Written answers

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

  • Home Department

    • Investigatory Powers Tribunal

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2013, Official Report, column 342W, on investigatory powers tribunal, what the definition is of the term...

    • Lasers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of laser pen attacks on police helicopters have been recorded in the last five years.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces are currently involved in the street triage pilot; whether she has had any discussions with Ministers in the Welsh...

      Police: Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that autism awareness training is available to all police officers.

  • Transport

    • East Coast Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason data from the Office of Rail Regulation showing that the East Coast Main Line (ECML) on passengers per train kilometre was not included...

    • European Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many visits Ministers from his Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and...

      Large Goods Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his general policy to restrict heavy goods vehicles to the inside lane on uphill stretches of two-lane dual-carriageways, motorways...

      Public Transport: Yorkshire and the Humber

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much investment his Department has made in rail and bus services in (a) Huddersfield and (b) Yorkshire since 2010.

      Railways: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the business case for a dedicated twin-track connection between High Speed 1 and High Speed 2, taking account of the...

      Railways: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the cost of tunnelling the High Speed 1/High Speed 2 link from Primrose Hill to St Pancras.

      Rescue Services: Air Force

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions fixed wing top cover search and rescue RAF aircraft were (a) requested by and (b) provided to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...

      Roads: Floods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to provide a pinch-point fund to ensure the upkeep of roads which flood regularly on a seasonable basis.

      Speed Limits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that the DVLA website records all speed limits in miles per hour rather than kilometres per hour.

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for Britain to leave the EU in his Department's area of responsibility; and if he...

      Vehicle Number Plates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on his Department's review of vehicle number plate security and integrity.

  • Women and Equalities

    • Equality and Human Rights Commission

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities when she last met the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

    • EU Institutions

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many visits Ministers from the Government Equalities Office made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11, (b)...

      European Commission

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many visits the Permanent Secretary and the four next most senior civil servants in the Government Equalities Office made to the European...

      Females: Business

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what discussions she has had on the use of quotas on FTSE 100 boards to increase the representation of black and minority ethnic women at the highest...

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for Britain to leave the EU in the Government Equalities Office's area of...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visits Ministers from her Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11, (b)...

    • European Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visits the Permanent Secretary and the four next most senior civil servants in her Department made to the European Commission...

      Gaming Machines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the average spend in fixed odd betting machines by each user in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) the...

      Gaming Machines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East of 23 October 2013, Official Report, column 299, when the...

      Gaming Machines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans her Department has to limit the stakes and rate of play for fixed odd betting terminals.

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in her Department's area of...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to publish the audited figures for the Child Support Agency's Client Funds account for financial year 2012-13.

    • Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what child maintenance arrears by the parent with care are currently outstanding in (a) each of the component parts of the UK and (b) each...

      Employment Schemes: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Work Choice participants have been issued with a sanction since 2010.

      Employment Schemes: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Work Programme participants have transferred to Work Choice since 2011.

      Employment Schemes: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people undertaking Work Choice since 2010 have had a mental health problem as their primary impairment.

      Employment Schemes: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people selecting Work Choice since 2010 have claimed (a) employment and support allowance or incapacity benefit, (b) jobseeker's...

      EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many visits Ministers from his Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and...

      European Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many visits the Permanent Secretary and the four next most senior civil servants in his Department made to the European Commission in (a)...

      Genetically Modified Organisms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to including commercial applications such as bioreactors, fish tanks and glasshouses within the single...

      Genetically Modified Organisms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether applications covered under the proposed single regulatory framework for laboratory safety for genetically modified organisms will...

      Jobseeker's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1080-2W, on jobseeker's allowance, how many claimants of jobseeker's...

      Jobseeker's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK have consecutively claimed jobseeker's allowance for (i) over...

      Lone Parents: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to increase support for single, working parents in Lancashire.

      Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials at what grades are employed to provide direct support to special advisers in his Department.

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many personal independence payment assessment claims have been received by his Department to date; (2) how many personal...

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2013, Official Report, column 459W, on social security benefits, how many of the claims which...

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for Britain to leave the EU in his Department's area of responsibility;...

  • Scotland

    • Common Agricultural Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effects of the recent CAP settlement on farmers and rural communities in Scotland.

    • Low Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps the Government is taking to tackle low pay in Scotland.

