Written answers

Thursday, 24 January 2013

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Business: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the level of bank lending to small and medium-sized businesses; and if he will make a statement.

    • Business: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on the burden of regulation on micro-businesses; and what recent...

      EU External Trade: USA

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what input the UK is having into the EU-US High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth.

      EU External Trade: USA

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential benefits to the UK economy of the standardisation of EU and US regulation being...

      EU Grants and Loans: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss the effect of repatriation of EU structural funds with the Welsh Government.

      Motor Vehicles: Import Duties

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether there was any agreement at the recent Doha trade talks relating to tariffs on the sale of cars.

      Natural Environment Research Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff are employed by the National Environment Research Council.

      Offshore Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the Norwegian Local Content Policy linked to its oil and gas policy; and if he will assess...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department has been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since that...

      Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2012, Official Report, column 988W, on regulation, what recent discussions he has had with his...

      Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of questions tabled for ordinary written answer by his Department (a) were answered after 30 days...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Booktrust

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what discussions (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) officials of his Department had with the Department for Education in 2012...

    • Employment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of people (a) in Woking constituency and (b) nationally were employed in the (i) private, (ii) public and (iii) third sector in each of...

      Non-departmental Public Bodies

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to his Department's report, Public Bodies 2012 published in December 2012, what timetable he has established for the next stage of any...

      Procurement

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which local authorities were using Contracts Finder on the latest date for which information is available.

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Art Works

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has leased out any works of art held by the Department but not currently on display.

    • Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many air miles were accumulated by each Minister in his Department in 2012; how such air miles were used; and whether such...

      Community Development: Environment Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make an assessment of how (a) the Localism Act 2011 and (b) other Government enabling legislation passed in this...

      Fireworks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will review his Department's guidelines on fireworks and their display to assess levels of compliance with the existing...

      Housing: Copeland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) new houses and (b) affordable houses were built in Copeland constituency in 2012.

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what value of local government settlement per dwelling is given by his Department to each local authority in England.

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the taxation policies of Birmingham city council.

      Local Government: Business

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides to local authorities to encourage them to strengthen their relationship with...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's top three policy implementation (a) successes and (b) failures have been since May 2010.

    • Human Rights: Religion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total legal costs to the Government have been of opposing the appeals at the European Court of Human Rights in the cases of...

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on Camelot's intention to reduce the percentage of money that it pays for good causes from 28 per cent to 27 per...

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) whether she was consulted over changes to the Lotto announced by Camelot; and if she will make a statement; (2) what discussions...

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she will take if the changes to the Lotto announced by Camelot result in less money being available for distribution to good...

      Senior Civil Servants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of officials of the three most senior grades in her Department have (a) resigned, (b) taken voluntary early...

      Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many and what proportion of questions tabled for ordinary written answer by her Department (a) were answered after 30 days and...

  • Defence

    • Ammunition: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what munitions dumping sites were used in Scotland prior to the signing of the OPSAR Convention; and what amount of each type of munitions was dumped at...

    • Ammunition: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the environmental effects of historic dumping of munitions in (a) Scotland's exclusive economic zone and (b) the UK...

      Armed Forces: Discharges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) under what criteria serving personnel may be discharged from the armed forces on the grounds of retrospective medical discharge; (2) what (a)...

      Armed Forces: Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces are claiming housing benefit.

      Armed Forces: Redundancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason army personnel were not permitted to voluntarily reduce their end of engagement date to align with their immediate pension point as was...

      Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2013, Official Report, column 36W, on armed forces: sexual offences, if he will propose to the Secretary of State for...

      Chief of Defence Materiel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on his Department's accounts for 2011-12, what the reasons are for the time taken to...

      Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to update assumptions on the future cost of fuel for the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft.

      Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2013, Official Report, column 891W, on future strategic tanker aircraft, whether the FSTA consortium holds a...

      Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent reports he has received on the safety of the F-35 fuel tank.

      Mali

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will permit the use of C17 aircraft to transport humanitarian supplies to Mali when not required for military purposes.

      Mali

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to provide military assistance in Mali through the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles in that country.

