Written answers

Thursday, 25 February 2016

  • Department for Transport

    • Department for Transport: Fringe Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in his Department and non-departmental public bodies receive (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised...

    • M67: Lighting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects Highways England operatives to attend to the day burning street lamps on the M67 between Denton and Hyde in Greater Manchester.

      Transport: Graffiti

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was to the public purse of graffiti removal across the (a) Highways England and (b) Network Rail networks in each of the last five years.

      Airports: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to reduce the costs of (a) travel by road and train to airports in the UK and (b) airport parking.

      Airports: VAT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with people who run airports on excessive VAT charging in retail outlets based in airports.

      Driving Tests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the numbers of driving examiners in England on waiting times for tests; and what steps he is...

      Driving Tests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average wait for driving tests is in each English region.

      Driving Tests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the pass rates in driving tests were in each region and constituent part of the UK in each of the last five years.

      Bus Services: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes to funding of bus services on the provision of those services.

      Cycling: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the Access Fund he expects to be spent on cycling in each year to 2020-21.

      Cycling: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 18101, at what stage he plans to be able to predict the geographical distribution of funding for...

      Transport: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce details of the new Access Fund.

      Transport: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans for there to be a period between the Local Sustainable Transport Fund ending in March 2016 and the commencement of the new Access Fund.

      M60: Denton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to include additional road surface noise reduction measures, a sound barrier and home noise insulation measures in the contract...

      M60: Denton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he expects residents adjoining the M60 in Denton to qualify for monetary compensation for the extension of the smart motorway scheme.

      Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 18 November 2015 to Question 16782 and of 11 December 2015 to Questions 19723 and 19724, if he will estimate how many miles...

      Cycling: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015, which cycling programmes his Department plans to fund from the £300 million fund...

      Driving Tests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of increased waiting times for driving tests for young drivers on (a) failure rates and (b) increased travel...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line: Sheffield

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the estimated difference in cost between locating the Sheffield High Speed 2 station in the city centre and...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of agricultural land lost to UK farm production as a result of the construction of High Speed 2.

      Public Transport: South East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his policy to expand London's transport zones to include (a) Spelthorne constituency and (b) other new areas inside the M25 orbital that...

      Department for Transport: Meetings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2016 to Question 23952, how many meetings Ministers and officials of his Department have had with the Senior...

      Railways: Fares

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 28 November 2014 to Question 215333, what amount was paid to Transport for London in relation to the decision to raise...

      Crossrail Line: Sanitation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned availability of toilet facilities is (a) on Crossrail trains and (b) at Crossrail train stations.

      Network Rail: Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the value of Network Rail's Regulated Asset Base in respect of the (a) Anglia, (b) LNE and East Midlands, (c) LNW, (d)...

      Travel: Concessions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to data table BUS0842, published in Department for Transport Statistics, what guidance his Department gives to travel concession...

      Roads: Suicide

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26134, what the reason is for the difference between the data series given in that Answer in...

      Railway Stations: Income

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what income, by category of payment, Network Rail received from each of its directly managed stations in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

      Department for Transport: Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of his Department's invoices for goods and services supplied by (a) private companies and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises...

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the long-term financial sustainability of councils with low council tax bases.

    • Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to merge local authorities with a low council tax base with neighbouring higher base councils to ensure...

      Local Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on reducing the number of (a) metropolitan district councils and (b) councillors in...

      Metropolitan Districts: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects the Local Government Boundary Review will next consider the (a) ward and (b) councillor arrangements in the...

      Housing Associations: Rents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with housing associations on reducing or removing Government control over rent setting.

      Right to Buy Scheme: Housing Associations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with housing associations on flexibility in the time allowed to spend capital receipts from Right...

      Council Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in council tax on living standards in each income decile.

      Regional Planning and Development: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many official visits he has made to local authorities since May 2015 where the primary purpose of the visit was in...

      Regional Planning and Development: North of England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has spent any money on advertising the Northern Powerhouse policy since May 2015.

      European Regional Development Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the effect of the European Regional Development Fund on economic growth.

      Floods: Cumbria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 27055, what the Government considers to be the date of first damage by...

      Floods: European Union Solidarity Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to apply for assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund to help flood-affected areas.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • North Korea: Guided Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he had made to his counterparts in (a) the US, (b) China, (c) France and (d) Russia on the recent...

