Written answers

Thursday, 14 January 2010

  • Wales

    • Bilateral Meetings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what bilateral meetings he has had with each of his Cabinet colleagues in the last 12 months.

  • Leader of the House

    • Departmental Public Consultation

      To ask the Leader of the House how many citizen juries or summits have been hosted by her Office since October 2008; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

    • Departmental Public Consultation

      To ask the Leader of the House how many (a) citizens' juries and (b) summits have been hosted by her Office since June 2007; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present...

  • House of Commons Commission

    • 14 Tothill Street

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what (a) buildings and (b) rooms on the House of Commons part of the parliamentary estate are vacant; for...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Chief Information Officer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what pay band his Department's chief information officer (CIO) is employed; whether the CIO is employed on a fixed-term or permanent...

  • Scotland

    • Departmental Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what powers his Department has to impose administrative penalties; what the statutory basis is for each such power; and how much his Department has...

    • Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) who (a) drafted, (b) checked and (c) approved his Department's press release on the granting of round 3 offshore wind rights, distributed on 7...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in December 2009.

    • Departmental Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the quantity of food waste generated by his Department in each year for which figures are available.

      Departmental Offices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) area and (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his Department.

      Departmental Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has allocated for (a) year end and (b) in-year bonuses for staff in 2009-10.

      Departmental Public Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has paid to public relations companies in each of the last five years; and for what purpose in each case.

      Departmental Sick Leave

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many working days were lost due to illness of employees within his Department in each of the last three years; and how many of these...

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many sessions of media training were organised for Ministers in his Department in each of the last three years.

      Industrial Tribunals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many industrial tribunals relating to his Department there have been in each of the last five years; and what the cost to his...

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many citizens' juries or summits have been hosted by his Department since October 2008; on what date each such event took place; and...

      Television: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many persons over 75 years old received a free television licence in 2008-09.

  • Solicitor-General

    • Israel

      To ask the Solicitor-General what the position was of the Government as presented by the Attorney-General at meetings with representatives of the Government of Israel in January 2010 on the...

  • Transport

    • Freight by Water

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department has provided to Freight by Water in each year since 1993; and how much it plans to provide in 2010-11.

    • Inland Waterways: Freight

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps his Department is taking to encourage use of inland and coastal waterways for the transportation of goods and materials.

      M6: M42

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the average annual consequential carbon dioxide emissions arising from the hard shoulder running schemes on...

      Motorways: Accidents

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what (a) research and (b) trial work his Department has undertaken for the purposes of improving the provision of information to drivers...

      Offenders

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many employees of his Department and its agencies have been convicted of a criminal offence of each type in each year since 1997.

      Railway Stations: Parking

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will assess the effect on levels of the use of train services of the level of car parking charges at railway station car parks; and if...

      Railways: Scotland

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what progress his Department has made in assessing the potential for high-speed rail services to Scotland.

      Roads: Accidents

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research into the effectiveness of traffic policing in reducing numbers of casualties on the roads his Department has commissioned in...

      Roads: Preston

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the percentage change in the number of (a) deaths and (b) serious injury as a result of road accidents has been in Preston between...

      Roads: Salt

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he has approved proposals to amend limits on drivers' hours for the purposes of facilitating the distribution of salt and grit supplies.

      Roads: Snow and Ice

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he is taking to seek to ensure that disruption to road transportation caused by adverse weather conditions does not lead to fuel...

      Sittingbourne-Sheerness Railway Line

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) Network Rail and (b) South East Trains on the closure of the Sittingbourne to Sheerness line.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Birds: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to increase numbers of farmland birds.

    • Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered as a consequence of bovine tuberculosis precautions in (a) Cumbria and (b) England in each...

      Christmas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in...

      Climate Change: International Co-operation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department attended the Copenhagen climate change conference; and at what...

      Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) area and (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his...

      Departmental Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department has allocated for (a) year-end and (b) in-year bonuses in 2009-10.

