Written answers

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

  • Wales

    • Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has spent on (a) salaries and (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

  • Northern Ireland

    • Economic Situation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on economic development in Northern Ireland.

    • Economic Situation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on measures to promote economic growth in Northern Ireland.

      Corporation Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on corporation tax policy in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a...

      Royal Irish Regiment and Irish Guards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on steps to mark the return to Northern Ireland of the Royal Irish...

      Credit Unions: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and (b) Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment...

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Animal Welfare: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's funding allocation for animal health is for each of the next four financial years.

    • Biodiversity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the number of globally-threatened species present in (a) the UK, (b) England and (c)...

      Dairy Farming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the financial effects on dairy farmers of the implementation of the provisions of European...

      Departmental Public Bodies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform...

      Plantations: Carlisle

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the future of High Stand Plantation in Carlisle constituency.

      Severn Estuary: Land

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many permissions have been given by the Environment Agency for the conversion of land on the Severn Estuary into wetland...

  • Attorney-General

    • Departmental Procurement

      To ask the Attorney-General how many procurement projects with a monetary value greater than (a) £10 million, (b) £50 million and (c) £100 million (i) the Law Officers'...

    • Departmental Rail Travel

      To ask the Attorney-General how many and what proportion of civil servants in the Law Officers' Departments are entitled to travel first class by rail within the UK.

      Serious Fraud Office

      To ask the Attorney-General what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on proposals to separate the investigation and prosecution functions of the Serious...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Affordable Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to increase the availability of affordable housing (a) in Oxford and (b) nationally.

    • Bowling: Facilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the safeguarding of facilities for crown green and lawn bowling.

      Community Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) whether the community right to build programme will include (a) renovations and (b) continuations of previously halted...

      Disabled Facilities Grants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the potential demand for disabled facilities grants.

      First Time Buyers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to help first-time home buyers.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Alcoholic Drinks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on the contents of Ministerial drinks cabinets since 12 May 2010.

    • Arts Council England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding Arts Council England allocated per head of population in the Skipton and Ripon constituency in the latest...

      Arts Council England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding Arts Council England allocated per head of population in the (a) Craven local authority area, (b) Harrogate...

      Bowling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has made an estimate of the number of (a) crown green bowling and (b) lawn bowling facilities that have closed in...

      Digital Broadcasting: North Yorkshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department allocated to promoting digital television switchover in North Yorkshire in the latest period for which...

      Humanitarian Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department budgeted for humanitarian assistance to people in the UK affected by major incidents in (a) 2009-10...

      Humanitarian Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any resources have been allocated to his Department's Humanitarian Assistance Unit to support UK nationals affected by...

      Humanitarian Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any resources have been allocated to his Department's Humanitarian Assistance Unit to support UK nationals affected by...

      Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which Minister is to propose the Olympic Truce resolution at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

      Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of special event orders needed in each London borough to facilitate the holding of...

      Tourism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of his tourism strategy on (a) seaside towns, (b) rural communities and (c)...

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Alcoholic Drinks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on the contents of ministerial drinks cabinets since 12 May 2010.

    • Business Link

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for future funding of Business Link; and if he will make a statement.

      Business: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the level of savings to the public purse which will result from a reduction in administration costs...

      Companies House: Enforcement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the outcome was of the investigation into the enforcement by Companies House of the provisions of sections 409 and 410 of...

      Dairy Products

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to support the development of export markets for UK dairy producers (a) in the Far East and China...

      Departmental Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether receipts from the sale of assets owned by regional development agencies are reflected in the spending plans of his...

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what expenditure (a) his Department and (b) each public body sponsored by his Department incurred on engaging external audit...

      East of England Development Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what options he is considering for the disposal of the assets and liabilities of the East of England Development Agency; and on...

      Environment Protection: Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support growth in levels of employment in (a) remanufacturing and (b) other...

      Environment Protection: Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage businesses to invest in environmental projects.

      Higher Education: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the reputational effects of the use of funds from (a) Libya, (b) former Nazi sources and (c)...

      Higher Education: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will (a) draw-up and (b) promulgate a code of practice for higher education establishments in respect of the use of funds...

