Written answers

Friday, 5 July 2013

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people (a) started and (b) completed apprenticeships in (i) York central constituency, (ii) York local education...

    • Business: Interest Rate Swap Transactions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the number of businesses offered redress as part of...

      Copyright

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union, in the case...

      EU Internal Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in each NUTS 1 region which are dependent on trade with the European Union.

      EU Internal Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in (a) total and (b) each NUTS 1 region conducted trade in (i) services and (ii) goods with other EU...

      Foreign Investment in UK

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of jobs which have been created or safeguarded by foreign direct investment from other EU...

      Industrial Training Boards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the triennial review of the Industry Training Boards for Construction, Engineering Construction and Film Industry Training...

      Innovation: Urban Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what processes are in place to scrutinise the (a) efficacy, (b) accuracy and (c) value for money of bids for the Future Cities...

      Royal Mail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the profit margins were of the Royal Mail in each of the last 10 years.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Unemployment: Young People

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of 18 to 24 year olds have been unemployed for two years or more.

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Housing: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to issue best practice guidance on the use of the disabled facilities grants to local authorities.

    • Housing: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps he is taking to provide housing to ensure that people with spinal cord injuries are not unsuitably discharged...

      MITIE Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spends on contracts with MITIE; and how much was spent on contracts with MITIE in each year since 2008.

      Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the number of local authorities who have determined 30 per cent or fewer of major planning...

      Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many article 4 directions were put in place by local authorities in 2012; (2) what estimate he has made of the cost...

      Urban Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussion the Future High Streets Commission has had about the introduction of a two year flexible use class.

  • Defence

    • Firing Ranges: Shoeburyness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the viability of developing housing on his Department's land in Shoeburyness; (2) what proposals his Department has...

    • Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 400W, on Iran, what the assessed and agreed potential liability is to International...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 401W, on procurement, what the total sum saved through his Department's re-negotiation of...

      Vending Machines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vending machines in his Department's premises contain snack foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value.

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Domestic Visits

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many visits he has made to (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in each year since 2010.

  • Education

    • Vending Machines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many vending machines in his Department's premises contain snack foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value.

    • Youth Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what meetings (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had to discuss the youth-proofing of policy in the last 12 months; (2) how many...

      Youth Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many myplace youth centres have been completed.

      Youth Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education when his Department plans to publish its audit of progress on cross-governmental policies for young people aged 13 to 19, as outlined in the...

      Youth Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what guidance he has provided to local authorities on the delivery of youth services; (2) what steps he is taking to promote (a) local...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Electricity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of maximum electricity demand as a percentage of capacity in the UK.

    • Electricity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what reductions (a) have occurred over the last five years and (b) are anticipated in the next 10 years in the total electricity...

      Energy Companies Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many companies who secured a contract through eco-brokerage have defaulted on their contractual obligations since July 2012.

      Green Deal Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many cashback vouchers have been (a) issued and (b) paid in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority area by 16...

      Green Deal Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) Green Deal assessments and (b) Green Deal plans were completed in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local...

      Power Stations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will list those (a) oil-fired and (b) coal-fired power stations which (i) have been closed during the last five years and (ii)...

      Power Stations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) if he will make it his policy to mothball sufficient power stations (a) already and (b) scheduled to be taken out of service to...

      Power Stations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether (a) EU and (b) other restrictions on emissions by power stations can be set aside in circumstances of national emergency; and...

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much generation capacity from non-renewable energy sources was installed in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much generation capacity from renewable energy sources was installed in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

      Solar Power: China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration his Department made of the potential effect on sales of solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers in the UK of the...

      Vending Machines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many vending machines in his Department's premises contain snack foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department owns Rectory Farm adjacent to Wisley Airfield, Surrey; and if he will make a statement.

    • Fisheries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the inclusion of goals on sustainable ocean fishery practices in any successor to the millennium...

      Floods: Dorset

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much will be spent on improving sea defences in Dorset as a result of the 2013 spending review.

      Floods: Insurance

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

      Greenhouse Gas Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) in the UK are used in the retail sector; which UK retailers were...

      Nature Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which programmes and projects were undertaken by his Department under its priority of a healthy natural environment...

      Plants: Falkland Islands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help he has given to the Falkland Islands Government to tackle the plant calafate originally from Argentina; and when...

      Shellfish: Colchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on issuing a Protected Geographical Indication for the Colchester Oyster; and if he will make a...

      Tyres: Waste Disposal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many licences are currently approved for the recycling of waste tyres.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • African Union

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to co-operate with member states of the African Union which supported its recent resolution calling for...

    • Dominican Republic

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when HM Ambassador to the Dominican Republic last discussed the case of Ms Nicole Reyes, a constituent of the hon. Member for...

      Dominican Republic

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he or one of his Ministers last met the (a) Justice Minister and (b) Attorney-General of the Dominican Republic.

