Written answers

Thursday, 20 November 2014

  • Department for Transport

    • Shipping: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funds were available to employers from the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) budget for rating to officer conversion training in each year...

    • Shipping: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding was available to employers from the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) budget for trainee seafarer ratings in each year since 2010-11;...

      Motorcycles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of passenger journeys in the UK were made by powered two wheelers in each of the last five years; and what share of his Department's...

      Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to implement carbon and air pollutant emission standards to promote the use of cleaner vehicles; and if he will...

      London Airports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of public sector investment in transport infrastructure needed for each of the three options being considered by the Davies...

      Highway Code

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has any plans to amend the Highway Code.

      Railways: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it will be a requirement on bidders for the Northern and TransPennine rail franchises to provide additional staff at stations and on trains.

      Driving: Eyesight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward proposals to introduce compulsory testing to ensure that drivers' eyesight meets minimum legal standards.

      Stansted Airport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of Stansted Airport on the surface access improvements to Stansted Airport recommended in the...

      Transport: Capital Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria are currently used in the allocation of his Department's capital spending to improve rail and surface connectivity to ports and airports.

      Stansted Airport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Network Rail on the possibility of using CP6 funding to deliver the surface access improvements to Stansted Airport...

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Shepherd's Bush Market

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish any correspondence between his Department and the Planning Inspector Ava Wood on the Shepherd's Bush Market...

    • Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of houses under local development plans are (a) private and (b) social housing.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many contracts signed by his Department with suppliers of services or consultants include a clause providing that if the...

      Local Government Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the uptake of the community right to challenge; and if he will make a statement.

      Derelict Land: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of potential brownfield development sites in London; and if he will make a...

      Housing: Hertfordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has set any target for the number of homes in the North Hertfordshire Local Plan.

      Fire Services: Northamptonshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what new (a) fire pumps and (b) other equipment is being provided for Northamptonshire Fire Service; what recent assessment he...

      Fire Services: Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of how many and what proportion of firefighters between the age of 55 and 60 will fail the fitness...

      Fire Services: Industrial Disputes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made in resolving the dispute with firefighters; and if he will make a statement.

      Emergency Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on the fire service, police service and ambulance service sharing the same buildings; and if he will make a...

      Housing: North East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the New Homes Bonus on housing planning approvals in the North East since 2011.

      Fire Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he and other Ministers in his Department have had with firefighters and their representatives.

      Welfare Assistance Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of how local authorities will be able to support the most vulnerable residents when its...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Nuclear Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government will be represented at the conference on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons taking place...

    • Association of Southeast Asian Nations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what dates he or his predecessors met the Ambassadors to the UK of the ASEAN countries in the last five years.

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme of recent satellite imagery...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations HM Ambassador to Sudan has made to the government of that country regarding (a) the alleged rape of 200...

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to secure the release of Ghoncheh Ghavami from prison in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the final costs were for each of the participating legal teams and individuals involved in the Saville Inquiry; and what costs in that...

  • Attorney General

    • Correspondence

      To ask the Attorney General, how often the Law Officers' Departments reviews its processes regarding the logging of emails, letters and other correspondence received; and if he will make a statement.

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Overseas Trade: Russia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the cost to UK businesses of sanctions currently in operation on trade with Russia.

    • Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many contracts signed by his Department with suppliers of services or consultants include a clause providing that if the...

      Government Departments: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how the Government gathers data on whether its suppliers are small and medium-sized enterprises.

      Holiday Leave: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what guidance he plans to give to employers following the recent ruling by the Employment Appeal Tribunal on holiday pay.

      Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2014 to Question 212650, how many permanent members of staff employed by the Employment...

      Investment: Colombia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on what date the UK-Colombia bilateral investment treaty will be ratified; and on what date that treaty will come into force.

      Business: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how the Government gathers data on the number of British businesses that are (a) women-owned and (b) women-led.

      Exports: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of government assistance for exports.

  • Department for International Development

    • Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department has provided for British physicians and nurses working on short missions in Gaza.

    • Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what emergency aid her Department is providing for Gazans whose homes have been destroyed in the recent conflict.

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department has provided for trained psychosocial counsellors to help children in Gaza.

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the cost of the reconstruction of Gaza.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many contracts signed by her Department with suppliers of services or consultants include a clause providing that if the contract...

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the extent of damage to basic infrastructure and housing in Gaza arising from the recent conflict.

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how often her Department reviews its processes regarding the logging of emails, letters and other correspondence received; and if she...

      Central African Republic

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when (a) she and (b) other ministers in her Department plan to visit the Central African Republic.

      Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what total amount her Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) the Government Car and Despatch Agency and (b) other car hire in...

      Central African Republic

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the security situation in the Central African Republic.

      Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, for which accommodation her Department has paid for overnight stays in 2014.

      Ict

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many (a) iphones and (b) ipads her Department has purchased in 2014 to date; and what the cost was of those purchases.

      Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects in Africa with an agro-ecological component have been funded by her Department (a) directly and (b) indirectly in the...

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that women's rights are on the agenda for the London Conference on Afghanistan next month; and what...

  • Department for Education

    • Boarding Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2014 to Queston 211886, how many of the co-educational state boarding schools in England are single sex up to...

    • GCE A-level

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the extent of disparities in grade assessments brought to light when remarking A-level papers; what steps she...

      Sixth Form Colleges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, through what mechanism sixth form colleges will apply for capital funding from 2015-16; and if she will make a statement.

      Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria she uses when deciding to withdraw funding for a free school or university technical school which has opened since 2010.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Confiscation Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cars have been confiscated by order of a court under section 143 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 in each of the last...

    • Prisoners' Release: West Yorkshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was spent by HM Prison (a) Leeds and (b) Wakefield on calculating the release date of prisoners in each of the last three years.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many contracts signed by his Department with suppliers of services or consultants include a clause providing that if the contract is abrogated by...

      Courts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to ensure that victims are made aware in a timely manner of court hearings relating to their case.

      Community Orders: West Yorkshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what categories of unpaid work were completed by offenders in West Yorkshire on community orders or suspended sentences in the latest period for which...

      Prison Sentences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average prison sentence was for people convicted of an offence under the Prisoners (Return to Custody) Act 1995 in each of the last three years.

      Scott Kelly

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when Scott Kelly will be eligible for re-release from prison after being returned to custody as a result of breaching his licence conditions arising...

      Prisoners: Gender Recognition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners declaring themselves to be transgendered.

      Prisoners' Release

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many previous convictions offenders had served who were released on licence and later returned to prison on a fixed term recall basis on more than...

      Community Rehabilitation Companies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what penalties will be imposed on community rehabilitation companies when breaches by offenders in their cohort are (a) reported and actioned and (b)...

      Child Abuse in North Wales Judicial Inquiry Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects that the Macur Review will report.

      Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been paid in reimbursable expenses to special advisers in his Department in each year since 2010.

      Prisons: Crimes of Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were charged with a serious crime committed while they were in prison in each year since 2010.

      Family Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time was for private family law cases to be resolved in court where at least one party is a litigant in person in (a) the UK...

      Powers of Attorney

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he will take to raise awareness among public bodies, companies and communities of the powers that may be exercised under a lasting power of...

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects to answer Questions 210136, 210138 and 210139, tabled by the hon. Member for Bristol North West on 13 October 2014.

      Criminal Justice and Courts Bill

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the impact assessments his Department has carried out in respect of each of the amendments to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill...

      Young Offender Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2014 to Question 213433, what estimate he has made of the number of young people placed in segregation in young...

      Courts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2014 to Question 213724, how many individual courts will receive additional funding; and what proportion such...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish all correspondence between Ministers and officials in his Department and the UK Statistics Authority since May 2010 relating to...

      Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications were (a) made and (b) granted for exceptional case funding for legal aid in each year from 2009 to 2014 in (i) the UK and (ii) Wales.

      Family Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time was for private family law cases to be resolved in court in each year from 2009 to 2014 in (a) the UK and (b) Wales.

      Mediation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many referrals to mediation were made in private family law in (a) the UK and (b) Wales in each year from 2009 to 2014.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the length of time that UK military forces will be engaged in Iraq.

    • Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions his Department has had requests for appointments by exception to the Senior Civil Service turned down by the Civil Service...

      Navy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to promote the Royal Navy as a career to pupils studying STEM subjects in further education.

      Libya

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) the Home Office on the behaviour of Libyan personnel on...

      Libya

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with (a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) the Home Office on decisions to return Libyan personnel home because of...

      Army Reserve

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers were enlisted in the Reserves from (a) April to September 2013, (b) April to September 2014, (c) July to September 2013 and (d) July...

      Armed Forces: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to recruit more women and ethnic minorities to the armed forces.

      Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will undertake reviews under Article 36 of Additional Protocol 1 to the 1949 Geneva Conventions before developing weapons systems...

      United Nations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to increase the number of staff officers seconded to UN missions; and if he will make a statement.

