Written answers

Tuesday, 24 April 2012

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of UK operations in Afghanistan has been to date.

    • Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 86W, on Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft, how much has been spent on the Joint Strike...

      Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2012, Official Report, column 9W, on the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, what the through-life costs were for the...

      Lynx Helicopters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to arm the Army's variant of the Wildcat with (i) Sting Ray and (ii) Brimstone.

      Military Bases: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the level of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department's military establishments (a) in the UK and (b) abroad in each...

      Official Secrets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any person employed by (a) his Department, (b) the agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible and (c)...

      Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's research and development expenditure in 2009-10 and 2010-11 was spent (a) within his Department excluding the...

      Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answers of 10 October 2011, Official Report, columns 48-50W, on departmental research, for what reason the figures given in each answer...

      Submarines: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what collisions involving a UK nuclear-powered submarine and (a) another submarine, (b) another naval vessel, (c) a private vessel and (d) a...

  • Leader of the House

    • Electronic Government: Petitions

      To ask the Leader of the House how many of the e-petitions with 100,000 signatures or more on the Government's e-petitions website have been debated in Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

    • Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Leader of the House if he will take steps to allow questions tabled by hon. Members for written answer to be carried over to the 2012-13 Session.

  • Attorney-General

    • Vacancies

      To ask the Attorney-General how many job vacancies there were for (a) staff posts and (b) senior Civil Service posts in the Law Officers' Departments on 31 March (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii)...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Addison Lee

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Department have had with John Griffin of Addison Lee since...

    • Electricity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will revise the forward projections to 2027 of carbon emission factors for electricity for the purposes of the Standard...

      Energy: Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of households that are in credit with their energy supplier.

      Energy: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans are in place should the delivery of any community energy saving programme extend beyond December 2012.

      Legal Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

      Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many cases involving smart meters the Energy Ombudsman has dealt with in the last 12 months.

      Meters: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on the implementation of smart meter roll-out in rural areas.

      Nuclear Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from what sources other than the public purse he intends that the Contract for Difference support for new nuclear will be financed.

      Official Secrets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether any person employed by (a) his Department, (b) the agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the (a) best mechanisms, (b) extent of funding required and (c) likeliness of a referral to...

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department collects the IP addresses of online respondents to its consultations.

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Listed Buildings

      To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many listed buildings are on the Parliamentary Estate; what budgeted plans...

  • Home Department

    • Kidnapping: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many abductions and kidnappings of children were recorded by police forces in England and Wales in the last year for which data are available.

    • Police: Corruption

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will investigate whether police corruption hampered the investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence; and if she will make a...

  • Transport

    • Night Flying

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restrictions are imposed on night flying by the Air Ambulance Service; and if she will make a statement.

    • Railways: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress she has made on requiring all rail vehicles to comply with disability access requirements; and whether she expects such compliance to be...

      Railways: Tickets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many rail ticket offices were closed between May 2005 and May 2010; (2) how many rail ticket office closures were approved by Ministers in...

      Rescue Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect the reorganisation of the Coastguard Service will have on the treatment of leisure craft.

      Traffic Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the level of expenditure on advertising traffic orders in (a) England, (b) Yorkshire and (c) Leeds North West constituency.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many live animals were transported to the UK for slaughter in the latest period for which figures are available.

    • Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to eradicate unnecessary suffering by animals transported to the UK for slaughter.

      Animal Welfare: Slaughterhouses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Newport West of 14 December 2011, Official Report, column 787W, on animal...

      Badgers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the National Farmers Union on the financial implications of cage-trapping badgers.

      Badgers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider altering her Department's approach to badger culling to require cage-trapping to be part of the process.

      Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the cost to farmers and to the public purse of vaccinating for bovine tuberculosis as opposed...

      Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the unit cost of badger vaccinations for the prevention of bovine tuberculosis.

      Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether badger vaccinations have any effect on those animals already infected with bovine TB.

      Horses: Tagging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that all horses are micro-chipped and registered with an equine passport.

