Written answers

Thursday, 7 March 2013

  • House of Commons Commission

    • House of Commons Chamber

      To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment has been made of the loop system for hearing aid users in the Chamber.

  • Attorney-General

    • Contempt of Court: Social Networking

      To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of laws on contempt of court and their ability to address the challenges posed by social media.

    • Crown Prosecution Service

      To ask the Attorney-General how frequently the accounts of the Crown Prosecution Service's regional divisions are audited (a) internally and (b) externally.

      Crown Prosecution Service: West Midlands

      To ask the Attorney-General how many taxi journeys were billed to the Crown Prosecution Service West Midlands in the last four years; and how regularly such claims were audited.

      Serious Fraud Office: Legal Costs

      To ask the Attorney-General what hourly rate the Serious Fraud Office is being charged for the services of Slaughter and May to defend the Tchenguiz damages claim; and what estimate he has made...

      Witnesses

      To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of witness travel expenses charged to the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last four years was spent on taxis.

      Witnesses

      To ask the Attorney-General how many taxi journeys for witnesses were billed to the Crown Prosecution Service in each region in each year since 2010.

  • Transport

    • Crossrail Line: Stansted Airport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2013, Official Report, column 460, on Stansted airport, if he intends to discuss with the new owners of Stansted...

    • Croydon Tramlink

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the Mayor of London on funding for an extension of the Croydon tram to Crystal Palace since May 2012; and if...

      Driving Under Influence: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the potential effect of legislative proposals on drug driving on the ability of patients taking long-term...

      Driving Under Influence: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to clause 37 of the Crime and Courts Bill, (1) when he expects to receive the report of the advisory panel of experts on the (a) level...

      Driving Under Influence: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) officials of his Department have had with other Departments to discuss the effect of proposed drug...

      Great Western Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent conversations he has had with (a) the West of England Partnership, (b) Passenger Focus, (c) local authorities in the south west and (d)...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to seek to ensure that High Speed 2 will be constructed using British materials and British workers.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total carbon emissions that will result from the construction of High Speed 2.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the potential reductions in carbon emissions from (a) non-high speed trains, (b) domestic air travel and (c) cars as a...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the (a) capital and (b) running costs of (i) High Speed 2 Phase 1 and (ii) High Speed 2 Phase 2 in respect of (A)...

      Roads: Snow and Ice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether salt has been imported from (a) Morocco and (b) Western Sahara for use in de-icing roads.

      Sentencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish an estimate of the number of people who will serve (a) community sentences and (b) custodial sentences under clause 37 of the Crime...

  • Church Commissioners

    • Pilgrimage of Prayer: Canterbury

      To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what reports the Church Commissioners have received of the Archbishop of Canterbury's plan for a pilgrimage of prayer...

    • Women Bishops

      To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the proposals contained in the General Synod document "Women in...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Asbestos

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce the health risks caused by asbestos.

    • Electronic Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether use of Universal Job Match is intended to be compulsory for those in receipt of jobseeker's allowance.

      Employers' Liability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress his Department has made in implementing the proposals in the Government's response to the consultation on Accessing compensation...

      Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the projected annual savings to the public purse as a result of the reduction in housing benefit...

      Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate his Department has made of the number of bedrooms in the social rented sector considered to be spare; (2) what estimate...

      Jobseeker's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department has issued to Jobcentre Plus advisers about clients on jobseeker's allowance who are also elected councillors.

      Jobseeker's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new applicants for jobseeker's allowance have been restricted to online application for that allowance in each month since June 2012.

      Pension Funds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to stop pension fund liabilities preventing reorganisations or mergers of charities; and if he will make a statement.

      Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many citizens of EU member states other than the UK and Ireland receive pensions in the UK; (2) how many citizens of each EU member...

      Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a comparative assessment of the effect of retirement age regulations in different EU member states on the amount pensioners receive.

      Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost is of (a) administering the inter-country pension calculation and (b) preparation of the P1 document for the UK.

      Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what effects the proposed single tier pension will have on the EU pension system.

      State Retirement Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy that proportionate state pension payments can be awarded to pensioners reaching retirement age on a day other...

      State Retirement Pensions: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the Government's white paper on the single tier pension for women who were born between 6 April...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reform the provision of exempt accommodation for the purposes of universal credit.

