Written answers

Wednesday, 8 July 2020

  • Department for Transport

    • Driving: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing late night driving restrictions for people aged under 21.

    • Transport: Infrastructure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on equitable investment in major infrastructure projects.

      Railway Stations: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to upgrade smaller train stations to ensure that all stations are accessible to people with disabilities.

      Walking: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to promote walk to school days.

      Oxford-Hereford Railway Line

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has made to the Prime Minister on including the North Cotswold Line Strategic Outline Business Case improvements within the...

      Electric Scooters: Pedestrian Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with the National Federation of the Blind of the UK and and the Royal National Institute of Blind People on the use of...

      Motorcycles: Delivery Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward a scheme to ensure a minimum driving standard requirement for delivery drivers who use mopeds.

      Driving Instruction: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department will take to ensure that all approved driving instructors receive guidance on how they can safely restart driving lessons...

      Railways: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the COVID Emergency Management Arrangements (EMA) with Train Operating Companies (TOC), what provisions are included in the EMA to...

      Railways: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the COVID Emergency Management Arrangements (EMA) with Train Operating Companies, what steps his Department took to ensure that...

      Bus Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant (CBSSG), what steps his Department took to ensure that large bus operators had sought...

      Public Transport: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the (a) general publicity regarding the new covid-19 travel regulations and passenger compliance,...

      Public Transport: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of (a) trends in the use and (b) the effectiveness of (i) Stagecoach and (ii) other operator Journey Assistance Cards in...

      Protective Clothing: Public Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the level of risk of (a) older and (b) vulnerable people catching covid-19 as a result of passengers on public...

      Bus Services and Railways: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on enforcement of the mandatory requirement to wear face masks on (a) trains and (b) buses in...

      Bus Services and Railways: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, for what reasons it is Government policy that (a) bus and (b) train passengers are responsible for providing...

      Public Transport: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on (a) the provision of face masks and (b) the effect of that provision on public confidence in...

      Bus Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support the Government provides to bus drivers when a passenger (a) boards without a face covering or (b) removes their face covering after...

      Bus Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on police support for bus drivers to enforce the wearing of face coverings by passengers on...

      Bus Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether passengers on private tour coaches will be required to socially distance while (a) wearing and (b) not wearing face coverings during the...

      Airports: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that workers in airports are not affected by job losses due to the covid-19 outbreak.

      Roads: Greater Manchester

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of transferring responsibility for the strategic highway network to Transport for...

      Public Transport: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) Transport for London on increasing funding to the Education and Skills Funding Agency...

      Railways: Waste Disposal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which rail franchises have temporary non-compliance status from Network Rail and run rolling stock that dumps human waste and effluent on railway...

      Railways: Waste Disposal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which railway routes on the England and Wales rail network have temporary non-compliance status from Network Rail and allow the practice of dumping...

      Railways: Waste Disposal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what risk assessment his Department has made of the effect on railway workers from human waste and effluent on tracks in England and Wales during the...

      Driving: Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Road Safety statement of July 2019, what progress his Department has made on the introduction of a mandatory eyesight test at...

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    • UK Research and Innovation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when UK Research and Innovation's (UKRI) budget will be published; and what proportion of the £22 billion spend on...

    • UK Research and Innovation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of (a) applicants and (b) successful applicants of the 2020 Strength in Places pathfinder programme...

      Fracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the University of Stirling on the...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • Aviation: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with which international counterparts he has held discussions on the establishment of air bridges.

    • British Overseas Territories: Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that air bridges are established with (a) Gibraltar and (b) the Overseas Territories as soon...

      Israel: Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help secure peace between Israel and Palestine.

      Israeli Settlements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to respond to the Israeli annexation of the West Bank since his statement on 31 January 2020.

      Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to (a) maintain the current level of parliamentary and independent scrutiny of the aid budget and...

      British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish a breakdown of the expenditure of the £75 million announced as part of the partnership between...

      British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish a list of countries from which the Government organised chartered flights to repatriate British travellers...

      Operation Blue Star

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of Government documents relating to the 1984 Amritsar massacre has been put into the public domain.

      China: Prosperity Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much funding has been allocated to China through the UK Prosperity Fund.