      Poultry: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it remains his policy to introduce a ban on beak trimming of laying hens in 2011.

      Recycling: Calderdale

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much household waste Calderdale Council has recycled in the last five years; and whether the amount recycled in each of...

      River Lymington: Ferries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies Natural England has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated to secure bathymetric and other data to measure adverse...

      River Lymington: Ferries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what budget has been allocated to the process of evaluating submissions to the consultation on the proposal to deposit dredge...

      Sheep

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of records relating to sheep born in the UK that have been lost in each of the last...

      Wood: Government Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of wood-based products procured by the Government and its agencies in the...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Central Office of Information: Consultants

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Central Office of Information has spent on strategic consultancy in 2009-10; and which Departments received services or advice from such...

    • Central Office of Information: Finance

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Central Office of Information has spent on its cost-benchmarking project.

      Central Office of Information: Publications

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many copies of the Central Office of Information's book, How Public Sector Advertising Works, have been sold; and what income has been derived from...

      Departmental Internet

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which websites her Department's staff are blocked from accessing on departmental networked computers.

      Departmental Legislation

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what criminal offences have been (a) created and (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by her Department since 1 May 2008.

  • Health

    • Cervical Cancer: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vaccinations against cervical cancer were provided in 2009.

    • Cervical Cancer: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate has been made of the reduction in the average number of cases of cervical cancer which will be diagnosed each year as a result of the...

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in December 2009.

      Departmental Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) citizens' juries and (b) summits have been hosted by his Department since June 2007; on what date each event took place; and which...

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people were admitted to mental health units in each primary care trust area in each month of the last two years; (2) how many people were...

      Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance's report "Joint Working? An audit of the implementation of the Department of...

      NHS Litigation Authority

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organisations achieved level (a) 0, (b) 1, (c) 2 and (d) 3 in NHS Litigation Authority assessments in each of the last three years; and if he...

      NHS: Ict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2009, Official Report, column 757W, how much has been paid to each legal firm employed to draft the contracts for...

      Obesity: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of children in each multiple deprivation decile were classified as obese in 2009.

      Orthopaedics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) below-knee lower limb amputations and (b) above-knee limb amputations have taken place in each strategic health authority in the NHS in...

      Stafford Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received requesting a public inquiry into Stafford Hospital under the Inquiries Act 2005.

  • Home Department

    • Airguns: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures to control the sale of air rifles to children via the internet.

    • Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence there is that the policy before 2002 of allowing asylum seekers who had waited more than six months for a decision on their...

      Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for permission to work were (a) made by asylum seekers and (b) granted in each year since 2000.

      Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the potential savings that could be made by allowing asylum seekers who have waited more than six months for a...

      Borders: Personal Records

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the date on which the e-Borders programme will be fully operational.

      Capita

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by his Department in each of the last five years; how many such tenders...

      Christmas

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Christmas trees were purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees...

      Crime Prevention: Milton Keynes

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to ensure the continuation of collaborative crackdowns on the illegal use of drugs and pubs in the city...

      Criminal Records

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the number and proportion of white males who have a criminal record.

      Departmental Conferences

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which conferences held overseas have been attended by civil servants based in his Department in the last three years; and what the cost to...

      Departmental Domestic Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many planned visits by Ministers in his Department within the UK were cancelled within 72 hours of the visit taking place in the last 12...

      Departmental Electronic Equipment

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many plasma screen televisions his Department has purchased since 2001; and what the cost has been of purchasing and installing such...

      Departmental Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) energy rating and (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which...

      Departmental Legislation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criminal offences have been (a) created and (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

      Departmental Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on unpublished research in (a) 2009 and (b) each of the last four years.

      Departmental Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he last travelled by (a) bus and (b) taxi in the course of his official duties.

      Deportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charter flights removing persons with no right to stay in the UK there have been in 2009; what the destination was of each such...

      EC Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2009, Official Report, columns 734-5W, on EU law, to which (a) 43 EU measures on asylum and migration...