    • Islamic State: Yazidis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on steps being taken to rescue Yazidis being held hostage by Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

      Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Freedom of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many freedom of information requests were (a) granted and (b) refused by his Department in each of the last five years.

      Libya: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic progress he has made in delivering a peaceful transition in Libya.

      Moldova: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the political situation in Moldova on stability and security in that region.

      Hungary: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his EU counterparts the EU undertaking a rule of law procedure against Hungary; and what...

      Libya: Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what evidence the Government holds of terrorists linked to Daesh or Al Qaeda crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya.

      Embassies: Christmas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on Christmas parties hosted by British embassies and consulates in (a)...

      Syria: Military Intervention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether Russian airstrikes in Syria have breached international humanitarian law.

      Israel: Bedouin

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Israeli government on the displacement of Bedouin people from townships in the Negev.

      Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Government's response to the Foreign Affairs Committee's First Special Report of Session 2015-16, published on...

      North Korea: Sexual Offences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 5 January 2015 to Question 219046, what response his Department has received from Democratic...

      North Korea: Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether UK-owned tour companies that operate in North Korea contribute financially to that country's nuclear and missile...

      North Korea: Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which elements of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea government fund or participate in that country's nuclear and...

      Foreign and Commonwealth Office: NATO

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK staff worked at the Permanent Representation to NATO in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15 and (d) the latest...

      Stephen O'Malley

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2016 to Question 21380, what recent information he has received from the Danish...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Borders: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the implications for border security arrangements of recent gangland-related murders in the Irish Republic.

    • UK Membership of EU: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on security in Northern Ireland.

      UK Membership of EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with Irish Ministers on the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on security in (a) Northern Ireland...

      UK Membership of EU: Republic of Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with Irish Ministers on the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on relations with Ireland.

  • Attorney General

    • EU Law

      To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the implications of the judgment of the European Court of Justice in the case of Costa v ENEL in July 1964 for the Government's policy...

    • Knives: Crime

      To ask the Attorney General, what steps the CPS is taking to ensure a higher rate of prosecution for knife crimes.

      Islamic State: British Nationals Abroad

      To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been prosecuted for going abroad to assist Daesh.

      Law

      To ask the Attorney General, what steps the Government is taking to increase public understanding of the law.

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Business: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to reduce the burden of regulation on businesses.

    • Trade Promotion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to promote trade opportunities for UK businesses in high-growth markets.

      Business: Floods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funds the Government is providing for businesses affected by flooding which did not have insurance.

      EU External Trade: China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of whether China has met all of the technical Market Economy Status criteria as set by the EU.

      Living Wage: Publicity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the expenditure has been on the new National Living Wage advertising campaign to date.

      Living Wage: Publicity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which company has been given the contract for billboard advertisement distribution for the new National Living Wage campaign;...

      Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: British Overseas Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which British Overseas Territories will be included within the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

      Metals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the security of supply of (a) the rare earths neodymium and dysprosium and (b) tellurium.

      Timber: Biofuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the effect of the Government's policy...

      Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26010, when his Department plans to establish the reading room for...

      Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many officials of his Department are (a) responsible for external trade policy, (b) working on policy related to the...

      Property: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many properties that have been bought and sold in (a) London and (b) each London borough in the last 10 years record no sale...

      Property: Foreign Companies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many properties in (a) England and Wales, (b) London and (c) each London Borough are registered with the Land Registry (i)...

  • Wales Office

    • Wales Office: Fringe Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff in his Department receive (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised health insurance.

    • Wales Office: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of his Department were in each of the last five years.

  • Department for Education

    • Regional Schools Commissioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training is provided to specialist contractors hired by her Department to advise regional school commissioners on their responsibilities related...

    • Regional Schools Commissioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the daily rate of pay is for specialist contractors hired by her Department to advise regional school commissioners.

      Regional Schools Commissioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which specialist contractors her Department has hired to advise regional school commissioners.

      Regional Schools Commissioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the specialist contractors hired by her Department to advise regional school commissioners are required to declare any interests relevant to...

      Regional Schools Commissioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in the office of each regional schools commissioners are employed under a contract of employment to another third party.

