Written answers

Tuesday, 17 January 2017

  • Department for Transport

    • Department for Transport: Labour Mobility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants in each unit of his Department are in the redeployment pool.

    • Department for Transport: Re-employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many members of staff who ceased to be employed by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in the last three years have...

      Blue Badge Scheme: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many children under the age of three have a blue parking badge in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

      Speed Limits: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to publish the findings of research commissioned by his Department into the effects of 20 mph speed zones.

      Trains: Sanitation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies on the installation of disabled toilets on trains.

      Railways: Oxfordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission a study into the viability of a rail link between Oxford and Witney.

      Roads: Planning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on expediting decisions on road development in order to permit planned residential projects to proceed.

      London Underground: Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of fully automating the trains on the London Underground.

      Railways: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce train fares in the West Midlands.

      Maritime and Coastguard Agency: South Shields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has made of alternatives to closure for the Tyne Marine Office; and if he will make a statement.

      Railway Stations: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much each of the 10 National B Interchanges identified in the Better Rail Stations review as in need of priority funding have received since 2009;...

      Maritime and Coastguard Agency: South Shields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what alternative provision the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has made for seafarers in the North East to obtain advice and support in renewing their...

      Maritime and Coastguard Agency: South Shields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's current lease agreement for the Tyne Marine Office expires.

      Merchant Shipping: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to implement the proposed SMarT Plus scheme to encourage trainees to enter the merchant navy.

      Shipping: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department plans to allocate to the Support for Maritime Training scheme in 2017-18.

      Merchant Shipping: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many trainees from which regions of the UK have entered the merchant navy in each of the last five years.

      Southern: Wifi

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on making wi-fi available on Southern Rail services.

      Volkswagen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Volkswagen to ensure that customers affected by the emissions scandal receive the...

      Roads

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will continue to recognise the A75 (E18) and other main roads as Euro-Routes after the UK leaves the EU.

  • Department for Communities and Local Government

    • Parking: Unfair Practices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many civil servants are working on his Department's response to the consultation, Parking reform: tackling unfair practices.

    • Council Tax: Arrears

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the ruling of Leeds City Council v Broadley on 6 December 2016, what plans he has to amend Guidance to local...

      Parking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) prevalence and (b) environmental and social impact of residents making their...

      Planning Permission: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to allow local authorities to charge different rates to those set nationally for processing planning applications.

      Local Government Finance: Bristol

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the effect of recent changes to government funding to Bristol City Council on local council...

      New Homes Bonus Scheme: Peterborough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much New Homes Bonus funding Peterborough City Council has received in each year since 2011; and if he will make a statement.

      Community Assets: Public Houses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local community pubs.

      Council Tax and Non-domestic Rates: Dorset

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the level of (a) council tax arrears and (b) non-domestic rate arrears was on 31 March 2016 in (i) Bournemouth Borough...

      Hospitals: Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will exempt NHS hospitals from business rates.

      Green Belt

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of greenbelt land in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) the North West and (c) England the public has access to.

      Flood Control: EU Grants and Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2016 to Question 56007, when he expects to receive a decision from the EU Solidarity Fund...

      Communities and Local Government: Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will provide a comprehensive list of the public policy targets established by his Department (a) between 2010 and May...

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Re-employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many members of staff who ceased to be employed by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies...

    • Green Investment Bank: Privatisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what safeguards his Department has put in place to prevent the immediate sale of assets by a new owner of the Green...

      Green Investment Bank: Privatisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what safeguards his Department has put in place to protect the focus of the Green Investment Bank on green investment...

      Post Offices: Closures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many sub-post offices have been closed for more than four weeks in the last year.

      Green Investment Bank: Privatisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to maintain any control or stake in the new ownership structure of the Green Investment...

      Greenhouse Gas Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he will report progress against actions as set out in the 2011 Carbon Plan and publish it on the Number 10...

      Green Investment Bank: Privatisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the proposed privatisation of the Green Investment Bank on the...

      Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to promote the technology sector in (a) Manchester, (b) Birmingham and (c) Edinburgh.

