Written answers

Thursday, 12 June 2014

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average broadband speed in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK.

    • Sports: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage primary school children to become active and involved in local sports organisations.

  • Prime Minister

    • Life Peers

      To ask the Prime Minister how many life peerages have been created since 2010; and how many such peerages have been as a result of having been nominated by political parties.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Childbirth

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many births, broken down by the week of pregnancy in which the birth occurred, there were in England in the last year for which figures are available.

    • Civil Servants: Equal Pay

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Departments regularly publish details of their gender pay gap at each Civil Service grade.

      Government Departments

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what sources of income from organisations funded from the public purse each member of each government department's board has.

      Health

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what use his Department has made of the National Wellbeing Index introduced by the Office for National Statistics in formulating policy since the...

      Social Justice Committee

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many times the Social Justice Cabinet Committee has met since 5 May 2010; what issues were on the agenda for each such meeting; and which Ministers...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Disciplinary Proceedings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of staff within her Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years...

    • Disciplinary Proceedings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of staff within her Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five...

      Equal Opportunities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what targets her Department has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.

      Giro d'Italia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the Giro D'Italia in Northern Ireland; and what plans she has to ensure a positive legacy from the event.

  • Women and Equalities

    • Equal Opportunities

      To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities how often Section 159 of the Equality Act 2010 has been used by employers in relation to recruitment or promotion of an individual with protected...

  • Energy and Climate Change

    • Climate Change: Conferences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which Ministers in his Department attended the most recent Bonn Climate Change Conference.

    • Climate Change: Conferences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the outcome of the most recent Bonn Climate Change Conference; and if he will make a statement.

      Climate Change: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what future discussions he has planned with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on climate change.

      Energy: Carers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of information for carers on affordable energy; (2) what recent...

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received on fracking in 2014.

      Fracking: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department have visited Lancashire for purposes related to fracking since 2010.

      Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 6 February 2014, Official Report, column 383W, on Energy Companies Obligation, what progress he has...

      Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what use his Department has made of the National Wellbeing Index introduced by the Office for National Statistics in formulating policy...

      Nuclear Safeguards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many withdrawals of nuclear materials from safeguards applied under the tripartite UK-Euratom-IAEA Voluntary Safeguards Agreement...

      Oil: Libya

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many barrels of oil were exported from Libya to the UK in each of the last five years.

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 14 May 2014, Official Report, column 597W, on renewable energy, what assessment his Department has made...

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 14 May 2014, Official Report, column 597W, on renewable energy, what the evidential basis was for the...

      UK Coal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his statement of 10 April 2014, Official Report, columns 24-25WS, on UK Coal Production Ltd, when the £10...

      Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in...

      Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the operation of (a) section 1 and (b) section 2 of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act...

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of when the Afghanistan Air Force will be ready to function independently of US and UK support.

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the Afghanistan National Army has deserted in each month since January 2010.

      Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 25 March 2014, Official Report, column 180W, on Africa, whether any service personnel are embedded with host forces or...

      Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any UK service personnel are embedded or otherwise stationed in (a) Ethiopia and (b) Chad.

      Armed Conflict: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department is giving to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict for the campaign to eradicate the recruitment of...

      Armed Forces Covenant: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which charitable projects based in Northern Ireland have benefited from the armed forces covenant (Libor) fund.

      Armed Forces: British Nationality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Foreign and Commonwealth personnel from each country of origin who were made redundant from the armed forces in each year since 2010 were...

      Armed Forces: Discharges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many requests for discharge were made by soldiers aged (a) 19 and (b) 20 years who had served at least three years in the regular Army in the last...

      Armed Forces: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training programmes or qualifications are available to recruits who enlist as minors which are not available to those who enlist aged 18 years or over.

      Armed Forces: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits under the age of 18 years at (a) enlistment and (b) the point of submitting their application to join the armed forces who stated in...

      Armed Forces: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits enlisting in the armed forces under the age of 18 years had previously (a) been convicted of a criminal offence, (b) received a caution...

