Written answers

Thursday, 19 November 2015

  • Department for Transport

    • Department for Transport: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the routine use by his Department of the family test; and if he will make a statement.

    • Aviation: South East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the contribution of competition between airports to the future development of the aviation industry in the South East;...

      Driving: Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding in the RAC report, Motoring 2015, published in September 2015, that 12...

      London-Brighton Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to maintain the current level of train services between Eastbourne and Gatwick Airport under any proposals for a second...

      Transport: Per Capita Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the per capita spending was on transport projects in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) London in each of the last five years.

      Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of testing all vehicles for emissions for (a) each car and (b) in total; and whether the Government will finance...

      Department for Transport: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what effect the spending reductions agreed between his Department and HM Treasury will have on the (a) Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, (b) Driver...

      Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with whom did the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency share licence data in 2014-15; and what payments were received for such data sharing.

      Heathrow Airport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport on (a) London's air quality and (b) greenhouse gas emission levels.

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Homelessness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homelessness applications were made to local authorities as a result of an applicant losing their home to repossession...

    • Local Government: Bullying

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of codes of conduct protecting officers of local authorities from bullying and...

      Natural Gas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many complaints about (a) natural gas or (b) inadequate safeguards to detect natural gas have been lodged with councils in...

      Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of people who are at high risk from carbon monoxide poisoning.

      Homelessness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made by the Ministerial Working Group on Preventing and Tackling Homelessness.

      Housing: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the building of bungalows and other homes accessible to people with limited...

      Children: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many children in families on the troubled families programme were classified as in need in the most recent year for which...

      Housing: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to housing associations on the proportion of their new build properties that must be...

      Communities and Local Government: Employment Agencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the cost of using external agencies for recruitment to senior Civil Service posts in his...

      Almshouses: Right to Buy Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to revise the agreement reached with the National Housing Federation on right to buy to expressly state that...

      Homelessness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of how many people were recorded as homeless in each county region in the last five...

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Palace of Westminster: Fire Prevention

      To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reasons a fire safety contract with Norland Managed Services, London has been awarded...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Employment Agencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost of using external agencies for recruitment of Senior Civil posts in his Department in...

    • Colombia: Hunger Strikes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Colombian government about the FARC prisoners on hunger strike.

      Falkland Islands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Falkland Islands of the results of the recent Argentinian presidential...

  • Wales Office

    • Environment Protection: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, on what grounds the decision was taken to refuse Crown consent for provisions within the Environment Bill currently passing through the Welsh Assembly.

    • Health Services: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the differences in provision of healthcare in areas adjoining the border between England and Wales.

  • Attorney General

    • Crown Prosecution Service: Staff

      To ask the Attorney General, what estimate he has made of the total expenditure on (a) in-house advocates and (b) external advocates in (i) magistrates' courts and (ii) the Crown court in each...

    • Attorney General: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Attorney General, what estimate he has made of expenditure in (a) 2014-15 prices and (b) as a proportion of total Departmental spending on (i) temporary agency staff, (ii) consultants,...

      Crown Prosecution Service: Costs

      To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2015 to Question 12365, what savings have resulted from the police-led prosecution initiative in each year since 2012-13.

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Business: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on businesses in London of withdrawing from the EU.

    • Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what position the UK's representatives at the (a) Trade Policy Committee and (b) Foreign Affairs Council have taken on the...

      Further Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish a timetable for the review of post-16 education and training by area; and when such reviews will take place.

      Royal Hospital Haslar: Regeneration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department has attracted in investment to regenerate the site of the Royal Hospital Haslar; and if he will make a...

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the likely impact of freezing the earnings repayment thresholds for 24+ Advanced Learner Loans on...

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of proposed changes to student loan repayment thresholds on repayment regimes...

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of proposed changes to student loan repayment thresholds on repayment regimes...

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the Resource Account and Budgeting charge of outstanding debt which will be written off for 24+...

      Office for Nuclear Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on the ability of the Office for Nuclear Regulation to carry out its safety and...

      Paternity Leave

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of the right to statutory paternity leave.

      Apprentices: Taxation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the appropriateness of the level of apprenticeship levy funding for (a) SMEs in...

      Construction Leadership Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many members of the new Construction Leadership Council have been confirmed in their positions; what the roles of those...

      Further Education: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much central funding has been provided to further education establishments in (a) London, (b) the London Borough of...

