Written answers

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Parliament Square: Access

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what discussions the House authorities have had with the Metropolitan police on vehicular access to the...

  • Defence

    • Armed Forces: Cycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of cycle-to-work schemes to members of each armed service.

    • Atomic Weapons Establishment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the objectives are of the Threat Reduction Division at the Atomic Weapons Establishment; and how many staff are employed in this division.

      Defence Medical Services: Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent in employing private contractors in defence medical services in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in each of the last five months.

      Departmental Official Hospitality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Rail Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance his Department has issued to its staff on claims for travel in first class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Carer's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether provision for uprating the carer's allowance has been made in the 2009 Budget.

    • Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission: Complaints

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints he has received on the introduction of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's CS2 computer system.

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made in respect of those cases which were not transferred from the old to the new child support scheme.

      Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, of 5 March 2009, Official Report, columns 1794-5W,...

      Motability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to extend the Motability scheme to people experiencing negative effects from the administration of thalidomide.

      Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many medical examinations were referred to Atos Healthcare by his Department in each region in the last 12 months; (2) how many...

      Temporary Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of temporary workers living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the national median.

      Unemployment: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Plymouth under the age of 21 years were not in education, employment or training in each of the last three years.

      Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job vacancies in (a) Braintree constituency, (b) Essex and (c) England were notified to jobcentres in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii)...

      Workstep

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each category of disability have been assisted through the Workstep programme since it was introduced.

  • Leader of the House

    • House of Commons: Right of Access

      To ask the Leader of the House if she will bring forward proposals to reintroduce a Sessional Order to require the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis to ensure that hon. Members are not...

    • Private Members' Bills

      To ask the Leader of the House if she will bring forward proposals to provide more time for consideration of private Members' Bills.

  • Wales

    • Newspaper Office Closures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the effect of the closure of newspaper offices on levels of employment in...

    • Energy Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues and the Welsh Assembly Government on energy policy affecting Wales.

      Private Security Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the use of registered and unregistered workers in the private security industry working...

      Bilingual Juries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the use of bilingual juries in courts in Wales.

      Sheep Farming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the likely effect on the sheep farming industry in Wales of compulsory...

      Business: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on support for businesses in Wales in the economic downturn.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Archaeological Sites: Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make it his policy to devolve to local authorities the power to grant planning consents in respect of archaeologically...

    • Battles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department has had recent discussions with representatives of the Battlefields Trust on the protection of sites of historic...

      Conservation Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to merge the process of gaining conservation area consent with that for gaining planning permission.

      Cultural Heritage: Seas and Oceans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring the registers for listing, scheduling, registration and designation of marine sites together into one register.

      Digital Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Digital Britain Interim Report, how much his Department has budgeted for the planned National Media Literacy Plan.

      Listed Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make it his policy to grant owners of properties a right to appeal against a listing decision taken in respect of their property.

      Overseas Visitors: Statistics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reason the publication of statistics on foreign visitor numbers to the UK for the first quarter of 2009 was delayed.

      Public Libraries: Inspections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what inspections the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council undertakes of local authority libraries.

      Swimming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidelines his Department issues to county councils on the provision of swimming facilities.

      Tourism: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department of Transport on support for the domestic tourism industry through...

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Agriculture: Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many farmers transferred their entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme in each year since 2005; (2) what the...

    • Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what properties his (a) Department and (b) Department's (i) executive agencies and (ii) the non-departmental public bodies...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what efficiency savings his Department has made in each of the last three years; and what estimate he has made of the amount...

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many...

      Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of doorstep waste was collected by each local authority in the latest period for which figures are available,...

      Fishing Catches

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate the level of over-fishing undertaken by foreign trawlers in the Bristol channel.

      Hydroelectric Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the evidential basis is for his Department's policy proposal to require a mandatory screen installation programme for...

      Hydroelectric Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for abstractions and empowerment of hydro energy schemes have been (a) received and (b) approved by...

      Recycling: Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department gives local authorities on the provision of services to collect recyclates from schools.

      Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 334W, on waste disposal: fees and charges, whether his...

      Water Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud of 19 January 2009, Official Report, columns 1015-6W, on water...

      Welsh Language

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of establishing the Welsh-language function for each (a) customer...

      Wildlife: Electromagnetic Fields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has (a) commissioned, (b) evaluated and (c) undertaken on the effects on (i) the health of...

  • Transport

    • A303: Stonehenge

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on dualling the A303 in the area of Stonehenge; and if he will make a statement.

