Written answers

Thursday, 20 October 2011

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Creative Industries Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) on what dates the Creative Industries Council plans to meet; (2) what matters will be on the agenda of the next meeting...

    • Creative Industries Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the aims are of each group formed by the Creative Industries Council.

      Creative Industries Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many meetings he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss access to finance for...

      Cultural Heritage: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the cultural activities children are exposed to each week; and if he will make a statement.

      Departmental Meetings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many meetings he has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector...

      Public Libraries: Closures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many libraries have (a) closed and (b) had their opening hours reduced in each local authority since May 2010.

      Social Media

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what social media outlets his Department operates.

      St George’s Day

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support his Department gives to organisations celebrating St George’s Day.

  • Attorney-General

    • Charity Commission: Independent Schools Council

      To ask the Attorney-General how many meetings (a) he and (b) officials in the Law Officers' departments have had with (i) the Charity Commission and (ii) the Independent Schools Council since May...

    • Procurement

      To ask the Attorney-General how many meetings he has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d) small and medium-sized private...

  • Scotland

    • Departmental Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010.

  • Electoral Commission Committee

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if the Electoral Commission will place in the Library a copy of its most recent...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Adam Werritty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has met Mr Adam Werritty in the course of his ministerial duties; and, if so, for what purpose.

    • Audit Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to increase the transparency of public body auditors under his proposed new local audit framework.

      Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the level of funding available for local authorities from rateable values arising from the decision...

      Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects his Department plans in (i) the current and (ii) the next financial year; and...

      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; and at what cost in each year since 2007.

      Departmental Land

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the maintenance backlog on his Department's estate in each of the last five...

      Empty Property: Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of ending business rate relief for empty properties on private landlords in the...

      Empty Property: Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with representatives of the commercial property sector on business rates on empty properties.

      Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the number of empty properties owned by businesses of each size in (a) Witham constituency, (b) Essex and...

      Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many businesses are paying business rates on empty properties in each planning control class of use categorisation in (a)...

      Government Procurement Card

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) date of purchase, (b) gross amount and (c) supplier was in respect of each transaction undertaken by the Audit...

      Local Government: Bank Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps he is taking to support English local authorities owed money by Icelandic institutions; (2) what assistance he...

      Local Government: Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of local government employees likely to leave the local government pension scheme...

      Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what his Department's policy is on the use of the yield from business rates in an area as a general measure of that area's...

      Non-domestic Rates: Durham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his oral statement of 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 662-4, on local government finance, what modelling his...

      Non-domestic Rates: Durham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what correspondence he has had with Durham county council on the effects of his proposed scheme for localisation of business rates.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress his Department has made in eliminating pre-qualification questionnaires for procurements with a value of under...

      Redundancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have applied for capitalisation directives for redundancy payments; and how much each local authority...

  • Wales

    • Departmental Re-location

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants in her Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK.

    • Departmental Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in her Department.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many contracts her Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many contracts her Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value...

      Cyber-Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps her Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to her Department's estate; and if she will make a statement.

  • Transport

    • Crossrail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the cost of ensuring that Crossrail is compliant with the Railway (Interoperability) Regulations 2006.

    • Cycling: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate her Department has made of the number of traffic accidents involving cyclists (a) wearing and (b) not wearing high-visibility clothing in...

      Official Hospitality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has spent on hospitality for staff since May 2010.

      Departmental Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in her Department.

      Cyber-Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to her Department's estate; and if she will make a statement.

      Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations she has received on the future of local DVLA offices; and if she will make a statement.

      Driving under Influence: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to raise awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs.

      Driving under Influence: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what representations she has received on proposals to (a) introduce roadside drug testing devices and (b) increase sentences on people found...

      Driving: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many reviews of a driver's licence were initiated by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency due to receiving information from a third party...

      Motorways: Speed Limits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential effects of the proposed increase in the motorway speed limit on the level of (a) slight injuries, (b)...

      Roads: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will visit an accident and emergency department to discuss with medical staff the extent of injuries caused in crashes involving vehicles driven...

      Roads: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the (a) cost and (b) effect on privacy and liberty of the European Commission's recent...

      Roads: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contribution she expects the UK to make to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020; and if she will make a statement.

      Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much direct funding her Department has allocated to each civil society organisation in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e)...

      Trams: Edinburgh

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she last met the Scottish First Minister to discuss the Edinburgh tram project.