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what remedies his Department provides for those wishing to contest the decision to place them on the list of individuals excluded from the...

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken to process an application was for a (a) Tier 1 (investor), (b) Tier 1 (entrepreneur) and (c) EU Association...

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009, Official Report, columns 888-9W, on entry clearances, how many (a) postal and (b) premium...

      Entry Clearances: Graduates

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students who completed their qualifications at (a) a further education college and (b) a higher education institution have been...

      Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bogus colleges have been closed in (a) England, (b) Bedfordshire and (c) Luton in the last six months.

      Exclusion Orders: International Cooperation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK's list of persons who are to be denied travel to and admission into the UK is automatically shared with the border agency...

      Foreign Workers: Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many temporary visas have been issued to foreign nationals employed by IBM (India) to fulfil contracts between IBM and Avon and Somerset...

      Fraud: Credit Cards

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce credit card fraud.

      Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals referred to the human trafficking national referral mechanism are (a) being accommodated by a specialist accommodation...

      Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many referrals of potential victims of human trafficking have been made to the national referral mechanism by each first responder agency.

      Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many referrals of potential victims of trafficking to the National Referral Mechanism made since 1 April 2009 have received a (a)...

      Immigration Controls

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex of 2 December 2009, Official Report, column 752W, on immigration controls,...

      Islam4UK

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department plans to take steps against the founders of Islam4UK under racial hatred legislation.

      Islam4UK: Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to prevent the promotion through Islam4UK websites of the teachings of individuals who have been required...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 16 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms N. Anjum.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 12 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M. Ishfaq.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 25 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr E. Diala.

      Missing Persons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of (a) UK national and (b) non-UK national missing persons of each age have been recorded by the Missing Persons Bureau in...

      Sexual Offences: Taxis

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made an estimate of the number of incidents of (a) rape and (b) sexual assault attributed to drivers of (i) black cabs, (ii)...

      Terrorism: Stop and Search

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) arrested and (b) convicted since the enactment of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 for offences relating to the...

      Whistleblowers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of days likely to be taken to (a) deliver general election ballot papers to and (b) return to the relevant...

    • Air Force

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 15 December 2009, Official Report, columns 801-02, on future defence programmes, what assessment has been made of the...

      Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what percentage of his Department's housing stock is void or uninhabited; (2) how many void (a) single living and (b) service family...

      Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on (a) building and (b) upkeep of armed forces' housing in each service in each year since 1996.

      Armoured Fighting Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the NIITEK Husky Mine Detection System.

      Armoured Fighting Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the armed forces have a requirement for a vehicle-mounted mine detection system.

      Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) area and (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his Department.

      Departmental Domestic Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many planned visits by Ministers in his Department within the UK were cancelled within 72 hours of the visit taking place in the last 12 months; and...

      Departmental Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many properties owned by his Department had been unused for between one and five years in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK on the latest...

      Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are being detained by UK authorities (a) under suspicion of and (b) charged with terrorist offences in military operational theatres.

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Low-carbon Technologies

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Department for Energy and Climate Change on policy to...

    • Further Education

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Government plan to take to encourage mature students and part-time students to undertake courses; and...

      Sony Ericsson: Coventry

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Sony Ericsson on its decision to close a research and development facility in...

      National Minimum Wage

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy that the standard national minimum wage rate applies to all people of working age.

      Grocery Ombudsman

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when his Department plans to announce its decision on the Competition Commission's recommendation on a grocery supply...

      Horizon

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received form sub-postmasters on the effects on them of use by the Post Office of...

      South Devon: Regeneration

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on Government policy for economic regeneration in South...

      Muireann McLaughlin

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to respond to the recommendations made by Sheriff Mackie of Alloa Sheriff Court in his judgment on the...

      Departmental Legislation

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criminal offences have been (a) created and (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department...

      Mergers

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many mergers of companies have taken place in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) England in each of the last three years.

      Renewable Energy: Employment

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have been employed in the renewable energy sector in each year since 2003; and what recent assessment...