    • Driving Tests: Derby

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether motorcycle rider tests will be conducted at test centres in Derby following the implementation of the new test modules.

      Electric Vehicles: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has (a) commissioned, (b) undertaken and (c) evaluated on sound-emitting electronic vehicles and the safety of blind...

      Railway Stations: Waste Disposal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued by his Department to the railway station operators on the provision of refuse bins at...

      Railways: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much compensation was paid to each train operating company in each case of (a) variations made to franchises and (b) delays caused by problems...

      Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department are working on the restoration of double tracks to railway lines; and how much funding has been allocated for such...

      Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of adding a second track to the railway line between (a) Swindon and Kemble, (b) Yeovil and Exeter and (c)...

      Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what major improvements have been made to the UK rail network in the last 12 months.

      Railways: South East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what standards or requirements for catering provision on trains and at stations are included in the Southern Trains franchise; and if he will place in...

      Rolling Stock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the future role of the three principal rolling stock companies; and if he will make a statement.

      South West Trains

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requirements in relation to customer complaints are included in the South West Trains franchise; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the...

      Speed Limits: Castle Point

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the expenditure incurred in installing the average speed camera systems and signage on the A130 Canvey Way in Castle Point.

      Tintwistle Hollingworth and Mottram Bypass

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the decision of the Highways Agency to withdraw from the public inquiry on the proposed A57/A628 bypass scheme, if he will review the...

  • Health

    • Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals aged over 65 years resident in each local authority area in the North West were treated for alcohol-related health problems in each...

    • Antibiotics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to restrict the prescription of antibiotics.

      Blood Transfusions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department and its agencies are taking to reduce the potential epidemiological risks from imported blood components.

      Dental Services: South East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of levels of access to NHS dentistry in (a) Surrey Primary Care Trust and (b) the South East Coast Strategic Health...

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in each of the last five months.

      Departmental Press

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many articles appearing in health care publications and journals in the last six months have been funded in whole or part by (a) his Department and...

      Dimethyl Fumarate

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of compensation for those people whose health has been adversely affected by the use of dimethyl fumarate in the...

      Hospitals: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls have been made to the Healthcare Commission's helpline for NHS staff to raise concerns about the standards of care at their hospital in...

      Maternity Services: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue guidelines for the minimum standard of maternity care based on the UNICEF Ten steps to successful breastfeeding and the UNICEF Baby...

      Medical Treatments Abroad

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS of reimbursing other countries for expenditure on provision of treatment for UK nationals living abroad was in each of the last...

      Obesity: Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many gastric bands have been fitted by surgery in England in the last 12 months; what estimate he has made of the cost of such operations; what...

      Orphan Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's definition of (a) orphan and (b) ultra-orphan drugs is.

      Pregnancy: Health Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to inform parents about the (a) benefits and (b) practice of breastfeeding; (2) what guidance his Department...

      Pregnancy: Health Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on variations in complementary feeding in infancy, including within (i) different ethnic...

      Pregnancy: Health Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to promote the Healthy Start scheme among eligible women; and what evaluation he has made of the effect of the scheme...

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health for which long-term conditions entitle patients to free NHS prescriptions; and how many patients received free prescriptions for each condition in each of...

      Social Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social workers qualified in each year from 2000 to 2008; and how many vacancies for newly-qualified social workers there were in each of those years.

      South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria Monitor applied in 2006 when judging the capacity of South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Trust to provide high quality health care.

      Teenage Pregnancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many teenage pregnancies there were in England in each year since 1997; and how many there were in each parliamentary constituency in the most recent...

  • International Development

    • Departmental Data Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's IT security hierarchy.

    • Forests: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to (a) reduce rates of deforestation in developing countries and (b) provide assistance for people in areas of...

      G20: Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department provided to the G20 Voice programme; and for what purposes such funding was used.

      International Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department monitors the effects on (a) levels of employment, (b) life expectancy, (c) the incidence of human rights...

      Malawi: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Malawi health worker support system funded by his Department on the take-home...

      Malawi: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the progress against objectives of the health worker support system in Malawi funded with...

      Malawi: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has made an assessment of changes in the (a) accommodation, (b) training and (c) other support costs for...

      Malawi: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of his Department's funding for the health worker support system in Malawi on...

      Malawi: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many trained full-time equivalent (a) doctors and (b) nurses were employed in public health system in Malawi (i) in the 12 months...

      Overseas Aid: Fossil Fuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on overseas projects for the extraction and transport of fossil fuels through the (a) World Bank...

