Written answers

Tuesday, 8 April 2014

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Communication

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 719W, on public expenditure, what the sources are of the funding for...

    • Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent on consultancies in each year since 2010-11.

      Culture: Exports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps she has taken to increase UK cultural exports; and if she will make a statement.

      Football

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will make a decision on the need for Government intervention in football governance.

      Football: Homophobia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to tackle homophobia in football; and if she will make a statement.

      Gambling Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people the Gambling Commission has employed in each year since 2010; and how many people the Gambling Commission plans to...

      Gambling Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Gambling Commission has paid in salaries for each of the last three years; and how much it plans to spend in 2013-14 and...

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much in grant or lottery money has been given to (a) the Churches Conservation Trust, (b) Channel 4 Television Corporation, (c)...

      Telecommunications

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the actual and forecast profile of spend by her Department on the (a) Broadband Delivery Programme, (b) Mobile Infrastructure...

  • Attorney-General

    • Crown Prosecution Service

      To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) barristers, (b) solicitors and (c) witness care staff were employed by the Crown Prosecution Service at the end of (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2009-10.

    • Crown Prosecution Service

      To ask the Attorney-General how much the Crown Prosecution Service was required to pay in wasted cost orders in 2013-14.

      Domestic Violence

      To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the (a) positive and (b) negative effects of serving a witness summons on a complainant in a court case involving alleged domestic violence.

      Prosecutions

      To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of judicial directions to prosecutors in criminal cases were (a) carried out on time, (b) carried out late and (c) not carried out in 2013-14.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Big Lottery Fund

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many members of the Board of the Big Lottery Fund have their main residence north of the city of Birmingham.

    • Heart Diseases

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) men and (b) women in (i) Brigg and Goole constituency, (ii) Yorkshire and Humber and (iii) the UK have died from coronary heart disease in...

      Self-employed: Brigg

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in Brigg and Goole constituency are registered self-employed.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Ukraine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Ukraine.

    • Ukraine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospects for free and fair elections in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement.

      Jammu and Kashmir

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the political and economic situation in Jammu and Kashmir on the families of...

      Malaysia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met ministers of the Government of Malaysia; and what issues were discussed at that meeting.

      European Union Powers: Repatriation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on repatriation of powers from the EU.

      Burundi

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political and human rights situation in Burundi; and what representations he has made...

      Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of torture of prisoners detained in Bahrain.

      Gulf Co-operation Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the recent Gulf Co-operation Council Security...

      India

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on Kashmir of the forthcoming Indian general election.

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement with Iran on its nuclear programme.

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart on strengthening UK-Iran diplomatic ties.

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on lifting existing trade sanctions with Iran in the near future.

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent seizure of a cache of long-range rockets from an Iranian shipment in the Red Sea; and...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on accepting end-use certificates from the Kurdistan Regional Government in respect of military...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on which EU member states have accepted end-use certificates from the Kurdistan Regional...

      North Korea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the situation of Christians in North Korea.

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK's policy is on the intention of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation to seek official recognition from UN bodies;...

      Poland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Polish Government on the return of property stolen during World War Two...

      Roads: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent promoting road safety in other countries in each of the last three years.

      Sri Lanka

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether any Minister of his Department is scheduled to meet President Rajapaksa at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games;...

      St Petersburg International Economic Forum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 31 March 2014, Official Report, column 433W on St Petersburg International Economic Forum, when he...

      Venezuela

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's latest assessment is of the political and security situation in Venezuela.

  • Justice

    • Fines: Surcharges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the proportion of offences where the victim surcharge is ordered and there is no victim.

    • Offensive Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people aged (a) under 18 years old and (b) 18 years and over (i) were prosecuted and (ii) received a custodial sentence for the offence of...

      Prisoners: Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners suffer from diabetes; (2) how many prisoners are recorded as having had diabetes-related amputations; (3) what guidance his...

      Prisoners: Muslims

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2014, Official Report, column 284W, on Muslim prisoners, how many and what proportion of Muslim prisoners included in...

      Prisons: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget is for each (a) private and (b) public prison.

