Written answers

Monday, 12 January 2015

  • Department for Transport

    • Road Signs and Markings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the extent of worn and faint road markings on (a) zebra crossings and (b) elsewhere; and what assessment he has made of...

    • Midland Main Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timescale is for the procurement of electric rolling stock for the Midland Main Line; and whether the electrified Midland Main Line will have...

      Blue Badge Scheme: Kent

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Blue Badges were issued in Kent in each year since 2008-09.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the cost of constructing the High Speed 2 line to (a) Birmingham, (b) Manchester and (c) Leeds.

      Railways: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the potential cost of constructing a High Speed 3 line between Leeds and Manchester.

      Roads: Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many drivers under the age of 24 were injured in a road accident in each of the last five years.

      Maritime and Coastguard Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many shifts were staffed below risk-assessed levels at (a) Liverpool and (b) Holyhead Maritime Rescue Co-ordination centres in (i) June 2013, (ii)...

      Maritime and Coastguard Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff were employed at (a) Liverpool and (b) Holyhead Maritime Rescue Co-ordination centres in (i) June 2013, (ii) December 2013, (iii) June...

      Maritime and Coastguard Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff transferred from Liverpool Maritime Rescue Co-ordination centre to Holyhead Maritime Rescue Co-ordination centre between January 2012...

      Maritime and Coastguard Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many hours of training Holyhead staff have received from staff at the Liverpool Maritime Rescue Co-ordination centre on knowledge of the coastline...

      London Bridge Station

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what notification he received from Network Rail or Southern Rail of potential problems with the re-opening of London Bridge station after Christmas 2014.

  • Home Office

    • Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will set and publish a maximum time limit by which she will place in the Library reports received by her Department from the Chief...

    • Radicalism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) people and (b) children have been referred to the Channel anti-radicalisation programme since its inception; and how much that...

      English Language: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has undertaken any work with the Department for Education on the teaching of English to students for whom English is...

      British Nationality

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what external agencies are carrying out character enquiries on behalf of UK Visas and Immigration as part of the application process for...

      Asylum: Syria

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme to ensure that it is responsive to need.

      Prisoners: Dogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to Police Forces in England and Wales of looking after dogs owned by people in prison or...

      Crimes of Violence: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken in response to the recent increase in crime in London recorded as violence against the person; and if she will make...

      Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests have taken place outside abortion clinics for harassment in the last 12 months.

      Crime Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers were employed as crime prevention officers in each police force in England and Wales in (a) 2010 and (b) 2014.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Diplomatic Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether educational background is considered in the selection process for High Commissioners and Ambassadors.

    • Shaker Aamer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to expedite the release of Shaker Aamer from Guantanamo Bay.

      Private Military and Security Companies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will detail the (a) number and (b) cost of contacts with private military companies in each year since 2008; and if he...

      Intelligence Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons the Secret Intelligence Service did not seek assurances on Michael Adebolajo's treatment while in detention...

      Intelligence Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what training his Department has provided to members of the intelligence and security agencies on the Consolidated Guidance to...

      Pakistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Pakistan to encourage it to extend its recent military action against...

      Pakistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to multilateral institutions to encourage the government of Pakistan to extend its recent...

      Pakistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Pakistan on that country's strategy to prevent further attacks by...

      Intelligence Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the intelligence and security agencies have taken to improve their record keeping since the publication of the...

      Intelligence Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how his Department monitors the compliance of the intelligence and security agencies with the Consolidated Guidance to...

      Intelligence Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, by what process improvements in the intelligence and security agencies' record keeping is monitored and evaluated by the...

      Shaker Aamer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his counterpart in the US for Shaker Aamer to be among the prisoners expected to be released...

      Pakistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Pakistan on its response to the murder of school children in Peshawar.

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the reasons were for the UK's abstention on a Resolution before the UN to require Israel to withdraw from the territory it...

      Turkey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2015 to Question 218909, whether he plans to negotiate restrictions to prevent uncontrolled...

      Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Bahrain regarding the case of Dr Abduljalil Alsingace who is currently...

      Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage civil rights and democracy in Bahrain.

      Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of political prisoners in Bahrain; and what steps his Department has...

      Intelligence Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has provided training to members of the intelligence and security agencies on investigating allegations...

      Intelligence Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what protocol the intelligence and security agencies follow to investigate allegations of mistreatment of detainees held abroad...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Independent Commissions

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) names and (b) annual cost is of each ongoing independent commission set up by the Government.

    • Government Departments: Procurement

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of steps he has taken to facilitate small and medium-sized enterprises winning government contracts;...