      Armoured Fighting Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the MRV-P programme concept phase to be completed; whether funding for a demonstration has been approved; and what funds have been...

      Army

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers who enlisted in the Army aged (a) under 18 and (b) 18 years and above dropped out before completing phase two training in the last 10...

      AWE Aldermaston

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on Atomic Weapons Establishment facilities at Aldermaston in each of the last five years.

      Boskalis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts have been awarded by his Department to Boskalis over the last five years; and on how many occasions during the contract period such...

      Defence: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 18 December 2013, Official Report, column 636W, on defence: procurement, what the final costs are of establishing a Golo...

      Djibouti

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 169W, on Djibouti, from which squadron armed forces have been deployed at Camp...

      Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what modifications to the original design of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers were necessary to accommodate repeated vertical landings by the Joint...

      Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which RAF bases the Joint Strike Fighter can regularly land vertically.

      Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Joint Strike Fighter 35-B will be equipped with a collision warning system.

      Military Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to mitigate the risks to defence aviation safety systems and culture referred to in the Defence Air Safety Annual Report July 2012 to...

      Military Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to put out to tender the contract to provide military air traffic management at British and overseas bases.

      Risk Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records his Department keeps of the monthly 2-star assessments of its risk registers.

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to recognise the service of members of the Royal Navy in patrolling operations to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia.

      Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 473W, on unmanned air vehicles, when the Joint User Group for Reapers will...

      Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will carry out an independent qualitative assessment of the psychological and workplace stresses on the operators of remotely piloted...

      Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Joint Services Publication 398 on UK Rules of Engagement has been amended to reflect use of remotely piloted aircraft systems.

      Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 474, on unmanned air vehicles: guided weapons, if his Department will publish...

      Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department maintains (a) mission reports, (b) guided missile firing reports, (c) weapon system videos and (d) any other munitions release...

      Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 578W, on unmanned air vehicles, whether his Department maintains munitions...

      Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has procured any contracts for life cycle maintenance of the Reaper fleet; and for what periods.

      Usa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the advice provided by Jemima Stratford QC to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on drones, if his Department will take steps to...

      Usa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with its US counterpart on identifying how the US will support the new Joint User Group for Reaper. [R]

      Yemen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 30 January 2014, Official Report, column 691W, on Yemen, whether his Department has undertaken any impact assessment of...

      Yemen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 169W, on Djibouti, whether the UK personnel embedded with US forces under US...

      Yemen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK service personnel are stationed in Yemen; and what the (a) rank, (b) squadron and (c) function is of each officer stationed in that country.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Bovine TB

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of progress in other countries on tackling bovine TB in cattle and wildlife.

    • Equine Industry: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the burden of regulation on the equine industry in the UK.

      Severn Estuary Flood Defences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs What steps he is taking to improve and maintain flood defences along the Severn Estuary.

      Climate Change: Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of funding his Department provides to tackle the effects of climate change; and if he will make a statement.

      Environment Protection: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which companies have been (a) given warnings because of breaches of environmental law and (b) prosecuted for such breaches in...

      Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of water infrastructure investment plans in tackling the problem of...

      Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to help rural food and drink producers.

      Hill Farming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to support moorland farmers.

      Sheep

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds on the number of dog attacks on sheep flocks in each of the last three years.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Age: Discrimination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated relating to age discrimination in (i) the work place and (ii)...

    • Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make the Child Maintenance Options Service 0800 telephone number free to all callers, including mobile telephone users.

      Disadvantaged: EU Grants and Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons the UK Government voted against the establishment of a Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived.

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the time between applications for employment and support allowance and an assessment appointment for people...

      Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what use his Department has made of the National Wellbeing Index introduced by the Office for National Statistics in formulating policy since...

      Housing Benefit: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local authorities in Wales applied for additional financial assistance to cover discretionary housing payments in 2013-14; and what...

      Jobcentre Plus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a jobcentre is permitted to require a jobseeker to attend a voluntary employment support project in receipt of no statutory funding...

      Maternity Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women received statutory maternity pay for how long in the latest period for which figures are available.