      Scottish Independence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the possible effects on the Scottish economy of Scotland continuing to use sterling after independence.

      Scottish Independence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had on future pension arrangements in an independent Scotland.

      EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many visits Ministers from his Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c)...

      EU Justice and Home Affairs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the possible financial implications of opting out of each of the police and criminal justice measures in the third pillar...

      European Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many visits the Permanent Secretary and the four next most senior civil servants in his Department made to the European Commission in (a) 2010-11,...

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for Britain to leave the EU in his Department's area of responsibility; and if he...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2013, Official Report, column 102W, how many electors and what proportion of the electorate have been...

    • UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for Britain to leave the EU in her Department's area of responsibility;...

  • Wales

    • EU Justice and Home Affairs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the possible financial implications of opting out of each of the police and criminal justice measures in the third pillar of...

    • UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for Britain to leave the EU in his Department's area of responsibility; and if he...

  • Defence

    • Armed Forces Personnel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what change there has been in the number of armed forces personnel in (a) Wales and (b) each other nation and region of the UK since May 2010.

    • Army: Germany

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 October 2013, Official Report, column 473W, on army: Germany, what funding other than that provided to local schools will be...

      Belize

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans for the British Army Training Support Unit Belize are.

      Mediterranean Sea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the recent humanitarian crisis and loss of life in the Mediterranean sea, what part the Combined Maritime Forces are playing to prevent...

      Military Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents of laser pen attacks on military aircraft were recorded in the last five years.

      Military Exercises

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to design a training package to prepare UK forces for contingency operations from 2015.

      Public Records: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2013, Official Report, column 483W, how many files held at Swadlincote his Department has made available to (a) the...

      Reserve Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the £1.8 billion allocated for the improvement of reserve forces has been spent.

      Shipping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any jobs will be lost as a result of the decision to sell the two charter vessels procured under the Strategic Sealift Service private finance...

      Strategic Defence and Security Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preparatory work is being undertaken in anticipation of the next Strategic Defence and Security Review; and if he will make a statement.

      Type 26 Frigates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what unmanned aerial system capability the Type 26 will have; (2) when the main components which make the Type 26 were agreed; who agreed them;...

      Type 26 Frigates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what function the Type 26 will perform (a) strategically and (b) operationally; (2) what littoral capability the Type 26 will have.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Bovine Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his contribution of 10 October 2013, Official Report, column 282W, on bovine tuberculosis, what evidential basis...

    • Bovine Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information has been provided to his Department by staff of Woodchester Park in respect of changes in the badger...

      Charities Act 2006

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports his Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Nuclear Reactors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential use of thorium in nuclear reactors.

    • Energy Supply

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of public support of the consumer cost of decarbonisation of the UK's energy supplies.

      Floods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on the substations in England and Wales identified as having...

      Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what projection his Department has made of the change in the number of people living in fuel poverty in the UK over the next 12 months.

      Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of privately rented households were in fuel poverty in the latest period for which figures are available.

      Green Deal Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of progress made by the UK towards achieving the Gone Green energy demand scenario.

      Natural Gas: Storage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what assessment he has made of the net consumer welfare for supported gas storage under the (a) stressed scenario and (b) Gone...

      Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many full-time equivalent staff of his Department have been working on (a) new nuclear and (b) energy efficiency in each of the...

      Sunningdale Park

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how often his Department has used Sunningdale Park for Civil Service events since May 2010; what the nature of each such event was; and...

  • Cabinet Office

    • European Commission

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many visits the Permanent Secretary and the four next most senior civil servants in his Department made to the European Commission in (a)...

    • Government Departments: Autism

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Government departments include autism awareness in their (a) equality and diversity training and (b) single equality schemes.

      Job Creation

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new jobs created have gone to (a) UK and (b) non-UK citizens in the last three years.

      Open Government Partnership

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of organising and hosting the Open Government Partnership summit in London on 31 October and 1...

      Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cases have been referred to the Parliamentary Ombudsman in each of the last five years.

      Unemployment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were unemployed in (a) May 2010 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are available.

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Distressed Retail Property Task Force

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects the distressed retail property task force to make its final recommendations; and if he will make a statement.

    • EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many visits Ministers from his Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11,...

      Housing: Derelict Land

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the proportion of future housing demand that can be met by building on brownfield sites.

      Recreation Spaces: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the criteria are for designation of a local green space; and which body or local authority has responsibility for deciding...

