Written answers

Wednesday, 11 February 2015

  • Department for Transport

    • First Transpennine Express

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects TransPennine Express to sign a franchise extension; and what the duration of that extension will be.

    • Parking: Pedestrian Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the provisions in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 on pavement parking.

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Planning Obligations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 28 November 2014, Official Report, column 54WS, on small-scale developers, what assessment...

    • Land

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he will take to monitor the loss to development of land in England and Wales during the UN International Year of...

      Housing: Tyne and Wear

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of population projections that have been used in developing the Newcastle/Gateshead...

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library the minutes or meetings he and Ministers in his Department held with private developers in 2014...

      Empty Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library the minutes and lists of attendees of meetings he and Ministers in his Department held with...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Palestinian leadership about human rights violations and measures to tackle extremism...

    • Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Hamas's ability to fire long-range ballistic missiles.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Hamas's ability to develop and produce rockets.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Hamas's ability to smuggle explosive material into the Gaza Strip.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of Hamas's use of residential buildings to manufacture and store its rockets.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on sources of funding for the terrorist activities of ISIL, Hezbollah and Hamas.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role of Hamas's political wing as a source for the funding of Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of efforts by Hamas to rebuild tunnels.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the role played by Iran in Hamas' rearmament.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Hamas' role in and steps taken to maintain the ceasefire announced in August 2014.

      Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UN Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism on controlling and monitoring the supply,...

      Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Bahrain on recent decisions to deprive people in that country...

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Higher Education: Part-time Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people applied for part-time university courses in each year since May 2010.

    • Radioactive Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and value for money of the Natural Environment Research Council's...

      Overseas Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many international students applied to study in UK universities in each of the last five years.

  • Department for International Development

    • Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her Palestinian counterpart on ensuring that the material used for the reconstruction of Gaza...

    • Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of political and other divisions within the Palestinian unity government on international...

      British Indian Ocean Territory

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what contingency plans her Department is making regarding the potential resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)...

  • Department for Education

    • Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 128 of her Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14, HC 745, what the reasons are for the £466.7 million...

    • Educational Psychology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many registered educational psychologists are (a) employed by her Department and (b) working in schools in each of the last five years.

      Teachers: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hours of physical education training trainee teachers received in each of the last 10 years.

      Educational Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils in England attended a residential outdoors education experience in each of the last 10 years.

      Educational Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of pupils in England who have participated in outdoor school trips in each year since 2005.

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2015 to Question 220889, what mechanism is in place to alert Ministers when local authorities do not issue a...

      GCE A-level: Dudley

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of A-level students at schools and colleges in Dudley North constituency that were in...

      Teachers: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many entrants there were into initial teacher education in England in the academic years (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and...

      Primary Education: Bradford

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary school places have been created in Bradford since 2010.

      Free Schools: Bradford

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many free school places have been created in Bradford since 2010.

      Schools: Bradford

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total schools budget in Bradford was in each year between 2005 and 2010.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Civil Disorder: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, was the (a) original offence, (b) original sentence, (c) amount of the original sentence served, (d) date of the subsequent offence resulting in a...

    • HM Inspectorate of Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who in his Department took the decision not to disclose to the House of Commons Justice Committee the family connections of Mr Paul McDowell to Sodexo...

      HM Inspectorate of Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, to what conditions and restrictions imposed by his Department Mr Paul McDowell will be subject in seeking future employment.

      HM Inspectorate of Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he was first informed that Mr Paul McDowell had tendered his resignation as Chief Inspector of Probation; and when he accepted that resignation.

      HM Inspectorate of Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times and on what dates he met Mr Paul McDowell during the period in which he held the post of Chief Inspector of Probation.

      Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the final decision on whether to appoint a candidate to the role of Chief Inspector of (a) Probation and (b) Prisons rests with the Secretary of...

      HM Inspectorate of Probation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much Mr Paul McDowell will receive in the financial package agreed as part of his resignation as Chief Inspector of Probation.

  • Prime Minister

    • Abortion

      To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to suspend collective responsibility on any division in the House on sex selective abortions; and if he will make a statement.

