Written answers

Wednesday, 8 September 2010

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Business

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to assist small and medium-sized enterprises.

    • Business Link West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of Business Link West Midlands; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Business...

      Business Link West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands of...

      Departmental Billing

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

      Departmental Empty Property

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

      Departmental Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 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 Work Experience

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many unpaid, expenses-only internships there have been in (a) his Department and (b) public bodies which fall within his...

      Export Credits: India

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department will provide assistance for the recently-announced sale of Hawk jets to India.

      Insolvency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to bring forward proposals to set a cap on the fees charged by insolvency practitioners.

      Insolvency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage greater transparency in the insolvency sector.

      Insolvency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average time taken to settle an insolvency case was in the latest period for which figures are available.

      Insolvency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to review the regulation of the Insolvency Service.

      Manufacturing Advisory Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of the (a) Manufacturing Advisory Service and (b) Manufacturing Advisory Service West Midlands.

      Manufacturing Industries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to encourage UK-based manufacturers to employ staff locally rather than import products, with particular...

      Motor Vehicles: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many orders for vehicles were placed through the vehicle scrappage scheme.

      Overseas Trade: Algeria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the total level of trade between the UK and Algeria in (a) 2005, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009.

      Post Offices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the Post Office's branch business migration industry standard gravity model.

      Post Offices: Bank Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2010, Official Report, column 508, to the hon. Member for Norwich South, on the Post Office...

      Regional Development Agencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who will have responsibility for regional economic and skills strategies after regional development agencies have been abolished.

      Regional Development Agencies: Information Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many press officers each regional development agency employed in each year since 2005; (2) what the average salary of...

      Regional Development Agencies: Redundancy Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what measures are in place to make severance provision for staff working for a regional development agency.

      Supermarkets: Competition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Competition Commission on the supermarket sector.

      Supermarkets: Competition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to bring forward proposals for the establishment of a grocery supply chain ombudsman.

      Window Blinds: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2010, Official Report, column 319W, on window blinds: safety, what assessment he has made of...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Community Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had on policies to increase public awareness of different cultures, religions and communities.

    • Community Relations: Coventry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to promote community cohesion in Coventry.

      Departmental Fines

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

      EU Grants and Loans: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the decision to freeze further North West Development Agency...

      Government Office for the West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he consulted (a) employees, (b) businesses and (c) local authorities in the West Midlands before his decision to...

      Government Offices for the Regions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent estimate is of the savings which will accrue to the Exchequer consequent on the closure of the Government...

      Government Offices for the Regions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects on equalities in each region of the abolition of the Government Office Network.

      Government Offices for the Regions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the savings that will be made in each region in England arising from the closure of the Government...

      Government Offices for the Regions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of his Department's annual estate costs, including dilapidations, following the closure of the...

      Government Offices for the Regions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what resources he has assigned to redeploying Government Office Network staff; and whether he has had discussions on this matter...

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what proportion of the council tax allowance for each unit of new build housing district councils will receive under the...

      Housing: Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to make more effective use of unoccupied homes in tackling unmet housing needs.

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consider the merits of abolishing the floor damping factor in his next calculation of the local government finance...

      Medway Council: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the grant to Medway Council (a) with and (b) without floor damping in each of the last five years.

      National Tenant Voice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he had with representatives of tenants' groups (a) prior to and (b) after taking the decision to abolish...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Contract Rights Renewal Merger Undertakings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with Ofcom on the future of the contract rights renewal merger undertakings.

    • Contract Rights Renewal Merger Undertakings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on responsibility for the contract rights renewal merger...

      Cricket

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will hold discussions with the International Cricket Council on measures to restore public trust in the sport.

      Football: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress has been made on proposals to reform football governance to encourage and support the co-operative ownership of...

      Mass Media: Prostitution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to prohibit the advertising of sexual services in newspapers and other mainstream media.

      Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many contracts related to the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded to businesses and organisations in (a) the West...

      Olympic Games 2012: Public Opinion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 July 2010, Official Report, column 472W, on Olympic Delivery Authority, if he will place in the...