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with charities regarding online applications for universal credit.

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what proportion of people placed in work under the Work programme qualify for tax credits; (2) what proportion of placements under the...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what adaptations contract providers to the Work programme give for (a) the visually impaired, (b) the hearing impaired, (c) those with physical...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Work Programme referrals and attachments data will be published; and when outcomes figures will next be released.

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether it is possible for a local authority to apply for a central Government grant which facilitates the non-payment of...

    • Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) guidance he has issued to and (b) discussions he has had with local authorities on reversing a decision to charge...

      Fire Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether it is his intention that fire authorities will be allowed to mutualise their services without the independently...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he gives local authorities in England and Wales on the reasonable level of reserves held by them.

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Electricity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to assess the success of his Department's electricity market reform.

    • Energy: Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to bring forward amendments to the Energy Bill to cap the costs paid by customers for the Energy Company Obligation.

      Fuel Cells

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the economic, scientific and carbon abatement potential of direct carbon fuel cell technology.

      Fuel Poverty: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of fuel poverty on rural communities.

      Radioactive Waste Management Committee

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the reasons were for changing the terms of reference of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management resulting in the end of...

      Tidal Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the responses of local communities on consultation of proposals for tidal energy projects.

      Warm Home Discount Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Warm Home Discount Scheme applications he received from vulnerable person claimants who are not automatically eligible by the...

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the cost of withdrawal of British military forces and equipment from Afghanistan.

    • Armed Forces: Dogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army sniffer dogs have been injured whilst on duty in the last five years.

      Armed Forces: Dogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces have received injuries from dogs whilst in the line of duty in the last three years.

      Armed Forces: Homosexuality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many openly gay people are currently serving in the (a) regular and (b) reserve armed forces.

      Armed Forces: Horses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many military horses have been put down in each of the last five years; (2) how many horses are maintained by the armed forces.

      Armed Forces: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits the armed forces made to (a) state secondary schools, (b) independent schools and (c) colleges in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) England...

      Armed Forces: Retirement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that under the Public Services Pensions Bill Ministry of Defence fire and police service personnel have the same retirement age as that...

      Medals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, columns 22-6W, on medals, for what reasons polar explorers are now excluded from the award...

      Military Bases: USA

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence police are based at the US bases at (a) Menwith Hill, (b) Lakenheath, (c) Mildenhall, (d) Molesworth, (e) RAF Fylingdales,...

      Military Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence (MOD) police serve at each MOD establishment.

      Police: Dogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many police dogs have died of reasons other than of natural causes in each of the last 10 years.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of contracts measured by value were awarded by his Department to UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises in the last 12 months for...

      Radioactive Materials

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) life cycle analysis, (b) carbon footprint analysis and (c) environmental impact assessment has been made covering countries of origin of any raw...

      Reserve Forces: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to increase participation of adult volunteers in the (a) Combined Cadet Force, (b) Air Training Corps, (c) Army Cadet Force and (d) Sea...

      UK Polar Medal Assessment Committee

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 22W, on medals, for what reasons the UK Polar Medal Assessment Committee does not...

      UK Polar Medal Assessment Committee

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how often the UK Polar Medal Assessment Committee meets; and when it last met.

      Veterans: Advisory Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the Veterans' Information Service; and if he will assess the effects of the present cost of voluntary redundancy from the...

      Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the procedure and sign-off process for responding to parliamentary questions in his Department includes review by special advisers.

  • Justice

    • Alcoholic Drinks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the level of alcohol-related absenteeism in his Department; whether his Department has an (a) internal alcohol policy and...

    • Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted for selling alcohol to a drunk person in each of the last five years.

      Council Tax: Non-payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were (a) taken to court and (b) successfully prosecuted for non-payment of council tax in each of the last five years.

      Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of family justice centres in supporting victims of domestic and family violence; and if he will make a...

      Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much legal aid was received by (a) Birnberg Peirce and Partners, (b) Leigh Day, (c) Bhatt Murphy, (d) Public Interest Lawyers, (e) Imran Khan and...

      National Archives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2013, Official Report, column 52W, on national archives, which categories of file are closed to public access and...

      Offences against Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to ensure that victims of paedophiles and child exploitation have access to ongoing victim support services; and if he will...