      Pigs: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what plans she has to require pig farmers to reduce the gaps in slatted floors to comply with new regulations; (2)...

      Pigs: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on legislation banning sow stalls across the EU.

      Rabbits: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on the regulation of the sourcing of rabbit meat from animals produced in industrial cages;...

      Shellfish: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has had any meetings with representatives of animal welfare groups to discuss the potential for bringing forward...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Addison Lee

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Department have had with John Griffin of Addison Lee...

    • Building Regulations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Cabinet Committee approved the decision to hold a Government Consultation on proposed changes to Part L of the Building...

      Debt Collection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on plans by councils to charge bailiff companies an administration fee for transferring to them Penalty...

      Homes and Communities Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what recent advice he has given to the Homes and Communities Agency over the naming of housing developments on land owned...

      Housing: Disabled

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many housing adaptations were carried out in England and Wales in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12 to date;...

      Housing: Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to announce a decision on (a) allowable solutions and (b) fabric energy efficiency standards in respect of...

      Incinerators: Nottinghamshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has received an environmental impact assessment in respect of the incinerator at Elkesley in Nottinghamshire.

      Legal Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

      Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role the community will have in developing local development plans under the National Planning Policy Framework.

      Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the performance of Planning Aid England in relation to communities on neighbourhood planning; and if he will...

      Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to complete his review of the supporting communities in neighbourhood planning programme; and if he will make a...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many contracts his Department had with (a) Capita and (b) Serco in the last 12 months.

      Public Sector: Land

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what advice has been given to the holders of surplus public sector land about the process to be used in disposing of it,...

      Travellers: Caravan Sites

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding his Department provides to local authorities to assist with the costs of creating temporary Traveller sites.

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's public health guidance 37, Identifying and...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Council Tax Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in each local authority are employed and in receipt of council tax benefit.

    • Council Tax Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department paid to each local authority which processes claims for council tax benefit to reimburse the authority for correctly...

      Employment Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 255W, on employment schemes, whether he has any plans to repeat the one-off...

      Foreign Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on offshoring of jobs by its contracted companies; what discussions he had with Accenture and IBM of offshoring...

      Foreign Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 249W, on contracts for services, how many offshoring proposals meeting the...

      Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) absolute and (b) percentage change was in the number of local housing allowance claimants who were in work in each local authority...

      Jobseeker’s Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency currently claim jobseeker's allowance; and how many former claimants in Motherwell have...

      Motability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the number of disabled people who will lose motability vehicles under personal independence payment...

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of his Department's liability for redundancy payments consequent upon the planned closures of each Remploy factory.

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what subsidiary businesses Remploy operates in Scotland.

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any of the Remploy factories earmarked for closure were funded through the private finance initiative.

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of service is of staff employed by Remploy factories at each of its locations in Scotland.

      Retirement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) civil servants and (b) senior civil servants have retired from his Department since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what analysis his Department has conducted on the movement of benefit units from one local authority to another each month; and if he will take...

      Social Security Benefits: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what changes have been made to the ESA 50 form following the recommendations on mental, intellectual and cognitive function contained in...

      State Retirement Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of increasing the state pension by £10 a week if the payment was (a) tax free and not...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he expects to require evidence documents from applicants for universal credit to be provided by post or in person; and, if in person,...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how universal credit will be paid to people without a bank account.

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Coventry have undergone a work capability assessment to date.

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse has been of work capability assessments carried out in Coventry in the latest period for which figures are...

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what impact assessment his Department has carried out on the extent to which the work capability assessment is able to meet the needs of people...

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals have been made in Coventry against a decision to remove benefit as a result of a work capability assessment; and how many such...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Charities

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to make provision for the status of charitable incorporated organisations.

    • Contracts for Services

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of public sector jobs outsourced by each Government department since May 2010.

      Deaths: Asbestos

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many people have died as a result of asbestosis following exposure to asbestos in (a) Wrexham constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK in each...