      Olympic Games 2012: Walsall South

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the likely effect on the economy of Walsall South constituency of the London 2012 Olympics.

      Radio: Broadcasting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of continuing transmissions from FM radio transmitters in each year...

      Radio: Broadcasting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of replacing FM radios after the cessation of FM transmissions in 2015.

      Sports: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to increase women's participation in physical activity and sport (a) nationally and (b)...

  • Defence

    • Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department ensures that the views of independent, external experts in ethics and animal welfare are considered under the local ethical review...

    • Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Chief of the General Staff's Briefing Team Report 2009.

      Armed Forces: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training is provided on the provisions of the Geneva Conventions to personnel of each rank of the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air...

      Armed Forces: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) military personnel and (b) civilian members of his Department are engaged in the Early Training Transformation project on a (i) full-time...

      Armed Forces: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account he has taken in the Defence Training Review of lessons learnt from the private finance initiative project at the Defence Animal Centre.

      Departmental ICT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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.

      Departmental Motor Vehicles

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

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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...

      Trident

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account he has taken of the US administration's recent decision on nuclear warhead production in his assessment of future UK warhead requirements;...

      Trident

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the decision on the UK's future nuclear warheads is due to be taken during the present Parliament; and whether he plans to announce to Parliament...

      Tyres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies take into account rolling resistance as a performance criterion when...

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Departmental Internet

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2010, Official Report, column 248W on departmental internet, if he will publish (a) the options considered for translation of...

  • Education

    • Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many childcare places there were (a) in each county in the East of England and (b) nationwide in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009; and how many...

    • Class Sizes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the teacher to pupil ratio was in each school in Bedford constituency in each of the last five years; and what the average teacher to pupil ratio...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department plans to reduce its expenditure through the termination of (a) area-based and (b) other targeted grants.

      Drugs: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects on young people of the illegal use of ketamine.

      Extracurricular Activities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect on the provision of (a) homework clubs, (b) breakfast clubs, (c) after school activities and (d) school...

      Financial Services: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the merits of including in the national curriculum (a) practical financial management and (b) awareness of marketing.

      Free School Meals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the number of pupils in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Dudley borough who would have been eligible for a free school...

      GCSE: Peterborough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils entered for GCSEs by each school in the Peterborough Local Education Authority area obtained no GCSEs at grades A* to C in...

      Headteachers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department provides on measures to retain experienced head teachers.

      Pupils: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether all funding from his Department to assist children from more deprived backgrounds will be routed through the pupil premium.

      Schools: Databases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many open maintained primary and secondary schools in England were on the edubase database on 25 May 2010.

      Schools: Science

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department plans to take to assist school science departments to work together with high technology employers in their areas.

      Schools: Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many statutory assessments for a statement of special educational needs were undertaken in each local education authority in England in 2009; and...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Boilers: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to reduce the time between receipt and acknowledgement of applications made under the boiler scrappage...

    • Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 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 Energy and Climate Change 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...

      Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to ensure that fuel regulators have adequate powers to reduce the level of fuel poverty.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 29 July on the construction of a combined heat...

      Nuclear Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the proportion of new electricity generating capacity which should be met by new nuclear power capacity.

      Offshore Industry: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to publish the rapid review of the implications of the Deepwater Horizon incident for his Department's offshore...

      Renewables Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for the future of the Renewables Obligation scheme; and if he will make a statement.

      Renewables Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the timescale is for his Department's review of the Renewables Obligation scheme banding levels.

      Torness Power Station

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will visit Torness Nuclear Power Station to discuss the role of nuclear power in contributing to security of energy supplies.

      Warm Front Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has had on the Warm Front grant scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Boilers: Biofuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2010, Official Report, column 455W, on boilers: biofuels, if she will take steps to...

    • Departmental Official Engagements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what Ministerial commitments she has on 8 September 2010.

      Departmental Sponsorship

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what costs her Department incurred in connection with its sponsorship of the Environmental Innovation in Waste Collection...

