Oral Answers to Questions

Caroline Johnson Excerpts

Thursday 25th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Dr Caroline Johnson (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)]

Domestic violence can be extremely damaging for the children who witness it. What is the Minister doing to support those children?

[Stephen Hammond]

My hon. Friend raises an important point, because domestic violence clearly impacts the whole of family life, and there is evidence that children are also affected. We need to ensure that there are no legal barriers to sharing data to protect children or vulnerable adults, and we need to ensure that the £8 million we are spending will help those children recover from domestic violence.

Oral Answers to Questions

Caroline Johnson Excerpts

Thursday 7th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I thank the hon. Lady for raising this important question. There are additional programmes specifically for the groups that she mentioned. For example, a vaccination programme is being rolled out for men who have sex with men. Obviously the broad principle of the wider screening programme is to do the most good, and not to do any harm. That is the basis on which decisions are being made.

[Dr Caroline Johnson (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)]

Will my right hon. Friend join me in welcoming the roll-out of the HPV screening test for women? Does she agree that it will increase the number of people who are detected early and reduce the risk of women having cervical cancer?

[Penny Mordaunt]

Yes, and the roll-out has already had a considerable impact. The Department of Health and Social Care will keep these policies under review, but the programme has been an immense success.

Oral Answers to Questions

Caroline Johnson Excerpts

Thursday 13th September 2018 Commons Chamber

[Victoria Atkins]

Very much so. We have a packed agenda of meetings with business leaders but also with industry leaders, so that we can trickle down good practice from the largest employers, who obviously have the most resources in terms of HR departments and so on. We want to get the best practice from them and trickle it down so that we help those employers who under the legislation are required to report. My aspiration is also for employers who fall under that threshold to start adopting the same good practice as well.

[Dr Caroline Johnson (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)]

4. What steps she is taking to promote LGBT equality in the UK.

[The Minister for Women (Victoria Atkins)]

In July, we launched the Gender Recognition Act 2004 consultation and a 75-point LGBT action plan in response to the findings of the national LGBT survey. The action plan includes a £4.5 million fund to support delivery of these commitments—ranging from bringing forward proposals to end conversion therapy to appointing a national LGBT health adviser. This work marks a culture change to ensure that LGBT people feel respected at every level of our society.

[Dr Johnson]

The “Safe to talk to me” initiative pioneered by Dr Mike Farquhar gives badges, such as the one I am wearing, to NHS staff to encourage members of the LGBT community to understand that they can raise such issues in an open and safe environment. Will my hon. Friend welcome that initiative?

[Victoria Atkins]

Very much so. I thank my hon. Friend for the work that she does in the national health service looking after ill children. I am admiring her badge from afar. It looks very colourful. I hope that it will draw exactly the sort of reaction intended—namely, encouraging people who perhaps need extra reassurance that they are welcome and they are safe in the NHS to talk about their needs.

Oral Answers to Questions

Caroline Johnson Excerpts

Thursday 6th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Jo Churchill (Bury St Edmunds) (Con)]

10. What estimate he has made of the value of the contribution of the food and drink sector to UK exports.

[Dr Caroline Johnson (Sleaford and North Hykeham) (Con)]

12. What estimate he has made of the value of the contribution of the food and drink sector to UK exports.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade (Mark Garnier)]

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 4, 9 and 10 together. The food and drink sector makes an important contribution to exports. In 2016, UK food and drink exports reached £20.1 billion, an increase of 9% from the previous year. This represented 6.6% of our total goods exports. For the first quarter of this year, food and drink exports reached £4.9 billion, up 8.3% on 2016, representing the highest first quarter exports value on record.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mark Garnier]

My hon. Friend had a number of such meetings when she brought her local chamber of commerce down to London, and I believe that Muntons was part of that. She is absolutely right, however, to say that regulations, sampling and tariffs are an important part of doing trade deals, and it is important that we maintain those standards ourselves as well. It is absolutely the job of the Department for International Trade to interact with those people who need help at any level, and I would be very happy to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency and meet not only Muntons but others as well.

[Dr Johnson]

Lincolnshire has a proud tradition of producing food, and the food and drink industry is very important to my constituency. What is the Minister doing to help the food and drink manufacturers in Lincolnshire with their exports?

[Mark Garnier]

The Department for International Trade spans the whole of the country, and when it comes to specific areas, we look at specific needs. For example, in October, the Department and the midlands engine trade mission will be going to Anuga trade fair in Cologne, which is the leading international trade fair for food and beverages. I hope that we will be taking firms from my hon. Friend’s constituency to promote their goods and opportunities there.