Written answers

Wednesday, 26 January 2022

  • Department for Transport

    • Department for Transport: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department seeks references for candidates appointed to public positions which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public...

    • Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) assessments have been made within National Highways concerning departmental...

      Trams

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made on the potential merits of trams to small cities such as York.

      Taxis: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy published 28 July 2021, was recent steps his Department has taken to encourage local...

      Travel: Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the affordability of cost of travel for people who work shift patterns and are on low pay and zero hours...

      Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) assessments his Department has undertaken on the risk of exposure to diesel...

      Railways: Travel Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the (a) cost of and (b) staff hours needed to complete his Department's review into tannoy announcements.

      Parking: Pedestrian Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to change (a) traffic regulation orders or (a) pavement parking prohibition NM13303 in response to its 2020...

      Blue Badge Scheme: Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending blue badge eligibility to people undergoing treatment for cancer.

      Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to monitor emissions produced by diesel engine exhausts.

      Electric Scooters: Hire Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to report on his findings on e-scooter trials.

      Motorways: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of ALR Smart Motorways are without an Emergency Refuge Area at least every (a) 0.75 miles and (b) one mile.

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    • Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which planned programmes to improve home energy efficiency...

    • Social Rented Housing: Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how his Department has allocated the additional £60 million to retrofit social housing which the Government...

      Automotive Transformation Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to launch a new round of applications to the Automotive Transformation Fund following the completion...

      Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Diaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish in full his Ministerial diary for 20 May 2020.

      Energy: Competition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) adequacy of the process in place to transfer energy credit...

      Termination of Employment: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to help ensure that people who lost their jobs as a result of breaking covid-19 restrictions have...

      Conditions of Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department is making on the Employment Bill; and what policy areas will be covered in that Bill.

      Employment: Bullying and Harassment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will bring forward measures to tackle bulling and negative behaviours at work in the proposed Employment Bill.

      Industrial Health and Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will include workplace health and wellbeing provisions in his forthcoming Employment Bill.

      Delivery Services: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of potential merits of introducing additional regulations for the parcel...

      Local Government: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether Local Authorities have discretion not to award grants to (a) holiday lets and (b) other businesses that cannot...

      Wind Power: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the revenue that Scotland or Scottish communities will receive from offshore wind energy...

      Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department taking to help local authorities with developing an electric vehicle charging transition strategy.

      Small Businesses: Motor Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of vehicle emissions filtration systems for...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Skilled Workers: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to improve skills in Northern Ireland.

    • NHS: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources for tackling NHS waiting times in Northern Ireland.

      Economic Situation: Merseyside and Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the economic connections between Northern Ireland and Merseyside; and if he will make a statement.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Self-harm: Children in Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many looked after children were admitted to accident and emergency for self-harming in each year from 2018 to 2021.

    • Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the public to report their lateral flow test results through the usual channels.

      Abortion: Gender

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to review the occurrence of sex-selective abortion.

      Coronavirus: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of risk of vaccinated people spreading covid-19 in venues that require a vaccine pass.

      Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people in hospital have (a) the omicron variant (b) the delta variant and (c) another covid-19 variant.

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has (a) plans and (b) a timeframe for ceasing the allocation of funding for asymptomatic testing.

      Home Care Services: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that domiciliary care providers are able to order covid-19 lateral flow tests in bulk.

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment the Government has made of the adequacy of covid-19 PCR testing site provision; and what plans he has to change...

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department applied in the decision making process for the automatic approval extension of lateral flow tests,...

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether covid-19 lateral flow test products that are made in the UK for use in the UK are subject to (a) testing or (b) checking...

      Coronavirus: Intensive Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people in intensive care units have (a) the omicron variant, (b) the delta variant and (c) another...

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many covid-19 PCR laboratories had reached their maximum processing capacity by 1 January 2022.

      Travel: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2021 to Question 86625 on Travel: Coronavirus, whether TestnGo has received a warning related to...

      Abortion: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December 2021 to Question 92809 on Abortion, at what week of gestation did the eight cases referred to of...

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase PCR testing capacity following the rise in Omicron covid-19 variant cases.

      Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2021 to Question 83432 on Coronavirus: Contact Tracing, when the review of the Contain Outbreak...

      Surescreen Diagnostics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when SureScreen Diagnostics sought Government approval for the use of their covid-19 lateral flow tests.

      Abortion: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has undertaken an assessment of the risk to women accessing abortion pills via telemedical services since March...

      Abortion: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the context of the death of Sarah Dunn in April 2020, what steps his Department is taking to (a) prevent deaths following medical...