      Persian Gulf

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Naval submarines are currently deployed in the Arabian Gulf; and for what purpose each such submarine is deployed.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many research contracts commissioned by his Department were not subject to a tendering process in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department has been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since that website's inception.

      Russia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions Royal Air Force aircraft have been launched to monitor Russian aircraft approaching UK airspace in each of the last three years;...

      Shipping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to reinstate the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's (RFA) role in strategic sealift; and if he will make it his policy to reinstate that...

      World War I: Anniversaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps he is taking to encourage greater archive accessibility at military museums in the lead-up to the centenary of the First World War; (2)...

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to answer PQ 133155, tabled on 6 December 2012 for answer on 10 December 2012.

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made on agreeing the levels of fines for non-registration on the voting register; and if he will make a statement.

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of plans to introduce Individual Electoral Registration on the level of electoral registration in rural communities.

  • Education

    • 16-19 Bursary Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2012, Official Report, column 419W, on 16-19 Bursary Fund, on what date he plans to make publicly available...

    • Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consultations his Department has conducted amongst childcare providers on the potential deregulation of the childcare system.

      Children: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what facilities his Department makes available online to help children and young people cope with (a) stress, (b) mental illness and (c) bullying and...

      Children: Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children who have been removed by social services have been (a) returned to their parents with additional support, (b) placed...

      Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's top three policy implementation (a) successes and (b) failures have been since May 2010.

      Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education when each of his ministerial team meetings have taken place since May 2010.

      Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions he has met (a) civil servants and (b) other Ministers in his Department since May 2010.

      Freedom of Information Act 2000

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his personal involvement is in authorising releases of responses to requests to his Department under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

      Freedom of Information Act 2000

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on legal advice relating to compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each month since September 2011.

      Gcse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils in each mainstream secondary school who did not have statements of special educational needs achieved (a) five...

      Gcse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils in each ethnic group and each school in the UK who did not have statements of special educational needs and who...

      Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education which (a) groups and (b) hon. Members he and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Childcare has met to discuss personal,...

      Pupils: Leave

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's policy is on study leave in the lead up to end of year examinations at 16.

      Pupils: Leave

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department gives to schools with respect to providing study leave for students taking end of year examinations at 16.

      Pupils: Leave

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects of study leave in the weeks leading up to end of year examinations at 16 on students’ examination...

      Schools: Sports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to provide support for long-term sports funding in schools in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Dudley.

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how his Department plans to improve outcomes for children with special educational needs in (a) Hendon, (b) London and (c) England.

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will introduce a national framework for local offers in the forthcoming Children and Families Bill; and what accountability measures he plans to...

  • Electoral Commission Committee

    • Individual Voter Registration: Scotland

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the likely effects of...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Electricity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the assumption in the analysis supporting the Electricity Market Reform consultation proposals that a reduction in...

    • Energy: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how he plans to ensure that savings made by suppliers from the smart metering roll-out programme are passed on to consumers.

      Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number of households in each parliamentary constituency living in fuel poverty.

      Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department expects to publish its annual report on Fuel Poverty Statistics 2013.

      Levy Control Framework

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which policy instruments will be eligible to draw on the budget managed under the Levy Control Framework to 2020; and what their...

      Petroleum Act 1998

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2013, Official Report, column 917W, on the Petroleum Act 1998, for what reasons the information...

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has made an assessment of the ability of independent renewable generators to secure a reasonable value for their...

      Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how many responses were received to the Onshore Wind Call for Evidence run by his Department which closed on 15 November 2012;...

      Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of (a) the EU wind-power target for the UK by 2020 and (b) whether that target can be met through...

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Farming: New Entrants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage new entrants into farming.

    • Processed Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to review the content of beefburgers and other processed food; and if he will make a statement.

      Broadband: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to improve broadband provision in rural areas.

      Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many air miles were accumulated by each Minister in his Department in 2012; how such air miles were used; and whether...

      Carbon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information he has on the level of carbon consumption in the UK in (a) 1990, (b) 2005 and (c) 2010.

      Cats: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of his Department's contribution to saving (a) snow leopards and (b) tigers in the wild.

      Data Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions each Minister in his Department carried classified documents on public transport in the last 12 months...

