Written answers

Thursday, 26 February 2015

  • Department for Transport

    • Road Traffic: Hampshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on traffic on (a) the A326 and (b) Jacob's Gutter Lane of projected heavy goods vehicle...

    • Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total value of contracts his Department has with private sector providers was in each of the last five years for which records are available.

      Northern Rail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with bidders for the Northern Rail franchise covering the Colne to Blackpool South service via Preston on the...

      Rolling Stock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for how long Pacer trains will continue to operate on Northern Rail services; and when all Pacer trains will be retired.

      Railways: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions representatives of his Department have met Rail North since the close of the consultation for the Northern Rail and TransPennine...

      Railways: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether each local authority comprising Rail North will be asked to approve that body's response to the consultation for the Northern Rail and...

      Railways: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which staff of Rail North will be involved in formulating the response to the consultation for the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express franchises.

      Driving: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints the DVLA has received about delays in completing a review of an individual's medical information in relation to a driving licence...

      Driving: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints the DVLA has received about delays in people receiving driving licences in each year since 2010.

      Driving: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many applications the DVLA has received relating to a review of medical information in relation to a driver's licence in each year since 2010.

      Conflict of Interests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what arrangements are in place in his Department to manage potential conflicts of interest of civil servants in relation to their previous employment.

      Railways: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether representatives from each local authority comprising Rail North will be asked to approve Rail North's response to the consultation for the...

      Railways: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps in the invitation to tender for the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express franchises to ensure that there is always a second...

      Simon Baugh

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recruitment process was used when hiring Simon Baugh, Group Director of Communications for his Department; and what role Mr Baugh will have in...

      Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many apprentices employed by (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies and associated bodies are aged (i) 16 to 18, (ii) 19 to 24 and...

      Railways: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to publish the invitations to tender for the Northern and TransPennine franchises.

      East Coast

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was paid or is outstanding in premiums in (a) constant and (b) current prices by East Coast Main Line Company Ltd (i) since November 2009 and...

      East Coast Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent by East Coast Main Line Company Ltd on stations enhancements (a) in total and (b) in each station since November 2009.

      Roads: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria are used to decide which local authorities receive monies from the challenge fund allocation; what weighting is given to highways...

  • Home Office

    • Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to implement the ruling pertaining to the immigration case of the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside...

    • Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many apprentices employed by (a) her Department and (b) its executive agencies and associated bodies are aged (i) 16 to 18, (ii) 19 to...

      Human Trafficking: EU Action

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February to Question 223721, if she plans to respond to the recommendations of the Council of Europe Experts on...

      National Police Air Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the annual cost of the National Police Air Service has been since 2012.

      National Police Air Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how reductions in the budget of the National Police Air Service will be distributed between police forces in North Wales and the North West...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Developing Countries: Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will meet the Religious Liberty Commission to discuss placing respect for religious freedoms at the heart of development...

    • Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the state of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent conversations he has had with his international counterparts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

      Bahrain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on introducing a resolution condemning Bahrain's human rights record at the UN Human...

      Occupied Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Israeli government on the construction of settlements on...

      Yemen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of the prosecution of Hamed Kamal bin Haydara in Yemen.

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what guidance her Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

    • Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department spent on training in each of the last three financial years.

      Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what her Department's training budget was in each of the last three financial years.

      Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average number of days training of full-time equivalent staff employed in her Department was in each of the last three financial years.

      Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many apprentices employed by (a) her Department and (b) its executive agencies and associated bodies are aged (i) 16 to 18, (ii) 19 to 24...

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Foreign Investment in UK: Commonwealth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what incentives he is providing to encourage investment from Commonwealth countries in the UK.

    • Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprentices employed by (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies and associated bodies are aged (i) 16 to 18,...

      Exports: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many commitments have been agreed under the Export Refinancing Facility Scheme to date.

      Exports: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many potential commitments under the Export Refinancing Facility Scheme are under discussion.

      Temporary Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to encourage employers to keep on staff initially hired on a temporary basis.

      World War II: Medals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will ensure that women who worked in munitions factories during World War Two receive a medal to mark their contribution...

  • Department for International Development

    • South Asia

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department disbursed to projects in (a) Pakistan and (b) Azad Kashmir in each of the last 10 years.

    • Caribbean

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what additional support her Department is providing for Royal Navy personnel assisting with the aftermath of the Caribbean tsunami.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department will assess (a) the effect of drone strikes on civilian populations and (b) access to civilian compensation...

      Islamic State

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department provides to religious minorities affected by the activities of ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what research her Department has undertaken on access of civilian victims of drone strikes in Afghanistan to civilian compensation...