      Micro-business Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with interested parties on micro-business regulation.

      Northwest Regional Development Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the economy of the North West Regional Development Agency's rural development...

      Overseas Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which foreign-owned companies based in (a) Brazil, (b) Russia, (c) India and (d) China have made the largest contributions to...

      Professional Organisations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the merits of introducing mandatory membership of independent professional bodies for professionals working in...

      Regional Development Agencies: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value is of the residual assets of regional development agencies that have been transferred to the Homes and...

  • Justice

    • Court Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for enforcement orders in respect of contact orders under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 were granted to parents in 2009.

    • Legal Advice and Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many family law matter starts the Legal Services Commission allocated when the initial results of the 2010 family law tender were announced; and how...

      Legal Advice and Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints the Legal Services Commission has recorded from (a) members of the judiciary, (b) hon. Members, (c) legal services providers and...

      Legal Services Commission: Complaints

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints the Legal Services Commission has (a) received and (b) recorded and dealt with within (i) three, (ii) 10 and (iii) 14 working days...

      Legal Services Commission: Complaints

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance the Legal Services Commission follows in determining what constitutes a complaint made (a) to the Commission and (b) about its services;...

      Prisoners: Mass Media

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 463W, on prisoners: mass media, which (a) external and (b) internal stakeholders were...

      Stress

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements are in place in his Department to (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such stress.

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on increasing the area of secure zone in Afghanistan beyond Kabul.

    • Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to prepare for any spring offensive by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

      Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the likely force density of UK troops in Afghanistan in 2015.

      Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of trends in the performance of the Afghan National Security Forces.

      Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the new runway at Camp Bastion to enter into service; and what types of aircraft he expects it to be able to accommodate.

      Armed Forces: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the assistance given to soldiers to prepare them for life upon return from tours of duty.

      Army: Military Bases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the changes to existing UK bases required in order to accommodate troops scheduled to return from Germany under the...

      Departmental Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many staff of his Department have been questioned as part of the inquiry established to determine responsibility for the unauthorised...

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions he has had with the Comptroller and Auditor General on the methodology of the National Audit Office for calculating the unfunded...

      HMS Gannet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) payroll and (b) running costs of the HMS Gannet search and rescue flight were in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10; and what the estimate is of...

      Indonesia: Foreign Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the state of defence and security relations between the UK and Indonesia; and if he will make a statement.

      Nuclear Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the logistics plan for implementing the reduction in nuclear weapons numbers announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review to be...

      Rescue Services: Helicopters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many search and rescue helicopters are in operation (a) nationally and (b) at each base; on which date each helicopter was first used; and if he...

      Strategic Defence and Security Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the new employment model announced in the strategic defence and security review; what assessment he has made of the likely effects...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account he has taken of the Compact between the Government and Civil Society in policy development.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Alcoholic Drinks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on the contents of ministerial drinks cabinets since 12 May 2010.

    • Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to take into account the needs of people with autism in designing the assessment procedure for the personal independence payment.

      Child Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will undertake research to establish the number of children who live in separated families for whom effective arrangements are in place.

      Childcare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people he expects to receive payments for childcare from the public purse to cover (a) 90 per cent. or more, (b) 80 per cent. or...

      Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on (a) salaries and (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

      Disability Living Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely number of people affected by his proposal to change the qualifying period for disability living...

      Disability Living Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for the mobility component of disability living allowance were made by residents of care homes in the London borough of...

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what period of time people eligible for employment and support allowance (ESA) will receive additional transitional payments where their...

      Employment Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people worked on the enforcement of employment rights and related protections in the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last...

      Poverty and Social Exclusion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) with reference to the conclusions of the 3037th Employment, Social, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting on the European Platform...

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by Remploy on hotel and conference facilities in each year since 2005.

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people Remploy employment services has assisted to find (a) part-time and (b) full-time employment lasting more than (i) three...

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's impact assessment on fraud penalties and sanctions, how many cases resulting in (a) a £350 minimum...

      Social Security Benefits: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the effect on levels of access by children to payments under (a) the proposal made of payment to couple families with...

