Written answers

Tuesday, 7 September 2010

  • Home Department

    • Prison Population (Drugs Act)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the effect on the size of the prison population of the implementation of the provisions of the Drugs Act 2005.

    • Police: Accountability

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has (a) prepared a regulatory impact assessment and (b) estimated the cost to the public purse of implementing its...

  • Leader of the House

    • Members' Staff: Allowances

      To ask the Leader of the House what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority on the experience of staff of hon. Members of the...

    • Members' Staff: Allowances

      To ask the Leader of the House how many hon. Members claimed for (a) professional advice, (b) cleaning, (c) janitorial or reception services, (d) maintenance services for computer hardware...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Child Support Agency: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to improve the performance of (a) the Child Support Agency and (b) the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission...

    • Children: Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were lifted out of relative poverty between 1997 and May 2010.

      Crisis Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department provides to people applying for crisis loans on the (a) basis for the application of the habitual residence test...

      Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii)...

      Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) average and (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Legal Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on legal advice in each year...

      Departmental Public Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the monetary value was of (a) public opinion research and (b) public relations contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last...

      Females: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects on women of reductions in his Department's expenditure announced in the June 2010 Budget.

      Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to housing benefit levels on housing markets in areas with a high number of...

      Housing Benefit: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many units of temporary accommodation in each local authority area in London had housing benefit payments above (a) the local housing...

      Industrial Health and Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he consulted (a) trade unions and (b) families of people killed or injured at work on the terms of reference of Lord Young's review...

      Local Housing Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many (a) pensioners and (b) working age households received local housing allowance in March 2010 within each of the broad market...

      Local Housing Allowance: Swindon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in receipt of local housing allowance in Swindon receive a sum in benefit (a) lower than, (b) higher than and (c) equal...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2010, Official Report, columns 221-2W, on mortgages: Government assistance, when he expects to have...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in support for mortgage interest benefit in each (a) region, (b) local authority and (c) Jobcentre Plus district in the...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each region were in receipt of support for mortgage interest benefit in each region in the last 12 months; and how many of...

      Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit claimants of each benefit type successfully appealed against a benefit sanction in 2009-10.

  • Scotland

    • Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010.

    • Departmental Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in...

      Departmental Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by his Department in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for...

      Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 27 July 2010, Official Report, column 975W, on departmental travel, what the (a) location and (b) times of arrival and...

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each...

  • Transport

    • Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much office space per employee his Department and its predecessors occupied in each year since 1997.

    • Departmental Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department and its predecessors spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

      Departmental Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid in remuneration in total to civil servants in his Department in 2009-10.

      Departmental Rents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in (a) total and (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the reasons are for the increase in security costs incurred by his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies between 2000-01 and...

      Highways Agency: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many claims were received by the Highways Agency under Part 1 of the Land Compensation Act 1973 in the last 12 months; and what proportion of such...

      Road Traffic Offences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of the statutory requirement for local authorities to advertise traffic regulation orders;...

      Roads: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department plans to provide to each local authority through the road safety grant in 2010-11.

      Tyres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involved a motor vehicle found to have (a) illegal tread depth and (b) poor tyre condition in each of the last 10 years.

  • Defence

    • Departmental Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his (a) Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on travel for employees in each year since 1997.

    • Nimrod Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Nimrod MRA.4 procurement has cost to date; and what is the estimated cost of crew training and preparation for the aircraft prior to...

  • Education

    • Building Schools for the Future Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children attend schools which have been rebuilt or refurbished under the Building Schools for the Future programme in (a) Wansbeck...

    • Building Schools for the Future Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of the funding allocated by his Department to school building capital expenditure was administered under the Building Schools for the...

      Building Schools for the Future Programme: Coventry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will publish the advice he received prior to his decision to end Building Schools for the Future funding for a combined broad spectrum...

      Children: Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from organisations representing children's interests on his proposal to publish serious case reviews in full.

      Education: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many and what proportion of (a) teachers and (b) support staff employed by schools and other education establishments in Colchester...

      Pupils: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education according to what criteria the pupil premium will be allocated.

      Schools: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of schools rated outstanding by Ofsted at their last inspection changed status in the last 10 years.

