Written answers

Thursday, 27 October 2011

  • Health

    • Contraceptives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of contraception provision his Department estimates will be provided by general practitioners through the GP contract under his proposals...

    • Diabetes: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to prevent the onset of diabetes in young people.

      Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what definition of domestic violence his Department uses; and whether there are any qualifications of that definition in respect of particular services...

      Health Services: Overseas Visitors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to prevent health tourism.

      Influenza: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the conclusions of the Health Protection Agency's study on the cost-effectiveness of extending influenza vaccination to (a) healthy...

      Ipswich Hospital: Private Finance Initiative

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the (a) cost, (b) date of commencement and (c) duration of each private finance initiative contract with the Garrett Anderson Centre at...

      Postnatal Depression: Huddersfield

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess recent trends in rates of women suffering from post-natal depression in Huddersfield.

      Primary Care Trusts: Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for property owned by primary care trusts following their closure.

      Sex: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what powers his Department will have in respect of a local authority which opts not to commission abortion services after the implementation of his...

      Social Enterprises

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had about promoting social enterprises within his Department's area of responsibility in each month since May 2010; and if he will...

  • Transport

    • Departmental Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost to her Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what...

    • Departmental Magazine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department produces a staff magazine; and with what frequency.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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 Transport how many contracts her Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts;...

      Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what definition of domestic violence her Department uses; and whether there are any qualifications of that definition in respect of particular services...

      Invalid Vehicles: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress her Department has made in considering responses to its consultation on proposed changes to the law governing powered mobility scooters...

      Railways: Snow and Ice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many de-icing vehicles she estimates will be available for use on the third-rail electrified network on 1 November 2011.

      Railways: Snow and Ice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on which train operating companies have arrangements to carry emergency blankets and supplies on trains during...

  • Scotland

    • Departmental Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 996W, on departmental correspondence, who he plans to invite to his proposed series...

    • Family Intervention Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the funding allocated to the family intervention programme for families with multiple problems will be allocated to the Scottish...

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether mineral extractors are continuing to pay into the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund after its discontinuation; and...

    • Agriculture: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what proportion of the workforce in the farming and agricultural sector is aged between 18 and 25; (2) what the change...

      Bats

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to protect the (a) greater and (b) lesser Horseshoe bat.

      British Waterways: Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what are the British Waterways pension past service liabilities in respect of (a) retired personnel and (b) staff who...

      Common Agricultural Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations (a) she and (b) officials in her Department made during discussions with her international counterparts...

      Common Fisheries Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals she has made to the European Commission on amending the common fisheries policy.

      Dairy Farming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential environmental effects of dairy farmers switching to beef production.

      Dairy Farming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to provide assistance for dairy farmers.

      Legal Opinion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average hourly rate paid was to external (a) solicitors and (b) barristers engaged by her Department in 2010-11;...

      Dolphins and Whales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of (a) dolphin and (b) whale catching undertaken by other EU member states.

      Fish Farming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of the oyster dredging industry.

      Fish Farming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk of potential pathogens spreading from fish farms into natural fish stocks.

      Fly-tipping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of fly- tipping.

      Food: Nature Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential effects of trends in wild food foraging on habitat conservation and biodiversity.

      Food: Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the level of food waste.

      Inland Waterways: Bridges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many bridges cross inland waterways managed by British Waterways.

      Inland Waterways: Bridges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the bridges that cross inland waterways managed by British Waterways carry highways that are the responsibility...

      Inland Waterways: Bridges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the need for repair and maintenance to bridges that cross inland waterways managed by British...

      Inland Waterways: Bridges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of repairs and maintenance to bridges that cross inland waterways managed by British Waterways that carry...

      International Whaling Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to support the International Whaling Commission to conserve and manage whale stocks.

      Pesticides

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what methodology her Department applies the precautionary principle in Article 174 of the EC Treaty in relation to...