      Prisons: Libraries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what books in (a) foreign languages and (b) Welsh prison libraries have; (2) what newspapers are provided in prison libraries; (3) what cultural...

      Prisons: Libraries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what facilities prison libraries have to help prisoners order books through the internet; (2) how much prisoners have to pay to order a book...

      Sentencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been given more than one life sentence on separate sentencing occasions in the last 10 years; and what the offences were for which...

      Sentencing: West Yorkshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average custodial sentence was for people of each gender sentenced in the West Yorkshire police force area to immediate custody for (a) summary...

      Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department is (a) undertaking or (b) plans to undertake a review of the check-off union subscription provision.

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department took to ensure British companies were made aware of the tendering process for the contract to return British military equipment...

    • Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times a day the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier will be able to enter Portsmouth Harbour during spring tides.

      Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which companies tendered for the Portsmouth Harbour dredging contract; (2) when the Defence Infrastructure Organisation will allow the contract to...

      Armed Forces: Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2014, Official Report, column 317W, on armed forces: vehicles, which specific sites for vehicle storage have spare...

      Army

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made on the effect of changes in the size of the regular Army on the UK's ability to fulfil NATO obligations.

      Defence Equipment and Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the timelines and milestones for Defence Equipment and Support Transformation will be published online and on the defence intranet.

      Defence Support Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff employed within the land-focused business of the Defence Support Group will be (a) within and (b) without the scope of the sale.

      Defence Support Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason he chose a one stage process for the sale of the land-focused business of the Defence Support Group; and what consultation there was on...

      Defence Support Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which bidders and consortia have passed the pre-qualification stage to purchase the land-focused business of the Defence Support Group.

      Defence Support Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which sites used by the land-focused business of the Defence Support Group will be (a) sold, (b) leased to the buyer and (c) closed with a view to being...

      DSG Ashchurch

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2014, Official Report, column 317W, on armed forces: vehicles, if he will confirm whether any Ministers in his...

      HMS Hermes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times HMS Hermes docked in Portsmouth Harbour.

      RAF Croughton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with the United States Department of Defense (USDoD) in respect of the installation by BT of a special...

      Unmanned Air Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2014, Official Report, column 703W, on RAF Mildenhall, whether his Department maintains records of all MQ-1 Predators...

      Unmanned Air Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2014, Official Report, columns 322-3W, on unmanned air vehicles, whether the training of UK personnel in the six...

  • International Development

    • Pakistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department has spent on aid to the desert region of Thar in Sindh Province, Pakistan in each year since 2010.

  • Health

    • Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the reliability of statistician-imputed data monitoring for his Department's implementation of the Abortion Act 1967;...

    • Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to align HSA1 forms as revised in 1991 with the 1999 Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places for the Termination...

      Air Pollution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will provide additional support to care commissioning groups in areas affected by high air pollution.

      Air Pollution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of premature deaths directly attributable to air pollution in each year since 2010.

      Air Pollution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect of air pollution on levels of physical activity of people in the UK.

      Air Pollution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect of air pollution on those people living with (a) heart disease and (b) lung disease.

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve awareness of gynaecological cancers.

      Food: Testing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authorities did not report any food standards sampling in 2012-13 via the Local Authority Enforcement Monitoring System; excluding those that...

      Friarage Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects a decision to be made by the reconfiguration panel on the future of maternity and paediatric services at the Friarage Hospital in...

      General Practitioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what criteria are used to assess the need for new GP practices; (2) how many new GP practices have been commissioned in each year since 1 January...

      General Practitioners: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what weighting is given to (a) families with young children and (b) the elderly in the Carr-Hill GP funding formula.

      General Practitioners: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the role of dispensing doctors in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

      General Practitioners: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the minimum income guarantee required for rural GP practices; and if he will make a statement.

      Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 874W, on health services, if he will place in the Library a list of the key questions that...

      Health: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions Ministers or officials in his Department have contacted their counterparts in the Scottish Government on cross-border public health...

      Human Papilloma virus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women under the age of 25 have received the human papilloma virus vaccination in each year since 2008.