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in his Department's area of...

      Urban Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Grimsey review into town centres; and if he will make a statement.

      Urban Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisations, panels, working groups, task forces and partnerships have been established by his Department with a brief...

      Wind Power: Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Totnes of 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 193W, on land use: agriculture,...

  • Treasury

    • Banks

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent assessment is of the future of Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest and Ulster Banks; and if he will make a statement.

    • Banks: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to curb excessive bank fees.

      Convention on the Protection of the European Communities' Financial Interests

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether she will publish her Department's analysis of the costs and benefits of opting out of Council Act 26, July 1995 drawing up the Convention on the...

      Corporation Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to Table 11.6 of the corporation tax statistics published by HM Revenue and Customs on 30 August 2013, what aggregate sums were paid and how...

      Credit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to curb excessive default fees and charges across all credit products.

      Financial Conduct Authority

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met senior representatives from the Financial Conduct Authority; what subjects he discussed with them; and if he will make a statement.

      Infrastructure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on administering the UK Guarantees scheme to date.

      Inheritance Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the current system of inheritance tax.

      Interest Rate Swap Transactions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Financial Conduct Authority about the exclusion of embedded interest rate swaps from its redress scheme.

      Minimum Wage: Chelmsford

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) prosecutions and (b) cautions there have been for not paying the minimum wage in Chelmsford constituency since the introduction of the minimum wage.

      Minimum Wage: Lancashire

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in (a) Ribble Valley constituency and (b) Lancashire have been reported for paying less than the minimum wage in the last five years;...

      National Insurance Contributions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of employers with a liability to pay secondary class 1 national insurance contributions; and if he will make...

      Sovereignty: Scotland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the Scottish Government's proposal for a currency union with the rest of the UK in the event of Scottish independence.

      UK Asset Resolution

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases UK Asset Resolution has appointed LPA receivers to manage retail properties as a result of mortgage defaults by (a) number, (b) location,...

      Vat

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many applications for refunds for what value of VAT under the tax-free shopping retail export scheme have been made in each of the last five...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits Ministers from his Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11,...

    • EU Reform

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) the President of the European Commission, (b) the President of the European Council...

      European Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits the Permanent Secretary and the four next most senior civil servants in his Department made to the European...

      India

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government has made to the Government of India on violence against Christians and their property.

      India

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent the persecution of Christians in Orissa State in India.

      Pitcairn Islands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to announce a decision on the Marine Conservation Zone application by the Pitcairn Islands Council; and if he will...

      Pitcairn Islands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received (a) for and (b) against the creation of the Marine Conservation Zone proposed by the...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei has at present the capacity to carry out a...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will endorse the recent African Union Peace and Security Council call for implementation of a disarmament programme in the...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the UK will offer support to ensure that a disarmament programme in the Abyei area of Sudan is implemented.

      Telephone Tapping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on reports of interception of telephone and other messages in Northern...

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in his Department's area of...

      Yemen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the resumption of direct flights between the UK and Yemen.

  • Education

    • Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools with academy status have requested an amendment to their funding agreement to enable them to employ teachers without qualified teacher...

    • Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education under what circumstances his Department would review the funding agreements of academies and free schools.

      Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the names of every (a) academy chain, (b) individual academy school, (c) free school chain and (d) individual free school that is...

      Al-Madinah School

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) when officials in his Department were first made aware that the Al-Madinah Free School (a) had appointed staff without appropriate qualifications...

      Education: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of 17 year-olds are participating in education or training in the 2012-13 academic year under the terms of the Education and Skills Act...

      EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many visits Ministers from his Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c)...

      European Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many visits the Permanent Secretary and the four next most senior civil servants in his Department made to the European Commission in (a) 2010-11,...

      Free Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the 16-19 free schools that are operating in the 2012-13 academic year; how many (i) 16 and (ii) 17 year-olds have enrolled in each...

      Free Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the findings of the Education Funding Agency investigation into Kings Science Academy, Bradford, whether he has any plans to alter...

      Free Schools: Bedfordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether any (a) expenses, (b) allowances or (c) other payment from the public purse, excluding the project development grant, was received by the...

      Free Schools: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received from parents on the establishment of free schools in Lancashire.

      Gcse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department made of the potential effect on children of lower academic abilities, prior to the introduction of the Government's new...