      Regional Schools Commissioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what duties are placed on regional school commissioners to consult with local authorities on school place planning.

      Regional Schools Commissioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the staffing complement is of the office of each regional schools commissioner; and what the staff grade is of each post in each such office.

      Schools: West Yorkshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students are taught in schools rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding in (a) Calder Valley constituency and (b) West Yorkshire.

      Schools: Radicalism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Prevent training programme in schools; what benchmarks her Department uses to assess...

      Children in Care: EU Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the number of children from families from Eastern European countries that have entered the care system in the latest period for...

      Horticulture: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on horticultural training in each of the last five years.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to reply to the letter of 15 February 2016 from the Rt hon. Member for Birkenhead regarding free school meals.

      Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to adjust the eligibility criteria for claiming free childcare so that it can be claimed from the child's third...

      Academies: Performance Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to publish examination performance data for academy chains; and if she will make an assessment.

      Academies: Performance Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the threshold for the number of coasting academies in an academy chain above which her Department plans to take action.

      Academies: Inspections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofsted plans to inspect academy chains as well as individual academies; and if she will make an assessment.

      Academies: Performance Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support best practice from successful academy chains being passed on to other academy chains.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Courts: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of confiscation of (a) knives, (b) firearms and (c) other weapons in (i) magistrates' and (ii) Crown courts there were in each year...

    • Domestic Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people who were victims of domestic abuse were incarcerated for violent crimes committed in response to the abuse they had received in each of...

      Prisoners: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to increase opportunities for prisoners to acquire skills that could lead to earned release.

      Young Offender Institutions: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2016 to Question 23824, whether any staff in young offender institutions are (a) qualified speech and language...

      Rochester Prison

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken as a result of the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons' report on HM Prison Rochester, published in September 2015; and if...

      Rochester Prison

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will review the National Offender Management Service's Benchmarking Policy and efficiency programme in HM Prison Rochester.

      Prison Governors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his Department's policy is on increasing the autonomy of prison governors to make decisions about the day-to-day running of their prisons.

      Prisons: Property

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to sell unused property from the prison estate; and if he will make a statement.

      Ministry of Justice: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of his Department were in each of the last five years.

      Judges: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which organisations have provided diversity and equality training to judges since 1 January 2012.

      Sentencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that proposed revisions to the sentencing guideline for guilty plea reductions do not lead to a...

      Prisons: Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many key lock incidents there have been in each month since May 2010; how many such incidents related to doors of gates left unlocked; and in which...

      Belmarsh Prison: Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken in response to the findings set out in the 2014-15 Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HM Prison Belmarsh on...

      Prisons: Knives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 26908, what steps he is taking to improve the recording of knife finds in prisons to ensure that...

      Ministry of Justice: Freedom of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason not all the monthly announcements of Freedom of Information releases for 2015 have been published on his Department's website.

      Belmarsh Prison: Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times (a) family and (b) legal visits to prisoners in HM Prison Belmarsh have been cancelled in each of the last 12 months; and for what reason...

      Prisons: Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to prevent family and legal visits being cancelled in prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Armed Forces: Deployment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK armed forces personnel cultural advisers are currently deployed on overseas operations.

    • Armed Forces: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK armed forces personnel have received region-specific culture training at the Defence Centre for Languages and Culture in each year since...

      Defence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place a copy of the UK Joint Targeting and Battle Damage Assessment Policy paper, dated 2005, in the Library.

      Armed Forces: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were recruited to the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force, (c) Royal Navy and (d) reserve forces in Scotland in each of the last five years.

      Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had on the F-35's digital logistics system and its potential vulnerability to cyber attacks.

      USA: RAF Lakenheath

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department made of the legality of US airstrikes in Libya before authorising use of RAF Lakenheath for airstrikes in Libya on 19...

      Ministry of Defence: Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of his Department's invoices for goods and services supplied by (a) private companies and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)...

      Ministry of Defence: Ministerial Policy Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in his Department.

  • Scotland Office

    • Scotland Office: Fringe Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many staff in his Department receive (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised health insurance.

    • Scotland Office: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of his Department were in each of the last five years.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of new claims for universal credit were paid within 42 days of a claim being made in the most recent 12 months...

    • Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many current Child Support Agency arrears cases there is (a) a current or ongoing liability for a child and (b) no such ongoing liability.

