Written answers

Thursday, 7 February 2013

  • Scotland

    • Environment Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions took place on the green economy at the Employability Forum held on 31 January 2013 by the UK and Scottish Governments.

    • Manufacturing Industries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether recent job losses in the manufacturing sector in Scotland were discussed in the Employability Forum held between the UK and Scottish Governments...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will consider imposing a ban on the exporting of weapons and components of weapons to the Israeli Government.

    • Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration the Government have given to banning UK companies from manufacturing components sold to Israel to make drones.

  • Prime Minister

    • Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2013, Official Report, column 1004W, on ministerial policy advisers, if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of...

  • International Development

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of their time her Department's staff in Afghanistan spend in the field.

    • Bangladesh

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the monitoring of the progress of projects funded by PMTC Bangladesh.

      Burundi

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what assessment she has made of the effect of the recent fire in the main market in the capital of Burundi; and if she will make...

      Burundi

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment her Department has made of poverty reduction in Burundi; and if she will reinstate her Department's bilateral...

      Developing Countries: Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether she has recently had discussions with her international counterparts on (a) committing funding to the green climate fund and...

      Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department has spent on direct bilateral aid for tuberculosis in each country in each of the last five years.

      International Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when her Department expects to publish the findings of its next multilateral aid review.

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on aid funding for middle income countries; and if she will make a statement.

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria her Department uses to inform its decisions of when and how it ceases to provide aid.

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether any additional financial resources allocated by her Department will be channelled primarily through (a) multilateral agencies...

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Agricultural Wages Board

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how submissions to the consultation on the future of the Agricultural Wages Board can be accessed; if he will publish each...

    • Bees: Pesticides

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of neonicotinoid pesticides on bees.

      Floods: Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of how insurance claims for flooding are treated.

      Forests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to combat deforestation; and what assessment he has made of the final report by the Independent Panel...

      Genetically Modified Organisms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts regarding the opening of the EU market to GM foods.

      Greenhouse Gas Emissions: EU Action

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes his Department is planning to introduce in response to the draft regulation of the European Parliament and of...

      Horses: Slaughterhouses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which 20 organisations send the greatest number of horses to slaughter.

      Stone Theft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will consider introducing methods of tackling thefts of Yorkshire stone similar to those now in place for metal thefts.

  • Health

    • Antibiotics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure resistance to antibiotics does not increase in the NHS.

    • Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS cancer patients do not lose access to the latest innovative cancer treatments which they are presently able to...

      Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the Cancer Drugs Fund has been spent to date; and how much of the fund remains unspent.

      Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that no restrictions will be placed on access to cancer medicines that are currently available under the cancer drugs...

      Doctors: Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of (a) consultant and (b) registrar posts at ST4 level or above in England are currently unfilled by permanent appointments.

      General Practitioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of local area teams' responsibility to maintain quality in their area; whether the...

      Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on providing emergency care closer to home; and what national policy documents and guidance are produced by his Department on this matter.

      Kidneys: Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services' recommendation to nationally commission Eculizumab for the...

      Medical Treatments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the NHS Commissioning Board expects to make all National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence-approved medicines for specialised...

      NHS Trusts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if his Department will conduct a lessons learnt review into the use of the Unsustainable Providers Regime at the South London Healthcare Trust; (2)...

      NHS: Private Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many private health companies have lost contracts with the NHS following serious failings in each year since 2007; (2) what steps he has taken...

      South London Healthcare NHS Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his oral statement of 31 January 2013, when he plans to conclude his negotiations with King's Health Partners on the amount of (a)...

      South London Healthcare NHS Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his oral statement of 31 January 2013, what evidence the NHS Medical Director, Sir Bruce Keogh, used in arriving at his conclusion that...

      South London Healthcare NHS Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his contribution of 8 January 2013, Official Report, column 170, what new legal advice he has received on the actions taken by the Trust...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Bullying

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many cases of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) constructive dismissal in his Department have been reported to his Department in...

    • Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) local authorities and (b) third sector organisations in each (i) nation of the UK and (ii) region of England submitted...