      Community Development

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what criteria the locations for the Community Organiser programme were chosen.

      Civil Servants

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 7 January 2015 to the hon. Member for Southport, by what proportion the Government has reduced the size of the Civil...

      Welsh Language

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consideration he has given to adopting a Welsh language policy for his Department.

      Emergency Planning College

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he last visited the Emergency Contingencies Planning College, The Hawkhills, Easingwold; and if he will make a statement.

  • Attorney General

    • Travel

      To ask the Attorney General, how much the Law Officers' Departments has spent on (a) taxis, (b) first class train tickets and (c) business class air travel in each of the last five years.

    • Service Prosecuting Authority

      To ask the Attorney General, how many times the Law Officers met the Director of the Services Prosecution Authority in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • EU External Trade: USA

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on signing the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement in circumstances where EU and UK food...

    • Video Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will estimate the contribution made by the video games industry to UK exports in cash terms in (a) 2010 and (b) 2013.

      Video Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will estimate the contribution that the video games industry made to UK exports as a proportion of GDP in (a) 2010 and (b)...

      Publications: Visual Impairment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when the Government plans to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty of June 2013.

      Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many (a) external and (b) Civil Service appointees have worked in ministerial offices in his Department (i) since May 2010...

      Business: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will commission a review of the unregulated trades referral industry; and if he will make a statement.

      Wind

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate she has made of the mean wind speed in each constituent part of the UK in each month of 2014.

      City Link

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what support the Government plans to provide to the City Link employees made redundant on 31 December 2014.

      Aerospace Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the ability of the Aerospace Growth Partnership to help companies in the UK aerospace supply...

      Aerospace Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress has been made by the Aerospace Growth Partnership Manufacturing Working Group on introducing a Manufacturing...

      Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy that there should be a widening of eligiblity for UK Export Finance support to include companies...

      New Businesses: Kent

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many start-up loans have been granted to businesses in the Shepway local authority area since that initiative began.

      Apprentices: Folkestone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people were registered on an apprenticeship training scheme in Folkestone and Hythe constituency in each year since 2010.

      Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the average full course cost to the public purse was of apprenticeships at each level in the most recent academic year for...

  • Department for International Development

    • Pakistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of UK aid in countering terrorism in Pakistan and strengthening the Pakistani judiciary.

    • Sierra Leone

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has transferred to the Ministry of Defence for (a) the deployment of the RFA Argus in Sierra Leone and...

      Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on consultants in each of the last five years; and which contracts with consultants have been worth...

      Pitcairn Islands

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2014 to Question 198148, how much of the £2,809,462 provided to the Pitcairn Islands was...

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2015 to Question 219268, if she will list expenditure on each project of more than £5 million...

      Green Climate Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total value is of her Department's funding for the Green Climate Fund; and what proportion of that funding is non-fiscal.

      Developing Countries: Overseas Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what income her Department has received from financial investments in developing countries in each of the last five years.

      Green Climate Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the UK's funding for the Green Climate Fund is drawn from the UK's International Climate Fund.

      Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of her Department's expenditure was (a) capital and (b) non-capital spending in each of the last five years.

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy in decisions on funding overseas aid to consider its effect on reducing immigration to the UK.

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent (a) financial and (b) other assistance her Department has given for children in Palestine.

  • Department for Education

    • Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether and how the timetable for the creation of academies and sponsored academies will be affected by rules for purdah preceding the 2015 General...

    • Pupils: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to release statistics on pupil premium take-up since September 2014.

      Teachers: Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average response rate of Initial Teacher Training students trained in universities was to the (a) National College for Teaching and...

      Foster Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2015 to Question 219314, whether her Department holds figures for the countries of origin of children who are...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many buildings his Department sold in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.

    • Crime: Victims

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department gives court users on the use of the term victim at the pre-conviction stage of a court case.

      Social Security Benefits: Motherwell

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of applicants for personal independence payments in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency appealed their personal independence...

      Prison Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for how long on average a prison officer lives following retirement from the prison service.

      Police Cautions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to reduce the number of cautions issued since 2010.

      Courts: Hearing Impairment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to install fixed or mobile hearing enhancement systems in courts without such systems.

      Staff: Newport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether Ministry of Justice Shared Services staff in Newport who have recently been transferred to Shared Services Connected Ltd are eligible for Stage...

      Courts: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the (a) gross and (b) net amount likely to be collected through the criminal courts charge in each of the next five...

      Criminal Proceedings: Veterans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2014 to Question 215243, how many times all members of the Advisory Committee to the Phillips Review met to...