      Divorce

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of married couples divorce when at the time of divorce the husband is aged between (a) 20 and 29, (b) 30 and 39, (c) 40 and 49, (d) 50...

      Electronic Government

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment he has made of the ability of government websites to withstand distributed denial of service cyber attacks.

      Third Sector

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 733W, on the third sector, how much direct funding his Department provided to each...

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Addison Lee

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what meetings (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Office have had with John Griffin of Addison Lee since 12 May 2010.

    • Peter Cruddas

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what meetings (a) he, (b) his special advisers and (c) officials in his office have had with Peter Cruddas since 12 May 2010.

  • Northern Ireland

    • Political Parties

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to publish the results of his meetings with party leaders in Northern Ireland on how to deal with the past.

  • Education

    • Adoption: Birmingham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were in foster care waiting for adoption in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency in each of the last five years.

    • Child Rearing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department holds any information on the amount of time a (a) father and (b) mother interacted with their children on a daily basis in (i)...

      Children: Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what dates Ministers in his Department had meetings with their counterparts in the Ministry of Defence to discuss the service premium between 13...

      Curriculum: Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2012, Official Report, column 1014W, on sustainable development, what consideration he has given to the...

      Dyslexia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the Fast ForWord teaching programme for dyslexics.

      Free School Meals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 436W, on free school meals, when the table containing information on the proportion...

      Free Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the catchment areas of those independent schools that have adopted free school status.

      Free Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many free schools he expects to open in September 2013.

      Park Lane School: Halifax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will allocate funding to assist Park Lane School in Halifax to build a new sixth form centre.

      Pre-school Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the level of educational development of three year-olds in each of the last 10 years; and how much funding his...

      Schools: Hygiene

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he expects the new School Premises Regulations to be enforced in respect of the obligation for schools to provide suitable toilets and washing...

      Teachers: First Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has any plans to increase the proportion of teachers who receive first aid training.

  • Justice

    • Law Society

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what steps he is taking to discuss with the Law Society the behaviour of companies that purport to be law firms; (2) what steps he is taking to...

    • Children: Custody

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether family law provides a presumption in favour of one parent in child custody cases; and if he will make a statement.

      Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to his contribution of 17 April 2012, Official Report, column 223, whether his commitment to double the time limit in relation to evidence of...

      Kennet Prison

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the development of land associated with HM Prison Kennet either within the prison or on land outside the prison owned by his Department.

      Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the Courts Service in the event that they have to deal with an increases in litigants in person as a...

      Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the potential (a) change in the number of litigants in person and (b) extra cost to the public purse arising from any such...

      Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of savings to the public purse accruing from his proposed removal of access to legal advice by immigrants and asylum seekers.

      Legal Aid Scheme: Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of any extra costs that will be incurred by the police, following the proposed withdrawal of legal aid for cases of domestic...

      Prisons: Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of any pilot projects undertaken by his Department on the use of mindfulness-based therapies in...

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) which of his Department's consultations have been externally verified since 2007; for what reason and by whom such verification was carried out;...

      Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many job vacancies there were for (a) staff posts and (b) Senior Civil Service posts in his Department on 31 March (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii)...

      Witnesses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many notices of prosecution have been issued for witnesses giving evidence at public inquiries established under the Inquiries Act 2005; and for...

      Young Offenders: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young adult offenders aged 18 to 20 years from (a) Manchester and (b) Trafford have been held in (i) young offender institutions, (ii) a local...

      Young Offenders: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many juvenile offenders from (a) Manchester and (b) Trafford have been held in (i) a secure children’s home, (ii) a secure training centre and...

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeship starts there were for 16 to 18-year-olds in each year between 2007 and 2011.

    • Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships have been created in (a) Stockton North constituency, (b) Stockton South constituency, (c) Darlington,...

      Aviation: Treaties

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to his answer of 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 526W, if he will publish the Government response to the call...

      Business: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2012, Official Report, columns 997-8W, on business: government assistance, what the cost of...

      Companies: United Arab Emirates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of UK companies that are based in the United Arab Emirates.