  • Defence

    • Army Cadet Force: Kent

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many cadets were enrolled in the Kent Army Cadet Force in each of the last five years; (2) how much funding per cadet his Department provided...

    • Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many military assistants his Department has employed in each year since 2004; (2) how much each military assistant received in salaries and...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the...

      Libya: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fire missions have been undertaken by Royal Navy warships against Libya land maritime targets in Operation Ellamy to date; and how many of these...

      Nato

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to learn lessons from Operation Unified Protector (a) in general and (b) in relation to the capacity of the UK and...

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Marine Pollution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will discuss with her New Zealand counterpart the likely environmental effects of the recent accident near the...

    • Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made in eliminating pre-qualification questionnaires for procurements with a value of under...

      Fisheries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the Scottish fishing industry.

      National Park Authorities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) who will be responsible for funding the pilot project for direct elections of representatives to the Peak District...

      National Watersure Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to make an announcement on funding for the National Watersure scheme.

      Natural Gas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will direct the Environment Agency to consider the implications of the (a) geology and (b) redundant mine-workings of...

      Whales: Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what representations she has made to the government of Iceland on the import of whale products into the UK; (2) what...

  • Home Department

    • Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment her Department has made of the effects of experiencing an extended period outside the labour market on the long-term...

    • Civil Disorder

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that police are able to deal with serious public order offences in the future.

      Crime: Victims

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of victims of crime who have reported crimes to the police have been kept informed of the progress of the police...

      Departmental Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many transport-related fines her Department has settled on behalf of its staff; and at what cost in each year since 2007.

      Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training (a) she and (b) other Ministers in her Department have undertaken since 12 May 2010.

      Departmental Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010.

      Economic Crime Unit

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces in England and Wales (a) had a specialist Economic Crime Unit in March 2010 and (b) are expected to have a specialist...

      Firearms

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce the availability of illegal firearms.

      Illegal Immigrants

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-UK citizens attempting to enter the UK illegally or clandestinely were apprehended at (a) the Port of Dover and (b) the Port of...

      Illegal Immigrants: Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals were found to be working illegally in Birmingham Ladywood constituency in the last 12 months for which figures are...

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on skills training for the UK workforce to meet...

      Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has considered requesting that the Ministry of Defence Police should be deployed to support the territorial police forces.

      Offensive Weapons: Sales

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with representatives of business regarding the sale of knives.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the law following the outcome of DPP v Oram to ensure respect for police...

      Police Federation of England and Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met the Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales.

      Police Federation of England and Wales: Civil Disorder

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations she received from the Police Federation on the risk of public disorder occurring in the last 12 months.

      Police: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each police authority area on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of these...

      Police: Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she gave to undertaking a public consultation on the change in the basis for indexation of police pensions from the retail...

      Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police station inquiry officers are eligible to receive the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal; and what criteria are used to assess...

      Vetting: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to introduce a right of appeal to an independent body in respect of the content of Criminal Records Bureau checks; and if...

  • Health

    • Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for his Department's planned consultation on abortion policy.

    • Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating people with alcohol-related health problems in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b)...

      Arthritis: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people with rheumatoid arthritis received treatment by a consultant-led multidisciplinary team that included physiotherapy in the...

      Cancer: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure co-ordination between Public Health England, local authorities and the NHS on the early diagnosis of cancer following...

      Ministerial Meetings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings he has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d) small and...

      Doctors: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-UK doctors and consultants were working in the NHS in the last year for which figures are available.

      Health Visitors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many health visitors have sought training in (a) children's wellbeing, (b) children's emotional development, (c) parenting and (d) the...

      Health Visitors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which early implementer health visiting sites were carrying out the practice of corporate working in the latest period for which figures are...

      Health Visitors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to incorporate the advice contained in “Educating Health Visitors for a Transformed Service” into the...

      Incontinence: Medical Equipment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions his Department has had with the NHS Business Services Authority on its research report into the supply of urology and stoma products.

      Incontinence: Medical Equipment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of Part IX of the Drug Tariff on patient choice of urology and stoma products; (2)...

      NHS Blood and Transplant

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the future of the NHS Blood and Transplant Service; and if he will make a statement

      NHS: Privatisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2011, Official Report, column 1011W, on health services: privatisation, what definition of privatisation his Department...

      NHS: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has spent on legal, accounting and other advisory fees when going through tendering processes in each of the last three years.

