Written answers

Thursday, 13 March 2008

  • Leader of the House

    • Departmental Pensions

      To ask the Leader of the House how many and what percentage of staff in her office were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years.

  • Women and Equality

    • Age Discrimination

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with other Government Departments on discrimination in the supply of goods and services to people on the basis of age.

    • Departmental Older Workers

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many people over the age of 55 have been recruited to the Government Equalities Office in each of the last three years.

      Equality and Human Rights Commission

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what arrangements (a) have been and (b) are to be put in place by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to develop and consolidate relationships...

      Equality and Human Rights Commission

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many staff are employed in London by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, broken down by (a) grade and (b) specialism; and what consultative...

      Television Screens

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many plasma television screens have been purchased by the Government Equalities Office, and at what cost, since its creation.

  • Scotland

    • Departmental Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many letters his Department received in each of the last five years.

    • Departmental Plants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on pot plants in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether consideration has been given to applying gender- responsive budgeting to his Department's budget.

      Departmental Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department and its agencies spent on first-class travel in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by staff grade.

      Eurostar

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on (a) first and (b) other class travel by Eurostar in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

  • Transport

    • Bus Services: Pensioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pensioners have claimed free bus travel in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) the UK in each year...

    • Dartford Tunnel: Queen Elizabeth II Brige

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate she has made of the number of residents of the (a) Bexley Havering, (c) Gravesham and (d) Sevenoaks local authority areas who...

      Drinking Water

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on bottled water in the latest year for which figures are available.

      Heathrow Airport: Noise

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration was given to the noise costs indicated by the attitudes to noise from aviation sources in England study in drawing up the financial...

      Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were employed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency at the most recent date for which figures are available.

      Metronet: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Metronet's weekly cost to the public purse has been since it went into administration; and from what budget the costs are met.

      Night Flying: East Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many night flights there were from (a) East Midlands Airport and (b) designated London airports in each of the last 10 years.

      Railways: Brighton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average loading is of the diesel train service between Brighton and Ashford (a) in peak hours and (b) across the working day.

      Road Traffic: Peterborough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will (a) review and (b) estimate the likely traffic capacity of the (i) A47, (ii) A1139, (iii) A605 and (iv) A15 roads within the Peterborough...

      Southern: Rolling Stock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2008, Official Report, columns 9-10W, on rolling stock: Brighton, what assessment (a) she and (b) Southern have...

      Transport: Bournemouth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2008, Official Report, columns 2757-58W, on housing: infrastructure, what work programmes have been evaluated for...

      Transport: Bournemouth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2008, Official Report, column 2766W, on transport: finance, how much of (a) the £87 million regional transport...

      Transport: East of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2008, Official Report, columns 97-8WS, on rail and road capacity (east of England), what...

      Transport: Kent

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which integrated transport projects undertaken by Kent county council in north Kent have been financed by the proceeds of the Dartford River Crossing...

      Travel Concessions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities receive funding from central Government to fully cover the costs of implementing the national...

  • Treasury

    • Car Allowances

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the results of the review of the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments Scheme.

    • Charities: Income Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government plan to take in relation to the potential effects on charities in receipt of gift aid of the new basic rate of income tax to be...

      Child Tax Credit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2008, Official Report, column 2800W, on welfare tax credits, how many of the households with positive entitlement to...

      Departmental Recruitment

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what civil service grade his Department's director in public services is; how the position was advertised; which search consultants were involved; what...

      Written Questions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written questions to his Department had not received an answer as at 25 February 2008 for (a) between two and four, (b) between four and six,...

      Economic Situation: Cumbria

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to take into account (a) the wider social and economic issues facing West Cumbria, (b) the needs of businesses in the same...

      HM Revenue and Customs: Bonuses

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are used to determine (a) the total amount available for bonus payments to HM Revenue and Customs staff in each pay year and (b) the amounts...

      HM Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions HM Revenue and Customs has transferred more than 50 tax returns between offices in each of the last 12 months.

      HM Revenue and Customs: Training

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what training courses were attended by HM Revenue and Customs staff in the last 12 months.

      HM Revenue and Customs: Whitehaven

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how staff from the HM Revenue and Customs office in Whitehaven will be consulted on the future of the office.

      HM Revenue and Customs: Whitehaven

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the consultation on the future of the HM Revenue and Customs office in Whitehaven to (a) begin and (b) conclude; and what criteria he...

      Income Tax Rates and Bands

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue that would be raised by a 1 per cent. increase in the higher rate of income tax, based on (a) 2007-08 tax bands...

      Landfill Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what percentage of the landfill levy was allocated as tax foregone in (a) 2004, (b) 2005, (c) 2006 and (d) 2007; (2) what income he received from...

      Public Buildings

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Public Sector Building Non-housing (PUBSEC) index, rebased to 2000, for each quarter of each financial from...

      Regional Development Agencies: Complaints

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints against regional development agencies were (a) received and (b) upheld in each year for which figures are available.

