Written answers

Monday, 29 April 2019

  • Department for Transport

    • Highways England: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of land owned by Highways England is in Wales.

    • Turkmenistan Airlines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what step his Department is taking to support UK customers that were financially affected by the grounding of Turkmenistan Airlines for safety reasons...

      Driving Tests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to amend the driver’s theory test in relation to (a) pedestrians and (b) cyclists.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which Minister in his Department authorised the establishment of a national police group to guard High Speed Two.

      Crossrail Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has made to the (a) Mayor of London and (b) chair of Crossrail Ltd on additional delays to the opening of Crossrail.

      Durham Coast Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2019 to Question 241019, how long the refurbished Sprinter trains destined for the Durham Coast line will have been...

      Durham Coast Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2019 to Question 241019, what service the refurbished Sprinter trains destined for the Durham Coast line have been...

      Durham Coast Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2019 to Question 241019, what trains will replace the refurbished Sprinter trains destined for the Durham Coast line.

      Durham Coast Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2019 to Question 241019, what the expected operational lifespan is of the refurbished Sprinter trains to be used on...

      High Speed 2 Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will provide an update at today's costs of the total cost for the construction of High Speed Two.

      High Speed Two: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the directors of HS2 Ltd and their annual salary or equivalent.

      Cycling: Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a cycling indemnity for people using their bike to get to work.

      Electric Vehicles: Bicycles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness legislation to limit the use of the throttle on e-bikes at 15.5mph.

      Railways: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish the Schedule 8 payments made for financial year 2019-19; and if he will publish that data by financial quarter.

      East Coast Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2019 to Question 243447 on the East Coast Railway Line, through which Government Department Members of Parliament...

      Transport: Stoke-on-Trent

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that reasonably-priced travel options remain available to passengers travelling from Stoke-on-Trent to London.

      Railways: Fares

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the regulations governing rail fares and ticketing were last reviewed.

      Railways: Fares

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to review the regulations governing rail fares and ticketing.

      High Speed 2 Railway Line: Buckinghamshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will halt all High Speed Two works in Buckinghamshire until the full designs have been completed and the costs of the project have been updated...

      River Thames: Boats

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to proposals from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on older UK passenger boats, what discussions he has had with the (a) Mayor of...

      Boats

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what impact assessment his Department (a) has carried out or (b) is proposing on the potential effect of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s...

      River Thames: Boats

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has (a) conducted or (b) plans to conduct an impact assessment on the effect of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s...

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    • Nuclear Power: Thorium

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of using thorium fuels for energy production.

    • STEM Subjects: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has plans to increase Government funding to support the STEM research sector; and what recent assessment he...

      Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to row 7 of the table on page 250 of his Department's publication, Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18,...

      Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to row 12 of the table on page 250 of his Department's publication, Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18,...

      Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to row 8 of the table on page 250 of his Department's publication, Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18,...

      Artificial Intelligence and Computers: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to support research into advanced computing and artificial intelligence.

      Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Billing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of his Department's payments to (a) businesses and (b) SMEs were made within his Department's prompt...

      Construction: Skilled Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of skilled workers in the construction industry.

      Construction: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of young people training for a career in the construction...

      Nuclear Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) cost and (b) environmental consequences of nuclear energy.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Gambia: Corruption

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the current efficiency of anti-corruption measures in The Gambia.

    • South Africa: Land

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help end land seizures in South Africa.

      South Sudan: Peace Negotiations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) continuing role of Thabo Mbeki in the South Sudan peace process and (b) effect of...

      Mediterranean Sea: Rescue Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the stranding of the Alan Kurdi rescue vessel, what steps the Government is taking to help humanitarian...

      Embassies: Huawei

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will conduct a survey of its embassies and residencies to determine whether physical Huawei telecoms...

      State Visits: USA

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Government Ministers have plans to meet with President Trump during his upcoming state visit.

      State Visits: USA

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which locations President Trump plans to visit during his state visit.

      Libya: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the US Administration on that country's policy on the political...

      Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role his Department played in the appointment of Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammad Alkhalifa to become an Ambassador of Bahrain to...