      Gcse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to his announcement of 30 October 2013 on the use of GCSE results in school performance tables, whether (a) RAISEonline and (b) other...

      Kings Science Academy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether an internal review of King's Science Academy, Bradford made a recommendation that the school's finances should be referred to the police...

      Languages: Qualifications

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students have chosen to take a modern foreign language at (a) GCSE, (b) AS level and (c) A2 level in (i) Ribble Valley constituency and (ii)...

      Ofsted

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will instruct Ofsted to provide the hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley with the information he has requested about significant incident...

      Ofsted

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many notifications of significant incidents have been provided to Ofsted to date; what the date of each such incident was; whether a serious case...

      Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many new staff his Department has employed under (a) fixed-term contracts and (b) short-term contracts since May 2010.

      Teachers: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications and enrolments there were for initial teacher training programmes in maths and physics in respect of (a) School Direct and (b) HE...

      Teachers: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a comparative assessment of (a) the initial teacher training numbers allocated by mode and subject to School Direct and other providers...

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Arms Trade: India

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the value is of defence contracts with India for products made in Northern Ireland.

    • Counterfeit Manufacturing: Clothing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will meet the UK Fashion and Textile Association and the British Bridal Suppliers Association to discuss the problem of...

      Cybercrime: Crime Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made on promoting UK cyber exports.

      Electrical Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will issue clearer guidance to the manufacturers of electrical appliances on the point at which they should...

      Electrical Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his Department has held with stakeholders to discuss how to reduce deaths and injuries caused by electrical...

      EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many visits Ministers from his Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11,...

      EU Justice and Home Affairs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the possible financial implications of opting out of each of the police and criminal justice...

      European Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many visits the Permanent Secretary and the four next most senior civil servants in his Department made to the European...

      Iron and Steel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to respond formally to the EU Steel Action Plan.

      Iron and Steel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to increase demand in key steel producing sectors including the construction industry.

      Overseas Trade: India

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the New Zealand government on trade with India.

      Public Houses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the effect on the rural economy of reforming the leased pub company model; (2) what...

      Public Houses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on employment of offering a market rent only option to tied pubs.

      Trade Missions: China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many trade missions have been sponsored by his Department to China in the last 12 months; and what funding was allocated to each.

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in his Department's area of...

      UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the priority markets for the UKTI Defence and Security Organisation (DSO) are; and in which other countries UKTI DSO is...

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Consultants

      To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission how much the Commission spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2010.

  • Health

    • Accident and Emergency Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time in accident and emergency was in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) the North West and (c) the UK in each of the last four years.

    • Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support his Department makes available to local authorities to develop and share learning from innovative autism services.

      Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce outcomes for adults with autism into the health and social care outcomes frameworks.

      Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how his Department is ensuring clinical commissioning groups are aware of their obligations under the statutory guidance that accompanies the adult...

      Death: Weather

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to reduce the number of elderly winter deaths in (a) Lancashire and (b) the UK in winter 2013-14.

      Death: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the five principal causes of death in young people.

      Dementia: Fylde

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will institute a pilot scheme in Fylde constituency to investigate the best new practices in tackling dementia.

      Disability Aids: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS wheelchair services are currently delivering the Child in a Chair in a Day model of wheelchair provision.

      Disability Aids: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of disabled children in (a) Shipley constituency, (b) Yorkshire and (c) England who have been referred to a...

      Disability Aids: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meeting requests he has received from charities and organisations working with disabled children; and how many of these he has (a) undertaken...

      Disability Aids: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many disabled children currently receive mobility equipment from the NHS on the day of assessment in (a) Yorkshire and (b) England.

      Disability Aids: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on children's health and wellbeing of providing paediatric mobility equipment taking into account their (a)...

      Disability Aids: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the NHS eligibility criteria for (a) powered wheelchairs, (b) e-motion wheels and (c) lightweight manual wheelchairs for...

      Disability Aids: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of disabled children in (a) Shipley, (b) Yorkshire and (c) England who received from the NHS (i) powered...

      Disability Aids: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of disabled children in (a) Shipley, (b) Yorkshire and (c) England who have received from a non-NHS provider (i)...

      Eating Disorders: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) adults and (b) children have been recorded as having eating disorders in (i) Ribble Valley constituency and (ii) Lancashire in the last five...

      EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visits Ministers from his Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c)...