      Trading Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what guidance his Department gives to local authorities on the statutory minimum level for a local authority trading standards...

      Science: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of increasing spending on the science capital commitment on UK productivity.

      Higher Education: Admissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice, CM 9141, what steps he is...

      Student Opportunity Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has for the future of the Student Opportunity Fund.

  • Department for International Development

    • Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2015 to Question 10198, whether funding to settle refugees within the UK will be allocated...

    • West Africa: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to improve the resilience of healthcare provision in West Africa.

      Developing Countries

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much Ministry of Defence expenditure her Department considered to be spending on international development in each year from 2006...

      Nigeria: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will assess the effect on the Nigerian (a) economy and (b) society of (i) Boko Haram and (ii) other terrorist groups.

      Developing Countries: Sanitation

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of her Department's budget was spent on supporting water, sanitation and hygiene services in each of the last five years.

      Ethiopia: Droughts

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what additional support her Department plans to give to Ethiopia because of drought in that country in 2015-16.

      Ethiopia: Famine

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will discuss with (a) EU partners and (b) the World Food Programme to ensure food supplies to people affected by the famine in...

      Malnutrition

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to support the eradication of malnutrition.

      Developing Countries: Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure UK support for energy in developing countries is directed towards low carbon technologies.

  • Department for Education

    • Education: Devolution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her officials met with their counterparts in the devolved administrations in the last three years; and what the subjects for discussion or...

    • Sixth Form Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, why school and academy sixth forms have not been included in recommendations arising out of reviews of post-16 education and training; and if she will...

      Secondary Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many planning areas in England are in need of additional secondary school places by September 2016; in how many of those planning areas has there...

      Academies: Complaints

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many written complaints her Department received about academy brokers in each year since 2010.

      Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy brokers there are; and how much her Department spent on academy brokers in each financial year since 2010.

      Education: Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what joint work she and her French counterpart are undertaking on providing governance and capacity-building support for francophone Africa.

      Secondary Education: Racial Discrimination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle racism in secondary schools.

      Video Games: Curriculum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a computer games studies qualification within the education curriculum.

      First Aid: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the benefits of teaching first aid in schools on public health outcomes.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Crown Courts: Warrington

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many days the Crown Court sat in each court chamber at Warrington in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015.

    • Trials

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, further to the Answer of 17 July 2013 to Question 163024, on Courts: Wales, what data his Department now centrally collates on litigants in person.

      Courts: Closures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what account he has taken of accessibility of digital services for people who do not have access to the internet when considering potential court...

      Ministry of Justice: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the family test on his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

      Ministry of Justice: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to implement the family test.

      Prisoners' Release: Curfews

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons the number of prisoners being released on Home Detention Curfews in Devon decreased between 2011 and 2014.

  • Prime Minister

    • China: Christianity

      To ask the Prime Minister, whether he raised the issue of persecution and human rights abuse of Christians living in China during the recent state visit by President Xi Jinping.

    • India: Nuclear Weapons

      To ask the Prime Minister, what matters relating to (a) nuclear disarmament and (b) nuclear non-proliferation he discussed with the Prime Minister of India during his visit to London in November 2015.

      Trident Missiles

      To ask the Prime Minister, on what date he wrote to the Commander of the at-sea Trident nuclear submarine giving guidance on the use of Trident ballistic missiles after he assumed the office of...

      Islamic State

      To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with his counterparts at the G20 in Turkey on support provided to ISIS by nationals of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Telecommunications: Infrastructure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the contribution of fixed and mobile telecommunications infrastructure to productivity between (a) 2005...

    • Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Universal Service Obligation on broadband download speed for all properties will be achieved...

      Broadband: Urban Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what total amount of funding has been allocated to the Superconnected Cities project.

      Broadband: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much of the funding for Superconnected Cities has been allocated to Northern Ireland.

      Broadband: Urban Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will allocate additional funding to the Superconnected Cities fund for those applications in the most recent round...

      Broadband: Urban Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has for funding for voucher offers under the Superconnected Cities fund that were not taken up.

      Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Prime Minister's announcement of 7 November 2015 on broadband access, whether the Government will consult on the...

      O2: Three

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed merger of O2 and Three on the competitive functioning of the mobile...

      Digital Technology: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to encourage (a) the training of school children in digital skills before they enter the workforce, (b) graduate...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Social Security Benefits: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People of 27 October 2015, Official Report, column...

    • Local Housing Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 7.4 of the Explanatory Memorandum for the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Local...