      Test and Trace Support Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what eligibility criteria is used to allocate discretionary Test and Trace Support Payments for each Local Authority area in England.

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the need for ongoing financial support for covid-19 testing capacity, and in particular...

      Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people there were with the delta variant of covid-19 in each week since 1 December 2021.

      Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Comres polling undertaken in May 2017 which found that 70 per cent of women supported a reduction in the abortion time...

      Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to data published in November 2021 by the HSE in Ireland that in 2020 1,480 women out of a total of 8,057 opted to...

      Coronavirus: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were awaiting a fourth covid-19 vaccine dose who were immune suppressed as at 18 January 2022; and what steps he taking...

      Coronavirus: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to begin the primary course of vaccination for children aged five to 11 year who are (a) in a clinical risk group or (b) a...

      Coronavirus: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeline is for primary school aged children to receive covid-19 vaccinations.

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the number of lateral flow tests required daily, (b) the number of lateral flow tests the...

      Dengue Fever: British Nationals Abroad

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens who have died of dengue fever abroad in the last ten years.

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of prioritising the availability of postal lateral flow tests for those who...

      Coronavirus: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help increase the availability of covid-19 lateral flow tests in Greater London.

      Advisory Committee On Borderline Substances: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve the time it takes for the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances to approve applications...

      Weddings: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring weddings for terminally ill people are not subject to any future public...

      Coronvirus: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are classed as severely clinically extremely vulnerable and eligible for covid-19 antiviral treatments; and how many of...

      Health Professionals: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing leadership training for advanced practitioners.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the enquiry from the hon. Member for High Peak of 12 November 2021, referenced RL30384.

      Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Question 57369, tabled by the hon. Member for St. Albans on 15 October 2021.

      NHS: Protective Clothing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the cost of personal protective equipment purchased by the NHS in 2021; and how much and what proportion of that equipment was...

      Integrated Care Boards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling Integrated Care Systems to develop their own workforce plans.

      NHS: Counselling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that all NHS staff have access to trauma counselling.

      Health Services: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce NHS waiting lists in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 17 September, 18 October and 18...

      NHS: Labour Turnover

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve levels of retention of NHS staff.

      Advisory Committee On Borderline Substances: Nutrition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances can adequately support the UK specialist...

      Allergies: Prescription Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people by (a) age group and (b) gender have been prescribed anti-histamines in the most recent period for which that information...

      NHS

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to communicate effectively with the public on his proposed restructures to the NHS and its effect on services.

      Dementia: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase funding for research into the prevention of dementia.

      Hormone Replacement Therapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the proportion of women who are experiencing the menopause that were receiving a prescription for hormone...

      Sodium Valproate: Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a compensation scheme for people who have been harmed by sodium...

      Dental Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment he has made of trends in the level of dental patients having (a) dental treatment and (b) dental treatment in...

      Dental Services: Cumbria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children are (a) registered and (b) not registered with a NHS dentist in the (a) Morecambe Bay and (b) North Cumbria Clinical...

      Coronavirus: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the MHRA to license a covid-19 nasal vaccine; and whether approval of nasal vaccines will be fast-tracked in line with...

      General Practitioners: Telephone Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase call handling capacity at GP surgeries.

      Hormone Replacement Therapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to bring forward the reduction in price of Hormone Replacement Therapy prescriptions for women...

      Alcoholic Drinks: Death

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce deaths from alcohol in the North East.

      Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims have been made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccinations as of 19 January 2022.

      Mental Health Services: Health Professionals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making (a) psychotherapist, (b) counsellor and (c) therapist protected titles.

      Coronavirus: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government conducted an assessment of the impact of lifting Plan B COVID-19 restrictions on Clinically Vulnerable and...

      Coronavirus: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what drugs are made available to NHS patients with covid-19 to treat them and help keep them out of hospital.

      Coronavirus: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to liaise internationally with the scientists who sequence covid-19 variants of concern in the future.

      Coronavirus: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which research studies informed the list of health conditions that make people eligible for new covid-19 treatments, molnupiravir and...

      Coronavirus: Hospital Beds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of SAGE forecasts of likely hospital bed use for covid-19 patients during the covid-19 outbreak.

      Coronavirus: Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to verify covid-19 PCR testing results and details on passengers' arrival from overseas.

      Coronavirus: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the letter with teh subject, Important information about new treatments for coronavirus, sent by NHS England on 14...