      English Language: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 February 2012, Official Report, column 31WS, on English for speakers of other...

      EU Emissions Trading Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on future levels of investment in UK industry of the introduction of the EU...

      EU Emissions Trading Scheme: Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading System Scheme on...

      EU Emissions Trading Scheme: Manufacturing Industries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on UK manufacturing of the introduction of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

      Fossil Fuels: Export Credit Guarantees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 271W, on fossil fuels: export credits guarantees, whether he...

      Higher Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer given by the Minister for Universities and Science of 8 March 2012, Official Report, column 858W, on...

      Higher Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer given by the Minister for Universities and Science of 8 March 2012, Official Report, column 858W, on...

      Industrial Development Act 1982: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he will publish the Government's response to the consultation on removal of Northern Ireland's 100 per cent automatic...

      Manpower

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2011, Official Report, column 717W, on departmental degrees, what proportion of staff in his...

      Motor Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the value of the automotive sector is to the economy; how many people are employed in the industry; what proportion of the...

      National Careers Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his Department's publication, National Careers Service: the Right Advice at the Right Time, if he will expand...

      National Careers Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how he proposes to involve employers more directly in the provision of advice and guidance to young people on a face-to-face...

      National Careers Service: Location

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many locations he expects the proposed walk in service of the National Careers Service to be offered.

      Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average wage return is for adults achieving a level 3 qualification in each of the last 10 years.

      Postgraduate Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to produce a White Paper on post-graduate education.

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which of his Department's consultations have been externally verified since 2007; for what reason and by whom such verification...

      Public Consultation: Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department collects the IP addresses of online respondents to its consultations.

      Regional Planning and Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to the public purse was of regional development funding in each of the last five years.

      Sunday Trading

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had on the potential impact on businesses of a change in trading hours.

      Trade Competitiveness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to assist small and medium-sized businesses in developing their competitiveness in (a)...

      UK Trade and Industry Defence and Security Organisation: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration was given to human rights issues in developing UK Trade and Industry's Exporting for Growth Strategy.

  • Wales

    • Government: Ministerial Meetings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in her Department have had with (i) Sarah Southern and (ii) Peter Cruddas since 12 May 2010.

    • Legal Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of her Department's consultations have been externally verified since 2007; for what reason and by whom such verification was carried out; and what...

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether her Department collects the IP addresses of respondents to its consultations.

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether her Department accepts anonymous contributions to its consultations.

      Public Sector: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the potential effect of regional pay on the salaries of public sector workers in Wales.

      Retirement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) civil servants and (b) senior civil servants have retired from her Department since May 2010; and if she will make a statement.

      Retirement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff of her Department retired in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how many of such staff were taking early retirement in each such year; and if she...

      Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many job vacancies there were for (a) staff posts and (b) senior civil service posts in her Department on 31 March (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012;...

  • Scotland

    • Devolution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent devolution issues the Advocate-General has considered; and if he will make a statement.

    • Legal Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of his Department's consultations have been externally verified since 2007; for what reason and by whom such verification was carried out; and...

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department collects the IP addresses of respondents to its consultations.

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department accepts anonymous contributions to its consultations.

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether responses to his Department's consultation on Scotland's constitutional future that have been made anonymously without any identification can be...

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any procedures for his Department's consultation on Scotland's constitutional future have differed from the standard procedures for government...

      Retirement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) civil servants and (b) senior civil servants have retired from his Department since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

      Retirement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff of his Department retired in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how many of such staff were taking early retirement in each such year; and if...

      Sovereignty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will have discussions with the Scottish Government on its plans to withdraw from NATO in the event that Scotland becomes independent.

      Sovereignty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many responses to the UK Government's consultation on Scotland's constitutional future have been submitted using a UK government computer.

      Sovereignty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many anonymous contributions have been received to the consultation on Scotland's constitutional future.

      Sovereignty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many responses to the consultation on Scotland's constitutional future have been received from political parties.