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many current Child Support Agency arrears cases with a current or ongoing liability for a child repayments are currently being made...

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many arrears-only Child Support Agency cases repayments are currently being made towards the arrears.

      Pension Funds: Trade Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26069, whether trades unions which are not formally recognised by an employer will be...

      Personal Independence Payment: Motability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disabled people have had their Mobility Scheme vehicle taken away as a result of personal independence payment replacing disability...

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what amount of direct pay arrears has accrued on the 2012 Child Maintenance Scheme; and to how many case groups those arrears relate.

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what amount of (a) 1993 and (b) 2003 Child Support Agency scheme arrears are currently being handled by the Child Maintenance Service; and to...

      Department for Work and Pensions: Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of his Department's invoices for goods and services supplied by (a) private companies and (b) small and medium-sized...

      Work Capability Assessment: Epilepsy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with epilepsy have been assessed as being fit to work by their work capability assessments in each year since 2010.

      Social Security Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims have been made for a Short Term Benefit Advance in the last six months for which data is available; and what the outcomes of...

      Social Security Benefits: Epilepsy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with epilepsy are claiming employment and support allowance and personal independence payments.

      Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit sanctions were issued in error and subsequently cancelled in each of the last five years.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he intends to answer the letter to him dated 12 January 2016 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Ms S Lyons.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Floods: Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) homes and (b) businesses flooded in 2015 which did not have flood insurance.

    • Dairy Farming

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions have taken place with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development on the situation in...

      Bovine Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the sensitivity of the single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin...

      Slaughterhouses: CCTV

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's policy is on the installation of mandatory, independently-monitored CCTV in slaughterhouses and abattoirs.

      Fish Products: Supermarkets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government is doing to encourage supermarkets to act responsibly when sourcing and purchasing fish products.

      Fisheries: Vocational Guidance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to encourage young people to take up a career in the fishing industry.

      Fish Products

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote seafood as a healthy British food.

      Agriculture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential financial effect of leaving the EU on agriculture in Britain...

      Ash Dieback Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of (a) the geographical extent of ash dieback disease and (b) its effect upon woodland and the...

      Ash Dieback Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the ecological effect of ash dieback disease in rural areas.

      Ash Dieback Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made in identifying ash trees with resistance to ash dieback disease; and if she will make...

  • Home Office

    • Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that recent refugee arrivals from the Middle East and North Africa are assimilated into...

    • Asylum: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum seekers claiming to be under the age of 18 arrived in the UK for each of the last three years for which...

      Asylum: Deportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the risk of radicalisation of asylum claimants whose asylum claim has been refused but who cannot legally be...

      Asylum: Deportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of cases in which asylum claims are refused on the basis that the claimant is not judged to...

      Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department's policy on the factors influencing migration to the UK of the...

      Refugees: Turkey

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of how the EU Refugee Facility for Turkey will reduce migration from Turkey.

      Asylum: Deportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum claimants whose asylum claim has been refused, but who cannot be legally...

      Migrant Workers: Visas

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to issue a response to the Migration Advisory Committee review of Tier 2 visas.

      Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of UK citizens previously granted refugee status who have been refused permission for family...

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguards her Department has put in place to ensure that out-of-country entry clearance applications are rigorously checked and processed.

      Asylum: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were being accommodated by G4S in the (a) North East, Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) Midlands and East of England...

      Asylum: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were being accommodated by Serco in the North West region on the latest date for which figures are available.

      Asylum: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers who claim to be under the age of 18 have undergone independent testing to determine their age in each of the last...

      Asylum: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were suspected of making fraudulent claims to be under the age of 18 in the last 12 months.

      Entry Clearances: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children arriving at UK airports from which countries were not eligible for entry clearance in 2015.

      Asylum: Deportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claimants whose asylum claim had been refused but who could not be legally deported because their destination country was...

      Betting Shops: Crimes of Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police call-outs to betting shops there were due to violence related to fixed odds betting terminals.

      Passports: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that applications for passports are processed without delays over the peak summer period.

      Asylum: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum seekers who have been found to have fraudulently claimed to be under the age...

      Metropolitan Police: Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many custody nurses were employed by the Metropolitan Police (a) in total and (b) in each London borough in each year since 2010.