      Fisheries: Morecambe Bay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on bringing forward a Morecambe Bay Hybrid Fishery Order; and if he will make a statement.

      Floods: Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) pursuant to the contribution by his predecessor of 25 June 2012, Official Report, column 30 on flooding, when he...

      Metals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the resource risks to businesses from the security of supply of metals used in clean...

      National Wildlife Crime Unit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2013, Official Report, column 679W, on National Wildlife Crime Unit, what meetings he or...

      Nature Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the UK's contribution to stopping the trade in endangered species.

      Neonicotinoids

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to protect agriculture, bees and wildlife from the effects of neonicotinoids; and if he will make a...

      Poultry: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that EU member states which are not compliant with the Welfare of Laying Hens...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many procurement officers are currently employed by his Department; (2) how many civil servants in his Department...

      Redundancy Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total amount of redundancy pay paid to civil servants in his Department was in each month from July to December 2012.

      Schmallenberg Virus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the Schmallenberg virus on the livestock industry.

      Schmallenberg Virus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to address the spread of the Schmallenberg virus at a (a) UK and (b) EU level.

      Trees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has commissioned into pests and diseases that affect Sitka Spruce.

      Yorkshire Dales National Park

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to make a decision on the Yorkshire Dales National Park extension.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the progress of reforms in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.

    • Bangladesh

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to support the Government of Bangladesh to pursue those accused of war crimes during the 1971 Bangladesh...

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the prospects for constitutional reform in Burma; and what support the UK is offering to this...

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of legislative reform in Burma; and what support the Government is offering to the process of...

      Chile

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the present state of political, cultural, trade and military relations with Chile; and if he will...

      China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any reports that the Chinese Government may close its re-education through labour camps; and if he will...

      Colombia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the present state of political, cultural, trade and military relations with Columbia; and if he...

      Indonesia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the present state of political, cultural, trade and military relations with Indonesia; and if he...

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much financial support the UK provided to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime for counter-narcotics projects in...

      Japan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the present state of political, cultural, trade and military relations with Japan; and if he will...

      Mali

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the deployment of French unmanned aerial vehicles in Mali.

      Private Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department were in receipt of continuity of education allowance in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c)...

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific exercises his Department has undertaken in assessing the risk to UK business and inward investment of the...

  • Health

    • Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health which medical evidence he used to support a 12-week limit on abortions.

    • Action on Smoking and Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department gave to Action on Smoking and Health in 2011-12; and how such spending he anticipates making in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the levels of dementia research funding beyond the announced figure of £66 million; and how the figure of £66...

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will investigate the reasons for the disparity in dementia diagnosis rates across England and publish recommendations to attain a measure of...

      Dementia: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he plans to hold with the Welsh Government to extend the dementia friends initiative to Wales.

      Diabetes: Woking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to support the prevention of Type 2 diabetes in Woking constituency.

      Eating Disorders: Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with diabetes were admitted to hospital with complications arising from disordered eating in each year since 2005.

      Eating Disorders: Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether guidelines are currently issued to GPs for diabetic patients who have shown symptoms of disordered eating.

      Food Standards Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget was for the Food Standards Agency in 2011-12; and what the budget is for (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

      Food Standards Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staffing posts have been deleted at the Food Standards Agency since May 2010.

      General Social Care Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost to the public purse was of closing down the General Social Care Council.

      General Social Care Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social workers were registered with the General Social Care Council at the beginning of the last financial year; and how many social workers are...

      General Social Care Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect on (a) full and (b) part-time staff in the social work sector of higher charges for professional...

      Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on national specialised commissions teams on a per capita basis in (a) the North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA), (b)...

      Heart Diseases: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from clinicians in Yorkshire and the Humber on the decision to close the children's heart surgery unit at Leeds...

      Lead: Health Hazards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned on the effects on human health of exposure to lead in the UK; and if he will place in the Library a copy of...

      Mental Health Services: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated for mental health provision in (a) Woking constituency and (b) Surrey in each of the last three years.

      NHS Commissioning Board

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he scrutinised and approved the salaries of the new appointments of the (a) Chief Executive, (b) Non-Executive Chairman and (c) national...

      Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will direct Walsall Healthcare NHS to send a reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 1 November 2012 to the chief executive of...