      Sovereignty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether pro-forma responses to his Department's consultation on Scotland's constitutional future will be treated differently from other responses to the...

      Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many job vacancies there were for (a) staff posts and (b) senior Civil Service posts in his Department on 31 March (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii)...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the report by Human Rights Watch entitled Afghanistan Moral Crimes; and what...

    • Egypt

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support (a) security sector reform in Egypt and (b) Egyptian civil society to hold...

      EU Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals are serving as EU civil servants; and what proportion of the total number of EU civil servants this...

      EU Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had on increasing the number of British nationals applying to be civil servants for the EU.

      India

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what reports he has received of (a) the use of anti-conversion laws in India and (b) the loss of scheduled caste status...

      Israel: Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he had at the UN on the withdrawal of Israel from occupied Palestinian territories.

      Overseas Companies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of human rights issues faced by UK companies doing business abroad; and if he will publish such...

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department collects the IP addresses of online respondents to its consultations.

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the number of UK-registered ships that encountered pirates off the coast of Somalia but...

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the number of UK-registered ships captured by pirates off the coast of Somalia in each...

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to improve the safety of ships off the coast of Somalia.

      Sudan: South Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce the possibility of armed conflict between Sudan and South Sudan over the Heglig...

      Syria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps (a) his Department and (b) the EU has taken to impose restrictive measures against the Government of Syria.

      Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many journeys (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department made by (i) train, (ii) coach and (iii) Government car in...

      Yemen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will represent the UK at the next Friends of Yemen meeting.

  • Treasury

    • Income Tax Threshold

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in (a) Cambridge constituency and (b) the UK will no longer pay income tax as a result of changes to the income tax threshold announced...

    • Unemployment

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the Office for Budget Responsibility's most recent forecast of levels of unemployment in 2012.

      Unemployment

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the Budget on local and regional variations in unemployment trends.

      Interest Rates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the effect on the economy of a rise in interest rates.

      Bank Services: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with LINK on steps to make all cash machines free to use.

      Business

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses were registered for VAT in Bury North constituency on 31 December (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.

      Communications Capabilities Development Programme

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the sum required to fund the Communications Capabilities Development Programme; and whether such funds have been set aside for...

      Exports: Licensing

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the cost of export licences applied for by UK businesses to export goods abroad.

      Government: Ministerial Meetings

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will prepare and place in the Library a list of meetings between special advisers in his Department and external individuals, bodies and...

      Income Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of individuals in Bury North constituency who will no longer pay income tax as a result of the increase in the...

      Maternity Payments

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average was of the three highest statutory maternity payments to an individual recorded by HM Revenue and Customs' National Insurance Recording...

      Public Appointments

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appointments of people earning (a) over £142,500 per annum and (b) over £142,500 per annum pro rata he approved between (i) April 2010...

      Tax Allowances: Charitable Donations

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax relief was provided for charitable donations to bodies and individuals promoting free schools in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and how much has...

      Tobacco

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount spent on (a) tobacco, (b) alcohol and (c) prescription drugs in each of the last five years.

      Vat

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect that the abolition of zero-rated VAT on approved alterations to listed buildings will have on the heritage sector.

      Vat

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many swimming pools have been installed in listed buildings where VAT was exempted from the build costs in each of the last 10 years.

      Working Tax Credit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in Warrington North became ineligible for working tax credit from 1 April as a result of the increase in the number of hours of work...

  • International Development

    • Children's Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what training his Department provides to staff in country teams and headquarters on child rights and child protection.

    • Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on mitigating the effects of climate change in the developing world.

      Developing Countries

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department conducts social exclusion analyses and country government assessments; and to what extent these inform the...

      Developing Countries

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department uses child rights situation analysis in the development of its country programmes.

      Developing Countries

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on social protection programmes in Tanzania for (a) children and (b) pregnant and breastfeeding mothers...

      Developing Countries

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on social protection programmes in Tanzania intended to improve nutritional outcomes for (a) children and...