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to put into domestic law protection for the new rights for energy consumers on self-consumption of...

      Ports: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department provides to Scottish ports that wish to engage in oil and gas decommissioning.

      Minimum Wage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 36447 and pursuant to the Answers of 1 June 2016, corrected on 8...

      Green Investment Bank

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government's preferred bidder for the Green Investment Bank submitted the highest bid for that bank.

      Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will provide a comprehensive list of the public policy targets established by his Department (a) between 2010 and...

      Energy: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of SMETS 1 (a) electricity and (b) gas smart meters installed to date.

      Carbon Capture and Storage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money the Government invested in carbon capture and storage projects in each year between 2010 and 2015.

      Energy: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) electricity and (b) gas smart meters that have been...

      Energy: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) electricity and (b) gas smart meter installations that have...

      Carbon Capture and Storage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of carbon capture and utilisation technology.

      Energy: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the total cost of the smart meter programme has been to date; and if his Department will publish a detailed...

      Post Offices: Retail Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the extent to which the remuneration package offered to retail...

      Energy: Meters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of SMETS 1 (a) electricity and (b) gas smart meters that have...

      Green Investment Bank: Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans for a golden share in the Green Investment Bank will enable it to influence decisions on...

      Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: EU Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which EU directives relating to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

      Green Investment Bank: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his most recent estimate is of the value of the Green Investment Bank's assets in Scotland.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Israeli Settlements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) on progress towards a...

    • Israel: Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of progress made in achieving the objectives set out in the Paris Initiative in June...

      Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Visits Abroad

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason meetings held during his 14 overseas visits between July and September 2016 were not published in his...

      Somaliland: Commonwealth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the bidding by Somaliland for Observer Status of the Commonwealth of Nations.

      Israel: Diplomatic Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings he has had with Israeli embassy officials since taking office.

      Israel: Diplomatic Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings Government special advisers had with Israeli embassy officials in 2016.

      Israel: Diplomatic Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities as a result of recently reported comments made by an Israeli...

      Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Conservative Friends of Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings he has had with representatives of the Conservative Friends of Israel since taking office.

      Yazidis: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on providing support for Yazidi women who have escaped...

      Israel: Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will attend the Paris conference on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in January 2017.

      South Sudan: Peace Negotiations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Troika on support for the peace process in South Sudan.

      South Sudan: Visits Abroad

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Minister for Africa and the Middle East had with opposition leaders during his recent visit to South Sudan.

      Egypt: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to address restrictions on civil society in Egypt.

      Gaza and West Bank: Elections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support free and fair elections in the West Bank and Gaza.

      Palestinians: LGBT People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the Palestinian Authority's commitment to equality for LGBT people in the Palestinian...

      Romania: Press Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Romanian government on press freedom in that country.

      Alexander Adamescu

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Romanian government on the case of Alexander Adamescu.

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the legislative steps necessary to establish financial mitigation for...

    • Terrorism: Republic of Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his policy is on the publication of all documentation held by the Government relating to the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

  • Department for International Development

    • Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of her Department's aid budget is given to third parties to distribute.

    • Developing Countries: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department's Women and Girls Team is taking across government departments on a UK implementation plan for the...

      South Sudan: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the need for humanitarian aid in South Sudan.

      Developing Countries: HIV Infection

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2016 to Question 54484, what indicators her Department uses to measure the UK's distinct...

  • Department for Education

    • English Language: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the value to the economy of the teaching of English as a second language.

    • Educational Psychology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many educational psychologists were employed in all local authorities in each year since 2010.

      Students: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that steering groups include an assessment of the provision of support for disabled students in...

      Politics: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of 11 to 16 year olds are studying compulsory politics in (a) grammar, (b) comprehensive, (c) academy and (d) all schools.

      GCSE: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) proportion and (b) number of children eligible for free school meals who achieved five A to C grades at GCSE including English and...

      Pre-school Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the gross local authority expenditure was on Sure Start Children's Centres and early years provision in each local authority area in each year...

      Teachers: West Yorkshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) attract and (b) retain newly-qualified teachers in (i) disadvantaged schools and (ii) deprived areas in...

