Written answers

Tuesday, 3 June 2008

  • Prime Minister

    • Apprentices

      To ask the Prime Minister whether there were any (a) apprenticeships and (b) advanced apprenticeships in 10 Downing Street in the most recent year for which figures are available.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Correspondence: Data Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what investigations his Department has initiated on (a) the opening of confidential correspondence from a constituent of the hon. Member for...

    • Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, column 42W, on fraud, how many staff of his Department were responsible for each...

      Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, column 42W, on fraud, what estimate he has made of the losses from (a) the benefits...

      Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, column 42W, on fraud, how many staff in his Department who defrauded or attempted to...

      Pension Service: Swansea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what volume of work was processed at the Swansea Pension Centre in each month in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) the first quarter of 2008.

      Social Security Benefits: Personal Records

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what types of personal information required to support claims for (a) pension credit, (b) housing benefit and (c) council tax benefit will...

  • Leader of the House

    • Legislation

      To ask the Leader of the House (1) how many copies of the Draft Legislative Programme 2008-09 have been provided gratis; to whom; at what cost; and if she will make a statement; (2) what...

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Members: Home Addresses

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether arrangements will be put in place to screen mail whose senders are unidentifiable and which is...

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral answer of 21 May 2008, Official Report, column 315, how many tanks will be sent to Afghanistan; by when these...

    • Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether measures are in place to ensure service personnel are offered (a) priority and (b) first refusal in buying (i) their accommodation and...

      Armed Forces: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel were diagnosed with mental health problems in each year since 1997.

      Armed Forces: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the results and findings of the Trauma Risk Management pilot.

      Central Africa: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether EUFOR Tchad/RCA has reached full operational capability; (2) what progress has been made in the EU's military missions in Chad and Central...

      Departmental Data Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department and its agencies have spent on (a) locating, (b) recovering and (c) identifying the information held on lost or stolen (i)...

      Departmental Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2008, Official Report, column 179W, on departmental equality, what percentage of (a) senior civil service and (b) top...

      London Airports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times his Department hired VIP facilities at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick, (c) Luton and (d) Stansted airports in each month since May 2006;...

      Nuclear Weapons: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on the UK nuclear deterrent programme, including the Atomic Weapons Establishment, in each year from 1998 to 2008,...

      Royal Navy Vessels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) estimate he has made of the volume and (b) assessment he has made of the types of outputs that arise from treatment by pyrolysis of wastes...

      Royal Navy Vessels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) assessment he has made of the types and (b) estimate he has made of the volume of residues from the treatment of wastes which were discharged...

  • Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

    • Banks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will introduce legislation to give bank depositors the right to (a) appoint auditors, (b) receive accounts and...

    • Credit: Access

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of consumers of working age experiencing difficulties gaining access to...

      Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much food waste his Department generated in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

      Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether his Department provides health or social care services out of public funds, with reference to the statement by...

  • Wales

    • Departmental Postal Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on sending mail overseas in each year since 2001, broken down by delivery company.

    • Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether rates collected from owners of commercial buildings in Wales left unoccupied for more than six months are hypothecated for use in Wales.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Advertising: Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will complete the work on producing codes of conduct governing the advertising and promotion of unhealthy foods to children...

    • Advertising: Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) whether he plans to ask Ofcom to strengthen its restrictions on adverts on television for foods high in fat, sugar and salt which...

      Advertising: Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the results of Ofcom's review of the advertising of unhealthy foods to children; and whether he is considering...

      Alcoholic Drinks: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times the maximum fine was levied against a licensee for persistently selling alcohol to under-age people in each of the last...

      Departmental NDPBs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list (a) his Department's non-departmental public bodies and (b) those non-departmental public bodies for which his...

      Satellite Broadcasting: Freeview

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the introduction of Freesat on the level of the take-up among consumers of...

      Television: Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with (a) television broadcasters and (b) Ofcom on recent cases of television broadcaster misconduct in the...

      Television: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations receive funding from the licence fee; and how much they each receive.

      TV Licensing: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed by TV Licensing; and at what cost.

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Building Act 1984: Prosecutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) companies and (b) individuals have been (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted of an offence under the Building Act...

    • Departmental Computers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has issued guidance to staff in her Department to switch off personal computers when not in use; and if she will...

      Fire Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate she has made of the number of fire and rescue authority staff on enhanced pensions who are to be made...