    • Iraq Committee of Inquiry

      To ask the Prime Minister, if he will have discussions with the administrators of the Iraq Inquiry to ascertain a final date for publication of its report; and if he will make a statement.

      Tony Blair

      To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with Tony Blair in his capacity as Quartet Representative; what was discussed at each such meeting; on what date each such meeting...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Armed Forces: Malaria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel have been prescribed the Lariam form of mefloquine in each month of 2014 to date; and if he will make a statement.

    • Defence Medical Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2014 to Question 217205, if he will make it his Department's policy to collect and analyse data on the extent to...

      Air Force: Deployment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel are taking part in the Seedcorn programme; what the location is of each such person; and with what equipment such personnel are training.

      Tornado Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2015 to Question 221408, when the Interface Definition Documents were created and agreed; and who manages Boundary...

      Colombia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2014 to Question 210574, if he will place in the Library details of training provided to Colombian armed forces by...

      Armed Forces: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what provisions are in place to ensure that all military personnel aged under 18 can access higher education, as required by Article 28 of the...

      Veterans: Hearing Impairment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department provides to ex-service personnel with tinnitus and other hearing loss difficulties.

      Ministry of Defence Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether discussions between his Department and the Cabinet Office on Ministry of Defence Police pension arrangements have concluded; and if he will make...

      Ministry of Defence Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he plans for discussions on future arrangements for Ministry of Defence Police pensions to be concluded by 30 March 2015; and if he will make a statement.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of personal independence payment claims were disallowed pre-referral to the assessment providers in (a)...

    • Health and Safety Executive

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has received on the transparency of the fees charged for the Health and Safety Executive's Fee for Intervention.

      Jobseeker's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who have claimed jobseeker's allowance since June 2011 in (a) the UK and (b) Bradford West constituency have not found work...

      Grandparents' Association

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure the continued funding of the Grandparents' Association.

  • Home Office

    • Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted of offences under sections 10, 11 and 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each of the...

    • Asylum: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children granted discretionary leave to remain were subject to an enforced removal after turning 18 in...

      Arrests: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of foreign national arrests under Operation Nexus were made up of each of the top three nationalities involved in the last...

      Driving under Influence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drink-driving offences were recorded by police force and successful prosecutions there have been in (a) England and (b) Wales in...

      Dangerous Driving

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many dangerous driving offences were recorded by each police force in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last five years; and how...

      Driving under Influence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drink-driving offences were recorded by each police force in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last five years; and how many...

      Driving Offences: Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many driving offences relating to mobile telephone use were recorded by each police force in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the...

      Seized Articles

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many seizures of (a) tobacco, (b) alcohol and (c) drugs were made by UK Border Force staff from small boat traffic at UK ports in each...

      Immigration Controls

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal migrants who entered a UK port on small vessels were apprehended at that port in each year since 2010.

      Entry Clearances: Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people from the Kurdistan Region in Iraq were refused an entry visa to the UK in (a) 2005, (b) 2010 and (c)...

      Surrey Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value of the police grant provided by her Department to Surrey Police was in each year from 2009-10 to 2015-16.

      British Nationals Abroad: Ethiopia

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on which occasions the Ethiopian government requested the return of Mr Andargachew Tsige to its jurisdiction since 2004; and what response...

  • HM Treasury

    • Pensions: Advisory Services

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many agents offering guidance through the Pensions Wise scheme will be based outside London.

    • Tax Collection

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2015 to Question 220189, whether his Department has developed specific guidelines to ensure that HM Revenue and Customs...

      Occupational Pensions

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any additional resources will be available to HM Revenue and Customs for conducting due diligence on newly-registered pension schemes.

      Construction: Taxation

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the number of workers using the Construction Industry Scheme; and whether there has been a significant variation in such...

      Public Sector: Procurement

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect of refunding VAT for contracted out of services but not for cloud services on the ability of small businesses to...

      Public Sector: Procurement

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect of COS14 VAT rules on public sector procurement of off the shelf software services.

      Theatre: Manchester

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.201 in the Autumn Statement 2014, how the £78 million allocated to The Factory Manchester will be spent; and from which...

