Written answers

Tuesday, 8 June 2010

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2010, to Question 572, what timetable she has set for introducing badger control measures;...

    • Cattle: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the practice of factory farming of dairy cows.

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of invoices from suppliers to her Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April...

      Environmental Stewardship Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to promote the use of environmental stewardship schemes to protect biodiversity in upland areas.

      Fisheries: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions her Department has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the forthcoming fisheries negotiating...

      Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional resources she intends to allocate for the extension of flood defences following the recommendations of the...

      Floods: Pendle

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what options her Department is considering for flood prevention in Pendle.

      Floods: Worcestershire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether she plans to maintain agreed levels of funding for flood defence schemes in Upton-upon-Severn, Uckinghall,...

      Food: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the merits of bringing forward proposals to prohibit the provision of seafood produced from endangered...

      Food: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to set standards of animal welfare for the procurement of food and meals by the public...

      Forestry Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the Forestry Commission.

      Hazardous Substances: Waste Disposal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will hold a public inquiry into the alleged role of UK-based (a) firms and (b) nationals in the dumping of toxic...

  • Wales

    • Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what her estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in her Department and its agencies.

    • Departmental Redundancy Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what her most recent estimate is of the annual cost to her Department of redundancy payments for (a) front line and (b) other staff.

      Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans she has to consult trade unions in her Department concerning deficit reduction plans.

  • Attorney-General

    • Conditional Fee Arrangements

      To ask the Attorney-General if he will undertake a review of the effects on the civil justice system of the operation of conditional fee agreements.

    • Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Attorney-General how many special advisers (a) he and (b) the Solicitor-General (i) has appointed to date and (ii) plans to appoint.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Pensioners: Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what his most recent estimate is of the number of pensioners living in poverty in (a) the UK and (b) Coventry; (2) what steps he plans...

  • Defence

    • Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Minister for Defence Procurement has examined the break clauses on the aircraft carrier contract.

    • Atomic Weapons Establishment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests he has received from the Health and Safety Executive Nuclear Installations Inspectorate for information on changes to the organisational...

      Atomic Weapons Establishment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account he plans to take of environmental impact assessment regulations in implementing proposals for a new hydrodynamics facility, project Hydrus,...

      China: Military Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the extent is of the contacts between the Royal Navy and the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China.

      Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on external consultations in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-UK citizens are employed as special advisers in his Department.

      France

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many drivers provided by his Department were involved in transporting the Minister for Veterans to France and to his constituency on 29 and 30 May 2010.

      Hebrides Missile Range

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will offer QinetiQ an incentive to generate business at the Hebrides Range.

      Hebrides Missile Range

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how revenue arising from new business at the Hebrides Range will be divided between his Department and QinetiQ.

      Hercules Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long RAF Brize Norton was closed as a consequence of the incident on a Hercules aircraft on 6 May 2010; and how many flights were (a) diverted...

      Hercules Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects on the Afghanistan Airbridge of the incident involving a Hercules aircraft at RAF Brize Norton on 6 May 2010;...

      Nuclear Submarines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what operational safety reviews are in place for the UK's nuclear submarine fleet; and for what reason such reviews did not detect the safety...

      Nuclear Submarines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of a malfunctioning safety valve on board a vessel of the UK's nuclear submarine fleet...

      Quick Reaction Alert

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the RAF Typhoon to take over responsibility for Quick Reaction Alert from the RAF Tornado.

      Quick Reaction Alert

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the RAF received notification from any other national agency of the flight path of the Russian Blackjack bombers intercepted on 10 March 2010.

      Quick Reaction Alert

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions (a) RAF Typhoons and (b) RAF Tornados have been deployed over Scotland in a Quick Reaction Alert capacity in the last 12 months.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Anguilla

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much he has agreed to allow the Government of Anguilla to borrow in the next 12 months.

    • Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the economic stability of (a) Anguilla and (b) the Turks and Caicos Islands.

      Ascension Island

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance he plans to provide to Ascension Island.

      British Overseas Territories: Biodiversity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made a recent assessment of threats to biodiversity in (a) the Falkland Islands, (b) Ascension Island, (c) the...