      Veterans: Social Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2014 to Question 211790, how many personnel have been placed on his Department's referral scheme co-ordinated by...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how often his Department reviews its processes regarding the logging of emails, letters and other correspondence received; and if he will make a statement.

      Guided Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2014 to Question 211698, which aircraft delivery platform will be used to house the Brimstone Missile launch system...

      Armed Forces: Deployment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what operations UK forces have served alongside the forces of other European counties in the last five years; and which countries participated in...

      Military Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of his Department's budget was classified as official development assistance in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2013-14.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Social Security Benefits: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of paying in-work benefits to non-UK citizens from (a) other EU countries and (b)...

    • MAXIMUS Health and Human Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what investigations his Department undertook into the work of Maximus before the award of the work capability assessment contract.

      Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the additional costs incurred by people with disabilities in the UK for (a) extra transport and (b)...

      Social Security Benefits: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been spent on (a) Employment Support Allowance (ESA) Work Force tribunals since 2010, (b) incapacity benefit appeals between 2006...

      Universal Credit: Dundee

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of people in Dundee East constituency that will be in receipt of universal credit after its implementation.

      Disability Living Allowance: Dundee

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of higher rate disability living allowance there are in Dundee East constituency.

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish a long-term plan for the full-implementation of universal credit.

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls the Child Maintenance Options Service has received in each month from May 2014 to date.

      Cold Weather Payments: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times cold weather payments have been made to residents of the KY13 postcode area in each of the last five years.

      Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many sanctions have been issued by jobcentres to people (a) working in part-time employment and (b) employed on zero hours contracts in...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what IT system will underpin the full national roll-out of universal credit.

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether local authorities and voluntary sector partners will receive the level of additional funding and support from his Department for the...

      Welfare Assistance Schemes: Harrow

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding was allocated to Harrow Council in 2014-15 to be spent on local welfare assistance schemes; and if he will make a statement.

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mandatory reconsiderations for personal independence payments have been (a) requested and (b) completed in respect of (i) Parkinson's...

      Personal Independence Payment: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment applications in Wales have waited longer than (a) one month, (b) three months and (c) six months to be...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2014 to Question 213752, stating that plans for national roll-out of universal credit to all jobcentres...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills about links between Work Programme providers...

      Post Office Card Account

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's plans are for paying pensions and benefits nto Post Office card accounts after April 2015.

      Jobseeker's Allowance: Disqualification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the recommendations in the independent review of jobseeker's allowance sanctions for claimants failing to take part in...

      Atos Healthcare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2014 to Question 213576, how many cases are still being dealt by Atos; and what assessment he has made...

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will take steps to ensure that Atos and its successor provide claimants with an immediate refund on the costs incurred when...

      Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has lifted the deferral imposed in January 2014 of reassessments for employment and support allowance claimants...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Birds of Prey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the Uplands Stakeholder Forum hen harrier sub-group draft joint action plan.

    • Food: Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to increase the number of ports with facilities for the inspection of imported food; and if she...

      Milk: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the devolved administration on milk prices paid to farmers.

      Floods: Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2014 to Question 213979, what steps she has taken to gather evidence to inform her...

      Public Footpaths: Coastal Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will complete the coastal footpath project by the target year of 2020; what the cost to date of that...

      Marine Conservation Zones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she last met Ministers in the Scottish Government to discuss the plans of the UK and Scottish Governments for creating...

      Reptiles: Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what species of reptiles have been imported to the UK from within the EU for the pet trade that were (a)...

      Reptiles: Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what species of reptiles have been imported to the UK from outside the EU for the pet trade from 2010 that were...

      Mammals: Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what species of mammals have been imported to the UK from within the EU for the pet trade that are (a)...

      Nature Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what monitoring of exotic species (a) for sale and (b) which are privately-kept her Department carries out; what additional...

  • Home Office

    • Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) British citizens, (b) British residents holding dual passports and (c) British residents...

    • Immigration Controls: Ports

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of people attempting to enter the UK illegally who were intercepted at (a) Calais, (b) Zeebrugge...

      Missing Persons: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received in support of the creation of a national database to collate information on missing children to...

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 207355, tabled by the hon. Member for Newport West on 29 August 2014.

      Ashya King

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will investigate the circumstances of a European Arrest Warrant being issued for the parents of Ashya King.

      Action Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Action Fraud in referring reports of fraud and internet crime to the...

      Asylum: Syria

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the UK will send a delegation to attend the UNCHR conference on resettling Syrian refugees to be held in Geneva on 9 December 2014.

      101 Calls

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the contract for the operation of the 101 non-emergency number.