      Green belt: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to paragraphs 6.62 to 6.64 of her Department's Annual Report for 2008, Cm 7394, what steps she plans to take...

      Houseboats: Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the permanent mooring of a houseboat requires planning permission; what permitted development rights exist; and what...

      Housing: Antisocial Behaviour Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the correlation between housing conditions and the...

      Housing: Islington

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) wholly private, (b) part rented/part purchased, (c) local authority and (d) housing association new dwellings...

      Housing: Leeds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was taken from Leeds City Council in negative housing subsidy in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08.

      Housing: Registration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will introduce measures to require all landlords letting residential property to register with their local authority.

      Institute for Public Policy Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what projects or research have been commissioned from the Institute for Public Policy Research by her Department and its...

      Newts: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what planning regulations and directives protect the great crested newt.

      Planning Permission: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy.

      Planning Permission: Gardens

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the requirement for planning permission to pave over a front garden will be retrospective.

      Planning Permission: Gardens

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what the estimated average cost of a planning permission application for a typical household is likely to be under the...

      Planning: Public Participation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the consultation document on Planning Policy Statement 6 will be published; what the timetable for the consultation...

      Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to bring about convergence in public and private sector rents; and if she will make a statement.

      Social Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether arm's-length management organisations will be able to access the fund to purchase unsold new houses and rent them to...

      Tenancy Agreements: Estate Agents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward proposals to prevent estate agents from retaining the interest arising from tenant deposits over the...

      Travelling People: Caravan Sites

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what restrictions exist on building Traveller camps on (a) green belt, (b) Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and (c) Sites...

  • Children, Schools and Families

    • Children in Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many looked-after children there were on the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

    • Children: Disabled

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government have taken to improve the quality of services provided to disabled children.

      Children: Disabled

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government have taken to assist parents by increasing access to childcare for disabled children.

      Children's Centres: Warrington

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding was allocated to Warrington Borough Council for children's centres in each year since their inception.

      Departmental Data Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any officials in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies were disciplined or dismissed for (i) breaches of data...

      Departmental Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (a) all staff and (b) staff at senior civil service level in (i) his...

      Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any officials in his Department were disciplined or dismissed for illicit drug taking in each of the last five years.

      Education: European Union

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on (a) procuring and (b) distributing to schools in England the (i) Passport to the European...

      London Airports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many times his Department hired VIP facilities at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick, (c) Luton and (d) Stansted airports in each...

      Schools: Playing Fields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of schools in (a) England, (b) the East Midlands and (c) Leicestershire have disposed of playing fields since 1998.

      Special Educational Needs: Young Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children in young offender institutions has (a) special educational needs and (b) a special educational needs...

      Vocational Guidance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make it his policy to support further development of the Skill Force charity's work in schools.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to encourage other countries to protect refugees from violence and inhuman treatment.

    • Burma: Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to protect the safety of Burmese refugees in states neighbouring Burma.

      Electronic Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether mechanisms are in place to monitor the extent to which his Department's (a) internal and (b) external (i)...

      Ethiopia: Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on Ethiopia's involvement in human rights abuses in Somalia.

      EU Budget

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's response was to the European Commission's proposal to extend to 15 June 2008 the deadline for member...

      Iran: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) arrest and charging of six members of the leadership of the Iranian Baha'i community...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take at the United Nations with regard to the rocket attack on Ashkelon by the...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take at the United Nations with regard to the rocket attack on Yesha by the...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in his Department have had with (i) Arab states and (ii) the...

      Slovakia: Arms Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met with the Slovakian Foreign Minister to discuss arms sales to non-EU countries.

      Sudan: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to secure targeted sanctions against the Government of Sudan in relation to improving respect for human...

      Sudan: War Crimes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he proposes to take (a) at the UN Security Council and ( b) in other fora in response to Sudan's non-compliance with...

      Sudan: War Crimes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to encourage enforcement of the International Criminal Court arrest warrants relating to Darfur; and if...

      Sudan: War Crimes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that consideration of Sudan's failure to co-operate with the International Criminal Court is...

      Sudan: War Crimes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Sudan on meeting the requirements of the International Criminal Court...

      Zimbabwe: Economic Situation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the economy of Zimbabwe.

  • International Development

    • Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the costs of the Park for Women in Lashkar Gah have been; and what assessment he has made of its performance against its objectives.