  • Justice

    • Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in how many and what proportion of the criminal cases referred to appeal judges by the Criminal Cases Review Commission the original conviction was...

    • Debt Collection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures in lieu of enforcement restriction orders there are to provide relief for people in debt.

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in each of the last five months.

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's budget for travel, subsistence and hospitality was in each of the last three years.

      Departmental Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many breaches of security at his Department were recorded in the last 12 months.

      Enforcement Restriction Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to introduce enforcement restriction orders in 2009.

      Offensive Weapons: Sentencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the Knife Crime Sentencing Quarterly Brief for October to December 2008, what proportion of the figures in Table Four on length of...

      Offensive Weapons: Sentencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people have received a custodial sentence on conviction for selling a knife to a person under the legal age for buying a knife in each of...

      Prison Accommodation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in England and Wales shared a cell in each year since 1990.

      Prison Escapes: Reoffenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2009, Official Report, column 180W, on open prisons: prison escapes, how many abscondees from open prisons were...

      Prisoners: Childbirth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2009, (1) how many women who gave birth in prison were aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 years in each year since...

      Prisons: Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost of building a new prison in England and Wales was in the latest period for which information is available.

      Privacy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent companies from video-mapping cities.

      Sentencing: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many criminal offences committed in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester in each of the last five years resulted in (i) a prison sentence and...

      Theft: Reoffenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many offences of (a) shoplifting, (b) robbery of business property and (c) theft by an employee have been committed by offenders released...

  • Women and Equality

    • Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many officials for which she is responsible are suspended; how many are suspended on full pay; for how long each has been suspended; and what the...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Departmental Air Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials from his Department of each (a) grade and (b) directorate have flown by British Airways on official...

    • Departmental Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department last reviewed its assets and land and property holdings with a view to identifying and disposing of surpluses.

      G20: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse of the London Summit 2009 was.

      Kenya

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) December 2008 Memorandum of Understanding with Kenya and (b) the EU-Kenya...

      Somalia: Radioactive Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on allegations of dumping of nuclear waste in Somalian territorial waters; and if he will make a...

      Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the operational capacity of the joint UN-AU force for Darfur of its lack of...

      Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of the joint UN-AU force for Darfur key deployment milestones discussed at the Tripartite Committee meeting on 31 March...

      Torture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what procedures his Department follows when notified of allegations that a British national has been tortured overseas;...

      United Arab Emirates: Foreign Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of relations with the United Arab Emirates; and if he will make a statement.

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer question 246292, tabled on 17 December 2008, on Florence Chitauro.

  • Duchy of Lancaster

    • Death: Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many death certificates mentioning the terms (a) hepatitis A, (b) hepatitis B and (c) hepatitis C were issued in each of the last five...

    • Employment

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the employment rate was for (a) 19 to 24 year-olds and (b) those aged between 25 years and retirement age in each quarter since 1 January 2004.

      Local Government: Manpower

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were employed in local government in each of the last four quarters.

      Small Businesses: Staffordshire

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many small businesses there are in (a) Tamworth constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

      Statistics: Council Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the role of the UK Statistics Authority is in overseeing the publication of the Department of Communities and Local Government's annual...

      Unemployment: Hertfordshire

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many people under the age of 19 years in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire were unemployed in each of the last five years; (2)...

      United Kingdom Statistics Authority: Publications

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the UK Statistics Authority's policy is on publishing statistics scheduled for publication during periods when Parliament has been dissolved.

  • Innovation, Universities and Skills

    • Copyright: Music

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of businesses of each type which have been fined under the Copyright Designs and...

    • Higher Education: Coventry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what funding his Department is providing to (a) Warwick and (b) Coventry university in 2009-10.

      Measurement: Domestic Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment the National Weights and Measures Laboratory made of the accuracy and reliability of refuse bin weighing...

  • Treasury

    • Banks: Finance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2009, Official Report, column 90W, on banks: finance, by what date he expects the principles set out in the answer to...

    • Child Trust Fund: Foreigners

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children of migrant workers hold a Child Trust Fund account; and what proportion of those children are normally resident in the UK.

      Council Tax: Valuation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009, Official Report, column 1184W, on inheritance tax: housing, when the council tax banding support tool went...

      Credit Default Swaps Market

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to ensure transparency and increase investor confidence in the credit default swaps market.

      Departmental Art Works

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 919W, on departmental art works, which Minister in his Department selected each item.

      Departmental Official Hospitality

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what budget his Department allocated to hospitality offered by the Financial Services Secretary in 2008-09.