      Social Security Benefits: Pay Methods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each postcode area of Truro and Falmouth constituency were paid benefits of each type by girocheque in the latest period for...

      Stress

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place in his Department to (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with...

      Unemployment: Bexley

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency who have been out of work for more than 12 months.

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost in administration incurred in dividing payments of universal credit between both partners in two-couple households...

      Universal Credit: Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of universal credit on equality between men and women.

      Welfare State: Reform

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) with reference to paragraph 31 of his Department's impact assessment on conditionality measures in the Welfare Reform Bill what...

      Winter Fuel Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many winter fuel payments were made to households in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Teesside and (d) Middlesbrough South and East...

      Yorkshire and the Humber

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what plans he has to reduce the number of staff in the employment service in Sheffield in the next three years; and what information on...

  • Transport

    • ATOL Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of those buying flight-based holidays who will be protected under the revised ATOL scheme.

    • Brighton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.

      Cardiff-Ebbw Vale Railway Line: Electrification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the statement of 1 March 2011, Official Report, columns 185-87, on Intercity Express and rail electrification, what plans he has for the...

      Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in January and February 2011.

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what expenditure (a) his Department and (b) each public body sponsored by his Department incurred on engaging external audit services in each of the...

      Departmental Public Bodies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10W, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate...

      Fuels: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the effect of rising oil prices on the take-up of hybrid vehicles.

      Highways Agency: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the level of savings arising from better management of Highways Agency contracts in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c)...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish his Department's impact assessment in respect of the reduction in local government resource grants.

      Railways: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people (a) have applied for the Exceptional Hardship Fund (EHS) associated with High Speed Two and (b) have been approved for the EHS in (i)...

      Railways: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of crime at each rail station in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Solihull constituency were reported in each of the last five years.

      Railways: Electrification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for how long he expects the Severn Tunnel to be closed during electrification of the Great Western Main Line; and at what stage during the...

      Railways: Fares

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the level of fare evasion on passenger rail services operated by London Midland Trains for each of the last five years.

      Railways: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Mayor for London and (b) train operators on the overcharging of passengers using Oyster pay-as-you-go...

      Railways: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers using Oyster pay-as-you-go cards have been overcharged on London rail services in the last 12 months for which figures are...

      Renewables Fuel Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what (a) costs will be incurred and (b) savings will be made from abolishing the Renewables Fuel Agency in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii)...

      Rescue Services: Helicopters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had on the provision of search and rescue helicopters.

      Rescue Services: Helicopters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had on potential long-term procurement options for search and rescue helicopters; and if he will make a statement.

      Roads: Bedfordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date he expects Central Bedfordshire Council to have received additional funding to repair potholes on roads in its area; and how much it will...

      Roads: Noise

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that resurfacing of the A19 near Elwick, Teesside is undertaken with materials that help to reduce the noise of traffic.

      Severn River Crossing: Tolls

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on arrangements for collection of Severn Crossing tolls after the end of the...

      Severn River Crossing: Tolls

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to transfer responsibility for the collection of tolls on the Severn Crossing to the Welsh Assembly Government after the end...

      Severn River Crossing: Tolls

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether revenue from tolls on the Severn Crossing will be hypothecated for any purpose after the end of the current concession.

      West Coast Railway Line: Rolling Stock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 14 March 2011, Official Report, column 106W, on the West Coast Railway Line: rolling stock, what assessment his Department...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Burma: Elections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the conduct of the recent elections in Burma.

    • Council of Ministers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the forthcoming UK Chairmanship of the Council of Europe's...

      Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department is providing to the Democratic Republic of Congo in preparation for its presidential and...

      Iran: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the removal of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani from a clerical assembly in Iran; and what assessment he...

      Iran: Sanctions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the effectiveness of the Iranian sanctions programme imposed by the international...

      Japan: Natural Disasters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Japanese counterpart in relation to the recent earthquake and tsunami.

      Libya

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff of his Department have been (a) sent to and (b) evacuated from Libya in the last three weeks.

      Libya: British Nationals Abroad

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made provision for UK nationals who have elected to stay in Libya to receive consular advice should they require it.