      British Overseas Territories: Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ensure that new constitutions for British Overseas Territories include effective equality clauses.

      Colombia: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on human rights in Colombia.

      Cuba

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to visit Cuba.

      Cuba: EU External Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the future of the EU Common Position on Cuba.

      Cyprus: Peace Negotiations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the progress of settlement talks in Cyprus.

      Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken at (a) national and (b) international level to bring (i) stability and (ii) humanitarian aid to the...

      Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many special advisers (a) he and (b) each named Minister in his Department (i) has appointed to date and (ii) plans to appoint.

      Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many non-UK citizens are employed as special advisers in his Department.

      Departmental Official Cars

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Government (a) cars and (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in his Department.

      Gibraltar: Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that there is an equal age of consent in Gibraltar.

      Honduras: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the recognition of the government of Honduras.

      Palestinians: International Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli government in respect of British nationals who were part of the Free Gaza...

      Palestinians: International Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the destination of the aid carried by the Free Gaza Movement flotilla.

      Palestinians: International Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made an assessment of the merits of an international investigation into the actions of the Israeli government in...

      Pitcairn Islands: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the level of child safety in Pitcairn.

      Russia: Corruption

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the incidence of corruption in the Russian Federation.

      Turks and Caicos Islands: Elections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects elections to be held in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

      UN Security Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on whether any new member of the United Nations Security Council should automatically have the veto.

      Venezuela: Foreign Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on relations with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

      Yemen: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the security situation in Yemen; and what steps his Department has taken together with the...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010.

    • Departmental Redundancy Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for (a) front line and (b) other staff employed...

      Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to consult trade unions in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies concerning deficit reduction plans.

  • Home Department

    • Closed Circuit Television

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the number of crimes detected through the use of CCTV equipment in the last 12 months; and what types of crime were so...

    • Crime Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to implement early intervention policies.

      Forensic Science Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the Forensic Science Service.

      Knives: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to reduce the incidence of knife crime.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Departmental Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which Ministers in his Department have been issued with (a) a Blackberry, (b) an iPhone, (c) another make of mobile...

    • Departmental Official Cars

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the (a) make, (b) model and (c) place of manufacture is of the car allocated for the use of each Minister in his...

      Olympic Games 2012: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects of the London 2012 Olympics on the economy of (a) Pendle...

      S4C: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had recent discussions with S4C on voluntary reductions in its budget.

  • Transport

    • Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of his Department's expenditure which is allocated to each region.

    • Northern Rail: Rolling Stock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many additional rail carriages have been provided to Northern Rail as part of the High Level Output Specification Process, and how this compares...

      River Wear: Bridges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for funding a new bridge over the Wear in Sunderland.

      Safety Belts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to extend the requirement for the wearing of seat belts in coaches beyond the current age limit of 13 years; and if he will make a...

  • International Development

    • Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010.

    • Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in his Department...

      Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) front line and (b) other staff were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in the latest year for...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of his Department's development awareness raising projects in Scotland have been abolished in the last 12 months; and what...

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to ensure the continuation of the Governance and Transparency Fund to encourage transparent and accountable...

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the My Aid project for the allocation of UK aid represents Government policy.

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ensure that no expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth...

      Overseas Aid: Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanism he plans to introduce for direct public involvement in determining the allocation of his Department's aid budget; and if...

      Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to consult trade unions in his Department concerning deficit reduction plans.

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers are employed by his Department; and at what Civil Service pay grade in each such...

    • Renewable Energy: Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to encourage the use of energy from waste through anaerobic digestion; and if he will make a statement.

  • Health

    • Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010.

    • Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in his Department and its agencies.

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000.

      Departmental Redundancy Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for (a) front line and (b) other staff employed by (i) his...

      General Practitioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects his Department's proposal to give general practitioners authority over commissioning to be implemented; what steps he plans to take to...

      General Practitioners: Passports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent guidance his Department has issued to (a) general practitioners and (b) other NHS staff on the level of fees charged for the signing of...

      Health Centres: Christchurch

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken since his appointment to ensure that his Department's interest in the former health centre at Saxon Square, Christchurch, is sold...