      Poland: Ethnic Cleansing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies on (a) human rights and (b) the rule of law of the reported...

      Iraq and Syria: Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his US counterpart following reports that the US may be considering a mass transfer of...

      China: Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has held with his Chinese counterpart on the Shanghai World Dog Show 2019 and animal welfare in that country.

      USA: UN Resolutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on his Department's policies of the US Administration’s (a) recent...

      Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Ugandan counterpart on the reported arrest of the Member of the Ugandan Parliament...

      State Visits: USA

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of President Trump's planned state visit for 3-5 June 2019.

      Yemen: Peace Negotiations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the recent escalation of military activity in Al Dhale’e, Yemen...

      Mexico: Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of reports of attempted forced conversion, illegal fines, cutting of basic services and forcible...

  • Cabinet Office

    • European Parliament: Elections

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate the registration of EU citizens to vote in the European parliamentary elections scheduled for 23 May 2019.

    • Department for Work and Pensions: Sick Leave

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of work days lost due to absence and absenteeism as a result of (a) stress, (b) anxiety and (c) depression in...

      European Parliament: Elections

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost will be to the public purse of holding the elections to the European Parliament.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Family Nurse Partnership Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in what areas the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme is running; and how many FNPs have been running nationally since its inception.

    • Carers: Gender

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative assessment of the gender split of carers in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland, (d) Wales and (e)...

      Health Services: Arts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the role of the arts in social prescribing.

      Plastic Surgery: Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 242742 on Plastic Surgery: Insurance, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a)...

      Plastic Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will reclassify dermal fillers as prescription-only medicines.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria were used by his Department to decide on applications to train to be part of the Government mental health support teams.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the training programme for new mental health support teams; and if he will publish the content...

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to integrate the new mental health support teams with existing services in (a) schools and (b) the NHS.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department used to decide which Care Commissioning Groups would be included in the pilots for the new mental health...

      Opiates: Misuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress Public Health England has made on its pledge to review the use of the phrase discontinuation syndrome as a means of...

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of prescription rates of (a) mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and (b)...

      Autism and Learning Disability: Psychiatric Hospitals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2019 to Question 238347 on Autism and Learning Disability: Psychiatric Hospitals, whether the target in...

      UK Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostics Collaborative

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish the data produced by Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostics Collaborative.

      Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2019 to Question 231971, if his Department will publish its plans for the implementation of Tackling...

      NHS: Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to recognise Humanist marriages for the purpose of paying an NHS survivors pension to spouses of deceased...

      Prescription Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish Public Health England's Prescribed medicines: an evidence review.

      General Practitioners: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the time taken to obtain non-emergency GP appointments in (a) England and (b) Gloucestershire; and if...

      Mental Illness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he made of the prevalance of diagnosed mental health conditions in each National Statistics socio-economics...

      Care Homes: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the cost of residential care for the elderly.

      Health Services: EU Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to issue guidance to NHS staff on EU citizens with settled status and access to NHS care.

      Primodos

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons his Ministers declined to meet with members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on hormone pregnancy tests to discuss...

  • Department for International Development

    • Gambia: International Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of (a) EU aid and (b) UK bilateral aid to The Gambia on (i) democratic transition, (ii)...

    • Gambia: Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department has (a) funded and (b) provided for refugees returning to The Gambiain for (a) reintegration and (b)...

      Gambia: Credit Unions

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department provides support to the National Association of Cooperative Credit Unions of Gambia.

      South Africa: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much Official Development Assistance her Department has allocated to South Africa in each of the last two years; and how much...

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries her Department has stopped allocating Official Development Assistance to in the last 12 months.

      Developing Countries: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding her Department has allocated to the promotion of universal health coverage.

      Developing Countries: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to encourage developing countries to investing in their health care systems through domestic resources.

      Developing Countries: Infant Mortality

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that child survival is on the agenda at this year’s high-level global meetings.

      Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen community engagement in its response to the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of...

      Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to lead donor efforts to support regional (a) preparedness and (b) contingency planning in...

      Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the level of Ebola misinformation in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what steps her...

      Department for International Development: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2019 to Question 239838 on Department for International Development: Secondment, how many...

      Department for International Development: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many companies based in Wales had contracts from her Department in (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19; and what the value of each such...

      Gaza: Health Professions

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help protect Palestinian health workers in Gaza.

      Gaza: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure Official Development Assistance allocated to Gaza supports the sustainable development...

      India: LGBT People

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of facilities that offer medical treatment and services for LGBT...

      Nepal: Leprosy

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to help tackle leprosy in Nepal.

      Zimbabwe: Food

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department taking to tackle the food shortage in Zimbabwe.

      Sri Lanka: Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department has offered to the Sri Lankan Government as a result of the series of attacks on churches in that country.

      Palestinians: International Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to contribute funding to the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

      Department for International Development: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2019 to Question 243539, how many of those 78 DFID staff were moved from existing roles within the...

      Gaza: Non-governmental Organisations

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of increased restrictions on (a) personnel and (b) material entering the Gaza...

      Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian impact of the recent escalation of military activity in Al Dhale’e,...

      Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made on the ability of humanitarian organisations to operate in Al Dhale’e, Yemen.

      Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure humanitarian organisations are able to operate in Al Dhale’e, Yemen.

  • Department for Education

    • Building Schools for the Future Programme: Blackburn with Darwen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Blackburn with Darwen has a PFI funded Building Schools for the Future Programme.

    • Building Schools for the Future Programme: Blackpool

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Blackpool has a PFI funded Priority Schools Building Programme.

      Building Schools for the Future Programme: Cheshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been allocated to the (a) Cheshire West and (b) Chester Batch 5 North West Schools Programme under PFI; and what the (a) unitary...

      Overseas Students: EU Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether EU nationals will be eligible for (a) home fee status and (b) financial support when enrolled for UK higher education courses in the academic...

      Schools: Private Finance Initiative

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the (a) names, (b) unitary charges and (c) cost of all PFI funded schools in Dudley Grid for Learning.

      Pupil Exclusions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the correlation between off-rolling pupils and inadequate mental health services in schools.

      Apprentices: Birkenhead

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding from the apprenticeship levy has been allocated to placements in Birkenhead constituency; how many of those placements in have been...

      T-levels: Birkenhead

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timeframe is for Further Education providers in Birkenhead constituency to begin offering T-levels; and when he plans for the roll-out of...

      Qualifications: Gender

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the achievement gap in qualifications between male and female pupils in schools.

      Schools: Discrimination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to prevent sexism in schools.

      Apprentices: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date the Government will publish the results of the Apprenticeship Pay Survey 2018.

      Schools: Inspections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the draft Ofsted education inspection framework does not include special references to groups of learners such as young carers.

      Special Educational Needs: Visual Impairment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the increase in funding for special needs provision meets the needs of the visually impaired.

      Environment Protection: Curriculum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of strengthening the provision of environmental education in the curriculum.

      Pupils: Work Experience

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to introduce compulsory work experience for secondary school students.

      Schools: Counselling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to conduct research on the adequacy of counselling services provided in schools in England.

      Erasmus+ Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school (a) teachers and (b) pupils have benefited from Erasmus programmes in each of the last five years.

      Schools: Rural Areas

      What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on additional funding for rural schools.

      Literacy: Teaching Methods

      What recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of teaching early literacy through phonics.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Offenders: Electronic Tagging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2019 to Question 234706 on Offenders: Electronic Tagging, how many offenders have taken part in each of the GPS...

    • Debt Collection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the number of people who have experienced problems with bailiffs.

      Rape: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been for administering date rape drugs in each of the last five years.

      Criminal Cases Review Commission: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timeframe is for the appointment of new Commissioners to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

      Criminal Cases Review Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will place the minutes of the meeting between the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and the Criminal Cases Review Commission on 25 March 2019...

      Debts: Judgements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many judgments in cases related to debt courts have made in each of the last 10 years broken down by (a) the age group of defendants and (b) the...

      Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the launch of the consultation on the review of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to ensure the right compensation for...

      Prison Sentences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people since 2016, who have been given a sentence of six months or less, have previously served (a) 20 short sentences of six months or less,...

      Disasters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has been made on implementing the commitment in the Queen's Speech 2017 to introduce an independent public advocate who will act for...

      Council Tax: Non-payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have served custodial sentences due to non-payment of council tax in each of the last 10 years.

      Prison Officers: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2019 to Question 236498 on Prison Officers: Training, how many Offender Manager Key Worker Champions there are in each...

  • Department for International Trade

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    • Housing: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 13 March 2019, Spring Statement 2019, HCWS 1407, when (a) further...

    • Housing: Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 13 March 2019, Spring Statement 2019, HCWS 1407, what level of energy...

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 13 March 2019, Spring Statement 2019, HCWS 1407, whether the Future Homes...

      Religious Hatred

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the 415 per cent increase in religious hate crimes recorded...

      Housing: Oxfordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 242953 on Housing: Oxfordshire, what steps his Department has...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Iran: International Military Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the date was of the most recent enforcement hearing for the court case between IMS Ltd and the Iranian Government on outstanding IMS debt.

    • Defence: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to make an assessment of the effect of procurement decisions on levels of (a) safety training and (b) equipment standards in the...

      Royal Armoured Corps: Anniversaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to mark the 80th Anniversary of the founding of The Royal Armoured Corps.

      Tanks: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to announce the procurement of new tanks for the Army; and what the timeframe is for those tanks to come in to service.

      Ministry of Defence: Brexit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has deprioritised any Statutory Instruments on UK leaving the EU; and if he will publish the criteria his Department used to...

      Army: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the overall pass rates were for the British Army personal fitness assessment in each of the last five years.

      Royal Armoured Corps

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current order of battle is of The Royal Armoured Corps.

      Type 26 Frigates: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK suppliers are supported during the manufacture of the Type 26 Frigate programme.

      Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether bidders participating in the procurement process for fleet support ships are required to provide carrier strike group 21 capabilities; and if he...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Work Capability Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of whether Maximus is meeting the SC12 and SC13 targets in schedule 2.2 of the Health and Disability Assessment...

    • Personal Independence Payment: Foreign Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the financial effect on students in receipt of personal independence payments (PIP) caused by her policy that...

      Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: Dupuytren's Contracture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the Minister will take steps to ensure that no recipient will be financially disadvantaged by the delay to including Dupuytren's...

      Welfare State: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the effect of the continued absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Assembly on the welfare system in...

      Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2019 to Question 232109 on Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations, whether she plans to publish...

      Pension Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to simplify the process of claiming pension credit.

      Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to publish the next White Paper on pensions; and if she will make a statement.

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2018 to Question 142518 on Employment and Support Allowance, whether any subsequent changes have been made to...

      Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints her Department has received about personal independence payment assessments in (a) the last 12 months and (b) since the...

      State Retirement Pensions: Reciprocal Arrangements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will place a copy of the reciprocal agreement covering pensions with the Philippines in the House of Commons Library.

      Employment Guarantee Bill

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on the potential merits of the Employment Guarantee Bill, presented to Parliament on 13 June 2018.

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what investigatory powers are available to officials in her Department to calculate the (a) income of a parent due to pay child maintenance,...

      Sick Leave: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the effect on the economy of employment absences and absenteeism as a result of (a) stress, (b) anxiety and (c)...

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential for non-resident parents with irregular variable income to abuse the Child Maintenance Service...

      Ceramics: North Staffordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to support potters in North Staffordshire facing redundancy.

      Work Capability Assessments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have died within (a) six months and (b) 12 months after being assessed as fit for work.

      Unemployment: Mental Illness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the unemployment rate of people with diagnosed mental health conditions in each of the last 10 years.

      Pension Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 243355, what assessment he has made of the merits of a formal policy monitoring spending...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Deer: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he had had with his counterparts in devolved Administrations on a UK-wide deer cull to tackle damage to...