      Incontinence: Medical Equipment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that continence care products are provided on the basis of clinical need.

      Maternity Services: Peterborough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the quality of maternity services in Peterborough.

      Motor Neurone Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency, (b) Yorkshire and Humber and (c) the UK have motor neurone disease; and how much his Department has...

      Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) men and (b) women in (i) Brigg and Goole constituency, (ii) Yorkshire and Humber and (iii) the UK have been diagnosed with obesity in each of...

      Out of Area Treatment: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people from Scotland received care in hospitals in England and Wales in each year since 2010; and what type of care was so provided; (2)...

      Out-patients: Attendance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the cost of missed NHS appointments in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and Humber in the last year.

      Ovarian Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions his Department has had with NHS England on commissioning BRCA1/2 gene testing for women with ovarian cancer.

      Royal Sussex County Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2014, Official Report, column 278W, on the Royal Sussex County Hospital, what progress has been made with the review...

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the need for a national prevention strategy for TB.

  • Northern Ireland

    • Location

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost is of the relocation of the London headquarters of her Department.

    • World War I: Anniversaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what meetings her Department has had with the Government of the Republic of Ireland about first world war commemorations.

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Further Education: Higher Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure courses equivalent to those on the list of prescribed courses in the Further and Higher...

    • New Businesses: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps he has taken to support part-time entrepreneurs; and if he will make a statement.

      Science: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what proportion of funding given by (a) his Department and (b) the public bodies for which he is responsible was used to...

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills at what stage in the sell-off process student loans will be defined as currently subject to a sale for the purposes of revaluing...

  • Electoral Commission Committee

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 19W, on the...

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 20W on the...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 19W, on the...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 20W, on the...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2014, Official Report, columns 18-19W, on the...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2013, Official Report, columns 131-3W, on the...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to his answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 22W, on the...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, columns 20-1W, on...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, columns 20-1W, on...

  • Transport

    • A1

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason a 60 mph speed limit has been introduced on the A1 in both directions south of Offord near Southoe; and whether that limit is (a)...

    • Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which airports meet the eligibility criteria for the Regional Air Connectivity Fund; and how much each such airport has been awarded in each of the...

      Bus Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the Senior Traffic Commissioner's Statutory Guidance on bus reliability and punctuality.

      Bus Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total (a) number and (b) value was of financial penalties imposed on bus operators by each of the eight regional traffic commissioners from...

      Carnforth Station

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent reports he has received on the removal of the Carnforth station platforms from the mainline; what steps he is taking towards their...

      Driving: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment his Department has made of the appropriate age at which people must renew their driving licence; and what evidence his...

      Driving: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new drivers had their licences revoked as a result of insurance offences in each year since 2010.

      Offshore Industry: Helicopters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the helicopter fleet operating in the offshore oil and gas industry is fitted with a side-floating helicopter scheme that is...

      Offshore Industry: Helicopters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the effect on passenger survivability in the North Sea of side-floating helicopter schemes that (a) comply and...

      Rescue Services: Belfast

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Belfast, was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in March 2014.

      Rescue Services: Liverpool

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Liverpool, was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in March 2014.

      Rescue Services: Stornoway

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Stornaway, was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in March 2014.

      Southeastern

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2014, Official Report, column 591W, on Southeastern network, what estimate he has made of demand on routes on the...

  • Prime Minister

    • Royal Mail

      To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his contribution of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 877, what the evidential basis was of his statement that the sale of the Royal Mail was in the...

  • Home Department

    • Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had on provision for young women aged 16 to 18 years who have been victims of domestic violence; and if she will...

    • Driving Offences: Speed Limits

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many drivers who received driving convictions during the two year probationary licence period undertook (a) one, (b) two, (c) three...

      Driving: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2014, Official Report, column 372W, on driving: licensing, (1) how many drivers who received driving...

      Driving: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2014, Official Report, column 372W, on driving: licensing, how many drivers who received driving...