      Marie Stopes International

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments his Department has made to Marie Stopes International for (a) abortion, (b) family planning and (c) other reproductive health services in...

      NHS

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of (a) National Health Service and (b) his Department's IT systems.

      NHS: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department plans to publish the report it commissioned from McKinsey on the fiscal future of the NHS.

      NHS: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on requests from West Midlands Strategic Health Authority that primary care trusts in the West Mercia form a cluster.

      Prescription Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of specific drugs which the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence indicates do not represent value for...

      Royal Liverpool University Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide additional cancer services on the Royal Liverpool University hospital site.

      Royal Liverpool University Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he expects the contracts in relation to the replacement for the Royal Liverpool University hospital to be signed; and if he will make a...

      Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to consult trade unions in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies concerning deficit reduction plans.

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to encourage people to undertake apprenticeships.

    • Business: Closures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many limited liability companies ceased operations in the last financial year.

      Companies Act 2006

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to review the operation of the Companies Act 2006.

      Company Accounts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to bring forward proposals to reintroduce the Operating and Financial Review; and if he will make a statement.

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000.

      Further Education: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding he plans to allocate to further education in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

      Further Education: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what in-year changes he plans to make to his Department's funding for each further education institution in the West Midlands in...

      Further Education: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the change in the number of staff in further education colleges in the West Midlands between...

  • Justice

    • Corruption: Public Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the UK Foreign Bribery Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

    • Departmental Electronic Equipment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) plasma and (b) LCD televisions there are in ministerial offices in his Department.

      Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in his Department and its agencies.

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the (a) implementation of penalty clauses and payments in its contracts and (b) potential...

      Departmental Redundancy Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for (a) front line and (b) other staff employed by (i) his...

      Electoral Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse of the Electoral Commission was in the last 12 months for which figures are available; what assessment he has made of...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 4 March 2009, Official Report, column 1707W, on the electoral register, what the estimated cost is of contacting by (a)...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect of levels of expenditure on electoral registration measures on levels of registration.

      Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources provided by local authorities to electoral registration.

      Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much (a) central and (b) local government authorities spent on advertising to promote voter registration in each year for which figures are available.

      Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which local authority electoral registration departments use bar coding on their electoral registration forms.

      Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of telephones to confirm continued entitlement to electoral registration; and which local...

      Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of total expenditure by local authority registration officers in each of the last 10 years.

      Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of ring-fencing funds allocated by his Department to local government for voter registration purposes.

      Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what reasons his Department has identified for variations in levels of voter registration in different local authority areas with similar socio-economic...

      Law Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the future of (a) community legal advice centres and (b) community legal advice networks; and if he will make a statement.

      Rape: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the policy proposal in the Coalition agreement: our programme for government to give anonymity to defendants in rape trials is to apply to...

      Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to consult trade unions in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies concerning deficit reduction plans.

      Young Offender Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of segregation have been recorded in each young offender institution in each year since 2006.

      Young Offender Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many strip searches have been recorded in each young offender institution in each year since 2006.

      Young Offender Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many control and restraint incidents were recorded at each young offender institution in each year since 2006.

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Departmental Pay

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what salary he receives as Deputy Prime Minister.

    • Departmental Public Appointments

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many special advisers he (a) has appointed to date and (b) plans to appoint.

      Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the estimated cost is of setting up his office; what the estimated cost is of running his office in its first 12 months; and how many special advisers he has.

      Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to publish his ministerial diary.

      General Election 2010

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in which local authority areas the chief executive was the returning officer for the parliamentary constituency of that local authority area in the 6 May 2010...

      Norman Lamb

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Chief Parliamentary and Political Adviser has been allocated (a) a ministerial car, (b) a ministerial salary, (c) secretarial support, (d) a...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Council Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the setting of local authority housebuilding projections in local plans.

    • Council Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the provision of funding for all local authority new build housing schemes announced by his Department in...

      Council Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received from local authorities and their representative bodies on the review of the local authority...

      Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the Exchequer of proposals to freeze council tax in England for one year; and if...