      Hong Kong: National Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he plans to have with the Chief Executive of Hong Kong on the powers bestowed on her under the new National...

      Operation Blue Star

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has for an inquiry to establish the extent of the UK Government's involvement in the 1984 attack on the Golden...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Northern Ireland Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Written Statement of 18 March 2020, HCWS168, Addressing Northern Ireland Legacy Issues, which (a) victims groups and (b)...

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Dental Services: Protective Clothing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of the supply of personal protective equipment to dental practices to enable...

    • Abscesses: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to consider the effect on (a) people’s quality of life and (b) NHS resources of the...

      Dental Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for the reintroduction of routine dental care.

      Dental Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will allow the reopening of dental practices in line with the reopening of non essential shops as restrictions are eased due to the...

      NHS: Cycling and Walking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) health sector bodies on promoting cycling and walking...

      Dental Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will allow the reopening of dental practices in line with the reopening of non-essential shops as covid-19 restrictions...

      Obesity: Surgery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase surgical interventions for people with obesity in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

      Public Health: Dental Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on public health of the number of dental practices that will reopen in June 2020.

      Nurses: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure student nurses who were contracted to work during the covid-19 outbreak are compensated for the hours...

      Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with care providers on increased costs due to covid-19 being passed on to people in care homes; and if he...

      Dental Services: Protective Clothing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether the length of the notice given to dentists in respect of reopening on 8 June 2020 was sufficient...

      Nurses: Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for student nurses whose final year unpaid placements are due to end in relation to (a) early qualification and (b)...

      Methadone: Prescriptions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the use of electronic prescription for FP10 MDA prescriptions.

      Hospitals: Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to permit family visits to patients with dementia in hospital during the covid-19 lockdown.

      Doctors: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to extend or amend the training of doctors as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

      Epilepsy: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the continued supply of epilepsy medication in the event that the UK exits the transition...

      Health Visitors: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government has taken to prepare for a potential increase in vulnerable children and parents needing additional support...

      Coronavirus: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level risk to people shielding from covid-19 who are now able to return to work.

      Coronavirus: Air Pollution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions has he had with Public Health England on the cost to social care of air pollution during the covid-19 outbreak.

      Hospitals: Crimes of Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many assaults on hospital staff there were in each year since 2017.

      Health Professions: Sick Leave

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many days (a) nurses, (b) doctors and (c) other health service staff have taken off work for mental health reasons in each year since...

      NHS: Secondment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has published on how medical research charities and trusts can reclaim staff costs for employees seconded to...

      Nurses: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure hospitals and NHS trusts have the continued stability of supply routes and skills of trainee nurses...

      Nurses: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to mitigate the effect on colleges of reduced student nurse intake levels as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

      Patients: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) people who have been advised by their healthcare teams to shield beyond 1 August 2020 and (b)...

      Abortion: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that women who take abortion pills at home understand the risks of doing so.

      Coronavirus: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to establish a study into the treatment and care of patients experiencing prolonged symptoms of covid-19...

      Diabetes and Obesity: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Public Health England's report, Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19, published in June 2020, what plans...

      Care Homes: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) provide long-term support for care homes and (b) ensure that they are equipped effectively to...

      Carers: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the additional stress placed on carers, during the covid-19 lockdown as a result of the (a)...

      Social Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has issued guidance to local authorities on ensuring that social care funding appeals continue during the covid-19 outbreak.

      Nurses: Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement of 18 December 2019 that all nursing students on courses from September 2020 will receive a payment of...

      Musculoskeletal Disorders: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote musculoskeletal health during the covid-19 outbreak.

      Pain: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to the online version of the Escape-pain programme.

      Genito-urinary Medicine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2020 to Question 58066 on Contraceptives, with which organisations his Department plans to consult on...

  • Department for International Development

    • Christianity: Oppression

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to (a) support and (b) help ensure provision of (i) medicines and (ii) other supplies to...

    • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: International Organisations

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government plans to maintain the same board representatives on (a) Gavi, (b) CEPI, (c) UNITAID, (d) the Global Fund To...

      Developing Countries: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the humanitarian effect of the covid-19 pandemic on children in the developing world.