      Making Space for Nature Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of the report of Sir John Lawton's review of wildlife sites and ecological networks...

      Natural England: Planning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Natural England has spent on external legal advice on planning issues in each of the last five years for which...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • British Indian Ocean Territory: Fisheries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in renegotiating the contract with the Marine Resources Assessment Group for management of fisheries...

    • British Overseas Territories: Environment Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the future funding of the Overseas Territories Environment programme.

      Burma: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had (a) in international fora and (b) with the Burmese regime on the rights of the Rohingya people in...

      Burma: Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Burmese military leadership on freeing (a) Aung San Suu Kyi and (b) other political...

      Colombia: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Colombia on human rights in that country.

      Indonesia: Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to promote inter-religious dialogue and co-operation in Indonesia.

      Indonesia: Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on (a) attacks on churches in Indonesia, (b) restrictions on the construction of...

      Indonesia: Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on (a) the effect on the demographics of Papua of migration from other parts of...

      Mexico: Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to work with the Government of Mexico on tackling climate change.

      Turkey: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of Kurdish children (a) prosecuted and (b) imprisoned in Turkey under that...

      Turkey: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether officials of his Department observed the recent trial of Ismail Besikci, Zeycan Balci Simsek and Selcuck Kozagacli in Turkey.

      Turkey: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Prime Minister has received from (a) the government of Turkey and (b) Turkish citizens resident in...

  • Health

    • Antibiotics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of the NDM-1 enzyme on public health; and what steps he is taking to reduce those effects.

    • Blood: Contamination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of screening processes for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in blood and blood products; and if he will make a...

      Blood: Contamination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons there is a difference in the level of payments for haemophiliac patients infected with HIV by contaminated blood or blood products and...

      Blood: Contamination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of the provisions of the Contaminated Blood (Support for Infected and Bereaved Persons) Bill [Lords].

      Blood: Contamination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of payment made to those affected by contaminated blood and blood products.

      Continuing Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the criteria set for continuous health care; and if he will make a statement.

      Departmental Consultants

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

      Departmental Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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...

      Doctors: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the quality of training for doctors.

      Health Inequalities Unit: Awards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what costs the Health Inequalities Unit incurred in connection with its sponsorship of the Reducing Health Inequalities Achievement of the Year award at...

      Health Professions: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on ringfencing of funding for multi-professional education and training.

      Health Professions: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with (a) the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and (b) the Higher Education Funding Council for England...

      Health: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to improve the health of residents in the most deprived areas.

      Health: Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contribution he expects information prescriptions to make to the healthcare information revolution.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of psychological therapies by each primary care trust in each year from 2000 to 2010; and if he...

      Mental Health Services: Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants specialising in old age psychiatry there are in each primary care trust; and if he will make a statement.

      NHS: Reorganisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the letter issued on 13 July 2010 by the NHS chief executive, what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure in each cost category...

      NHS: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated for multi-professional education and training to each strategic health authority in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and...

      Nutrition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the name of each organisation that took part in the Healthy Food Marks pilots is.

      School Milk

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Healthy Start scheme.

      Self-harm: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will bring forward proposals to increase provision of services for people who (a) repeatedly self-harm and (b) self-harm and are diagnosed...

      Smoking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislative proposals to create an offence of smoking in cars where children are present.

      Tobacco: Retail Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the display of tobacco products in retail premises.

      Tuberculosis: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were diagnosed with tuberculosis in each of the last five years.

  • Home Department

    • Asylum: Deportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions removals by the UK Border Agency have been abandoned or postponed because the deportee has required medical treatment...

    • Asylum: Gloucestershire

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse of provision of asylum seeker (a) accommodation and (b) support services in Gloucestershire was in each...

      Borders: Personal Records

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has paid to Deloitte Consulting for work on the eBorders programme since September 2005; whether further payments...

      Departmental Chief Scientific Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions each Minister in her Department has met the Chief Scientific Officer in her Department since 6 May 2010.

      Detainees: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been detained in immigration removal centres since 6 May 2010.

      Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the financial effects on educational institutions of implementation of her Department's proposed changes to the student...

      Security Industry: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to bring into force those provisions of the Crime and Security Act 2010 relating to the private security industry not yet...

      UK Border Agency: Patrol Craft

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to review the number of vessels used by the UK Border Agency for coastline patrols.

      UK Border Agency: Patrol Craft

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse of coastline patrols by the UK Border Agency was in each of the last five years.

      UK Border Agency: Patrol Craft

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vessels are used by the UK Border Agency to patrol the Scottish coastline; and how many staff are employed to crew these vessels.

      UK Border Agency: Patrol Craft

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests have been made following coastline patrols by the UK Border Agency in each of the last five years.

      Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children are being held at Yarl's Wood detention centre.

  • Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee

    • Ict

      To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many field visits staff and officers of the Independent...

    • Ict

      To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many complaints the Independent Parliamentary Standards...

      Ict

      To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the log out parameters for the Independent Parliamentary...

      Ict

      To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reason the hon. Member for Bassetlaw was unable to...

      Members: Allowances

      To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, when the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority plans to...

      Redundancy Pay

      To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority staff...

  • International Development

    • Conflict Resolution: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials of his Department have engaged in the cross-departmental process on renewal of the National Action Plan on Women,...

    • Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental public body for which he...

      Departmental ICT

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

      Developing Countries: Debts

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many countries with debts to the UK had all or part of that debt cancelled between 1997 and May 2010.

      East Kilbride

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) rent and (b) operating cost of his Department's offices at (i) Abercrombie House, East Kilbride and (ii) Palace Street,...

      East Kilbride

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of his Department's property at (a) Abercrombie House, East Kilbride and (b) Palace Street, London SW1 is vacant.

      International Assistance: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what objectives he has for policy on assistance for disabled people in developing countries at the forthcoming UN summit on the...

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department paid to (a) B'Tselem, (b) HaMoked, (c) Yesh Din, (d) Ir Amin, (e) Bimkom, (f) the Public Committee...

      Libya: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department have had with their Libyan counterparts on his Department's work...

      Overseas Aid: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's budget for overseas aid (a) was in 1997-98 and (b) is in 2010-11; and what estimate he has made of the number...

      Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Government of South Africa, (b) African Union and (c) Southern African Development...

  • Justice

    • Prisoners: Religion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in respect of which prisons he has received recent reports on the religious radicalisation of prisoners.

    • Care Proceedings: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much the High Cost Case Unit spent on (a) solicitors' costs, (b) counsels' fee and (c) disbursements on care proceedings in the last 12...

      Departmental Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) which former (a) buildings and (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his...

      Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much office space per employee his Department and its predecessors occupied in each year since 1997; (2) how much his Department and its...

      Drugs: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of an offence of involvement in illegal drug trafficking or usage in each year since 2006.

      Fines: Magistrates Courts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the monetary value was of outstanding fines imposed by Bexley Magistrates Court in each of the last three years; and what the monetary value was of...

      Magistrates Courts: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many representations he has received from (a) residents of Surrey and (b) magistrates in Surrey on the closure of Woking Magistrates Court; and if...

      Prisoners: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what guidance his Department provides prisons on the (a) level and (b) means of calculation of remuneration paid to prisoners for work undertaken...

      Prisons: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the cost to the public purse has been of the provision of each private finance initiative prison since its opening; (2) what the operating...

      Prisons: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the construction cost was of each private finance initiative prison opened since 1996.

      Prisons: Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he next expects to meet representatives of Prison Service trade unions.

      Taxis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its predecessors spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

      Unpaid Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the monetary value was of outstanding fines imposed by (a) Keighley magistrates' court and (b) Bradford Magistrates' Court in each of the last...

  • Scotland

    • Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what meetings with external parties he held in the week beginning 20 July 2010.

    • Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which meetings he was due to hold did not take place in the week beginning 20 July 2010.

      Horse Racing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the contribution of horseracing in Scotland to the Scottish economy; and if he will...

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the likely effects of changes to the benefits system on people in Scotland; and if he...

