Written answers

Friday, 22 April 2016

  • Department for Transport

    • Shipping: Polar Regions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation there has been with the Scottish Government on the implementation of the Polar Code from 1 January 2017.

    • Shipping: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funds were available to employers from the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) budget for rating to officer conversion training in each year...

      Railways: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that users of the rail network are aware of the compensation schemes available to them when their trains...

      Taxis: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London about proposals to improve passenger safety and insurance regulations for the private hire...

      Volkswagen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will seek assurances from Volkswagen that software and technical fixes made in response to problems with emissions testing will not change...

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Rural Areas: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the funding formula is that was used for the 2016-17 allocation of Rural Services Delivery Grant.

    • Leisure: Facilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2016 to Question 31911, if he will make it his policy to extend the protection granted to...

      Housing: Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that more people are aware of (a) the Right to Buy and (b) other housing schemes...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Nagorno Karabakh

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the situation in...

  • Northern Ireland Office

  • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    • Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department's timetable is for the implementation of the provision of postgraduate student loans of up to £10,000.

    • Research: EU Grants and Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of research funding received by UK universities came from EU funding streams in each year since 2005.

      Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding his Department provided to each of its partner organisations in each year from 2010; and what the (a) type and...

      Cement: EU Emissions Trading Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to page one of the UK/France joint non-paper on the Implementation of Tiered Free Allocation in Phase IV of the...

      Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Hanover

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have had with Hanover Communications International Ltd in...

      Land Registry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on whether the same data protection and privatisation obligations will apply for the company carrying out the...

      Land Registry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the obligations for public bodies set out in the HM Treasury document, Managing Public Money, published in July 2013,...

      Business: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which regulations he has asked the EU Commission to (a) amend and (b) repeal on the basis of their effects on businesses in the UK.

      EU Grants and Loans: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much EU (a) 7th Framework Programme and (b) Horizon 2020 funding has been provided to (i) universities, (ii) other research...

      Universities: Crimes of Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the progress of the taskforce on reducing violence against women and girls on university campuses.

  • Wales Office

    • Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 13 April 2016 to Question 904364, whether he has contacted customers of Tata Steel's strip products division in order to secure...

  • Department for Education

    • Headteachers: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy schools have been found to have paid the head teacher at such schools more than the publicly disclosed salary in each of the last...

    • Academies: Governing Bodies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 3.30 of Educational excellence everywhere, Cm 9230, when she plans to amend the academy articles of association models to...

      Academies: Directors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 3.35 of Educational excellence everywhere, Cm 9230, if she will issue guidance on levels of remuneration for non-executive...

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 April 2016 to Question 32243, how many investigations her Department has carried out into cases where schools or early...

      Academies: Curriculum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for the National Curriculum when all schools become academies.

      Academies: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 30916, for what reason the 26 related party transactions by academy trusts classified as irregular...

      Children: Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children were subject to child protection procedures in each year since 2010.

      Department for Education: European Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on which occasions since her appointment she has met (a) staff from the European Commission Directorate-General (ECDG) for Communication and (b)...

      Extended Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what incentives she plans to encourage more schools to extend their teaching hours.

      European Union: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to schools on the (a) teaching of the EU and (b) referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

      Free Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many free schools have been delayed in opening due to the inability to secure a site for the school in each year since 2010.

      EU Educational Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to her Department was of providing information to the EU's Education and Training Monitor in each of the last three years.

      Breast Ironing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has provided to local authority children's services on the practice of breast ironing.

      Children in Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children living in regulated children's homes who were the responsibility of each local authority were placed (a)...

      Department for Education: Visits Abroad

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many visits Ministers of her Department have undertaken to China and Singapore since 2010; on what dates such visits took place; and what the...

      EU Educational Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the effects on the UK of the EU's Education and Training 2020 programme.

      European Union: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information she holds on the number of schools that have received teaching materials on the EU provided by the EU Commission and the Information...

      Department for Education: Cheshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many jobs in (a) her Department and (b) each of her Department's non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments,...

      Teachers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of teachers (a) actively seeking or in teaching employment by 2020 and (b) needed in such employment by that...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Tribunals: Pupil Exclusions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals against school exclusion were heard at the First Tier Tribunal (SEN and Disabilities) in each year since 2010.

    • Offenders: Rehabilitation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that ex-offenders are helped into work or education upon the completion of their sentence.