      Coronavirus: Quarantine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people who have received their covid-19 vaccinations out-with the UK are included in the exemption to self isolate if identified...

      Coronavirus: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS has written to all people who are deemed at highest risk of becoming seriously ill with covid-19 and eligible for...

      Coronavirus: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 17 January 2022 to Question 101772 and 13 January 2022 to Question 100595 respectively, what the Government's...

      Coronavirus: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2022 to Question 80365 on Coronavirus: Disease Control, for what reason it is commercially sensitive...

      Coronavirus: Disease Control

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of starting isolation periods from a positive lateral flow result on the use of PCR...

      Coronavirus: Drugs and Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of (a) levels of access to antiviral and antibody treatment for the...

      Coronavirus: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing covid-19 booster vaccines for vulnerable people only in the future.

      Coronavirus: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that Government-approved covid-19 testing providers deliver a high standard of service...

      Care Homes: Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that care homes return to unrestricted visiting arrangements.

      Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing the isolation period for residents in care homes in...

      Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many teams were set up as part of the implemented Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme pilot; and...

      Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of changing care home visiting guidance to outbreak management only and to encourage...

  • Department for Education

    • Department for Education: Diaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish in full his Ministerial diary for 20 May 2020.

    • GCSE: Assessments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged due to the disruption caused by the covid-19 pandemic when undertaking...

      Schools: Air Conditioning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the evidence on which he based his decision to provide up to a further 7,000 air purifiers to schools without charge; and on what...

      Schools: Vaccination

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that schools are able to continue to access vaccine programmes throughout the current phase of the covid-19 outbreak.

      Schools: Ventilation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many CO2 monitors have been provided to publicly-funded education settings, as recommended in the Government’s Schools Covid-19 Operational...

      Schools: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent guidance has been given to protect primary school children and staff from the Omicron variant of covid-19.

      Schools: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he will continue with the covid-19 public health measures in place in schools after 26 January 2022 to help prevent an increase in infections.

      Schools: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Schools Covid Operational Guidance, published in January 2022, how primary school pupils, aged five to 11 years, and school staff's...

      Local Government and Schools: Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on working strategically across schools and local...

      Sex and Relationship Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending relationship education beyond the Relationship and Sex Education curriculum.

      Further Education: Teachers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential need to attract industry professionals in green jobs to teaching positions in the further education...

      T-levels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish data on the number of companies that (a) provided T-level placements in 2020-21 and (b) confirmed to provide placements in 2021-22.

      T-levels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to ensure sufficient placements for T-Levels over the next three years.

      Further Education: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason post-16 providers rated by Ofsted as requiring improvement are unable to apply for certain funds, grants and Government initiatives.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Social Security Benefits: Leeds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of appeals to the tribunal over (a) personal independence payment, (b) employment support allowance and (c) universal credit decisions...

    • Wayland Prison: Solar Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which company supplied the solar panels recently installed at HMP Wayland.

      Prison Officers: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of the starting salary of a prison officer and (b) the impact of that salary on recruitment.

      Prisons: Public Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which of the five new build prisons will be public sector prisons.

      Prison Officers: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the annual cost was to train a new prison officer in each year since 2010.

      Prisoners' Release: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken to support women leaving help prison to prevent them from becoming homeless.

      Reoffenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of re-offending rates among (a) under 25s and (b) over 25s in (i) Coventry, (ii) the West Midlands...

      Hunting: Prosecutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions there have been for offences relating to hunting with dogs, by police force area, in the latest period for which data are available.

      Magistrates: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy published 28 July 2021, what progress his Department has made on using £1 million of...

      Ministry of Justice: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department seeks references for candidates appointed to public positions which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

      Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to legal aid.

      Courts: Interpreters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what criteria are used to assess the suitability of an interpreting agency for use in court work; and how that work is assessed and monitored against...

      Prisons: Body Searches

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the revised protocol on searching of the person will be published; whether prison officers of the male sex who identify as transgender, with or...

      Courts: Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of pursuing offenders for unpaid court-imposed fines since 2016.

      Courts: Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the value of court-imposed fines for those (a) imposed in magistrates and crown courts, (b) compensation orders, (c) costs orders, (d) criminal...

  • Treasury

    • Business: Coronavirus

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the number of entities that have self-reported funds paid out due to fraud or error in relation to the coronavirus...

    • Hospitality Industry: VAT

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to extend the temporary VAT rate of 12.5 per cent for the hospitality sector beyond March 2022.