      Revenue and Customs: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has authorised the purchase by HM Revenue and Customs of information suspected to be stolen; (2) whether he has had discussions with the...

      Vat

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much value-added tax was collected in each local authority area in England in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

      VAT: Plastic Bags

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of value-added tax revenue raised on re-usable shopping bags in 2006.

      Working Tax Credit: Morecambe

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency received working tax credit in the latest period for which figures are available.

  • Prime Minister

    • Departmental Pensions

      To ask the Prime Minister how many and what percentage of staff in his office were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years.

    • Fairtrade Initiatives

      To ask the Prime Minister what his Office's policy is on the use of fair trade goods (a) in staff catering facilities and (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of hate crimes were recorded in Northern Ireland in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Abbott Mead Vickers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many contracts there were between his Department and Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO in each of the last 10 years; and what the (a) value...

    • Archaeology: Flag Fen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he plans to offer financial or other assistance to the Flag Fen bronze age site near Peterborough to (a) continue and (b)...

      Arts Council of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of Arts Council England's most recent edition of its register of interests, gifts, hospitality...

      Arts Council of England: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the process for (a) appointing and (b) removing (i) national and (ii) regional Arts Council England members is.

      Casinos: Cash Dispensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether automated teller machines authorised to be placed in casinos licensed under the Gambling Act 2005 will be permitted to dispense...

      Culture Online

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the impact of Culture Online on reaching new audiences for the arts, with particular...

      Culture Online

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what targets were set for measuring Culture Online's performance in (a) engaging with hard-to-reach groups, (b) enhancing access to...

      Culture Online

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding was set aside for Culture Online; and how much was spent in each year since 2002.

      Culture: Coastal Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage cultural regeneration in coastal resorts.

      Culture: Sponsorship

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington of 3 March 2008, Official Report, column 2124W, on Culture:...

      Departmental Data Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether confidential or personal information has been compromised through the loss of property from his Department since 1997.

      Departmental Official Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of overnight accommodation for (a) civil servants, (b) special advisers and (c) Ministers in his Department staying...

      Departmental Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what percentage of staff in his Department were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the...

      Internet Access

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what regulations govern access by minors to adult content on the internet.

      Religious Buildings: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which places of worship in Bexley have received funding from (a) English Heritage and (b) the Heritage Lottery Fund since 1997.

      Tourism: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department provided to each of the regional development agencies for the promotion of tourism in each of the last five...

      Tourism: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on tourism in (a) the north-west and (b) Cheshire; and if he will make a statement.

      Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to which wind farm proposals his Department lodged objections in each of the last three years; and for what reasons in each case.

  • Health

    • Accident and Emergency Departments: Admissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have attended accident and emergency departments in England in each of the last five years in order to receive treatment for minor (a)...

    • Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2008, Official Report, columns 325-6W, Alcoholic drinks: Misuse, how many (a) females and (b) males were...

      Care Homes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of accommodation have been provided using funding from the extra care housing grant since it began; how many have been provided by (a)...

      Cervical Cancer: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cervical cancer screenings there were in (a) Tamworth and (b) Staffordshire in each of the last five years.

      Community Care: Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was spent on NHS-funded continuing care for (a) adults with learning disabilities, (b) older people, (c) adults with physical disabilities and...

      Dementia: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on development of a national dementia strategy; and if he will make a statement.

      Drugs: Babies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born with an addiction to a class A drug in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

      Drugs: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of people with chronic health problems arising from illicit drug-taking; and what estimate he has made of...

      Hearing Impaired: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the recommended frequency with which people with hearing and balance disorders should be monitored by health care professionals.

      Macular Degeneration: Smoking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research on the relationship between smoking and the long-term incidence of age-related macular degeneration; if he will consider as...

      Nursing and Midwifery Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve the regulation of the activities of the Nursing and Midwifery Council; and if he will make a statement.

      Palliative Care: Cambridgeshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on supportive and palliative care has been implemented in North West Cambridgeshire.

      Palliative Care: Cambridgeshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are used by commissioners in North West Cambridgeshire to determine the need for specialist palliative and neurological care.

      Palliative Care: Eastbourne

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are used by commissioners to determine the need for specialist palliative and neurological care in Eastbourne.

      Patients: Nutrition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed days were occupied by patients with a (a) primary and (b) secondary diagnosis of (i) malnutrition, (ii) nutritional anaemias and (iii)...

      Pharmacies: Opening Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many pharmacies are operating for under 100 hours per week under the Medicines (Pharmacy and General Sale—Exemption) Amendment Order 2005...

      Self-Mutilation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many recorded self-harm incidents there were in England in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) age group, (b) sex and (c) constituency;...

      Torbay Hospital: Parking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) revenue income and (b) estimated overhead cost of the parking charges scheme at Torbay hospital was in each of the last 10 years.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions.

    • Ramsar Convention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what circumstances it is necessary to conduct (a) an appropriate assessment and (b) an environmental assessment before...

      SSSIs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to increase the number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in favourable condition by 2010;...

