The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have sought asylum in the UK through the Dublin III regulation.
James Brokenshire
The Home Office received 2122 asylum claims following a request for claimants to be accepted under the Dublin III regulations. This figure is based on the latest available data from January 2014 to June 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps UK embassies are taking to promote religious freedoms.
Mr David Lidington
Through our network of Embassies and High Commissions, the Government regularly urges governments across the world to protect the right of all individuals to practise their religion or belief free from persecution or discrimination.
We promote this freedom bilaterally by raising individual cases with governments and by seeking to influence them to remove discriminatory legislation or practices. We also promote religious freedom in multilateral fora by working together with our international partners
For example, in Burma, we have raised our deep concern at the rise of hate speech and religious intolerance with the Burmese authorities and will continue to do so, both publicly and in private. We have supported a number of projects, including developing relationships between Burmese youth and different religious communities, and arranging exchanges between activists on religious freedom in Burma and Indonesia. In Iraq, we are funding a project to prevent intolerance and violence towards religious communities by strengthening the ability of youth and civil society to advocate the right to freedom of religion or belief.
Promoting freedom of religion or belief is a priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Programme. Since 2011, 35 projects have been funded in 12 countries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much capital funding his Department has allocated to construction of a new concert hall in London led by the Barbican Centre.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not allocated any capital funding for the construction of the new concert hall in London.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department spent on (a) travel, (b) first or business class flights for officials, (c) first or business class flights for Ministers, (c) first class train travel for officials and (d) first class train travel for Ministers in 2014-15.
Mr David Lidington
The FCO ensures value for money in all its expenditure to help reduce the overall costs of Government. Staff are expected to find alternatives to overseas travel where possible, including by making use of video conferencing facilities.
Where travel is necessary, FCO policy is that staff should ensure maximum efficiency, remembering that it is public money being spent. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, FCO officials may fly business class only if the flying time is ten hours or longer.
All FCO staff are directed to use standard class for rail travel unless there are exceptional circumstances e.g. illness, disability or where first class facilities are essential for working while travelling. In these exceptional circumstances, prior line management approval must be given.
In 2014-15 the FCO’s spend on air and train travel originating in the UK and booked through the Government’s nominated travel agency in the UK totalled £10,879,831 and £365,145 respectively.
For comparison, in 2009-10 the equivalent figures were £14,503,576 and £328,184 respectively. This represents a 25% reduction in expenditure on air travel and a 11.3% increase on train travel since 2009-10.
In 2014-15 the figures break down to £6,838 on first class flights (exceptions were made to ensure attendance at the funeral for a Head of State and for officials to attend crucial talks on Libya), £4,501,110 on business class flights, £6,371,883 on economy and premium economy flights, £3,057 on first class rail travel and £362,088 on standard rail travel.
For comparison, in 2009-10 the figures break down to £11,852 on first class flights, £11,307,923 on business class flights, £3,183,801 on economy and premium economy flights, £195,447 on first class rail travel and £132,737 on standard rail travel.
It is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown of expenditure on either air or rail travel by Ministers and by officials: disaggregating the class of travel from all the individual journeys taken by ministers and officials could only be carried out at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many press and public relations staff are employed by his 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 his Department in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The number of press and public relations staff employed in the central Department on 1 January 2016 was sixteen (all full-time employees). Four of those staff have annual salaries over £50,000 and none are over £100,000.
The total of 16 staff compares to an equivalent figure for the central Department in 2009/10 of 19.
The total expenditure on press and PR staff and related services in 2014-15 was £1,266,000.
Overall communications expenditure by the central Department in 2014-15 was £22 million lower than in 2009-10. Across Government the government communications profession reduced communications spending by a total of £1 billion during the last Parliament.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26339, what representations he is making to the Egyptian government on an independent inquiry being carried out into the death of Giulio Regeni.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are aware of the tragic death of Mr Regini, an Italian national, following his disappearance on 25 January and pass our condolences to his friends and family at this difficult time. We support Italian and Egyptian efforts to investigate the circumstances of the tragic death of Mr Regeni, and are in contact with the Italian and Egyptian authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the Saudi Arabian-led coalition in relation to reports of the targeting of civilian homes in the al-‘Eram and Sa’da areas of Yemen.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military Coalition. The Saudis have their own internal procedures for investigations and they announced more detail of how they investigate such incidents 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 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budget for NHS Protect was in each of the last eight years.
George Freeman
The information requested is in the following table:
|
Year |
NHS Protect Budget (£ million) |
NHS Protect staff |
NHS Protect investigators |
|
2008-09 |
13.379 |
218 |
83 |
|
2009-10 |
13.439 |
204 |
71 |
|
2010-11 |
12.121 |
217 |
68 |
|
2011-12 |
11.381 |
190 |
33 |
|
2012-13 |
11.381 |
173 |
32 |
|
2013-14 |
11.381 |
178 |
32 |
|
2014-15 |
11.154 |
186 |
34 |
|
2015-16 |
10.473 |
174 |
33 |
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 steps she has taken to ensure that the (a) devolved administrations, (b) local government and (c) regional bodies are represented in negotiations to exit the EU.
George Eustice
Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, fisheries, food and drink, rural affairs and our environment remain in place.
We are now preparing to negotiate our exit. Defra officials will be working with the new Department for Exiting the European Union to look at future arrangements. The Government will work very closely with the Devolved Administrations, local government and regional bodies on this approach.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to make financial support available to refugees and people in Britain with humanitarian protection status who are disabled.
Penny Mordaunt
Refugees and people in Great Britain with humanitarian protection status who are disabled and in need of financial support are entitled to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit, and Personal Independence Payment, providing they meet all the necessary conditions of entitlement set out in regulations.