      Revenue and Customs: Working Hours

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2021 to Question 81163 on Treasury: Working Hours, whether records required by Regulation 9 of the Working Time...

      Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Aviation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding the Government provided to the aviation industry via the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

      Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to ensure that the HMRC telephone helpline services provide accurate tax codes for residents of devolved nations where income tax...

      Inflation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to tackle inflation.

      Cash Dispensing

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on local economies of the number of free-to-use ATMs across the UK.

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Confucius Institutes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential role of Confucius Institutes in projecting Chine...

    • Afghanistan: Emigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has planned with Taliban leaders in Afghanistan on the safe exit of people from Afghanistan.

      Tigray: Peace Negotiations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Department's News Story entitled, The conflict is causing untold suffering and must end,...

      Ethiopia: Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the gov.uk News story, The conflict is causing untold suffering and must end - Minister for...

      Ethiopia: Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the gov.uk News story, The conflict is causing untold suffering and must end – Minister...

      Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Working Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what records her Department keeps relating to staff working times under Regulation 9 of the Working Time...

      Crimes against Humanity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of which countries are at risk of mass atrocity crimes.

      Afghanistan: Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department will take with the Home Office to expediate the operation of the Afghan citizens...

      Conflict Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2021 to Question 70268 on Armed Conflict: Children, what funding her...

      Afghanistan: Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the £286 million committed in Official Development Assistance to...

      Department for International Development: Diaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish in full the former Secretary of State for International Development's Ministerial diary for 20...

      Africa: Overseas Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the Government investment in Africa in 2021; and how that figure compares with investment made by (a)...

      British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: Politics and Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential ​role that parliamentary representation for UK Overseas...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many new vessels will need to be (a) procured or (b) leased to provide sufficient cross-decking capacity to deliver his Department’s new...

    • Infrastructure: National Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to protect (a) water plants, (b) power plants and (c) other critical national infrastructure.

      Electronic Warfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to fund (a) training and (b) infrastructure in cyber technology for national defence purposes.

      RAF Fairford and RAF Menwith Hill

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the planned upgrades at (a) NSA/NRO Menwith Hill and (b) USAF Fairford will cost; and (b) who will pay for those upgrades.

      Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to publish daily data on Channel crossings.

      Autonomous Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Government's policy is on the UK developing systems that operate without human intervention in the weapon command and control chain.

      Defence: Artificial Intelligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on the Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (AAIC) Partnership Agreement signed with the US Air Force Research...

      Ministry of Defence: Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason omitted estimates and data for jobs supported by MOD expenditure have been delayed for the report entitled MOD regional expenditure with...

      Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Navy have interception or interdiction powers for taking primacy over illegal Channel crossings.

      Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what types of vessels which will be brought under Royal Navy command when it takes primacy for tackling illegal Channel crossings.

      Fleet Solid Support Ships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on the Fleet Solid Support Ship competition.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to the letter of 6 October 2021 from the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle on the proposed Royal yacht.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made on the impact of taking a partner's income into account for universal credit eligibility, including with regard...

    • Department for Work and Pensions: Diaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish in full her Ministerial diary for 20 May 2020.

      Department for Work and Pensions: Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department seeks references for candidates appointed to public positions which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public...

      Pensioners: Utilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date in 2021 her Department notified utility suppliers of those (a) in receipt of the Guarantee Element of Pension Credit and (b) in...

      Poverty: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to eradicate child poverty.

      Government: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy published 28 July 2021, (a) whether her Department created a Disability...

      Inflation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on potential steps to protect low income families from inflation.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Diaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish in full his Ministerial diary for 20 May 2020.

    • Marine Environment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure the protection of the marine environment.

      Hazardous Substances: Waste Disposal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Environment Agency's policy is on responding to reports of minor hazardous waste dumping in fresh water systems.

      Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to update breed-specific legislation and the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to help prevent unnecessary suffering...

  • Home Office

    • NHS: Migrant Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much revenue the Immigration Health Surcharge raised in each visa category in each quarter since 2015.

    • Visas: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact on the number of visa applications submitted of the rising costs of visa application fees and...

      UK Visas and Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases referred by hon. Members to UK Visas and Immigration are pending without response after 20 working days.

      UK Visas and Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases referred by hon. Members to UK Visas and Immigration are pending without response after 40 working days.

      UK Visas and Immigration

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take in response to UK Visas and Immigration failing to meet its service standards of responding to queries from...

      Refugees: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a scheme equivalent to the Scottish Government’s New Scots...

      Visas: Overseas Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing the length of the visit period for international exchange students...