    • Water: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the price of water is affordable for older people.

      Shipping: Noise

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of underwater noise emissions from commercial shipping on wildlife in...

      Fisheries: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce harmful fishing practices including the release of off-cuts of rope from nets...

      Waste Management: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons waste management standards vary between councils.

      Air Pollution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of air pollution on (a) vulnerable groups and (b) children who (i) live,...

      Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to keep the global temperature at less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

      Utilities: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the price of (a) energy and (b) water services remain affordable for older people.

      Plastic Bags

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the contribution that banning the production, sale and use of single-use plastic...

      Motor Vehicles: Urban Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing monthly car-free Sundays in city centres.

      Pesticides

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) support farmers to reduce their dependence on pesticides and (b) transition to non-chemical...

      Natural England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which Minister in his Department has Ministerial oversight of Natural England.

      Natural England: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which stakeholders Natural England consulted ahead of its decision to revoke General Licences 04/05/06.

      Natural England: Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department had with Natural England ahead of its decision to revoke General Licences 04/05/06.

      Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to regulate animal rescue homes and centres.

      Animal Welfare: Sentencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, following the granting of Royal Assent to Finns Law, when he plans to bring forward the legislative proposals necessary to...

  • Home Office

    • British Nationality: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to (a) correct information distributed by email by UK Visas and Immigration on 22 March 2019 that stated that...

    • UK Visas and Immigration: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what standard training and assessments UKVI Entry Clearance Officers receive (a) before they begin their role and (b) after they have...

      Entry Clearances

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) Entry Clearance Officers and (b) Entry Clearance Managers are employed on a permanent and full time basis in decision-making...

      Immigration Controls: Passports

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the criteria is for selecting which passport holders have access to e-passport gates; and what assessment he has made of the potential...

      Immigration: Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in the Immigration Health Surcharge on trends in the level of non-EEA NHS nursing...

      Merseyside Police: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional support he is providing to Merseyside Police to (a) tackle gun crime in Birkenhead and (b) prevent children and young people...

      Domestic Abuse: Foreign Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that non-British domestic abuse victims residing in the UK are supported by the authorities.

      Refugees: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Q13 of the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Immigration to the EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee on 13 March...

      Visas: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many days has no appointment with the UK Visa and Citizenship Applications Service been available outside of London since November 2018.

      Visas: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the effect is on an immigration application of the applicant being unable to book a mandatory appointment with the UK Visa and...

      Personation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps he has taken to tackle identity fraud.

      Personation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of identity fraud have been reported in each of the last 12 months.

      Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to announce the future of the UK’s refugee resettlement programmes ahead of the conclusion of the Vulnerable Persons...

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of staffing levels in homicide and serious crime units within police forces in each year since 2010.

      Barbecues

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the risks of disposable barbecues to wildlife and the natural environment.

      Public Authority (Accountability) Bill

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to introduce the provisions set out in the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill recommended by the Rt RevJames Jones...

      Migrant Workers: NHS and Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that new immigration framework will enable the (a) health service and (b) social care sector to continue...

      Visas: Commonwealth

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will remove visa charges for Commonwealth UK Armed Forces personnel and their immediate families when applying for...

      State Visits: USA

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional funding his Department plans to allocate to support the policing of President Trump's state visit planned for 3-5 June 2019.

      Immigration: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average response time is for an immigration case which raises issues relating to the Human Rights Act 1998 in the most recent...

      Immigration: Appeals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, following a successful appeal to the First-tier Tribunal, what the average timescale is for the Home Office to review and implement the...

      Overseas Visitors

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how his Department decides the frequency of reporting appointments at reporting centres, police stations or other locations for people who...

      Travellers: Caravan Sites

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to implement measures outlined in the Government's response to the consultation on powers for dealing with unauthorised...

      Police: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which construction organisations and projects pay for their own policing; how many police personnel are involved in such protection; and...

      Police: Cross Border Cooperation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the additional costs of back record conversion of Schengen information to Interpol for police forces as a...