      Prisons: Television

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements he plans to put in place to enable Welsh prisoners in prison in England to access S4C when prisoners are no longer allowed to subscribe...

      Prisons: Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice to what financial support families of young people (a) disposed by the courts, or transferred from prison to a secure psychiatric setting and (b) serving...

      Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if a mechanism will be put in place to allow the transfer of cases from the private to public sector and vice versa if the risk is deemed to have...

      Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders under supervision have mental health issues.

      Reoffenders: Yorkshire and the Humber

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reoffending rate in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber was in each of the last five years.

      Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed.

      Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on (a) the Government Car Service and (b) other taxi or car services for ministerial travel in each year since 2009-10; and...

      Youth Custody

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost is of each type of place within the secure youth estate.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Blood

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the effect on the distribution and availability of blood services in the event of a nuclear weapon being exploded in or...

    • Employment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of employment rates of (a) those with mental health problems, (b) those with learning disabilities, (c) former offenders and...

      Ict

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) iPads and (b) iPhones have been purchased by his Department since May 2010.

      Older Workers: Kingston Upon Hull

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people aged over 65 years old in the working population in Hull in each of the last five years.

      Public Appointments

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what code is used to regulate the behaviour of Government-appointed Tsars; (2) which Government Tsars have been appointed since May 2010; and on...

      Public Consultation

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his policy is on the publication in full of summaries of responses to Government consultations; whether he intends the publication of these...

      Third Sector

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what role he envisages for social firms in the Big Society.

      Unemployment: Wolverhampton

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many people in Wolverhampton South East constituency have been unemployed for over 12 months; and what the equivalent figure was in May 2010;...

  • Education

    • Academies Capital Maintenance Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much money will be made available in the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund in 2013-14; and when applicants to the Fund will be told if they have...

    • Schools: Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of the military ethos programme to (a) students enrolled on the programme and (b) the armed services.

      Schools: Playing Fields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the reason was for the time taken for his Department to provide the answer of 28 February 2013, Official Report, column 612W, on schools: playing...

      Schools: Playing Fields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what input special advisers in his Department had in preparing the answer of 28 February 2013, Official Report, column 612W, on schools: playing fields.

      Schools: Playing Fields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date the draft answer of 28 February 2013, Official Report, column 612W, on schools: playing fields, was submitted to a Minister for approval.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Beef Products

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress he has made on securing a Europe-wide response to the problem of adulterated beef products.

    • Horsemeat

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the length of time that horsemeat has been in the UK food chain illegally.

      Waste Infrastructure Credits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessments were undertaken by his Department before withdrawing the provisional allocation of waste infrastructure...

      Flood Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had on flood insurance.

      Flood Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had on flood insurance.

      Bottles: Recycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when he last met representatives of the bottling industry to discuss the Statutory Packaging Recycling Targets 2013 to...

      Bovine Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the boundaries are of the reserve pilot area for the proposed badger cull.

      Dangerous Dogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 6 February 2013, Official Report, column 15WS, on irresponsible dog...

      Food: Origin Marking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average cost to a UK food producer group of obtaining European Protected Foods status.

      Glass: Recycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of meeting the 63% recycling target for glass melt in 2013.

      Horse Meat

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Food Standards Agency informed the Secretary of State of the names of the UK companies suspected of horse meat fraud.

      Horses: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of horses in the UK that are at risk of being abandoned or fly-grazed; and what...

      Livestock: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure the welfare of animals during transport.

      Reptiles: Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many CITES and non-CITES listed reptiles as recorded under TRACES have been imported to the UK from within Europe in each...

      Water Companies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many meetings he has had with water suppliers since taking up his post.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Arts and Culture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much arts and culture funding was provided by (a) the Government, (b) local authorities and (c) via philanthropic giving, in (i) the...

    • Arts and Culture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information her Department holds on local government spending on arts and culture in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12; and...

      Arts and Culture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2013, Official Report, column 543W, on arts and cultural services, which (a) local authority...

      Arts and Culture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the potential effects of reduced...

      Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2012, Official Report, column 704W, on Broadband Delivery UK, how the digital dividend broadband...

      Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the intent to give state aid to the Super Connected Cities programme was notified to the European Commission.

      Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press Inquiry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the final cost to the public purse was of Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into culture, practice and ethics of the press.

      Newcastle Upon Tyne

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions (a) she and (b) the Minister for Culture have visited Newcastle upon Tyne since May 2010.

      Rugby: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent supporting women's rugby in each of the last five years.

      Rugby: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to support the English national women's rugby union team in advance of the rugby world cup.

      Rugby: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will encourage Premiership rugby union clubs to support a women's side.

      Rugby: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to encourage the broadcast media's coverage of women's rugby.

      Sports: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures her Department is taking to encourage girls to participate in (a) sport and (b) women's rugby.

      Tourism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what methodology her Department uses to measure the effect of its support of the tourist economy in England.

  • Health

    • Cardiovascular System: Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to publish the cardiovascular disease outcomes strategy; and if he will make a statement.

    • Care Quality Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring his Department undertakes of Care Quality Commission inspection arrangements.

      Care Quality Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Care Quality Commission inspectors are employed per head of population in each health commissioning group area of England.

      Care Quality Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has issued guidance on the number of Care Quality Commission inspectors there should be in each area of England.

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the independent evaluation of dementia adviser and peer support services.

      Fertility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance his Department provides to primary care trusts on access to NHS fertility treatment by people whose partners already have children...

      Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the results of the Department's £1 million independent evaluation of the Public Health Responsibility Deal will be published.

      Hospital Beds: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current provision of hospital beds is at (a) University College, (b) the Royal Free, (c) the Whittington and (d) North Middlesex hospitals; what...

      Medicine: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical students at UK medical schools qualified as doctors in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many such doctors were...

      Mental Health Services: Restraint Techniques

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died under restraint in mental health institutions in each of the last five years; and how many such people were (a) female and (b) female...

      NHS: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total NHS drugs bill was in each of the last five years.

      NHS: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is developing on the quality of health care provision, other than hospital-standardised mortality rates and summary...

      Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons behind variations in the (a) treatment of obesity across the country and (b) differential rate of hospital...

      Organs: Donors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were added to the organ donor register in (a) total, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) Northern Ireland in each month since...

      Paramedical Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the (a) professional and (b) training standards of paramedics.

      Public Health England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people will be employed by Public Health England; and what the budget will be of this body.

      Public Opinion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in (i) 2012, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2010.

      School Milk

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of European Commission consultation on (a) the European School Milk Scheme...

      Sexually Transmitted Infections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 18 in England were treated for a sexually transmitted disease in each of the last five years.

      Streptococcus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to respond directly to the concerns of those people who wrote submissions to the recent group B Streptococcus consultation...

      Streptococcus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to improve care for expectant mothers and reduce the risk of group B streptococcal infection in new born babies.

      Tobacco: Retail Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce standardised tobacco packaging.

      Tobacco: Retail Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential increase in counterfeiting and organised crime if tobacco products were sold in plain, standardised packaging.

  • Home Department

    • Asylum: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many destitute asylum seekers have presented themselves at London borough social services departments in each month of the last year; and...

    • Confiscation Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken for the execution of a confiscation order issued under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 was; and how many orders...

      Deportation: Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many foreign national offenders have been deported via the automatic deportation criteria since their inception; (2) how many...

      Immigration Controls

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is on the ministerial group on migration control; how often this group has met since 2012; and who has chaired each such session.

      Immigration: Croydon

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency legacy cases are still outstanding for applicants resident in Croydon North constituency.

      Immigration: Married People

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications to sponsor a non-EEA national spouse to settle in the UK have failed to meet the minimum financial income requirement...

      John Stewart

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make representations to her US counterpart about the removal of John Stewart, Chairman of HACAN ClearSkies, from the US travel...

      Sexual Offences: Southwark

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the report of the Independent Police Complaints Commission on Southwark Sapphire Unit's local practices for the reporting...

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer questions 140991 and 140992 tabled on 29 January for answer on 5 February 2013.

  • International Development

    • Developing Countries: Water

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the announcement of 20 April 2012 that her Department intends to double the reach of its water and sanitations work what...

    • Developing Countries: Water

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact's report on water and sanitation programming in Darfur, whether she plans...

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many development contracts are currently awaiting approval.