      Maternity Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the Exchequer was of statutory maternity pay in the last year for which figures are available.

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people he expects to (a) be assessed for and (b) receive decisions on applications for personal independence payments in each of the...

      Personal Independence Payment: North East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many and what proportion of personal independence payments claims not made under the special rules for terminally ill people, by...

      Separated People: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when each of the new projects chosen in the second round of competition for funding from the Help and Support for Separated Families Innovation...

      Separated People: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what proportion of the parents who have so far participated in the first round of Help and Support for Separated Families Innovation Fund...

      Separated People: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been awarded to each of the 10 projects that received funding from Help and Support for Separated Families Innovation Fund in the...

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the proportion of claimants of (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) employment and support allowance on Help to...

      Social Security Benefits: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional costs and savings he expects from the introduction of the Single Fraud Investigation Service in each of the years from 2012 to 2018.

      Social Security Benefits: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made on Single Fraud Investigation Service; what plans he has for its roll out; and if he will make a statement.

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department is able to cross-check data on housing costs within the universal credit programme in...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by his Department to work exclusively on universal credit in (a) total, (b) communications,...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff will be employed in the specialist housing teams that will be established in universal credit centres.

  • Home Department

    • Asylum: Syria

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to how many Syrian refugees the UK has offered asylum.

    • Asylum: Uganda

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the UK Border Agency's handling of the case of Aidah Asaba.

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the change in waiting times for an initial decision for Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa applications in the last...

      Entry Clearances: Commonwealth

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work visas were issued to people from Commonwealth countries in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.

      Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prevent modern slavery.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 24 April 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 22 April 2014 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr A Mehmood.

      Surveillance: Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role her Department's Centre for Applied Science and Technology has in (a) the trial of the Aeryon Skyranger drone around Gatwick...

  • Treasury

    • Aggregates Levy: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress he has made on reinstating the Northern Ireland Aggregates Levy Credit Scheme.

    • Day Care: North West

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the number of families that would be eligible for support for child care costs under the provisions of the...

      Health

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use his Department has made of the National Wellbeing Index introduced by the Office for National Statistics in formulating policy since the...

      Investment

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the levels of (a) public sector investment, (b) private sector investment, (c) investment in intangibles and (d) other investment was in each G7...

      Sanitary Protection: VAT

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what consideration he has given to changing the five per cent VAT rate applied to female sanitary products; (2) for what reason HM Revenue and...

      Taxation: Self-assessment

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 6 May 2014, Official Report, columns 113-14W, on taxation, how much is owed in penalties and interest for failure to meet...

      Travel: Insurance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to encourage insurance companies to set travel insurance premiums for the elderly based on their state of health rather than their age.

      Working Tax Credit: Bolton

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid through working tax credits to people in Bolton North East constituency in each of the last three years.

  • Education

    • Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what evidence his Department holds or has assessed on the effects of conversion to academy status on the test results of children in primary schools.

    • Children: Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department takes to ensure that third party organisations delegated to undertake children's social care functions of local authorities...

      Children: Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to exempt any functions from his proposals to allow further delegation of children's social care functions.

      Children: Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects of proposals for further delegation of children's social care functions on the implementation of the...

      Dominic Cummings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the (a) dates and times and (b) purpose of all visits to his Department by Dominic Cummings have been since Mr Cummings resigned his post as a...

      Free School Meals: Nuneaton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in schools in Nuneaton will receive free school meals from 2014-15.

      Gcse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 16 January 2014, Official Report, column 656W, what change there has been in the proportion of pupils at the end of key...

      Sixth-Form Education: Student Numbers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 14 May 2014, Official Report, column 637W, on sixth-form education: student numbers, (1) how the approximate total...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Disabled Facilities Grants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average waiting time was in each local authority for an assessment for a disabled facilities grant in the most recent...

    • Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what use his Department has made of the National Wellbeing Index introduced by the Office for National Statistics in formulating...

      Housing: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities in the UK maintain a register of accessible or adapted homes; and what guidance his Department issues...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to assist homeowners facing problems paying their mortgages and to provide practical advice...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in receipt of disability living allowance or personal independence payments have received support from the Help...