      Pesticides

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes have been made to pesticide risk assessment for pollinators test processes since the publication of her...

      Pesticides

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated in the monitoring of residues of glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium...

      Rivers: Pollution Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Environment Agency has taken to ensure that standards are adhered to in respect of consents on package sewage...

      Septic Tanks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress her Department has made on its review of the registration of septic tanks.

      Sharks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of basking sharks in UK waters in each of the last five years.

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to encourage the (a) EU delegation and (b) African group at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate...

    • Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount and (c) supplier was of each transaction undertaken by his Department using the Government...

      Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of people eligible for the warm home discount who will not be paid the discount as a result of...

      Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to require energy companies to pay the warm home discount to all their customers who are eligible to receive it...

      Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his contribution of 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 945, on energy prices, (1) whether his Department has made...

      Nuclear Energy Co-operation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has contributed to the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Co-operation in financial year 2011-12.

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Departmental Private Finance Initiative

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish the (a) cost, (b) date of commencement and (c) duration of each private finance initiative contract managed...

    • Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition of domestic violence his Department uses; and whether there are any qualifications of that definition in respect...

      Private Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has any plans to bring forward proposals in respect of (a) rent levels, (b) security of tenure and (c) energy...

      Travellers: Dorset

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary Traveller sites there are in Dorset.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Argentina

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of relations with Argentina; and if he will make a statement.

    • Argentina

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials of his Department are stationed in Argentina.

      Argentina: Falkland Islands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Argentina on the Falkland Islands.

      Argentina: Freedom of Expression

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Argentina on freedom of expression.

      British Indian Ocean Territory: Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on the maintenance of British assets on the British Indian Ocean Territory in each of the last...

      Iran: Capital Punishment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urgently take up the case with the Iranian authorities of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani who has been sentenced to death.

      Iran: Higher Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Iranian authorities on the access of the Baha'i community to higher education.

      Israel: UN Resolutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to Palestine's Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on the need to begin discussions with the Israeli...

      Libya: Rendition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made a submission to the Detainee inquiry in respect of allegations of UK involvement in the...

      Sri Lanka: Defence Equipment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which date the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's recent visit to Sri Lanka (a) started and (b) ended; which Sri Lankan...

      Yemen: UN Resolutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take at the UN and with his international counterparts following the UN Security Council resolution...

  • Treasury

    • Bank of England: Correspondence

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish (a) each item of correspondence and (b) minutes of meetings between his Department and the Bank of England on credit easing.

    • Council Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to compensate councils which experience funding losses which occur in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15, as a result of the freeze on...

      Economic Situation: EU Countries

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that no further funding from the public purse is provided in financial assistance to the eurozone.

      Financial Services: EU Law

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what European legislation and regulations have been passed affecting the UK financial services sector in each of the last five years; and what legislative...

      Green Investment Bank

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the Government plans to use funds from general taxation to provide the initial capitalisation of the Green Investment Bank if he does not...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the hon. Member for Walsall North will receive a reply to his letter of 27 September in respect of a constituent, reference 18724/2011.

      National Insurance Contributions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the annual revenue yield from employee national insurance contributions; and what proportion of that yield is derived...

      Private Finance Initiative

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposes to take in respect of reform of the private finance initiative; and what timetable he has set for this work.

      Private Sector: Job Creation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that statistics to show how many of the additional jobs in the private sector that were previously in the public sector are...

      Public Expenditure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment his Department has made of which Government Departments have accrued underspends in 2011-12 to date; (2) what estimate his Department...

      Public Sector: Pay

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) male and (b) female public sector workers earning less than £21,000 per year in work forces under Ministerial control he estimates will...

      Social Mobility

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to improve social mobility; and if he will make a statement.

      Stocks and Shares

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure the regulation of Exchange Traded Funds.

      Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of taxpayers who will enter the higher rate tax band as a result of receipt of London weighting payments in each London...

      Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to modernise and simplify the tax system.