      Developing Countries

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how much his Department spent on social protection programmes in Kenya intended to improve nutritional outcomes for (a) children...

      Developing Countries: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the progress towards the 2015 targets set out in its document Choices for Women.

      Developing Countries: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to help poor countries provide free health care for (a) pregnant women and children and (b) other...

      Developing Countries: Minerals

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the proposed EU transparency rules for the extractive industry.

      Developing Countries: Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the proposed Sustainable Development Goals.

      Egypt

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to support (a) security sector reform in Egypt and (b) Egyptian civil society to hold security and...

      Horn of Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports he has received on the humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa; and what assistance his Department has offered to aid...

      Meetings

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Department have had with (i) Sarah Southern and (ii) Peter...

      Morocco

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government is taking to help progress women's rights in Morocco; and if he will make a statement.

      Official Secrets

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether any person employed by (a) his Department and (b) any private firms contracted by his Department is bound by any part of the...

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of Palestinian textbooks are audited by UNESCO.

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of his Department's consultations have been externally verified since 2007; for what reason and by whom such verification was...

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department accepts anonymous contributions to its consultations.

      Southern Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to support refugees in South Sudan.

      St Helena: Airports

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the (a) Prime Minister and (b) Chancellor of the Exchequer on the construction of an airport on St Helena.

  • Health

    • Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Care Quality Commission to publish its report on abortion clinics; if he will place copies in the Vote Office; and if he will make a...

    • Aerials: Health Hazards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the potential health risks of mobile telecommunications masts.

      Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the London Borough of Bexley received treatment for alcohol dependency in each of the last three years.

      Birth Certificates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has a policy on the level of sole registration of births; and whether health professionals provide guidance to new and prospective parents on...

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes for sentinel lymph node biopsy took place in each NHS acute trust in England in each of the last 10 years for which...

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used to determine the cancer drug fund budget for (a) radiotherapy and (b) chemotherapy for 2012-13; what account was taken of the...

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned on myalgic encephalomyelitis in the last three years.

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish each paper held by his Department on research evidence on myalgic encephalomyelitis in each of the last 20 years.

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what programmes his Department has in place to raise medical awareness of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department classifies myalgic encephalomyelitis as a neurological condition.

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from myalgic encephalomyelitis in each year since 2005.

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department considers the Perrin Technique to be an efficacious treatment for the symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis; and whether it is...

      Colorectal Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes took place for (a) open and (b) laparoscopic excision of colorectal cancer in each NHS acute trust in England in...

      Colorectal Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes took place for other specified excision of rectum in each NHS acute trust in England in each of the last 10 years...

      Complex Disability Equipment Clinical Reference Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) functions and (b) membership are of the Complex Disability Equipment Clinical Reference Group.

      Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of amputations due to diabetes (a) in Portsmouth, (b) in Hampshire and (c) nationally in each year since 2008. [R]

      Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have had amputations due to diabetes (a) in Portsmouth, (b) in Hampshire and (c) nationally in each year since 2008; and what steps he is...

      Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the proportion of amputations due to diabetes that could have been prevented; and if he will make a statement. [R]

      Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a submission to the WHO/UN consultation on non-communicable diseases; and if he will place a copy of the submission in the Library.

      Drugs: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider only publishing the drug tariff online in the future; and if he will make a statement.

      General Practitioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that the partners in the Woodlands Surgery in Cambridge will not be personally liable for a prospective lease on new premises, and that...

      Health Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what Government expenditure has been incurred in advertising to warn the public about dangers from (a) smoking, (b) alcohol, (c) illegal drugs and (d) the...

      Health Services: Detention Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps Public Health England (a) have taken and (b) will take with the UK Border Agency and immigration removal centres to ensure (i) continuity of...

      Legal Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of spending was on mental health services in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; what this represented as a proportion of total expenditure in...

      Multiple Sclerosis: Palliative Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what palliative treatment is available on the NHS to people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; (2) if he will take steps to increase the provision...