      Single Sex Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of state-funded single sex schools on the balance between the sexes in adjacent co-educational state-funded...

  • Attorney-General

    • Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Attorney-General how many legally qualified staff have been recruited by the Treasury Solicitor's Department since May 2010; and where these posts were advertised.

    • Departmental Temporary Employment

      To ask the Attorney-General how many temporary staff are employed by (a) the Law Officers' Departments and (b) their agency.

      Trade Unions

      To ask the Attorney-General how many paid manpower hours civil servants in the Law Officers' Departments spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997.

      Trade Unions

      To ask the Attorney-General how many civil servants in the Law Officers' Department spent the equivalent of (a) five days or fewer, (b) five to 10 days, (c) 10 to 15 days, (d) 15 to 20 days,...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Arts: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the number of people employed in the creative industries.

    • Departmental Motor Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the expenditure on vehicles of (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive...

      Listed Buildings: Coventry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport for what reasons the letter outlining his Department's decision to uphold English Heritage's listing of Coventry Market was...

      Local Broadcasting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will meet volunteers from East Coast FM to discuss community radio license availability.

      Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of funding for the Olympic Village was provided by (a) private investors and (b) the public sector.

      Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions his Department has had on promoting the Big Society Agenda in relation to preparations for the London 2012...

      Olympic Games 2012: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether the Government has underwritten loans taken out by the Olympic Delivery Authority.

      Olympic Games 2012: Social Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of property in the Olympic Village will be converted into social housing after the London 2010 Olympic Games.

      Olympic Games 2012: Volunteers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to encourage volunteering by people from local London boroughs in the London 2012 Olympics.

      Tourism: Visas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make an assessment of the effect on levels of inbound tourism of the cost of a visa to visit the UK compared to the...

      VisitBritain: Marketing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to allocate additional funding to Visit Britain for the purposes of marketing related to the (a)...

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Constituencies

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether redefinition of constituencies consequent upon his proposals to equalise their size will take account of the historic county boundaries.

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received on the level of payments to local authority chief executives for their role in administering elections.

  • Treasury

    • Bank Services: Company Liquidations

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to access unclaimed funds in bank accounts of wound-up companies; and what discussions he has had with banks in respect...

    • Departmental Training

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on employee away days in each year since 1997.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Agriculture: Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of her Department's progress in promoting sustainable agriculture.

    • Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what guidance her Department issues on the housing and sale of animals in pet shops; what recent representations she...

      Animal Welfare: Circuses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2010, Official Report, column 121W, on animal welfare: circuses, whether Ministers have...

      Departmental Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessor spent on (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and (b) the 10 largest staff...

      Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) her Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body...

      Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) average and (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by her Department was in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Motor Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the expenditure on vehicles of (a) her Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the future funding of the (a) Darwin Initiative and (b) Overseas Territories Challenge Fund.

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many external training courses were attended by staff of her Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the...

      Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the provisions of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 relating to (a) private drains and sewers, (b) sustainable...

      Food Supply: Ombudsman

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to establish (a) an ombudsman for the food supply chain and (b) a Red Meat Road Map.

      Food: Labelling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with Ministerial colleagues on the European Parliament's proposals to require food from animals...

      Food: Labelling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the European Parliament's proposals to expand the remit of EU food labelling regulation to include the...

      Livestock: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to revise the rules covering the movement of livestock to reduce the administrative burden on farmers.

      Plants: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to support research into the management of (a) Japanese knotweed and (b) other alien plant species.

      Poultry: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will make it her policy to seek the introduction of an intra-EU trade ban on eggs produced by hens housed in...

      Poultry: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions her Department has had with representatives of the egg industry on implementation of an action plan...

      Sheep: Tagging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent reports she has received on the adequacy of supply of tags for the electronic identification of sheep; and if she...

      Sheep: Tagging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures for the electronic identification of sheep.

      Sustainable Development Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 22 July 2010, Official Report, columns 32-3WS, on her Department's...

      Taxis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessor spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

      Trees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made in establishing a national tree planting campaign; and how much will be spent on the campaign in...

      Wines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessor spent on wine in each year since 1997.

