Tag: Diana Johnson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-10-29.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the 2013 Lough Erne G8 Leaders’ Communiqué, published on 18 June 2013, what progress has been made on implementing the commitments in paragraphs (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3, (d) 8 and (e) 10 of that document; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Gauke

An update on UK progress of commitments in the G8 Lough Erne Leaders Communique can be found in the 2013 UK G8 Presidency Report, published on the Government’s website at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/271676/G8_report_WEB_FINAL.PDF

Since then the Prime Minister has updated the House in June following the 2015 G7 summit. There has been significant progress on the Lough Erne commitments, including the finalisation of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting package (further information published on the OECD website), agreeing global standards on Automatic Exchange of Information in taxation and furthering international free trade agreements.

In addition, the G7 publishes an accountability report which monitors progress on the promises made on development. The last report was published in 2013, and the next one will be published next year under the Japanese presidency.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on how many (a) Saturdays, (b) Sundays and (c) Bank Holidays he has attended meetings, receptions or other official functions in his capacity as Secretary of State.

Jane Ellison

My Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has overall responsibility for the National Health Service, and is on call and briefed on relevant events seven days a week, including public holidays. He routinely works on Departmental business at the weekends, which includes attending meetings, visiting frontline services and carrying out official engagements where relevant.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued to (a) clinical commissioning groups, (b) hospital trusts and (c) health and well-being boards on BRCA gene testing for (i) patients who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and (ii) people identified as likely to have the BRCA gene mutation due to their family history.

Jane Ellison

NHS England published a new Clinical Commissioning Policy on Genetic Testing for BRCA1/2 mutations in July 2015, based on updated guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. This policy applies to patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer and people likely to have the BRCA gene mutation due to their family history.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many press and public relations staff are employed by (a) the Forestry Commission, (b) the Water Services Regulation Authority, (c) the Animal and Plant Health Agency, (d) the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, (e) the Rural Payments Agency, (f) the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, (g) the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, (h) the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, (i) the Consumer Council for Water, (j) the Environment Agency, (k) the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, (l) the Marine Management Organisation, (m) the National Forest Company, (n) Natural England and (o) the Sea Fish Industry Authority; how many of those employees are paid more than (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by each of those orqanisations in the most recent year for which figures are available.

George Eustice

Defra is in the midst of a corporate services and network transformation programme which is yielding significant reductions in communication staff. Our rigorous controls on communication spending are expected to save £1 million in 2015-2016. The detail requested will be placed in the Library of the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many press and public relations staff are employed by her Department; how many of those employees are paid more than (a) £50,000 and (b) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by her Department in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

The Northern Ireland Office employs four communications officers who deal with press and public relations as part of their roles. One is paid more than (a) £50,000 and none are paid more than (b) £100,000 per year. Total expenditure for press and public relations for the current financial year is £255,230 which includes staff time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will maintain the policy that payments made by Alliance House in relation to infected blood are disregarded for the purpose of tax or benefit assessments once the reformed system of payments is introduced.

Jane Ellison

As under the existing schemes, the current consultation on reform of the schemes proposes that any future payments would be in addition to any other source of income an individual may receive, and disregarded for the purposes of calculating income tax and eligibility for calculating other state benefits.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has investigated the airstrikes of 3 June 2015 in al-‘Eram and Sa’da, Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Saudi Arabian authorities have their own internal procedures for investigations and they announced more detail of how they investigate incidents of concern at a press conference on 31 January. It is important that all sides conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into all incidents where it is alleged that civilians have been targeted.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Attorney General, what his policy is on the prosecution of women who seek a medical abortion under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

Jeremy Wright

Offences of using poison or instruments to cause miscarriage and supplying or procuring poison or instruments to cause miscarriage (sections 58 and 59 Offences Against the Persons Act 1861) are usually investigated by the police and, in England and Wales, prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The CPS will only bring or continue with a prosecution where both stages of the test set down in the Code for Crown Prosecutors are met, i.e. that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and, if so, that a prosecution is required in the public interest.

In England and Wales, section 1 of the Abortion Act 1967 provides a defence to a prosecution under sections 58 or 59 where a pregnancy is terminated by a registered medical practitioner in accordance with the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of leaving the EU on EU funding for flood defence projects.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

No Government Grant-in-Aid funding for flood defence projects comes from the European Union. Where EU Structural Funds are being used in partnership funding, current arrangements for such funding will remain in place until we leave the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he and his Department have discussed the position of the bedoon community with the Kuwaiti government.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We regularly raise the issue of the Bidoon at the highest levels of Kuwait’s Government. Human rights, including the status of the Bidoon, are also discussed bilaterally at the biannual UK-Kuwait Joint Steering Group meetings, the most recent of which was held in London at the end of May.