      Judicial Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what amount his Department has spent on legal fees in judicial review cases in which it was found to have acted unlawfully since 2010.

      Employment Tribunals Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the target for collection of employment tribunal fees was in each quarter since the introduction of such fees; what sum was collected in such fees;...

  • Department of Health

    • Ambulance Services: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average time was that a patient spent receiving treatment in an ambulance in London in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and...

    • Ovarian Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on the implementation of BRCA1/2 gene testing for women recently diagnosed with non-mucinous...

      NHS: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he has issued on what level at which the new marginal tariff payments proposed by NHS England for specialised services activity above a...

      Bladder Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the NHS spent on (a) treatment and (b) aftercare for bladder cancer in each year since 2010.

      Bladder Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding his Department has provided to (a) government organisations and (b) non-governmental organisations for research into bladder cancer in each...

      Primary Health Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to (a) promote self-management by patients with long-term conditions and (b) support healthcare professionals in the promotion of...

      NHS: Innovation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department made in 2014 on implementing the objectives of the Innovation, Health and Wealth: Accelerating Adoption and Diffusion in the...

      Nurses: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses have been recruited by the NHS in England from (a) the UK, (b) other EU member states and (c) outside the EU in each of the last five years.

      Nurses: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses are being trained by the NHS.

      Cancer: Ethnic Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what outcomes are expected from the refreshed Equality Delivery System in relation to reductions in inequalities among BME communities disproportionately...

      Musculoskeletal Disorders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to evaluate new models of care for musculoskeletal conditions.

      Ambulance Services: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the performance of the London Ambulance Service between 1 September and 30 November 2014 in relation to Category A...

      General Practitioners: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients registered with GPs in Greater Manchester in each of the last five years.

      General Practitioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the level of GP (a) recruitment and (b) retention was in (a) Derbyshire and (b) England in (i) 2010 and (ii) on the latest date for which figures...

      Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) matron and senior nurse posts are filled and (b) such posts are advertised in the UK.

      Ebola

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Statement of 5 January 2015, Official Report, columns 38-40, on UK Ebola preparedness, whether the eligibility for full access to NHS...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health to Lord Alton of Liverpool of 30 October 2014, if he will...

      Perinatal Mortality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average incidence was of stillbirths and linked infant deaths in England and Wales in which all of the twins or triplets from the same pregnancy...

      In Vitro Fertilisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the outcome of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's (HFEAs) comparisons between the development of embryos generated by pronuclear...

      In Vitro Fertilisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the experiments recommended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's expert review panel in the publication, Scientific review of...

      In Vitro Fertilisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Written Statement WS132 of 17 December 2014 on mitochondrial donation, for what reasons serial nuclear transfer is precluded by the...

      In Vitro Fertilisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library the journal articles reporting the results of all the experiments recommended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology...

      In Vitro Fertilisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the experiments recommended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's expert review panel in the publication, Scientific review of...

      Breast Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2014 to Question 218687, when his Department expects NICE to report on the feedback it receives from its associates...

      Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures his Department has in place to monitor the health of women who have undergone termination of pregnancy.

      In Vitro Fertilisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Written Statement WS132 of 17 December 2014, on mitochondrial donation, what concerns were raised by the expert panel convened by the...

      In Vitro Fertilisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the experiments recommended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's expert review panel in the publications, Scientific review of...

      Dermatology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to curb excessive disparities in the cost of dispensing (a) dermatology and (b) non-dermatology preferred unlicensed...

      Health Services: Swindon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding his Department has provided for NHS services in Swindon in each year since 2010.

      Health Services: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will allocate additional resources to alleviate the demand for accident and emergency and NHS walk-in centres services in (a) Coventry...

      University Hospital Coventry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he or his Department has received on an increase in waiting times at the University Hospital in Coventry in the last two months.

      Accident and Emergency Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will investigate the adequacy of the major incident plans at NHS hospitals in England and Wales and the ability of these plans to cope...

      Accident and Emergency Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) mean and (b) median time to (i) assessment, (ii) treatment and (iii) departure was in (A) type 1 and (B) all A&E departments in each...

      Accident and Emergency Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of callers to (a) NHS Direct and (b) NHS 111 were (i) referred to hospital accident and emergency departments and (ii) sent to such...

      In Vitro Fertilisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the experiments to test for heteroplasmy on primordial germ cells created from human embryonic stem cells derived from blastocysts created...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the running costs of the UK's naval base in Bahrain in each year to 2020.

    • Shipping

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the Merchant Navy to the aims and objectives of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

      Navy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Navy officers have participated in the Royal Navy/Merchant Navy Voyage Scheme in each of the last 15 years for which figures are available.