      European Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visits the Permanent Secretary and the four next most senior civil servants in his Department made to the European Commission in (a) 2010-11, (b)...

      Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has allocated to research on the long-term effects of low carbohydrate, high protein diets on cardiovascular disease.

      Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 588W, on health: food, which organisations were invited to sign up to the standard fat...

      Health: Organised Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the public health impact of gang and youth violence; and what steps the Government is taking to tackle it.

      Heart Diseases: Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many heart operations have taken place in each of the last five years; (2) what change in the number of heart operations there has been in each...

      Hospital Beds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of hospital beds not in accident and emergency which were occupied by patients from accident and emergency with...

      Hospitals: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the Francis Report's recommendations for minimum staffing requirements on hospital wards.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the waiting times for accessing mental health services.

      Ministerial Policy Advisors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials at what grades are employed to provide direct support to special advisers in his Department.

      Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the conclusion by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Quality and Outcomes Framework Advisory...

      Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether the indicators currently set out in the Quality and Outcomes Framework are effective in providing incentives to GPs...

      Obesity: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children below the age of 14 have been deemed clinically obese in (a) Ribble Valley constituency and (b) Lancashire in the last five years.

      Stress

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has funded on the effect of stress on (a) cancer and (b) heart disease.

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in his Department's area of responsibility; and if he...

  • International Development

    • Developing Countries: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the number of people co-infected with HIV and tuberculosis who have access to anti-retroviral drug treatment.

    • Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the number of people who developed active tuberculosis in 2012 but were not diagnosed or treated.

      Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to support countries with high burdens of tuberculosis who are currently missing targets for mortality,...

      Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the current global incidence of tuberculosis; and if she will make a statement.

      Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the May 2013 report of the UN High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, what...

      EU Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how many visits Ministers from her Department made to either the European Commission or the European Parliament in (a) 2010-11,...

      India

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she will take to include an awareness of the risk of trafficking of women and girls in her Department's response to the...

      Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials at what grades are employed to provide direct support to special advisers in her Department.

      Pitcairn Islands

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what evaluation she has made of the economic added value to Pitcairn eco-tourism generated by the proposed Marine Conservation Zone;...

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a decision for the UK to leave the EU in her Department's area of...

  • Attorney-General

    • Crown Prosecution Service

      To ask the Attorney-General how many hours Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors spent undergoing tablet training in 2012-13; and how much such training cost the CPS.

  • Justice

    • Attendance Allowance: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for attendance allowance appeals.

    • Civil Litigation Costs Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) when he plans to review the effects of the reforms to costs in civil litigation proposed by Lord Justice Jackson on access to justice; and how...

      Community Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2013, Official Report, column 502W, on community orders, what is considered as other in relation to the percentage...

      Courts: Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the annual cost to the public purse is of maintaining disused court buildings; (2) how many disused court buildings are lying empty because...

      Criminal Proceedings: Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to ensure that autism awareness training is available to all staff in the criminal justice sector, in line with the...

      EU Justice and Home Affairs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) which provisions of Council Framework Decision 2008/947/JHA (a) have and (b) have not been implemented by the UK; (2) what new laws or practices...

      Offenders: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of female offenders have not reoffended within five years of the completion of their sentence since 2001.

      Personal Injury: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) when he proposes to implement the new independent medical panel scheme for whiplash claimants; (2) whether the new independent medical panel...

      Prisoners: Repatriation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals who committed a crime in the UK have chosen to serve time in their country of origin since 1 January 2007.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons have increased their operational capacity since 4 September 2013; on what date the decision was made to increase the operational capacity...

      Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many different ICT packages are used in the Probation Service; and what assessment he has made of how these will be merged across the service in time...

      Serco

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to receive the final report of the audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers of contracts held by Serco in England and Wales.

      Victim Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with G4S on the changing structure of Victim Support.

      Victim Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many volunteers work for Victim Support.

      Victim Support Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the EU Directive establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime and of the...

      Young Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average amount of time is that a young offender will spend in a young offender institution.

      Young Offenders: Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to assist young offenders leaving prison to gain employment.

  • House of Lords

    • Alcohol

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total amount spent on alcohol during 2012–13 by the Home Office.

    • Alcohol

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total amount spent on alcohol during 2012–13 by Department for Transport.

      Animals in Scientific Procedures

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) pharmaceutical products, (2) medical procedures, and (3) medical devices approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, have...