      Mortgages: Huntingdon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what the average age of buyers using the Government’s Help to Buy scheme was in Huntingdon constituency; (2) how...

      Out of Town Shopping Centres: Northampton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the reason is for the time taken to make a decision on the Rushden Lakes development; and when he plans to announce that...

      Out of Town Shopping Centres: Northampton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what date he plans to announce whether the Rushden Lakes/Skew Bridge planning application has been accepted.

      Sleeping Rough: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many rough sleepers there were in each local authority in the North West in each year since 2010.

      Social Rented Housing: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people registered for social housing in (a) Liverpool, (b) the North West and (c) England are non-UK nationals.

  • International Development

    • Developing Countries: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to ensure all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality...

    • Developing Countries: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk...

      Developing Countries: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to ensure universal access to adequate and affordable housing and...

      Developing Countries: Working Conditions

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to end child labour by 2030 and protect the rights of and ensure...

      Developing Countries: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to halve the number of young people not in employment, education or...

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid her Department has given to the Palestinian Authority in each of the last five years.

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what arrangements are in place to monitor the use of funds given to the Palestinian Authority.

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) whether any UK aid given to the Palestinian Authority has been distributed to prisoners convicted of terrorism-related activities...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Colombia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he and his Department have received regarding alleged fabrication of charges by the Colombian state against...

    • Colombia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart about reports that agents acting on behalf of the Colombian...

      Gibraltar and Spain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has made to the European Commission in respect of petitions from the Government of Gibraltar for a...

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart on that country's material and financial support for terror...

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent reports that Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said that his organisation will not renounce...

      Sri Lanka

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) Sri Lankan Government representatives and (b) Sri Lankan non-governmental organisations and civil society...

      Transcaucasus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with the Russian government on the right to self-determination of people in the North Caucasus.

  • Health

    • Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) evaluated into the circumstances in which a typical abortion is performed on the grounds that it is...

    • Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women (a) of each age group, (b) in each health authority area and (c) of each type of complication and cause of death died following health...

      Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women (a) of each age group, (b) in each health authority area and (c) suffering from each type of complication suffered health complications...

      Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed for foetal abnormality in each of the last five years which were reported to a foetal abnormality register but were not...

      Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed beyond the 24 week limit where feticide was declined in each of the last five years.

      Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he intends to take to endure that literature distributed by abortion clinics informing women about adoption as an alternative to abortion under...

      Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Revised Standard Operating Procedures for the Approval of Independent Places for the Termination of Pregnancy, what assessment he...

      Abortion: Counselling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) formal and (b) informal discussions officials had with (i) pro-life organisations, (ii) the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, (iii) Marie...

      Abortion: Counselling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Revised Standard Operating Procedures for the Approval of Independent Places for the Termination of Pregnancy, what steps he is...

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of patients with cancer of the unknown primary first presenting at accident and emergency.

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve the collection and reporting of data relating to the incidence of cancer of the unknown primary.

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the importance of psychological support services for patients suffering from cancer of the unknown primary.

      Care Homes: West Sussex

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take to implement the recommendations of the Serious Case Review into the private care home sector in West Sussex; (2) what...

      Cervical Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Demos report, Behind the Screen, to increase uptake of cervical...

      Chlamydia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people (a) sought chlamydia screening and (b) tested positive in each local authority in 2012-13.

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve standards of NHS care for dementia sufferers.

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds his Department has provided for research into cures for dementia since 2012; and what progress has been made on such cures since the launch of...

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many local authorities have signed up to become dementia friendly since the launch of the Dementia Challenge; and what other progress has been...

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources his Department has allocated to help carers of dementia patients.

      Food Banks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he or other Ministers of his Department have visited a foodbank in order to assess the contribution of foodbanks to public health and nutrition.

      Health Services: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on devolved NHS services of changes to the way temporary migrants and visitors access the NHS in England.