      Hillsborough Stadium

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what deadline she has provided to chief constables by which they must hand over any evidence to the Independent Police Complaints Commission...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will arrange for the hon. Member for Walsall North to receive a reply to her letter to the interim chief executive, HM Passport Office...

      Police Custody: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will redraft the code governing detention of teenagers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to ensure that 17 year olds in...

      Police: Complaints

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to allow the IPCC to consider complaints regarding police conduct from third parties.

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Combined Heat and Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of combined heat and power plans delivering more than 10% of input energy as heat output.

    • Energy Companies Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of his proposed changes to energy company obligation funding on...

      Energy Companies Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his proposed changes to the energy company obligation will reduce funding availability for flood-risk homes which are...

      Energy Supply

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what forecast he has made of the effect of the Supplemental Balancing Reserve on the Loss of Load Expectation for winter 2014-15.

      Energy: Multiple Occupation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what provisions for the uprating of homes in multiple occupation to energy performance Band E he plans to include in his Department's...

      Housing: Insulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many with the homes with hard-to-treat cavity walls and which require insulation measures are situated in flood risk areas.

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the likely impact on investment in renewable energy of changes to the Enterprise Investment Scheme to...

  • Education

    • London Academy of Excellence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 356W, on London Academy of Excellence, whether the enrolment data for 2013-14 for...

    • Primary Education: Admissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will amend the School Admissions Code to allow primary schools' admission arrangements to give priority to pupils attending a primary school's...

      Pupils: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools in Rossendale and Darwen have received funding from the pupil premium; and how many pupils in each such school have attracted such payments.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Biodiversity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Government's response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Report HC 1195 published on 26 March 2014, what...

    • Bovine Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received regarding the need for a vaccine for bovine TB; and if he will make a statement.

      Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report of 31 March 2014 on Climate Change...

      Common Agricultural Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Commission on its programme of cinema advertising to promote the Common...

      Dogs: Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many instances of Alabama Rot there have been in dogs in the UK.

      Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether parish councils and town councils are eligible to apply for flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid.

      Fossil Fuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expertise the Environment Agency has on (a) onshore oil and gas exploration, (b) fracking, (c) the disposal of waste...

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the Environment Agency's budget he proposes will be spent on its role as the regulator for fracking in England...

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many inspectors the Environment Agency employs to carry out checks on fracking sites in England and Wales.

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much notice the Environment Agency is required to give to companies ahead of inspections of fracking sites in England and...

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether approval will be given for fracking sites on flood plains; and if he will make a statement; (2) what...

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential risks fracking pose to livestock; and if he will make a statement.

      Gulls

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support he is providing for local authorities to address issues caused by high gull populations.

      Pathology: Laboratories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Pathologists on the effects on human and animal safety of reductions in...

      Slaughterhouses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will review the reporting of the mis-stunning of animals before slaughter by the Food Standards Agency to ensure that...

      Waste Disposal: Fires

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fires were reported at privately-owned waste management sites in the last two years.

      Waste Disposal: Fires

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fires were reported at local authority-owned waste management sites in the last two years.

      Water Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage change there has been in the average cost of a water bill in each year since 2011.

      Water Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the water industry to discuss the cost of water bills.

  • Work and Pensions

    • European Social Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of recent social and employment programmes financed through the European Social Fund; and if he will...

    • Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of how much each local authority returned to his Department in unused discretionary housing payment funding in 2013-14.

      Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether people classed as homeless will be defined as vulnerable under the proposed mechanism within universal credit to pay housing benefit...

      Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which categories of people will be defined as vulnerable in relation to facilitating housing benefit payments direct to landlords under...

      Industrial Health and Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evidence his Department has collected on public perception of health and safety regulation.

      Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs his Department has incurred in the development, promotion, monitoring and evaluation of the Sorting out Separation web app to date;...

      Jobcentre Plus: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions where each Jobcentre Plus office is in Scotland; when each office opened; and how many people have used each such office in each year since 2010.

      Jobseeker’s Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance were sanctioned for failing to complete their job search evidence form for the week of 25...

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what plans he has to penalise companies who have failed to carry out medical assessments for personal independence payments in a timely...