      Rio Tinto Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether any former officials in her Department have taken employment with Rio Tinto plc in the last five years.

      Syria

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the UN World Food Programme in Syria in ensuring that food parcels reach their...

      Malawi

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has issued in additional support to Malawi following the recent floods in that country; what activities this...

  • Department for Education

    • Teachers: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the salary sacrifice scheme available to teachers does not cover the purchase of cars.

    • Sixth Form Colleges: VAT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on extending the VAT refund scheme used by other schools to sixth form colleges.

      Sixth Form Colleges: VAT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent representations she has received from charities, schools, lobby groups and educationalists on the Drop the Learning Tax campaign.

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools in England and Wales have a dementia strategy.

      Children: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policy on early years interventions of the study by Professor James Heckman on...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Prisoners: Punishment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many punishments of removal from wing were given to prisoners in each private prison in England and Wales in each year since 2010.

    • Coroners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average number of days taken by coroners to release the body of a homicide victim back to the family for burial in each...

      Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress he has made on proposals to privatise the criminal fine enforcement service.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has been made in publishing a new Code of Practice for Freedom of Information which apply to services delivered by external providers.

      Offences against Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that all victims of historical child sexual abuse will be assessed for and offered the use of a registered...

      Witnesses: Advocacy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) matched and (b) unmatched registered intermediaries requests there were for each group of vulnerable witnesses in each year since 2013.

      Witnesses: Advocacy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many registered intermediaries were requested and matched for children in cases involving (a) sexual offences and (b) other offences at (i)...

      Administration of Justice: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average annual cost of court cases involving children that collapse due to insufficient or unreliable evidence.

      Witnesses: Advocacy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the Government's annual budget is for registered intermediaries; and what steps he is taking to ensure that this reflects need.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Unmanned Air Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which post or team in his Department is responsible for the application of remotely piloted aircraft systems.

    • Chief of Defence Materiel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what terms and conditions the contract of the Chief of Defence Materiel has been extended.

      Reserve Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent on (a) television, (b) newspaper, (c) online, (d) radio and (e) other forms of advertising using the phrase Armed Forces...

      Marchwood Military Port

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to retain on the site of the Sea Mounting Centre at Marchwood (a) 73 Training Squadron, (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary Centre, (c) REME...

      Marchwood Military Port

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the site security arrangements made by the successful bidder for the lease on the Marchwood port site will be augmented by dedicated security...

      Usa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2015 to Question 222435, what the name and date was of the agreement pursuant to which five personnel from Squadron...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether lethal targeting by UK armed forces in Iraq is limited to ISIL combatants.

      Armed forces: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Regular Forces were stationed in Northern Ireland in 2014.

      Awe

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assistance the Atomic Weapons Establishment is receiving from the US authorities on Project Pegasus.

      Awe

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when construction work on Box A of Project Pegasus at the Atomic Weapons Establishment started.

      Awe

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the decision to review the scope and delivery schedule for Project Pegasus at the Atomic Weapons Establishment was taken; and when he expects a...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total value of contracts his Department has with private sector providers was in each of the last five years for which records are available.

      Patrol Craft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreement in principle with BAE Systems for three offshore patrol vessels.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Mesothelioma: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government has loaned to the insurance industry to assist with the costs of the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme in the first...

    • Mesothelioma: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value is of (a) awards under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme and (b) benefits recovered from payments made under that Scheme...

      Industrial Health and Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance the Government issues on health and safety protection for workers administering (a) chemicals and (b) poisons used in pest control.

      Mesothelioma: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 10 February 2015, HCWS 269, on Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme, what the additional administrative...

      Mesothelioma: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 10 February 2015, HCWS 269, on Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme, what estimate he has made of the (a)...

      Mesothelioma: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 10 February 2015, HCWS 269, on Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme, whether there will be any change in...

      Mesothelioma: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) applications and (b) awards he estimates will be made by the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme in (i) the first year of the...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2015 to Question 221729, how many former Incapacity Benefit claimants that were transferred to either...

      Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on training in each of the last three financial years.

      Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's training budget was in each of the last three financial years.

      Funeral Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of increasing the other funeral expenses category of the social fund funeral payments scheme...

      Social Security Benefits: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people aged 18 to 24 years are subject to sanctions for (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) employment and support allowance in (i)...

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many sanctions were imposed on employment and support allowance claimants in each month between January 2013 and June 2014; and how many...

      Preston

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which Ministers in his Department visited departmental buildings in Preston in 2014; which buildings were so visited and on what dates; who...