      Dominican Republic

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when HM Ambassador to the Dominican Republic last met the (a) Justice Minister and (b) Attorney-General of the Dominican Republic.

      Dominican Republic

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when HM Ambassador to the Dominican Republic last met the Dominican Republic's Ambassador to the Court of St. James.

      Kidnapping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is considering taking steps to prevent (a) insurance companies, (b) businesses and (c) other bodies from...

      Kidnapping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has held with interested parties about the practice of freeing convicted terrorists as...

      Kidnapping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that an effective mechanism is put in place to regulate and police ransom...

      Kidnapping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of international measures in place to prevent countries rejecting financial ransom demands in public...

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of reports that the UN Development Programme has sponsored the annual Palestinian Prince of...

      Saudi Arabia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will issue a public condemnation of the recent convictions of and prison sentences awarded to seven activists in Saudi...

  • Health

    • Blood: Contamination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on awarding ongoing payments to victims of contaminated blood who are infected with either HIV or hepatitis C stage two; for what...

    • Fertility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the differences in the availability of (a) intrauterine insemination and (b) in vitro fertilisation across NHS trusts in...

      Health Services: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's latest estimate is of that sum owed to the NHS by foreign patients; and how much of that sum is made up of debts owed by foreign...

      NHS: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what involvement Sir David Nicholson had in (a) commissioning and (b) producing the NHS Next Stage Review; (2) with reference to the answer of 10...

      Nurses: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered nurses there were at each acute hospital trust in London in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

      School Milk

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he is considering adopting a cap-based solution to the nursery milk scheme.

  • Home Department

    • Glastonbury Festival

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new psychoactive substances were identified by her Department's forensic early warning system at the Glastonbury festival in (a)...

    • Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department allocated in 2012-13 and has allocated in 2014-15 for (a) research into the prevention of human trafficking...

      Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) location and (b) value is of any property her Department owns in Scotland.

  • International Development

    • Devolution

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will place in the Library any concordats which her Department or the public body for which she is responsible have with the...

    • Dominican Republic

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid the Government provided (a) directly and (b) via multilateral agencies to support judicial and penal reform in the Dominican...

  • Justice

    • Burglary

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of people convicted of burglary offences were given custodial sentences in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    • Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid in legal aid fees to (a) Mr Mohammed Tayyab Khan and (b) Mr Dean Kershaw; and what the total amount paid in legal aid fees was arising...

      Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what (a) proportion and (b) amount of his Department's criminal legal aid budget was allocated to high value cases in each of the last three years;...

      Legal Aid Scheme: Travellers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much funding the Legal Services Commission has provided for Travellers to provide representation at (a) planning inquiries and (b) court cases...

      Legal Aid Scheme: Travellers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether Travellers (a) facing planning enforcement cases and (b) applying for retrospective planning permission, are eligible for legal aid; and what his...

      Legal Aid Scheme: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the cost was of legal aid in North Wales in each of the last five years; (2) how many legal firms have participated in the legal aid system...

      Legal Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much his Department spent on (a) external legal advice from Queen's Counsel and (b) other external legal advice (i) between 7 May 2010 and 4...

      Prison Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison staff were dismissed for conducting inappropriate relationships with prisoners in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

      Prisoner Escapes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners who escaped during transit in the last five years are still to be recaptured; and of what offence each escapee had been...

      Prisons: Corruption

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training is expected of employees in HM Prison Service in dealing with corruption (a) on commencing their employment and (b) on an ongoing basis as...

      Prisons: Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2013, Official Report, column 22W, on prisons: employment, what proportion of prisoners who have participated in the...

      Rspca

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much legal aid the RSPCA claimed in (a) the five years prior to 2010 and (b) in each year since.

  • Prime Minister

    • Ian Livingston

      To ask the Prime Minister (1) what (a) assessment and (b) recommendations the Adviser on Ministers' Interests has made on the scale of shareholdings in British Telecom held by Ian Livingston;...

    • Kazakhstan

      To ask the Prime Minister what human rights issues were raised during his visit to Kazakhstan; and if he will make a statement.

      Pakistan

      To ask the Prime Minister what matters in respect of Pakistan's continued possession of nuclear weapons he discussed with his Pakistani counterpart during his recent visit to Pakistan.

  • Scotland

    • Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he received from the Scottish Government on the spending review.

  • Transport

    • Aviation: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether the funding announced in the 2013 Spending Round to improve air links to London will be available to all regional airports; (2) whether...

    • Cycling: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding has been allocated to Bikeability cycle training as a result of decisions announced in spending round 2013, Cm 8639.

      Driving Offences: Speed Limits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speeding offences have been committed in (a) Barnsley Central constituency and (b) South Yorkshire in each year since 2010.