      Slavery: Airports and Ports

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery at (a) airports and (b) seaports; and if he will make a statement.

      Immigration Controls: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what preparations have been made to enhance passport checking systems at each of Northern Ireland's airports.

      Immigration: EU Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the evidence given by the Minister for Immigration to the Exiting the EU Committee on 11 July 2018, Qq2302-2303, what...

      Immigration: EU Nationals

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans his Department has to issue guidance to staff in the Department of Work and Pensions on EU citizens with settled status and their...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Environmental Impact Assessment: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the environmental impact on Northern Ireland of the lack of (a) an independent environmental protection agency...

    • Northern Ireland Office: Brexit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether her Department has deprioritised any Statutory Instruments on the UK leaving the EU; and if she will publish the criteria her...

  • Treasury

    • Universal Credit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the £1,000 work allowance increase announced in Budget 2018.

    • Environment Protection: Finance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Spring Statement of 13 March 2019, HCWS1407, whether the additional funding for the environment applies to (a) England or (b) England...

      Child Benefit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has plans to ensure equity in the high-income child benefit charge in relation to a (a) one-earner couple and (b) two-earner couple.

      NHS: Pensions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of the Prime Minister of 3 April 2019, Official Report, column 1023, what discussions his officials have had with officials of the...

      Child Care Vouchers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultations were undertaken by his Department prior to the phasing out of the kiddicare voucher scheme.

      Child Care Vouchers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse was of providing the kiddicare voucher scheme in the most recent 12 months for which information is available.

      Children: Day Care

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will undertake a trial of means-testing for eligibility to tax-free childcare.

      Village Halls: Finance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Barnett Formula will be applied to calculate the share of the recently announced village hall grant funding.

      European Investment Bank

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s Infrastructure Finance Review, what recent progress has been made in establishing the UK’s future...

      Revenue and Customs: Reorganisation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if HMRC will publish the final business case for the HMRC estate transformation programme.

      Credit Unions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of discontinuities in credit union capital requirements on credit unions' capacity to grow assets beyond £10...

      Capital Gains Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the incidence of carried interest taxed as capital gains tax has been anually since 2005.

      Trusts

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2019 to Question 243573, how many of the over 60 schemes that have been disclosed under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance...

      Trade Agreements: China

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many investment agreements the Government has signed with the Chinese Government since 2010.

      Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what official engagements and meetings he has scheduled at the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.

      Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the former Prime Minister the Rt. Hon David Cameron ahead of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in...

      Multinational Companies: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2019 to Question 242951 on Multinational Companies: Taxation, if he will publish each country that the HM Treasury...

      EU Grants and Loans

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total amount the EU paid to the UK in grants and funding was in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

      Public Sector: Redundancy Pay

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's 10 April 2019 press release entitled Six-figure taxpayer-funded public sector exit payments to end, (a) how many exit...

      Manufacturing Industries

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2019 to Question 244078 on Manufacturing Industries, whether any financial support is available to manufacturers...

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into with Departmental staff in each of the last five years.

    • Mobile Libraries: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of the level of funding to ensure a mobile library in each local authority area.

      Internet: Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will fund an initiative to offer training on use of the internet for elderly people in their local area in cooperation...

      101 Calls: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether there is a requirement for telephone providers to have a 15 pence service charge for calls made to the police on the...

      Sports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential role of sport in the Government's strategies to tackle serious violent crime.

      Loneliness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the capability of tech businesses to tackle loneliness.

      Sanitary Protection: Taxation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of restricting the Tampon Tax Fund to charities which specialise in...

      Internet: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2019 to Question 242826, whether all data is considered to be user-generated content; and...

      Circuses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support he provides for the promotion of circus skills (a) in local communities and (b) internationally.

  • Department for Exiting the European Union

    • Brexit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the cost of the public purse has been of the Government's producing analysis papers relating to the UK leaving the EU.

    • Department for Exiting the European Union: Equal Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the gender pay gap in his Department.

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    • Social Services: Pay

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to check whether agencies employing careworkers are paying the costs of such workers for their travel between clients.