      Housing Benefit: Glasgow

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of housing benefit in Glasgow South West constituency are in part-time work.

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people on the Work Programme have been indentified as having mental health problems; and what the employment outcomes have...

      Employment: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the second report from the Work and Pensions Committee, Improving access to work for disabled people, HC481.

      Apprentices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many apprentices employed by (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies and associated bodies are aged (i) 16 to 18, (ii) 19 to 24...

      Social Security Benefits: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much of his Department's expenditure is allocated to preventing, detecting and handling cases of fraud and error in the benefits system;...

      Remploy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on which dates a Minister in his Department last met a former Remploy employee; and when the next such meetings are planned.

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what means are available to his Department to validate claimant earnings data used in Universal Credit calculations which do not require...

      Unemployed People: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what research he has commissioned into the mental health needs of people claiming jobseeker's allowance.

      Incapacity Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the recorded primary medical condition was of each incapacity benefit reassessment claimant, where the outcome of the assessment was fit...

      Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the caseload onflow onto local housing authority housing benefit was in each of the last three years.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • National Parks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had on the inclusion of proposals to introduce direct elections to National Park authorities...

    • Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total value of contracts her Department has with private sector providers was in each of the last five years for...

      Bovine Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Summary of badger control monitoring during 2014 published by her Department on 18 December 2014, on...

      Peat Bogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of how many hectares of peat bog were burned by owners of grouse moors in the last full year for...

      Gun Sports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the environmental impact of lead discharged during game bird shooting.

      Gun Sports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) pheasants and (b) partridges were imported into the UK for the purposes of game shooting in each of the last...

      River Ribble

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been spent on maintaining flood defences on the River Ribble in each year since 2010.

      Agriculture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations she has received from farmers affected by the ban on grass cutting and oil seed rape in August...

      Rural Payments Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of farm registrations have been made (a) online and (b) by telephone to date; and what the average cost has...

      Rural Payments Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received on the time taken to process the registration of basic farm payments; and if she will...

      Rural Payments Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers who have no digital history have been in contact with the Rural Payments Agency.

      Rural Payments Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans the Rural Payments Agency has put in place to process late applications before the window for claims...

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the gender balance is of staff working in the Ministerial office of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his...

    • Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average number of days training of full-time equivalent staff employed in his Department was in each of the last three...

      Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reason his Answer of 23 February 2015 to Question 218656 did not provide the information requested in that Question;...

  • Wales Office

    • Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the average number of days training of full-time equivalent staff employed in his Department was in each of the last three financial years.

    • Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what guidance his Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

  • HM Treasury

    • Revenue and Customs

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff at each grade worked in the Transfer Pricing Group of HM Revenue and Customs in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e)...

    • Film: Tax Allowances

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what total amount was paid out in Film Tax Relief in each of the last five years; and how many productions qualified for that tax relief in each such year.

      Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to review the level of compensation paid to Equitable Life policy holders; and if he will make a statement.

      Pensions: Tax Allowances

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse of abolishing higher rate tax relief on private pension contributions.

      Investment: EU Countries

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which organisations his Department consulted on the projects proposed by the Government's submission to the European Commission's Special Task Force on...

      Pensions: Advisory Services

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what qualifications are required of Pension Wise staff providing (a) telephone and (b) face-to-face advice.

      HSBC: Usa

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the US (a) Treasury and (b) Justice Department on HSBC's licence to operate in the US since HSBC's prosecution...

      Procurement

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total value of contracts his Department has with private sector providers was in each of the last five years for which records are available.

      Revenue and Customs

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2015 to Question 222787, what constitutes appropriate training for HM Revenue and Customs' staff dealing with...

      Offshore Industry: Taxation

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2015 to Question 221932, whether it is his policy that licensed drilling contractors operating in the UK Continental...

      Tax Allowances

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of raising personal tax allowances by 10 per cent.

      Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are liable to pay income tax at the rates of (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 40 and (d) 45 per cent.

      Patents: EU Action

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from (a) the EU Commission and (b) other EU Member States on the patent box legislation.

      Tax Avoidance

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce legislation to make partners from accountancy firms ineligible for HM Treasury appointments if a tax tribunal or court finds that tax...

      Renewable Energy

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Big Six energy companies about community energy co-operatives in the last 12 months.

      Overseas Trade: Taxation

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on amending or abolishing the import/export tax regime.

      Minimum Wage

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many notices of underpayment of national minimum wage were issued in respect of employers with (a) zero to nine, (b) 10 to 49, (c) 50 to 249 and (d)...

      National Insurance Contributions

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was raised in revenue from employers of apprentices under the age of 25 in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland and (e)...