      Vocational Training

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent from the public purse on (a) the Skills Pledge and (b) the "Our future. It's in our hands"...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Cold Weather Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which weather stations are used in (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland to determine cold weather payments.

    • Cold Weather Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) whether she has had recent discussions with the Met Office on the inclusion of the wind chill factor in the methodology for calculating...

      Compensation: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the effect of an award of accident compensation on entitlement to (a) state benefits and (b) state pension;...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her Department's expenditure as a proportion of the UK's gross domestic product was in each year since 1997.

      Departmental Work Experience

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many graduate internships her Department has provided in the last 12 months; how many such internships were subsequently withdrawn; for...

      Disability Living Allowance: Leeds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (1) the Leeds city area were claiming disability living allowance in each of the last five years; (2) Leeds West...

      Driving

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive (a) a vehicle for which (i) her Department and (ii) one of its executive agencies...

      Employment Services: Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Jobcentre Plus makes adequate provision to meet the requirements of people with autism who...

      Ice and Snow

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will hold a consultation on the merits of using unemployed people to clear snow from outside the homes of disabled people; and if she...

      Pathways to Work

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of (a) primary contracted and (b) sub-contracted employment support providers have withdrawn providing...

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2009, Official Report, column 786W, on social security benefits, how many of the households cited in the...

      Social Security Benefits: Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Minister in her Department is responsible for policy on (a) services provided by Jobcentre Plus for and (b) the eligibility for...

      Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the terms "equivalent level of support" and "no cash losers" used by her Department are regarded as synonymous for the purposes the...

      Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment she has made of the effect of the Government's policy of no cash losers on the reforms proposed in the Social Care Green...

      Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the relationship between the group of people who receive (i)...

      Unemployment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to reduce unemployment.

      Unemployment: Graduates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her Department's estimate is of the number of people who graduated from university in 2009 and who are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Climate Change: International Co-operation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the role played by (a) China and (b) the US at the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen in December...

    • Departmental Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what powers (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) have to impose administrative penalties;...

      Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many employees of his Department have been convicted of a criminal offence of each type in each year since 1997.

      Renewables Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the level of investment risk to companies participating in the construction of (a)...

      Wind Power: Noise

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2010, Official Report, column 636W, on wind power: noise, for what reasons he endorses the current...

  • International Development

    • Departmental Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advertising campaigns his Department has been responsible for in each of the last three years; which such campaigns (a) commenced...

    • Departmental Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on (a) print, (b) online, (c) television and (d) radio advertising in each of the last five...

      Iraq Committee of Inquiry

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) whether any (a) documents and (b) other items of information in electronic format sought from his Department by the Iraq...

  • Children, Schools and Families

    • Cafcass

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many forms Family Court advisers engaged by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service are required to...

    • Children: Databases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for how many months ContactPoint has operated without its children missing education function; and what steps have been take to...

      Free School Meals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authority areas in each region have been selected for comprehensive free school meals pilot schemes.

      Gifted Children: Leeds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in Leeds North West constituency have participated in gifted and talented programmes in each year since 2000.

      Health Education: Sex

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) mechanisms will be used and (b) timetable has been set for introducing new guidance on the teaching of sex and...

      National Safeguarding Delivery Unit: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) mechanisms and (b) performance measures are used to assess the effectiveness of the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit.

      Ofsted: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families who is responsible for appointing the Children's Rights Director.

      Personal Social and Health Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the criteria to be used by school governors to determine whether the teaching of personal, social, health...

      Personal Social and Health Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what inspection criteria would be applied to the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education under the provisions...

      Personal Social and Health Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he consulted governors of faith schools on the provisions proposed in the Children, Schools and Families Bill in relation...

      Personal Social and Health Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to issue guidance to the governors of faith schools on the teaching of the personal, social, health and economic...

      Schools: Snow and Ice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what advice he has given to (a) schools and (b) education authorities on teachers using electronic communications to undertake...

