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Written Question
Skin Cancer: Sunbeds
Wednesday 6th March 2019

Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential correlation between the use of sunbeds for tanning the risk of skin cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Steve Brine

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation-emitting tanning devices, including sunbeds, were classified in 2009 as ‘carcinogenic to humans’ by the International Agency for Research on Cancer based on consistent evidence of a positive association between their use and incidence of melanoma.

In 2009, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment published advice to United Kingdom Government on the health effects and risks from UV sunbeds and concluded that there is evidence to suggest an increased risk of skin cancer among those who use sunbeds before the age of 35. The Committee's Report is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comare-13th-report

The World Health Organization (WHO) report on ‘Artificial tanning devices: public health interventions to manage sunbeds’ states that melanoma risk increases with younger age of first sunbed use and with greater lifetime use of sunbeds. The WHO report can be viewed at the following link:

https://www.who.int/uv/publications/artificial-tanning-devices/en/

A systematic review in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) showed that people who have used a sunbed at least once at any stage in their life have a 20% higher risk of developing melanoma than people who have never used a sunbed, and the first use of sunbeds before the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma by 59%. The BMJ report can be viewed at the following link:

https://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e4757.long

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 30 Jan 2019
World Cancer Day

"I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing the debate. He talks about access to existing treatments, but does he agree that more work has to be done on conditions for which treatment is not yet available? The late Tessa Jowell worked very hard on this issue, right up to the …..."
Ged Killen - View Speech

View all Ged Killen (LAB - Rutherglen and Hamilton West) contributions to the debate on: World Cancer Day
Written Question
Sunbeds
Monday 21st January 2019

Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)

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 implications for his policies of the recommendations of the World Health Organization report, Artificial tanning devices: public health interventions to manage sunbeds, published in 2017.

Answered by Steve Brine

Public Health England (PHE) contributed to the revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) report, ‘Artificial tanning devices: public health interventions to manage sunbeds’. The recommendations in the report are in line with PHE advice and the recommendations of the 13th report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE). The full COMARE report is available to view at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comare-13th-report

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Dec 2017
Male Suicide

"I beg to move,

That this House has considered the matter of male suicide.

This is my first Westminster Hall debate and it is a pleasure to serve under you as Chair, Ms Ryan. I hope that this is the first of many opportunities to do so.

We are gathered …..."
Ged Killen - View Speech

View all Ged Killen (LAB - Rutherglen and Hamilton West) contributions to the debate on: Male Suicide
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Dec 2017
Male Suicide

"The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. A lot of good work is going on around the country to encourage men to talk more.

Initiatives by the Samaritans and Time to Change encourage us all to think differently about mental health and suicide and to be alert when the behaviour of …..."
Ged Killen - View Speech

View all Ged Killen (LAB - Rutherglen and Hamilton West) contributions to the debate on: Male Suicide
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Dec 2017
Male Suicide

"My hon. Friend is absolutely right, though early intervention with mental health is an entirely separate debate, which I suggest would want its own time. I certainly agree with his point.

As I was saying, if a friend is experiencing a suicidal train of thought, a simple chat might be …..."
Ged Killen - View Speech

View all Ged Killen (LAB - Rutherglen and Hamilton West) contributions to the debate on: Male Suicide
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Dec 2017
Male Suicide

"My hon. Friend makes an important point. In those deprived areas people are on average two or three times more likely to experience suicidal behaviour. Socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals are more at risk and less likely to seek help for mental health problems than the more affluent. It bears repeating that, …..."
Ged Killen - View Speech

View all Ged Killen (LAB - Rutherglen and Hamilton West) contributions to the debate on: Male Suicide
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Dec 2017
Male Suicide

"As I said, there are a lot of complex issues that might affect suicidal behaviour. I am identifying specific areas that research shows are more likely to increase the risk of suicide. Living in a deprived area is one of those.

Sadly, many Members have said in the Chamber that …..."
Ged Killen - View Speech

View all Ged Killen (LAB - Rutherglen and Hamilton West) contributions to the debate on: Male Suicide
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Dec 2017
Male Suicide

"I hope that is the case and I think that, certainly, younger men are more likely to talk about their feelings than the older generation. Although there has been a strong downward trend in suicide rates in Scotland, in 2016 there was an 8% increase. Hopefully, that will go back …..."
Ged Killen - View Speech

View all Ged Killen (LAB - Rutherglen and Hamilton West) contributions to the debate on: Male Suicide
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Dec 2017
Male Suicide

"My hon. Friend is absolutely right and I hope that the Minister will touch on that. I note that suicide is treated as a health matter...."
Ged Killen - View Speech

View all Ged Killen (LAB - Rutherglen and Hamilton West) contributions to the debate on: Male Suicide