      Veterinary Clinical Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department is providing for veterinary clinical research in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

      Great Crested Newts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the population of great crested newts in England and Leicestershire; and if he will make...

      Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he next expects to meet representatives of the Waste and Resources Action Programme to discuss waste and climate change.

      Warm Front

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will review the effectiveness of the Warm Front.

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the maximum likely annual charge to be levied in respect of domestic waste collection.

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether charges for the collection of household waste will be levied on householders occupying flats with communal bins.

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to conduct a consultation exercise before issuing guidance on charging for the collection of household waste.

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of charges for household waste collection on families with children under...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) who is responsible for deciding which local authorities charge for domestic waste collection; and whether such...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provision he has made for those who move out of a waste charging pilot area mid-year to be partially recompensed for...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the annual average gross administrative cost in cash terms to local authorities arising from...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to counter the use of fake bin bags in areas where local authorities operate charges for the...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether plans for pilots for charging for the collection of household waste include (a) the use of radio-frequency...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what exemptions are planned to operate in schemes to apply charges to the collection of household waste within pilot...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with local authorities on the implementation of...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effects of charges for the collection of household waste on the amount of waste...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how long he expects the charging for collecting household waste pilots to last; and whether a (a) minimum and (b) maximum...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account he has taken of the conclusions of the research commissioned from Eunomia on variable waste-charging in respect...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to take account of the availability of civic amenity sites in (a) local authorities running...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) strategy and (b) timetable is for the (i) start and conclusion, (ii) contiguity, (iii) number, (iv) duration...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the (a) timing and (b) number of further local authorities operating new arrangements for the...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much he has allocated to budgetary provision for waste collection authorities to introduce new arrangements for the...

      Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how new arrangements for the collection of household waste will be applied to domestic properties where occupation is...

      Domestic Wastes: Meat

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme have issued on the inclusion of uncooked meat...

      Food Supply

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure the security of the national food supply.

      Livestock: Waste Disposal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will consider whether the prohibition of on-farm burials for livestock should be removed; and if he will make a statement.

      Recycling: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what local authorities have been funded by (a) his Department and (b) WRAP to pilot non-financial incentive schemes to...

      Rights of Way: Public Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the contribution of public transport links to the...

      Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981: Prosecutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions there have been under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in each year since 1981, broken down by...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Child Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the percentage change in money outstanding in support payments in cases being dealt with by the Child Support Agency was between (a)...

    • Child Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-resident parents with outstanding debt with the Child Support Agency are living abroad; and what the total amount was of...

      Child Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of a repayment schedule agreed with the Child Support Agency is.

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the time taken to pay child support to parents with care whose cases are being dealt with clerically and where...

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of all current Child Support Agency cases have (a) been subject to maladministration, (b) had incorrect...

      Departmental Data Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many direct complaints from individuals his Department has received regarding the loss of personal data held by his Department.

      Departmental Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on users of his Department's services of the increased provision of services on the internet; and...

      Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in the city of Dundee by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

      Fuel Poverty: Hampshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of levels of fuel poverty of people claiming benefits in Hampshire in the last 10 years; and if he will make a...

      Helping People into Work Strategy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much he expects his Department to pay to private and voluntary sector organisations to deliver services under the Helping People into Work...

      In Work Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the in-work credit to be fully rolled out.

      Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets are set for Jobcentre Plus contact centre telephone operators.

      Jobseeker's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants have been claiming for (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) 12 months, (d) 18 months,...

      Jobseeker's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the longest time is a person on jobseekers allowance has spent on holiday.

      National Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers were issued to (a) UK, (b) EU and (c) non-EU citizens between (i) 1 April 2002 and 31 December 2003 and...

      National Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which 10 nationalities hold the greatest number of UK national insurance numbers ranked in order of numbers held; how many numbers are held in...

      National Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the change was in the number of national insurance registrations issued to (a) UK citizens and (b) foreign citizens in each year since...

      National Insurance: Foreigners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers were held by non-UK citizens in (a) 1997, (b) 2002 and (c) the most recent year for which figures are...

      Partnership Agreement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the partnership agreement between his Department and Citizens Advice signed in September 2007.

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households receiving benefits of in excess of (a) £30,000 and (b) £25,000 in the most...

      Social Security Benefits: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the findings of the voice risk analysis pilot scheme run by Harrow council in relation to claims for (a) housing and (b)...

      Unemployment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what steps a jobseeker is required to take to provide proof that he or she is actively seeking work whilst on holiday; (2) what the...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Bridging Newcastle Gateshead: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Government have contributed through Bridging Newcastle Gateshead to costs for (a) the strategic housing staff...

    • Casinos: Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will allocate funding to Manchester city council for costs incurred in relation to preparation for the regional casino.

      Council Housing: Overcrowding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment her Department and its agencies have made of the level of overcrowding in social housing; and what...

      Home Information Packs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 28 January 2008, Official Report, column 117W, on...

      Home Information Packs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 29 January 2008, Official Report, column 230W, on home...