      Armed Forces: Aircraft

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Royal Navy's F35B squadron's aircraft will carry Fleet Air Arm Squadron and Navy markings.

      Armed Forces: Helicopters

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Royal Navy aircrew and maintenance personnel have now converted to the Merlin 3 helicopter. To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the first...

      Children: Care

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children have been taken into the care of local authorities primarily as a result of the imprisonment of a parent or a person with parental...

      Children: Child Labour

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children who have been previous victims of forced or compulsory labour in the United Kingdom are now in education.

      Deaf and Deafblind People

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the development of more specialised community mental health services for deaf and deafblind people. To ask Her Majesty’s...

      Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, when recently looted antiquities are publicly offered for sale by auction in the United Kingdom, what assessment they have made of the actions taken by...

      Defence: Assistance Fund

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the purpose of the Defence Assistance Fund; and what was its cost in 2010–11, 2011–12, and 2012–13.

      Egypt

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have received about the process of drafting a new constitution for Egypt.

      Employment: 18-24 Year-olds

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 18–24 year-olds in England in employment are (1) in full-time education, and (2) not in full-time education; and of those in full-time...

      Employment: 18-24 Year-olds

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each of the last three years, how many 18–24 year olds in England on zero-hours contracts are (1) in full-time education, and (2) not in full-time...

      Environment: Sea Defences

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what sea defences are in place in (1) Merseyside, and (2) Lancashire; and which sea defences are at present in the planning stages in those regions.

      EU: Food

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proposal for a European Union regulation (COM (2012) 150) amending food safety directives as regards the powers to be...

      Food: Food Banks

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the report on food aid in the United Kingdom, including food banks, carried out for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by a team...

      Freedom of Information

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many freedom of information requests they have turned down since the formation of the Coalition that have subsequently been upheld on appeal and complied...

      Health: Free Social Care

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to the proposal of Macmillan Cancer Support that free social care should be provided to terminally ill patients wishing to...

      Health: Mental Health

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the role of the voluntary sector in the delivery of child and adolescent mental health services. To ask Her Majesty’s...

      Internet: Violent, Sexual and Sensitive Sites

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent posting on Facebook of a video of a beheading, what steps they will take to protect United Kingdom internet users from exposure...

      London Underground: Bakerloo Line

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the case for extending the Bakerloo line further into South London.

      Marine Conservation Areas

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made to establish marine protected areas around England; and what is their target for the next five years.

      NHS Property Services Limited

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is the policy required of NHS Property Services Ltd to sell surplus NHS land and buildings for full market value; and whether they have sold any...

      NHS: Expenditure

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the detailed capital expenditure for the Royal Sussex County Hospital for each year from 1997 to 2013. To ask Her Majesty’s Government what...

      Palestine

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider Palestinians who were born and live in Gaza and the West Bank to be refugees.

      Palestine

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Nations Relief and Works Agency keeps records of the origins of Palestinians under its care; and, if so, how many such persons left Israel...

      Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 2011

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effectiveness of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 2011.

      Railways: Colne

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each of the past five years, how many trains to Colne have been turned around before reaching either Nelson or Colne due to their running late.

      Railways: First Great Western

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the premium to be paid by First Great Western over the 23-month period of the franchise extension; what is the basis of the profit-sharing agreement;...

      Railways: North East and North West Links

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve intra-regional rail transport in the North East of England, and between the North East and North West.

      Research and Development

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase investment in research and development in the north-east of England.

      Roads: M4

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 20 June (WA 77–8), whether they plan to improve the stretch of the M4 motorway between junction 3 and...

      Roads: Road Safety

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they spent on promoting the safe use of roads in 2012–13.

      Schools: Free Meals

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the proposed scheme to provide free school meals to all infants attending schools or nurseries will be compulsory; if so, whether parents will be...

      Specialised Services Commissioning Innovation Fund

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with NHS England about the cancellation of the Specialised Services Commissioning Innovation Fund. To ask Her Majesty’s...

      Transport: Trams and Light Rail

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had any discussions about the building of a tram or light railway in the London Borough of Southwark.

      Transport: Transport Authorities

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for Transport Authorities.

      Zimbabwe

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial aid or support the United Kingdom has given, directly or indirectly, to the government of Zimbabwe since 2010.

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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