      Energy Companies Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the change to an average (a) gas, (b) electricity and (c) dual fuel bill arising from setting the rate of Energy...

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2013, Official Report, column 404W, on the Petroleum Act 1998, whether any of the operators with a...

      Nuclear Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the future use of nuclear power on national energy supplies.

      Office for Unconventional Gas and Oil

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent progress he has made on the creation of a new Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil; and if he will make a statement.

      Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of likely expenditure by his Department under each budgetary heading and sub-heading in (a) 2013-14 and (b)...

      Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what limits he has placed on the development of on-shore wind capacity.

  • Defence

    • Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent in (a) Mali, (b) Niger, (c) Nigeria, (d) Algeria, (e) Mauritania, (f) Burkina Faso, (g) Chad, (h) Libya, (i) Sudan, (j)...

    • Algeria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel are currently deployed in Algeria; and what their purpose is.

      Armed Forces: Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the sourcing of meat for consumption by members of HM armed forces.

      Defence: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to publish an updated version of its defence industrial strategy.

      Mali

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to encourage the inclusion of ethical education in the training of Malian troops by UK or EU personnel.

      Mali

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected duration is of Operation Newcombe; and how many troops he anticipates will be involved.

      Mali

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he first received a request from the French Government for military support in operations in Mali.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to respond to the letter of 20 November 2012 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay regarding British nuclear test veterans.

      Piracy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the rules of engagement and their interaction with floating armories; and if he will make a statement.

      Red Arrows

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure the long-term future of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows.

      Trooping the Colour

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of Trooping the Colour commemoration; and if he will make a statement.

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Regional Growth Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the regional growth fund on job creation.

    • Space Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to increase support for the UK space industry.

      Graphene Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of investment by UK businesses in graphene research.

      Groceries Code Adjudicator

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made on establishing the role of the Groceries Code Adjudicator.

      Foreign Direct Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the effectiveness of his Department's initiatives designed to attract foreign...

      Copyright

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment the Intellectual Property Office has made of the prevalence of activity that constitutes teaching and...

      Copyright

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Intellectual Property Office has created a definition of fair dealing; and if it will provide such a definition in...

      Copyright

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he intends to bring forward legislative proposals to make copyright regulations simpler for people to understand.

      Copyright

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the comparative costs and benefits of introducing a fair dealing exception for the use of sound...

      EU Internal Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress he has made on establishing a UK retail in Europe network to support retail growth in the European single market.

      Exports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps UK Trade and Investment has taken to work with other agencies to maximise export opportunities.

      Green Investment Bank

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has plans to allow the Green Investment Bank to borrow.

      Public Bodies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times he has met the chief executive of each of his Department's (a) Executive agencies and (b) non-departmental public...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Arts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information her Department holds on the effect of businesses in the arts and cultural sectors on the economy (a) in general and (b)...

    • Broadband: South West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the potential benefits of 4G mobile broadband to Devon and Somerset.

      Broadband: South West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she plans to invest in 4G mobile broadband in Devon and Somerset.

      Broadband: South West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the potential of 4G broadband roll-out to complement connecting Devon and Somerset's plans for superfast...

      Growth and Infrastructure Bill

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which part of the European regulatory framework for communications prevents clause 8 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill being limited...

      Mayors: Tower Hamlets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the case for new regulation following the report by Ofcom into the political broadcasts of the Mayor of...

  • Home Department

    • Capita

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met the Chief Executive of Capita.

    • Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in her Department are employed on zero hours contracts.

      Dangerous Driving

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have been given multiple custodial sentences for dangerous driving while (a) under the influence of alcohol and (b) not...

      Detention Centres: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were detained for immigration purposes in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

      Government Procurement Card

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the mean average spend using a Government Procurement Card was per member of staff in (a) her Department and (b) each of its arm's...

      Government Procurement Card

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance or instructions have been issued to staff in (a) her Department and (b) its arm's length bodies about the timing of the...