      Home Office: Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of her Department's invoices for goods and services supplied by (a) private companies and (b) small and medium-sized...

      Fire Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has for the future of its Fire Kills campaign.

      Sexual Offences

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information police forces hold on the (a) nationality and (b) ethnicity of those (i) arrested for (ii) convicted of sexual assaults...

  • Department for International Development

    • Bangladesh: Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to encourage UK companies to improve (a) working conditions, (b) safety standards and (c) pay in...

    • Bangladesh: Factories

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to encourage the government of Bangladesh to improve (a) working conditions, (b) safety standards...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she intends to answer the letter to her dated 4 January 2016 with regard to Ms J. Ellis.

      Department for International Development: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of her Department were in each of...

      Bangladesh: Textiles

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Clean Clothes Campaign memorandum, published on 28 January...

      Yemen: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government has taken to (a) alleviate the blockade of Yemen and (b) address the shortage of essential medicines in that...

      Yemen: Fuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government has taken to reduce fuel insecurity in Yemen.

      Yemen: Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have left Yemen as refugees since March 2015.

      Yemen: Military Intervention

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the UK is taking to assist in the repair of hospitals damaged by air strikes in Yemen.

      Yemen: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding the Government has allocated specifically to child protection in Yemen.

      Yemen: International Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to encourage increased international donor support for Yemen.

      Yemen: Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government has taken to relieve food insecurity in (a) Taiz and (b) elsewhere in Yemen.

      Yemen: Influenza

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps are being taken to address and prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus in Yemen.

      Syria: Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to assist vulnerable Syrian minorities register with the UNHCR who have not done so due to fear of...

      Nigeria: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of her Department's spending was allocated to (a) Nigerian state organisations, (b) non-governmental organisations and...

  • HM Treasury

    • Treasury: Pay

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of his Department were in each of the last five years.

    • Financial Services

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the financial sector and employer groups on workplace money management and workplace payroll savings schemes.

      Taxation: Environment Protection

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the library a copy of the impact assessment of the carbon price floor mechanism.

      Ministerial Policy Advisers: Pay

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 26025, for what reason Thea Rogers' salary increased from £69,250 in 2014 to £98,000 in 2015.

      Coal: Taxation

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has accrued to the public purse from the taxation of coal in each of the last five years.

      Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Redundancy Pay

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the public sector exit cap proposed in the Enterprise Bill on employees of the Nuclear...

      Revenue and Customs: Staff

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) meetings, (b) hospitality, (c) gifts and (d) overseas travel officials at Grade 7 or above in HM Revenue and Customs have received or undertaken in...

      Working Hours

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people who want to work full-time who are in part-time rather than full-time work.

      Energy: VAT

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the revenue the Government received from VAT on domestic energy in each of the last five years.

      Tourism: VAT

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the revenue the Government received from VAT on hotel stays and restaurant meals in each of the last five years.

      Double Taxation: Treaties

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) discussions he has had with and (b) representations he has received from (i) businesses, (ii) members of the public and (iii) other stakeholders on...

      Public Sector Debt

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether public sector net debt is forecast to fall in the next financial year.

      Money Laundering: EU Law

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to consult on the transposition of the fourth anti-money-laundering directive.

      Productivity

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) carried out on the structural factors in the economy that have contributed to the scale of the...

      Productivity

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the scale of the productivity gap.

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Electricity Generation: Carbon Sequestration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to ensure that all new electricity generation facilities that emit greenhouse gases are prepared for carbon...

    • Radioactive Waste: Storage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the additional cost to the public purse will be of storage of additional spent fuel arising from the lifetime extension of...

      Sellafield: Radioactive Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether new storage facilities will be required at Sellafield to accommodate additional spent fuel arising from the life extension of...

      Radioactive Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what volume of additional spent fuel will be produced as a consequence of the life extension of nuclear reactors.

      Gas Fired Power Stations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will place in the Library copies of the impact assessments produced related to the moratorium on gas fired power stations...

      Electricity Interconnectors: Iceland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what charges the Government plans to levy for connection to the National Grid on the proposed interconnector cable from Iceland.

      Sellafield: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the Sellafield workforce reform initiative on workforce salary...

      Sellafield: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the Sellafield workforce reform initiative on the economy of (a)...