      Taxation: Property

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking in respect of property transactions that are not recorded by the Land Registry or subject to a property tax.

      VAT: Tourism

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made an assessment of the merits of reducing the rate of VAT for tourism products in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  • Home Department

    • Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date she expects to have implemented a minimum price for alcohol.

    • Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to (a) reduce binge drinking and (b) end the sale of alcohol at low cost.

      Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to strengthen her Department's existing regulations when transposing European Directive 2010/63/EU on protection of animals...

      Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects on the frequency of (a) inspections and (b) use of restrictions on the use of cats, dogs and...

      Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Government will be carrying out the thematic review process outlined in EU Directive 2010/63/EU; and when she expects the review of...

      Counter-terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on delivery of the Prevent Strategy.

      Counter-terrorism: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding was allocated to groups working to prevent right-wing extremism and terrorism in the financial year (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

      Crime: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government Equalities Office is taking to prevent disability hate crime.

      Drugs: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the effectiveness of the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and what plans her...

      Police: Bureaucracy

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the number of qualified police officers undertaking administrative duties in each London borough between September 2008...

      Police: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) specialist domestic violence units and (b) full-time equivalent staff working in specialist domestic violence units there were...

      Police: Olympic Games 2012

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) police community support officers she expects to be operating in London during the 2012 Olympic and...

      Rape: British Nationals Abroad

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information her Department holds on the average length of time taken for rape cases involving a British citizen in which the...

      Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested for offences related to terrorism with a connection to (a) Islamic extremism, (b) far right extremism and...

  • International Development

    • Social Enterprises

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had about promoting social enterprises within his Department's area of responsibility in each month since May...

    • Zimbabwe

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials in his Department are based in Zimbabwe.

      Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department expects to provide to Zimbabwe in 2011-12.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Arts: Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential contribution to the creative industries of a high-speed broadband infrastructure...

    • Charitable Donations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has considered the merits of managing the distribution of donation funding from philanthropists to ensure an even...

      Departmental Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assets with a value of £250,000 or more his Department has bought since May 2010; for what purpose; and if he will...

      Departmental Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many civil servants were (a) directly and (b) otherwise employed by non-departmental public bodies for which his...

      Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by his...

      Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he is having with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the role of creative...

      Legal Opinion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many times his Department's legal section provided legal advice to Ministers in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the...

      Legal Opinion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many officials in his Department were working in its legal section in June 2011; and how many staff were working in the...

      Lottery Funding: Liverpool

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to promote liaison between Liverpool Vision and the National Lottery Fund for the purposes of increasing...

      Museums and Galleries: Tees Valley

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has considered taking steps to protect museums in Teesside that are under threat of closure arising from local...

      Tourism: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many people were employed in the (a) creative industries, (b) tourism industry and (c) heritage industry on the most...

      UK Film Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many apprentices are working in the UK film industry.

      UK Film Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many people were employed in the UK film industry in (a) 1997, (b) 2007 and (c) the most recent period for which figures...

  • Defence

    • Enterprise Zones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with their counterparts in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss the...

    • Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters have been damaged on landing in Afghanistan.

      BAE Systems

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect on apprentices at BAE Systems of redundancies...

      Business Interests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to encourage tendering for his Department's contracts by manufacturers based in the UK.

      Procurement

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

      Cyber-Security

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

      Horn of Africa: Piracy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on anti-piracy measures off the Horn of Africa in each of the last three years; and what information his Department...

      Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many maritime assets were used in Operation Kipion; and if he will make a statement.

      Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many maritime assets were utilised from each platform during Operation TELIC in each year between 2005 and 2010; and if he will make a statement.

      Old Drill Hall

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 868W, on Old Drill Hall, whether his Department had title to the Weymouth Drill Hall...

      RAF Lossiemouth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2011, Official Report, column 878, on military bases, when he expects the more detailed planning for RAF Lossiemouth...