      Special Educational Needs: Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the total cost to his Department was of educating children with special education needs in residential special schools in...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Affordable Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) projects and (b) units he expects to be built in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area under the...

    • Affordable Housing: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of funding allocated to the National Affordable Housing Programme for (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c)...

      Affordable Housing: Tamworth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has allocated for affordable housing in Tamworth constituency in the next three years.

      Council Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) projects and (b) units he expects to be built in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area under the Local...

      Fire Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides to fire and rescue authorities on the conduct of their duties in relation to the...

      Home Information Packs: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) estate agents and (b) individuals have been (i) fined and (ii) prosecuted for selling a home without a home...

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of new build (a) socially rented properties and (b) affordable homes which were...

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses are expected to be built in (a) the Bournemouth area, (b) the Dorset area and (c) the South West in 2010.

      Housing: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) from which (a) funding stream and (b) annual budget the additional resources for new homes announced by the Minister of...

      Housing: Lincolnshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been allocated to North East Lincolnshire under the (a) Kickstart Round One, (b) Local Authority New...

      Housing: Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals for a code for sustainable buildings which includes an assessment of (a) whole-life...

      Housing: Women

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps the Government have taken to provide sufficient accommodation for women who have been subject to domestic abuse...

      Mass Media

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2009, Official Report, column 1295W, on mass media, which search terms have been...

      Newham Homes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what inspection the Audit Commission has undertaken of Newham Homes.

      Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the properties receiving empty property business tax relief in each of the last five years were empty for more than...

      Ordnance Survey: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Re-mapping the future for Ordnance Survey-making public data public consultation, how much funding the...

      Planning Permission: Totnes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will direct the local planning authority to conduct an environmental impact assessment in respect of planning application...

      Regional Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether successor bodies to regional assemblies will be designated as public authorities for the purposes of (a) equality and...

      Regional Planning and Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 20 October 2009, Official Report, column 1401W, on regional development agencies, which bodies...

  • Treasury

    • Cheques

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the proposal to discontinue bank cheques; and what steps he plans to take to protect the interests of (a) elderly...

    • Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) area and (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his Department.

      EC Budget

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on (a) the overall size of the EU's 2010 budget and (b) the UK's contribution to that budget.

      Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of alcohol duty fraud; (2) what steps (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs is...

      Financial Transactions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of financial transactions made in the UK were made by (a) debit card, (b) credit card, (c) online transactions other than...

      Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the net change in aggregate rateable values consequent on the new system of rating ports for the purpose of calculating...

      Patents

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of progress by his Department in the development of the patent box policy as set out in the 2009 pre-Budget report.

      Royal Fleet Auxiliary

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment his Department has made of its 2006 Flexible Global Reach, Future Manning Strategy in respect of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he...

      Royal Fleet Auxiliary

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations his Department expects to consult as part of its Operational Efficiency Review in respect of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

      Royal Fleet Auxiliary

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the Operational Efficiency Review in respect of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary to report; and if he will make a statement.

      VAT: Pharmacy

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2009, Official Report, column 857W, on taxation: health professionals, if he will bring forward legislation to apply...

  • Justice

    • Children's Act 1989

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many section 47 Children's Act 1989 referrals were made of 18 to 21-year-old prisoners to adult social services by (a) the Prison Service and (b)...

    • Corruption: Public Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Huntington of 26 October 2009, Official Report, column 86W, on corruption, when he now plans to...

      Corruption: Public Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he has provided to (a) Government (i) Departments and (ii) other bodies and (b) non-governmental organisations in his role as...

      Corruption: Public Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what meetings he has had in his role as anti-corruption champion.

      Crimes of Violence: Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people of each sex aged 65 and above have been convicted of each offence involving violence against the person in each police force area in each...

      Departmental Conferences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years;...

      Departmental Information Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) press officers and (b) communications staff were employed by his Department (i) in each year since it was established and (ii) on the...

      Departmental Public Participation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many citizen juries or summits have been hosted by his Department since October 2008; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were...