      Libya: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the decision was taken to hold the COBR meeting on Libya on 24 February 2011.

      Mexico: Smuggling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on (a) sale of weapons to drugs gangs in Mexico and (b) importing of...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the firing of shells by Hamas into the Eshkol region, of Israel on 19 March 2011; whether he...

      Middle East: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with the Arab League on the firing of shells and rockets by Hamas into Israel; and if he...

      Middle East: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent pro-democracy protests in (a) the Middle East and (b) North Africa; what discussions he...

      Palestinians: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the presence of al-Qaeda in the Gaza Strip; what recent discussions he has had with (a)...

      South Korea: Bears

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the South Korean government to seek an end to the practice of farming bears for bile.

      Sudan: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the human rights situation in Darfur.

      Syria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of his recent visit to Syria; whether he discussed (a) the progress of and (b) Syrian support for the...

      Syria: Nuclear Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of Syria's nuclear programme; what recent discussions he has had with (a) the government of...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account he has taken of the Compact between the Government and Civil Society in policy development.

      Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department provided to each charity it funds in each of the last five years; and how much he has allocated for...

      Turks and Caicos Islands: Nature Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department allocated to the Turks and Caicos Natural Trust in each of the last five years.

      Venezuela: Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the situation of trade unionists in Venezuela.

  • International Development

    • Burma: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department had discussions with Aung San Suu Kyi on its policy on aid to Burma.

    • Burma: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department provides funding to the Women's League of Burma.

      Charities

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department provided to each charity it funds in each of the last five years; and how much he has allocated for funding to...

      Turks and Caicos Islands: Nature Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated to the Turks and Caicos Natural Trust in each of the last five years.

      World Bank: Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1094W, on development countries: energy, if he will place in the...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Average Earnings

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the average wage of employees of businesses with more than 10 employees of each (a) gender and (b) age group for those in (i)...

    • Census

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has for the presentation of data resulting from those who have chosen to write in a religion on their 2011 Census form.

      Charities: Finance

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which charities applied for but did not receive funding from the Transitional Fund.

      Charities: Finance

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been allocated from the Transitional Fund (a) to charities operating in each region and (b) to each type of charity.

      Charity Commission: Manpower

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people the Charity Commission employed in each of the last five years; and how many people he expects it to employ in each of the next five years.

      Migration

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people migrated (a) to and (b) from the UK in each of the last five years; and how many are expected to migrate (i) to and (ii) from the UK...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Department gave to the youth volunteering charity v in each of the last five years.

      Third Sector

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent representations he has received from (a) Volunteering England and (b) Citizens Advice on the effects on the voluntary sector of recent...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the position of England in international comparator tables on levels of (a) volunteering and (b) State support for the...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of social enterprise activity in each region.

      Transitional Fund

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what date the Transitional Fund was (a) opened and (b) closed.

      Unemployment: Bexley

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of workless households in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London borough of Bexley.

      Voluntary Work: Young People

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to establish a national citizen service for all ages.

      Volunteering England: Finance

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much funding was allocated to Volunteering England in each of the last five years; and how much such funding he plans to allocate in each of the...

  • Home Department

    • Crime: Devon

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of levels of (a) violent crime and (b) domestic violence in South Devon in each of the last three years.

    • Detention Centres: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date she expects to end the practice of detaining children of failed asylum seekers.

      Detention Centres: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will introduce a formal time limit on the detention of children in Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre; (2) if she will...

      Detention Centres: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many families have been separated when one parent is held in immigration detention while their children or spouses stay in the...

      Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of (a) Brazilian, (b) Russian, (c) Indian and (d) Chinese nationals resident in the UK.

      Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to ensure that police receive adequate (a) funding and (b) training to be able to recognise and deal with...

      Immigration: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) letters, (b) emails and (c) other items of correspondence her Department has received on immigration issues in the last 12 months.

      Sexual Offences: Males

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will (a) assess the adequacy of provision of specialist support for males who have been subject to sexual violence and (b) take...

      Traffic Wardens

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) traffic enforcement officers, (b) traffic wardens and (c) council parking attendants were operating in each police force area...