      Yemen: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to maintain the (a) 2 June 2020 commitment to allocate £160 million in aid to Yemen and (b) level of all other...

      Yemen: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government's planned support in response to covid-19 in Yemen will have an effect on the level of funding and other...

      Overseas Aid: Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will ensure that reductions in aid spending take place last in relation to low income countries and first in relation to upper...

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to help ensure that UK aid reaches (a) vulnerable religious minorities and (b) other vulnerable groups of people.

      Overseas Aid: Religion

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that religious identity as an indicator of vulnerability in certain communities is taken...

      Overseas Aid: Religion

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that Christians and other religious minorities do not face discrimination at the...

      Overseas Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what time planned timescale is for the (a) review and (b) prioritisation of her Department's programmes; and if she will take steps to...

      Overseas Aid: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will maintain the Government's policy that 50 per cent of its official development assistance budget is allocated to fragile or...

      Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she is taking steps to ensure that the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office focuses its single departmental plan...

      Department for International Development: East Kilbride

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether there are plans for voluntary redundancies at her Department's office in East Kilbride after her Department's merger with the...

      Overseas Aid: Religion

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her the Government is taking to help ensure that recipients of UK aid from (a) Christian and (b) other religious minorities...

      Department for International Development: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the planned level of promissory note issuance was to each institution in (a) calendar year 2020 and (b) financial year 2020-21 in...

      Department for International Development: Gender

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many gender technical experts are working in her Department as at 1 July 2020.

      International Assistance: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to ensure that the G20 action plan to tackle the economic impact of covid-19 does not exclude (a) people in...

      Overseas Aid: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that Official Development Assistance reaches the most vulnerable people during the covid-19 pandemic.

  • Department for Education

    • Higher Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions has he had with representatives of universities on the planned (a) delivery and (b) format of higher education courses in the 2020-21...

    • Teachers: Ethnic Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) heads, (b) deputy heads, and (c) senior teachers in state-funded secondary schools are Black or minority ethnic in (i) England, (ii)...

      Schools: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to inform schools of the outcome of their Condition Improvement Fund bid; and if he will make statement.

      Education: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing children to repeat a year in school if their parents feel they have fallen behind as a...

      Holiday Play Schemes: Churches

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance the Government has provided to (a) local authorities and (b) church leaders on provision of summer holiday camps through churches that...

      Children: Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to recent changes made to children's social care regulations during the covid-19 outbreak, if he will make it his policy to (a)...

      Pre-school Education: Pupil Premium

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of children who are (a) eligible for the early years pupil premium and (b) in receipt of...

      After School Clubs: Social Distancing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of effect on the feasibility of social distancing due to the covid-19 outbreak at after-school clubs operating...

      Department for Education: Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to answer Named Day Question 60715 on Free School Meals, tabled by the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West on 17 June 2020.

      Schools: Carshalton and Wallington

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled, Build build build: Prime Minister announces New Deal for Britain, how much funding he plans to allocate...

      Education: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the quality of education for children receiving remote tuition due to the covid-19 outbreak.

      Education: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help ensure that children of people who are shielding during the covid-19 outbreak can (a) access education and (b)...

      Further Education: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional financial support his Department is providing to colleges during the covid-19 outbreak.

      Schools: Ethnic Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2020 to Questions 61818, 61819 and 61820 on Children: Ethnic Groups and with reference to his statement in that...

      Free School Meals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of extending eligibility for universal free school meals to primary school children in all year groups.

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Education, Health and Care plans have been recorded in each of the last 10 years.

      Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of recent media reports of continuing technical problems affecting the free school meals national voucher...

      Schools: Attendance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the children of parents who are shielding will be required to attend school from September 2020; and if he will make a statement.

      Black Curriculum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many requests he has received to meet with the The Black Curriculum; and what plans he has to meet with that organisation.

      Children: Day Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help ensure that key workers have access to childcare during school summer holidays.

  • Prime Minister

    • Poverty: Families

      To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral contribution of 17 June 2020, Official Report column 796, what the source is for his statement that there are 400,000 fewer families living in...

  • Department for International Trade

    • Imports: Meat and Poultry

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent the import of (a) chlorine or acid-washed chicken, (b) hormone-treated beef, (c)...