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what awaydays have been attended by staff in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) HM Revenue and Customs in the last six months; and what the (i)...

      Departmental Working Hours

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working (a) in lunch breaks, (b) in evenings and (c)...

      Fiscal Policy: Cayman Islands

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he was most recently briefed by officials on the responsibilities of (a) the Governor of the Cayman Islands and (b) the Foreign and...

      Fossil Fuels: Government Assistance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial contribution the UK has made to fossil fuel projects via the (a) World Bank Group, (b) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,...

      Stamp Duty Land Tax: Crosby

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people resident in Crosby constituency have benefited from the stamp duty land tax holiday since it began.

      Taxation: Housing

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what receipts the Exchequer received from housing-related consumption in each year since 1997 at 2009 prices; (2) what receipts his Department...

      Taxation: Offshore Funds

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many holders of offshore bank accounts have declared unpaid tax under the Government's partial amnesty.

      Taxation: Overpayments

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what means non-taxpaying individuals who have had tax deducted at source from interest income can reclaim overpaid tax; and if he will make a statement.

      Welfare Tax Credits: Short-time Working

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that workers on short-time working are advised of their potential eligibility for tax credits.

  • Home Department

    • Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time to decide on applications for asylum received has been since 2006.

    • Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries are on the Fast Track Processes Suitability List for asylum applications.

      Asylum: Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the likely effect on the number of claims for asylum of permitting asylum seekers to work whilst their...

      Borders: Personal Records

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2009, Official Report, column 16, on e-borders, for how long data held under each category of...

      British National Party

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to restrict members of the British National Party from undertaking roles in (a) her Department and (b) the UK...

      British National Party

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many post holders in the UK Border Agency are known to be members of the British National Party.

      British National Party

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the UK Border Agency takes in circumstances when employees are found to be members of the British National Party; and what the...

      British Nationality

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many orders have been made under section 40(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 in each year since 2006.

      British Nationality

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department takes to prevent members of the British National Party (BNP) from holding posts in the UK Border Agency (UKBA); and...

      Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in her Department were (a) dismissed, (b) subject to disciplinary procedures without being dismissed, (c) moved to less...

      Departmental ICT

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the (a) energy consumed by, (b) energy cost of and (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT...

      Departmental Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much (a) her Department and (b) its agencies spent on (i) car hire and (ii) taxis in 2008-09.

      Electronic Tagging

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) young offenders aged 10 to 15 years, (b) young offenders aged 12 to 16 years, (c) released prisoners and (d) prisoners on...

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visas were issued in each of the top 10 source countries in each of the last five years.

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it took for a tier 5 creative and sporting visa to be processed; and if she will make a statement.

      House of Commons: Right of Search

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who authorised the covert recording of discussions between police officers and the hon. Member for Ashford at and around the time of his...

      Illegal Immigrants: Amnesties

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the merits of an amnesty for illegal immigrants.

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many orders have been made under section 2A of the Immigration Act 1971 in each year since 2006.

      Immigration Controls: Eurostar

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied child passengers intending to travel on Eurostar services to the UK have been denied boarding at the terminals in (a)...

      Immigration Controls: Overseas Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2009, Official Report, columns 636-7, on immigration controls: educational institutions, what criteria...

      Immigration: Biometrics

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has allocated in respect of the (a) capital and (b) running costs of the Iris Recognition Immigration System.

      Immigration: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009, Official Report, column 1638W, on immigration: manpower, how much her Department spent on (a)...

      Personal Records: Borders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanism is in place to ensure that the e-Borders system recognises whether individuals who hold dual nationality have overstayed their...

      Personal Records: Borders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 305W, on police: Greater Manchester, what estimate has been made of the...

      Police: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for what reasons the internal Merseyside Police review of the treatment of Paula Gilfoyle's death scene, compiled by Detective...

      Prisoners: Foreigners

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2009, Official Report, columns 170-1W, on detainees: offenders, how many of those held on the...

      Theft: Heavy Goods Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many heavy goods vehicles carrying (a) gas, (b) oil and (c) petroleum were reported stolen in each of the last five years.

  • Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

    • Balance of Trade

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the UK trade deficit in each category, not including invisible earnings, was in each year since 1997.

    • Business: Wales

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many health checks on businesses in Wales have been carried out under his Department's Flexible Support...

      Competition: Newspapers

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will use his powers under the memorandum of understanding with the Office of Fair Trading to request...