      Child Benefit: EU Nationals

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many nationals of each EU country are in the UK and claiming child benefit for children in (a) the UK and (b) another EU...

      Inheritance Tax

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the incidence of liability for the payment of inheritance tax was in each parliamentary constituency, based on the primary residence of the deceased in...

      Mortgages: Government Assistance

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total advertising budget is for the campaign to promote the Help to Buy scheme; and how much has been spent on (a) television, (b) newspaper, (c)...

      Pensions: Advisory Services

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February to Question 222173, how many of the 300 trained staff working to deliver the Pension Wise service will be delivering...

      Tobacco: Packaging

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the introduction of standardised tobacco packaging on the UK illicit tobacco market.

      Welfare Tax Credits: EU Nationals

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the proportion of nationals of each EU country who reside in the UK who are claiming tax credits.

      Child Benefit: EU Nationals

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the proportion of nationals of each EU country who reside in the UK who are claiming child benefit for children in (a) the UK...

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what guidance his Department issues on planning applications for on-shore wind farms; and if he will make a statement.

    • Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the Government is a party to the Shale Community Engagement Charter.

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what liabilities regime is in place to cover the costs of (a) drill site remediation and (b) post-closure contamination of local...

      Energy Supply

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate has been made of the number of (a) Fast Reserve, (b) Short Term Operating Reserve and (c) BM Start up Reserve services...

      Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will take steps to ensure that families with children are treated as a vulnerable group by energy companies.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Unemployment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average proportion was of people from a black and minority ethnic background who were unemployed for longer than (a) 12 months and (b) two...

    • Iraq Committee of Inquiry

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has had any discussions with the Iraq Inquiry on draft text provided to his Department under the Maxwellisation process.

      Departmental Records

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list of the title of each file that has been destroyed by his Department in the last 12 months.

      Unemployment: Young People

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2015 to Question 222628, when he expects to be able to release data on unemployment figures for December 2014.

      Crime: Surrey

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the level of reported crime was for each type of offence in the Surrey police force area in each year since 2009.

      Government Departments: Trade Unions

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on the deduction of trade union subscriptions from payroll in the Civil Service.

      Government Departments: Buildings

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with his minsiterial colleagues in other Departments on disposal of redundant government buildings; and if he will...

      Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he last met the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to discuss the extent of her powers and responsibilities.

      Government Departments: Buildings

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made on ensuring that the Government disposes of properties which it no longer needs.

  • Department for Culture Media and Sport

    • Public Libraries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of what proportion of the population visited a public library in each financial year since 2009-10.

    • Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2014 to Question 209987, how much of the budget for the Mobile Infrastructure Project has been...

      Arts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of early intervention in promoting (a) reading, (b) arts participation, (c) sports...

      Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the most recent initiative is in which his Department used nudge policies.

      Public Libraries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of statistics published by Public Libraries News on library closures and libraries...

      Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will promote the use of randomised controlled trials and nudge policies through his Department's agencies and NDPBs.

      Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions Ministers and officials in his Department have had with the What Works Networks or Nudge Unit on implementing the...

      Leisure: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what (a) arts and (b) sports participation for children his Department has supported since May 2010.

      Public Libraries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of whether the number of library authorities is sufficient to meet the needs of public library users.

      UN Convention for Protection of Cultural Property in Event of Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to accede to the Hague Convention on Protection of Cultural Property in Time of War before 7 May 2015.

      Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of his Department's grant-in-aid funding goes to London-based institutions.

      Public Libraries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many Library Service Points open for 10 hours or more per week there were in the UK in each of the last five years.

      Small Businesses: Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of upload speeds needed by small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) the creative and digital and (b) other...

      ICT: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people employed in the IT workforce (a) now and (b) in 2022.

      Telford

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much and what proportion of the cost of his visit to Telford on 12 December 2014 was paid out of public funds.

      ICT: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the consequences for his policies of the report London Futures: Agiletown, published by Deloitte in...

      Public Libraries: WiFi

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of when free WiFi will be provided in all public libraries; how many and what proportion of libraries...