      Drugs: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) community sentences, (b) fines, (c) custodial sentences and (d) cautions were imposed for drug dealing offences relating to each type of...

      Email: Government Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the Prime Minister's policy is on the (a) retention and (b) deletion of emails in Government departments.

      Prison Accommodation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many juvenile prisoners aged (a) 15, (b) 16 and (c) 17 are in detention at locations more than 50 miles from their home address.

      Prison Accommodation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2010, Official Report, columns 546-47W, on prison accommodation, of the cells not included in the certified normal...

      Prison Sentences: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many females were given custodial sentences in each of the last three years.

      Prisoners: Epilepsy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will direct the National Offender Management Service to undertake a review of the care of prisoners and those held on remand with epilepsy for the...

      Prisons: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of prisoners receiving methadone treatment are serving sentences of (a) less than three months, (b) between three and six months, (c)...

      Prisons: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons have been convicted of (a) attempting to smuggle and (b) smuggling drugs into prison in each of the last five years.

      Prisons: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of staff at adult prisons are searched for illegal substances on arrival at work.

      Secure Training Centres: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of young offenders released from Medway Secure Training Centre have subsequently entered (a) full or part-time education, (b) full or...

      War Crimes: Arrest Warrants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 27 October 2008, Official Report, column 755W, on war crimes: arrest warrants, (1) if he will take steps to consult...

      Youth Custody: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the ratio of staff to prisoners is in each (a) secure children's home, (b) secure training centre and (c) young offender institution.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Colombia: Death

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the death of (a) Adolfo Tique, (b) Diego Ricardo Rasedo Guerra, (c) Arled Samboni Guaca and...

    • Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) area and (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by his...

      Iraq Committee of Inquiry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) documents and (b) other items of information held in electronic format at each security classification have been...

      Iraq Committee of Inquiry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether any (a) documents and (b) other items of information in electronic format sought from his Department by the Iraq...

      Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 206W, on Olympic Games 2012, if he will publish the job...

  • House of Lords

    • Alcohol

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to charge those who require National Health Service treatment due to the regular consumption of alcohol.

    • Chief of the General Staff

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what lump sum was paid to Sir Richard Dannatt on his retirement as Chief of the General Staff; and whether that payment was enhanced for any reason.

      Climate Change: Copenhagen Conference

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether further countries will sign the Copenhagen Accord; and whether they have taken steps to encourage other nations to sign...

      Constable of the Tower of London

      To ask Her Majesty's Government who advises the Prime Minister prior to him making a recommendation to HM The Queen on the appointment of the Constable of the Tower of London. To ask Her...

      Control Orders

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been paid in each type of benefit to people subject to control orders in each year since control orders were introduced.

      Democratic Republic of Congo

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that during the Kimia II operation in North Kivu 7,000 women have been raped, 900,000 people have been forced from their...

      Democratic Republic of Congo

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will continue to review whether to appoint a special envoy for the African Great Lakes region to report on cross-border human rights issues, including...

      Embryology

      To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 7 January 2008 (WA 151) and Baroness Thornton on 9 November 2009 (WA 111), whether the explanation for...

      Energy: Electricity Generation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to assess the Wave Hub project for electricity generation off the coast of Cornwall.

      Energy: Supply Forecast

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what forecast they have made of the demand for and supply of energy between 2015 and 2020.

      Environment: Areas of Outstanding Beauty

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to the proposals of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, the Campaign for National Parks, the Campaign for the...

      Environment: Areas of Outstanding Beauty

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the erection of new electricity transmission pylons in protected landscapes such as National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

      Environment: Uplands

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the Natural England report Vital Uplands: Natural England's vision for the upland environment in 2060.

      EU: UK Resident Citizens

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many United Kingdom citizens are resident in each other European Union state.

      Food: Breast Milk

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to persuade relevant United Kingdom companies to comply with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and...

      Food: Breast Milk

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken following the recommendation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child to signatories of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to...