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Banks: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to encourage banks to offer a wider choice of short-term loans for vulnerable customers as an...

    • Banks: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what safeguards he plans to introduce to reduce levels of dependency on high-cost credit.

      Business: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely length of time between the (a) abolition of Advantage West Midlands and (b)...

      Business: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage private sector investment in the West Midlands.

      Business: Wi-fi

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance his Department issues on the classification of businesses in the hospitality industry offering free wi-fi access to...

      Business: Wi-fi

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to prevent illegal file-sharing by those accessing the internet through free wi-fi hot spots; and if he...

      Credit Cards: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of credit card companies on the introduction of an annual dormancy fee;...

      Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) average and (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of his Department's contracts with its suppliers are under review as a result of the recently announced reductions in...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in his Department are working on renegotiating contracts for the supply of goods and services to the...

      Departmental Rents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department paid in rent for properties in (a) total and (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of...

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the...

      Digital Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2010 on public intermediaries, with...

      Post Offices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what new sources of revenue for post offices have been identified by his Department; and what progress has been made in...

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of former UK students living overseas who owe money to the Student Loans Company; what...

  • International Development

    • Africa: Tobacco

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to assist farmers in Africa to grow crops other than tobacco.

    • Departmental Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in...

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10-days of receipt in July and August 2010.

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public...

      Developing Countries: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing to developing countries to assist them to provide free healthcare to their people.

      Developing Countries: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department is providing to developing countries for training of (a) midwives and (b) other health care workers...

      Developing Countries: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to encourage provision of (a) healthcare facilities and (b) medicines for emergency care in...

      Malaria

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the oral answer of 2 June 2010, Official Report, column 423, on malaria, what estimate he has made of the effect on other...

      Malaria

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the oral answer of 2 June 2010, Official Report, column 423, on malaria, by what date he intends to fulfil his commitment...

      Malawi: International Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Executive and (b) the Secretary of State for Scotland on funding for his...

      Taxis

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

      UN Population Fund and IPPF

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what records his Department holds on the uses to which the core funds of (a) the United Nations Population Fund and (b) the...

      UN Population Fund and IPPF

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by (a) the United Nations Population Fund and (b) the International Planned Parenthood Federation in (i) China,...

  • Health

    • Hospital Car Parking Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish his Department's response to the consultation on hospital car parking charges.

    • Community Hospitals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how new community hospitals will be funded under the proposed new commissioning structures.

      Ambulance Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisation will have responsibility for provision of ambulance services under his proposals for the reform of the national health service; and if...

      Cancer Treatment: Blackpool

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect on cancer patients in Blackpool of ending targets on health outcomes.

      Organ Donor Cards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage take-up of organ donor cards.

      Public Health Responsibilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources he plans to allocate to local authorities in respect of their proposed new public health responsibilities.

      Wiltshire Primary Care Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the running costs of Wiltshire primary care trust were in the most recent period for which figures are available.

      GP Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to increase provision of GPs' out-of-hours services.

      Vaccines: Pandemics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that appropriate numbers of anti-virals and vaccine doses are purchased in respect of future pandemics.

      Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average vacancy rates were in accident and emergency departments of each London acute healthcare trust for (a) middle grade doctors and (b)...

      Appointments Commission: Civil Service Live Conference

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of the Appointments Commission stand at Civil Service Live 2010.

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the cancer patient experience survey will form part of the quality accounts of NHS trusts.

      Chlamydia: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to improve arrangements for Chlamydia screening.

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Medical Treatments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to review its guidelines relating to the treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis;...

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the national audit of dementia services to be (a) completed and (b) published; and in what format it will be published.

      Dementia: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to reduce the use of antipsychotics for the treatment of dementia; and if he will make a statement.

      Dementia: Hertfordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with dementia in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) Stevenage constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will...

      Dementia: Hertfordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dementia patients have been prescribed antipsychotics in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) Stevenage constituency in each of the last five years; and...

      Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) average and (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

      Departmental Furniture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many chairs his Department has purchased in each year since 1997; how much it spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs...

      Departmental ICT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the monetary value of each such contract was.