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the average waiting time for applicants for the personal independence payment (PIP) in each region of the UK is between submission...

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 318W on the personal independence payment, what assumptions have been made by...

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many requests for reconsideration of an employment and support allowance decision have been submitted since mandatory reconsideration...

      Social Security Benefits: Peterborough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of changes in the number of nationals of other EU countries accessing benefits in the Peterborough city...

      Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department's proposed Help and Support for Separated Families co-ordinated telephone network is in place; and what processes his...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the cost of paying a second attachment fee for each person who is transferred from Newcastle College...

      Work Programme: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of former jobseeker's allowance claimants moving into work from the Work programme in the Merseyside, Halton, Cumbria and...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Affordable Housing: Cambridgeshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes have been (a) started and (b) completed in (i) Peterborough constituency and (ii) North West...

    • Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities who will hold a referendum as a result of raising council tax by...

      Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average weekly sum in council tax is now due from people whose liability for this tax was previously entirely met through...

      Housing: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made in introducing a pilot scheme for compensating households affected by house price depreciation near...

      Local Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of local councillors who will resign as a result of new arrangements to allow the press...

      Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the extent to which firms in each region will be economically disadvantaged as a result of the...

      Private Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to better protect the rights of private sector tenants from irresponsible landlords.

      Private Rented Housing: Rents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of the ONS index of rental prices; and what recent assessment he has of the...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) 20 highest and (b) 20 lowest value contracts awarded by his Department were in each financial year since 2009-10.

      Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department is (a) undertaking or (b) plans to undertake a review of the check-off union subscription provision.

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to answer question number 193630 tabled on 25 March 2014 for answer on 31 March.

  • Treasury

    • Bank Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what future plans the Government have to utilise funds from the unclaimed life policies or dormant bank accounts.

    • Business: Government Assistance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he had with investors in renewable energy before the changes to the enterprise investment scheme on tax breaks for companies benefiting...

      Children: Day Care

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the digital inclusion implications of requiring online...

      Dover Priory Station

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment HM Revenue and Customs has made of the economic benefits that new parking facilities at Dover Priory railway station would provide to the...

      Dover Priory Station

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings HM Revenue and Customs has conducted with Network Rail on the development of new parking facilities at Dover Priory railway station in the...

      Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of compensation cases which have been miscalculated by the Equitable Life payment scheme.

      Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals made to the Equitable Life payment scheme (a) have been decided and (b) are awaiting resolution.

      Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) average additional award paid following a successful appeal made to the Equitable Life payment scheme is.

      Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount is in additional payments made by the Equitable Life payment scheme as a result of successful appeals to date; and what proportion...

      Excise Duties: Oil

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish a list of approved UK tax warehouses for handling oil products; (2) what steps the Government have taken to ensure that the excise...

      Natural Resources

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to implement the recommendations of the second State of Natural Capital report on (a) sustaining economic growth and (b)...

      Nurseries

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 13W, on nurseries, if he will collect information on the number of workplace nurseries...

      Pensions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to amend rules on the deliberate deprivation of capital used in the means test for social care funding as a consequence of the planned...

      Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely reduction to the block grant for Northern Ireland in the current financial year arising from lack of progress on...

      Revenue and Customs

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the voluntary exit scheme for staff at HM Revenue and Customs offices in Northern Ireland.

      Tobacco

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of contraband cigarettes entering the UK were originally manufactured in the UK.

      Unpaid Taxes

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been issued demand notices for unpaid tax since the introduction of the £50,000 maximum tax relief on pensions contributions in...

  • House of Lords

    • Abortion

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they first became aware that the remains of aborted and miscarried foetuses had been used to heat some hospitals; and what action they intend to take...

    • Abortion

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government which NHS trusts have incinerated foetuses to provide heat in their hospitals; whether they will publish the names of the officials who authorised that...

      Alcohol

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government by how much they expect overall alcohol consumption to rise or fall across the United Kingdom as a result of the changes in alcohol duty announced in the Budget.

      Armed Forces: Unfounded Abuse Claims

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to investigate United Kingdom law firms pursuing claims of unfounded abuse by British soldiers.