  • Treasury

    • Aggregates Levy: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards the re-introduction of the Aggregates Levy Credit Scheme for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

    • Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the quantified savings in the health and crime budgets set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment published alongside the Government's...

      Corporation Tax: Croydon

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level was of corporation tax receipts collected from businesses registered in (a) Croydon North constituency and (b) the London borough of Croydon...

      Exhaust Emissions: Motor Vehicles

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2013, Official Report, column 662W, on car tax, what recent representations he has received on feebate schemes to...

      Motor Vehicles

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer further to the answer of 25 January 2013, Official Report, column 517W, on motor vehicles, what the value of (a) UK exports of cars to the EU and (b) UK...

      Pay Methods

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the resilience of the UK payments infrastructure.

      Trade Competitiveness

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the UK's business competitiveness.

      Welfare Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of child tax credit but not working tax credit have an annual household income for tax credit purposes of between (a)...

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average length of an apprenticeship has been in (a) England and (b) each English region in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and...

    • Apprentices: Kingston upon Hull

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships have been created in (a) Hull and (b) Kingston upon Hull North constituency in each quarter since Q4 2011.

      British Antarctic Survey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 26W, on medals, how many people are currently employed by the...

      Consumer Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2013, Official Report, column 450W, on consumer information, when he expects the working...

      Consumers: Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much and what proportion each decile of the UK population contributed to consumer spending in the UK in each year for which...

      Engineering

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate his Department has made of the shortfall of qualified staff in the engineering sector.

      Engineering

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of how a shortfall of qualified staff in the engineering sector may affect overall...

      Enterprise Capital Funds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many firms he estimates to benefit from new investment by Enterprise Capital Funds in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15...

      EU Grants and Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 293W, on EU Grants and Loans, when a decision will be made on...

      Housework

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what data his Department holds on the breakdown of individual domestic chores in the home.

      Kazakhstan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which individuals from which companies accompanied the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise on his visit to Kazakhstan...

      Limited Liability: Yorkshire and the Humber

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many limited liability companies have been declared insolvent in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the...

      New Businesses: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many delivery partners have received formal offers under the Start-Up Loans scheme to date.

      New Businesses: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what date he expects 30,000 loans to be made under the Start-Up Loans scheme.

      Overseas Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) India-domiciled, (b) China-domiciled, (c) Arab states-domiciled, (d) Brazil-domiciled and (e) South Africa-domiciled...

      Postgraduate Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK-domiciled first year postgraduates in each subject area were enrolled at English higher education institutions in (a)...

      Public Sector: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) funding proposals and (b) expressions of interest from (i) Government departments, (ii) Government agencies and...

      Regional Growth Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many individual awards from Round 2 of the Regional Growth Fund have not yet drawn down funds; and what the monetary value is...

      Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff his Department employed in each of the past five years; how many such staff were employed in London; how many such...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Bahamas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Bahamian Government about reopening the UK visa mission.

    • Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Bahraini counterpart on international legal protections against statelessness.

      Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on the conviction and imprisonment of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Ebrahim...

      British Overseas Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Government Ministers have visited one or more of the UK Overseas Territories in the life of this Parliament.

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings officials in his Department have had with Shell where Burma was discussed since May 2010.

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on how many child soldiers remain in the Burmese army.

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether there has been a significant increase in confiscation of land from farmers and villagers...

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Walsall South of 31 January 2013, Official Report, column 945W, on Burma, what...

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Walsall South of 31 January 2013, Official Report, column 945W, on Burma, what...

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to encourage Israel to stop detention of Palestinian prisoners inside Israel.

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to take steps against UK directors of G4 over the transfer of Palestinian prisoners to Israeli persons.

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Israeli authorities about night-time arrests of children.

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Israeli authorities about recording of police interviews with children.

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Israeli authorities that Palestinian children should not be blindfolded or hooded on arrest.

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities about incorrect origin declarations for goods imported under the...

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will take steps to limit the territorial competence of EU trade agreements to Israel's 1967 borders.

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review arms export licences to Israel.

      Libya

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the persecution and torture of Christians in Libya and limitations on the possession and sale of...