  • Education

    • Capita

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many contracts his Department has with Capita; and how much it has paid to Capita under such contracts in 2010-11 to date.

    • Child Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into development in childhood and well-being.

      Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated research on childhood friendship bonds.

      Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of (a) maintained and (b) private, voluntary and independent full day childcare settings in the west midlands were...

      Children: Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department (a) has issued to schools since October 2010 and (b) plans to issue to schools in the next six months on reducing...

      Children: Well-being

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the relative position of the UK in international comparator tables on the well-being of children.

      Drugs: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate has been made of the proportion of children under 15 in each region who have (a) used cannabis and (b) been sexually active in the last...

      Education Maintenance Allowance: Birmingham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in (a) Birmingham, Ladywood constituency and (b) Birmingham in receipt of education maintenance allowance (EMA) will have their EMA...

      Educational Psychology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assistance his Department provides to educational psychologists.

      Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the issue of conflicts in the family.

      Free Schools: Ilford

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Transport the traffic implications associated with the establishment of a free school at the...

      Higher Education: Sports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans (a) he and (b) each Minister in his Department has to visit specialist sports colleges in the next three months.

      Literacy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the adult literacy rate was for each (a) region, (b) local authority area and (c) parliamentary constituency in the latest period for which...

      Pre-school Education: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what research into early years education his Department is providing funding.

      Private Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many independent schools applied to become (a) academies and (b) free schools in the last year for which figures are available.

      Schools: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2011, Official Report, column 867W, on the North East, what method of transport he used to travel to the three...

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in England and Wales providing specialist services for students with disabilities provide such services exclusively for children aged...

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to his Green Paper on special educational needs, which items of guidance to schools and local authorities he plans to withdraw.

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on special needs education.

      Special Educational Needs: Redditch

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) special needs schools and (b) children attending special needs schools there are in Redditch constituency.

      Special Educational Needs: South West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many children and young people at each age up to 19 in (a) North Somerset, (b) Bath and North East Somerset, (c) Somerset, (d) the City...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department are participating in volunteering activities as part of his Department's involvement in the big...

      Truancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the position of England in international comparator rates for truancy.

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer Question (a) (i) 28050 and (ii) 28051, tabled on 29 November 2010 and (b) 28761, tabled on 1 December 2010, on school sports...

  • Women and Equalities

    • Civil Partnerships

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals to enable civil partnerships to take place in religious settings; whether she plans to...

    • Stress

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what arrangements are in place in her Department to (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such...

      Women

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities who attended the pre-commission on the Status of Women briefing organised by the Government Equalities Office in January 2011; and which organisations...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Departmental Plants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since his appointment.

    • Departmental Public Bodies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the UK Chemical Weapons...

      Departmental Stationary

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of his departmental stationery comes from recycled or sustainable sources.

      Electricity: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria his Department plans to use to assess the costs and benefits of the roll-out of smart meters.

      Renewable Energy: British Overseas Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on (a) solar energy and (b) tidal energy projects in British Overseas Territories in each of the...

      Renewable Energy: Heating

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department made of the number of properties which would be affected by roll-out of the planned Renewable Heat...

      Renewable Energy: South West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the potential for (a) tidal power, (b) wind power and (c) solar power in renewable energy...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department provided to each charity it funds in each year since its inception; and how much he has allocated for funding...

  • Health

    • Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital accident and emergency departments in each strategic health authority did not meet the target of treating 98 per cent. of patients...

    • Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital accident and emergency departments in each strategic health authority have met the target to treat 95 per cent. of patients within four...

      Alcoholic Drinks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on the contents of Ministerial drinks cabinets since 12 May 2010.

      Ambulance Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on arrangements to improve liaison between ambulance services and other emergency responders; what...

      Departmental Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the change in the (a) volume and (b) monetary value of services provided by his Department which have been contracted out...

      Drugs: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding will be available for drug and alcohol services after April 2011; and what bodies will be responsible for such services.

      Epilepsy: Bexley

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the London Borough of Bexley were diagnosed with epilepsy in each of the last 10 years.

      Genito-urinary Medicine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown of 16 February 2011, Official Report, column 860W, on genito-urinary medicine, on what...

