Written answers

Wednesday, 18 March 2015

  • Department for Transport

    • Railways: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission a strategic environmental assessment of the proposal for a High Speed 3 line between Leeds and Manchester.

    • Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in the most recent...

      Macquarie Bank

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which of his Department's projects and enterprises Macquarie Bank has financed or invested in since May 2010; and how much it has invested in each...

      Driving: Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government has taken to reduce motorists' driving costs.

      Road Traffic Control: Berkshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to reduce traffic congestion in Berkshire.

      Cycleways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2015 to Question 226547, what assessment he has made of the merits of deploying civil enforcement officers rather...

  • Home Office

    • Rape

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many allegations of rape were reported to the police by (a) women and (b) men in each area of (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c)...

    • Radicalism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of UK foreign policy on radicalisation.

      Radicalism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Muslim groups her Department has met with to discuss the Prevent strategy in the last two years.

      Radicalism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations expressing concerns about the effectiveness of the Prevent strategy she has received in the last two years.

      Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Government plans to ratify the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and...

      Stalking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of stalking have been reported to the police since the implementation of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012; and how...

      Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in her Department responded that they were treated fairly at work in the most recent...

      Social Security Benefits: Databases

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police forces have access to Government data on benefit payments in order to assist in locating wanted persons.

      Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many pieces of unlawful terrorist material have been taken off the internet since 2010; how many hate preachers have been excluded from...

      Immigrants: Detainees

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to review the use of detention for immigration purposes.

      Police: Reorganisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an estimate of potential savings from mergers of police forces.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department responded that they were treated fairly at work in...

    • Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d)...

      Nato

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2015 to Questions 226471 and 226472, if he will publish by way of further written Answer the...

      Nigeria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the conduct of the Nigerian general election in March 2015.

      Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work...

      Overseas Students: Scholarships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Written Statement of 8 January 2015, HCWS176, when the results of the review of the Government's overseas...

      Overseas Students: Scholarships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Written Statement of 8 January 2015, HCWS176, what provision has been made for public consultation as part of...

      Kidnapping: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that parents of abducted children can access legal aid.

      Kidnapping: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that child abduction cases are dealt with in a manner which takes account of the sensitivity...

      Bangladesh

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to government and opposition in Bangladesh to help address the constitutional crisis...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in her Department responded that they were treated fairly at work in the most recent...

    • Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d) local newspaper...

  • Attorney General

    • Advertising

      To ask the Attorney General, how much the Law Officers' Departments spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d) local newspaper...

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Higher Education: Pendle

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many young people resident in Pendle entered higher education in each of the last 20 years.

    • Higher Education: Preston

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many young people living in Preston entered higher education in each of the last 20 years.

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what value of Small Business Research Initiative contracts has been awarded in 2014-15 (a) in total, (b) by the Ministry of...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much Innovate UK funding has been used in 2014-15 to date to co-fund Small Business Research Initiative competitions by...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many and what value of Small Business Research Initiative Phase 1 contracts have been awarded in 2014-15 (a) in total, (b)...

      Higher Education: South Yorkshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many young people living in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley local authority area and (c) South Yorkshire...

      Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many and what value of Small Business Research Initiative Phase 2 contracts have been awarded in 2014-15 (a) in total, (b)...

      Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of large companies' use of lengthy payment terms for suppliers on suppliers' ability...

      Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of UK companies requiring (i) 30 day, (ii) 60 day, (iii) 90 day,...

      Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d)...

      Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work...

      Apprentices: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprenticeships commenced in each sector in (a) Pendle constituency and (b) Lancashire in the last 12 months.

      ICT: EU Action

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the Government's policy is on the digital single economy in the EU; and what further progress has been made on setting out...

      Further Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many further education colleges there were in each of the past five years; and what estimate he has made of how many further...

      Further Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many students were enrolled in further education colleges in each of the past five years; and what estimate he has made of...

      Further Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many teachers and lecturers worked in the further education sector in each of the past five years; and what estimate he has...