    • Groceries Code Adjudicator

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Groceries Code Adjudicator.

      Biofuels

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of bioenergy's contribution to cutting harmful emissions.

      Business: Billing

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the announcement in the Spring Statement that listed companies will be required to report on their payment performance in their annual report and...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Darfur: Genocide

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations of genocide in Darfur; what action the international community might take as a result; and what discussions they...

    • Abdullah Öcalan

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the concerns expressed by hunger strikers protesting at the prison conditions of Abdullah Öcalan; and what...

      Ali Hajji

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bahrain to secure medical treatment for Ali Alhajee, who resumed his hunger strike in Jau Prison on 5...

      Mariam Albardoli

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 March (HL14745), what assessment they have made of the investigative allegations against...

      Hajer Mansoor Hassan

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 March (HL14213), what assessment they have made of reports that prison authorities in Bahrain...

      Hassan Mushaima

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that prison authorities in Bahrain have provided inadequate medical care to political prisoner Hassan Mushaima, including...

      Bahrain: Torture

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 March (HL14745), whether they will reconsider their advice to victims of torture to seek recourse...

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • General Practitioners: Fees and Charges

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in preventing victims of domestic abuse from being charged by GPs for letters needed to access legal and other professional services.

    • Mental Health Services: Children

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of the fall in real-terms funding per child for low-level mental health services in 60 per cent of local...

  • Department for International Development

  • Department for Education

    • Children in Care

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to require a placing local authority to introduce a procedure for when young people are placed in another local...

    • Schools: Sugar

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional support, funding, and guidance they intend to provide to schools to (1) limit the availability of sugar products in schools, and (2) become sugar-free.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Probation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the positive impact of face-to-face meetings between ex-offenders and National Probation Service officials; how many such...

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    • Housing

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what specific legislative measures they have taken since the publication of Fixing our broken housing market (Cm 9352) on 7 February 2017.

    • Council Housing: Older People

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for additional council house provision for older people in rural areas.

      Local Government: Property Transfer

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, when a local authority acts, for a fee, as a guarantor for a property transaction in which it has no other interest in a distant local authority the...

      Local Government: Borrowing

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when a local authority borrows via the Public Works Loan Board to invest in commercial property principally in order to make a margin to help finance expenditure,...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • HMS Queen Elizabeth

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when it is anticipated that HMS Queen Elizabeth will undergo its first dry dock maintenance at Rosyth Dockyard.

    • Military Bases: South West

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what factors influenced the decision to delay and scale back the proposals to concentrate military units in Devon and Somerset in a single large-scale garrison.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Social Security Benefits: Disability

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have opened consultation on merging Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance assessments; and if not, when they intend to do so.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in ensuring that musicians directly affected by restrictions on the trade and movement of products covered by the Convention on...

    • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in increasing the number of ports designated as points of entry for goods covered by the Convention on International Trade in...

      National Parks: Wildlife

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of wildlife decline in UK national parks.

      Food: Rural Areas

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of the food and drink industry to the rural economy; and what steps they intend to take to ensure that food safety...

      Birds of Prey: Conservation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) size of the population of, and (2) the threat of extinction faced by, hen harriers in England; and whether they intend to...

  • Home Office

    • British Nationality

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the “best interests of the children test” pursuant to section 55 of the Borders, Citizens and Immigration Act 2009 was applied in the cases...

    • Livestock: Theft

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of livestock theft in England.

      Slavery

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research published by the Cooperative Group on 1 March that said that 18 per cent of the British public were unaware of...

      Home Office: Data Protection

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the data breaches by the Home Office which led to the sharing of personal data of applicants for settled status and of...

      CCTV

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to roll-out CCTV in areas which have high violent crime rates, including of knife crime.

      CCTV: Scotland

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Scotland Office on 9 May 1996 (HC27914) in which the Minister stated that about £4 million was...

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Internet: Pornography

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will implement the requirements in the Digital Economy Act 2017 in relation to age verification on websites with pornographic content.

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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