  • Northern Ireland

    • Crimes of Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received on trends in the level of violence in Northern Ireland.

    • Prisoners: Foreigners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many foreign national prisoners were transferred from Northern Ireland to serve their sentence in their home country in the last year for...

      Shoplifting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted of shoplifting offences in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) sex and (b) age;...

  • Duchy of Lancaster

    • Civil Servants: Pay

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the range of pay offers for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 is for equivalent grades across Government Departments; and what assessment he has...

    • Departmental Catering

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Cabinet Office staff canteen at 22 Whitehall has been registered with Westminster City Council as a food business premises.

      Government Departments: Data Protection

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Cabinet Secretary's review of data security will specify which Departments have notified the Information Commissioner of data breaches...

      Morning Star

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many copies of the Morning Star (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) 10 Downing Street purchase each day.

      Planning Permission

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what planning applications the Cabinet Office has made to Westminster City Council in relation to properties in Whitehall since 1997; and what the...

  • Treasury

    • Pre-School Education: Finance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending the early years education entitlement to (a) two-year-olds in households below 60 per cent....

  • Justice

    • Bail Accommodation and Support Service: Weston-Super-Mare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of the people housed so far in the ClearSprings bail hostel recently established in Weston-Super-Mare are convicted offenders.

    • Coroners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the criteria are for determining coroners' courts (a) location, (b) relocation and (c) closure of coroners' courts; what (i) primary and (ii)...

      Coroners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many coroners' courts his Department plans to relocate in the next 12 months; what the reason is in each case; and if he will make a statement;...

      Departmental Official Hospitality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2008, Official Report, column 63W, on departmental official hospitality, how many people attended each reception he hosted.

      Departmental Public Participation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consultants have been contracted by his Department to conduct public participation activities in the last three years; and how much expenditure his...

      Departmental Vetting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether (a) UK citizens born in the UK, (b) UK citizens born abroad and (c) foreign nationals recruited into his Department and its agencies are...

      Prisoners Release: Overdoses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2008, Official Report, columns 68-9W, on prisoners release: overdoses, what initiatives are in place to reduce the risk...

      Young Offender Institutions: Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 8 May 2008, Official Report, column 1151W, on young offender institutions: mental health services, which young offender...

  • Transport

    • Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential contribution that extending rail services can make to tackling climate change; and if she will make a...

    • Rail Passenger Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to improve the personal security of railway passengers.

      Concessionary Fares

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will consider the merits of providing carers and companions of disabled people with the same concessionary fares as those that they are caring...

      Concessionary Fares

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has considered the merits of a national concessionary bus far scheme for young people.

      Cyclists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to improve the safety of cyclists on roads.

      Driving Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with the Department for Children, Schools and Families on young people learning about driving in schools.

      St. Pancras

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of the opening of the high speed rail service from St. Pancras on the proportion of passengers choosing to...

      Community Transport Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to help community transport groups extend the range of services they offer.

      West Coast Main Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with Network Rail on the quality of service on the west coast main line.

      Rail Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make an assessment of the merits of further spending on rail freight stock capacity; and if she will make a statement.

      Driving Tuition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 7 May 2008, Official Report, columns 34-36WS, on learning to drive, what estimate her Department has...

      Cycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support her Department provides for employers who wish to encourage their workforce to cycle to work.

      Bus Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects proposals for new quality contracts for bus services to be implemented.

      Rail Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to encourage rail companies to improve the performance of connecting services.

      Airport Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of levels of airport security; and if she will make a statement.

      Aviation: Hampshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will publish the noise maps for each airfield in Hampshire; and when each (a) was last and (b) will next be updated.

      Departmental Computers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has issued guidance to staff in her Department to switch off personal computers when not in use; and if she will make a statement.

      Departmental Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to respond to the letter from Lesley Welch, Newport Pagnell Town Clerk, dated 15 May 2008.

      Departmental Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is her Department's policy to release the home addresses of (a) senior and (b) middle-ranking officials, if requested under the Freedom of...

      Departmental Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (a) all staff and (b) staff at senior civil service level in (i) her Department and (ii) its...

      Shipping: Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of introducing Mode S transponders across the UK aircraft fleet, with particular reference to any effect on...

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much was contributed to the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund in each year since 2002; (2) how much was spent on...