      Local Housing Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Local Housing Allowance Amendments) Order 2015 (S.I.,...

      State Retirement Pensions: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average amount foregone by women who will wait longer to receive their state pension was as a result of changes brought about by the...

      Housing: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average weekly payment was of (a) support for mortgage interest and (b) housing benefit in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12,...

      Department for Work and Pensions: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of his Department's policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps he has taken to publish the outcome of such...

      Department for Work and Pensions: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on the implementation of the family test throughout the Government.

      Funerals: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial assistance is available for parents who have lost children to pay for funeral costs.

      Department for Work and Pensions: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to implement the family test.

      Local Housing Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 7.4 of the Explanatory Memorandum for the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Local...

      Department for Work and Pensions: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what programmes being taken forward by his Department are subject to Project Assessment Reviews instead of Gateway Reviews.

      Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance has been issued to Jobcentre Plus staff on the application of benefit sanctions where a parent is unable to comply with the...

      Unemployed People: Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on jobseekers of the requirement to search and apply for jobs within a 90-minute travel radius.

      Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) what the total value of payments is and (b) how many payments have been made from the Flexible Support Fund to assist with childcare costs...

      Welfare Tax Credits: EU Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of the 24 June 2015 to Questions 4118 and 4121 and the statement of the Minister for Europe of 10 November 2015,...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Defence: Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much Department for International Development expenditure his Department reported to NATO as defence spending in each year from 2006 to 2014.

    • Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the armed forces compensation scheme tariffs were last reviewed; and if he will make a statement.

      European Fighter Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current status is of the purchase Tranche 3 b Typhoon aircraft; and how many such aircraft his Department plans to purchase.

      Islamic State

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 15658, what the total cost of military operations against ISIS has been in each of the last two...

  • Home Office

    • Deportation: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2015 to Question 11080, on deportation: appeals, in how many of the 426 cases referred to was...

    • Refugees: Syria

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to accept into the UK refugee children from Syria who are travelling unaccompanied within Europe.

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have entered the UK as a result of successful family reunion applications in each of the last three years for which figures...

      British Nationality

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people had British citizenship revoked in each year from 1997-98 to 2014-15.

      Asylum: EU Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the UK has been asked to use the discretionary powers in Article 17 of the Dublin Regulation EC No 604/2013 since that...

      Immigrants: EEA Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many nationals aged (a) between 15 and 64 and (b) over 65 from each EEA country were granted permanent residence in each year from...

      Asylum: EU Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of individuals currently living in (a) camps in Calais and (b) hotspots in Greece and Italy who may...

      Offences against Children: Prosecutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of child abuse that have been reported to police (a) did and (b) did not lead to a prosecution in the last five years.

      ICT: Migrant Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-EU workers hold visas to work on IT projects in the UK.

      Immigration Controls: Calais

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people attempting to enter the UK without valid papers were detained at UK border controls at Calais and returned to the French...

      Overseas Students: English Language

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 4 visas have been issued to students entering the UK to study English as a foreign language as their principal area of study...

      Human Trafficking: Criminal Investigation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations have been commenced by the National Crime Agency into human trafficking, in each of the last three years.

      Video Games: Skilled Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of proposed changes to Tier 2 visas on the recruitment of people with specific skills...

  • Scotland Office

    • Scotland Office: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department is taking to implement the family test.

    • Scotland Office: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many of his Department's policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps he has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments;...

  • HM Treasury

    • Treasury: Families

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to implement the family test; and if he will make a statement.

    • Devolution: Finance

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the spending reductions agreed between his Department and the Department for Transport will affect Barnett consequentials.

      Living Wage: Young People

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the increased tax revenue from extending the National Living Wage to those aged 18 to 25.

      Money Laundering

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) investigations and (b) enforcement actions into money laundering offences have been commenced by the Financial Conduct Authority and the...

      Productivity

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that an approach supply of finance to productive investment is available to help increase productivity.

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many responses she has received to the recent consultation on proposed cuts to the feed-in tariff; how long she plans for her...

    • Solar Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much of the projected increase in spend under the Levy Control Framework for 2020-21 is directly attributable to solar energy.

      Electricity Interconnectors: Republic of Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of UK withdrawal from the EU on the importation of electricity from...

      Housing: Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the average time taken is for customers to switch their domestic energy supplier.

      Private Rented Housing: Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities about minimum EPC standards for the private rented sector.