      Home Information Packs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints the home information pack redress scheme has received since it was established; how many of these have been...

      Home Information Packs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many estate agents have been fined for non-compliance with the home information pack regulations since the packs became...

      Home Information Packs: Eco-Towns

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether home information packs will apply to the sale of houses built in eco-towns.

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to monitor the proportion of affordable housing to be delivered on sites which have recently been...

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield, of 31 January 2008, Official Report, column 583W, on...

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield, of 31 January 2008, Official Report, column 583W, on housing:...

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed purchases there have been under the Open Market Homebuy Government Loan Only scheme to date.

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the maximum loan to value ratio is, including the shared equity borrowing permitted, in (a) Open Market Homebuy and (b)...

      Housing: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much is expected to be spent on bringing homes up to the decent homes standard in the next three years.

      Housing: Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of new homes built since 2003 meet the Government's targets for sustainability on (a) energy use and (b) water use.

      Local Government: Reorganisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what further plans her Department has for allowing further areas where two-tier local authorities exist to convert to unitary...

      Local Strategic Partnerships: Chorley

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if she will meet Chorley borough council and the hon. Member for Chorley to discuss the local strategic partnership; (2)...

      London Development Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Audit Commission's scrutiny of (a) the London Development...

      Non-Domestic Rates: Public Lavatories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 5 December 2005, Official Report, column 963W, how many public...

      Planning Permission: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to monitor the proportion of affordable housing planned for sites recently granted planning permission...

      Prisons: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what planning policy (a) statements and (b) guidance have been issued by her Department and its predecessors on the...

      Private Sector: Thames Gateway

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methods she plans to use in future to assess the efficacy of private sector investment in the Thames Gateway area; and if...

      Regional Planning and Development: Thames Gateway

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the Guarantee of Assured Progression in respect of further education in the Pan Gateway Skills...

      Regional Planning and Development: Thames Gateway

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will attend future meetings of the Thames Gateway parliamentary group; and if she will make a statement.

      Rental Rights: Leasehold

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will provide leaseholders whose freehold landlord is a public authority with the same leasehold rights as those with...

      Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what process is followed for the appointment of members of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee;...

      Working Neighbourhoods Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 31 January 2008, Official Report, column 592W, on the...

      Working Neighbourhoods Fund: Leeds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will meet hon. Members representing constituencies in the Leeds city council area to discuss working neighbourhood...

  • Duchy of Lancaster

    • Civil Service Appeal Board

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what percentage of appeals by employees of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies were (i) heard and (ii) upheld by the civil...

    • Departmental Official Residences

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what guidance has been issued on the use of official residences by former Ministers of the Crown; and what liability such individuals have...

      Departmental Official Visits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost was of overnight accommodation for (a) the Prime Minister and (b) (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers in the Prime...

      Departmental Older Workers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people over the age of 55 have been recruited by the Cabinet Office in each of the last three years.

      Departmental Pensions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what percentage of staff in his Department were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years.

      Fairtrade Initiative

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods (a) in staff catering facilities and (b) at official departmental functions and...

      Industrial Health and Safety

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many reports of incidents involving those working in (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) 10 Downing street were made under the Reporting of...

      Joint Ministerial Committee on Devolution

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Joint Ministerial Committee on Devolution last met; and if he will make a statement.

      Official Residences: Admiralty House

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) who occupies, or was the most recent occupier of, each official ministerial residence in Admiralty House; (2) pursuant to the answer of 29...

  • Children, Schools and Families

    • Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will estimate the proportion of children (a) under five years, (b) of primary school age and (c) of secondary school age...

    • Children: Disabled

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of disabled children who are waiting for (a) assessment and (b) reassessment in relation...

      Children's Commissioner for England: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the budget is for the office of the Children's Commissioner for England in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10.

      Children's Commissioner for England: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will give a breakdown of the expenditure by the office of the Children's Commissioner in England by main budget heading...

      Departmental Official Cars

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what make and model of car (a) he and (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what...

      Departmental Plants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its predecessor spent on pot plants in each of the last five years.

      Disadvantaged: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what analysis his Department has made of the Institute of Education research indicating a correlation between educational...

      Information Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people worked in his Department's press office and those of its predecessor departments in each year since 2004-05.

      Pupil Exclusions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties have received a fixed period exclusion in the last 12...

      Pupils: Hearing Impaired

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many hearing impaired pupils are taught in (a) mainstream and (b) special maintained schools.

      Sexual Harassment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many complaints of (a) sexual harassment and (b) sexual discrimination have been made by staff in (i) his Department and...

      Sure Start Programme: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children received services from Sure Start in West Lancashire constituency in each year since the programme's inception.

      Vocational Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the comparative returns to the economy of (a) uncertified employer purchased training and (b) low...

      Youth Services: Enfield

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department provided to Enfield council for youth services in each of the last 10 years; and what the real...

      Youth Services: Tamworth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department provided to Tamworth borough council for youth services in each of the last 10 years; and what the...