      Syria: Military Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK has provided any support to Syria in respect of (a) internal security training, (b) public order training and (c) sniper training since...

  • Justice

    • Alternative Business Structures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to lay before Parliament legislative proposals to designate the Solicitors Regulation Authority as a licensing authority for alternative...

    • Crime: Victims

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to improve services provided by the police for victims of crime.

      Criminal Injuries Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much criminal injuries compensation was paid to convicted offenders in 2010-11.

      Interpreters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what standards in respect of qualifications or experience of individuals providing interpretation services for his Department (a) are applied at present...

      Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what definition of domestic violence his Department uses; and whether there are any qualifications of that definition in respect of particular services...

      Insolvency: EU Action

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of amending the proposed EU Regulation creating a European Account Preservation Order to (a) widen the exemption granted to...

      Insolvency: EU Action

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely effects of implementation of the proposed EU Regulation creating a European Account Preservation Order on the...

      Kennet Prison

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to convert HMP Kennet to a category D prison.

      Offenders: Rehabilitation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what targets for reducing re-offending will result in a payment to investors or operators in each of the payment by results pilots in operation;...

      Police Stations: Prison Accommodation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many (a) police station and (b) court cells meet minimum health and safety standards for use during Operation Safeguard; (2) what mechanisms...

      Prison: Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 31WS, on prison and probation services, what the estimated cost is...

      Prisoners: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the process of allocating the levy on prisoner's earnings to Victim Support complied with EU regulations on commissioning.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners convicted of (a) murder and (b) rape are housed in category D prisons; and whether he plans to increase the number of such prisoners...

      Probation: Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many qualified assistant chief probation officers were employed in each probation trust (a) on the most recent date for which figures are...

      Probation: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training measures he plans to put in place in the event of probation functions being contracted out in England and Wales.

      Public Service Mutuals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of public service mutuals in its area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

      Sentencing: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children received an indeterminate sentence in each year since 2000.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Civil Servants: Business Interests

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether former employees of the Security Services received approval from the Business Appointments Committee to set up G3; and whether such approval is...

    • Departmental Private Finance Initiative

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish the (a) cost, (b) date of commencement and (c) duration of each private finance initiative contract managed by his Department.

      Former Prime Ministers: Allowances

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how much each former Prime Minister claimed under the public duty costs allowance in each of the last five years; (2) if he will review the (a)...

      Government Departments: Procurement

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which bodies are involved in the Government's Lean Procurement programme.

      Government Procurement Card

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount and (c) supplier was of each transaction undertaken by Buying Solutions using the Government Procurement Card...

      Government Procurement Card

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount and (c) supplier was of each transaction undertaken by his Department using the Government Procurement Card in...

      Social Enterprises

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had on promoting social enterprises in the areas for which his Department is responsible in each month since May 2010; and if he...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many telephone inquiries have been made to Work programme providers in each of the last three months.

    • Access to Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled people are made aware of the Access to Work scheme.

      Departmental Buildings

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

      Lost Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what actions are at his disposal to take against an employee of his Department who loses a laptop issued by his Department.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account his Department takes of (a) socio-economic factors and (b) potential revenues for the Exchequer in the awarding of contracts.

      Departmental Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to deliver the efficiency gains required by HM Treasury.

      Ministerial Voluntary Work

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what volunteering (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the...

      Disability: Public Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to provide financial assistance to disabled people who are unable to use public transport to travel to work.

      Housing Benefit: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many private sector landlords have agreed to reduce rents in return for an arrangement that housing benefit be paid direct to them (a) in...

      Jobseeker’s Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the weekly level of jobseeker's allowance was in real terms in each of the last 10 years; and what estimate he has made of the level of...

      Jobseeker’s Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency (a) under the age of 24 and (b) over the age of 50 have been in receipt...

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the potential number of Remploy employees who will find new employment under his proposals.

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has invested in Remploy factories in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK in each of the last five years.