      Visas

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the review of all Tier 1 (Investor) visas issued between 2008 and 2015.

      UK Visas and Immigration: Administrative Delays

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to clear existing UK Visas and Immigration backlogs.

      Windrush Compensation Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department on 17 January Official Report,...

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 1 December 2021 from the hon. Member for High Peak, referenced RL31076.

      Refugees: Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the main reason is for the delay in implementing the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme; and whether a lack of available capacity in...

      Domestic Abuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the total cost of domestic abuse to the public purse in 2020-21.

      Domestic Abuse: Crime Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative assessment she has made of the amount of funding her Department allocated to the prevention of domestic abuse and the (a)...

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the (a) overnight allowance for police officers working away from home overnight, and (b) additional hardship allowance for those...

      Police: Dogs

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police dogs retired in each of the last three years.

      UK Border Agency: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is available to Border Force staff handling asylum applications from members of the LGBTQI community on (a) language and (b)...

      Joint Fraud Taskforce

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2022 to Question 98229 on Joint Fraud Taskforce, when the Joint Fraud Taskforce will publish their...

      Communist Party of China

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) veracity and (b) implications of reports on 13 January 2022 that an individual connected...

  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

    • UK Shared Prosperity Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department plans to publish details of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund application process.

    • Local Government: Devolution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has a timescale for publishing the plan for the devolution of North Yorkshire.

      Regional Planning and Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish the Levelling Up White Paper.

      UK Shared Prosperity Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his timetable is for opening applications to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund; and when his Department plans to publish...

      Retail Trade: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Government is taking to provide (a) financial and (b) other support to local high streets to assist with...

      Local Government: Video Conferencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January to Question 94508 on Local Government: Meetings, on what date his Department plans to...

      Regional Planning and Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment the Government has made of whether local authorities may need additional support to deliver the proposals...

      Council Tax: Rates and Rating

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with the head of the Valuation Office Agency on the service that it provides for people who...

      Council Tax: Rates and Rating

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps is he taking to reform Council Tax bandings to make them more fair and equitable.

      Local Government: Video Conferencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will (a) enable and (b) encourage local and parish councils to hold remote and hybrid meetings; and if he will make...

      Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Diaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish in full the Ministerial diary of the former Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local...

      Housing: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Raising accessibility standards for new homes consultation, which closed on 1 December 2020, when...

      Buildings: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy on Ensuring the safety of disabled people, whether his...

      Property Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to introduce the direction on local planning authorities to consult with him on developments that affect...

      Flats: Insulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what support he will make available to leaseholders in flats with ACM cladding that are in buildings less than 11 metres high.

      Local Government: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that councils are able to support their communities and maintain jobs during...

      Local Government Finance: Cornwall

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential financial challenges facing Cornwall Council.

      Non-domestic Rates: Airports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Business Rates Relief Fund, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential value of...

      Non-domestic Rates: Airports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Business Rates Relief Fund, whether his Department made an assessment of how much support airports...

      Non-domestic Rates: Airports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the value is of (a) business rates paid by airports in England and (b) support distributed to airports through the...

      Non-domestic Rates: Tax Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the value is of business rates relief provided to (a) the retail sector, (b) the hospitality sector, (c) the leisure...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Government Departments: Buildings

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what Departments and locations are included in the affiliate cluster contract run by the Government Property...

    • Cabinet Office: Public Appointments

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department seeks references for candidates appointed to public positions which fall under the...

      Ministers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to publish ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings for the period July...

      Cabinet Office: Legislation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many pieces of (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation their Department has sponsored in each of the...

      Government Departments: Consultants

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total spending by each Department was on outside consultants in each of the last three years for...

      Government Departments: Vacancies

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many vacancies in each Government department are vacant due to a lack of applicants with the appropriate...

  • Department for International Trade

    • Trade Remedies: Complaints

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many complaints her Department has received from interested parties regarding trade remedies since the UK's departure from the EU; and...

    • Trade Remedies

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what changes have been made to the rules on UK trade remedies since the UK's departure from the European Union; ​and if she will make...

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Tickets: Sales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Competition and Markets Authority's recommendations...

    • Platinum Jubilee 2022: Medals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason retired (a) police officers and (b) members of the armed forces will not receive the Queen’s platinum...

  • Women and Equalities

    • Sexual Harassment: Employment

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to (a) raise awareness of and (b) tackle the matter of sexual harassment of young women in the workplace.