      Health Services: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the costs of treatment of UK nationals in each other European Economic Area country in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c)...

      Health Services: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether officials from his Department met their Northern Ireland counterparts in preparation for the EU Informal Health Council in Athens from 28 to 29...

      Health, Work and Wellbeing Coordinators

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how members of the public can contact their regional Health, Work and Wellbeing coordinator; how much those coordinators are paid; by what body they are...

      Health: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that local authorities in England pursue continuous improvement in the proportion of their eligible population being (a)...

      Hospital Beds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital day beds were taken because of delayed discharge relating to inaccessible housing available for disabled outpatients in (a) 2013-14 and...

      Hospital Beds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department takes to ensure that people do not face delayed discharge from hospital because there is no suitable housing for them to be...

      Hospitals: Bolton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the five most common causes of admission to hospital have been for (a) children and (b) adults in Bolton since 2010.

      Hospitals: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations have been cancelled because of scheduling error in (a) St Albans, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) England since 2005.

      Hospitals: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current average waiting time is for elective surgery in (a) St Albans constituency, (b) Hertfordshire, (c) the East of England and (d) England.

      Human Embryo Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos have been (a) created for the purposes of experimentation and (b) created for the purposes of extermination and subsequently...

      Medical Treatments: Side Effects

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department takes to record and identify instances where non-pharmacological treatments have caused adverse reactions in patients.

      Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress he has made on ensuring that mental health has equal standing with physical health.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 12 May 2014, Official Report, column 401W, on mental health services, whether the Mental Health Intelligence Network has...

      NHS: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average charge levied by health care professionals for written reports requested by patients who require them for (a) setting up power of...

      Nutrition: Homelessness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to co-ordinate healthy eating initiatives among the homeless.

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will abolish prescription charges for asthma medication; (2) on what basis the conditions exempt from prescription charges are decided.

      Secure Accommodation: South West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many secure places there are in the South West region for children with mental health conditions involving violent behaviour.

      Sleep Apnoea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department has taken to ensure that commissioning of service provision for obstructive sleep apnoea is appropriate to the predicted...

      Sleeping Rough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made towards meeting the health goals in the Government's No Second Night Out Strategy.

      Sugar

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will revise the Government's Responsibility Deal to include sugar in the list of ingredients that companies should work with caterers to reformulate...

  • Transport

    • Air Traffic Control: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he consulted his Northern Ireland counterpart on his Department's publication Guidance to the Civil Aviation Authority on Environmental...

    • Aviation: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Scottish airports will benefit from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund.

      Bus Services: Visual Impairment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to help blind and partially sighted passengers travel on buses.

      Carers: Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government Minister for Transport and Veterans on the possibility of providing free or discounted...

      Cycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department allocated to projects relating to cycling between (a) 2005 and 2010 and (b) 2010 to 2014.

      Cycling: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue guidance on the safe use of bicycle trailers to provide a minimum level of safety for children being towed by bicycles on the roads.

      Driving

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of mandatory display of passed plates by all novice drivers for a minimum period.

      Driving Instruction: Warrington

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many approved driving instructors were registered in the Borough of Warrington in each year since 2007.

      Driving Tests: Warrington

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of applicants from the Borough of Warrington passed their driving test in each year since 2007.

      Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what use his Department has made of the National Wellbeing Index introduced by the Office for National Statistics in formulating policy since the...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) with reference to the answer of 31 March 2014, Official Report, column 408W, on High Speed 2 Railway Line, what the evidential basis is for the...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 31 March 2014, Official Report, column 408W, on High Speed 2 Railway Line, what the evidential basis is for the...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he expects High Speed 2 to reduce overcrowding at London Waterloo.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the excess capacity on peak High Speed 2 services.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish an updated cost benefit analysis for High Speed 2 in light of the decision not to link High Speed 2 with High Speed 1 and Eurostar...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how High Speed 2 improve reliability and reduce overcrowding on regional links between towns and cities in the North West.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of people who will move home as a result of the construction of High Speed 2 because of (a) demolition for...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of properties that have been valued by Carter Jonas under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme for High Speed 2; and whether those...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish details of the recruitment of the Independent Residents Commissioner promised by HS2 Ltd in the April 2014 HS2 Residents Charter,...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have accessed the HS2 Ltd complaints procedure set out in the HS2 Residents' Charter of April 2014; what the details are of each...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average time taken to respond by HS2 Ltd to property related compensation enquiries is; and what the longest time taken to respond to such an...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has paid to Carter Jonas for work in connection with High Speed 2 to date; and what those payments were for.