      NHS: Reorganisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether his planned reforms of the health service will result in the fragmentation of NHS services; and if he will make a...

      Nurses: Foreign Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure testing of the language and competence of nurses who have trained within the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

      Orthopaedics: Footwear

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have received treatment involving orthopaedic shoes in each of the last five years.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department is providing to low-income parents to assist with child care costs.

    • Child Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government Ministers on providing additional resources for mediation services in Scotland to...

      Child Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs have been included in the expected average administrative costs for processing an application under the new statutory child...

      Child Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) research and (b) analysis was undertaken by his Department on the effect different levels of charges levied on parents with care and...

      Child Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the (a) start-up and (b) ongoing administrative costs arising from (i) charging and collection of...

      Child Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for charges for low- income parents using the new statutory child maintenance system following the introduction of universal...

      Child Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the total administrative costs of a child maintenance case under the new statutory child maintenance system...

      Ministerial Meetings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many meetings he has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d) small...

      Disability Living Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) the UK were in receipt of disability living...

      Kinship Carers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to improve support for kinship carers.

      Kinship Carers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what meetings he has had with (a) kinship carers and (b) organisations representing kinship carers; and if he will publish the papers in...

      Pensions: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse arising from implementation of his proposed amendments 13 and 14 to the...

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit on the working age population, broken...

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the total monetary value of benefits that are unclaimed for each type of benefit in the last year for which...

      State Retirement Pensions: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of (a) women and (b) men in (i) East Hampshire constituency, (ii) Hampshire and (iii) the UK who will...

      Winterbourne View Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with (a) the Department of Health and (b) disabled people following the recent abuse of disabled people at...

  • International Development

    • Afghanistan: Reconstruction

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2011, Official Report, column 768W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what projects were funded...

    • Afghanistan: Reconstruction

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2011, Official Report, column 768W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what the proportion was of...

      Afghanistan: Roads

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which road projects in Afghanistan his Department has funded or part-funded in each year since 2001.

      British Overseas Territories: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to provide aid to British Overseas Territories and Dependants in the next 12 months.

      Charities: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has granted to (a) Oxfam, (b) UNICEF, (c) CAFOD, (d) WaterAid and (e) Christian Aid since May 2010.

      Departmental Re-location

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was...

      Cyber- Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

      Developing Countries: Infant Mortality

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent progress he has made towards meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing the under-five mortality rate to...

      EU Aid: Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid from the EU budget has been disbursed to trade unions in each of the last 10 financial years.

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria his Department uses to review a country's performance for the purposes of determining aid allocation; and how frequently...

      Sri Lanka: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department has given to Sri Lanka in each of the last 10 years.

      Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much direct funding his Department has allocated to each civil society organisation in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d)...

      Yemen: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department has given to Yemen in each of the last five years.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Duchy of Lancaster: Income

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the income was to the Duchy of Lancaster from property escheating to the Dukedom in each of the last 10 years.

    • Unemployment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the percentage change in the level of unemployment has been in each local authority area since May 2010.

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Voter Registration

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department spent on steps to encourage voter registration in each of the last five years; and how much funding he plans to allocate for such purposes...

    • Climate Change: International Co-operation

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he will attend the UN conference on climate change in Durban later this year.

      Electoral Registration

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the change in the level of electoral registration arising from the introduction of individual voter registration in Northern Ireland;...

      Electoral Registration

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the interim findings of the research project on electoral registration data sharing.

      Electoral Registration

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people were prosecuted for not completing an electoral registration form in each of the last three years.

      Electoral Registration

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with (a) electoral registration officers and (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on steps to improve the level of...

      Electoral Registration

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to increase the level of electoral registration on industrial estates and large factories in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK.

      Electoral Registration: Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will consider ring-fencing funding provided for electoral registration purposes.

      Electoral Registration: Young People

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to improve the voter registration rates among young people in or leaving care homes in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the security of Afghan interpreters who have worked with UK armed forces after the withdrawal of those...

    • Belarus: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage respect for human rights in Belarus.

      Capital Punishment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage (a) the United States and (b) member states of the Commonwealth to abolish the death penalty.

      Climate Change: Conferences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he has discussed the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban with the (a) US, (b) German, (c) Chinese and (d) Indian Governments.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value...

      Cyber-Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a...

      Domestic Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of changes to the rights of migrant domestic workers in circumstances where individuals flee a...

