Written answers

Thursday, 6 August 2020

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Broadband: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the role of ultrafast full fibre broadband to the economic recovery after the covid-19...

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the covid-19 testing of asymptomatic people to residents and staff in...

    • Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish the guidance provided to local authorities on prioritising care home referrals for covid-19 testing.

      Coronavirus: Social Distancing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the level of public observance of the two metre guidance on social distancing; and what estimate he...

      Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve the supply of testing kits to care homes, (b) put in place a system which allows for testing kits...

      Special Educational Needs: Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to enable family visitation and contact for people with special educational needs who are in...

      Social Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times the Social Care Taskforce has met; and when the minutes of its meetings will be published.

      Care Homes: Closures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many care homes have closed since the 2016-17 financial year; and how many beds were lost as a result of those closures.

      Mental Health Services: North Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the mental health of NHS workers in North Wales during the covid-19 outbreak.

      Disability: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Care Act easements during the covid-19 outbreak on disabled people in receipt of social care.

      Autism: Care Homes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will issue updated guidance to residential homes on caring for autistic adults as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

      Social Services: Badges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the supply of CARE badges to social care staff.

      Travel: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adding essential NHS laboratory workers to the list of those travellers exempt...

      Travel: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of requiring essential NHS workers to quarantine upon entering the UK on (a) staff...

      Doctors: Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to further reform and simplify the annual allowance for NHS doctors' pensions to prevent financial...

      Social Services: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for the recruitment of new social care staff after the implementation of the points-based immigration...

      Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue guidance to residential care homes on visitor access to residents; and whether he plans to remove restrictions...

      Care Homes: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the compatibility of the resumption of visits to care homes in Northern Ireland and the...

      Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make available to local councils summary data on the number of positive results for covid-19 in each care home.

      Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will give care homes discretion to decide on the best use of funding allocated under the Infection Control Fund.

  • Women and Equalities

    • Equality: Coronavirus

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people who have been requested to shield during the covid-19 outbreak do not face discrimination...

    • Equality

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what equality impact assessments have been undertaken on the differential effect of No Recourse to Public Funds in relation to (a) race and (b) other...

  • Department for Transport

    • Shipping: Charities

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of (1) the Apostleship of the Sea, (2) the Mission to Seafarers, and (3) other UK based maritime worker welfare charities.

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    • Climate Change Convention: Travel

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they are making, as hosts of COP26, to ensure that participants are able to travel to the conference in the lowest-carbon manner possible, including by...

    • Carbon Emissions

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their plans for meeting their Net Zero target for carbon emissions by 2050.

      Data Protection

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to instruct the Competition and Markets Authority to undertake an anti-trust investigation into the practices of companies providing...

      Energy: Meters

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enforce the right of data portability and other interoperability requirements to ensure that individuals with existing devices and tools...

      Fracking: Lancashire

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the withdrawal by Aurora Energy Resources of their planning application for fracking at Altcar Moss, Lancashire; and what advice...

      Space Technology

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish a new cross-departmental National Space Strategy.

      OneWeb

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how governance of the UK’s equity investment in OneWeb will be structured to maintain the competitive market and level playing field for all UK satellite...

      OneWeb

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the current generation of OneWeb satellites are solely for communications services; and what plans they have for a second generation of satellites capable...

      Horizon Europe

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they remain committed to the UK’s continued membership of Horizon Europe; and what plans they have made if an agreement with the EU is not reached.

      Innovation and Research

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the UK to meet the OECD average for gross domestic expenditure on research and development.

      Carillion: Audit

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) KPMG, and (2) the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, are involved in any of their work dealing with international accounting...

      *No heading*

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consistency of the use of current market values in company accounts with the preparation of accounts on a going concern...

      Accountancy: Standards

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the probity of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation following the case of ZAO Askeri-ACCA v...

      Accountancy: Standards

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct an investigation into (1) past inconsistencies in the registered addresses and the address for legal service of documents of the...