      Arts: Secondary Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the change in the number of secondary school children participating in (a) music, (b) drama, (c) dance and...

      Public Service Broadcasting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to set a value for retransmission of public service broadcast channels on pay TV platforms in the UK.

      Arts: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Artsmark programme in measuring (a) arts provision and (b) participation in the...

      Arts: Secondary Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on increasing participation in (a) music, (b) drama, (c) dance...

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Charities

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 on charities.

  • Department of Health

    • Care Homes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is a requirement of (a) the CQC monitoring process and (b) another source for each care home to have a registered manager on site; what...

    • Musculoskeletal Disorders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with bodies responsible for medical training on the broadening of the GP training curriculum to ensure there is a workforce...

      Fractures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which local commissioning bodies have commissioned a fracture liaison service; and what steps he is taking to encourage such commissioning.

      Southend University Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with (i) Monitor, (ii) the Care Quality Commission...

      Southend University Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has received on Southend University Hospital in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

      Southend University Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which company is contracted to enforce car parking regulations at Southend University Hospital; how much Southend University Hospital has received...

      Southend University Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the level of income received from Southend University Hospital from car parking operations; what steps he (a) has...

      Southend University Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he (a) is taking to ensure that Southend University Hospital meets the Government’s A&E waiting time target; and if he will make a...

      Hospitals: Essex

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with local authorities in Essex on increased attendances in A&E departments during winter 2014-15 and delayed...

      Southend University Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many locums, in which positions and at what grade were employed by Southend University Hospital in each year since 2011.

      Southend University Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent by Southend University Hospital on employing locums, in which (a) ward and (b) positions, in each year since 2011.

      Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications to the Cancer Drugs Fund have been successful in Oxford West and Abingdon; and what the financial value of those applications was.

      Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, to whom the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment reports; how that Committee is funded; and when that Committee last reviewed the...

      St James' Hospital Portsmouth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the potential merits of signing a covenant with Portsmouth City Council to prevent the land at the St James' Hospital site being developed.

      Naloxone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue guidance on the use and prescription of naloxone.

      Blood: Donors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of delays for blood donors.

      Gastrointestinal Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to increase early diagnosis of gastro-intestinal cancers.

      St Mary's Hospital NHS Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason a decision was taken to withdraw funding for the Paddington Alcohol Test programme at St Mary's Hospital NHS Trust.

      Gastrointestinal Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to increase the uptake of screening programmes for gastro-intestinal cancers amongst ethnic minorities in (a) Ealing,...

      Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to encourage the roll-out of alcohol care teams among acute providers to reduce the readmission of patients...

      Inflammatory Bowel Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to include inflammatory bowel disease patients in the list of people who are exempt from prescription charges.

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people paid for prescriptions in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013 and (d) 2014.

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to promote the prescription prepayment certificate in the last 12 months; and how much was spent promoting the certificate.

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether funds raised by prescription charges are ring-fenced for spending in the NHS.

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the Prescription Charges Coalition report on prescription charges and employment.

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the penalties are for incorrect prescription charge exemption claims; what appeal mechanisms are in place to contest those penalties; and if he will...

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what processes are in place to issue renewal reminders to people with medical exemption certificates when they are due to expire; and if he will make a...

      Nursing and Midwifery Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of Nursing and Midwifery Council fees on the quality of teaching and facilities for nurses and midwives.

      General Practitioners: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs have retired from practice in (a) Bolton and (b) Greater Manchester in each of the last five years.

      Parkinson's Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support patients with Parkinson's disease.

      Muscular Dystrophy: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the National Institue for Health and Care Excellence on NHS commissioning of the drug Translarna, in response to the...

      Social Services: Veterans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the reasons are for the difference in contributions to costs for social care between injured veterans receiving payments under the War Pensions...

      Health Services: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the money that will be raised as a result of the steps his Department is taking to ensure greater recovery of the costs of...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • EU Action: Parliamentary Scrutiny

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each government department, from July to December 2014, (1) on how many occasions the scrutiny reserve resolution in the House of Lords was overridden,...

    • Romania

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent meetings they have had with the government of Romania to discuss human rights and judicial reform; and whether the Adamescu case has been raised...