    • Aggregates: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions from the aggregates industry in each year since 1997.

      Agriculture: Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the common agricultural policy prior to the 13 May 2008;...

      Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2008, Official Report, columns 1121-2W, on animal welfare, what progress has been made on...

      Asbestos: Alnwick

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken to locate missing records of asbestos treatment carried out in the 1990s at his Department's...

      Bees: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated by his Department to bee health research in each year since 1997.

      Biofuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect on air quality of increasing use of biofuels.

      Cattle: Ear Tagging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what monitoring he is undertaking of compliance with the double-ear tag requirement in relation to cattle; what...

      Coastal Areas: Archaeology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will seek the inclusion of provisions in the forthcoming Marine Bill to protect coastal artefacts of historic importance.

      Dairy Farming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average age of dairy farmers was in the UK at the most recent date for which figures are available.

      Departmental Official Hospitality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many receptions he has hosted and funded in his capacity as Secretary of State in the last 12 months; which individuals...

      Farms: Local Authorities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to maintain the number of tenanted or managed farms owned by local authorities.

      Fisheries: Quotas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for UK fishermen of the Scottish Executive's moratorium on transfer of...

      Fisheries: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions he has had with his Scottish counterpart on the decision taken by the Scottish Executive to introduce...

      Flood Control: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the (a) pre-construction budget and (b) outturn cost of each major flood defence project was since 1997; and if...

      Floods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many households are deemed to be at high risk of flooding in England and Wales; and of these (a) to how many...

      Floods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps he is taking to increase the number of people in England and Wales at high risk of flooding to whom...

      Food Supply

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's strategy is for ensuring security of food supply within the UK.

      Smoking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many smoking shelters were built at each of his Department's London buildings in each of the last five years.

      Supermarkets: Environment Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to engage leading supermarkets in programmes to foster the environmental enhancement of local...

      Waste Management: Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which companies are contracted by local authorities for municipal waste management services, broken down by local authority.

      Whales: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on whaling since January 2008; and if he will make a statement.

      Whales: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives from (a) the Japanese Government, (b) the Norwegian Government and (c)...

      Whales: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives from Romania on their recent membership of the International Whaling...

      Whales: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he expects there to be an attempt to overturn the international moratorium on commercial whaling at the forthcoming...

      Whales: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will be able to name the countries that are (a) members of the International Whaling Commission and (b) not members...

      Whales: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to attend the 60th meeting of the International Whaling Commission; and if he will make a statement.

      Whales: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether he expects new members to join the International Whaling Commission in time to be able to vote at the...

      White Fish: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimate he has made of bass stocks in (a) the Tamar, (b) the Solent, (c) the Thames and (d) nationwide in...

      White Fish: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when he plans to introduce measures to conserve bass stocks for anglers; and if he will make a statement; (2) what his...

      White Fish: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the total bass biomass in UK waters in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

      White Fish: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what bass sampling his Department undertakes; and if he will make a statement.

  • Home Department

    • Airports: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2008, Official Report, column 738W, on airports: security, what records are kept of passengers arrested...

    • Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cautions were issued for public drinking offences in Suffolk in each of the last five years.

      Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effect on crime levels of binge drinking.

      Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records she holds on levels of binge drinking by (a) men and (b) women over the last 10 years, broken down by age groups.

      Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) cautioned, (b) prosecuted and (c) given a penalty notice for disorder for selling alcohol to people under the age...

      Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many retailers were prosecuted in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England and Wales for the...

      Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals in (a) Peterborough constituency and (b) Cambridgeshire were (i) cautioned and (ii) fined for selling alcohol to...

      Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many shop keepers in North Kent have received fixed penalty notices for selling alcohol to under 18-year-olds in each of the last five years.

      Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers were removed in each month since 1 January 2005; what the monthly predicted number of unfounded asylum...

      Automatic Number Plate Recognition: Ports

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008, Official Report, column 275W, on ports: automatic number plate recognition, whether there are any...

      Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded per 1,000 population in (a) England and Wales and (b) each police force area in each year since 1997,...

      Departmental Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department met the Civil Service diversity targets set out on page 51 of Cabinet Office Annual Report 2007 by April 2008.

      Departmental Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by her Department and its agencies; and how much revenue her Department and its agencies...

      Departmental Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies; what services can be accessed by calling...