  • Scotland Office

    • Scottish Affairs Select Committee

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many times he has attended public meetings of the Scottish Affairs Committee since his appointment.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Syria: Islamic State

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of how many non-extremist opposition fighters in Syria have fought against Daesh since 21 December 2015.

    • Syria: Military Intervention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Russian airstrikes on the number of non-extremist opposition fighters in Syria.

      Aviation: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force among young people.

      Air Cadet Organisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to secure the long-term sustainable future of the Air Cadet Organisation and to encourage active participation in air cadet...

      Air Force: Cadets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support Air Cadet Unit: 6 Romford Squadron and ensure it is not adversely affected by the reduction in the number...

      Special Forces: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the reasons are for his policy on withholding categories of information relating to UK special forces from the public; when that policy was last...

      Mediterranean Sea: Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, to what extent the Royal Navy plans to increase naval patrols in the Mediterranean to respond to the increase in attempted illegal crossings by migrants...

      Saudi Arabia: Military Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what advice was provided by UK service personnel to the Saudi military prior to 8 May 2015 on international humanitarian law and the designation of...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Jobseeker's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people receiving jobseekers allowance were reported as having failed to turn up for job interviews in the last year.

    • Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people previously in receipt of disability living allowance have had an application for a personal independence payment refused...

      Bereavement Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to (a) notify recently bereaved spouses of the existence of bereavement benefits and (b) encourage those...

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Broadband: South West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the rollout of superfast broadband (a) in Cheltenham and (b) across the South West.

    • Cyber Innovation Centre: Cheltenham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the likely benefits the Cyber Innovation Centre will bring to Cheltenham's local economy.

      Video on Demand

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of progress on increasing the provision of access services on video on demand content; what further...

  • Home Office

    • Passports: Photographs

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will arrange a meeting between the Photo Marketing Association and the Passport Office to discuss ensuring that future...

    • Horst Kopkow

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which of the security service files in the series KV2/1500 held in the National Archives on SS Sturmbannführer Kriminaldirektor Horst...

      Counter-terrorism: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been allocated to youth-focused projects in South Wales Police area as part of the PREVENT programme in each of the...

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to encourage greater co-operation between police forces in the constituent parts of the UK to better...

  • Department for International Development

  • HM Treasury

    • Trade Agreements

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the legal status of the UK's existing trade agreements agreed through membership of the EU of the UK...

    • Non-domestic Rates: Appeals

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average length of a non domestic rates appeal was in each of the last five years.

      Debts

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many over-indebted consumers there were from each socio-economic group in the most recent period for which figures are available.

      Individual Savings Accounts

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people under 40 who will take up both a lifetime ISA and a standard ISA in each of the first three...

      Taxation: Self-assessment

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of small businesses which will not be able to afford the digital accounting software to enable them to...

      Public Bodies: Fees and Charges

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many statutory instruments to vary fees charged by public bodies have been laid in Parliament under section 102 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1987 in each...

      Public Bodies: Fees and Charges

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications from public sector organisations his Department has received to (a) increase service charges, (b) charge above cost for public...

      Loans: Defaulters

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the Financial Conduct Authority has made of the effect that the GC16/2 proposal, published in February 2016, to...

      Royal Bank of Scotland

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential price per share at sale of the Government's 73 per cent stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland compared to the...

      Offshore Industry: Loans

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the rising default rate of companies in the oil and gas sector on their high-yield loans on wider stability of...

      Royal Bank of Scotland

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made on the potential selling price of the Government's remaining stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland of the implications...

  • Department for Energy and Climate Change

    • Civil Nuclear Constabulary

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what measures she has put in place to compensate officers of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary if they are dismissed because of failing...

    • Fuels: Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, why it is the Government's policy to grant subsidies for biomass and not for coal; and if she will make a statement.

      Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department holds data on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per one tonne of (a) biomass and (b) coal when burned; and...

      Coal: Reserves

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department holds up-to-date estimates of the level of coal reserves in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales; and if she...

      Coal Fired Power Stations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she plans to open her Department's consultation on the timetable for closing all coal-fired power stations in the UK.

      Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if her Department will take steps to ensure that (a) the UK is energy secure and independent and (b) reliance on foreign gas supplies...

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to tackle the reduction in investment for renewable energy projected between 2017 to 2020 in the most recent...

      Climate Change Convention: Paris

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress the Government has made on its commitment to enshrine the Paris climate deal into UK law.

      Hinkley Point C Power Station

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising the level of support offered through the Contract for Difference for...

      Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when her Department will publish its most recent assessment of the effect of energy and climate change policies on energy prices and bills.

