Tag: Diana Johnson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Reasonable Grounds decisions reached through the National Referral Mechanism took longer than five days in each year since 2009-10; and whether the decision-making in each of those decisions was by (a) UK Visa and Immigration or (b) the UK Human Trafficking Centre.

Sarah Newton

The National Crime Agency (NCA) regularly publishes National Referral Mechanism data but does not collect data about the timescales for reaching a Reasonable Grounds decision by either UKVI or the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit (previously known as the UKHTC).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether it is the Government’s policy to meet the requirements for automatically joining the World Trade Organisation on leaving the EU.

Mark Garnier

The UK is a founding member of the WTO and will continue to have membership in its own right upon leaving the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether it is the Government’s intention to sign up to (a) any or (b) all of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) level trade treaties with countries outside the EFTA in the event that the UK joined the EFTA.

Greg Hands

The Prime Minister has been clear, we are not going to provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of these negotiations. We recognise the need for a smooth transition as the UK leaves the EU which minimises disruption to our trading relationships. Ministers and officials in the Department for International Trade are working closely with counterparts across a wide range of markets in order to promote the UK as a great place to do business and with which to trade. We are taking advantage of all the opportunities available to us to ensure that Britain becomes the global leader in free trade once we leave the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff (a) of her Department and (b) working in each of its public bodies were employed in NUTS 1 region in the last fiscal year.

Matt Hancock

a) DCMS employed 527 payroll staff (and 57 non-payroll) staff at the 31st Mar 16 (end of the last fiscal year).

b) this information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, 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 paragraph 9 of that document; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation, agreed at the Bali Ministerial in December 2013, is expected to significantly reduce the costs of cross-border trade, including between developing countries.The Agreement was opened for acceptance by WTO Members in November 2014 and, to date, 51 WTO Members, including all EU Member States, have ratified.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2015 to Question 15325, how any of those asylum claims resulted in a positive asylum decision.

James Brokenshire

Of those claims which have received a decision, 486 received a positive outcome.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the minutes of the infected blood reference group meeting held on 5 October 2015; and for what reasons those minutes have not yet been published.

Jane Ellison

A report was produced by the independent facilitator who chaired the event and a final version was agreed with representatives from the campaign groups who attended, namely the Haemophilia Society, Contaminated Blood Campaign, and Tainted Blood. The report has now been published on the Haemophilia Society website.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many press or public relations officers are employed by (a) Ofgem, (b) the Oil and Gas Authority, (c) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (d) the Coal Authority, (e) the Committee on Climate Change and (f) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; how many of those staff earn more that (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total cost is of running the press office in each of those organisations in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Andrea Leadsom

The most recent information for each of the bodies is:

a) Ofgem

Ofgem employs a small team of six press officers. The total cost of running the press office including pay, pensions and all other costswas £642,000 in the financial year April 2014 to Mar 2015.

b) Oil and Gas Authority

The Oil and Gas Authority has a small communications and external affairs team, currently consisting of four staff. There is no dedicated press officer.

For 2015/16 costs for this team (including IT, staff costs & necessary subscriptions) are projected to be c£203,000.

c) Civil Nuclear Police Authority

The Civil Nuclear Constabularly/Civil Nuclear Police Authority employs a total of two members of staff: a Head of Engagement and Communications and one Communications Manager. It has no press or public relations officers. The only costs of running this small communications team are salary costs.

d) Coal Authority

There are two members of staff (one of which is part-time) working on press and public relations in the Coal Authority. The only costs of running this team is salary cost plus £7,300 establishment costs for the year.

e) Committee on Climate Change

There are two members of staff in the Committee on Climate Change Communications Team. The running costs of the team are salary costs plus other running costs (e.g. IT, website) of £18,934.

f) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority does not have a press office. Two members of staff have responsibility for media relations as a substantive part of their role: the Head of Stakeholder Communications and Corporate Communications Manager.

Given the small size of these teams, providing the information requested on salaries would enable individual members of staff to be identified. This information has not, therefore, been provided.

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

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

David Mundell

The Scotland Office currently employs five press and public relations staff. Three members of staff are paid more than £50,000 and no staff were paid more than £100,000.

The total cost of permanent Press and Public Relations staff in 2014/15 was £348,895.

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.