  • Transport

    • Aviation: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications for UK air transport safety and security of the abolition of his Department's Transport Security and...

    • M5: Gloucestershire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on installing traffic lights at junction 12 of the M5 as part of the section 106 undertaking in respect of the Hunt's Grove...

      Motorways: Ashton under Lyne

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times (a) the grass has been cut and (b) litter has been collected from the (i) roundabout on Junction 24 of the M60 and (ii) area...

      Motorways: Ashton under Lyne

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the frequency of grass cutting and litter collection is on the area surrounding Junction 2 on the M67.

      Railways: Gloucester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what proportion of passenger rail services (a) departing from and (b) arriving at Gloucester railway station were on time in each year since...

      Railways: Kent

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public consultation his Department plans to undertake on the timetable specification for the next Integrated Kent Franchise.

      Railways: Lincoln

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with Network Rail on its proposed closure of Lincoln high street level crossing...

      Railways: Lincoln

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department discussed with East Coast Trains its decision not to operate a direct rail route between Lincoln...

      Railways: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on rail services in the North West; and if he will make a statement.

      Railways: Theft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to prevent the theft of metals from the railway network.

      Roads: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what target he has set for a reduction in the number of road casualties over the next five years.

      Roads: Lincoln

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet a delegation of local representatives to discuss the prospects for the Lincoln Eastern Bypass project.

      Travel: Concessions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to provide special grant payments to travel concession authorities to fund the national concessionary travel scheme beyond March 2011.

  • Treasury

    • Departmental Internet

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Minister in his Department authorised the launch of the Spending Challenge website.

    • Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 9 July on his constituent, Mr A Burny.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 26 July on his constituent, Mr J Dewhurst.

  • Wales

    • Fast Jet Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on fast jet training in Wales.

    • Legislative Powers: National Assembly

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the Government will make it their policy to support the granting of additional legislative powers to the National Assembly for Wales.

  • Women and Equalities

    • Age: Discrimination

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent representations she has received on whether increases in travel insurance premiums from the age of retirement constitute age...

    • Departmental Consultants

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the (a) average and (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by the Government Equalities Office was in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Official Hospitality

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in (a) May and (b) June 2010.

      Equalities and Human Rights Commission

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many complaints of (a) sex, (b) race and (c) disability discrimination at work have been made by staff of the Equalities and Human Rights...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Departmental Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its predecessor spent on (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement...

    • Departmental Billing

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

      Departmental Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive...

      Departmental Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to increase the involvement of young members of the public in the making of decisions that affect them by (a)...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department contributed to each carer's charity it funds in each of the last 12 months.

      Housing Benefit: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Coventry South constituency and (b) the West Midlands who would be affected by...

      Housing Benefit: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average change in the amount of benefit received by each claimant in (a) Coventry South constituency and (b)...

      International Pension Centre: Translation Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the International Pension Centre spent on translation and interpretation in each of the last five financial years for which figures...

      Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the geographic direct dial phone number for the Jobcentre Plus area benefits office at James Watt Way, Crawley is; and what estimate he...

      Pensioners: Leeds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to reduce the level of pensioner poverty in (a) Leeds North West constituency and (b) Yorkshire; and if he will...

      Pensioners: Leeds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Leeds North West constituency receive (a) the basic state pension and (b) pension credit.

      Pensioners: Poverty

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

      Personal Accounts Delivery Authority: Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons are for the increase in expenditure on travel by the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority between 2007-08 and 2008-09.

      Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit claimants receiving only national insurance contribution credits received a benefit sanction in 2009-10.

      Social Security Benefits: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Information Commissioner on the proposal for use of credit ratings agencies to monitor benefit recipients'...

      State Retirement Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of the full state retirement pension have accrued less than the full number of entitlement years by means of...

      Winter Fuel Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners were in receipt of the winter fuel payment on the date of each increase to the payment since its inception.

      Winter Fuel Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what future rate of winter fuel payments he plans for people aged (a) 60 years or over and (b) 80 years or over.

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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