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010.

      Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent staff at each civil service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his...

      Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) front-line and (b) other staff were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in the latest...

      Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many special advisers (a) he and (b) each named Minister in his Department (i) has appointed to date and (ii) plans to appoint.

      Departmental Official Cars

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Government (a) cars and (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in his Department.

      Departmental Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) political appointments and (b) other personal appointments he has made since his appointment; and at what...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000.

      Fire Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to announce his decision on the relocation of Gloucestershire's fire control operations to the Regional Centre in...

      Green Belt

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the Green Belt, with particular reference to applications being made to develop land designated as Green...

      Housing Associations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to rationalise the number of social housing associations; and if he will make a statement.

      Housing Associations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to reduce the salary levels of senior officials running social housing associations; and if...

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes with (a) three or four and (b) five bedrooms he expects to be built in each region in each of the next five years.

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if he will take steps to remove regional housing targets in the West Midlands in advance of the introduction of primary...

      Housing: Regeneration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on funding of Pathfinder housing areas; and if he will make a statement.

      Housing: Regeneration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects on his Department's funding for Housing Market Renewal areas of changes in public...

      Housing: South East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to respond to the South East Regional Select Committee's First Report of Session 2009-10, on Housing in the...

      Local Development Frameworks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance from his Department is in effect in respect of on-going (a) examinations in public of local development framework...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects the review of local government finance to (a) commence and (b) conclude.

      Local Government: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the number of employees of each local authority who received an annual salary of...

      Local Government: Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what circumstances those resident in a local authority area will be able to initiate a local referendum.

      Local Government: Reorganisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs his Department incurred in contesting each judicial review of local government reorganisation for (a) Devon, (b)...

      Local Government: Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of mid-year reductions in local authority budgets on contracts with the voluntary and...

      Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects small business rate relief to become automatic; and if he will make a statement.

      Non-domestic Rates: Ports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost of cancelling the demand for retrospective business rates made upon newly separately-rated...

      Non-domestic Rates: Ports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations his Department has received on retrospective business rates on firms in ports in the last 12 months.

      Ordnance Survey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future ownership of the Ordnance Survey; and if he will make a statement.

      Planning Permission: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will issue guidance to planning inspectors on the award of costs in respect of large planning appeals.

      Regional Planning and Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish guidance on the effects of the abolition of the Regional Spatial Strategies and transitional...

      Regional Planning and Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date he expects regional spatial strategies to cease to be effective; and what function such strategies will have prior...

      Regional Planning and Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has planned for the abolition of regional spatial strategies and the return of decision-making powers on...

      Social Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many cooperative housing units are registered in each region.

      Social Rented Housing: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the funding by his Department of programmes for houses for social rent.

      Social Rented Housing: Lambeth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for capital allocations to the Decent Homes programme of (a) Lambeth Living and (b) United Residents Housing...

      Social Rented Housing: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of his Department's Decent Homes programme.

      Travellers: Caravan Sites

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he plans to issue to planning inspectors in respect of the treatment of appeals against planning decisions...

  • Leader of the House

    • Government Departments: Reviews

      To ask the Leader of the House what reviews are being undertaken by the Government; for what purpose in each such case; and to what estimated timescale.

  • Prime Minister

    • Crimes of Violence: Females

      To ask the Prime Minister if he will appoint a Minister with responsibility for co-ordinating the work of the Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the...

  • Education

    • British Educational Communications and Technology Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the (a) cost and (b) savings to the Exchequer arising from the abolition of the British Education Communications and...

    • Building Schools for the Future Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on the future of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

      Building Schools for the Future Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what his plans are for future funding of the Building Schools for the Future programme in (a) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency and...

      Building Schools for the Future Programme: Durham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what his plans are for the future of Durham county council's Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement; (2)...

      Building Schools for the Future Programme: Gateshead

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding from the Building Schools for the Future programme he plans to allocate to Gateshead.

      Building Schools for the Future Programme: Nottinghamshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what capital funding his Department has allocated to the rebuilding of Selby Park primary school in the next four years; (2) what funding his...