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the additional benefits that would have to be paid to Remploy employees if they had not been in work for each of...

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funding his Department has allocated for professional training and development of Remploy employees who are interested in setting up...

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Government procurement contracts have been awarded to Remploy in the last five years; and for what work.

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has made any estimate of the cost implications of ending existing commercial housing benefit contracts early as a result...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to pilot the universal credit; and if he will make a statement.

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 627W, on the electoral register, what assessment he has made of the Electoral Commission's...

    • Lobbying

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2010, Official Report, column 321W, on lobbying, what the reasons are for the time taken in publishing plans for a statutory...

      Lobbying

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which external organisations he has consulted on proposals for a statutory register of lobbyists.

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Automotive Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the viability of the UK automotive industry.

    • Advantage West Midlands: Wolverhampton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what representations he has received from Advantage West Midlands on the (a) i54 site, Wolverhampton and (b) the potential...

      Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made in achieving the Government's objectives for apprenticeships.

      Apprentices: Manufacturing Industries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the 100,000 apprenticeships he proposes to create he expects to be within the manufacturing sector.

      Business: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the estimate contained in the British Chamber of Commerce Workforce...

      Business: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made in reducing the burden of regulation on businesses through the Red Tape Challenge.

      Common Customs Tariffs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has estimated the potential additional custom administration costs to UK businesses exporting goods or...

      Companies: Annual Reports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what recent assessment his Department has made of the quality of companies' narrative reporting under the provisions of the...

      Companies: Annual Reports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what enforcement measures his Department has taken to ensure that UK companies abide by the reporting requirements...

      Companies: Annual Reports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Financial Reporting Review Panel in assessing the (a) quality, (b)...

      Departmental Official Hospitality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in each of the last 12 months.

      Ministerial Voluntary Work

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what volunteering (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the...

      Design: Curriculum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on retaining design and technology within the...

      Flexible Working

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had on his proposals for maternity and paternity leave and flexible working.

      Green Investment Bank

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) when he plans to announce the Government's investment priorities for the Green Investment Bank; (2) when he expects to...

      Green Investment Bank: Operating Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the running costs of the Green Investment Bank in each of its first five years; and how these costs...

      Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he intends to bring forward the Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill; and if he will make a statement.

      Insolvency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the merits of holding a consultation on preventing ransom payments being charged by suppliers in insolvency cases.

      Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on economic growth and jobs in (a) the retail sector and (b) other sectors, if business...

      Nuclear Power: Storage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding the Research Councils UK Energy Programme has allocated for research on the storage and containment of nuclear fuel...

      Nuclear Reactors: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 278W, on nuclear reactors: research, what proportion of total...

      Skilled Workers: Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase the number of people with skills in the wind turbine industry.

      Social Mobility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve social mobility; and if he will make a statement.

      Supermarkets: Competition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the role and powers of the proposed groceries adjudicator.

      Technology Strategy Board

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2011, Official Report, column 1154W, on the Technology Strategy Board, where the Technology...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many letters he has received on funding for civil society organisations within his Department's area of responsibility in...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much direct funding his Department provided to each civil society organisation it funded in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how...

  • House of Lords

    • Adoption

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many new-born babies have been made available for adoption in the past 12 months; and how many abortions were undertaken in the same period.

    • Armed Forces: Libya

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest estimate of defence expenditure in respect of the United Kingdom's intervention in Libya; whether that spending has all been drawn from the...

      Bank of England

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the preferred candidate to succeed to the role of the Governor of the Bank of England will be required to serve as a member of the Court of the Bank of...

      Benefits: Job Seeker's Allowance

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were claiming jobseeker's allowance in each of the London Boroughs and the City of London in the last period for which figures are available.

      Department for Culture, Media and Sport

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how they define "media" in the name of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

      Doha Development Round

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the timetable for completion of the Doha Round of trade negotiations.