  • Innovation, Universities and Skills

    • Adult Education: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2008, Official Report, column 516W, on adult education: finance, what the funding for...

    • Construction: Vocational Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people joining the construction industry via the National Skills Academy for Construction he estimates will be (a)...

      Departmental Official Cars

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what make and model of car (a) he and (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and...

      Further Education: Foundation Degrees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many further education colleges have applied for foundation degree awarding powers since July 2007; and how many of such...

      Graduates: Personal Records

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what personal details his Department holds on graduates who received their degrees since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

      Higher Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) how many university places were offered to applicants resident in Essex in each of the last five years; (2) how many...

      Higher Education: Admissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) what proportion of students who applied for university from a (a) state comprehensive school, (b) state grammar...

      Students: Grants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many university students receive (a) grants and (b) full grants.

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely effect on administrative costs of requiring students to have an identity card to...

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many recipients of (a) student loans and (b) education maintenance allowance there are in Bassetlaw constituency,...

  • Home Department

    • Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to the Ministerial letter of 31 January 2006 responding to the recommendations within the Animal Procedures Committee's 2005 report...

    • Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of her Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies have specialists in animal welfare on their boards.

      Biometrics

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to the statement on page 19 of the strategic action plan for the national identity scheme, 20 December 2006, that the introduction of...

      Crime: Cambridgeshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) crimes, (b) violent crimes, (c) robbery offences, (d) burglary offences, (e) criminal damage offences and (f) drug...

      Crime: Lincolnshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of (a) violent crime, (b) burglary and (c) car crime took place in north east Lincolnshire in each year since 2000.

      Crime: Prosecutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females were (i) arrested, (ii) prosecuted and (iii) convicted of aiding and abetting a criminal offence of...

      Departmental Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is her Department's policy that Ministers should sign replies to hon. Members writing on constituency cases; and under which...

      Departmental Information and Communications Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on the PentiP computer system.

      Dogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of a member of the public being bitten by a dog were reported to the police in 2007.

      Extradition

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has received an extradition request from the principality of Liechtenstein for persons suspected of procuring documents belonging...

      Genetics: Database

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is available on the purpose, scope and expected usage of the national identity register; and if she will publish this...

      Police: Airports

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police forces are reimbursed for additional policing of airports when threats to public order are deemed to have arisen due to delays...

      Police: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on funding of the police.

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will answer question 179093 on the national DNA database tabled on 9 January 2008 by the hon. Member for Cardiff Central; and if she...

  • Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

    • Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) how many adult apprenticeships have been completed since the programme was introduced; (2) how many...

    • Biofuels: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the annual turnover of the (a) biodiesel and (b) bioethanol industries was in each of the last five years (i)...

      Biofuels: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people were employed in the (a) biodiesel and (b) bioethanol industry in each of the last five years (i) in...

      Coal Fired Power Stations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what assessment he has made of the effects on the cement production industry of likely changes in on-site gypsum...

      Coal Fired Power Stations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will commission a strategic environmental assessment of the policy framework for consenting to new coal-fired...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what assessment has been made of the implications of new coal power plants for decarbonisation of other sectors...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has been made of the possible effect of new coal power plants on the Government's greenhouse gas...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Sequestration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the (a) incentives and (b) legal framework necessary for companies to retrofit carbon...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Sequestration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what contingency plans he has for circumstances where carbon capture and storage technologies proposed in relation to...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the impact of the likely volume of carbon dioxide of a new coal fired power station at...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what consultation he plans to hold on the development of a mitigation strategy for the environmental and biodiversity...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received, and from whom, on the potential for combined heat and power technology to be...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on whether low carbon energy generation technologies were considered for construction at...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what assessment his Department has made of likely changes in on-site storage demand for ash at the supercritical...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will require the implementation of heat capture mechanisms at the proposed Kingsnorth power station; and what...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Limestone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what estimate his Department has made of future on-site storage demand for gypsum at the new supercritical units...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Pollution Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he plans to take to avoid release of slipped ammonia from the selective catalytic reduction process at the...

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Pollution Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which catalytic reductant is proposed as part of the selective catalytic reduction process at the proposed new...

      Departmental Official Cars

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what make and model of car (a) he and (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial...

      Energy: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what the Government's strategy is on increasing take-up of smart meters; and what discussions has he had with...

      Global Energy Partnership

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which meetings of the Global Energy Partnership have been attended by United Kingdom representatives in the last 12...

      Government Departments: Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress the Government has made in meeting its share of the 2020 EU renewable energy target.

      Industrial Diseases: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many claimants under the coal compensation scheme have waited 10 years or more for compensation.

      Ipsos MORI

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what payments each of the regional development agencies have made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what...

      Kent

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funds in the form of (a) revenue payments, (b) capital grants and (c) supported borrowing for which his...

      Low Carbon Buildings Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much of phase 2 of the low carbon buildings programme budget (a) has been allocated in grants and (b) is...

      Low Carbon Buildings Programme: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what proportion of grants and how much and what proportion of grant money initially committed under phase...