  • Home Department

    • Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has made to the European Commission on the legality and proportionality of minimum unit pricing for alcohol;...

    • Association of Chief Police Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had on the future of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

      Association of Chief Police Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers on the implementation of that body's Review of Off-Payroll...

      Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the length of time asylum seekers are in receipt of support under section 95 of the Asylum Act 1999.

      Asylum: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the legal costs incurred by her Department defending section 4 support appeals in each of the last five years...

      Asylum: North East

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what penalties have been imposed on G4S following their failure to meet their original target date for moving asylum seekers to new...

      Cannabis: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cannabis warnings have been issued to juveniles in North Wales in each of the last 10 years.

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average length of time taken by her Department to respond to correspondence from hon. Members.

      Deportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 778W, on immigration controls, (1) how many foreign nationals subject...

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many family visitor visa applications there were in each of the last five years; how many were refused in each year; and of those refused...

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to ensure that rugby league players are given fair consideration when applying for visas and work permits.

      Foreign Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will introduce a national register scheme for foreign workers.

      Human Trafficking: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's plans are to fulfil its obligations to appoint guardians to child victims of trafficking under Article 14(2) and...

      Immigrants: Detainees

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many detainees (a) were and (b) were not released from detention following submission of a report to UK Border Agency under Rule 35...

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the Government to achieve its target of reducing net annual immigration to below 100,000 people.

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many Ethiopian immigrants her Department estimates will arrive in the UK in each of the next five years; (2) how many Iraqi...

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a final decision will be made by the UK Border Agency on the application for leave to remain made by a constituent of the hon. Member...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 3 December 2012 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr...

      Offences Against Children: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2013, Official Report, column 783W, on offences against children: Wales, what the anticipated cost is of...

      Passports

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will make it her policy that the Yeovil Passport Application Interview Office should be open for more than two days per week;...

      Police ICT Company

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) cost of establishing the proposed police IT company and (b) number of staff employed was as at 15 January 2013.

      Police ICT Company

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the members and chair are of the police IT board; and what its proposed capital and resource budget is in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

      Police: Professional Organisations

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the formation of a new police professional body.

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Cleaning Services

      To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) what the minimum wage paid by the (a) Commission and (b) its outside cleaning...

    • Written Questions

      To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the House authorities have taken to encourage early tabling of written...

      Written Questions

      To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) how many and what proportion of questions for written answer on a named day...

  • Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee

    • Supply Estimates

      To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reasons the Independent Parliamentary Standards...

  • International Development

    • Developing Countries: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment her Department has made of the incidence of child labour in developing countries.

    • Developing Countries: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department works with UK multinational companies to reduce the incidence of child labour in developing countries.

      Developing Countries: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking together with international partners to reduce the incidence of child labour in developing countries.

      Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects targeting human trafficking her Department is supporting; in which countries; and what funding commitment her Department...

      Private Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in her Department were in receipt of continuity of education allowance in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12; and...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria her Department will use to assess the performance of its suppliers against its Statement of Priorities and Expectations...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to section 1(d) in her Department's Statement of Priorities and Expectations for Suppliers, what definition of fair but...

      Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how many and what proportion of questions for written answer on a named day by her Department (a) received a substantive answer...

  • Justice

    • Constituencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of using the Census population figures at the time of their update as the basis for the boundary review.

    • Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2012, Official Report, column 428W, on the legal aid scheme, how many people have received legal aid for asylum and...

      Pre-trial Procedures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were remanded (a) in custody and (b) on bail in each month in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012.

      Prisoners: Self-harm

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners in each prison in the UK committed self-harm in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; (2) how many people in prison considered to be...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department has been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since that website's inception.

      Shrewsbury Prison

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people from Stoke-on-Trent are imprisoned at HMP Shrewsbury; (2) what his policy is on future prison provision for offenders from North...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Civil Disorder

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the involvement of proscribed loyalist terrorist...

    • Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of procurement contracts offered by her Department has been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since that website's...

  • Public Accounts Commission

    • House of Lords

      To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what assessment he has made of the adequacy of scrutiny of the House of Lords under the current strategy of the National Audit Office.