      Pre-school Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many two, three and four year olds in state-funded 15 hours' early education are in settings which are rated (a) requires improvement and (b)...

      Department for Education: Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide a comprehensive list of the public policy targets established by her Department (a) between 2010 and May 2015 and (b) since May 2015.

      Students: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, published in March 2016, what progress has been made on establishing a fund to...

      Disability: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what safeguards her Department has in place to ensure that all local authorities commission short breaks for disabled children; and if she will make a...

      Teachers: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) attract and (b) retain newly-qualified teachers in (i) disadvantaged schools and (ii) deprived areas in...

      Department for Education: Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answers of 13 December 2016 to Question 56731 and of 12 January 2017 to Question 58008, on the Skills Funding Agency, which jobs her...

      Skills Funding Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what skills, knowledge and experience is required to hold a senior manager post in the Skills Funding Agency.

  • Scotland Office

    • Jobcentres: Glasgow

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2016 to Question 56916, on what date he was informed of the proposed jobcentre closures in Glasgow planned for 2018.

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Credit Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department permits its employees to join a credit union through payroll deductions; and if she will make a statement.

    • Holmwood House

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the amount of funding resulting from announcements in the Autumn...

      Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Labour Mobility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many civil servants in each unit of her Department are in the redeployment pool.

      Horse Racing: Betting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Gambling Commission on the application of Tattersalls Rule 4 deductions.

      Sports: Listed Events

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will update the qualifying criteria for television channels to broadcast sport under the listed events regime to ensure that...

      Mental Health Services: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health of February 2016, how much money from the Life Chances Fund has been...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • National Insurance Contributions: Carers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been in receipt of carers credit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    • State Retirement Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the minimum formal notice period is for pensionable age changes to be notified to individuals by his Department.

      Social Security Benefits: Inverclyde

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Inverclyde constituency have had their benefit payments reduced after transferring from disability living allowance to...

      Personal Independence Payment: Motability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants who have been transferred from disability living allowance to personal independence payment (PIP) have had their...

      Occupational Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has for further measures to assist employers in supporting employees to return to work after a health-related absence.

      Department for Work and Pensions: EU Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which EU directives relating to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

      Employment: Mental health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to introduce further measures to assist employers in supporting employees to return to work after a mental health-related...

      Personal Independence Payment: Motability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2017 to Question 58948, how many people who were previously in receipt of the enhanced personal...

      Jobcentres: Glasgow

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the amount of information available on the number of people in the disabled working-age...

      Jobcentres: Glasgow

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to record the number of people in the disabled working-age population in the Glasgow South constituency who use...

      Members: Corospendence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West to receive a reply to her freedom of information request of 8 November 2016;...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support and assistance the Government provides to families which experience reductions in their income as a result of the six-week...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Army: Hotels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation for soldiers in the UK, by each hotel, in 2016.

    • Ministry of Defence: Labour Mobility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil servants in each unit of his Department are in the redeployment pool.

      Clyde Naval Base: Military Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what formal arrangement is in place between Police Scotland and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Police regarding the division or delegation of...

      Clyde Naval Base: Military Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has plans in place to increase the number of Ministry of Defence police officers at HMNB Clyde and the Royal Naval Armaments...

      Clyde Naval Base: Military Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what change there has been in the number of police officers at HMNB Clyde and the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport in the last 12 months.

      Clyde Naval Base: Military Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Ministry of Defence Police officers are deployed to patrol in the civilian areas beyond the perimeter of HMNB Clyde and the Royal Naval...

      Ministry of Defence Police: Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many vacancies there are within the Ministry of Defence Police.

      Nuclear Weapons: Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the (a) Scottish Government and (b) local authorities in Scotland on the safety framework for nuclear convoys...

      Astute Class Submarines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the construction period was for (a) HMS Astute, (b) HMS Ambush and (c) HMS Artful.

      Warships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when construction is planned to commence on the new Fleet Solid Capital Support ships; how many such ships there are planned to be; and when those ships...

      Ministry of Defence Police: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is on target to recruit sufficient Ministry of Defence Police officers to ensure that the force is at no less than 95 per cent of...