      Council of Business Advisers

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many times the Business Council for Britain has met; when it last met; who the members of the Council...

      Departmental Assets

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when his Department last reviewed its assets and land and property holdings with a view to identifying and...

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three...

      Evening Standard

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what communications (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department received from (i) Finsbury and (ii)...

      Free Trade: Burma

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made in securing an EU-ASEAN free-trade agreement; and whether Burma will be party...

      Insolvency

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many corporate insolvencies there were in each (a) local authority area, (b) region and (c)...

      Overseas Trade: Israel

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assistance his Department provides to Israeli businesses wishing to (a) invest in the UK and (b)...

      Overseas Trade: Israel

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) his officials last met the Chairman of the Israel...

      Overseas Trade: Israel

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what support (a) his Department and (b) UK Trade and Investment are providing (i) to support UK business...

      Minimum Wage

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of workers receiving a wage below the national...

      Trade Promotion: Expenditure

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost to his Department was of the UK Trade and Investment "Take it to the World" programme on the...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Community Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the final data are for the educational Key Stage 3 target for the performance of schools in Neighbourhood Renewal Fund...

    • Community Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Community Leadership Fund in contributing to the development of...

      Community Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the work of citizens' juries in determining how targeted provision of...

      Community Relations: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department provided to Connecting Communities Plus in 2008-09; and what allocation has been made to Connecting...

      Departmental ICT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from her Department of its ICT...

      Eco-Towns

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations she has received on the implementation of soil sealing strategies for eco-town developments; and...

      Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2009, Official Report, columns 472-3W, on empty property, when the seminar to address...

      Energy Performance Certificates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions energy performance certificates have been issued more than five days after the completion of the (a)...

      Equal Opportunities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to promote race equality and community cohesion in response to the slippage against her Department's...

      Equity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many equity loan completions there were in each region in March 2009.

      Fire Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for a Centre of Excellence for the Fire and Rescue Service.

      Fire Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent progress her Department has made towards the objective of installing Firelink radios in all fire appliances.

      Fire Services: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department allocated to the Fire and Resilience programme for (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10.

      Fires: Death

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which fire and rescue authorities had a fatality rate from accidental fires in the home of more than 1.25 times the national...

      Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what level of housing delivery was achieved in the area to which RPG9 relates in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09; (2) what...

      Housing Revenue Accounts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 6 March 2009, Official Report, columns 71-2WS, on local authority rents,...

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what public funding has been provided for the construction of housing in the last 12 months.

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Department has for the (a) provision and (b) development of affordable housing in Eastbourne constituency.

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which housing associations have signed up to participate in the mortgage rescue scheme's (a) shared equity programme and (b)...

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new affordable homes have been built in (a) Tamworth constituency and (b) Staffordshire in each year since 1997.

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were newly housed in affordable homes in (a) 2004, (b) 2005, (c) 2006, (d) 2007 and (e) 2008.

      Housing: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent progress has been made towards the target of making all social housing decent; and if she will make a statement.

      Housing: Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the cost to developers of achieving code levels (a) 4, (b) 5 and (c) 6 in the Code...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009, Official Report, columns 976-7W, on local government finance, how many local...

      Mortgages

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the average rate of mortgage interest on domestic properties charged by lenders in each of the...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many repossessions have been prevented as a result of assistance provided by the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme.

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a mechanism exists for assessing whether a homeowner applying for assistance under the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what assumed average outstanding mortgage value was used to calculate her Department's impact assessment in respect of the...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the latest date is by which a homeowner seeking support under the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme must have (a) taken...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the maximum monetary value of (a) mortgages and (b) loans secured against mortgages is for a homeowner to be eligible for...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the maximum level of savings a homeowner may hold to be eligible for assistance under the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the maximum time period is for which a homeowner may receive assistance under the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme.

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanism is in place to ensure that lenders participating in the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme will apply the terms of...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) from what budgetary source the £20 million fund to enable local authorities to extend small loans to families at risk...

      National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) which local authorities have established a policy of not awarding contracts for local authority electrical installation...

      National Tenant Voice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the work of National Tenant Voice; and if she will make a statement.

      Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will introduce regulations to require local authority planning committees to have regard to World Heritage Sites when...

      Planning Permission: South East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local planning authorities in the South East of England achieved their best value targets for handling planning...

      Planning: Horticulture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration she has given to strengthening the role of horticulture in (a) local development frameworks and (b)...

      Property Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many historic battlefield sites have been wholly or partly built upon since 1990; and if she will make a statement.