      Further Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much and what proportion of his Department's (a) expenditure and (b) budget was allocated to the further education sector in...

      Further Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received from (a) schools, (b) colleges, (c) trade associations, (d) charities, (e) education...

      Further Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the mean class size was in further education colleges in each of the last five years; and what forecast his Department has...

      Business: Advisory Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will estimate the proportion of advice provided to businesses under the Growth Vouchers scheme to date that has been...

  • Department for International Development

    • Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2015 to Question 222001, what proportion, and what value, of centrally awarded contracts were...

    • Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in her Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in the...

      Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d) local...

      Offences against Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy that the declaration of the UNICEF Heads of Government meeting in September 2015 should prioritise the...

      Developing Countries: Tax Avoidance and Evasion

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help developing countries to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.

      Developing Countries: Tax Avoidance and Evasion

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help developing countries to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.

      Developing Countries: Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to improve working conditions in developing countries.

  • Department for Education

    • Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assistance her Department has made available to Lancashire County Council for expanding the number of free childcare places.

    • Children in Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked after children in local authority accommodation outside of their home local authority area there are for each type of placement and...

      Foster Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2015 to Question 222182, whether her Department is aware of any recorded instances of a child born outside the UK...

      Educational Psychology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2015 to Question 222652, how many educational psychologists first qualified in each of the last five years.

      Unemployment: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many 16 to 18 year-olds in (a) Lancashire and (b) England were not in education, employment or training in each of the last two years.

      Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d) local newspaper...

      Macquarie Bank

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what meetings her Department has had with Macquarie Bank since May 2010; and who was present at such meetings.

      Children: Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to improve educational provision for children with autism.

      Teachers: Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received on the use of email addresses received from respondents to her Department's Teacher Workload survey.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Bail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of offenders were released from Crown courts on post-conviction bail for the offences of (a) murder, (b) rape, (c)...

    • Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d) local newspaper...

      Bail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions bail decisions were challenged using powers granted under section 90 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act...

      Northumberland Prison

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure the separation of sex offenders from other prisoners currently housed together at HM Prison Northumberland; and if he...

      Parole Board

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether relatives of victims of crime are compensated for the cost of attending parole boards to make victim impact statements.

      Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in the most recent Civil...

      Driving: Disqualification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects section 29 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 to be commenced.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Armed Forces: Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent on HM Naval Service pensions in each of the last three years.

    • Military Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans for UK-crewed fighter jets to be stationed on the deck of a Queen-Elizabeth class aircraft carrier.

      Armed Forces: Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent on Royal Air Force pensions in each of the last three years.

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Child Maintenance Service payments and Child Support Agency collections are made; and if he will make...

      Veterans: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to help military personnel whose employment ceased as a result of the reduction in regular troop numbers to find...

      Armed Forces: Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on British army pensions in each of the last three years.

      Warships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many suitably qualified and experienced personnel positions are (a) required and (b) vacant in (i) Type 23 and (ii) Type 45 ship crews.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Incapacity Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) original forecast of expenditure savings and (b) actual expenditure savings were from the reassessment of incapacity benefit...

    • Young People: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support his Department provides to 18 and 19 year olds in employment who have never attended college or university.

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time was for a decision to be made on a personal independence payment claim in each year since 2010.

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for a decision on a claim for employment support allowance in each year from 2013 to date.

      Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d) local newspaper...

      Universal Credit: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Scotland likely to be affected by changes to universal credit made by the Universal...

      Universal Credit: Inverness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the introduction of universal credit on the level of rent arrears among claimants in the...

      Disposable Income

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the level of disposable income of each (a) age group and (b) income group in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England, (iv) Wales and (v)...

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's 2013 Impact Assessment No. DWP0031, if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the (a) £123 million...

      Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) employment and support allowance referred to the Work Programme in 2013 or earlier (i)...

      Employment Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to support faith-based employment support initiatives since May 2010.