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the opening of the Rafah crossing for humanitarian supplies.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government about civilian casualties in Gaza.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of civilian casualties in the recent outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Gaza.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made about the construction of a wall around the village of Al Walaja.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to encourage Israel to end settlement building.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage Israel to return Palestinian land to its owners.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to encourage Israel to move the separation barrier back to the Green Line.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to persuade Israel to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities over the construction of a wall around the village of Al Walaja.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities over the repeated demolitions of the Beit Arabiya house in Anata in...

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to stop house demolitions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Israeli Government on compensation for houses demolished in Gaza.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of houses demolished in the occupied West Bank since 1967.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take in response to demolitions in Silwan in East Jerusalem.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of houses demolished in the occupied west bank since 1967.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take in response to demolitions in Silwan in East Jerusalem.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to stop house demolitions in East Jerusalem and the west bank.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will commission research on the legality of importing goods produced in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian...

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Irish Government's call for an EU-wide ban on imports from Israeli settlements.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK missions in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem purchase settlement goods.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice he has sought on whether trade with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories breaches the...

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he gives to tour operators about payments to hotels and bus operators in illegal Israeli settlements.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make representations to the European Commission to publish the names of companies mis-stating the origin of...

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether settlement building by Israel in planning area E1 is compatible with the two-state solution.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the announcement that houses will be built between Jerusalem and Bethlehem in Gilo; (2)...

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the announcement that houses will be built between Jerusalem and Ramallah in Ramat Shlomo.

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that UK companies conform to the International Court of Justice's ruling that the UK is under...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to end violence in Sudan.

  • House of Lords

    • Armed Forces: Autonomous Weapon Systems

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they are spending each year on research into autonomous weapon systems.

    • Armed Forces: Interpreters

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Iraqi nationals who have worked as interpreters and translators with the British Armed Forces in Iraq have (1) applied for, and (2) been granted, asylum...

      Armed Forces: Military Covenant

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the definition of "veteran" when applied to the Military covenant.

      Civil Aviation Authority

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Earl Attlee on 13 February (Official Report, col. 655), what assessment they have made of whether the Civil Aviation Authority could play...

      Crime: Joint Enterprise

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 25 February (WA 204), what assessment they have made of the levels of joint enterprise arrests and prosecutions...

      Cyclists: Speed Limits

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 13 February (WA 169), whether cyclists are subject to 20 miles per hour speed limits; and, if so, what penalties...

      Defamation Bill

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered linking the Defamation Bill to the proposal for press regulation to be underpinned by a body appointed by royal charter.

      Government Departments: Buildings

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for the future of the Old War Office building.

      Government Departments: Buildings

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of (1) the relocating the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister into Dover House, (2) refurbishing and upgrading the existing office of...

      Isles of Scilly

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Civil Aviation Authority will require the air terminal building at St Mary's airport in the Isles of Scilly to be moved before they will approve the...

      Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the draft Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (Cm 8563) will apply to any border referendum poll; and whether there will be any barrier to the...

      Police: Criminal Offences

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many officers currently serving in the Metropolitan Police Service have been convicted of serious criminal offences.

      Police: Firearms

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 21 November 2012 (WA 345), when they expect to conclude their revision of the chapters and appendices...

      Questions for Written Answer

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the advice to government departments in paragraphs 7.37 to 7.39 of the Cabinet Office's Guide to Parliamentary Work on referring to websites in answers is...

      Railways: East Coast Main Line

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have held discussions with Network Rail over the level of overhead line failures on the east coast main line; and, if so, what indication they have...

      Railways: High Speed 2

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the relative impact on Merseyside's economy, compared with Manchester and Leeds, if HS2 did not reach Liverpool.

      Railways: High Speed 2

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are proposing a paving bill for HS2; and, if so, for what purpose.

      Railways: High Speed 2

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been spent to date on developing HS2; what is the expenditure limit for that work; and when they estimate that limit will be reached.

      Roads: A34 and A339

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to link the A339 to the A34.

      Transport: Heavy Goods Vehicles

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the 40 miles per hour speed limit for heavy goods vehicles on the number of overtaking accidents.

      Vehicles: Semi-trailers

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are conducting research to assess the damage to private property and the environment through noise and fumes and the danger to pedestrians caused by...

      Young Offenders: Learning Disabilities

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many offenders currently in youth custody have ever had a learning disability assessment as defined under Section 139A of the Learning and Skills Act 2000.

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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