      Low Carbon Buildings Programme: Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much the Department has spent on advertising grants available to households under phase one of the low carbon...

      Microgeneration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of homes in (a) Eastbourne constituency, (b) East Sussex and (c) the UK in...

      Mining: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many claims under the coal compensation scheme (a) have been settled and (b) remain to be settled.

      Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of his Department's (a) annual budget and (b) end-of-year flexibility funding was allocated to the...

      Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his officials, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), and contractors for the NDA, have had...

      Office of National Statistics: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding is provided by regional development agencies to support the Office for National Statistics' regional...

      Oil: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008, Official Report, columns 2263-64W, on oil: prices, what (a) methodology was...

      Post Office: Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2008, Official Report, column 1205W, on post office: expenditure, when the...

      Regional Development Agencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which regional development agency (RDA) board members declare their main residence to be within the region of the RDA...

      Regional Development Agencies: Derelict Land

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many hectares of brownfield land were (a) reclaimed and (b) redeveloped by regional development agencies in the...

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the electricity generating capacity of installed I wind power, (b) solar photovoltaics and (c) geothermal...

      Renewable Energy: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the annual turnover of the (a) wind power, (b) solar photovoltaics and (c) geothermal technologies industries...

      Renewable Energy: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people were employed in the (a) wind power, (b) solar photovoltaics and (c) geothermal technologies...

      Renewable Energy: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the UK's ability to meet its share of the 2020 EU renewable energy target.

      Solar Power: Heating

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total thermal capacity of installed solar heating technology in the UK was in each of the last five years...

      Solar Power: Heating

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the annual turnover of the solar heating industry was in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b)...

      Solar Power: Heating

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people were employed in the solar heating industry in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b)...

      Training: Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions on (a) numbers and...

      Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will estimate the number of days annually on which wind speed is insufficient to provide any usable power from...

      Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many Vestas-type wind turbines have been built in the UK; and what recent checks on their safety have been carried out.

  • International Development

    • Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what formal mechanisms exist for non-governmental organisations funded by his Department to provide feedback on the effectiveness of UK...

    • Burma: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect on the delivery of UK restrictions imposed by the Burmese military regime on international...

      Global Plan to Stop TB Partnership: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department plans to provide to the Global Plan to Stop TB Partnership for the financial years 2008 to 2010.

      Sudan: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the objectives of the Darfur community peace and stability fund are; when Government funding will be provided to the fund; whether...

      UN Convention Against Corruption

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful prosecutions have been brought since the adoption of the UN convention on corruption in...

  • Justice

    • Departmental Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by senior civil service staff in his Department and its agencies in the last 12-month period for which...

    • Departmental Plants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on pot plants in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether consideration has been given to applying gender-responsive budgeting to his Department's budget.

      Departmental Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of travel undertaken by officials of his Department and its predecessor was in each year for which figures are available.

      Departmental Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much his Department and its agencies spent on first-class travel in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by staff...

      Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many written Questions to his Department had not received an answer as at 25 February 2008 for (a) between two and four, (b) between four and six,...

      Magistrates Courts: Leeds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the inquiry into the resulting and warrant processes at Leeds magistrates court will report; and if he will make a statement.

      Prisoners: Repatriation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the average cost of repatriating foreign prisoners held in UK prisons in the last 12 months, broken down by country of origin.

      Prisons: Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the value of the initial contract awarded to each contracted-out prison currently in operation was; and what the operational cost of each...

      Prisons: Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of each contracted-out prison has been (a) per prison place and (b) per prisoner in each of the last five years.

      Prisons: Coroners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by his Department on legal representation and advice on each coroner's case into a death in prison service establishments (including...

      Rape: Convictions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people (a) were convicted of rape and not given a custodial sentence between 1992 and April 1997 and (b) have been so convicted and not...

      Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what response has been made to the Rule 43 report made on 20 July 2007 by HM Coroner Judge Pollard following the inquest into the death of 15-year-old...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Afghanistan: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of (a) the volume of (i) cannabis and (ii) opium production and (b) the area of land under...

    • Burma: Ethnic Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the assassination of the General Secretary of the Karen National Union, Padoh Mahn Sha Lah...

      Burma: Ethnic Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government has had with the Karen National Union on (a) the security and humanitarian situation in Karen...

      Burma: Sanctions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on targeted financial sanctions on those associated with the military...

      Burma: Sanctions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) of 4 March 2008, Official Report, column 2355W, on...

      China: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a Chinese delegation last visited the UK as part of the UK-China human rights dialogue; when he expects such a delegation...

      Colombia: Radioactive Materials

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of recent claims by the Government of Colombia alleging the intention of the...

      Committee on the Grant of Honours Decorations and Medals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what rules govern appointments to the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals; (2) what criteria he...

      Committee on the Grant of Honours Decorations and Medals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how often the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals meets; and where the minutes of its meetings are published.

      Committee on the Grant of Honours Decorations and Medals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals uses when making recommendations to Her Majesty on...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Greek and Turkish governments to encourage reconciliation in Cyprus following the Cypriot...

      Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the possible impact of the International Criminal Court's investigations of (a)...

      Departmental Databases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) companies based in the United States and (b) UK subsidiaries of US companies have been contracted by his...

      Departmental Official Cars

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what make and model of car (a) he and (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what...

      Departmental Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many residential properties his Department owns in the United Kingdom; how many of these are vacant; and how many of these...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether consideration has been given to applying gender responsive budgeting to his Department's budget.

      Departmental Sick Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost of sickness pay to staff within his Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

      Embassies: Waste Management

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) foreign embassies which are composite hereditaments and (b) domestic properties which are solely occupied by...

      Iran: Oppression

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Iranian government to encourage that government to lift the ban on democratic...

      Iran: Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Iranian government in support of the rights of Iranian trade unionists; and if he will...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of chemicals used to make explosives and propellants for rockets and bombs being smuggled into Gaza...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent conflict between Israel and Palestine in Gaza and consequent civilian deaths; and if...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which occasions his Department issued criticisms of (a) Hamas and (b) Hezbollah for firing rockets into the State of...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which occasions his Department issued criticisms of the response of the government of Israel to rocket attacks by (a) Hamas...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) the UK and (b) other countries through the UN have organised medical aid to assist the casualties in the recent...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the parties concerned to bring about a Gaza-Israel ceasefire; and if he will make a...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to support international action through the United Nations to bring about a Gaza-Israel...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to encourage the European Union to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

      Nigeria: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) UK representatives in Abuja have had with the Government of...

      Nigeria: Peace Negotiations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has (a) offered and (b) provided to the government of Nigeria on (i) President Umaru Yar'...

      Nigeria: Peace Negotiations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received of the peace talks between the Nigeria Government and militant groups in the Niger...

      Nigeria: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on the abduction of a German construction worker in the Niger delta; how many UK...

      Treaty of Lisbon: Referendums

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the Government has obtained from surveys and opinion polls on the opinions of (a) hon. Members and (b) the...

      Uganda: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the possible impact of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation of...

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) operational control, (b) administrative control, (c) technical control and (d) other command relationship there is between British and...

    • Armed Forces: EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2008, Official Report, column 2052W, on the armed forces: EU institutions, who the permanent Chairman of the EU...

      Armed Forces: Uniforms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance his Department has issued to the base commander at RAF Wittering on service personnel wearing uniforms off base; when such guidance was...

      Armed Forces: Uniforms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department consulted (a) Cambridgeshire Constabulary, (b) Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and (c) Peterborough...

      Army: Deployment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average unit tour interval was for each Corps of the Army in the latest period for which figures are available.

      British Overseas Territories: Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British soldiers are stationed in British overseas territories.

      Challenger Tanks: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2008, Official Report, column 2807W, on Challenger tanks: repairs and maintenance, when the next order for full...

      Committee of Permanent Representatives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2008, Official Report, column 2053W, on the Committee of Permanent Representatives, how many European security and...

      Commonwealth: Army

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers from other Commonwealth countries are serving in the British Army.

      Defence Equipment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that the armed forces have the most up-to-date equipment; and if he will make a statement.

      Eastern Europe: Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of whether the military forces of (a) Albania, (b) Croatia and (c) Macedonia are capable of interoperability with those of...

      EU Defence Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2008, Official Report, column 2053W, on EU defence policy, how many times votes took place under qualified majority...

      Fair Trade Initiative

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to promote Fair Trade Fortnight 2008 amongst staff within his Department; and if he will make a statement.

      Future Surface Combatant

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria have been decided for the design of the Future Surface Combatant; and when he will determine the number of ships which will be required for...

      Iraq: Apache AH-64 Helicopter

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new British Apache AH Mk1 helicopters were in service in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each year since British forces were engaged in each...

      Iraq: Defence Equipment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many coroners' reports have cited insufficient equipment as a factor in deaths of soldiers in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq.

      Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have served in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan since 2002; and how many have received a medal in recognition of that service.

      Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many VIPs his Department escorted in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in each of the last 12 months.

      Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the security situation in (a) Basra, (b) Maysan, (c) Dhi Qar and (d) Al Muthanna provinces.

      Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Basra City.

      Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed services stationed in Iraq were (a) killed, (b) seriously injured and (c) slightly injured in Iraq in each year since...

      Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008, Official Report, column 2349W, on Iraq peacekeeping operations, what methodology was used to formulate his...

      Iraq and Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers from British (a) Crown dependencies and (b) overseas territories have served in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan since the campaigns began.

      Iraq and Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British soldiers have served in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan since each campaign began.

      Iraq and Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much UK military operations in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan (i) have cost to date and (ii) are expected to cost in each of the next three years.

      Military Equipment: Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of 21 January 2008, Official Report, column 1601W, on military equipment: Iraq, on what dates the (a) sets of body armour, (b)...

      Nuclear Weapons: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to ensure nuclear warhead convoys do not travel on motorways that do not have a hard shoulder reserved for emergencies.