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to implement consistent communications by his Department on mandatory reconsideration.

      Jobclubs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to support job clubs run by volunteers since May 2010.

      Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what amount his Department and its agencies spent on research and development in each year since 2010-11; and what proportion such spending...

      Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department and its executive agencies and associated bodies were engaged off-payroll in each of the last five years up...

      Funeral Payments: Preston

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Preston constituency (a) applied for and (b) received a Social Fund funeral payment in 2014.

      Carer's Allowance: Preston

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Preston constituency are in receipt of carer's allowance.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in her Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at...

    • Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements,...

      Air Pollution: York

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of air quality in (a) York Central constituency and (b) City of York local authority...

      Insects

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support businesses in developing areas which support pollinators.

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to answer Question 217185, tabled on 4 December 2014 by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East.

    • Councillors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local government representatives on altering section 7 (2) and (3) of the Local Government Act...

      Lobbying

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 23 February 2015, Official Report, column 292WS, on Protecting Public Money, which are the...

      Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in how many local authorities council tax has not increased in each year since 2010.

      Fast Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many planning applications for fast food restaurants have been (a) approved and (b) rejected in residential areas in each...

      McDonalds Restaurants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on the planning implications of the strategy of McDonald's for opening fast food...

      Local Plans: Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to assist local authorities in publishing local plans for sustainable development.

      Non-domestic Rates: Barnet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses that will receive the planned reduction in business rates in...

      Mobile Homes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in how many local authority areas park home site owners have breached their site licences more than three times in the last two...

  • HM Treasury

    • Welfare Tax Credits: Preston

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions the Tax Credit Office instructed bailiffs to collect overpaid tax credits from people in Preston constituency in each year since 2010.

    • Lloyds Banking Group

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons details of the latest sale of Government held shares in Lloyds Banking Group were not published by UK Financial Investments.

      Welfare Tax Credits

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when it was decided that bailiffs could be used to recover alleged overpayment of tax credits; who took that decision; and whether it is his policy that...

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of the amount (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on procurement was paid...

    • Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of undisputed invoices his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies paid within five days in the...

      Mental Illness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps his Department has taken to reduce mental health stigma and discrimination as a result of signing up to the Time to Change...

      Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what his Department's advertising and communications expenditure was in each month since September 2014; and what that expenditure is...

      Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what policies contained in the 2010 Coalition Agreement and falling under his Department's responsibilities have not yet been...

      Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the cost to the public purse was of the Government's advertising campaign encouraging consumers to switch energy providers.

      Energy: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the success of the smart meter roll-out programme to date; and how many smart meters have been...

      Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department responded that they were treated fairly at work in the most...

      Macquarie Bank

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what meetings his Department has had with Macquarie Bank since May 2010; and who was present at such meetings.

      Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much his Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d) local...

      Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in the...

      Housing: Insulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change of 3 February 2015, Official...

      Energy: Profits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information his Department holds on (a) how much profit each of the six largest energy companies made and (b) how much of that...

      Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what amount his Department and its agencies spent on research and development in each year since 2010-11; and what proportion such...

      Energy: Debts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information his Department holds on the average customer debt to suppliers of (a) gas and (b) electricity in (i) the UK, (ii)...

      Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many staff in his Department and its executive agencies and associated bodies were engaged off-payroll in each of the last five...

      Energy: Debts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information his Department holds on total customer debt to suppliers of (a) gas and (b) electricity in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland,...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Electronic Commerce

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the value of (a) exports and (b) imports of digitally-traded goods and services was in the latest period for which figures are available.

    • Conditions of Employment: North West

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West who had jobs which primarily...

      Government Departments: Consultants

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2015 to Question 226194, how much the Government has spent on consultants in each of the last five years.

      Surveys

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in the most recent Civil...

      Older People: York

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) couples and (b) single people living alone there were aged over (i) 65 and (ii) 80 in (A) York Central constituency and (B) City of York...