      Hydrogen: Renewable Energy

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how much, in total, they have committed to the development of a green hydrogen economy over the next five years.

      UK Internal Market: : White Paper

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include (1) citizen, and (2) business, particularly small independent business, representation on the independent advisory body...

      Green Homes Grant Scheme

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to announce the range of measures that make up the Green Homes Grant Scheme; and how that Scheme will operate.

      Green Homes Grant Scheme

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether they have recruited a sufficient number of assessors to launch the Green Homes Grant Scheme in September as previously...

      Green Homes Grant Scheme

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a list of approved contractors to operate the Green Homes Grant Scheme.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    • China: Uighurs

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding and recommendations of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales in its briefing paper Responsibility of...

    • Bahrain: Capital Punishment

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa on 9 July (HC Deb, col 1119) and the decision of the Court of Cassation in Bahrain to...

      Middle East and North Africa: Conflict Prevention

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the case for, and (2) the feasibility of, creating a new institution for détente and dialogue in the Middle East and...

      Commonwealth

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss the case for creating new permanent Commonwealth specialist agencies at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

      Hamad al-Mahfood

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 July (HL6523), what assessment they have made of reports that political prisoner Hamad Al Mahfood...

      Hezbollah: Guided Weapons

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports by Alma Research and Education Centre indicating that Hezbollah has located at least 28 missile launch sites in...

      Republic of Ireland: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Sugg on 15 June (HL4960), 29 June (HL5655) and 22 July (HL6669), whether they will now answer the questions put,...

      Nigeria: Non-governmental Organisations

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 29 June (HL5836), what progress they have made in identifying NGOs who are running effective...

      Leah Sharibu

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last made representations to the government of Nigeria about the abduction of Leah Sharibu; and what response they received.

      Westminster Foundation for Democracy: Expenditure

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what are (1) the sources, and (2) the amounts, of funding received by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in the latest financial year for which figures are...

      Hong Kong: Visas

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether they have sufficient powers under the new Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Visa scheme to prevent the benefits...

      International Cooperation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they, and international fora, have (1) to address climate change and pollution, and (2) to prevent violent conflict and communicable diseases.

      Israel: Palestinians

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for using the Royal Navy to protect Palestinian fishermen from attacks by the Israeli Navy.

      Palestinians: Archaeological Sites

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for providing protection for archaeological artefacts in Palestine to ensure that any such artefacts remain under...

      Israel: Palestinians

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the civil rights of Palestinians living in Israel, in particular in Jisr al-Zarqa.

      Iyad Hallaq

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports (1) that the government of Israel does not have sufficient evidence to convict those who killed Eyad Al-Hallaq, and (2)...

      UN Interim Force in Lebanon

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of efforts by Hezbollah and the government of Lebanon to impede the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon from carrying out its...

      Israel: Lebanon

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of increased tensions along the Israel–Lebanon border and the readiness of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to...

      Israeli Settlements

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports of the construction of (1) a new settlement near Asira a-Shamaliya on land owned by...

      Israel: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the Supreme Court of Israel's ruling that prisoners in Gilboa prison have no right to social...

      Nigeria: Violence

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the killing of ten people, (2) the injury of others, and (3) the destruction of homes, during an attack by armed assailants...

      Nigeria: Homicide

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports (1) that at least 80 people have been killed in July in southern Kaduna, and (2) that 620 Christians have been killed in...

      Nigeria: Christianity

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the statement by the Rt Rev Abiodun Ogunyemi, the Anglican Bishop of Zaria, on 24 July, that the campaign against Christians...

      China: Uighurs

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to respond to the recommendations of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales report, Responsibility of States under...

      China: International Law

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support independent, impartial and international mechanisms to investigate any violation by the government of China of its obligations...

      Mubarak Bala

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria about (1) the detention of Mubarak Bala, and (2) reports that the detention has...

