular assistance to British nationals. We are contactable 24/7, 365 days a year, globally, whatever the purpose of travel.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations to promote staycations.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
While tourism in Wales, Scotland and Ireland is devolved to the respective Governments and tourism bodies, VisitBritain retains responsibility for marketing Great Britain on the international stage. Its GREAT-funded international marketing campaign launched at the beginning of this year. ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ uses the hook of Britain’s rich film and television history to encourage more international visitors to explore across Great Britain. Staycations are by definition the responsibility of the devolved Administrations.
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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of cannabis use on risk of heart disease death.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, due to both the immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. It can, for some, have a negative impact on their fertility. Cannabis use can also contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems.
There are various studies on the potential impact of cannabis use on the risk of heart disease death. The study, Cardiovascular risk associated with the use of cannabis and cannabinoids: a systematic review and meta-analysis, was recently carried out and published in the British Medical Journal’s Heart journal where findings revealed positive associations between cannabis use and major adverse cardiovascular events.
More information on the impact cannabis has on health can be found on the National Health Service website and Talk to FRANK, the Government’s drugs information and advice service. The Talk to FRANK website also has basic harm reduction advice and details of drug treatment services and support organisations.
We know that drug treatment is protective, and the number of places in treatment for people who use non-opiate drugs, including cannabis, is being increased by 30,000 compared to 2021/22, including 5,000 more places for young people in treatment. The number of people in England receiving treatment for problems with cannabis use increased from 63,854 in 2021/22 to 74,931 in 2023/24.
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 recent representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on people imprisoned under blasphemy laws for exercising religious beliefs in that country.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government remains deeply concerned by the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, particularly where they are used to target individuals for peacefully exercising their religion or belief. We regularly raise this issue at senior levels, urging Pakistani authorities to uphold due process, ensure fair trials, and protect those at risk. In March and June 2025, I raised concerns about freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) with Pakistani ministers. Working with the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, we are committed to championing the right to FoRB for all around the world - promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral organisations, our bilateral work, and our programme funding.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support people who served in Operation Banner.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
We owe the people who served on Operation Banner a huge debt of gratitude. Their professionalism and in many cases personal sacrifices saved many lives and helped to bring about peace in Northern Ireland. I will continue to champion their cause as we deal with Northern Ireland’s legacy. We are working hard to ensure that veterans’ interests are fully considered in any future legislation on this matter.
I am acutely aware of the impact that military service can have on veterans and their families. Where a veteran (or serving member of the Armed Forces) faces allegations arising from activities related to their duties, they are offered appropriate legal support at public expense.
The Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), run by the Ministry of Defence, provides free one-to-one support for veterans or anyone supporting a veteran, and their families, with a national network of welfare managers across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
More broadly, in England, Op COURAGE provides support with mental health and wellbeing for veterans, and Op RESTORE is the veterans’ physical health and wellbeing service, with similar services available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Housing support is available across the United Kingdom via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway connecting veterans with support
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many physical attacks there have been on judges in the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Secretary of State for Justice regards Judicial Office Holders’ safety with great importance. There are robust security and safety systems at court/tribunals to protect all court users and the department works with the Police and Judicial Office to deliver effective judicial security outside of court and online.
Physical attacks on Judicial Office holders are incredibly rare. There have been two instances in the past five years. When serious incidents such as these do occur, they are subject to robust investigations to ensure lessons are learnt to prevent recurrence and ensure all security and safety risks are managed to as low a level as reasonably practicable. Over £20m in additional funding in 25/26 has been allocated to a programme of works to further strengthen existing physical and online security arrangements.
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 her Department is taking to help encourage participation in clinical trials.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.
The Department is working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future.
The Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research.
The NIHR provides an online service called Be Part of Research, which promotes participation in health and social care research, by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. This makes it easier for people to find and take part in health and care research that is relevant to them, including clinical trials.
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 under 50 years old have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the last three years.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The latest data available, from March 2025, shows that the number of people under 50 years old diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the last three years were as follows:
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 estimate he has made of the number of babies born with rare diseases in the first half of (a) 2025 and (b) 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases. Digital data and technology are an underpinning theme of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) is part of NHS England and manages two disease registration services, including the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS). The NCARDRS records those people with congenital abnormalities and rare diseases across the whole of England. Further information on the NDRS and the NCARDRS is available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrs
Currently, there is no single rare disease registry. The NDRS can access information from the Newborn screening programme, which enables early identification, referral, and treatment of babies with nine rare but serious conditions. The NDRS also approaches services for access to patient data for other rare conditions, but this is not blanket coverage at this stage. There are a number of rare diseases registries, some funded via NHS England, and some via industry or charities. Due to this, NDRS records would not be a full picture of everyone born with a rare disease.