      Firearms

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) firearms, (b) imitation firearms and (c) knives were voluntarily surrendered to the police in each police force area in each...

      Foreign Workers: Graduates

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many participants of each nationality in the international graduate scheme have been permitted to switch to (a) work permit employment,...

      Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place at St. Pancras station to intercept human traffickers and their victims; and how many traffickers and victims...

      Human Trafficking: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2008, Official Report, column 72W, on human trafficking: children, if she will place in the Library a...

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will make it her policy to use gross domestic product per capita as the principal measurement when considering the economic...

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy immigration cases (a) were solved, (b) were closed for administrative or other reasons, (c) were no longer being actively...

      Licensed Premises: Kent

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many (a) off licences and (b) other establishments with a licence to sell alcohol in Kent have been prosecuted for selling...

      Offensive Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of knife crime were reported in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each...

      Offensive Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted of knife crime offences in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the North East in each year...

      Offensive Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) killed and (b) injured in incidents of knife crime in (i) Jarrow constituency and (ii) South Tyneside in each year...

      Racially Aggravated Offences

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were the victim of crimes recorded as racially motivated in England in each of the last three years, broken down by region.

      Rape

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the proportion of victims of rape who know their attacker.

      Security Guards: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what options she has considered to reduce the waiting time for a Security Industry Authority licence renewal; and what steps she has taken to...

      Security Industry Authority

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often she receives reports from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in relation to its (a) activity and (b) performance; how many...

      Security Industry Authority: Grayling Political Strategy

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payments the Security Industry Authority made to Grayling Political Strategy in each of the last five years; on what dates; and for what...

      Work Permits: Health Professions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which 20 non-EU nationalities received the most work permits for (a) doctors and (b) nurses in 2007.

  • Health

    • Arthritis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished episodes of care there were for patients resident in Southend with a (a) primary and (b) secondary diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis,...

    • Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct an investigation into the potential effects of ultrasonic dispersal devices on people with autism.

      Cancer: East of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) head and neck cancer referrals there were to and (b) head and neck cancer procedures were carried out at (i) the Norfolk and Norwich...

      Cancer: Urinary System

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Christopher Fraser) of 7 May 2008, Official Report, columns 1001-2W, on cancer: urinary...

      Childbirth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many babies were born before reaching 24 weeks gestation in each year since 2000; and how many of those survived beyond six months; (2) how...

      Dehydration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged (a) three to nine, (b) 10 to 19, (c) 20 to 29, (d) 30 to 39, (e) 40 to 49, (f) 50 to 59 and (e) 60 years and over, were...

      Dental Services: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of (a) the annual cost to the Exchequer of abolishing all charges for dental checks and (b) the number of people who paid a...

      Dental Services: Hemsworth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many new NHS dental practices have opened in each ward of Hemsworth constituency in each of the last five years; (2) how many NHS dentists in...

      Dental Services: Hemsworth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to make available more NHS dental places in Hemsworth constituency.

      Dental Services: Hemsworth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average distance travelled to a dental practice is for those registered with an NHS dentist in Hemsworth constituency.

      Dental Services: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent qualified dentists were working in the NHS in each (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust at the latest...

      Dental Services: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients were waiting to be registered with an NHS dentist in each primary care trust area at the latest date for which figures are...

      Departmental Cost-effectiveness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department achieved in efficiency savings in (a) public funding and regulation, (b) productive time (including quality), (c) procurement,...

      Departmental Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the individuals pictured on his Department's website are employed by (a) his Department and (b) the NHS.

      Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) UK citizens born in the UK, (b) UK citizens born abroad and (c) foreign nationals were employed as staff by his Department and its...

      Departmental Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (a) all staff and (b) staff at senior civil service level in (i) his Department and (ii) its...

      Doctors: Working Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors have schedules of work which comply with the requirements of the European Working Time Directive as interpreted by judgements of the...

      Doctors: Working Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the results of the independent research commissioned by his Department on the effect of the operation of the European...

      Doctors: Working Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health which junior doctor posts were discontinued in each of the last 18 months, broken down by trust.

      Doctors: Working Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the Answer of 9th May 2008, Official Report, column 1258W, on doctors: working hours, what plans he has to propose an extension to the...

      Epilepsy: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for funding research (a) into premature deaths from epilepsy and (b) on NHS epilepsy treatment; and if he will make a statement.