      Epilepsy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds (1) for benchmarking purposes on (a) emergency hospital readmittance rates for epilepsy, (b) median times for a...

      Food Standards Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria the Food Standards Agency takes into account when selecting subjects for public awareness campaigns.

      General Practitioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the proposals in the Health White Paper, how it is planned that GP consortia will be supported to commission appropriate services for...

      General Practitioners: Yorkshire and the Humber

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of GP commissioning teams which will be required in (a) York and (b) North Yorkshire to discharge the...

      Motor Neurone Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with motor neurone disease in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland; and what steps his...

      NHS: Civil Service Live Conference

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of the NHS Choices stand at Civil Service Live 2010.

      NHS: Ict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the National Programme for IT in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10.

      NHS: Reorganisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct an assessment of the effect of his proposed reforms to the NHS on local authorities, with particular reference to the potential merging...

      Nutrition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 July 2010, Official Report, column 12WS, on machinery of government changes, which nutrition...

      Nutrition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 July 2010, Official Report, column 12WS, on machinery of government changes, if he will report...

      Salt

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 July 2010, Official Report, column 12WS, on machinery of government changes, if he will make it his...

      Smoking: Public Places

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health in respect of how many venues his Department has issued an exemption from the ban on smoking in public places since the implementation of that ban.

      Thromboembolism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how he plans to develop an indicator for venous thromboembolism reduction to reflect the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence...

      Thromboembolism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to Baroness Thornton of 19 July 2010, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 170-1WA, on health: malnutrition, (1) what...

      Tobacco

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the cost was of his Department's tobacco policy team in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; (2)...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • 1 Carlton Gardens

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) refurbishment and (b) redecoration of the non-residential areas within 1 Carlton Gardens has been undertaken since...

    • Afghanistan: Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Afghanistan on the extent of religious freedom in that country.

      Arms Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in negotiations on establishing an International Arms Trade Treaty to limit the sales of arms to...

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010.

      Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those overseas properties which his Department shares (a) with other United Kingdom departments and (b) with...

      Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much office space per employee his Department occupied in each year since 1997.

      Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body...

      Departmental Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

      Departmental Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to...

      Departmental Motor Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the expenditure on vehicles of (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency...

      Departmental Official Hospitality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in (a) May and (b) June 2010.

      Departmental Temporary Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many temporary staff are employed by (a) his Department and (b) British embassies and consulates.

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the...

      Hezbollah

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the (a) number and (b) range of Hezbollah's missiles.

      Hezbollah

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the number of Hezbollah members (a) in Lebanon and (b) who have been trained in Iran.

      Hezbollah

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on Hezbollah's military capability in southern Lebanon.

      Iran: Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent discussions he has had with the Iranian government on the imprisonment of Reza Shahabi; (2) if he will take...

      Iran: Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has responded to representation from Amnesty International on the imprisonment of Reza Shahabi.

      Iran: Uranium

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Israeli, (b) US, (c) Egyptian, (d) EU and (e) Jordanian counterpart on...

      Israel: Overseas Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effects of changes to access arrangements for workers and goods entering or...

      Libya

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department have had with their Libyan counterparts in the last 12...

      UN Security Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the policy of his Department is on the addition of (a) India, (b) Brazil, (c) Germany and (d) Japan as a permanent...

  • Justice

    • Care Proceedings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many care orders have been issued in England in each of the last five years.

    • Cemeteries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress the Government have made in the implementation of those recommendations of the Eighth Report of the Environment, Transport and Regional...

      Closed Circuit Television: Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department provides to prisons on the (a) use and (b) regulations governing the use of closed circuit television cameras in visiting...

      Courts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) which magistrates courts in England had a utilisation rate of above 80 per cent. in 2009-10; and what the average time taken to complete a case was...

      Courts: Sentencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) on how many and what proportion of occasions the maximum sentence for an offence was given in (a) crown courts and (b) magistrates courts in the...

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010.

      Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what external (a) agencies and (b) consultancies are undertaking work commissioned by his Department; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost to the...

      Departmental Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what contracts his Department and its agencies have with each private sector company; on what date each such contract commenced; what the duration is of...