      Metals: Theft

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward proposals for the introduction of a legal requirement for verification of suppliers' identity, similar to that...

      EU Internal Security Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to opt in to the EU Internal Security Fund for the period 2014 to 2020.

      Asylum: Syria

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the 100,000 further resettlement places for Syrian refugees that UNCHR estimates will be required in 2015-16 will be provided by...

      Police: Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with (a) the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) the Scottish Government regarding reinstatement of...

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many entry clearance visa applications were received in the last six months.

      101 Calls

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reasons were for the setting of the charge for calling the 101 non-emergency number at 15 pence.

  • HM Treasury

    • Lloyds Banking Group

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Lloyds Bank since its announcement of 9,000 job losses.

    • Procurement

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many contracts signed by his Department with suppliers of services or consultants include a clause providing that if the contract is abrogated by the...

      Welfare Tax Credits

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been recovered from people who fraudulently claimed tax credits in each of the last five years.

      Welfare Tax Credits

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the value of tax credits which were claimed fraudulently in each of the last five years.

      Welfare Tax Credits

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) is taking to make people who are eligible for tax credits aware of the opportunity to claim.

      Welfare Tax Credits

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the value of tax credits which were not claimed in each of the last five years.

      Welfare Tax Credits

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have been employed in administering tax credits in each of the last five years.

      Credit Unions

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to encourage saving through credit unions as a means of preventing poverty and payday loans.

      Correspondence

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how often his Department reviews its processes regarding the logging of emails, letters and other correspondence received; and if he will make a statement.

      Taxation: Developing Countries

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the G20's 2013 St Petersburg Declaration, what plans he has for a spillover analysis of the effects of UK tax rules on developing countries.

      Network Rail

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any proportion of Network Rail's debt has been allocated to the Scottish Government as a result of the reclassification of Network Rail as a...

      Income Tax: Moray

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in Moray constituency paid the top rate of income tax in each of the last five years.

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he intends to answer Question 213271, tabled on 4 November 2014; and what the reason was for the time taken in replying.

      Small Businesses: Bank Services

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the ease of opening bank accounts for small businesses.

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Green Deal Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) Green Deal assessments, (b) Green Deal plans in unique properties and (c) measures...

    • Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 6 November 2014, Official Report, column 959, on energy bills, what the evidential basis was for the...

      Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 6 November 2014, Official Report, column 959, on energy bills, what the evidential basis was for the...

      Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Annual Energy Statement of 6 November 2014, Official Report, column 982, what the evidential basis was for the...

      Environment Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of how many jobs there will be in the low carbon and environmental goods and services sector in each year...

      Energy Companies Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the number of measures installed under the Energy Companies Obligation by (a) measure and (b) obligation...

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what representations he has received from the Scottish Government on the provisions in the Infrastructure Bill [Lords] relating to...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Cancer

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the mortality rate was from cancer (a) across the UK and (b) in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

    • Self-employed: Stafford

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in Stafford constituency are registered self-employed.

      Census

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will bring forward proposals to make public the 1921 Census records ahead of schedule to allow families to research their First World...

      Asylum: Employment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of successful claimants of refugee status are currently in employment.

  • Department for Culture Media and Sport

    • Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what grounds he decided that the consultation on tackling partial not-spots in mobile telephone coverage should last for three weeks.

    • Public Buildings: WiFi

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to his Department's press release of 30 October 2014, if he will place in the Library a list of the 1,000 public...

      Film

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made on whether there is sufficient capacity to support the (a) filming and (b) post-production in...

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps the Government is taking in response to the European Commission's recommendation to extend overseas voting rights for UK citizens living in EU...

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many additional people have registered to vote since the Electoral Commission launched its online campaign in June 2014.

  • Department of Health

    • Breast Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) NHS England continues to routinely assess the quality and safety of local breast cancer multi-disciplinary...

    • Hepatitis: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in the Department of Health in Northern Ireland on hepatitis E contracted...

      Methadone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policy on long-term methadone prescribing for opiate addicts of the findings of the...

      Monitor

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to appoint a permanent chair of Monitor.

      Clinical Trials

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were recruited to participate in a phase (a) I, (b) II, (c) III and (d) IV clinical trial in each of the last five years.

      Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2014 to Question 214322, what alternative vaccines are available that do not contain porcine gelatine for people...

      Ovarian Cancer: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Health Minister in Northern Ireland regarding the implementation of the most recent National Institute for Health...

      Prostate Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, following the publication of the results of the ProtecT trial on localised prostate cancer diagnosis, what changes in diagnosis will be introduced for...

      Radiotherapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2014 to Question 213582, if he will publish the names of those members who attended each of the two focus groups on...

      Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2014 to Question 213358, from which of NHS England's underspent budgets amounts were taken to meet the overspend of...

      Radiotherapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2014 to Question 213584, which clinical trials will run over (a) three and (b) five years; and what estimate he has...

      Facsimile Transmission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many fax machines there are in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs); and how many fax machines his...

      Prescription Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether a licence for a treatment indication makes it more likely to be prescribed for that indication in (a) off-label and (b) unlicensed indication.

      Prescription Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what dates since July 2014 he has discussed with NHS England the use of off-patent drugs for new indications; and if he will make a statement.

      Tobacco: Australia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effects of standardised packaging of tobacco in Australia.

  • House of Lords

    • Asylum: North Korea

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether refugees from the North Korea will still be able to claim asylum in the United Kingdom following the findings of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal...

    • Banks: Finance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the failure by nine European banks of the European Central Bank stress test.

      Carbon Emissions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to couple any expansion of airport capacity with steps to ensure that targets for the reduction of domestic carbon dioxide emissions from...

      Council Housing

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action are they taking to support council tenants who want to form housing cooperatives.

      Crime: Statistics

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to revise the publication of criminal statistics under the broad classifications of “White, Black, Asian, Mixed, other” and...

      Dementia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to sustain and support those in rural areas who have been diagnosed with dementia.

      European Commission

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 3 November concerning the power of the European Parliament to reject candidates nominated...

      European Union

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 3 November (HL2246, HL2247 and HL2249) concerning the repatriation of powers from the...

      Financial Services: Fees and Charges

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action are they taking to ensure openness regarding fees in the financial services industry.

      Football

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action are they taking to support the growth in the number of older people playing walking football.

      Forests

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the acreage of forest that would need to be planted in the United Kingdom in order to meet a carbon reduction budget of 50...

      Forests

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what international action they are taking to press the case for global re-afforestation in order to act as a carbon sink.

      Human Trafficking

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Home Office maintains internal management information on confirmed cases of trafficking for domestic servitude of non-European Union nationals...

      Immigration

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report, The Fiscal Impact of Immigration to the United Kingdom published in the Economic Journal, and its conclusions on the...

      Immigration Controls: Northern Ireland

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to ensure that persons preparing to enter Northern Ireland from another country, and who intend to remain for any length of...

      Immigration: Poland

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of (1) the positive, and (2) the negative, contributions of Polish immigrants to the United Kingdom.

      Local Government Services: Immigrants

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they provide to local authorities in dealing with families which have no recourse to public funds.

      Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking and intend to take in the future to ameliorate the situation of members of the Syriac Orthodox Church and other Christian...

      Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 20 October, what assessment they have made of the position of (1) Bahrain, and (2) Israel,...

      Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Palestinian Authority about the recent suicide attacks on Israeli citizens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

      Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of recent reports that Hamas intends to use building materials to rebuild tunnels to attack Israel.

      Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Palestinian Authority about recent fatal attacks on the Metro train line running between East and West Jerusalem.

      Minimum Wage

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 29 October (HL 2219), whether they have any plans to amend the minimum wage legislation to...

      North Korea

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that state contracted companies from the United Kingdom which implement projects inside North Korea abide by relevant...

      North Korea

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the publication of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry report into violations of human rights in North Korea, what discussions and...

      North Sea Oil

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of changing oil prices on reserves from North Sea oil.

      Obesity

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 26 September (HL1920), how they reconcile the proposed “hard-hitting national action on...

      Peninsular War

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contribution they made to the bicentennial celebrations in Portugal in 2014 of the Peninsular War 1809–14; and what further contributions they...

      Politics and Government: Greater London

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effectiveness of the current structures of governance in London.

      Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the change in the Treasury Block Grant to the Northern Ireland Executive should the Executive reduce corporation tax to 12.5 per...

      Russia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Russia about the number of close encounters between Russian and NATO aircraft and ships.

      Somalia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Human Rights Watch account of sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls by African Union forces in Somalia.

      Somalia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take steps to ensure that there is independent oversight of the conduct of troops of the African Union Mission in Somalia.

      Tax Avoidance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take steps to discourage public bodies from employing as auditors, accountants or financial advisers firms which have facilitated tax...

      Transport: Seating

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any minimum leg room dimensions have been set to accommodate tall people seated in buses, underground and railway trains and United Kingdom operated...

      World War I: Debts

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they owe the government of the United States as a result of the First World War; and what are the arrangements for repayment.

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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