      Eyesight: Testing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of (a) the annual cost to the Exchequer of abolishing all charges for eye checks and (b) the number of people who paid a...

      Food: Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department will conduct its (a) interim and (b) final review of the nature and balance of food promotions to children across all media.

      Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) males and (b) females (i) successfully and (ii) unsuccessfully claimed compensation in relation to an infection contracted in an NHS...

      Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the minutes of the meetings of the Rapid Review Panel.

      Junior Doctors: Accommodation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether free accommodation is provided for foundation year one doctors who are on-call at night; whether it will be provided from August 2008; and if he...

      Macular Degeneration: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients have had to wait longer than one week for treatment to begin after first diagnosis of macular degeneration in the last 12 months for...

      NHS: Anniversaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is being spent by his Department on celebrating the 60(th) anniversary of the NHS.

      NHS: Anniversaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to encourage organisations which are part of the NHS to celebrate the 60(th) anniversary of the NHS.

      NHS: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 131 of his Department's 2007 Annual Report, whether his Department placed any requirements on (a) primary care trusts, (b)...

      NHS: Negligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clinical negligence payments were made by his Department in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) primary care trust, (b) the nature of the...

      NHS: Negligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) claims and (b) settlements for clinical negligence were made in each year from 2001-02 to 2007-08 for cases arising from each hospital in...

      NHS: Negligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid out by the National Health Service Litigation Authority in compensation in each of the last 10 years.

      NHS: Negligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds have been set aside during the next 12 months by the National Health Service Litigation Authority in relation to (a) compensation payments to...

      NHS: Negligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what legislative provisions the National Health Service Litigation Authority is regulated; what changes have been made since enactment; what further...

      NHS: Nutrition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what priority is accorded to training in nutritional care within the Knowledge and Skills Framework of Agenda for Change.

      NHS: Personal Records

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what items of information are captured by the National Reporting and Learning System; (2) how many nutrition-related adverse incidents were...

      NHS: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask the Healthcare Commission to include in its annual health check the monitoring of performance of private patient transport services...

      Northwick Park Hospital: Maternal Mortality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Healthcare Commission's report into maternal deaths at Northwick Park hospital; and what...

      Nurses: Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school nurses are employed in each primary care trust region; and how much they cost in the last year for which figures are available.

      Patients

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have (a) received appointment notifications in error and (b) kept appointments which were not recorded in a hospital patient...

      Pregnancy Book

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Answer of 25 January 2007, Official Report, columns 2045-7W, on the Pregnancy Book, what criteria must be satisfied before the...

      Tattooing: Plastic Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that companies offering tattoos and/or tattoo removal are regulated and inspected by (a) the Healthcare...

      Tattooing: Plastic Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints his Department has received from patients who had been treated in tattoo and tattoo removal facilities in the UK in (a) the last 12...

      Tattooing: Plastic Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to ensure that clinics offering tattoos and/or tattoo removals meet high standards of clinical quality and consumer...

      Tobacco: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to discourage adults from purchasing tobacco on behalf of children as part of the Government's commitment to reduce smoking...

  • House of Lords

    • Armed Forces: Helicopters

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What rules apply to serving Royal Air Force officers flying Ministry of Defence helicopters for private purposes.

    • Armed Forces: Hercules Accident

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will take action to prevent the recurrence of the loss of communication by "the other Hercules" as described in the military aircraft accident summary...

      Armed Forces: HMS "Endurance" Deployment

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What tasks HMS "Endurance" will perform while deployed to west African waters; and for how long this deployment will be.

      Armed Forces: Vehicles

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many of the following types of armoured vehicle are (a) in service, (b) currently available, and (c) on order, and what is the expected out-of-service date for...

      Burma: Cyclone Nargis

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What information they have about the level of fatalities and casualties following the Burmese cyclone; and what humanitarian aid they are sending to survivors and...

      Buses

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What funds have been made available for the concessionary bus travel scheme; and whether representations on the level of funding have been made by (a) local...

      Buses

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What actions they propose regarding the quality of rural bus services.

      Children and Young People

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How they ensure that children and young people are involved in the planning of services provided for them by local authorities.

      Crime: Bereavement Damages

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will give effect to the recommendations of the Law Commission report Claims for Wrongful Death, published in 1999 (Law Com 263), so that bereavement...