      Economic Situation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the economic benefits which have accrued to the UK as a result of his strategy to make his...

      Eurobonds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the implementation of any proposal by the European Commission to issue Eurobonds would require (a) a new treaty and (b)...

      European Union Act 2011

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 13 October 2011, Official Report, column 42WS, on European Union Act 2011, when...

      Foreign Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which countries the Government has held negotiations on bilateral investment treaties since May 2010; and with which...

      GCHQ: Location

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 382W, on GCHQ: location, if he will give a breakdown of the...

      Iceland: Whales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has made to the Government of Iceland on the International Agreements on Whaling; (2) what...

      Indigenous Peoples: Treaties

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had on ratification by the UK of (a) the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention 1989 and (b) the...

      Public Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to put in place a right to provide for public sector workers to take over the running of services; and...

      Roads: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many repatriations following injury of British citizens took place as a result of road accidents in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c)...

      Thailand: Roads

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with the Government of Thailand on road safety; and...

      Tourism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the age profile of UK tourists visiting foreign countries by country visited in each of...

      Tzipi Livni

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date it was agreed that the recent visit of Tzipi Livni should be given special mission status; and on what grounds the...

      Uganda: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Ugandan Government on reports of ritual child sacrifice in Uganda; and if he will make a...

  • Prime Minister

    • Climate Change: International Co-operation

      To ask the Prime Minister when he has discussed the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban with his (a) US, (b) German, (c) Chinese and (d) Indian counterpart.

    • Ministerial Meetings

      To ask the Prime Minister how many meetings he has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d) small and medium-sized private...

      G20

      To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will recommend plans to address the vulnerability of the international food system in his forthcoming global governance report to the G20; (2) what the...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Off-grid Households

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress he is making on ensuring that off-grid households have access to affordable heating fuels in the winter of 2011-12.

    • Domestic Energy Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the six largest energy companies on recent trends in domestic energy prices; and if he will...

      Energy Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to reduce prices for domestic energy consumers.

      Energy Market Competition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to encourage greater competition in the domestic energy market.

      Emissions: SMEs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assistance his Department provides to small and medium-sized businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

      Clair Ridge Oil Project

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the Prime Minister's announcement of 13 October 2011, on the Clair Ridge oil project, what steps he is taking to...

      Clair Ridge Oil Project

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the Prime Minister's announcement of 13 October 2011, on the Clair Ridge oil project, what steps he plans to take to...

      Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2011, Official Report, column 1251W, on departmental manpower, what was discussed at the meeting...

      Ministerial Meetings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many meetings he has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d)...

      Energy Supply: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to encourage energy companies to extend their offer of the Warm Home Discount to a greater number...

      Feed-in Tariffs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the payment of a feed-in tariff for renewable energy equipment supported by grant funding and contracted for...

      Fuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of the effect of fuel duty on economic growth;...

      Government Procurement Card

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction...

      Government Procurement Card

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by his Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller...

      Green Deal Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the role of installers in encouraging the uptake of the Green Deal by households; and if he will make a...

      Liquefied Petroleum Gas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department plans to take in respect of the Office of Fair Trading report into the liquefied petroleum gas industry.

      Natural Gas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the prospects for shale gas in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

      Nuclear Installations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the report by HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations, September 2011, on what date the most recent periodic...

      Nuclear Installations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what evaluation work has been undertaken within the generic design assessment process for prospective new nuclear reactors on (a)...

      Nuclear Installations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the implications for public safety of the potential for coincident damage to both a nuclear facility and...

      Nuclear Installations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the training provided to nuclear plant operators in enabling them to handle multiple...

      Nuclear Installations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps have been taken to enhance control room habitability at UK nuclear installations during severe accident conditions following...

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 10 November 2009, Official Report, column 219W, on renewable energy,...

      Renewables Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to announce his Department's Renewable Obligation Banding Review consultation.

      Usa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish the details of gifts, hospitality and expenses received by the Minister for Climate Change during his visit to...

      Wind Power: Energy Supply

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding his Department has provided for the development of onshore wind energy schemes in each of the last three years; and what...

  • Education

    • Children: Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision his Department has made for education for child victims of human trafficking.

    • Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the maintenance backlog on his Department's estate in each of the last five years; and what estimate...

      Departmental Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects his Department plans in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13; and what the cost of each such project will be.