      Private Rented Housing: Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with the cavity wall insulation industry about minimum EPC standards in the private rented sector.

      Climate Change Convention: Paris

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the prospects of a long-term global carbon reduction goal being agreed at the Paris Climate Conference...

      Energy: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to ensure that smart meters provide the maximum possible benefits for consumers.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Health Services: Trade Union Officials

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what account was taken of the results of the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Survey on workplace union representatives in the healthcare sector in...

    • Cabinet Office: Welsh Language

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department introduced the Welsh Language Scheme; when that scheme was last updated; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of...

      Corruption

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2015 to Question 2354, when the review of the enforcement response to bribery and corruption will be published.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Agriculture: Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will place in the Library the report on the suspension of the digital service for the Basic Payment Scheme for...

    • Heathrow Airport: Air Pollution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the owners of Heathrow Airport on ensuring that that airport meets UK and EU air quality...

      Lead: Ammunition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of partial restrictions on the use of lead ammunition for...

      Water Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average household bill for water was in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) the UK in (i) 2010...

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's letter of 10 November 2015 to the President of the European Council, whether the...

      Pets: Sales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to review the Pet Animals Act 1951.

      National Wildlife Crime Unit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to renew its funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit after March 2016.

      Welfare Tax Credits: Farmers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of tax credits on farmers.

      Waste Management

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on meeting the recovery target for construction and demolition waste in the Waste Framework...

      Animals: Exports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of animals exported to (a) EU member states and (b) countries outside the EU in the...

      Dangerous Dogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dog attacks have been recorded in the last two years.

      Dangerous Dogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions there have been for owning a dog banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each of the last two years.

  • Department of Health

    • Ambulance Services: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the level of complaints against Arriva Transport Solutions over its level of service while running Greater Manchester's...

    • Naloxone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Public Health England advice entitled Take-home naloxone for opioid overdose in people who use drugs, what steps he is taking to...

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that cancer communities are targeted towards all age groups and people with learning disabilities.

      Cancer: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he next plans to review the effectiveness of cancer screening for women.

      Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to promote awareness in schools of the HPV vaccine.

      Cancer: Medical Treatments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the availability of cancer treatments relating to genetically-edited immune cells.

      Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with vascular dementia in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating...

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to promote his Department's strategies to prevent cancer.

      Hospitals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an estimate of the number of additional hospitals that will be required to accommodate the predicted population rise over the next 25...

      Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent from the public purse on reimbursing each non-European Economic Area country with reciprocal healthcare agreements with the UK for...

      Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 1 December 2014 to Question 216015, what criteria his Department sets for eligibility for free NHS prescriptions for...

      Lead: Ammunition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to inform consumers about the lead content of game meat shot with lead ammunition.

      Game

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much game meat has entered the human food chain from licensed hunting activities on land owned by Government Departments or agencies in each year...

      Pneumococcal Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce and prevent incidences of pneumococcal pneumonia.

      Breast Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information is recorded by the Cancer Registry on secondary breast cancer.

      Electronic Cigarettes: Retail Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what powers local authorities have to restrict the growth of e-cigarette outlets.

      Macular Degeneration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spends on treating age-related macular degeneration each year.

      Leukaemia: Medical Treatments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the (a) cost and (b) effectiveness of stem cell transplants and tyrosine kinase inhibitor...

      Stem Cells: Medical Treatments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure improved outcomes for patients who undergo stem cell transplantation in the last five years.

      Electronic Cigarettes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent research his Department has commissioned or conducted on the health effects of e-cigarettes.

      Prostate Cancer: Radiotherapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with the Royal College of Nursing on the treatment of prostate cancer by high doses of radiotherapy on the first...

      Exercise

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will include physical activity as a top-tier issue of public health when outlining the annual remit of Public Health England for 2016-17.

      Breast Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether there are differences in the (a) definition and (b) recording of secondary breast cancer in ICD-10 compared with the Cancer Registry.

      Breast Cancer: Diagnosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the progress of the Breakthrough Generations study towards secondary breast cancer diagnosis.

      Perinatal Mortality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will undertake a review of the causes of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in the UK so as to better understand how maternity practice...

      Influenza: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was allocated to fund influenza vaccinations for clinical staff in the independent and voluntary sector in 2014-15; and how much of that funding...

      Cancer: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of information maintained by the NHS to enable his Department to assess the reasons why women choose to have...