      Nigeria: Violence

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Nigeria about the prosecution of those responsible for (1) killings of, and (2) violent attacks against,...

      South Sudan: Press Freedom

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of (1) the freedom of the press in South Sudan, and (2) the case of Peter Biar Ajak.

      South Sudan: Violence

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of intercommunal violence in South Sudan.

      Rania Elias and Suhail Khoury

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the detention of Rania Elias and Suhail Khoury; and what plans they have to raise those...

      Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review; with whom they have consulted about that...

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Dementia: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, what plans, if any, they have to include dementia on the list of illnesses for which someone should shield themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    • Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have had an antibody test to test for previous COVID-19 infection; and of those, how many had antibodies.

      Dental Services: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it was within the Chief Dental Officer for England's remit to instruct all dental practices to cease face to face consultations when the restrictions for...

      Contact Tracing: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports that over 20 per cent of those traced by the NHS COVID-19 test, track and trace system could not be reached, what plans they have to adjust...

      Prisons: Hepatitis

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) testing, and (2) treatment, for hepatitis C continues in prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

      NHS: Computer Software

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the most recent contracts between NHS England and (1) Palantir, (2) Faculty, (3) Google, and (4) Amazon, which relate to the NHS COVID-19...

      NHS: Computer Software

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish an ethics board to oversee the NHS COVID-19 Data Store.

      Gender Recognition: Children

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 31 July 2019 (HL15681), when they estimate that the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation...

      Neurology

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to improve the prioritisation of inpatient services for neurological conditions, and (2) to promote the delivery of treatment in...

      Carers: Learning Disability

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they have offered to carers of adults with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 outbreak.

      Social Services: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Social Workers Union about the results of its survey which estimates that one third of social workers are now considering...

      Health and Social Services: Protective Clothing

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for health, social care and other key workers to prepare for any second...

      Diagnosis

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish an industry-wide consultative committee to promote a global-scale UK diagnostics sector.

      Coronavirus: Disease Control

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) plans, and (2) preparations, they are making for any second wave of COVID-19.

      Coronavirus: Disease Control

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support people who are shielding (1) who have been advised by their clinicians to continue shielding, and (2) whose workplaces are not...

      Coronavirus: Disease Control

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the publication of Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Strategy in May, what plans they have to introduce the...

      Blood Cancer: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were (1) added to, and (2) removed from, the shielding list in (a) April, (b) May, and (c) June; and of those, how many have blood cancer.

      Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the manufacture of personal protective equipment in the UK.

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of limited home testing for COVID-19, what plans they have to simplify the requirements involved in taking a test.

      Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) social, (2) economic, and (3) demographic, trends they have identified among those who have not been successfully traced via the NHS Test and Trace...

      Gender Recognition

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 17 July (HL5874), what information they hold on (1) the number of children who have been given GnHR, or...

      Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Lord Bethell on 15 July (HL Deb, col 1738) that “the Primodos case is subject to legal dispute, so I cannot comment on it...

      NHS: Negligence

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they can provide the information set out in figure 5 on page 50 of the NHS Resolution annual report and accounts 2019/20, published on 16 July, in respect...

      Mental Health Services: Young People

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the treatment of young people with mental health conditions.

      Mental Health: Prescription Drugs

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prescriptions have been issued for (1) antidepressants, (2) anxiolytics, (3) sedatives and hypnotics, and (4) antipsychotics, in each month from...

      NHS: Dental Services

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the availability of National Health Service dental treatment for patients of all ages.

      Coronavirus: Vitamin D

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they plan to take in response to the report by Aging Clinical Experimental Research The role of vitamin D in the prevention of coronavirus...

  • Department for International Development

    • Detention Centres: Refugees

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, and intend to have, with UNHCR and other governments and agencies, about (1) the resettlement of refugees and migrants, and...