      Health Services: Yorkshire and the Humber

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of spending per head of population was in the (a) North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust area, (b) Bradford and Airedale Primary...

      Hospitals: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients (a) in each primary care trust area in the South West and (b) in each strategic health authority area were not treated within 18 weeks...

      Lung Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to develop outcome measures for lung cancer treatment.

      NHS: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-medical staff in each (a) salary range and (b) category of employment the NHS employed in each year since 2008.

      Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of NHS funding to treat morbid obesity which is provided for (a) medical solutions and (b) holistic approaches.

      Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the NHS is taking to enable obese individuals to take control of their own weight loss management.

      Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place in the NHS to support charities concerned with childhood obesity.

      Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of (a) men and (b) women in each socio-economic decile who are (i) overweight and (ii) obese.

      Parents: Advisory Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what help and support the NHS offers couples considering parenthood.

      Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to support professional societies in surgery and medicine in the development of surgical audits and patient outcome data; (2) if...

  • House of Lords

    • Afghanistan and Iraq: Civilian Deaths

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the total numbers to date of civilian deaths and injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan; and how many of those injured or killed were children.

    • Agriculture: Single Farm Payments

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether arrangements are in place to employ sufficient staff to carry out manual checking of single farm payments applications if there is a risk that they will...

      Airports: Thames Estuary

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the proposal by the Mayor of London to build a new airport in the Thames estuary.

      Armed Forces: Aircraft

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times in the past five years Royal Air Force fighter planes have been scrambled to intercept aircraft from foreign powers as they approached United...

      Armed Forces: Foot Patrol

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the maximum proportion of bodyweight that infantry soldiers carried on long distance marches while deployed during the Falkland Islands conflict.

      Armed Forces: Joint Military Exercise

      To ask Her Majesty's Government with which countries they plan to do joint military exercises.

      Armed Forces: Medals

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a serving British prison officer in Afghanistan is entitled to a campaign medal.

      Armed Forces: Redundancy

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the inquiry by the Secretary of State for Defence into the notification of Armed Forces personnel regarding their redundancies is complete; and whether it...

      Armed Forces: Seriously Injured Personnel

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of medical evacuations from Afghanistan in each of the past five years was as a result of musculoskeletal injuries.

      Bahrain

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the United Nations special procedures to make a statement on the alleged enlistment of foreign mercenaries to support the...

      Banks: Stress Tests

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HM Treasury or the Financial Services Authority were consulted on the assumption underlying the stress tests due to be conducted by the European Banking...

      Benefits: Disability

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take into account the findings of the report endorsed by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services DLA mobility: sorting the facts...

      Big Society

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether have issued any guidance to Ministers on how they should promote the big society agenda as individuals.

      Broadcasting: Smoking

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will require broadcasters to warn viewers when smoking is featured in a broadcast.

      Census

      To ask Her Majesty's Government why the 2011 census question on ethnic group in England and Wales had five options for "White" when the Scottish version had nine options which included Polish,...

      Children: Sexual Exploitation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will ratify the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

      Civil Service: Education and Training

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review (a) the staffing of the National School for Government, (b) its accommodation, and (c) the education and training which it delivers.

      Consumer Prices Index

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to issue bonds linked to the consumer price index.

      Cybermoor Ltd

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Wilcox on 19 October (WA 142), in light of the fact that they do not have the information requested, on what information...

      Employment: Work Programme

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the contracted volumes for the Work Programme are re-adjusted to remain in line with changing Office for Budget Responsibility economic predictions.

      Environment: Policy

      To ask Her Majesty's Government from which institutions they will obtain independent advice on environmental policies following the proposed abolition of the Royal Commission on Environmental...

      European Communities Act 1972

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Verma on 8 March (Official Report, col. 1518-20) concerning the decision of the European Court of Justice on insurance and...

      Food: Allergies

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned into the possible links between mutation in the gene filaggrin and peanut allergies.

      Gibraltar

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what legal obstacles there are to self-determination for the citizens of Gibraltar.

      Gibraltar

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a referendum on independence is the sole means by which the citizens of Gibraltar may obtain independence from the United Kingdom.