      Coal Fired Power Stations: Electricity Generation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her Department's definition is of abated coal-fired electricity generation; and if she will make a statement.

      Offshore Industry: North East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the number of people from the North East of England working offshore in each year since 2010.

      Oil: Exploration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the firm work commitments relating to Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence 189 which expire on 30 June 2016 have been...

      Oil: Exploration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether a deed of variation has been agreed for Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence 189.

      Hinkley Point C Power Station

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects to sign the Investor Agreement for Hinkley Point C power station; and what conditions will have to be fulfilled by...

      Nuclear Reactors: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research her Department has commissioned on the particular challenges of implementing cyber security to cover small modular...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Cabinet Office: China

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what occasions (a) civil servants, (b) special advisers and (c) Ministers in his Department have received hospitality from the government of China...

    • Ministerial Policy Advisers: Codes of Practice

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department's guidance for civil servants on acceptance of gifts or hospitality applies to special advisers.

      Civil Servants: Codes of Practice

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations of the National Audit Office investigation into the acceptance of gifts and hospitality by...

      Cabinet Office: Visits Abroad

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which countries the Government Anti-Corruption Champion has visited in the course of his official duties.

      Zero Hours Contracts: Young People

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people under the age of 25 in (a) Scotland, (b) Glasgow and (c) Glasgow Central constituency are employed on zero-hours contracts.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  • Department of Health

    • Tobacco: Packaging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will delay the start date for the introduction of standardised packaging on tobacco products in light of the post-implementation review of the...

    • Lyme Disease: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on Lyme disease laboratory tests in each of the last three years.

      Brain: Tumours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the NHS is taking to improve the early diagnosis of brain tumours.

      Diabetes: Chiropody

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve inpatient foot care for people with diabetes who are admitted to hospital.

      Dementia: Southampton

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of adults in Southampton have been diagnosed with dementia in each of the last 10 years.

      NHS Improvement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the legal status of NHS Improvement is; how and to whom that body is accountable; and what functions he has in relation to that body.

      Post-polio Syndrome

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of people in the UK who are affected by post-polio syndrome; what steps are being taken to fund (a) treatment of...

      HIV Infection: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which areas have been chosen as test sites for the pre-exposure drug prophyaxis (PrEP); what selection criteria have been used to identify those test...

      Chronic Illnesses: Pharmacy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to allow community pharmacies to care for patients with long-term health conditions through (a) medical reviews and (b) other...

  • Northern Ireland Office

  • Department for International Development

    • Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no mention of human rights is made in the new UK aid strategy; whether they intend to address that omission; and if so, how.

    • World Humanitarian Summit

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to ask that unrecognised entities such as Gaza, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Cantons of Northern Syria be invited, at least as...

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Sports: Drugs

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of reports that a doctor prescribed performance-enhancing drugs to 150 athletes, what steps they are taking to ensure that sports in the UK are...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • State Retirement Pensions

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is being done to ensure there is clear communication to people about the new state pension.

  • Home Office

    • Immigration

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of (1) the effect of immigration, and (2) the effect of immigration from the EU, on the UK’s GDP per head in the last 10 years.

    • Asylum: Afghanistan

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce the outcome of their review of their policy of returning to Afghanistan Afghan military interpreters who have sought asylum in the UK.

      Immigration Bill

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimates they have made of the impact on levels of both homelessness and destitution of the enactment of the Immigration Bill.

      Refugees: Europe

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they agree with the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) call for Europe to resettle 108,000 refugees each year for the next five years; and...

      Refugees: Calais

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in the light of the report by Help Refugees in March that 129 unaccompanied children are unaccounted for in the Calais refugee camp.

      Asylum: Deportation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the correction by Lord Bates on 24 March to his Written Answer on 19 October 2015 (HL2297), why they gave incorrect figures for the number of...

      British Nationality

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their rationale for continuing to offer British Citizenship to EU migrants.

      Offenders: Deportation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, in cases where foreign national offenders are given sentences of 12 months imprisonment or more, to ensure that deportation...

      Sovereign Wealth Funds: Malaysia

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any enquiries have been launched into the involvement of UK financial institutions in the matter of the Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

      Refugees: Females

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of claims that women refugees who are in the UK (1) are not guaranteed female interviewers and interpreters who have been...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Civil Servants: Training

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their current plans are to improve and extend the training of entering civil servants following changes to in-house training over the past 10 years;...

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.

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