      Charities

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the average time from receipt by the Charity Commissioners of an application to become a charity to final...

      Delegated Legislation

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will review the use of subordinate legislation to amend primary legislation; and if he will propose arrangements to restrict such powers to cases...

      Debts

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the average ratio of personal debt to equity for each (a) income and (b) age group defined by the Office for National...

      Smoking: Lancashire

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people died from smoking-related diseases in each local authority area in Lancashire in 2014.

      Alcoholic Drinks: Lancashire

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people died from alcohol-related conditions in each local authority area in Lancashire in 2014.

  • Department for Culture Media and Sport

    • Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department responded that they were treated fairly at work in the most...

    • Broadband: South East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of fibre-optic broadband to businesses in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey and...

      Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d) local...

      Museums and Galleries: Medway

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support his Department has provided for museums in Medway.

      Broadband: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of households with access to fibre-optic broadband in (a) Woking constituency and (b)...

      Radio: Cannock Chase

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to expedite the process for the licensing of Cannock Radio radio station in Cannock Chase constituency.

      Arts: Lancashire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much arts funding (a) in total and (b) per head of population was allocated in (i) Lancashire and (ii) Pendle constituency in the...

      Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 430W, on broadband, in which enterprise zones superfast...

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Ict

      To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what discussions the Commission has had with (a) Apple and (b) providers of other...

    • Ict

      To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the suitability of the iPad for the open...

      Ict

      To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what comparative assessment the Commission has made of the costs of offering iPads...

  • Department of Health

    • Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average time was for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to allocate an assessor to a health case in (a) February 2015, (b) August...

    • Electronic Cigarettes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of research on the efficacy and safety of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid.

      Electronic Cigarettes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the positive and negative effects of e-cigarettes on people with asthma.

      Care Homes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many care homes with (a) a dementia service band and (b) an older people service band there were in (i) England, (ii) the North West and (iii)...

      Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will trial the HPV vaccination programme for men who have sex with men in selected sexual health clinics to assess likely take up and budgetary...

      Surveys

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in his Department reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in the most recent Civil...

      Complementary Medicine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating health problems caused by alternative medicine.

      Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) national newspaper advertisements, (d) local newspaper...

      Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the progress made by the Cancer Drugs Fund Short Life Working Group to date.

      Hepatitis: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NHS England will conclude its preparations for making new hepatitis C drugs available for treating people with cirrhosis of the liver.

      Organs: Donors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of people in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) East Lancashire and (c) the North West were registered as organ donors in each of the last...

      Diabetes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps NHS England is taking to ensure all clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) provide annual checks needed by patients with diabetes to help...

      Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what timescales his Department has set for making decisions on appeals on the delisting of treatments from the Cancer Drugs Fund.

      Macquarie Bank

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what meetings his Department has had with Macquarie Bank since May 2010; and who was present at such meetings.

      Multiple Births

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2014 to Question 217335, what the causes of these incidents were; and if he will make a statement.

      Multiple Births

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2014 to Question 217336, what the causes of these damages were; and if he will make a statement.

      Multiple Births

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2014 to Question 217334, how many multiple pregnancies received (a) the higher tariff for the antenatal phase, (b)...

      Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many local winter pressure resilience plans developed for the 2014-15 winter period include reference to vaccinations.

      Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding he has allocated to improving vaccination coverage as part of local winter pressure resilience plans developed for the 2014-15 winter period.

      Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department issues to hospitals on the role of improved vaccination in reducing seasonal pressures.

      Health Services: Surrey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what NHS spending per head of the population in Surrey was in each of the last two years.

      Epilepsy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to reduce waiting times for urgent referrals of epilepsy patients.

  • Women and Equalities

    • Surveys

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in the Government Equalities Office responded that they were treated fairly at work in the...

    • Policy

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which policies contained in the 2010 Coalition Agreement and falling under the Government Equalities Office's responsibilities have not yet been...

      Surveys

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff in the Government Equalities Office reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work in...