      HMS Lancaster

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when HMS Lancaster is planned to commence her refit; and what her duties are planned to be until that refit commences.

      Military Bases: Religious Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 35843 to the hon. Member for Bridgend, what the outcomes were of the pilot project implemented to...

      Ministry of Defence: Re-employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of staff who ceased to be employed by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in the last three years have...

      Police: Ministry of Defence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to increase its funding for non-Ministry of Defence policing in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.

      Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the continued collaboration of aircraft carrier capabilities after HMS Queen Elizabeth...

      Defence Academy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total annual expenditure of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom was in each year from 2010 to 2016.

      Defence Academy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of expenditure by the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom was classified as official development assistance between 2010 and 2016.

      Veterans: Military Decorations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent meetings he has had with campaign groups on the potential introduction of the National Defence Medal to recognise the contribution of veterans.

      USA: Military Alliances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 30085, on unmanned air vehicles: deployment, whether the UK-US Memorandum of Understanding...

      Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to protect members of the armed services who served in Operation Banner from persistent legal claims.

      European Defence Agency: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK citizens are (a) employed by and (b) on secondment to the European Defence Agency.

      Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) Lockheed Martin, (b) BAE Systems and (c) the US Department of Defense on maintaining the current...

      Army

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans for (a) 1 Armoured Infantry Brigade and (b) 2 Armoured Infantry brigade to reach initial operational capacity; and when he pans for (i) 1...

      Defence: Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government plans to publish a defence industrial strategy.

  • Home Office

    • Police: Counter-terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding each police force in England and Wales received from her Department to employ counter terrorism security advisers in each...

    • Firearms: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for the Cotswolds of 1 December 2017 to Question 54884, for what reasons the Government does not...

      Ravil Mingazov

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has received an application from Ravil Mingazov for asylum since she has been granted release from Guantanamo Bay.

      Home Office: Labour Mobility

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil servants in each unit of her Department are in the redeployment pool.

      Homophobia

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on (a) training and (b) other mechanisms for avoiding institutional homophobia.

      Immigration: Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-British citizens who were conclusively identified as trafficked have received a residence permit since 2010.

      Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claims in 2015 were (a) refused within six months of being lodged and (b) subsequently granted on appeal.

      Home Office: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil servants in her Department received a bonus in 2016; and what the total amount of such bonuses was at each grade in her...

      Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what geographical unit of measurement her Department uses to determine whether its 1:200 ratio of asylum seekers to resident population has...

      Home Office: EU Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which EU directives relating to her Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

      Alexander Adamescu

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Metropolitan Police Service was contacted by Alexander Adamescu's legal representatives prior to his arrest.

      Extradition: Romania

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests she has received from the Romanian government for the extradition of UK residents under the European Arrest Warrant since...

  • Wales Office

    • S4C

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many letters or emails his Department has received on Government support for S4C since 1 January 2016; and how many of those letters or emails he has...

  • HM Treasury

    • Treasury: Re-employment

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many members of staff who ceased to be employed by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in the last three years have...

    • Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury had with Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive on (a) the Autumn Statement 2015 and (b) his...

      Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether discussions between Ministers of his Department and Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive on budgetary challenges facing the Executive during...

      Treasury: Labour Mobility

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many civil servants in each unit of his Department are in the redeployment pool.

      Pensions

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the reduction to £4,000 in the Money Purchase Annual Allowance referred to in paragraph 4.20 of the Autumn Statement 2016, Cm 9362, will apply...

      Annuities

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department made of the viability of the secondary annuities market, before its announcement of a scheme to enable pensioners to sell...

      Annuities

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department had with representatives of the annuities industry before taking the decision to (a) allow the sale of annuities and (b)...

      Annuities

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on enabling pensioners who were obliged to buy annuities to transfer their investment into alternative financial vehicles; and if he will...

      Merchant Shipping: Tax Allowances

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the value of tax reliefs granted to each merchant shipping company in each of the last five years; and for what purposes those tax reliefs...

      Sanitary Protection: VAT

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2016 to Question 55090, on sanitary protection: VAT, (a) on which dates, (b) with which EU institutions and (c) which...