    • Trade Agreements: USA

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of the proportional effect on Gross Domestic Product of the (a) beef, (b) poultry, (c) pig, (d) dairy and (e) egg...

      Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make it her policy not to include investor state dispute settlements in future trade agreements; and will she make a statement

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    • Public Lavatories: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what scientific advice the Government has issued to local authorities on (a) the risk of public toilets spreading...

    • Local Government: Flags

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities on flying and promoting county flags on Historic County Flags day...

      Coastal Communities Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the next tranche of coastal communities funding will be made available; and how local organisations will be able...

      Community Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that communities can continue to access publicly funded community assets and projects...

      Business Premises: Landlords

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2020 to Question 64131 on business premises: landlords and with reference to the 19...

      Freehold: Service Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to give freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal...

      Housing: Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the research from Anchor Hanover and Sonnet...

      Local Government Finance: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities in devolved areas are eligible to apply for his Department's covid-19 local authority...

      Evictions: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a moratorium on evictions in areas where local...

      Local Government: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he last attended his Department's weekly call with local authority leaders.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Veterans: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the news story on the Veterans UK section of gov.uk entitled, COVID-19: changes to Veterans UK Services, published on 19 March, what...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Universal Credit: Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for claimants calling the universal credit helpline.

    • Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned research into the adverse effects of social security sanctions on a claimant's...

      Universal Credit: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the benefit cap is applied to claimants of universal credit who have had their working hours reduced as a result of the...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has plans to reform the benefit cap system in relation to claimants of universal credit.

      Children: Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of parents registered with the child maintenance service (a) paid and (b) did not pay maintenance in the second...

      Child Maintenance Service: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much is owed in outstanding arrears under the child maintenance service in (a) Motherwell and Wishaw constituency, (b) North Lanarkshire,...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Coronavirus: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) support and (b) essential food supplies reach people who are housebound with...

    • Tree Planting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage tree planting.

      Furs: Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle imports of real fur for commercial sale.

      Food Banks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to encourage more (a) food producers and (b) supermarkets to increase levels of donations to (i)...

      Food Banks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with representatives of supermarkets on increasing the number of food bank collection points.

      Litter: Fixed Penalties

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fixed penalty notices for littering have been issued by local authorities in each of the last 10 years.

      Livestock: Exports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to ban the export of live animals.

      Litter and Nature Conservation: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage the general public to respect the natural environment and avoid littering as the...

      Pest Control: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the laying of illegal poison baits.

      Transport: Graffiti and Litter

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what procedures his Department has put in place to monitor compliance with (a) litter and (b) graffiti regulations in...

  • Home Office

    • Antisemitism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time in days is between the report of an anti-Semitic hate crime and conviction of the offender.

    • Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the date was of receipt by her Department of the oldest outstanding further submission relating to an asylum claim.

      Asylum: Vetting

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate security vetting of asylum seekers before they enter dispersal accommodation.

      Fire and Rescue Services: Mergers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the judicial reviews brought by Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Authority against...

      Clothing: Sales

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with representatives from Amazon on the sale of Blue Lives Murder merchandise in the UK; and what steps she is...

      Police: Sick Leave

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days police officers have taken off work for mental health reasons in each year since 2015.

      Police: Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a statutory code to ensure that laws on mobile...

      Asylum: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has received legal advice on whether the ban on evictions due to the covid-19 outbreak applies to people who have been granted...

      Asylum: Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Draft Working Text For An Agreement Between The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland And The European...

      Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to work with the (a) UNHCR and (b) the International Organisation for Migration to tackle delays in...

      Domestic Abuse: Speech and Language Disorders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that information on domestic abuse support is made available in a format accessible to people...

      Domestic Abuse: Speech and Language Disorders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Domestic Abuse Commissioner is able to identify and support the speech, language and...

      Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent illegal crossings of the English Channel.

      Police: Biometrics

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many biometric records have been obtained by police forces using automatic facial recognition in each of the last five years.

      Telephone Tapping

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many phone taps have been authorised for the (a) police and (b) security services in each of the last five years.

      Human Trafficking: Victims

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of victims of trafficking were referred to (a) legal and (b) housing support in each of the last five years.