      NHS: Innovation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what day in 2012-13 he will launch the pilot of the Specialised Services Commissioning Innovation Fund.

      NHS: Negligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many medical negligence cases for (a) maternity, (b) obstetrics and (c) paediatrics were settled; and how much was paid out in each of the last...

      NHS: Reorganisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2011, Official Report, column 114W, on the NHS: re-organisation, what recent estimate he has made of the likely cost...

      Palliative Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are being made for the commissioning of children's palliative care services in Worcestershire following the introduction of NHS reforms;...

      Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in each of the last five financial years.

      Plastic Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of patients undergoing intradermal filler procedures; (2) when his Department plans to publish its...

      Plastic Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which groups the NHS Medical Director will be consulting as part of his review of the cosmetic surgery industry; and if he will publish a schedule...

      Prostate Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mean length of stay for patients undergoing (a) open, (b) laparoscopic and (c) robotically-assisted excision of the prostate was in each NHS...

      Prostate Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) open, (b) laparoscopic and (c) robotically-assisted excisions of the prostate took place in each NHS acute trust in England in each of the...

      Prostate Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on establishing a quality standard for the treatment of prostate cancer; and if he will make a statement.

      Radiotherapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to ensure clinical commissioning groups have dedicated plans for replacing existing linear accelerators to deliver treatment...

      Radiotherapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to publish the national tariff for radiotherapy in April 2013.

      Retirement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff of his Department retired in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how many such staff were taking early retirement in each such year; and if he...

      Skin Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department has allocated to public health campaigns aimed at raising awareness of skin cancer in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

      Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether personalised care budgets can be used to purchase care from a local authority and not solely from an independent provider.

      Thalidomide

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what considerations he has given to continuing the thalidomide health grant beyond 2012; (2) if he will consider making his Department's...

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what resources (a) are available and (b) will be made available for housing of tuberculosis patients as recommended by the National Institute for...

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure adequate and timely tuberculosis screening and treatment for prisoners.

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to address reports of discrimination against and exclusion of individuals with tuberculosis by some social services...

      Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many job vacancies there were for (a) staff posts and (b) senior Civil Service posts in his Department on 31 March (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012;...

  • House of Lords

    • Afghanistan

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the Independent Commission for Aid Impact's report on programme controls in Afghanistan, they will consider working more closely with...

    • Armed Forces: Destroyers and Frigates

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 12 March (WA 3), whether a figure for expected loss rates in complex war-fighting operations was factored...

      Aviation: fly.co.uk

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether fly.co.uk is subject to regulation in the United Kingdom; and, if so, to which regulations.

      Civil Service: Redundancy

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 19 July 2011 (WA 264-5), whether they will record centrally and publish annually the overall numbers...

      Drought

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how prepared they are to respond to a severe drought in the developing world.

      Energy: Fuel Poverty

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent of (1) fuel poverty, and (2) inefficiency of energy use in the rural housing stock, with particular reference to those...

      Energy: Fuel Storage

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the response by the Fire Brigades Union to the comments by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, about storing...

      Equality and Human Rights Commission

      To ask Her Majesty's Government in which cases the Equality and Human Rights Commission has exercised the power to apply for judicial review of alleged breaches of Convention rights; and what has...

      Equality and Human Rights Commission

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's expenditure during each of the past two years has been spent on using the Commission's powers of...

      Equality and Human Rights Commission

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the total expenditure of the Equality and Human Rights Commission during each of the past two years on obtaining legal advice from barristers,...

      Government: Ministerial Salaries

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 12 March (WA 11-12), why all the Questions asked regarding ministerial salaries were not given...

      Internet: Broadband

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 26 March (WA 212), whether any minimum mobile broadband coverage obligation will be stipulated for...

      NHS: Pay

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will require universities and NHS trusts to disclose their policies relating to high pay, low pay and pay ratios, as local authorities are now...

      Pensions

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the remarks by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Danny Alexander, on 10 February concerning higher rate tax relief on pensions contributions were...

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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