      Departmental Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many transport-related fines his Department and its predecessors have settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2007; and at what cost.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress his Department has made in eliminating pre-qualification questionnaires for procurements with a value of under £100,000.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £1...

      Further Education: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2011, Official Report, column 1022W, on further education: transport, what assessment his Department has made of the...

      Government Procurement Card

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by his Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller machines from 2006-07...

      Students: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he expects to review the effectiveness of arrangements for home to school and college transport in 2011-12; and if so, when he expects to...

      Youth Services: Redundancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many youth workers he expects to take redundancy in each local authority in 2011-12.

  • Treasury

    • Business: Finance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total amount of capital that has been made available to (a) individual or household-focused community development finance...

    • Child Benefit: Eligibility

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reconsider the criteria for eligibility for child benefit.

      Child Benefit: Eligibility

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects on families of planned changes to the eligibility for child benefit.

      Food: Prices

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to raise the issue of food price volatility at the forthcoming G20 summit in Cannes.

      Pensioners: British Nationals Abroad

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the financial implications for his Department of a pensioner moving...

      Public Expenditure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review on service delivery by HM Revenue and Customs.

      Taxation: Scotland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the compliance costs for business as a result of changes to (a) income tax and (b) other taxation arrangements proposed in the Scotland Bill.

      VAT: Imports

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on abolishing low value consignment relief.

      VAT: Imports

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations his Department has received from (a) the authorities of Jersey and Guernsey and (b) businesses based in the Channel Islands regarding...

  • Justice

    • Civil Disorder

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of under-18- year olds arrested for public disorder offences were interviewed by police without either a lawyer or an...

    • Civil Disorder

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2011, Official Report, column 1338W, on civil disorder, what the (a) circumstances were and (b) location was of...

      Civil Disorder

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people have appeared before Camberwell Green magistrates court charged with an offence related to the public disorder of August 2011; (2)...

      Courts: Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was imposed in fines in each (a) region of HM Courts and Tribunals Service and (b) local criminal justice board area in each of the last four...

      Courts: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the cost of backlog maintenance of each court building in Wales.

      Courts: Witnesses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases were heard in each court in Wales between (a) January and March, (b) April and June and (c) July and September 2011; and on how many...

      Debt Collection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much revenue his Department received from (a) summons for debt, (b) liability orders and (c) applications by councils for debt summonses in the last...

      Freedom of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the public interest test is applied appropriately to the handling of requests for information under...

      Hillsborough Stadium

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister since his appointment on the unredacted release of the Hillsborough Cabinet minutes.

      Office of the Chief Coroner

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Members for Luton South and for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland of 13 September 2011, Official Report,...

      Prisons: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his most recent assessment is of education provision in prisons.

      Reoffenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people released from prison after serving a 12-month sentence or less were convicted of an offence within 12 months of their release in the last...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Government Procurement Card

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by his Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller machines from...

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Enterprise Zones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times (a) he and (b) his officials have met the Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science in the Welsh...

    • Advertising Protection Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has held recent discussions with the Advertising Protection Agency; and what was discussed.

      Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what measures he has introduced to encourage large employers to recruit apprentices in 2011; how many apprentices have been...

      Bankruptcy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to safeguard small and medium-sized enterprises from bankruptcy.

      Banks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the banking industry on the role of relationship managers in bank branches.

      Boats: EU Action

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what position he plans to adopt at the Working Party on Technical Harmonisation on 25 October 2011 in Brussels in respect of the...

      Business Link

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support he plans to make available for small and medium-sized businesses following the closure of Business Link.

      Business: Advisory Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many business mentors (a) had joined his Department's mentoring network and (b) were available to provide guidance to...

      Business: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish the Beecroft report commissioned by his Department into reducing the burden of regulation on businesses.

      Economic Growth: Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the modelling of economic growth potential of the Olympic host boroughs contained in the report by...

      Economic Growth: Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has (a) made to and (b) received from the Mayor of London on the economic growth of the Olympic host boroughs.

      Economic Growth: Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings he has had in the last 12 months on the economic growth of the Olympic host boroughs.

      Economic Growth: Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support economic growth in the London borough of (a) Barking and Dagenham, (b) Greenwich,...

      Education: English Language

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the length of waiting lists for English for Speakers of Other Languages courses for (a)...