      Assaults On Police: Ethnic Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many assaults on police officers there were by ethnicity of police officer in each of the last three years; and what the ethnicity was...

      Police: Restraint Techniques

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have died as a direct result of police restraint or use of force, by ethnicity, in each of the last 10 years.

      Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the merits of allowing Tier 4 applications from international students to be processed without biometrics...

      Visas: Overseas Visitors

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for visitor visas have been received by her Department in each of the last 12 months.

      Hezbollah

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 62325 on Hezbollah, for what reasons her Department does not collect information on (a)...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Coronavirus: Social Distancing

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to increase awareness of the details of the Government's guidelines on meeting friends and family and the need to maintain...

    • Government Assistance: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussion he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the rules on state aid that will apply to Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period...

      Dominic Cummings

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the names of civil service staff who report directly to Mr Dominic Cummings.

      Cabinet Office: Coronavirus

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper of 9 June 2020 entitled Procurement Policy Note 04/20: Recovery and Transition from COVID-19, what assessment he has...

      Infrastructure: Foreign Investment in UK

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to review the policy of enabling foreign (a) governments and (b) companies to invest in critical national infrastructure.

      Warnings: Mobile Phones

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to establish a public warning system using mobile phone technology that includes native language options for residents and...

      List of Ministerial Responsibilities: Coronavirus

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 63246 on List of Ministerial Responsibilities: Coronavirus and the Answers to Questions 57317,...

  • Treasury

    • Treasury: Coronavirus

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Procurement Policy Note 04/20: Recovery and Transition from COVID-19, published on 9 June 2020, what assessment he has made of the...

    • Soft Drinks: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on public finances of the soft drinks industry levy.

      Fuels: Excise Duties

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the public finances of the fair fuel stabiliser announced in 2011.

      Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the revenue raised by HMRC via public telephone calls to that Department (a) was from 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2020 and (b) has been during the...

      Wholesale Trade: Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the economic benefits of extending business rates relief to wholesalers.

      Virgin Atlantic Airways

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Virgin Atlantic is eligible to apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for support with staff redundancy payments.

      Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Driving Instruction

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether driving instructors will remain eligible for the second grant under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme if (a) they choose not to return to...

      Employee Benefit Trusts: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to exempt (a) the Roadchef Employee Benefits Trust and (b) all-employee share schemes from tax.

      Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cases of fraudulent phone calls purporting to come from HMRC have been reported in each of the last three years; how many of those calls led to...

      Disability: Coronavirus

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide additional financial support for disabled people during the covid-19 outbreak.

      Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he is putting in place to ensure that people who have worked for an employer for more than one year but are paid an annual salary and whose...

      Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Leicester

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether businesses affected by the local lockdown in Leicester will be able to furlough new staff members.

      Local Government Finance: Coronavirus

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the effect on local government finances of the...

      English Language: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether English Language Schools are eligible for business rate relief for the 2020-21 financial year; and if he will...

      Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to clauses 2.1 and 2.2 of the amendments to the Treasury Direction to the Jobs Retention Scheme, published on 25 June 2020, whether...

      Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on the fundamental review of business rates.

      Business: Government Assistance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he make it his policy to add environmental conditions to bailouts for businesses affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

      Travel: Insurance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that holiday insurance companies do not insist that claimants first file for a chargeback claim before they pay out on...

      UK Trade with EU: VAT

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether VAT will be charged on the value of goods imported in parcels into the UK from the EU using (a) Parcelforce and (b) other fast parcel services from...

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Mass Media and Telecommunications: Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to help improve diversity in the media and telecommunications sector.

    • Internet: Hate Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on tackling the platforming of far-right hate speech online.

      Swimming Pools: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department plans to review the date for the re-opening of swimming pools as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

      Music: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Government guidance on working safely during coronavirus, published on 24 June, and earlier guidance on...

      Arts: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to provide further information on his Department's proposed sector deal for the arts in response to the covid-19...

      Equality: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing financial support to (a) the Migration Museum, (b) the Black...

      Outdoor Recreation: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the viability of allowing outdoor (a) country festivals and (b) other outdoor...

      Public Libraries: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what (a) guidance and (b) support he is providing to libraries to protect staff, volunteers and customers as they prepare to...