      Tornado Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2014 to Question 215200, how the overall tolerability level was calculated; and how the figure of 0.84 per 1,000...

      Armed Forces: Offences against Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the reporting protocols are for allegations of child abuse in the armed forces.

      Armed Forces: Crimes of Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the reporting protocols are for allegations of (a) rape, (b) sexual assault and (c) domestic violence in the armed forces.

      Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the strategic need for a British military presence in Bahrain.

      Unmanned Air Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK Reapers have been relocated to the UK to date.

      Nato

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2014 to Question 216827, whether the NATO Reaper MQ-9 User Group meeting in January 2015 will cover asset-sharing...

      Military Decorations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the total of MBE (military) and BEM (military) awards announced in (a) 1992, (b) 1999, (c) 2006 and (d) 2014 was awarded to members...

      RAF Biggin Hill

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many offers his Department has received from external bodies to take over the upkeep and associated costs of St George's Chapel at Biggin Hill in...

      Libya

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's internal review of Libyan general purpose training has been completed; whether he plans to place in the Library a copy of that...

      Defence Infrastructure Organisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for the roll-out of the Infrastructure Management System and the linked capability releases.

      NATO: Military Decorations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what rules govern the wearing of a NATO medal for service in former Yugoslavia by UK service personnel who served in Bosnia during the UN mandate but...

      United Nations: Military Decorations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the procedure is for UK servicemen and women to apply for the UN Special Service Medal for the Sarajevo Airlift; and how many service personnel...

      Military Medals Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Sir John Holmes' Military Medals Review, published in July 2012, what progress his Department has made in implementing the...

      NATO: Military Decorations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had on allowing the UK service personnel who served in Iraq or Afghanistan to wear the respective NATO medals; and if he will...

      Army: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel were recruited to the regular Army between April 2013 and April 2014; and what his Department's recruitment target was for that period.

      Army Reserve: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's target date of April 2019 for achieving an Army Reserve force of 30,000 remains in force; and what plans his Department has to...

      Ict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what functions are undertaken by each of his Department's ICT systems and databases; and what the cost was of each such system in 2013-14.

      Armoured Fighting Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on the Scout specialist vehicle programme; and if he will make a statement.

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any personnel from the UK Reaper Squadron 39 will be deployed in Afghanistan in 2015.

      Defence: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to invest in next generation equipment for the armed forces.

      Armed Forces Covenant

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on strengthening the Armed Forces Covenant.

      Air Training Corps and University Air Squadrons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support air training corps and university air squadrons; and if he will make a statement.

      Nigeria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen military co-operation with Nigeria.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Funeral Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the amount granted in Social Fund funeral payments has not risen for more than 10 years.

    • Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on using 0845 business rate telephone numbers for benefits claimants.

      Carer's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time between claim and decision for carer's allowance was in each of the last four quarters.

      Attendance Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time between claim and decision for attendance allowance was in each of the last four quarters.

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people work for the Universal Credit Digital Service; whether the number of those workers is below the planned number; and if he will...

      Social Security Benefits: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Labour Market Statistics, December 2014, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the rise in the number of claimants...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the staff in his Department responsible for the Work Programme are divided between those dealing with contracting and those...

      Driving: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Logistics Strategy Forum of the Health and Safety Executive has discussed driver fatigue.

      Winter Fuel Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for the inclusion of French Overseas Departments in the calculation of average temperature for France for the purposes of...

      Independent Living Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disability organisations stated in their responses to the consultation on the future of the Independent Living Fund in 2012 that they...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full-time equivalent staff worked on his Department's ministerial correspondence in each year since 2010.

      Personal Independence Payment: Kilmarnock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for personal independence payments by residents of Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency have not been resolved within a six...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's guidance is on recommended response times to correspondence to Ministers from hon. Members.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average response time has been for each Minister in his Department to correspondence from hon. Members in each month of the last two...

      Independent Living Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disability organisations which responded to his Department's consultation on the closure of the Independent Living Fund (a) supported...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Water Supply

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the amount of water in the UK that is lost through leakage between source and consumer; and...

    • Pet Travel Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Pet Travel scheme in allowing owners to take dogs and cats abroad;...

      Reservoirs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many new reservoirs have been (a) built and (b) are in the planning or construction phase since 2005.

      Floods: Folkestone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the value of the investment by the Environment Agency in flood defences in Folkestone and Hythe constituency has been...

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will provide support to help local authorities achieve sufficient efficiency savings to enable them to freeze...