      Education: English Language

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of learners who were in receipt of the fee remission for English for Speakers of Other Languages...

      Employment: Exhibitions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department provided support to the World Skills 2011 event held at the Excel Arena on 5 to 8 October 2011.

      Further Education: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve the provision and quality of advice on (a) personal budgets, (b) fees requirements...

      Further Education: Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of people granted refugee status who were claiming full fee remission for...

      Government Departments: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of reductions in central Government (a) capital expenditure and (b) procurement of...

      Higher Education: Birmingham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency in each ethnic group (a) applied to enter university and (b) were successful...

      Higher Education: Italy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the outcome was of the recent meeting between the Minister of State for Universities and Science and the Italian Education...

      Higher Education: Italy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the outcome was of his meeting with the Italian Minister for Education, Universities and Research to discuss the position of...

      Iceland: Debts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what advice his Department is providing to companies owed money by Icelandic financial institutions.

      Manufacturing Industries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to encourage growth in manufacturing output; and if he will make a statement.

      Manufacturing Industries: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage investment in the manufacturing industry in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands...

      Research Councils: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria his Department uses to make appointments to the governing councils of the research councils.

      Research Councils: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what remuneration his Department gives to people serving on the governing councils of the research councils; what expenses may be...

      Students: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled students have the opportunity to live in university accommodation that is...

      Technology Strategy Board

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what regional representation there is on the Technology Strategy Board; and how often it meets outside Wiltshire.

  • House of Lords

    • Banking: Iceland

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 20 July (WA 298), what are the duties of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme that require it to continue...

    • Banks: Lending

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Prime Minister at Prime Minister's Question Time on 12 October, how are they "forcing the banks to lend".

      Climate Change

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are consulting the responsible United Nations technical agencies about plans to initiate geo-engineering climate-related field experiments in the...

      Cyclists: Accidents

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Atlee on 4 October (WA 206), and in the light of the 7 per cent rise in cyclist deaths in 2010, what change to the number of...

      Economy

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on local economies of significant redundancies made by local authorities.

      Economy: Growth

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to promote economic growth in the East Midlands.

      EU: Imports and Exports

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with European Union partners to relax rules of origin in order to encourage imports from Africa.

      EU: Renewable Energy

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their planning and assessment of renewable energy investments and operations are co-ordinated with other countries in Europe and with the European Commission.

      Finance: Investors

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 3 October (WA 163) concerning the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the case of United States v Michael...

      Health: Cancer

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of savings made by, and the cost of reforms to, the National Health Service on the number of clinical nurse specialist...

      Higher Education: Mathematical Sciences

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what was their response to the letter from the Department of Mathematics of the University of Cambridge, dated 20 September, and headed "the future of the...

      Higher Education: Tuition Fees

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average tuition fee charged by British universities to (a) students from the United Kingdom, and (b) students from other European Union countries.

      House of Lords: Mobile Phones

      To ask the Chairman of Committees whether he will consider placing notices at all entrances to the Chamber reminding Members and visitors to switch off their mobile phones before entering.

      News International Ltd

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether payments made by News International to alleged victims of unauthorised hacking and their associates, including legal advisers, will, all other factors...

      Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of all the correspondence which the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has had with the Northern...

      Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 3 October (WA 133), whether the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission sought advice from the Northern...

      Railways: Procurement

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether officials at the Department for Transport telephoned employees of the preferred bidder in the Thameslink rolling stock contract at least eight times on the...

      Railways: Rolling Stock

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether offers by transport authorities to fund and own passenger rolling stock will be included as acceptable in a new passenger franchise tender process.

      Severe Winter Weather

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions Ministers have had with Network Rail and the train operating companies on dealing with heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures this winter.

      Taxation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are studying whether a financial transaction tax could have beneficial effects through slowing down the rate of transactions and thereby making...

      Vehicles: Semi-trailers

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether subcontractors appointed to monitor the results of the trial of longer semi-trailers will not be people previously engaged in justifying the trial or...

      Vehicles: Semi-trailers

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether foreign-registered trailers will be included in the trial of longer semi-trailers.

      Wales: Traffic Commissioner

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have had any discussions with Welsh Ministers on the establishment of a traffic commissioner based in Wales; and, if so, what was their outcome.

      Women: Political System

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the United Kingdom participated in the high-level event on 19 September at the United Nations General Assembly which was attended by women political...

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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