  • Department for Transport

    • Rail North

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the amount that could be saved by Rail North adopting financial arrangements similar to those by which Transport Scotland...

    • Railways: Lancashire

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions Network Rail had with Lancashire County Council and Bolton Council in advance of the bridge closures in Adlington, Lancashire.

      Railways: Lancashire

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions Network Rail had with parliamentarians and local councillors in advance of work beginning on the bridges in Adlington, Lancashire.

      Railways: Lancashire

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the earliest date that each bridge in Adlington, Lancashire, could reopen.

      Railways: Lancashire

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what compensation will be offered to businesses detrimentally impacted by the closure of the bridges in Adlington, Lancashire.

      Railways: Lancashire

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what compensation has been offered to any business affected by the bridge works programme from Manchester to Blackpool.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the reported shooting of a fisherman off the coast of Gaza on 7 March and about...

    • Palestinians

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to protect Palestinian families living in East Jerusalem from the occupation and demolition of their houses.

      Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the environmental consequences of the agreement between Israel and Jordan to pipe water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea.

      Occupied Territories

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to support the Palestinian Authority’s action to encourage Israel to assume all responsibilities for the Occupied Territories...

      North Korea

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of North Korea about the disappearance of the Canadian clergyman, the Reverend Hyeon Soo Lim, during a...

      Gibraltar: Spain

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the actions of the government of Spain in the light of the incursion of a Spanish corvette into British Gibraltar territorial...

      Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning its reported policy of setting dogs on civilians.

      World War II: Genocide

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to encourage international partners to implement the Terezin Declaration.

      Palestinians

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to assist the Palestinian Authority to meet its financial obligation to its employees in the light of the refusal by the...

      Religious Freedom

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are specifically working in the area of freedom of religion or belief; how many working hours are...

      Middle East

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals concerning persecution and atrocities against Christians in the Middle East they intend to lay before the United Nations Security Council at...

  • Attorney General

    • Charities

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the Attorney General's duties, as the guardian of public interests, in respect of the supervision of charities; and whether the Attorney General has...

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Football: Pay

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of football clubs in the Premier League that are not paying the Living Wage.

    • Football: Pay

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of football clubs in the Football League Championship that are not paying the Living Wage.

  • Department for International Development

    • Proceeds of Corruption Unit

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase the resources available to the Proceeds of Corruption Unit.

  • Department for Education

    • Schools: Vocational Guidance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to ensure that all schools in England have teachers trained in careers advice.

    • English Language: Education

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, during the consultation period that preceded the issue of the current National Curriculum, they took account of the expectation in education systems...

      School Leaving

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 22 October 2014 (HL2025), on the need to improve the productive use of classroom time following the raising of...

      Schools: Discipline

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 14 July 2014 (WA 103), what evidence they yet have of improved behaviour of school pupils, following their...

      Offences against Children

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the plans to criminalise social workers, teachers and councillors and others who fail to act in the cases of child abuse will have...

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce the membership and remit of the group charged with developing a framework of content for initial teacher training; and whether the...

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers and their representative bodies will have in developing national standards for ITT mentors in...

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that newly qualified teachers have access to structured early professional development that builds on and complements...

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce the criteria and timetable for allocating initial teacher training places for September 2016.

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what account will be taken of sustaining existing high quality initial teacher training (ITT) provision when allocating ITT places for September 2016.

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider allocating initial teacher training (ITT) places for a period of more than one year to facilitate forward planning by ITT...

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that trainees at newly accredited initial teacher training providers receive the quality of training that schools will need.

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what value-for-money considerations are taken into account when accrediting new initial teacher training providers.

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what account is taken of the likely impact on the future viability of existing higher education institutions and school-centred initial teacher training...

      Teachers: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how local teacher supply needs are taken into account in decisions about the accreditation of new initial teacher training providers.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Property: Ownership

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to make it compulsory in future to register the beneficial ownership of all properties purchased in the United Kingdom valued at more...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Iraq

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many armed sorties have been carried out by United Kingdom forces, and what ordnance has been released, over Iraq in each of the last three months.