    • Public Sector: Land

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many public sector sites have been (a) identified and (b) released for the purpose of new housing developments since 2010.

      Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) number and (b) proportion of neighbourhood plans have been produced by areas that are in the top (i) 25 per cent and...

      Private Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote the take-up of the model agreement for a shorthold assured tenancy.

      Community Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 15 December 2014, Official Report, column 1116, which groups in East London, East Birmingham and...

      Affordable Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of planning changes implemented since 2010 allowing the construction of...

      Community Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Written Statement of 18 December 2014, HCWS154, on integration update, what funding he provided to Faith...

      Community Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Written Statement of 18 December 2014, HCWS154, on integration update, what steps he has taken (a) to...

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new dwellings were (a) started and (b) completed in (i) the private rented, (ii) local authority, (iii) owner-occupied...

      Private Rented Housing: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on rent levels in the private rented sector in each London borough in each year since 2010-11.

      Private Rented Housing: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of private rented flats declared unfit for human habitation in each London...

      Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on informing organisations whose funding from his Department is to be reduced of that decision and the...

      Private Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2014 to Question 209508, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the...

      Change of Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to prevent businesses from being evicted by office-to-home conversions in (a) mixed business...

      Repossession Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of properties repossessed in (a) Worcester, (b) Worcestershire and (c)...

      Planning Permission: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on planning appeal costs being awarded against a district council when that appeal has been dismissed.

      Mobile Homes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when his proposed committee on Park Homes will commence its meetings.

  • HM Treasury

    • Welfare Tax Credits

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the number of cases in which officials engaged in verifying the eligibility of applicants for tax credits where issues...

    • Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the savings from legal aid reform and legal aid transformation in 2014-15.

      Offshore Industry: Taxation

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the value to the Exchequer of tax receipts on oil and gas extracted from the North Sea in each year since 1990.

      Taxation

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the value of tax revenues, excluding those from oil and gas extracted from the North Sea, (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales,...

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of (a) the total carbon savings and (b) the resulting value for money of the non-domestic Renewable Heat...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Northern Ireland Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when she next plans to report to the House on progress in the all-party talks.

  • Department for Culture Media and Sport

    • Telephone Preference Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to review the effectiveness of the Telephone Preference Service.

    • Science Museum Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the performance of the management of the Science Museum Group in relation to the restoration of the...

      Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to promote roaming and mast sharing in areas without comprehensive mobile telephone coverage on all networks.

      Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that mobile coverage up to 4G levels is provided in rural areas to ensure communication resilience in...

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what equalities impact assessment was made before the introduction of the new online voter registration system.

    • Electoral Register

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether transgendered people, confirming that they have previously had a different name when completing the new online voter registration form, will have this...

  • Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

    • Peers: Allowances

      To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how much has been spent in total on allowances for members of...

  • House of Lords

    • Access to Work Programme

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish (1) their current guidance on the Access to Work scheme, and (2) the forthcoming revision of that guidance.

    • Administration of Justice

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many resignations have occurred from 2012 to 2014 among all grades in (1) the Police Service, (2) the Prison Officer Service, and (3) the Probation Service.

      Bahrain

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes in their defence strategy led to their decision to open a naval base in Bahrain.

      Combined Cadet Force

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the expenditure on the combined cadet force for each of the last 25 years for which figures are available.

      Electoral Register

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost per application for each of the Cabinet Office voter registration Innovation Fund projects.

      Electoral Register

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to (1) celebrate, and (2) support, National Voter Registration Day on 5 February.

      Floods: Somerset

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many households that had to evacuate their homes on the Somerset levels because of flooding in the winter of 2013–14 have not been able to return.

      Forced Marriage

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they collect data on the number of British girls sent abroad to marry each year; and if they do not collect such data, what they are doing to assess...

      Government Departments: Work Experience

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many internships are offered by each government department.

      Leasehold

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action long-term tenants and leaseholders can take in the case of (1) illegally short-let properties in their block, and (2) over-occupation of small flats.

      Leasehold

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action tenants living in flats which are part of a divided house can take where the relationship between tenants and leaseholders has broken down.

      Military Aircraft

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis has been conducted to investigate the potential interoperability between NATO Maritime Patrol Aircraft, available in 2019, and the Queen...

      Ministers: Correspondence

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Government Ministers routinely acknowledge written communications from members of Parliament, including emails; and if not, why not.

      Social Security Benefits: Fraud

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the quality of service and value-for-money provided by Capita in operating the National Benefit Fraud Hotline.

      Sports: Disability

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have introduced to make sports facilities more widely accessible to young people with disabilities.

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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