    • Coronavirus: Disease Control

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ethical implications of the creation of emergency funds by multinational corporations to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

      Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what management and oversight precautions, if any, they are putting in place to (1) increase accountability of aid spending; and (2) prevent non-attributable...

      Africa: Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in redirecting aid programmes in each relevant country in Africa through (1) their country programmes, (2) multilateral programmes,...

      Overseas Aid: Africa

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the extensive flooding across East Africa and the Horn of Africa in the context of the UK aid programme.

      Overseas Aid: Females

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Adolescent Girls' Education and Empowerment programme planned by the Department for International Development will still take place.

      Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the diversion of 30 per cent of Official Development Assistance budget to departments other than the Department for...

      Haiti: Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Department for International Development’s involvement in Haiti, given reports by the community and international...

      CDC: Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, in view of the reduction in actual Official Development Assistance, what plans they have to re-focus money given to the Commonwealth Development...

      Humanitarian Aid: Food Supply

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme FAO–WFP early...

      Developing Countries: Food Supply

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme on (1) the availability of food, (2)...

      Uganda: Migrant Camps

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional support they have given to the Bidi Bidi refugee camp in Uganda as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Veterans: Prison Sentences

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many armed forces veterans are currently serving a custodial sentence.

    • Prisons: Crimes of Violence

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many adjudications related to incidences of violence against prison staff there were in each year since 2014; and how many of those incidences resulted in...

      Prisons: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many prison staff have been tested for COVID-19; and (2) how many prisoners in all prisons have been tested for COVID-19.

  • Department for International Trade

    • Southern Africa: Trade Agreements

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what contributions they have made to support the implementation of the UK-SACU Economic Partnership Agreement as required under Article 12 of that Agreement.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Veterans: Charities

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assess the merits of sharing details of service personnel leaving the armed forces with veterans' charities.

    • Armed Forces: Deployment

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many serving members of the UK armed forces are stationed abroad, listed by country of assignment.

      Armed Forces: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 27 July (HL6983), whether any military training establishments, specifically (1) Britannia Royal Naval School...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Social Security Benefits: Prisoners on Remand

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further (1) to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 22 July (HL6637), (2) reports that remand prisoners’ hearing dates are being set for more...

    • Industrial Health and Safety: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases of COVID-19 likely to have been contracted in the workplace have been reported to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of...

  • Home Office

    • Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many immigrants have been brought to the UK from the sea between France and England by ships controlled or owned by (1) the Government, or (2) their...

    • Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances migrants seeking to travel by sea from France to the UK who are picked up in distress from international waters by UK ships can...

      Forced Marriage

      To ask Her Majesty's Government in how many cases the Forced Marriage Unit provided advice or support related to possible forced marriage (1) to a person aged under 16, (2) to a person aged...

      Mobile Phones: Sales

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the safety and security of consumers, and (2) the prevalence of criminal activity, in the secondhand mobile...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Abortion: Northern Ireland

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the fact that abortion remains a devolved issue in Northern Ireland, why they were required to bring the Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2)...

  • Treasury

    • Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their announcement that they have identified a £2.9 billion package of reductions in their planned Official Development Assistance spend, whether...

    • Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government which departmental budgets will be affected by the £2.9 billion package of reductions to the Government’s planned Official Development Assistance spend...

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Telecommunications: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the telecoms sector throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

    • Sports Competitors: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the funding through UK Sport of UK athletes who were due to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and who have lost their...

      Rugby: Finance

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ask UK Sport to provide financial support for rugby sevens teams ahead of the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after their RFU funding...

      Rugby: Females

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the professional playing opportunities available to women’s rugby sevens teams; and what plans they have to ask UK Sport to...

      Cricket: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the success of the trials of County Cricket games; and when they estimate they will evaluate (1) how, and (2) when, to...

What is this?

The parliamentary question is a great way for MPs and Peers to discover information which the government may not wish to reveal. Ministers reply via written answers, a list of which gets published daily.

We let you vote on whether or not the answer given is adequate.

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