      Revenue and Customs: Preston

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are currently employed at the Tax Credit Office in Preston; and what the projected staffing level at that office is for (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

      Wines

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the value of wine sales to pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK.

      Children: Day Care

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average cost of providing childcare accounts for households in receipt of tax-free childcare will be per child; and how much has been set aside for...

      Whisky: Excise Duties

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the effect of alcohol excise duty rates on domestic consumption of Scotch whisky.

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much the Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil has spent on legal advice to date.

    • Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress his Department has made on its investigation into the practice of de-rating wind turbines for the purposes of the...

      Electricity: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps his Department has taken with Ofgem to achieve a Price Average Reference (PAR) of 1MWh in future Capacity Market auctions;...

      Electricity: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on consumers' electricity bills of reducing the Price Average...

      Electricity: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of reducing the Price Average Reference to 1MWh by 2018 on the cost of...

      Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the cost to energy bill payers of all subsidies to wind turbines in the (a) >100 to 500kW and (b) >500kW...

      Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will estimate the additional cost to energy bill payers of the feed-in tariff scheme arising from the practice of de-rating wind...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the total value of contracts his Department has with private sector providers was in each of the last five years for which...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Training

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

    • Electronic Government

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to stop websites charging for (a) the European Health Insurance Card and (b) other services provided for free by the Government.

      Procurement

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total value of contracts his Department has with private sector providers was in each of the last five years for which records are available.

      Drugs: North West

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many drug-related crimes were reported in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West in each year since 2010.

      Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many employees were on zero-hours contracts in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley local authority area, (c) South Yorkshire, (d)...

      Government Departments: Accountancy

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Government plans to publish results of its trial of open book accounting; and what plans the Government has to mandate open book accounting...

      Government Departments: Procurement

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will assess the extent to which departments take account of past performance when re-tendering or contracting for new services.

      Unemployment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the rate of unemployment among people aged (a) 16 to 24 and (b) 25 and above has been in each quarter since January 2010.

      Northampton Hospital

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) live births and (b) stillbirths have been recorded at Northampton General Hospital in each year since 2010.

      Gastrointestinal Cancer

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many incidences of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer were diagnosed in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14; and what proportion of...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Table 10 (1) of the Office of National Statistics' Labour Market Statistics release, when the Indicative Representation of the...

  • Department for Culture Media and Sport

    • Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department spent on training in each of the last three financial years.

    • Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his Department's training budget was in each of the last three financial years.

      Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance his Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

      Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average number of days training of full-time equivalent staff employed in his Department was in each of the last three...

      Telephone Operator Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on simplification and clarification of tariffs charged by private providers for directory...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the total value of contracts his Department has with private sector providers was in each of the last five years for which records...

      Broadband: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made on delivering broadband to rural areas.

      Broadband: Churches

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made on delivering (a) broadband and (b) wifi to church halls.

      Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what additional funding his Department is making available to ensure that the remaining 10 per cent of premises get superfast broadband...

      Betting Shops

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Safe Bet Alliance on betting shop staff safety.

      Football

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps he has taken to support community football teams.

      Telecommunications: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the combined effect of poor mobile phone signal and poor broadband provision on rural communities and...

      Press Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to uphold media freedoms.

  • Department of Health

    • Clacton Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that more diagnostic tests are carried out at Clacton Hospital.

    • Dietary Supplements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions took place at his most recent meeting with the European Health Commissioner, Vytenis Andriukaitis; whether he discussed (a) the likely...

      Hospitals: North East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in (a) Hartlepool and (b) the North East had to wait on trolleys for more than 12 hours to be admitted to a hospital ward in each of the...

      Tobacco: Packaging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 132 of the judgment of the European Court of Justice in the case C-491/01 - British American Tobacco (Investments) and...

      Dental Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to review the regulatory framework for the dental profession.

      Tobacco: Packaging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consideration he gave to owners and other beneficiaries of intellectual property rights relating to tobacco products in deciding to bring forward...

      Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent meetings he and other Ministers of his Department have had with representatives of the food industry.

      Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2013-14.

      Bone Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in 2014.

      Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of people with diabetes receiving regular checks of their blood pressure, blood glucose and...

      Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed for the first time as obese in each year since 2010.

      Health Services: Ealing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps NHS North West London took to consult residents of Ealing local authority area whose first language is not English when drawing up its Shaping...

      Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of his Department's diabetes spending is on prevention.

      Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average number of days training of full-time equivalent staff employed in his Department was in each of the last three financial years.

      Prescription Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many private prescriptions for (a) benzodiazepines, (b) z drugs and (c) antidepressants were issued in 2013; and whether such private prescriptions...