      Large Goods Vehicles: Driving Tests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what training is given to driving examiners who test students in laden lorries.

      Large Goods Vehicles: Taxation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was raised through the implementation of the UK HGV Road User Levy Act 2013 in Northern Ireland in April 2014.

      Motor Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to promote telematics in cars (a) for young drivers and (b) generally.

      Public Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to ensure that costs of public transport do not increase.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on improvements to the railways in England and Wales in Control Period 4; and what estimate he has made of how much will be spent in...

      Railways: Overcrowding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport where the greatest overcrowding on the rail network is; and how High Speed 2 will reduce that overcrowding.

      Railways: Overcrowding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that overcrowding on trains is (a) regulated and (b) effectively monitored.

      Road Signs and Markings: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether officials in his Department consulted their Northern Ireland counterparts before publishing the draft Traffic Signs Regulations and General...

      Road Traffic

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of traffic jams.

      Roads: East of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department has allocated to each local authority in the East of England for road improvement in each of the last five years.

      Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of administering the Potholes Challenge Fund.

      Roads: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to research the use of non-slip surfaces for manholes in order to reduce the number of accidents involving motor cycles.

      Shipping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's capacity to discharge its statutory duties to survey and inspect (a)...

      Shipping: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the (a) UK Chamber of Shipping and (b) European Community Shipowners Association on pay rates for seafarers...

      Shipping: Working Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the effect of seafarer fatigue on maritime safety; and what steps his Department is taking to enforce manning...

      Speed Limits: Urban Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of changing the national urban default speed limit to 20 mph on (a) air pollution and...

      Travel: South East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what information his Department holds on how many journeys were made between Portsmouth and Brighton by (a) car, (b) rail and (c) bus in each of...

      Unmanned Air Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to facilitate the integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems into UK civil airspace.

      West Coast Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, columns 517-8W, on railways: passengers, what the evidential basis is for the stated...

  • Attorney-General

    • GlaxoSmithKline

      To ask the Attorney-General what the terms of reference are for the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into GlaxoSmithKline (GSK); whether the SFO will investigate (a) GSK's...

  • Justice

    • Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions have taken place under the Cancer Act 1939 in each of the last 30 years.

    • Driving Under Influence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many fines have been (a) paid, (b) collected and (c) reduced for alcohol-related motoring offences in each of the last four years; (2) how...

      Fly Tipping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people were convicted of fly-tipping in South Staffordshire in each year since 2009-10; and how many such people received the maximum...

      Judicial Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the new judicial review regulations on people who are fighting eviction or the repossession of a house.

      Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy to release statistics on the number of refusals by the Legal Aid Agency to pay legal aid in cases settled before the...

      Magistrates' Courts: Prestatyn

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the redevelopment of Prestatyn Magistrates' Court.

      Prison Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) on what occasions prisons have used detached duty staff from other establishments since 1 September 2013; (2) how many staff of each grade were...

      Prisoners: Sanitary Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what types and brands of sanitary products female prisoners are able to purchase from the National Product List; and what the cost of each such product is.

      Prisoners: Sanitary Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what types and brands of sanitary products are provided to female prisoners free of charge.

      Public Defender Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the future of the Public Defender Service.

      Secure Colleges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average annual cost is of a place in a new Secure College.

      Secure Colleges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the construction contract for a Secure College awarded to Wates was put out to tender.

      Secure Colleges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what fee Wates will receive for the construction contract for a Secure College; and what proportion of the overall budget for a Secure College this fee...