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will give consideration to requiring non-UK EU nationals to acquire residency cards before they may settle in Britain; and what...

      Libya

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to seek out and return to Libya funds and assets held by members of the former Gaddafi regime in the UK.

      Libya

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to assist the Libyan Government to uncover the individuals who benefitted financially from the Gaddafi...

      Overtime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) average cost per member of staff and (b) total cost was of overtime payments in (i) her Department and (ii) each of its arm's...

      Police: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the candidates who have been interviewed for the post of Chief Constable or Deputy Chief Constable in UK police forces in each...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's service standards are for processing appeals against decisions relating to individuals in receipt of employment and...

    • Foster Care: Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many foster carers in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) South Lanarkshire are currently in receipt of housing benefit.

      Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people will no longer be excluded from the housing benefit cap due to the change in retirement age.

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the requirement that individuals should be able to perform tasks reliably, safely, repeatedly and in a timely manner in terms...

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) for what specific medical reason the maximum walking distance has been reduced from 50 to 20 metres for those who will apply for the...

      Social Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a room of 70 square feet or less is classified as a bedroom for the purposes of the under-occupancy criteria.

      Social Security Benefits: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to trial the benefit cap in the London boroughs of Haringey, Enfield, Bromley and Croydon.

      Social Security Benefits: Uprating

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people in the (a) support group and (b) work-related activity group will see a reduction in their benefit as a result of the...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what reports he has received about Work programme providers encouraging participants to submit fraudulent claims for working tax credit on the...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many postponements of referrals to the Work programme have occurred since the programme commenced; and for what reasons such postponements...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how frequently Work programme referrals and outcomes statistics will be published in 2013; who decides on the frequency and dates of...

  • Education

    • Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review the powers available to local education authorities to intervene in failing academies; and if he will make a statement.

    • Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions he has taken a domestic flight within his official capacity since May 2012; how many such flights were (a) charter flights, (b)...

      Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons his Department has not published the report compiled by Professor Helen Penn on childcare costs; and whether (a) Ministers and (b)...

      Education: Qualifications

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of year 11 pupils (a) in total, (b) in each non-academy school, (c) in each converter academy, (d) in each sponsor-led...

      GCE AS-level

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2013, Official Report, column 750W, on AS level reform, what views were expressed by university representatives of...

      GCSE: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in state schools in (a) Pendle constituency and (b) Lancashire achieved five GCSE passes, including mathematics and English in each of...

      Ministers' Private Offices and Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what external funding he receives for the funding of his (a) private ministerial office and (b) advisers; and what the (i) source and (ii) amount is of...

      Overtime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the (a) average cost per member of staff and (b) total cost was of overtime payments in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its arm's length...

      Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether male-targeted education on the consequences of rape is included in (a) the National Curriculum and (b) personal, social and health education.

      Primary Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on allowing prematurely-born children to delay or defer entry to primary school.

      Primary Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance he has issued to (a) primary schools and (b) local authorities on allowing prematurely-born children to delay or defer entry to primary...

      Primary Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to support prematurely-born children starting primary school.

      School Meals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether he has assessed the effect of nutrition on learning and information uptake in schools; (2) what recent steps he has taken to improve the...

      Schools: Snow and Ice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the average net cost per day to a local authority of a (a) primary school and (b) secondary school having to close due to...

      Schools: Snow and Ice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to support and encourage schools to remain open in adverse weather conditions.

      Schools: Snow and Ice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect on pupil absence figures of adverse weather conditions.

      Schools: Snow and Ice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department has issued to Ofsted on accounting for pupil absences owing to adverse weather conditions when assessing a school's...

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils were statemented in each of the last 30 years.

      Students: Vetting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what publications his Department issues on the need for Criminal Records Bureau checks for all adults in families who host foreign exchange students;...

      Travel and Subsistence Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many senior officials of his Department's arm's length bodies are paid on the basis that they are exempt from personally meeting any tax...

  • Justice

    • Driving under Influence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people were given multiple custodial sentences for drink driving in each year since 2000; (2) how many people with a conviction for drink...