      Departmental Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in...

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such...

      Dogs: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of involvement in dog fighting in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008, (iv) 2009 and (v) 2010.

      Expert Evidence: Social Work

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what estimate he has made of the average payment per hour made to independent social workers as expert witnesses in family proceedings in (a)...

      Expert Evidence: Social Work

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consult independent social workers who have provided expert witness reports to courts since 2002 to assess the financial effect on them of the...

      First Offenders: Custodial Treatment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of defendants with no previous (a) convictions and (b) cautions was given a custodial sentence for a first offence in (a) magistrates...

      Freedom of Information: Legislation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

      Freedom of Information: Network Rail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Government plans to extend the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to Network Rail.

      Independent Appeals Tribunal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average time was between submission of an attendance allowance appeal to the Independent Appeals Tribunal in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and...

      Juries: Crown Courts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the average proportion of a juror's attendance time that is spent in court in Crown court cases.

      Justices' Clerks: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Clerks to the Justices who were qualified solicitors or barristers there were in Surrey between (a) 1979 and 1989, (b) 1990 and 1999 and (c)...

      Legal Aid: Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the level of funding for legal aid for cases relating to mental health legislation compared to...

      Legal Services Commission: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) training his Department has provided and (b) guidance his Department has issued to the Legal Services Commission in respect of procurement law...

      Magistrates Courts: Sentencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many and what proportion of those sentenced in magistrates courts in the latest year for which figures are available were given a period of...

      Magistrates Courts: Woking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what expenditure his Department has incurred on Woking magistrates court in each of the last five years; (2) what expenditure his Department has...

      Magistrates: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average annual number of magistrates in Surrey was in the period (a) 1980 to 1989, (b) 1990 to 1999 and (c) 2000 to 2009.

      Offensive Weapons: Leeds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted for carrying an offensive weapon or bladed article in Leeds North West constituency in each of the last five years.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions his Department and its predecessor has not provided answers to Parliamentary questions on the grounds of commercial confidentiality...

      Police: Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to give police the power to collect fines imposed by courts.

      Prison Service: Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which private finance initiative prison contracts have been re-financed since 1997; and what savings his Department achieved from each contract.

      Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners serving sentences on the latest date for which figures are available were born (a) in the UK and (b) outside the UK.

      Prisoners' Release: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking (a) directly and (b) through partnership working to ensure that former offenders have access to secure housing on...

      Prisoners: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who were drug addicts in the latest period for which figures are available.

      Prisoners: First Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of (a) obtaining health and safety certificates and (b) first aid training for...

      Prisons: Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many assaults by prisoners on (a) a prisoner and (b) a prison officer were recorded in each prison establishment in each year since 2002; and if he...

      Private Rented Housing: Landlords

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many landlords have been (a) sentenced to custody and (b) fined for offences related to lettings in the private rented sector under the provisions...

      Prosecutions: Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many individuals have been (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of failing to declare student status under section 112 or 111 of the Social...

      Public Contract Regulations 2006

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Legal Services Commission has taken to ensure compliance with Regulation 15(8) of the Public Contract Regulations 2006 regarding access to...

      Public Procurement Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) advice and (b) guidance the Legal Services Commission has issued on compliance with public procurement law relating on terms and conditions of...

      Rape: Victim Support Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the location is of each rape crisis centre in England and Wales.

      Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times handcuffs have been used on children in each secure training centre in each of the last five years; and for what purpose in each case.

      Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times children have been made to kneel down on the ground to have handcuffs attached or removed in each secure training centre in each of the...

      Solicitors: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what estimate his Department has made of the number of Children's Panel-accredited solicitors based in Bridgend in each year from 2000 to 2010; and...

      Young Offender Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average annual cost to the public purse was of a place in (a) HMP Hollesley Bay, (b) HMP Warren Hill and (c) Warren Hill Young Offender...

      Youth Custody: Restraint Techniques

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 181W, on youth custody: restraint techniques, what piloting of new systems of...

  • Wales

    • Departmental Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department and its predecessor spent on (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Public Buildings: Environment Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what incentives his Department provides for public buildings to be built in an environmentally friendly way.

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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