  • Transport

    • Commuters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the average daily distance travelled to and from work by commuters in each of the last five years.

    • Railways: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects new rolling stock for the Anglo-Scottish sleeper service to be procured.

      Rescue Services: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on protecting coastguard stations in rural communities.

      Shipping: Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Oxford Economics report for Maritime UK on the economic impact of the UK Maritime Services Sector published in December 2012, if...

      Shipping: Equal Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of non-UK seafarer ratings and officers employed on UK-registered vessels are protected from pay discrimination under the Equality Act...

      Shipping: Foreign Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of non-UK seafarer ratings and officers employed on UK-registered vessels in 2011 were non-EEA nationals.

      Thameslink Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the legality of the procurement process for the Thameslink rolling stock.

      Tonnage Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of the total number of jobs on ships which qualified for the tonnage tax scheme in 2012 that were held by (a) UK...

      Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many and what proportion of questions for written answer on a named day by his Department (a) received a substantive answer after the named...

  • Treasury

    • 11 Downing Street: Official Hospitality

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) official and (b) charity receptions he held at 11 Downing Street in 2011-12; and what the (i) date and (ii) cost to the public purse was of each.

    • Bank Services: ICT

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the potential cost of the Government creating an IT system to facilitate retail bank account portability.

      Corporation Tax: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the report of the Ministerial Working Group on the devolution of corporation tax to Northern Ireland;

      Emigration

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2013, Official Report, column 983W, on emigration, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of emigration;...

      Gift Aid

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2013, Official Report, column 760W, on gift aid, (1) if he will undertake research to establish how many people know...

      Mortgages: Arrears

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will discuss with the banking sector measures to give flexibility to people with cancer who go into mortgage arrears because of being unable to work...

      Pensions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the rules which he announced in the 2012 autumn statement on changes to drawdown rates for pensions will be implemented.

      Procurement

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department has been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since that website's inception.

      Public Expenditure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to commence the next comprehensive spending review.

      Railways: Freight

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1113W, on railways: Radlett, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his...

      Retail Prices Index

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change the indexation basis of new issues of index-linked gilt-edged securities following the review by the Office of National...

  • Wales

    • Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department has been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since that website's inception.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total level of underpayment of employment and support allowance as a result of departmental error was in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c)...

    • Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average amount is by which the income of cancer patients in the (a) support group and (b) work-related activity group of employment...

      Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects of the housing benefit cap on people who will no longer be excluded due to the change in retirement age.

      Housing Benefits: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the amount of housing benefit payments paid in each parliamentary constituency in Scotland has been in each of the last five years.

      Jobcentre Plus: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobcentre Plus offices in London have dedicated lone parent advisers.

      Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what feedback he has received from stakeholders following the launch of automatic enrolment onto workplace pensions.

      Poverty: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential effect of (a) universal credit and (b) the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill on child poverty in Scotland.

      Social Security Benefits: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been (a) investigated and (b) prosecuted for benefit fraud in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland and (iii) South Lanarkshire in...

      Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to pay compensation under his Department's work force management redeployment package for (a) mobile and (b) non-mobile grades...

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2013, Official Report, column 725W, on work capability assessment, how many of those with Parkinson's...

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to record the number of appeals of the outcomes of work capability assessments which are based on claims (a) that...

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Atos health care professionals are trained in disability assessment to a standard commensurate with their required role of providing...

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work capability assessments were carried out in 2012 by Atos; and in how many such assessments the claimant was successful.

      Work Programme: Cumbria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Copeland constituency participated in the Work programme scheme in 2012; and how many such people went on to find permanent...

  • House of Lords

    • Apprenticeships

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a comprehensive guide for those with dyslexia and other special educational needs wishing to take an apprenticeship qualification is available; and, if so,...

    • Civil Service: Redundancy

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 19 December 2012 (WA 307-8), whether the administrators of the principal Civil Service Pension Scheme...

      Embryology

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many full-time equivalent staff are currently employed by (1) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (2) the Human Tissue Authority, (3) the...

      Embryology

      To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions in (1) 2010-11, (2) 2011-12, and (3) 2012-13, the chief executives and chairs of (1) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (2)...