    • Ict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) planned start date, (b) original planned completion date, (c) current expected completion date, (d) planned cost and (e) current estimated...

      Offenders: Deportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the legal aid used by foreign national offenders to prevent deportation via the automatic deportation criteria has cost since those criteria's...

      Plants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since his appointment.

      Prisoner Escapes: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have escaped from prisons in London in each of the last five years.

      Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were in prison on 1 January 2013; how many such people were foreign nationals; and what the (a) nationality and (b) recorded country of...

      Prisons: Alcoholic Drinks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the access of prisoners to alcohol.

      Prisons: Television

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have access to a television in their cells.

      Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to ensure that professional standards are maintained following the outsourcing of probation work.

      Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to his plans to have supervision of offenders carried out by the private or voluntary sector, what discussions he has had with the...

      Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to ensure that private and independent sector contractors meet their targets for crime reduction as part of his plans for the...

      Travel and Subsistence Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many senior officials of his Department's arm's length bodies are paid on the basis that they are exempt from personally meeting any tax liability in...

  • Transport

    • A1: Newcastle Upon Tyne

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his oral statement of 28 January 2013, Official Report, columns 671-85, on High Speed Rail, what investment his Department has allocated...

    • Aircraft: Air Conditioning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will conduct a review into the quality of air in aeroplane cabins and the consequent effect on pilots.

      Driving: Blood Alcohol Levels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken in respect of the proposals contained in the 10-Minute Rule Bill on permitted blood alcohol levels for drivers...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effect of the HS2 extension to Leeds on road commuters using the A5 as a result of the...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the proposed limits of deviation for High Speed 2 cover land subject to private enactments or secondary legislation.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much capital towards the building of HS2 he expects to raise from local authorities whose areas will benefit from the new line; and if he...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of households in Warrington North constituency which would be adversely affected by the proposed route for High...

      Network Rail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress Network Rail has made in developing a voluntary transparency code in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

      Rail Franchising Programme Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to respond to the report of the Brown Review of the Rail Franchising Programme.

      Railway Stations: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2013, Official Report, column 808W, on railway stations, what plans he has to hold discussions with the Welsh...

      Railways: Franchises

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure Ministers will be more closely involved in the creation and implementation of franchise policy.

      Road Traffic Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has concluded his assessment of his Department's consultation on Traffic Orders: Simplifying the Process in respect of the requirement for...

      Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the British Chambers of Commerce Transport Priorities Map, published on 26 November 2012.

      West Coast Railway Line: Franchises

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) who is conducting the investigation into the collapse of the West Coast Mainline franchise deal; (2) what his Department is doing to ensure the...

      West Coast Railway Line: Franchises

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what disciplinary actions are being taken against those civil servants who misinformed Ministers during the West Coast Mainline franchise deal.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the number of electors registered in each constituency is following the latest electoral register update.

    • Part-time Employment: Self-Employed

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the change in the level of part-time self-employment was in (a) December 2009 to June 2011 and (b) June 2011 to December 2012.

      Population

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the number of adults aged over 18-years-old is in each constituency, based on information received from the 2011 Census.

      Unemployment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the rate of (a) unemployment, (b) unemployment of more than 12 months in duration and (c) unemployment of more than two years in duration is among...

      Voluntary Work

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to build a legacy of volunteering from the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

  • Treasury

    • Capital Gains Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has made an assessment of the likely effect on (a) economic growth and (b) the public finances of (i) cutting and (ii) abolishing capital gains tax;...

    • Carbon Monoxide: Alarms

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to making the installation of a carbon monoxide detector a condition of sale for home insurance.

      Corporation Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has made an assessment of the likely effect on (a) economic growth and (b) the public finances of cutting corporation tax to (i) 20 per cent and (ii)...

      Debts: Advisory Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made by the Money Advice Service in finalising contracts for the provision of debt advice.

      Individual Savings Accounts

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his announcement in the autumn statement that the Government will consult on expanding the list of qualifying investments for stocks and shares...

