Tag: Diana Johnson

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to ensure that British citizens continue to be able to access healthcare on a reciprocal basis when visiting the EU.

David Mowat

As the Prime Minister stated on 20 July, as long as we are a member of the European Union we will respect the rights and obligations of EU membership, therefore the current arrangements remain in place. As we move to a new relationship with Europe, our guiding principle will be ensuring the best possible outcome for British people.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what his policy is on future UK membership of Europol.

Mr Robin Walker

We are leaving the EU but co-operation on security with our European and global allies will be maintained. We will do what is necessary to keep our people safe – our aim will be to continue cooperation where it is in the national interest to protect the public. We are about to begin these negotiations and it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions in advance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has (a) made any arrangements and (b) had any discussions with the governments of each country in the Middle East on the application of Temporary Exclusion Orders in those countries.

Mr Ben Wallace

The Government has engaged with a number of international partners on the implementation of the Temporary Exclusion Order power. The Government made clear throughout the passage of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill that the operation of the TEO power would depend on the circumstances of each case and on the country from which an individual is seeking to travel to the UK. We will not comment on individual cases.