      Building Schools for the Future Programme: Telford

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his plans are for funding of the school rebuilding programme relating to (a) Wrockwardine Wood, (b) Phoenix, (c) Lord Silkin and (d)...

      Departmental Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much his Department has spent on the creation of the www.scienceandmaths.net website; (2) how much his Department has spent promoting the...

      Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) front-line and (b) other staff were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in the latest year for which figures...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the (a) implementation of penalty clauses and payments in its contracts and (b) potential...

      Teaching Methods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on the implementation of the one-to-one tuition scheme.

  • Treasury

    • Budget Deficit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to reduce the level of the budget deficit.

    • Economic Growth

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to increase economic growth.

      Economic Growth

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to increase economic growth.

      Economic Growth

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to increase economic growth.

      Economic Growth

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on his policy on capital gains tax.

      Devolved Administrations

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the mechanism for the provision of funding from the Exchequer to the devolved administrations; and if he will make a statement.

      Credit Unions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to provide financial assistance to community-based credit unions.

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10-days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010.

      Excise Duties: Beer

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many changes there have been to the level of duty in sales of beer in the last 30 months; and what the total percentage change has been.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department plans to respond to the letter of 28 April 2010 from the then hon. Member for Billericay regarding his constituent Mr Welford.

  • House of Lords

    • Abortion: Advertising

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have had discussions with Channel 4 about its acceptance of television advertisements for abortion services; and whether they will make...

    • Asylum Seekers: Legal Advice

      To ask Her Majesty's Government why only 16 per cent of new asylum applications will get early access to legal advice from October; and whether they have considered applying the results of the...

      Aviation: Volcanic Ash

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what risk assessments have been undertaken in the past three years by the Civil Aviation Authority; and whether they considered one on volcanic ash.

      Benefits

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to start re-testing incapacity benefit claimants with the work capability assessment before moving them to replacement benefits; whether they will...

      Cyclists: Deaths

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce cycling-related deaths, particularly among women.

      Education: Languages

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Diploma in Languages and International Communication will be introduced in September 2011.

      Energy: Carbon Emissions

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to reduce further the target levels of carbon dioxide emissions; and over what timescale.

      Energy: Fuel Poverty

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the forecast increase in the number of those classified as being in fuel poverty due to electricity cost increases from increasing expenditure on renewable...

      Environment: Aarhus Convention

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to implement the terms of the Aarhus Convention that non-governmental organisations and individuals should not encounter prohibitive costs in...

      EU: Financial Assistance to Member States

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will not implement any European Union measures that would adversely affect the City of London's status in providing financial and related services.

      EU: Treaties

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposal to require referendums before any further European Union treaty amendments are agreed includes treaties for the admission of new countries...

      European Public Prosecutor

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the status of the proposed European Public Prosecutor; and whether United Kingdom citizens may be extradited to stand trial in other European Union member...

      Food: Chicken

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many chickens have been imported from (a) European Union, and (b) non-European Union, countries in the past three years; which five countries exported the...

      Gaza

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had about the reasons for the closing of the two main branches of the Arab Bank in the Gaza Strip.

      Health: Drugs

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance to (a) pharmacists, and (b) shop assistants, has been published which would ensure that personal health details remain confidential when drugs are...

      Marie Stopes International

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what payments each department made to Marie Stopes International for (a) abortions, (b) family planning, and (c) other reproductive health services in the last...

      Migrant Workers: Volunteering

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how migrant domestic workers will be able to undertake volunteering or study to pass the Life in the UK Test in the light of their possible working conditions.

      NHS: Management Consultants

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the budget and cost of all external management consultants employed by the National Health Service in the last financial year for the geographic area...

      North Korea

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised the case of Aijalon Mahli Gomes, held in a North Korean prison, with the Government of North Korea.

      Ports and Harbours

      To ask Her Majesty's Government who is the harbour authority as defined in the Harbours Act 1964 for the Helford River in Cornwall.

      Schools: GCSEs

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the results of International GCSE examinations taken by pupils at independent schools will be included in the 2010 school performance tables.

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.

June 2010
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930