      Driving: Disqualification

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were convicted of driving while disqualified in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

      Economy: Growth

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been allocated under the Regional Growth Fund to each region to date; and how much is anticipated to be so allocated by the end of this financial year.

      Employment

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many private sector jobs were created in the year ending in June 2011; and how many public sector jobs were lost over the same period.

      Energy: Oil and Gas

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to strengthen the power of investigation of OFGEM.

      Energy: Shale Gas

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to put in place a moratorium on the development of shale gas and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) pending further assessment of the...

      Energy: Shale Gas

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what licences, permissions or consents are required for shale gas exploration in the United Kingdom; from whom they should be obtained; and through which planning...

      Food: Production

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the United Kingdom's food security in 2050, in the light of the Office for National Statistics estimate of a possible United Kingdom...

      Health and Social Care Bill [HL]

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Earl Howe on 12 October (Official Report, col. 1708) that the Health and Social Care Bill's proposals were in the coalition...

      Health: Contaminated Blood Products

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what legal advice they have taken about what responsibility they have towards widows and dependants applying to the Skipton Fund who are unable to meet the...

      Health: Orthopaedics

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to establish an inquiry into the reasons why six senior consultant orthopaedic surgeons have resigned from Barts and the London NHS Trust; and...

      Health: Podiatry

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many podiatrists graduated in each of the past 10 years; and how many are expected to qualify in the next five years.

      Health: Podiatry

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many full-time-equivalent podiatrists they estimate will be employed in the National Health Service in each of the next five years; and how well this provision...

      Health: Resuscitation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that "Do Not Attempt Resuscitation" notices (DNARs) are not routinely placed in patients' files; and what plans they have to...

      Homelessness

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to soup kitchens and homeless shelters in the major cities in the United Kingdom.

      Human Rights

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they apply different standards of human rights in different areas of the United Kingdom; and, if so, why and how.

      Infrastructure Investment

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of providing the public infrastructure required to accommodate the almost 10 million additional United Kingdom residents...

      Israel and Palestine

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel concerning the hunger strike protest by Palestinian prisoners against conditions in Israeli prisons.

      Israel and Palestine

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel concerning the discharge of sewage from settlements across the West Bank onto Palestinian villages...

      Justice: Class Action Lawsuits

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their consultation on class action lawsuits.

      National Heritage: Listed Buildings

      To ask Her Majesty's Government why listed building status has not been granted, as requested by English Heritage, for the three sites (Preston Bus Station, Birmingham Central Library and...

      NHS: Patient Choice

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of the choose and book referral management system, funded by the National Health Service; and what steps they will...

      NHS: Patient Choice

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, given that half of referrals from general practitioners to consultant-led outpatient appointments are currently made using the choose and book system, what plans...

      NHS: Primary Care Trusts

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a strategic health authority director has any legal powers to prevent a serving primary care trust board member who refuses a request to resign from the...

      Olympic Games 2012

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to request that additional Olympic accreditations for local and regional newspaper journalists are made available.

      Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a country which is able to afford a private jet for its president or head of state is eligible for aid from the United Kingdom.

      Repatriation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of the incident on Monday 17 October when a person being repatriated escaped from a moving Eurostar train near Folkestone, whether the person was being...

      Repatriation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements exist or will be created to supervise Sri Lankan nationals who have been or will be returned from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka with full consent.

      Rwanda

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will continue to give aid to Rwanda in the light of reports of warnings on potential threats by the Rwandan government to murder Rwandan dissidents...

      Severe Winter Weather

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how much salt has been stockpiled to deal with heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures on the roads this winter; and what discussions they have had with the...

      Sport: Sports Clubs

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to reverse the decline in adult membership of sports clubs.

      Tourism

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many tourists visited the United Kingdom from mainland Europe in 2010.

      Vehicles: Hydrogen

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the British hydrogen vehicle industry's request for more promotion of their vehicles' benefits with regard to climate change reduction.

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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