    • Syria

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many armed sorties have been carried out by United Kingdom forces, and what ordnance has been released, over Syria in each of the last three months.

      Russia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there have been any Russian submarine activities within United Kingdom territorial waters over the past two years; and if so, where.

      Defence: Finance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 4 March (HL Deb, col 218), what was the Prime Minister’s response when the Ministry of Defence passed...

      Ukraine

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they assess the ability of the Ukrainian army to operate each of the various anti-tank firearms which might be lent to them by any of the NATO partners.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Families

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to deliver the outcomes of the Family Stability Review including doubling the funding for relationship counselling in...

    • Employment Schemes: Disability

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their criteria for referring people with disabilities on to (1) the Work Programme, and (2) Work Choice.

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Freud on 10 March (HL Deb, col 542–3), how many people seeking personal independence payments are (1) awaiting new...

      Pensions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to reduce differences between survivor pensions received by surviving married partners in same-sex partnerships and those in...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Motor Vehicles: Rights of Way

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 3 March (HL5173), whether the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the National Trails will be...

    • Lake District National Park

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of land in the Lake District National Park is in the ownership of (1) the National Trust, (2) the Lake District National Park Authority, and...

      Lake District National Park

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will advise the Lake District National Park Authority not to accept any offer to purchase Stickle Tarn until such time as South Lakeland...

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Geothermal Power: Research

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to follow up the letter from the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Industry of Germany received on 4 November 2014...

    • Households

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the projected increase in households in the 2012-based household projections for England are as a result of (1) population growth, and (2)...

      Private Rented Housing: Greater London

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 and 20 January (HL3615 and HL4297) and his remarks on 4 March (HL Deb, col 272), which local...

      Leasehold

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to amend the qualifying threshold for leaseholders to activate a change of management under the Right to Manage scheme to enable those...

      Homelessness

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL5086), when the United Kingdom Statistics Authority expects to complete its...

  • HM Treasury

    • Eurostar

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the consent of the European Union is required before the sale of the government holding in Eurostar can proceed; and if so, why.

    • Multinational Companies: Taxation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any internationally-owned companies operating in the United Kingdom which are paying less tax as compared to British companies.

      Health Services: Devolution

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that other local areas can receive the same control over their health budgets as the Greater Manchester area.

      Monetary Policy

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any allegations or evidence of market abuse have been brought to their attention in connection with the operation of the asset purchase scheme used...

      Monetary Policy

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what oversight they exercise of the quantitative easing programme to manage its risk under the HM Treasury Indemnity.

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Energy Community

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government which department has responsibility for the United Kingdom's participation in the Energy Community established by Treaty in 2005 in Athens; and who has...

    • Energy Community

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government who are the United Kingdom's non-voting representatives on the Permanent High Level Group of the Energy Community.

      Energy Community

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government who are the United Kingdom's non-voting representatives on the Energy Community Regulatory Board.

      Energy Community

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government who participates as representatives from the United Kingdom in the electricity, gas, oil and social fora of the Energy Community.

      Energy Community

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which of the taskforce and co-ordination groups of the Energy Community the United Kingdom is a participant; and by whom it is represented.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Electoral Register

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to work with organisations such as Bite the Ballot to increase voter registration ahead of the deadline on 20 April.

  • Department of Health

    • Social Services: Veterans

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to revise social care charging guidance for War Disablement Pensioners, in the light of a proportion of military compensation...

    • Diabetes

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in implementing a patient experience survey for patients with diabetes.

      Eyesight: Testing

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to reform the Primary Ophthalmic Services Regulations 2008 to ensure that entitlement for additional services includes requests made by...

      Eyesight: Testing

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children had a vision screen as part of the school entry health check in England in 2013–14.

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.

March 2015
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031