      Food: Breast Milk

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that European directives are compliant with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent...

      Food: Imports

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they continue to allow the import from France of meat and meat products from animals fed on sewage sludge.

      Government Departments: Bonuses

      To ask Her Majesty's Government for each of the last three years for which figures are available, how many people were eligible for performance bonuses and special bonuses in Communities and...

      Government Departments: Bonuses

      To ask Her Majesty's Government for each of the past three years for which figures are available, how many people were eligible for performance bonuses and special bonuses in the Department for...

      Government: Correspondence

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many letters were received by ministers from MPs and peers in 2009; and which department was (a) the best, and (b) the worst, in meeting the target times for...

      Government: Ministerial Visits

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times Government officials travelled to Dublin in 2009; what modes of transport they used; and what the total cost was.

      Government: Ministerial Visits

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the cross-departmental policy regarding visits by MPs to Government establishments in the run-up to a general election; what establishments are covered by...

      Government: Office Equipment

      To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Barbara Follett, on 9 December 2009 (Official...

      Government: Scottish Ministers

      To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for the terms and conditions of service of the Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government.

      Health: Bilateral Agreements

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the United Kingdom has bilateral health agreements with (a) Azerbaijan, (b) Kazakhstan, (c) Georgia, (d) Armenia, (e) Moldova, (f) Guernsey, and (g) the...

      Health: Vaccinations

      To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 25 March 2008 (WA 81), how many current members of the emergency services have been vaccinated for anthrax.

      Health: Vaccinations

      To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 25 March 2008 (WA 81), how many current members of the emergency services have been vaccinated for...

      Health: Vaccinations

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to vaccinate for smallpox and anthrax (a) members of the emergency services who will be involved in the London 2012 Olympic Games, and (b)...

      Health: Voluntary Groups

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce an award to recognise long service by voluntary groups in the health sector.

      Houses of Parliament: Mail

      To ask the Chairman of Committees how many items of mail were received in the Palace of Westminster in 2009; and, of those, what percentage was received in the House of Lords.

      Interpal

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will acknowledge or reply to the letter to the Foreign Secretary of 18 November 2009 from Ibrahim Hewitt, chairman of Interpal, regarding the status of...

      Isle of Man

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether payment of £8.4 million by the Government of the Isle of Man to health authorities in north-west England for patients referred for specialist...

      Kazakhstan

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the agenda for the 2010 Kazakhstan chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

      Kazakhstan

      To ask Her Majesty's Government by what criteria they will assess the 2010 Kazakhstan chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe as to its success.

      Nigeria

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to encouraging mechanisms to ensure a transparent process for ensuing rounds of elections in Nigeria; what assessment they have...

      Overseas Territories Consultative Committee

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what decisions were taken at the Overseas Territories Consultative Committee meetings in December 2009.

      Planning

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the terms of reference, outputs, timing and measures of success of the Penfold review of non-planning consents were decided by the steering board, or...

      Planning

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the recruitment process for the position of independent reviewer for the Penfold review of non-planning consents; and what are his terms of engagement and...

      Planning

      To ask Her Majesty's Government to which department or departments the Penfold review of non-planning consents will report; and which Minister or Ministers will make a decision on which...

      Planning

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Penfold review of non-planning consents can propose changes to the regulatory regimes relating to non-planning consents; or whether its focus will be...

      Rainforests

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether revenue from the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme will be used to prevent destruction of rainforests.

      Rights of Way: Maps

      To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 20 October 2009 (WA 65) stating that "Natural England's Stakeholder Working Group on Rights of Way is...

      Trees: Sudden Oak Death Syndrome

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned research to find measures to combat phytophthora ramorum (Sudden Oak Death); and whether they have assessed its practical effect...

      Visas

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many student visa applications have been (a) received, and (b) granted, in each year since 1997, broken down by country of origin.

      Waterways

      To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 7 December 2009 (WA 104), whether any assessment has been made of the prospects of disposing of...

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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