      Embryology

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 8 January (WA 22-3), whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) code of practice currently...

      Government Departments: Catering Facilities

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the cost of the subsidy for catering facilities in the Whitehall offices of (1) HM Treasury, (2) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (3) the Home Office,...

      Government Departments: Publications

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for Transport produces a staff magazine.

      Government Departments: Training

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 9 January (WA 97), who will be responsible in each government department for determining the training...

      Health: Accident and Emergency Departments

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of closures of NHS accident and emergency departments across the United Kingdom.

      Health: Oesophageal Doppler Monitoring

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will expedite the availability of oesophageal Doppler monitoring during surgery in the National Health Service, in the light of advice from the...

      Health: Pathology

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made in terms of any increase or reduction in (1) costs, and (2) time from blood taking and testing to receiving results, of the...

      Health: Surgery

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact of oesophageal Doppler monitoring during surgery on complications, patient outcomes and the length of hospital stays.

      Higher Education: Student Enrolment

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students in England studying (1) full-time, and (2) part-time, are aged (a) 19-21, (b) 22-24, and (c) 24 and over.

      Hillsborough

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the comments by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 11 December (Official Report, col. 1027) that further documents relating to the Hillsborough disaster of...

      House of Lords: Members' Allowances

      To ask the Chairman of Committees what was the average daily total claim per member attending the House of Lords in (1) 2009-10, (2) 2010-11, (3) 2011-12, and (4) the first quarter of 2012-13.

      House of Lords: Members' Attendance

      To ask the Chairman of Committees what was the average daily attendance in the House of Lords in (1) 2009-10, (2) 2010-11, (3) 2011-12, and (4) the first quarter of 2012-13.

      House of Lords: Staff Pay

      To ask the Chairman of Committees what grades or other classifications of staff employed by the House of Lords have been subject to a pay freeze in each of the past three years.

      Israel

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Warsi on 19 December (WA 316-7) concerning Israel's nuclear facilities, what measures are available to persuade Israel to...

      Justice: Non-payment of Fines

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 17 December 2012 (WA 270-1), what is their estimate of the cost of proceedings for failure to pay a television...

      NHS: Clinical Commissioning Groups

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many clinical commissioning groups have been authorised by the NHS Commissioning Board; and how many remain to be authorised.

      NHS: Foundation Trusts

      To ask Her Majesty's Government which NHS trusts that are currently the responsibility of the NHS Development Agency have been passed to Monitor for approval as foundation trusts; which of those...

      Population Movement

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the findings of the Electoral Commission's November 2012 report Continuous Electoral Registration in Northern Ireland that, "changes of address...

      Ports

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many passenger liners have anchored in the Mersey in 2011 and 2012; and how many have stayed for more than two days in that port.

      Railways: East Coast Mainline

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for improving the journey times on the east coast main line.

      Railways: Heathrow Airport

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to promote a rail link between Heathrow Airport and the great western main line.

      Railways: High Speed 2

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the (1) top speed, and (2) average speed, projected for trains on the HS2 London to Birmingham route.

      Schools: National Curriculum

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish their proposals for the new curriculum of all subjects to be introduced from September 2014; whether this curriculum includes the new...

      Schools: Ofsted

      To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) what percentage of, (a) primary schools, and (b) secondary schools, achieved each Ofsted grade in the last year for which figures are available.

      Schools: Teachers

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they offer to teachers who consider leaving the profession.

      Schools: Teachers

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many trainee teachers were awarded (1) tuition fee loans, (2) bursaries, (3) School Direct bursary top-ups, and (4) scholarships, in the last five years.

      Syria

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation of minorities in Syria; and what discussions they have had with opposition groups in that country about...

      Taxation: Income Tax

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many employed persons in the current year do not earn enough to pay any income tax in the United Kingdom, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and each...

      Territorial Army and Reservists

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what protection exists for continuity of employment, pension and service rights for members of the Territorial Army and reservists who are required to present...

What is this?

The parliamentary question is a great way for MPs and Peers to discover information which the government may not wish to reveal. Ministers reply via written answers, a list of which gets published daily.

We let you vote on whether or not the answer given is adequate.

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