      Minimum Wage

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average (a) fine and (b) compensation is in cases where employees have successfully claimed for not having been paid the minimum wage (i)...

      Minimum Wage

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of employers paying below the minimum wage have been successfully prosecuted; and how many and what proportion of those have...

      Minimum Wage: Scotland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers in (a) Scotland and (b) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency received a warning for non-payment of the minimum wage in the last 12 months...

      NHS: Private Sector

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) corporation tax, (b) VAT and (c) other specific taxes was received by the Exchequer from private companies providing health services accessed...

      Overtime

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) average cost per member of staff and (b) total cost was of overtime payments in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its arm's length bodies in...

      Social Security Benefits: Immigrants

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many migrants residing in the UK claim benefits on behalf of children living abroad; in which countries such children reside; and at which job centres...

      Taxation: Fraud

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of revenue lost to the Exchequer as a result of tax fraud in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) South Lanarkshire in each of the...

      Welfare Tax Credits: Birmingham

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many (a) people, (b) people in work and (c) households in (i) Birmingham, Erdington constituency and (ii) Birmingham are in receipt of tax...

  • House of Lords

    • Afghanistan

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether arrangements have been put in place with the Governments of relevant countries to ensure the secure removal of United Kingdom military equipment from...

    • Armed Forces: Helicopters

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations they have had with the United States Army and the Government of the United States on the scope and potential costs of upgrades to Apache attack...

      Armed Forces: Helicopters

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to arm the Lynx Wildcat helicopter with the Lightweight Modular Missile.

      Armed Forces: RC-12 Shadow

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what agreements they have put in place with the Government of the United States for consultations on the costs and scope of future upgrades within the RC-12 Shadow...

      Arm's-Length Bodies: Staff

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the salary paid in the current year to (1) the chief executive, and (2) board members, for (a) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (b) the...

      Civil Partnerships

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civil partnerships have been registered in each year since 2005.

      Climate Change

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment the Met Office has made of the impact of long-term global temperatures on the level of rainfall in the United Kingdom in (1) the last quarter of...

      Energy: Fracking

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to promote the advantages of fracking throughout the United Kingdom.

      Gaza

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the incidence of (1) anaemia, (2) stunted growth, and (3) malnutrition, in Gaza.

      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 the Ministry of Defence.

      Government Departments: Statistics

      To ask Her Majesty's Government which government departments collect statistical and other information on a regional basis in England; and which do not.

      Health: Obesity

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the effectiveness of the indicators currently set out in the Quality and Outcomes Framework in providing incentives to general...

      Health: Obesity

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the data on achievement, exceptions and prevalence for the Quality and Outcomes Framework recently published by the Health and Social...

      Health: Ophthalmology

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were registered partially sighted, and what percentage of them were diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration, in each of the past five years.

      Health: Ophthalmology

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the estimated total healthcare expenditure for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration in England on (1) in-patient costs, (2) out-patients'...

      Houses of Parliament: Members' Taxation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when it will be possible for Members of both Houses of Parliament to complete their tax returns online.

      Housing

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how, and over what period, they are distributing their compensatory fund for loss of affordable housing arising from the renegotiation of Section 106 agreements....

      Imports and Exports

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the net financial balance of exports or imports for each country or region of the United Kingdom according to the latest figures available.

      Marriage: Same-sex Weddings

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that a church or religious body has a method of redress should a competent European Court rule against provisions in proposed...

      Montserrat

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there are any proposals to assist Montserrat in the construction of its new capital.

      North Korea

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospect of a large-scale famine in North Korea; and whether they have contingency plans in place for such an occurrence.

      Roads: M4

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 4 December 2012 (WA 146) concerning the bus lane on the M4 motorway, when they will make a decision as to its removal.

      Social Care: Adults

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of local authority cuts on elderly care; and whether they will make representations to those local authorities about...

      Traffic Management Act 2004

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the drafting and subsequent consideration by the House of Lords of the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Representations and...

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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