      Care Homes: Internet

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of care homes for the elderly that have wi-fi internet access; whether they intend to make it a legal requirement...

      Central African Republic

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the presence of outside insurgents in the conflict in the Central African Republic, and in particular of reports that Boko...

      Children and Families Act 2014

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to place documents published after 8 January 2014, relating to the Children and Families Act 2014, which were formerly on the Department for...

      China

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last discussed the position of the Roman Catholic seminary in Shanghai with the government of China; and what was the outcome of those discussions.

      Debt

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Office for Budget Responsibility concerning explanations suggesting that there is a £20 billion shortfall in...

      Dredging

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord de Mauley on 19 March (WA 34–5), what discussions they have had with the Environment Agency in recent years...

      Economy: Weekly Incomes

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the national average weekly income in the United Kingdom for (1) men, and (2) women.

      Economy: Weekly Incomes

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the national average weekly income in the West Midlands for (1) men, and (2) women.

      Economy: Weekly Incomes

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the national average weekly income in Burton for (1) men, and (2) women.

      Egypt

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the abuse of human rights in Egypt including the number of political prisoners, the torture of political prisoners and the...

      Egypt

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent estimate they have made of the number of Egyptians in detention in that country; and whether they will make representations to the government of...

      Embryology

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 20 March (WA 50–1), how much information regarding the review by the Expert Panel of the Human...

      Employment: Agriculture and Fisheries

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the entry-level training courses available for those seeking employment in agriculture and fisheries; and whether those...

      Energy: Gas

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, as part of their package of sanctions towards Russia, they intend to instruct Centrica to cancel their agreement with Gazprom to supply the United...

      Equal Pay

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to tackle the gender pay gap and the regional disparities which exist between men's and women’s pay in the United Kingdom.

      Estonia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any representations to any European Union body, or to the government of Estonia, about the treatment of ethnic Russians in Estonia.

      Eugenics

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy concerning human eugenics. To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the prohibitions of eugenic practices contained in Article 3(2)...

      Female Genital Mutilation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make it a criminal offence for medical staff to fail to report all instances of female genital mutilation.

      Female Genital Mutilation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the current legislation against female genital mutilation provides sufficient protection against the practice, whether carried out...

      Feronia Inc

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what development impacts are expected from the use of United Kingdom official development assistance to purchase part of the agribusiness company Feronia...

      Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the provision in the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013, whereby complaints against claims management companies can be made to the Legal...

      Food: Halal or Kosher Meat

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to reassure consumers, who for religious or other reasons do not wish to consume halal or kosher meats, about the provenance of the meat...

      Government Departments: Budgets

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the percentage cost over-run established by the management board for any budget in the Department for Communities and Local Government to merit being...

      Government Departments: Catering, Hospitality and Refreshments

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the breakdown of departmental spending in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on catering, hospitality and refreshments in (1)...

      Government Departments: Expenditure

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the Department for Communities and Local Government has taken to cut spending on Common Purpose leadership courses.

      Gross Domestic Product

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 24 March (WA 73–4) concerning European Union regulations requiring black market...

      Health: Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research they are currently supporting into the development of new anti-fungal treatments for conditions such as chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.

      Health: Eating Disorders

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking prevent girls from being targeted by websites promoting eating disorders.

      Health: Parkinson's Disease

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the proposed changes to the fundamental standards of care will ensure that people with Parkinson's disease receive their medication on time.

      Health: Pharmaceutical Pricing Schemes

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the present Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme on pharmaceutical companies that had previously agreed a...

      Health: Pregnancy

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of warnings about the dangers of taking medication during pregnancy.

      Hillsborough Castle

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date the new trustees of the Royal Palace at Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland, were announced; and who has been appointed.

      Houses of Parliament: Restoration

      To ask the Chairman of Committees whether there are plans to sell or give away the tiles currently being replaced in the Palace of Westminster.

      Housing Benefit (Habitual Residence) Amendment Regulations 2014

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee’s report (HL Paper 157) on the Housing Benefit (Habitual Residence)...