      Secure Colleges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the construction contract for a Secure College was formally awarded to Wates.

      Victim Support Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect on funding available for victims' services of devolution to police and crime commissioners.

      Victim Support Schemes: York

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many victims of crime and witnesses were supported by the Witness Service at (a) York Crown court and (b) York magistrates court in each year since...

  • Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Adult Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to educate adults in literacy, numeracy and ICT skills.

    • Adult Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding was available through the Skills Funding Agency for (a) adult learning courses to support return-to-work programmes...

      Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many animals have experienced severe suffering in scientific research funded by the Government since 2010; and if he will...

      China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Government on the export of British cheeses to China.

      Credit Rating

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on a minimum monetary threshold for a late payment which affects an individual's credit rating.

      Digital Technology: Skilled Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what plans he has to address the shortage of skilled workers in the digital and technology sector; (2) what progress his...

      Disabled Students' Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) if he will carry out a public consultation on proposed changes to disabled students' allowances; (2) with reference to his...

      Disabled Students' Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students of each type of main disability are in receipt of disabled students' allowances.

      Disabled Students' Allowances: Brighton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students received disabled students' allowance in Brighton and Hove local authority area in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

      Employment: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate the UK Statistics Authority has made of the number and proportion of young people aged 16 to 24 in York in...

      Higher Education: York

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding has been allocated to (a) York College and (b) Askham Bryan College by the Skills Funding Agency and the Young...

      Higher Education: York

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people from (a) York Central constituency and (b) City of York local authority area (i) applied for and (ii)...

      Higher Education: York

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding for each (a) undergraduate and (b) postgraduate student the Higher Education Funding Council for England...

      Higher Education: York

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for undergraduate study were made to (a) the University of York, (b) York St John University and (c) all...

      Post Codes: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether public sector organisations in Northern Ireland will be eligible for the terms of use for postcode address finder from 1...

      Research: Gender

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment she has made of the gender balance amongst chairs and presidents of (a) learned societies and (b) research councils.

      Shipping: Minimum Wage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what recent (a) correspondence and (b) discussions he has had with individual employers in the maritime industry about pay...

      Space Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has invited representatives of the devolved administrations to join the ad hoc ministerial-led steering...

      Space Technology: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that industry and academia in Northern Ireland are able to benefit from opportunities in...

      Space Technology: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions officials in his Department had with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive before publication of...

      UK Coal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assessment his Department has made of the conclusions of the Orion Innovations report entitled Merits of UK Coal State...

  • House of Lords

    • Football Banning Orders

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many football banning orders have been issued in each of the past of the five years for football supporters found guilty of racially or religiously...

    • Israel

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the government of Israel concerning the reported destruction of fruit trees belonging to the Tent of Nations farm...

      Lord’s Resistance Army

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the reports that Joseph Kony and senior members of the Lord’s Resistance Army are hiding in a Sudanese-controlled area of a...

      Lord’s Resistance Army

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that senior Lord’s Resistance Army...

      Pupil Exclusions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 14 May (WA 533), if school exclusion data for the years 1980 and 1990 are not held by the Department for...

      Pupil Exclusions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it has been their policy for fixed-period exclusions from school to remain broadly constant over the past decade and for permanent exclusions to fall...

      Racial Discrimination

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the factors contributing to the increased level of racial prejudice in Britain, as reported in the British Social Attitudes...

      Schools: Discipline

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 14 May (WA 532) stating that the Ofsted Report for 2013 found there were 700,000 pupils in schools where...

      Schools: Discipline

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 14 May (WA 532), of the just under a third of teachers who “did not have the confidence...to discipline...

      South Sudan

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts are being made to ensure that in South Sudan there is full co-operation with investigations into violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, based on the most recent data available, how many and what proportion of people with a special educational needs (SEN) statement are from black and minority...

      Travellers

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they have spent the 69 million euros, as reported in Appendix 5 of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Status Report of 2013,...

      Travellers: Education

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish their report on pilots of a virtual head teacher system expressly aimed at redressing the inequalities in education experienced by...

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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