      Fiscal Policy: Females

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that women are not disproportionately affected by the Government's fiscal policies.

      Solar Power

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of changes to the rateable value of solar panels on business rates for SMEs and community organisations...

      Infrastructure

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to support the development of long-term infrastructure.

      Economic Growth: South East

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support economic growth in (a) Medway and (b) the South East.

      Development Aid

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which government departments' budgets included expenditure counted towards UK Official Development Assistance in 2016.

      Employment

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the Purchasing Managers' Index as an indication of future trends in the level of employment.

      Average Earnings

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on wage growth of recent trends in the Office for Budget Responsibility's economic forecasts.

      Employment

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of employment.

      Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

      To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to support the further take-up of ultra low-emission vehicles.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Cabinet Office: Re-employment

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many members of staff who ceased to be employed by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in the last three years have...

    • Government Departments: Pay

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) entry level and (b) top level annual salary for the grade of Higher Executive Officer is in each government department; and if he will...

      Pay: Females

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of full-time equivalent employees are women in the gross salary bands (a) £150,000 to £155,000, (b) £155,000 to...

      Business: Procurement

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to take further steps to allow local authorities to make procurement decisions which favour local economies and businesses.

      Iron and Steel: Procurement

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the changes made to the steel procurement guidelines in the last two years are being adhered to by...

  • Department for International Trade

    • Beer: Exports

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase British beer exports.

    • Department for International Trade: Labour Mobility

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many civil servants in each unit of his Department are in the redeployment pool.

      Foreign Investment in UK

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what inward investment levels have been in the UK in the last six months by (a) region and (b) sector.

      Department for International Trade: EU Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which EU directives relating to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Labour Mobility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants in each unit of her Department are in the redeployment pool.

    • Polar Regions: Environment Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her overseas counterparts on proposals to protect the Last Ice Area and its polar...

      Lions: Hunting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2016 to Question 56691, what steps her Department has taken to identify the (a)...

      Lions: Hunting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40644, what recent assessment she has made of improvements in the way...

      Floods: Property Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken with the Department for Communities and Local Government to ensure that local...

      Plastics: Packaging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to encourage large retailers to reduce excess plastic packaging of products bought (a) in...

      Food: Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the feasibility of bringing forward legislative proposals to reduce the practice...

      Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of charges for plastic carrier bags; and whether she has plans to increase...

      Beverage Containers: Recycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions (a) she and (b) Ministers and officials of her Department have had with coffee chain companies on the...

      Beverage Containers: Recycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to improve recycling solutions for polyethylene-lined paper cups.

      Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which EU directives relating to her Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

      Agriculture: Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2016 to Question 57962, on agricultural subsidies, how many 2015 Basic Payment Scheme...

      Bovine Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department provides to farmers who have cattle infected with tuberculosis.

      Agriculture and Environment: Public Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish (a) an environment and (b) a food and farming green paper before Article 50 is triggered.

      Fisheries: Iceland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to offer assistance to British seafood processing firms in the event that the Icelandic...

      Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will provide a comprehensive list of the public policy targets established by her Department (a) between 2010 and May...

      Flood Control: Cost Effectiveness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2017 to Question 58346, on flood control, what efficiencies have been identified to...

      Flood Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 December 2016 to Question 57991, on flood control, if she will publish the infrastructure...

      Agriculture: Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2016 to Question 57962, on agricultural subsidies, how many new queries on unpaid 2015...

      Beef: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average price of beef is in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK.

      Agriculture: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's press release of 4 January 2017, Environment Secretary pledges cuts to farming red tape,...

  • Department of Health

    • Tobacco

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans for the Tobacco Control Strategy to be published.

    • Tobacco

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the relationship between tobacco price and consumption of tobacco.

      Department of Health: Re-employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many members of staff who ceased to be employed by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in the last three years have...

      Breast Cancer: Medical Treatments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what alternative treatments are available for breast cancer patients requiring bisphosphonates until 2018.

      Tobacco: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for a licensing scheme for tobacco (a) retailers and (b) wholesalers.