      Hearing Impairment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress NICE has made on establishing Quality Standards on adult hearing loss.

      Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

      Medical Records: Databases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, by what mechanisms the care.data programme board will be accountable to (a) Parliament and (b) patients.

      Medical Records: Databases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department's leaflet Better information means better care, published January 2014, and the oral evidence to the Health Committee of...

      Heart Diseases: Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the UK National Screening Committee's policy on screening people over 65 for atrial...

      NHS: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to Freedom to speak up?, the report by Sir Robert Francis QC, published on 11 February 2015, what timetable he has set for the creation of...

      Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many agency nurses were employed by Northumbria Healthcare between 2011 and 2013.

      Inflammatory Bowel Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department is providing to research into the treatment of Crohn's disease.

      Meningitis: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the meningitis B vaccine to be made available on the NHS; and what steps he is taking to make progress on price negotiations with...

      Multiple Sclerosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that multiple sclerosis is detected at the earliest possible stage.

      Wines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of adults in the UK who drink wine.

      Prostate Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the BMA and other medical bodies on when treatment resistant prostate cancer drugs will be available in light of GPR158.

      Hospitals: Hygiene

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospitals meet each star level of the Food Standards Agency hygiene standards.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made on phasing out all block contracts for mental health services; and if he will make a statement.

      Gastrointestinal System

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients have timely and direct access to (a) gastroenterologists and (b) other specialist clinicians.

      NHS: Legal Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average legal costs to the NHS of bringing legal proceedings against doctors who have been excluded from their hospitals were in each of the...

      Gastrointestinal Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase targeted screening for gastrointestinal cancers to better target those most at risk.

      Gastrointestinal Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many gastrointestinal cancers were diagnosed in emergency and urgent care settings in each year since 2010-11.

      Meningitis: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to introduce a national immunisation programme for meningitis B.

      Continuing Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of applications for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding has been successful in each year in which that funding has been available.

      General Practitioners: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of graduating medical students opted for general practice in each year since 2004.

      North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to reduce the reliance on locum clinical staff at North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust.

      Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the NICE guidelines on safe staffing for nursing in A&E departments, published on 16 January 2015, what assessment (a) the National...

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in England currently hold a medical exemption certificate.

      Cervical Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential savings to the NHS of increasing cervical screening rates.

      Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether patient uptake of insulin pumps has reached the levels set by the NICE technology appraisal 151 benchmarking tool issued in July 2008; how many...

  • Women and Equalities

    • Equal Opportunities

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, in which professions and sectors are (a) women and (b) men most over-represented; and what steps she is taking to encourage more equal gender...

    • Vocational Guidance: Females

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent progress she has made on encouraging girls to consider a range of careers.

      Crimes of Violence: Females

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent progress has been made on reducing violence against women.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • European Union

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office...

    • Russia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, as a member of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, to bring about renewed discussions with Russia on a...

      Eastern Europe

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, under the umbrellas of NATO and the European Union, to strengthen commitments and reassurances to Moldova, Georgia, and the...

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Consumer Goods

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the oral statement by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 19 November 2014 (HL Deb, col 505), whether they will confirm the terms of reference for their...

    • Post Offices: Bank Services

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that Post Office accounts can accept monies belonging to customers of credit unions and other providers of low cost lending...

      Students: Loans

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have taken any steps to reduce the time taken to process applications for student loans.

  • Department for Education

    • Children: Protection

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve child safety, in the light of the levels of sexual coercion reported by teenage girls in England compared to other...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Nottingham Prison

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to the report of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on HMP Nottingham in respect of its conclusion that HMP Nottingham was...

    • Courts: Buildings

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual cost to the public purse of maintaining disused court buildings; and how many disused court buildings are currently lying empty because...

      Probation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of report writers and court staff have received training arising from the implementation of the Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014.

      Probation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budgets have been set for professional development for (1) qualified, and (2) trainee, probation officers.

      Probation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to ensure and to monitor the timely production of court reports.

  • Home Office

    • Illegal Immigrants

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to deal with illegal immigrants who are forced to work in brothels or used for pickpocketing.

  • Department for Culture Media and Sport

    • Libraries

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of library closures on educational standards across the United Kingdom.

  • Department of Health

    • Nutrition

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many civil servants working in the diet and nutrition fields were transferred from the Food Standards Agency to the Department of Health following the...

    • Nutrition

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the diet and nutrition budget in the Department of Health in June 2010; how much that sum increased by incorporating budgets transferred from the...

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.

February 2015
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
232425262728