      Radar: Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of wind farms on the UK's aerial defences.

      Reserve Forces: Labour Turnover

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) inflow, (b) outflow and (c) voluntary outflow rates were for the (i) Territorial Army, (ii) Royal Naval Reserve, (iii) Royal Marines...

      Roger Buston

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why an inquiry was conducted into the conduct of Lieutenant Colonel Roger Buston; what the length and cost of conducting the inquiry was; whether the...

      Treaty of Lisbon: Defence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Lisbon Treaty gives the new EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs powers to propose military operations.

      Trident Missiles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of progress in refurbishing the W76 warheads for Trident missiles, with particular reference to manufacturing processes for...

      Type 23 Frigate

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outturn cost was of each Type 23 frigate in (a) cash and (b) constant 2007 prices; and who the manufacturer was of each.

      Warships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it remains his policy to retain for the long-term a fleet of 25 destroyers and frigates.

      Warships: Sales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships have been sold to foreign Governments since 2004; and what the sale price was in each case.

  • House of Lords

    • Armed Forces: Healthcare

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What processes and structures are in place for the Ministry of Defence to learn lessons from its experiences in treating injured service personnel at the National...

    • Armed Forces: Healthcare

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine is engaged with the Birmingham New Hospitals project; and when the dedicated military areas that form part of this...

      Armed Forces: Healthcare

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the current position with regard to the Midland Medical Accommodation project.

      Crime: Fuel Laundering

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many people were charged with fuel laundering or related offences during 2007; and how many were convicted.

      Divorce (Religious Marriages) Act

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 3 March (WA 154), whether they will initiate discussions about the possible application of the powers...

      Duty-free Allowances

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether there is a de minimis threshold to the amount of customs duty collected from individual travellers entering the United Kingdom from outside the European...

      EU: Subsidiarity

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answers by the Lord President on 24 January (WA 62—3) and 18 February (WA 13), what are their reasons for not envisaging circumstances...

      EU: Subsidiarity

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answers by the Lord President on 24 January (WA 62—3) and 18 February (WA 13), whose wishes would prevail in the event of a...

      Families

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What further steps they propose to provide assistance for working-age families without children.

      Gold

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the value at the current market price of the United Kingdom's official gold reserves; on what dates since May 1989 sales of these reserves have taken...

      Gypsies and Travellers

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What representations they have received from Gypsies and Travellers on the proposal that the Mobile Homes Act 1983 should be applied to local authority Gypsy...

      Gypsies and Travellers

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether local authorities have power to demand Section 106 contributions in advance from persons applying for planning permission to develop Gypsy sites.

      Health: Hydrotherapy

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many hydrotherapy pools there are per person in the United Kingdom; and how this compares to other European countries.

      Health: Macular Degeneration

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 4 March (WA 168—9) about the decision to deny Mr Jack Tagg a course of ranibizumab (Lucentis), what...

      Housing: Flood Plains

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is their response to representations made by the Countryside Alliance and similar campaigning groups on the number of new homes being planned for construction...

      Housing: Flood Plains

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have received information from the 153 local authorities which have indicated that, of 2,105,449 houses planned for construction, 135,688 will be...

      Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 28 February (WA 135), whether the principles contained in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990...

      National Insurance

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many local authority councillors do not have any national insurance entitlement from other sources; how many councillors qualify for national insurance...

      Northern Rock

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will publish the due diligence undertaken on Northern Rock.

      Northern Rock

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether Northern Rock should be downsized as quickly as possible, as proposed by Ron Sandler, its new chairman.

      Northern Rock

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the latest accounts of Granite will be published with the group accounts of Northern Rock.

      Northern Rock

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the restructuring proposals by the board of directors of Northern Rock require the approval of the European Commission before they may be implemented.

      Police: Databases

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many individuals under the age of 18 currently have their DNA profiles on the national DNA database.

      Police: Databases

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many DNA profiles have been deleted from the national DNA database.

      Police: Databases

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many volunteers currently have their DNA profiles on the national DNA database.

      Police: Translation Services

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the efficiency and effectiveness of the translation services offered by the police to overseas visitors is satisfactory; and Whether they will consider...

      Political Parties: Business Rates

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether political parties are eligible for charitable relief on the payment of business rates; and whether they have been so eligible at any time during the past...

      Questions for Written Answer: Unanswered Questions

      asked the Leader of the House: Why the Question for Written Answer tabled by Lord Avebury on 7 November 2007 remained unanswered on 25 February.

      Railways: Car Parking

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 4 March (WA 173), whether increases in car parking capacity at train stations are set out in the...

      Railways: First Great Western

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether First Great Western trains has sufficient rolling stock at its disposal to operate the present and proposed services over the length of its franchise.

      Railways: First Great Western

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have given consent to First Great Western trains to place orders for any new rolling stock which the Department for Transport considers that it will...

      Railways: North Wales

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have records of levels of overcrowding on Virgin Trains services between Chester and Holyhead; and whether the levels of overcrowding would be...

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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