Tag: Diana Johnson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-02-08.

To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2015 to Question 2241, what the reasons are for there being no assessment undertaken of the safety implications of excluding cyclists from the Northern Entrance to the parliamentary estate; and if he will review that policy to take account of the forthcoming opening of the segregated cycle superhighway along the Embankment.

Tom Brake

A generic risk assessment for the movement of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles around the Parliamentary Estate was undertaken in August 2015; the assessment considered the risk of collisions between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. A dedicated cycle entry gate has been installed at Derby Gate as this entrance has the width to allow safe vehicle, cycle and pedestrian access, whereas the Northern Entrance does not. This is under constant review by the relevant House Authorities.

An assessment of the implications for both vehicle and bicycle entry at the Northern Entrance is planned to be conducted to reflect the construction of the East-West Bicycle Superhighway. The results will be reported to the hon. Lady by the Serjeant at Arms, once the work is complete.

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 case of Giulio Regeni was raised with the Egyptian government by the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Egypt during his visit to Egypt in February 2016.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Prime Minister’s trade envoy to Egypt, Jeffrey Donaldson MP, visited Egypt between 7 and 11 February 2016. The trade envoy discussed a range of issues but given his role focused on business conversations and promoting trade links. We regularly raise the case of Guilio Regeni with the Egyptian authorities including at Ministerial and senior official level.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average wait is for a driving test appointment (a) in England and (b) at the Hull test centre.

Andrew Jones

The main cause of current waiting times across the country is a significant and sustained surge in demand for driving tests, the last time we saw demand at such high levels was in 2005/6.

The average waits for a driving test appointment in (a) England and (b) at Hull test centre are as follows:

England

Car – 12 weeks

Taxi – eight weeks

Module one motorcycle test – six weeks

Module two motorcycle test – six weeks

Hull driving test centre

Car – 15 weeks

Taxi – nine weeks

Module one motorcycle test – 11 weeks

Module two motorcycle test – one week

Our 2015/16 recruitment campaigns resulted in 193 new examiners starting work at test centres across Britain. A further 48 examiners have started testing since April 2016, and we have made employment offers to an additional 110 people, who are currently either attending the new entrant training course, or waiting to attend one.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with governments of other EU countries on the rights of residence of British citizens resident in EU countries.

Mr David Jones

The rights retained by EU nationals here and British citizens in other EU states once the UK has left the European Union will be agreed during the course of negotiations. The Government fully expects that the legal status of EU nationals in the UK will be properly protected when we leave the EU. We also expect the same for British nationals in other EU Member States.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the bedoon community in Kuwait; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK continues to follow with concern the situation of the Bidoon in Kuwait. We recognise that their ambiguous status has a significant impact on this marginalised community. We encourage the Kuwaiti Government to meet its commitments to regularise the status of Bidoon, and to swiftly naturalise those who have a legitimate claim to citizenship.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of when the UK will lose EU funding previously allocated to the UK for carbon capture and storage programmes.

Jesse Norman

Two UK carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects have been allocated funding by the European Commission (Don Valley and White Rose); the status of this funding is subject to further discussions with the European Commission. The UK is also participating in a European Research Area Network (ERA-NET) on CCS under the Horizon 2020 programme. On 13 August 2016, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed that the Government will underwrite certain EU funding, including approved Horizon 2020 research and development and innovation projects, regardless of the UK’s relationship with the EU.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on the devolution of the policy and administration of agricultural subsidies to the devolved administrations once the UK exits the Common Agricultural Policy.

George Eustice

Across the UK, agriculture will receive the same level of funding that it would have received under the Common Agricultural Policy until at least the end of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework in 2020, even if the UK leaves the EU before this point.

The UK Government will be working closely with the devolved administrations as we work on future agriculture policy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Yazidi refugees have been supported into the UK from (a) Syria and (b) Iraq through the (i) Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme, (ii) Gateway Protection Programme and (iii) Mandate Refugee Scheme.

Mr Robert Goodwill

We continue to work closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify appropriate cases that they deem in need of resettlement for the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, the Gateway Protection Programme and the Mandate Refugee Scheme.

Statistics on arrivals under each of these schemes are published in the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The next set of statistics will be in the quarterly release on 1 December 2016 and will cover the period July – September 2016. We do not publish a breakdown of these statistics by religion or ethnicity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women waited longer than two weeks for an abortion (a) in NHS hospitals and agencies and (b) with private providers in each year since 2009-10.

Nicola Blackwood

Comprehensive and comparable data is not collected centrally on waiting times for abortions performed in both the National Health Service and independent sector. Information on the average time between the two medical practitioners’ signatures is also not collected centrally.

Because of the way information is stored the number of places where abortions took place in England and Wales is only available from 2013 to 2015 and is shown in the table below. All independent sector places perform abortions under contract from the NHS (previously known as NHS agency).

Table: The number of clinics at which abortions took place, by clinic type, England and Wales 2013 to 2015

Year	Total number of clinics	NHS Hospital	Independent Sector		Private Hospital
2013	348	234		97		16
2014	354	223		117		14
2015	385	220		151		14

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Review of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for victims of human trafficking, published in November 2014, whether her Department plans ultimately to remove the reasonable grounds stage in the NRM.

Sarah Newton

We are committed to doing all we can to identify and support UK-based victims of modern slavery. Following a review of the NRM, and in consultation with law enforcement and NGOs, we are piloting ways of improving the efficacy and efficiency of existing arrangements in two regions. The pilot will be evaluated and the findings will inform any reforms that we decide to roll out. Putting the NRM on a statutory footing would require secondary legislation and we will consider whether there is a need do so at the end of the pilot.