      Repossession Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the number of households which entered the social housing sector as a result of...

      Shelter: Eco-Towns

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial assistance the Government has given Shelter to promote its eco-town proposal guides through online advertising on...

      Sleeping Rough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the average number of people sleeping rough each night in 2008.

      Supporting People Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will review the eligibility criteria to enable young people leaving care aged 16 or 17 years to receive services funded...

      Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Level (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3, (d) 4, (e) 5 and (f) 6 sustainable homes have been built in each quarter since the...

      Travelling People: Caravan Sites

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to (a) local authorities and (b) regional assemblies on their handling of responses to...

  • Children, Schools and Families

    • Children In Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been placed in care at Kendall House in Kent in the last 10 years; and by which authorities.

    • Children: Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the National Safeguarding Unit for the Third Sector.

      Children: Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2009, Official Report, columns 271-2W, on special educational needs, how much has been spent...

      Children: Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many serious case reviews were (a) conducted and (b) had their executive summaries published in each year since 2001.

      Children: Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in respect of how many serious case reviews the executive summary was published within a month of completion of the review; and if...

      Children: Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department plans to pay Sir Roger Singleton for his services as chief adviser on the safety of children in the...

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in March 2009.

      Education: Assessments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which subjects are available to be studied at (a) GCSE and (b) A level; and what proportion of students studying each such...

      Faith Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made towards achieving the target that at least 25 per cent. of pupils in faith schools should not be...

      General Certificate of Secondary Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 485W, on general certificate of secondary education, what...

      General Certificate of Secondary Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils without a statement of special educational needs achieved at least one A* to G grade at GCSE in each year since 1997.

      General Certificate of Secondary Education: Young Offender Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2009, Official Report, column 867W, on the General Certificate of Secondary Education: young...

      Languages: GCE A-Level

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of mainstream maintained schools did not enter any pupils for an A level in a modern foreign language...

      Pupil Exclusions: Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2009, Official Report, columns 754-55W, on special educational needs, how many of the...

      Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which (a) mainstream and (b) special schools (i) he and (ii) Ministers in his Department have visited in an official capacity in...

      Schools: ICT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on ICT (a) in total and (b) per pupil in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in England in each year since...

      Social Services: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities are not pursuing an open tender for their social work practice pilot.

      Teachers: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how much his Department has spent on golden hellos for graduates entering the teaching profession in shortage subjects in...

      Teaching Methods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take to encourage teachers to (a) increase their awareness of the value of classroom resources and (b)...

      Young People: Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students are participating in the young apprenticeship schemes at the ages of 14 to 16 in school years 10 and 11.

      Young People: Unemployment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people aged 16 and 17 years are not in education, employment and training.

      Young People: Unemployment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of the parents of 16 to 24 year olds who are not in employment, education or training are (a) separated and (b)...

  • House of Lords

    • Government: IT Contracts

      To ask Her Majesty's Government which information technology contracts with a value of £50 million or over have been entered into by the Department for Transport and its predecessors since...

    • Government: IT Contracts

      To ask Her Majesty's Government which information technology contracts with a value of £50 million or over have been entered into by HM Treasury since 1997; and which of those have been...

      Immigration

      To ask Her Majesty's Government (a) how many individuals wishing to enter the United Kingdom via the Eurostar service from Paris have been refused entry by United Kingdom immigration officials...

      Immigration

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have (a) applied for, and (b) been granted, indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom under immigration rule 276B(i)(a) and rule 276B(i)(b).

      Immigration

      To ask Her Majesty's Government in what ways the Gateway Programme and the Mandate Refugee Programme assist the re-settlement in the United Kingdom of refugees from Iraq, particularly those who...

      Internet: Social Networking Sites

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether further legislation will be required to allow the retention of communications data in relation to social networking sites.

      Police: Identification

      To ask Her Majesty's Government why police officers are required to show identification numbers when on duty; and under what legislation this requirement was introduced; and To ask Her Majesty's...

      Railways: Wheelchair Users

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that train operating companies increase the number of spaces available for wheelchair users.

      Turkey

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will send an observer to Diyarbakir, Turkey, for the trial of Mrs Leyla Zana (due to be resumed on 2 June 2009), or arrange for a rota of European...

      Window Blind Safety

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will accept in full the recommendations emanating from the fatal accident inquiry at Alloa Sheriff Court into the death of Muireann McLaughlin; and,...

      Worker Registration Scheme

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their intentions regarding the future of the Workers Registration Scheme for migrant workers from the European Union.

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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