      Genetics: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish data on molecular genetic test activity rates in 2012-13 and each subsequent year.

      Genetics: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will require a UK Genetics Testing Network to audit Clinical Commissioning Policy: Genetic Testing for BRCA1/2 Mutations, published by NHS England...

      Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2015 to Question 227900, how much of the £250 million additional funding that was committed has been spent; and...

      Mental Health Services: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children were admitted to adult inpatient mental health wards in 2014-15.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many specialist mental health centres for those with drug and alcohol addiction were funded by NHS England in each of the last three years; and how...

      Mental Health Services: Veterans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for Community and Social Care of 14 October 2015, Official Report, column 464, how many veterans the 10...

      Leukaemia: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the availability of medicines which treat patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia who are resistant or intolerant to...

      Department of Health: Employment Agencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of using external agencies for recruitment to senior Civil Service posts in his Department in each of the last five...

      Care Homes: Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department is providing to the Care Quality Commission for improving the quality of food in care and nursing homes.

      Obesity: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking in response to the finding of research by P. Zainotto et al, forecasting obesity to 2010, published in 2006, that...

      Palliative Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to improve understanding of palliative and end-of-life care in nursing and care homes.

      First Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the role of first aid in (a) public health prevention strategies, (b) reducing the number of deaths, injuries and...

      Department of Health: Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) complaints and (b) investigations into complaints made by civil servants against special advisers in his Department there have been in each...

  • Department for Transport

    • Trains: Sanitation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they take any steps to monitor whether lavatories on franchised train operator services are in working order throughout train journeys; whether any...

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Passports

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK emergency travel documents were issued to overseas applicants in each month since January 2013.

    • Egypt: Human Rights

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the change in the state of human rights in Egypt since July 2013.

      India: Religious Freedom

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 4 November (HL2946), what advice they have given to the government of India about tackling...

      India: Religious Freedom

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to raise the issue of increased violence against minorities with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the UK.

      India: Human Rights

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to raise the issue of the abuse of human rights in Kashmir and Punjab with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the UK.

      India: Pakistan

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to discuss possible solutions to the Pakistan–India tensions on the de facto border, and the resolution of the Kashmir conflict, with...

      Burma: Political Prisoners

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Amnesty International’s report highlighting an increase in the number of political prisoners in Burma, what steps they are taking to...

      Burma: Religious Freedom

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Burma about the enactment of four race and religion laws; what discussions they are having with Daw...

      Burma: Students

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the welfare of the two Burmese students who were arrested shortly after visiting the UK on a programme designed to build...

      Georgia: Television

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Georgia about its actions towards the independent tv station Rustavi 2.

      Papua: Press Freedom

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether reporters are now allowed to enter West Papua; and if not, what representations they are making to the government...

      Darfur: Sexual Offences

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts are being made to tackle rape and sexual and gender-based violence in the Darfur region of Sudan, in the light of the previous attacks on women...

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Exports

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support growth in UK exports in the light of recent reports from the British Chambers of Commerce that growth in orders for...

  • Department for International Development

    • Refugees

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to assist the organisations and volunteers in the UK taking action to help refugees (1) in the Calais area, (2) in the...

  • Department for Education

    • Languages: Teachers

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many additional modern foreign language teachers they estimate will be needed in order to achieve the target of 90 per cent of mainstream pupils...

    • Languages: Teachers

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to reverse the shortfall of 21 per cent in the number of modern foreign language teachers, as calculated by the Department for...

      Languages: Teachers

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policy assumptions have been fed into the teacher supply model to inform the initial teacher training target for teachers of modern foreign languages.

      Languages: Teachers

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will extend the current additional financial incentives for modern foreign language teachers in secondary schools to language specialists...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Open Prisons

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people serving (1) life sentences, and (2) imprisonment for public protection sentences, were authorised by the Parole Board for transfer to open...

    • Magistrates

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the breakdown of the lay magistracy by socio-economic profile.

      Magistrates' Courts

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) lay magistrates, (2) deputy district judges, and (3) district judges, are sitting in the magistrates courts.

      Judiciary: Equality

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they have made to promote diversity in the composition of the judiciary by reference to (1) socio-economic status, (2) ethnicity, (3) gender,...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Social Security Benefits

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the social security benefits budget last had a clean and unqualified audit report from the NAO.

    • Employment Schemes: Young People

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve social support for unemployed young people, in particular in adapting to changing technology.