      Entertainments: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to set up a taskforce on the reopening of live entertainment venues after the covid-19 outbreak;...

      Swimming Pools: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to permit the reopening of (a) small tuition and (b) therapy swimming pools as covid-19 lockdown restrictions...

      Charities: Gift Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to help increase levels of revenue contributed through Gift Aid...

      Film and Television: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of covid-19 guidance on self-employed make-up artists in the film and...

      Entertainments and Theatres: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to help ensure that (a) theatres, (b) arenas, (c) other live entertainment venues and (d) the events...

      Theatre: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to mitigate the effect of the covid-19 guidelines on the development of grassroots theatre.

      Sports: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on facilitating the safe re-opening of (a) gymnastics and (b)...

  • Leader of the House

    • Select Committees: Overseas Aid

      To ask the Leader of the House, if he will bring forward proposals for a cross-departmental Select Committee similar to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact to ensure (a) high standards of...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Juries: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to suspend temporarily the right to trial by jury to tackle the backlog of cases as a result of the covid-19 outbreak; and...

    • Sexual Offences: Trials

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his Department's policy in on the use of character witnesses during trials for (a) victims and (b) perpetrators of historical sexual abuse.

  • Department for Transport

    • Railways: North West

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to include developments to (1) the single-track line between Gannow Junction and Colne to allow more than one train on that...

    • Railway Network

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prioritise schemes to re-open routes closed in the Beeching cuts to promote the levelling up agenda of English regions.

  • Department for International Development

    • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Developing Countries

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have in place (1) to safeguard, and (2) to maintain, the experience and expertise in international development of staff from the Department...

    • Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have in place to ensure that UK aid remains party to the Development Assistance committee rules of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation...

  • Department for Education

    • Foster Care: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) encourage people to become foster carers, and (2) support foster carers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    • History: Curriculum

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to diversify the curriculum in schools to include a broader range of culture heritage history.

      Further Education: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable colleges to reopen safely; and what assessment they have made of the remarks by the Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges...

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    • Allotments

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to implementing the recommendations of the report by the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee The Future...

    • Homelessness: Finance

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will provide details about how local authorities and charities can access the £105 million funding announced for addressing homelessness.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Veterans: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on veteran's welfare of the temporary closure of the Veterans UK telephone helpline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Pensions

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Social Market Foundation's proposal in Investing in Britain's future: Financing and funding infrastructure after...

    • Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 24 June (HL5528), what proportion of claimants making (1) successful, and (2) unsuccessful, new claims...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Food Supply

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to increasing support for local food webs to improve food security.

    • Lake District National Park Authority

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the date on which all rules that currently apply to the actions of members of the Lake District National Park Authority were approved by a Secretary of State.

  • Home Office

    • Disease Control: Research

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the cross-Government director-level governance board referred to in the UK Biological Security Strategy met between July 2018 and July 2019.

    • Disease Control: Research

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingencies sub-committee of the National Security Council has met to consider a report from the cross-Government...

      Quarantine: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 22 June (HL5670), what assessment they have made of the likelihood of people travelling to...

      Hate Crime: LGBT People

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community; what analysis they have carried out regarding such crimes; whether they...

      Female Genital Mutilation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the challenges and barriers experienced by the UK in relation to measures to prevent female genital mutilation, including the...

      Helicopters: Greater London

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to reduce the noise made by police and ambulance helicopters circling over London during the weekends.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Mortality Rates

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible reasons for the excess deaths in the UK since 1 March in which the cause of death was not recorded as COVID-19.

  • Treasury

    • Airports: Non-domestic Rates

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to mirror the provision by the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive of business rates relief for one year during the COVID-19...

    • Housing: Sales

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what was (1) the total number of principal residences sold last year, and (2) the aggregate capital value of any such sales.

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Health: Pets

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cats Cats as Companions, published 15 June; and what assessment they have...

    • Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 30 June (HL3582), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, who gave the advice on behalf...

      Leisure: Finance

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by ukactive and Community Leisure UK that nearly half of all public leisure centres could close permanently between...

      Swimming Pools: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the importance of public swimming pools for the promotion of recreation, health and public safety, (2) the extent of the...

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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