    • Disability: Commonhold and Leasehold

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy, published 28 July 2021, when her Department plans to open its consultation on the...

      Conversion Therapy

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the (a) Scottish Government and (b) Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that legislation banning sexual...

  • Department for Transport

    • Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when the strengthening of existing laws making it illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving will come into force.

    • Parking: Pedestrian Areas

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the findings of their Pavement parking: options for change consultation, which ran from 31 August 2020 to 22 November 2020.

  • Leader of the House of Lords

    • Written Questions: Government Responses

      To ask the Leader of the House, further to the Written Answers by Lord True on 10 January (HL5119) and 18 January (HL5234, HL5235, HL5236 and HL5360), what assessment she has made of the...

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    • Energy: Prices

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce an energy price cap for small businesses.

    • Refugees: Afghanistan

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to integrate Afghan refugees who have arrived in the UK into the UK labour market at a level which is equivalent to their qualifications.

      EGNOS: Finance

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 28 April 2021 (HL15095), what financial contribution the EU requested for the UK to continue to access to...

      Foreign Companies: Property

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will bring in a public register of foreign owned properties; and if so, when.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Coronavirus: Vaccination

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed have received a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in England to date.

    • Social Services: Vacancies

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish an emergency volunteer army for social care in light of reports that (1) care homes, and (2) home care providers, are struggling...

      Health Professions: Training

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to either (1) reimburse tuition fees, or (2) clear current student debt, for all nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare students affected by...

      Health Professions: Pensions

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review their pension "abatement" rules for (1) nurses, (2) midwives, (3) physiotherapists, and (4) mental health officers, who wish to keep...

      Protective Clothing: Coronavirus

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total public expenditure on faulty PPE products made by Zhende and Inivos which cannot be used by the NHS; and what steps they are taking to recoup...

      Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of antimicrobial resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

      Care Homes: Derbyshire

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the provision of care homes in Derbyshire, and (2) proposals by Derbyshire County Council to close care homes in the county.

      Supported Housing: Older People

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the implications of the Adult Social Care Reform White Paper for (1) housing-with-care, and (2) integrated retirement communities

      Care Homes: Derbyshire

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with Derbyshire County Council regarding the council’s proposals to close care homes in the county.

      Ophthalmic Services: National Clinical Directors

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to confirm the appointment of the National Clinical Director for Eye Care.

  • Department for Education

    • Schools: Air Conditioning

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of classrooms that have windows that cannot be opened; what steps they are taking to address this; and what assessment...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Prison Officers: Recruitment

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people (1) joined, or (2) transferred internally to take up a role, as a band three to five prison officer in each of the last 10 years by ethnicity.

    • Prison Officers: Resignations

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many band three to five prison officers left the prison service in each of the last 10 years by ethnicity.

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • India: Missionaries of Charity and Oxfam

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of India over its refusal to allow Oxfam and the Missionaries of Charity operating in that country to receive...

    • India: Christianity

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Bishop of Truro’s independent review for the Foreign Secretary on the persecution of Christians, what discussions they have had with the...

      Tonga: Volcanoes

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to Tonga following the volcanic eruption and tsunami on 15 January.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Procurement Frigates: Procurement

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) BA Systems, or (2) Babcock, regarding the build rate of the (a) Type 26 frigates, or (b) Type 31 frigates.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Water: Consumption

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce new policies to deliver long-term reductions in water usage across England.

    • Environmental Protection

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when their Environment Principles Policy Statement will be published.

  • Home Office

    • Migrants and Refugees

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their definition of (1) a refugee, and (2) a migrant; and what are the practical consequences of the distinction between them.

    • Public Order Offences: Religious Buildings

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact on religious gatherings of the provisions relating to public order offences in the Police, Crime, Sentencing...

      Visas: Dependants

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to relax the rules on adult dependent relative visas to benefit non-British NHS staff whose parents are overseas.

  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

    • High Rise Flats: Insulation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any instances where leaseholders are being denied reimbursement of completed cladding works due to the failure of the freeholder to apply...

    • Regional Planning and Development

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their Levelling Up white paper.

      Ventilation: Standards

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for establishing ventilation standards for privately owned indoor areas such as shops and entertainment venues.

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Social Media: Safety

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require social media platforms to appoint a senior manager liable for the safety of their users.

  • The Senior Deputy Speaker

    • House of Lords: Charging Points

      To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment has been made of the demand for install electric vehicle charging points in the House of Lords car parks; what is the estimated cost of installing...

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.

January 2022
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31