      Government Departments: Energy Certificates

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what level of display energy certificate was awarded to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport office at 2-4 Cockspur Street in each of the past three years.

      Government Departments: Records

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many files in each department have been held for more than 30 years and are not available to the public.

      Government Departments: Records

      To ask Her Majesty's Government which department holds the file that has been kept confidential for the longest; and for how long it has been kept.

      Government: Policy

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the statement by the Prime Minister made on Al Jazeera TV that "I don't believe an in/out referendum is right, because I don't believe that leaving the...

      Gypsies and Travellers

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the slow progress on site provision for Gypsies and Travellers identified in the Equality and Human Rights Commission's...

      Higher Education: Funding

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students studying full-time in higher education currently receive support for living costs through government grants and loans; and what is the total...

      Immigration

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact of the measures taken by the French authorities to inhibit the movement of potential illegal immigrants from the Calais...

      Inflation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government why the United Kingdom has the third highest rate of inflation in the G20; and what action is being taken to lower it.

      Iraq: Camp Ashraf

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 9 March (WA 410), whether they will ask the United Kingdom ambassador to Iraq to establish the...

      Iraq: Camp Ashraf

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 9 March (WA 410), what is the proper title, purpose, membership and position within government of the...

      Israel and Palestine

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel regarding the condition of the village of Abu Al Ajaj in Area C of the Jordan Valley.

      Ivory Coast

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the situation in Côte d'Ivoire.

      Justice: Compensation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what budget provision they have made to meet compensation claims from those refused legal aid who subsequently take their case to the European Court of Human...

      Justice: Local Criminal Justice Boards

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will issue guidance that defence solicitors should be represented on local criminal justice boards to ensure that the boards are fully representative...

      Michael Savage

      To ask Her Majesty's Government on what grounds Michael Savage is excluded from the United Kingdom; and under what legislation.

      NHS: Productivity

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the percentage figures for NHS productivity in 1996 and in each subsequent year.

      Palestine

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian leadership about the reported teaching of race hatred in Palestinian schools.

      Political Parties: Cranborne Money

      To ask the Leader of the House how much in "Cranborne money" was paid to the Liberal Democrat party from May 1997 to May 2010. To ask the Leader of the House how much in "Cranborne money" was...

      Railways: Light Rail Vehicles

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Earl Attlee on 3 March (Official Report, col. 1172), what are the issues of ride quality and other technical issues associated with light...

      Railways: Light Rail Vehicles

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Earl Attlee on 3 March (Official Report, col. 1173), what changes Network Rail made to the infrastructure in order to improve the ride...

      Republic of Ireland: Financial Support

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in any further discussions with the Government of the Republic of Ireland about possible loans to that government they will require any undertakings about...

      Salt Awareness Week

      To ask the Chairman of Committees what the House of Lords' catering services are doing to promote Salt Awareness Week.

      Schools: GCSEs

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hill of Oareford on 7 March (WA 374-5), why certain subjects are included in the English baccalaureate in order to encourage...

      Schools: GCSEs

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial impact they forecast the omission of music from the English baccalaureate will have on the United Kingdom's creative and cultural sector. To ask Her...

      Schools: Sex Education

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the merits of sex education in primary schools; and whether they plan to review it.

      Sex Offenders

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review information held about British nationals convicted of sexual offences both at home and abroad so that accurate lists of names and...

      Turkey

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Turkey about the extradition of Kevin Eugene O'Kane.

      Turks and Caicos Islands

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the causes of civil unrest in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

      Turks and Caicos Islands

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact civil unrest in Turks and Caicos Islands is having on local tourism.

      Uganda

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to assist the Government of Uganda in combating corruption.

      UN Summits

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what outcome they are seeking through their participation in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio +20 in 2012; and what consultations they...

      UN Summits

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their main objectives for Rio Earth Summit 2012; what preparations they are making for the summit; which departments are involved in preparing papers and...

      Voluntary and Community Sector

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision they propose to make available to voluntary and community organisations to help meet the costs of redundancy and severance payments incurred as a...

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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