      Sellafield: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of the Sellafield workforce reform initiative.

      Sellafield

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will meet Sellafield workforce representatives to discuss how better to achieve (a) safer, (b) quicker and (c) more efficient...

      Gas Fired Power Stations: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many gas fired power stations have been built in the UK since July 1998.

      Sellafield: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of how the Sellafield workforce reform initiative will ensure (a) safer, (b) quicker and (c)...

      Coal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she has made an estimate of the difference in value between coal produced in the UK and coal imported from overseas for each...

      Sellafield: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, who was involved in designing the Sellafield Workforce Reform initiative.

      EU Emissions Trading Scheme: Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information she plans to publish on the outcome of her Department's efforts to pursue civil penalties issued to aircraft...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Voluntary Work: Young People

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23331, what the average cost for each participant of the National Citizen Service has been in...

    • Average Earnings

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in employment earn (a) the national minimum wage rate which will apply from 1 April 2016 and (b) between that rate and one per cent...

      Combined Authorities: Statistics

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the Office for National Statistics on devolving statistics and data collecting powers and obligations when powers are...

      Death Certificates: Eating Disorders

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths were recorded for which an eating disorder was mentioned on the death certificate in (a) the UK and (b) England in each year since 2010-11.

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Football: Sportsgrounds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to all-weather football pitches at grassroots level.

    • Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of fibre-optic broadband coverage across the UK; and if he will make a statement.

      Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent representations his Department has received from internet service providers on the rollout of fibre-optic broadband; and if...

      Gaming Machines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representative bodies (a) his Department and (b) the Gambling Commission has met to discuss the next review of gaming machines...

  • Department of Health

    • Medical Records: Databases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether (a) his Department and (b) the NHS has been asked by security and intelligence agencies for care.data data sets.

    • Paracetamol

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on the health effects of over-use of paracetamol to treat colds and flu.

      Antidepressants: Pregnant Women

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical bodies on potential links between taking antidepressants in pregnancy and autism in children.

      NHS: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what rules govern the movement of senior NHS staff to private sector organisations.

      NHS Trusts: Managers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS trust chief executives have become private sector consultants after leaving that post.

      Carers: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the conclusions of the report by the Carers Trust, A charge on caring, published in...

      General Practitioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what contingency plans are in place to alleviate the increased demands on neighbouring GP practices when a practice closes.

      General Practitioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GP surgeries have closed in (a) Sheffield, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) England in the last three years.

      Department of Health: Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of his Department's invoices for goods and services supplied by (a) private companies and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)...

      Smoking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reductions in the public health grant for local authorities on local smoking cessation services in...

      Cancer: Smoking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to address inequalities in cancer incidence across England resulting from smoking.

      Tobacco

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the report of the independent cancer taskforce, Achieving world class cancer outcomes: A strategy for England 2015-2020, published in...

      Cancer: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the report of the independent cancer taskforce, Achieving world class cancer outcomes: A strategy for England 2015-2020, published in...

      Accident and Emergency Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what record his Department maintains on morale amongst A&E staff.

      Junior Doctors: Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Oral Statement of 11 February 2016, Official Report, column 1763, on junior doctors' contracts, which senior NHS leaders asked him to...

      Junior Doctors: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the average change in the level of pay for those junior doctors who will be offered pay protection as part of...

      Junior Doctors: Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what risk assessment was carried out on his policy to impose a new contract on junior doctors.

      Junior Doctors: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is on junior doctors who whistleblow about safety concerns in the NHS.

      Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects NICE to begin assessing (a) drugs for rare cancer and (b) cancer drugs under the proposed new Cancer Drugs Fund.

      Mental Health Act 1983

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to bring forward proposals to change the closest living relative definition in the Mental Health Act 1983 to include unmarried fathers...

      Mental Health Services: Veterans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the NHS England plans to publish its consultation on the future of mental health support for veterans of the armed forces, referred to in the NHS...

      Eating Disorders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many first admission episodes there were with a primary diagnosis of an eating disorder in (a) England and (b) the UK in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) each...

  • Women and Equalities

    • Government Equalities Office: Fringe Benefits

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many staff in the Government Equalities Office receive (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised health insurance.