      Tobacco

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he (a) has met and (b) will meet tobacco companies to discuss a Tobacco Companies Obligation as recommended by Action on Smoking and Health in its...

      Tobacco: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to establish a minimum unit price for tobacco products.

      Life Expectancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will rank the causes of health inequality measured by life expectancy in England.

      Death Certificates: Smoking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans the Government has to include smoking as a contributory factor on death certificates.

      Tobacco

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with officials from which countries officials of his Department met during the Seventh Session of the Conference of the Policies of the World Health...

      Department of Health: Labour Mobility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many civil servants in each unit of his Department are in the redeployment pool.

      Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will introduce the mandatory collection of data relating to the number of people diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by a...

      Chronic Illnesses: Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what meetings (a) ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with Public Health England on developing the evidence base on long-term health...

      Breast Cancer: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (a) has met since 29 December 2016 or (b) plans to meet Roche during the consultation...

      Psychiatry: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the funding arrangement is for accredited child psychotherapists; and what such funding has been provided for the (a) current and (b) 2010 to 2015...

      Emergency Calls: Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of 999 emergency services being used to provide non-emergency social care.

      Complementary Medicine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to (a) healthcare professionals and (b) NICE on the role of complementary medicines and alternative medicines.

      Hospices: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will increase the value of the children's hospice grant in England.

      Strokes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2016 to Question 53101, what meetings took place on the National Stroke Strategy between (a) Ministers and...

      General Practitioners: Qualifications

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of (a) registered and (b) active GPs obtained their initial qualifications in other EU countries.

      Accident and Emergency Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on accident and emergency and urgent care services in each year since 2010.

      Palliative Care: Children and Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what safeguards his Department has in place to ensure that local authorities are planning and funding palliative care for children and young people; and...

      NHS: Complaints

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many formal complaints (a) mental health services and (b) the NHS received in each region in each month of each year since 2010.

      Mental Illness: Prescription Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prescriptions for anti-anxiety medication were dispensed in each region in each month of each year since 2010.

      Prisons: Counselling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on counselling or therapy in prisons for (a) prisoners and (b) prison staff with post-traumatic stress disorder in (i)...

      Occupational Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, what progress his Department has made in doubling the reach of the Individual Placement...

  • Department for International Development

  • Department for Education

    • Teachers: Resignations

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the ongoing annual additional cost of state school teachers leaving the profession within five years of starting in 2010.

    • Schools: Staff

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many support staff, expressed as full-time equivalents, were employed in English primary, secondary and special state schools, in (1) 2007–8, (2)...

      Schools: Inspections

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many schools in England and Wales have not been inspected by OFSTED in the last 10 years for which figures are available.

  • The Senior Deputy Speaker

    • Chair of State

      To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker when the Chair of State in the House of Lords Robing Room will be reupholstered.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Awacs

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Royal Air Force E-3D aircraft are operational.

    • Antiship Missiles

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the reasons for the early withdrawal from service of the Harpoon anti-ship missile from Royal Navy Type 23 Frigates and Type 45 Destroyers; what...

      Cyprus: Military Bases

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the strategic significance of the UK’s military bases on the island of Cyprus.

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Broadband: Planning Permission

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 29 November 2016 (HL3375), 6 December 2016 (HL3759) and 15 December 2016 (HL3986), whether the 2003...

  • Home Office

    • Terrorism

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of developments in European intelligence sharing since the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris and the 2016 terrorist attacks in...

    • Naturalisation

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any applications for naturalisation have been awaiting a decision from the Home Office for longer than two years; and if so, why.

      Refugees: Children

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 10 January (HL4287), how many of the 750 children brought to the UK have been transferred...

      Cedars Pre-departure Accommodation Facility

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to use the Cedars deportation centre following its closure.

      Asylum: Syria

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authorities in England and Wales have accepted Syrian asylum seekers; and how many have been accommodated in each area.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Brexit

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen on 12 July (HL1134), and in the light of the resignation of the UK ambassador to the EU, Sir...

    • Charities: Grants

      To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen on 19 December 2016 concerning the total amount of donations made by the Government and the NHS to...

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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