  • Home Office

    • Visas

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the minimum salary required of a Tier 2 (General) visa applicant in order to be allocated a Certificate of Sponsorship in each of the last 24 months.

    • Immigration Act 2014

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will amend the gov.uk website to reflect the changes made by the Immigration Act 2014 to the British Nationality Act 1981; and whether they will...

      Refugees: Calais

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) how many refugees are currently around Calais waiting for an opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom, and (2) how...

      Refugees: Sexual Offences

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government  what measures they are taking to help to prevent sexual predators taking advantage of refugees, including children, (1) in the UK, and (2) in the rest...

      Refugees

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to enable refugees from the Middle East and other war zones who have close family connections with the UK to come to this country...

      Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons Review

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish the Shaw review into the welfare of vulnerable persons in immigration detention.

      Police: Biometrics

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many faces have been uploaded onto the police facial recognition database since the ruling against the Metropolitan Police Service in 2012; which police...

      Police: Biometrics

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have carried out to determine whether the police facial recognition database complies with the Data Protection Act 1998; and what were...

      Visas: Overseas Students

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the current visa regime has had on international student numbers in the UK.

      Visas: Overseas Students

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries credibility interviews of potential international students were undertaken by UK Visas and Immigration in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015.

      Visas: Overseas Students

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government which were the 10 countries in which the highest number of interviews for potential international students in the UK took place, and what were the subsequent...

      Refugees: Syria

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to help Syrian refugees in the "Jungle" camp at Calais who are in need of advice about applying to the UK for asylum.

      Immigration: Greece

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are discussing with the government of Greece ways to secure better documentation of refugees and migrants in transit through that country; and...

      Asylum: Cyprus

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have refused to interview and assess some of the boat people who arrived at the British Sovereign base in Cyprus; whether they plan to deport...

      Asylum

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether British missions in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, and other countries have received applications for family reunion and asylum in...

      EU Immigration

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will discuss with the government of Turkey measures to slow the rate at which refugees and migrants leave Turkey, and the feasibility of their...

      Community Relations

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of whether there are tensions between the British Pakistani/Kashmiri community and the British Indian/Hindu community...

  • HM Treasury

    • Infrastructure

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the roles and responsibilities of the National Infrastructure Commission and Infrastructure UK are, to whom they report, and what overlaps there are...

    • Private Finance Initiative

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what calculation they have made of how much (1) UK tax has been paid by PFI investors on profits and equity gains, and (2) corporation tax has been collected...

      Private Finance Initiative

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether in assessing the benefits of PFI against conventional procurement they take account of the amount of UK tax paid by PFI investors, as recommended by...

      Private Finance Initiative

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have introduced arrangements for sharing gains on the sale of PFI equity shares in new PFI projects, as recommended by the Public Accounts...

      Non-domestic Rates

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of increasing business rates on retailers' capacity to tackle low pay.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Electoral Register

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisations have received government funding to assist their efforts to compile a complete electoral register.

    • Freedom of Information

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define "commercial confidentiality" and "exceptional circumstances" in relation to restrictions on FOI requests relating to private companies that...

  • Department of Health

    • Cancer: Drugs

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government which drugs have been delisted from the Cancer Drugs Fund; how many patients are currently being treated with each drug; and what steps they are taking to...

    • Health Professions: Migrant Workers

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with other EU member states about whether the Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive provides sufficient...

      Speech Therapy

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current availability of qualified speech therapists at the point of assessment throughout the NHS and community...

      Speech Therapy: Recruitment

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current levels of speech therapists recruited from diverse minority communities.

      NHS Foundation Trusts

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the future role of NHS Foundation Trusts in the NHS.

      Herbal Medicine: Regulation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to delay publication of their response to the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group until they have met representatives of the...

      Herbal Medicine: Regulation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to take account of the reported views of several members of the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group that weak evidence was...

      Herbal Medicine: Regulation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 2 November (HL2987 and HL2988), what assessment they have made, if any, of whether the Chairman...

      Care Homes

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they hold on the occupancy levels of registered care homes in the last five years for which information is available.

      Social Services: Living Wage

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimates they have made of the impact of the National Living Wage on registered care providers, both domiciliary and residential, in the first year of...

What is this?

The parliamentary question is a great way for MPs and Peers to discover information which the government may not wish to reveal. Ministers reply via written answers, a list of which gets published daily.

We let you vote on whether or not the answer given is adequate.

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