    • Girlguiding UK

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will meet Girlguiding to discuss the findings of its 2015 Girls' Attitudes survey.

  • Department for Transport

    • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisations are responsible for enforcing security of aircraft against incidents with drones, and what means they have to disable such drones and...

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Tenancy Deposit Schemes

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what type and proportion of tenancy deposits in other than assured shorthold tenancies are protected by tenancy deposit schemes.

    • Tenancy Deposit Schemes

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government for each government-approved tenancy deposit scheme for assured shorthold tenancies, what is the average time taken to (1) return deposits, and (2) resolve...

      Council Tax Support Review

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that individuals affected by the abolition of Council Tax Benefit are made aware of their review of that policy and...

      Council Tax Support Review

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House the submissions to their review of local Council Tax Support, and the data they collected from local...

      Circle Housing

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 1 February (HL5321), what statutory powers the Secretary of State has to intervene if the...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • EU Integration

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the meeting on 9 February between the original member states of the EU, and the re-commitment by those member states to "an ever...

    • Commonwealth: Human Rights

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 22 January (HL4917), whether they have plans to ask the Commonwealth authorities to publish...

      Tunisia: Unemployment

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are discussing unemployment in Kasserine and other parts of Tunisia with the government of that country; and whether any steps are being taken...

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Foreign Companies: Property

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to bring the rules regarding transparency in respect of overseas company ownership of UK property into line with those for UK registered...

    • Literacy: Females

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of poor literacy skills on women relative to men.

      Foreign Companies: Property

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the consultation promised by the Prime Minister in his speech of 28 July 2015 at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore regarding...

  • Department for International Development

  • Department for Education

    • Schools: Admissions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of compliance with the School Admissions Code across all schools, especially in the light of the report by the...

    • Faith Schools: Admissions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of objections submitted to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator by secularist campaign groups were upheld in the period from 2012 to 2015.

      Schools: Admissions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have changed their policy regarding allowing anyone or any organisation to object to a school’s admissions arrangements.

      Schools: Sports

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many hours per week (1) primary, and (2) secondary, school pupils spent participating in sport in 2015 compared to 2010.

      School Milk

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total volume of milk supplied to schools in (1) 1986, and (2) 2015.

      Schools: Vocational Guidance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to produce a strategy for careers education in schools.

      Music: Qualifications

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of pupils sat GCSE and A Level Music in 2014–15.

  • The Lord Chairman of Committees

    • Acts: Publishing

      To ask the Chairman of Committees why the use of vellum for the record copies of Acts of Parliament has been abandoned without the passage through both Houses of a resolution to authorise its...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 10 February (HL5883), why the incorrect reference to the 20 November 2014 answer has been repeated, and...

    • Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, under the provisions of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, a claimant receiving Employment and Support Allowance work-related activity component...

  • Home Office

    • Immigration: EU Nationals

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authority areas in the UK have been identified through official statistics as having public services that are under excessive pressure as a...

    • Health Services: Police Custody

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for healthcare services provided within police custody being considered healthcare facilities, and being funded,...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Charities: Lobbying

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consulted the Charity Commission prior to their announcement on 6 February that charities would no longer be able to use any government grant to...

    • Corruption

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date the Anti-Corruption Summit in London referred to by the Prime Minister in his speech in Singapore on 28 July 2015 will take place; who will be...

      Corruption

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government which department is leading on preparations for the Anti-Corruption Summit planned in London following the Prime Minister's Speech in Singapore on 28 July 2015.

      Corruption

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether UK political parties will be invited to attend and participate in the Anti-Corruption Summit planned in London following the Prime Minister's speech...

      Charities: Lobbying

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent their proposed new restrictions on lobbying by charities extend the existing restrictions imposed by charity legislation.

      Business

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the Cabinet Office intends to take to increase the number of profit-with-purpose businesses in the UK.

      Ministers: Official Gifts

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what happens to gifts that ministers receive in their official capacity; where they are kept; and how they are eventually disposed of.

  • Department of Health

    • Forensic Science

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government why forensic medical services are an exception under Schedule 2 to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014; why such...

    • Doctors: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research they have undertaken into the percentage of female medical students who after qualification (1) never work as doctors, (2) cease to work as...

      Doctors: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of gender equality in medical school entrants.

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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