      Crime: Racist Incidents

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 7 May (WA 67), whether the new hate-crime report will include all available information about the...

      Crime: Restorative Justice

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When the final report on restorative justice will be published; and what plans they have for it to be considered by Parliament.

      Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform: Name Change

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What was the cost of changing the name of the Department for Trade and Industry to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

      Egypt: Human Rights

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 10 March (WA 199), whether they have made representations to the Government of Egypt about the reasons why...

      Embryology

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 21 April (WA 246-47) regarding disclosure of the identity of clinics at which adverse incidents have...

      Freedom of Information

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the Northern Ireland Office received in 2007; from whom; about what; and how much, if anything, was charged.

      Government: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has any plans to visit the United States; if so, when; for what purpose; for how long; and at what cost.

      Government: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland next plans to visit Northern Ireland.

      Guinea

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What representations they have made to the new Government of the Republic of Guinea and what assessment they have made of the effects of the recent dismissal of...

      Internally Displaced People

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What efforts are being made to help internally displaced people to find permanent dwellings in (a) Afghanistan, (b) Iraq, (c) Uganda, and (d) the Democratic...

      Israel and Palestine: Projects

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What discussions they have had with the Government of Israel concerning the future safety and security of projects undertaken by the United Kingdom for the benefit...

      Licensing: Broadcast Entertainment

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, in view of the serious violence and disorder that broke out in Manchester when a big screen showing the ITV broadcast of the UEFA cup failed on 14 May, it...

      Motorsport

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the reply by Baroness Vadera in Grand Committee on 6 March (GC 179) on motorsport, when they will respond to the questions raised, particularly those...

      Northern Ireland Office: Staff Sickness

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 February (WA 44), what steps they have taken to reduce average annual sickness in the Northern Ireland Office to...

      Northern Ireland: Bill of Rights

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How the position of chairman of the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum was advertised; on what date; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a...

      Northern Ireland: Bill of Rights

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 13 May (WA 129) concerning the appointment of the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum, how many people, other...

      Northern Ireland: Bill of Rights

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 5 February (WA 171) concerning the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum and the appointment of its chairman, who...

      Northern Ireland: Murder Prosecutions

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 12 May (WA 114), how many of the murders of Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Regiment members have been...

      Police: Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many police and related jobs have been or are about to be moved from County Fermanagh.

      Police: Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What proposals there are to restructure the police service in County Down and reduce the number of police stations; whether any decisions have been taken and by...

      Police: Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they intend to reduce the number of district policing partnerships so as to be coterminous with the proposed number of councils recently announced by the...

      Police: Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the annual expenditure of each district policing partnership in Northern Ireland.

      Police: Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Over the last three years for which records are available, how many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers recruited under the 50:50 process have resigned;...

      Police: Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland officer seriously injured in a recent car bomb has been replaced for day-to-day work purposes.

      Police: Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the target Police Service of Northern Ireland response time to incidents in County Fermanagh; and what is the current actual response time.

      Prisoners: Family Man Relationship Skills

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether family man relationship skills courses and victim awareness courses are available at every prison or young offender institution where offenders are serving...

      Prisons: Chief Inspector's Report

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will advise prison governors to arrange for a copy of the annual report of the Chief Inspector of Prisons to be lent to any prisoner or young offender...

      Public Prosecution Service

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many legally qualified people were employed in each of the past three years by the Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service; and how much was paid in...

      Questions for Written Answer: Guidance to Civil Servants

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the most recent guidance that has been issued to civil servants by the Department for International Development on the drafting of Answers to Questions for...

      Railways: Diesel

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether rising oil prices will affect plans to build a diesel version of the InterCity high-speed train.

      Railways: Franchises

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 15 May (WA 152), on what legal basis a charge is levied when a railway franchise is taken over by...

      Railways: Overcrowding

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will take steps to deal with overcrowding on railway services between Cardiff and Portsmouth other than lending extra units during the summer.

      Schools: Visits

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Which persons and which institutions are able to visit schools without an invitation from head teachers.

      Transport: Concessionary Fares

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they are negotiating with the devolved Administrations about the operation of the concessionary fares scheme in cross-boundary areas; and, if so, with what...

      Vehicles: Speed Limits

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What proposals they have to require road vehicle manufacturers to limit the maximum speed of vehicles to 70 miles per hour.

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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