      Immigration: Unaccompanied Children

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many individuals who came to the United Kingdom as unaccompanied children between 2005 and 2010 (1) eventually settled in the United Kingdom, (2) left...

      Immigration: Unaccompanied Children

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many former unaccompanied children who have exhausted their appeal rights have been served with removal directions in each of the last five years, and to...

      Iran

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their most recent assessment of the results of negotiations with Iran to reduce its capacity to develop nuclear weapons.

      Iran

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reductions in nuclear capability made so far by Iran.

      Israel

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proximity of Israeli settlements and refugee camps on the number of children’s injuries in those areas.

      Israel

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the different types of live ammunition, such as bullets which splinter on impact, currently used by the Israel Defence...

      Israel

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the concerns of Jewish diaspora groups such as Yachad, regarding Israel’s adherence to the norms of international law.

      Israel and Palestine

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Arab League about its support for the position taken by Mahmoud Abbas that not to recognise Israel as a Jewish State...

      Lebanon

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact of Hezbollah on the stability of the government and on the population of Lebanon.

      Legal Aid

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been paid in legal aid fees over the last five years to law firms Public Interest Lawyers and Leigh Day to conduct cases alleging abuse by...

      Legal Aid

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to take steps to recover legal aid payments to the firm Public Interest Lawyers following their statement on 20 March that there was no...

      Migrant Workers

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Kafala sponsorship system for migrant workers going to the Gulf states; and what implications their assessment may have...

      NHS: Hospital Admissions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated average cost of keeping a patient overnight in (1) a standard hospital bed, and (2) a negative pressure isolation room.

      NHS: Nurses

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many nurses per patient there are in hospitals in England; and what assessment they have made of how that number compares with the situation in (1)...

      NHS: Private Patients

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 31 March (WA 157), what are the recognised exceptional circumstances in which NHS hospitals are able to breach...

      NHS: Private Patients

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 31 March (WA 157), what information they hold nationally or at local level on breaches of the requirement for...

      Palestine

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with their European partners concerning the role of Marwan Barghouti in respect of uniting Palestinian factions; and how they...

      Papua New Guinea

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Australia about the treatment of asylum seekers currently being held on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

      Parking

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with disability organisations with respect to the minimum size of parking restriction notices (1) on public highways, (2) in...

      Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many complaints the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman received from users of the National Health Service in each of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013;...

      Press: Super-injunctions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many super-injunctions on matters relating to libel or privacy are in place in Northern Ireland; and whether any have been granted since 1 January 2014.

      Railways: Electrification

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 27 March (WA 145), whether the electric stock referred to in her answer will be subject to refurbishment...

      Roads: Safety of Pedestrians

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote the safety of pedestrians.

      Royal Navy: Frigates

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the planned hull life of the Type 23 frigate.

      Saudi Arabia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom that Saudi Arabia’s restrictions on...

      Saudi Arabia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the extent to which they restrict public expression of religion and about the...

      Saudi Arabia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the nationality and numbers of expatriate Christians detained in detention centres or prisons in Saudi Arabia; and when...

      Schools: Live Arts Performances

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each of the last four academic years, what percentage of pupils have attended a live arts performance as part of their school activities in that year;...

      Schools: Music Lessons

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on the teaching of instrumental music lessons in (1) maintained schools, and (2) academies.

      Terrorism

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent increase in terrorist activity by Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade in Jenin.

      Turkey

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effects of recent bans by Turkey concerning Twitter and other social media on Anglo-Turkish diplomatic, cultural and social...

      Uganda

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on returning gay and lesbian asylum seekers to Uganda.

      Vehicles: Roadworthiness

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes to the existing arrangements for the periodic roadworthiness testing of motor vehicles and their trailers are envisaged following the repeal of...

      Vehicles: Roadworthiness

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether consideration is being given to proposals to separate the testing and repair functions following the periodic roadworthiness testing of motor...

      Vehicles: Roadworthiness

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the repeal of European Union Directive 2009/40/EC and the agreement of a new directive at Strasbourg on 11 March with regard to the...

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.

April 2014
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930