      EU Law

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how European Union regulations are brought into being; what is their force in United Kingdom law; and how many have been issued since 1976.

      Ukraine

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to secure the withdrawal of Russian military personnel now alleged to be in the territory of Ukraine; and what steps they are...

      Azerbaijan

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan about its reported actions in (1) arresting and detaining key persons in civil...

      Ukraine: Russia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are investigating the whereabouts and the current wellbeing of Mustafa Dzhemiler and Refat Chubarov, Crimean Tatar leaders, following their...

      Forced Marriage

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to gather data on the number of girls under the legal age of marriage who had married abroad and have been brought back to the United...

      Burma

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have signed any Memoranda of Understanding or other agreements with the Ministry of Home Affairs in Burma.

      Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the government of Israel concerning the recent attacks by settlers on Palestinians.

      Nigeria

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the response of the government of Nigeria to the violent insurgency there which has led to the need for the deployment of...

      Egypt

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Egypt concerning its reported plans for the forced eviction and demolition of homes of the...

      Palestinians

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 6 January (HL3722), what assessment they have made of the kidnap and forcible conversion of...

      Ukraine: Russia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to encourage parties in Ukraine to release all hostages and prisoners of war as a preliminary to renewing the ceasefire there; and whether...

      Transcaucasus and Ukraine

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will request that the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances report what progress, if any, it is making on...

      Belarus

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the authorities in Belarus concerning the case of Ihar Tsikhanyuk.

      South Sudan

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are supporting the South Sudanese National Police Service (SSNPS), both bilaterally and through the United Nations Mission; and how they ensure that...

      Democratic Republic of Congo

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assurances they have received from the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the DRC...

      Arms Trade: Ukraine

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they would be prepared, on request by the government of Ukraine, to sell them defensive, including lethal, weapons.

      Gambia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the human rights situation in The Gambia.

      Zimbabwe

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the authorities in Zimbabwe concerning Women of Zimbabwe Arise.

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Students: Finance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the reasons for the reported increase in financial problems amongst students.

    • Digital Technology

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the digital economy in the United Kingdom.

  • Department for International Development

    • Sierra Leone

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of their budget support to the government of Sierra Leone has been directed towards health system strengthening between (1) 2002 and 2009, and (2)...

  • Department for Education

    • HIV Infection: Children

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the Department of Health and the Department for Education are working together to provide pastoral care and support to pupils with HIV.

    • HIV Infection

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that teachers have appropriate understanding of HIV and HIV stigma.

      Adoption

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new-born babies were available for adoption in England in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

      Classroom Assistants: Males

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January concerning the number of teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools (HL4277), what steps...

      Primary Education: Standards

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to make the tracking of pupils’ progress over time the principal league table criterion for primary schools.

      New Schools Network

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money they have paid to the New Schools Network over the last four years.

      Free Schools: Finance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what total sum of money is given to each prospective free school as start-up costs; and what total sum of money has been spent on start-up costs for free...

  • The Lord Chairman of Committees

    • Parliamentary Digital Service

      To ask the Chairman of Committees what plans there are to act on recommendations 31 concerning access to data and 33 regarding the skills and staffing of the Parliamentary Digital Service, of the...

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Homelessness

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made to determine the scale of homelessness in the United Kingdom; how it is being tackled and by whom; and what new or additional...

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many nuclear power stations have been fully decommissioned since the nuclear power programme was established; which power stations are currently being...

    • Fracking: Lancashire

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have communicated with Lancashire County Council over the planning applications by Cuadrilla for fracking at Roseacre Wood and Little Plumpton;...

      Natural Gas

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage close co-operation between Iran and Qatar over their combined interest in the exploitation of the South Pars/North Dome Gas...

      Ofgem

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Ofgem has regard to the vulnerabilities of families with children.

  • Department for Culture Media and Sport

    • Tourism

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote tourist destinations in the United Kingdom outside the Greater London area.

  • Department of Health

    • Obesity

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations contained in the McKinsey Global Institute's report Overcoming obesity: an initial economic analysis;...

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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