      Driving: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the Green Paper on graduated licensing for young drivers as announced in March 2013.

      Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research he has conducted into the volumes of freight moved (a) to and (b) from container ports in the UK by (i) road and (ii) rail in each...

      Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to increase multi-modal freight capacity in the UK port sector.

      Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with Network Rail regarding freight capacity at UK ports.

      Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of (a) passenger and (b) freight services shifted from road to rail in each year since 1993-94.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what amount HS2 Ltd and his Department have spent on outside bodies promoting High Speed 2, by contractor company. [R]

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will instruct High Speed 2 Ltd to carry out a feasibility study of Option 8 at Euston station; (2) when he became aware that High Speed 2...

      Network Rail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will bring forward legislative proposals to enable Network Rail to be considered a public body for the purposes of auditing by the National...

      Network Rail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to improve the level of public scrutiny on the performance of Network Rail.

      Railways: Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the effect that the introduction of Network Rail's new track access charges for freight operating companies will...

      Shipping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has conducted into (a) training and (b) employment incentives for domestic seafarers that currently apply in other EU...

      Tonnage Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the core training commitment is for each company group elected to the Tonnage Tax scheme in 2013-14 to date; how many officer training places this...

      Tonnage Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has conducted into tonnage tax levels that currently apply in other EU countries.

      Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department (a) are working on cycling and active travel issues and (b) are projected to be so working in (i) 2014-15 and (ii)...

  • Treasury

    • Banks: Foreign Workers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many jobs in banks with a full or majority stake held by the Government have been outsourced overseas since 2008; (2) what the policy of UK...

    • Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when the Government plans to publish the response to the consultation on Alcohol Fraud: legislative measures to tackle existing and emerging threats...

      Fracking

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that any community benefit revenue that is derived from shale gas is apportioned to people living in the immediate vicinity...

      Fracking

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy to provide a gold standard of regulation on shale gas operations before any potential move to the extraction phase.

      Minimum Wage

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many unannounced minimum wage inspections were carried out by HM Revenue and Customs on companies located in (a) Newcastle Upon Tyne North...

      Minimum Wage

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many allegations of non-compliance with national minimum wage legislation in (a) total, (b) each region of the UK and (c) the London borough of Harrow...

      New Enterprise Allowance: Barnsley

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of businesses in Barnsley Central constituency who will receive the £2,000 enterprise allowance.

      Stamp Duty Land Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward a stamp duty rebate for homes participating in the Green Deal.

      Ulster Bank

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's staff at each level have been transferred to Belfast to work on issues related to the operation of Ulster Bank.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Atos Healthcare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Atos assessment centres there are in the UK; and how many have disabled parking facilities.

    • Children: Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of children in the UK living in poverty; and what steps the Government are taking to...

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how often people with (a) rheumatoid arthritis, (b) cystic fibrosis and (c) multiple sclerosis were reassessed for employment and support allowance.

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people assessed by ESA50 without a face-to-face interview were placed into the (a) support group and (b) work-related activity group...

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many and what proportion of employment and support allowance claimants in the work-related activity group are in employment 12 to 18...

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of employment and support allowance claimants found fit for work flow on to jobseeker's allowance.

      Industrial Health and Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has made to the European Union Employment Commissioner on the Commission's current review of health and safety...

      Industrial Health and Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has commissioned since May 2010 on making workplaces safer; and if he will make a statement.

      Industrial Health and Safety: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fatal accidents occurred in the construction sector in the last year for which figures are available; and how many of the people who...

      Jobseeker’s Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on exemptions to the new jobseeker's allowance seven-day waiting rule; and if he will make a statement.

      Jobseeker’s Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department plans to issue to staff in Jobcentre Plus on advice they can give to unemployed people who are in financial...

      Occupational Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce occupational ill-health.

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the effect of changes to working-age benefits on household income.

      Vacancies: Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many vacancies have been posted in Universal Jobmatch since its inception, by occupation.

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with (a) rheumatoid arthritis, (b) cystic fibrosis and (c) multiple sclerosis have undergone multiple work capability...

      Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the cost to his Department of appeals against the work capability assessment in 2012-13.

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how the market shift mechanism will operate in Work programme contract package areas where all prime providers have fallen short of the...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the criteria are for a Work programme provider to be eligible for market share shift.

  • House of Lords

    • Children: Disabled Children

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of children with one or more disability who live in overcrowded accommodation.

    • UK Export Finance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether UK Export Finance conducted an assessment of the environmental, social and human rights impacts of London Mining Company Ltd's iron ore mine in...

      UK Export Finance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether UK Export Finance conducted an assessment of the environmental, social and human rights impacts of the supply of intelligence equipment to the...

      UK Export Finance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an assessment of the environmental, social and human rights impacts of Reliance Industries Ltd will be conducted by UK Export Finance in relation to...

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.

July 2013
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031