Written answers

Wednesday, 30 March 2022

  • Department for Transport

    • Transport for the North

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he (a) last spoke and (b) next plans to speak at the Transport for the North Board.

    • Transforming Cities Fund: South Tyneside

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what South Tyneside Council's allocation of the Transforming Cities Funding was.

      Driving Tests: Jarrow

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on what date the (a) ground lease and (b) any other leases are due to end at South Shields Driving Test Centre...

      Highway Code

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government's approach to advertising and promoting changes that were made to the Highway Code...

      Highway Code

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of the changes to the Highway Code implemented in January 2022 on (a) motorists (b) cyclists and (c) pedestrians.

      Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey (2022) which reports a 23 per cent increase in the backlog of carriageway...

      Railways: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on identifying projects suitable for the restoring your railways funding; and what his planned timetable is for providing an...

      Public Transport: Social Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) viability and (b) potential impact on staff retention of providing free public transport for...

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    • P&O Ferries: Redundancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in (a) Cyprus, (b) the Bahamas and (c) Holland on the dismissal of...

    • Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure lending banks follow up potentially fraudulent claims made through the...

      Bounce Back Loan Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of loans claimed through the Bounce Back Loans scheme were duplicates; and what the total...

      Retail Trade and Small Businesses: Disposable Income

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of real household disposable incomes per person will fall by 2.2 per cent in...

      Adoption Leave: Self-employed

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason his policies permit employed adoptive parents entitlement to statutory adoption leave but not...

      Food: Delivery Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to introduce a cap on fees charged by third-party food delivery apps to restaurants.

      P&O Ferries: Dubai

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations the Government has made to the Dubai authorities regarding DP World and P&O Ferries.

      Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of the existing energy price cap in incentivising households to increase...

      Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what comparative assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) equity of the existing price cap scheme for...

      Geothermal Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of geothermal energy plants to meeting COP26 commitments by 2030.

      Energy: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to include mandatory energy efficiency requirements in building regulations to reduce (a)...

      Research: Russia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of the war in Ukraine on research collaboration with Russian institutions.

      Council Housing and Housing Associations: Insulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what additional steps he is taking to help (a) local councils and (b) housing associations with improvement works to...

      Gas-cooled Reactors: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many High-Temperature Gas Reactors his Department plans to construct in the UK.

      Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of off-shore wind to the security of the UK’s energy supply.

      Fossil Fuels: Russia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of sanctions on Russia on Government plans to phase out use of hydrocarbons...

      Renewable Energy: Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of trends in the level of investment in renewables on reducing household...

      Natural Gas and Oil: Russia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas.

      Energy Supply

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the contribution of North Sea oil and gas to energy security.

      Ofgem

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Strategy and Policy Statement to Ofgem, outlined in the Energy White Paper, will encourage proactive grid...

      Ofgem

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to publish the Strategy and Policy Statement to Ofgem, as outlined in the Energy White Paper.

      Heating: Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has plans for the regulation of district heating networks regarding the energy price cap.

      Electricity Generation: Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's response to FOI2021/05245, if he will publish his Department's final versions of the...

      Small Modular Reactors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of deploying small and advanced modular reactors on...

      Nuclear Reactors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the proportion of (a) large nuclear reactors and (b) small and advanced...

      Manufacturing Industries: Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support investment in UK manufacturing.

      Iron and Steel: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many successful bids from the steel sector there have been as part of the Net Zero Innovation Plan.

      Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of further extending the deadline for completed applications to...

      Energy: Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of green levies on the cost of energy to consumers.

      Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of off-shore wind to increasing the security of the...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Schools: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent progress has been made on the establishment of a connected classroom programme for young people in Northern Ireland.

    • Castlereagh Foundation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will publish the next steps of the Castlereagh Foundation in response to the written advice of the Advisory Committee.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Defibrillators

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to mandate the location of defibrillators in all buildings and infrastructure managed by the Government.

    • Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on ensuring that all children and young people have timely access to appropriate mental health interventions,...

      Veterans: Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the new social care data framework will identify veterans and their families accessing social care services.

      Veterans: Social Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the changes to financial assessments for social care support in England will disregard military compensation awarded for illness...

      Social Services: Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to liaise with the social care sector on the formulation of the Government’s fair cost for care calculation...

      Low Alcohol Drinks: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to recent research on the marketing and consumption of no and low alcohol drinks in the UK published by the Institute of...

      Care Homes: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether care home staff who were dismissed for failure to receive covid-19 vaccinations may now be re-employed in care homes.

      Blood Cancer: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve outcomes for blood cancer patients in the context of the covid-19 induced (a) diagnosis...

      Blood Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the needs of blood cancer patients are taken into account in the 10-Year Cancer Plan.

      Blood Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve knowledge of blood cancer symptoms among GPs.

      Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds evidence of how CAMHS services in each local authority are prioritising the mental health needs of young...

      Carers: Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Adult Social Care Reform White Paper, published in December 2021, whether the support needs of unpaid carers in the...

      Mental Health Services: Children in Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding of the study by the University of Bristol, Mental health of children and young people in state care in...

      Dementia: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much he has committed to spend on dementia research this year; and what steps his Department is taking to increase spending on...

      Care Homes: Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to consult (a) care home residents and (b) the loved ones of care home residents on the removal of...

  • Attorney General

    • P&O Ferries: Dismissal

      To ask the Attorney General, whether the Secretary of State for Transport has requested her advice on the legality of the dismissals by P&O Ferries in March 2022.

  • Department for Education

    • Schools: Non-domestic Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will reconsider state schools having to pay full business rates compared to the 20 percent business rates that independent schools pay as a...

    • Schools: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of increased covid-19 related school absences on pupils' learning in (a) England, (b) Cheshire...

      Students: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of polices on reducing drug use on university campuses.

      Teachers: Re-employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 22 March 2022 to Question 141972, what steps he has taken to ensure that his Department learns lessons from the initial call...

      Cost of Living: Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what fiscal steps he plans to take to support university and college students in the context of the the rise in cost of living.

      Teachers: Re-employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2022 to Question 141972 on Teachers: Re-employment, what provisions are included in his Department's contracts to...

      Children: Body Searches

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to introduce a legal requirement for schools to inform the parents or guardians of children before a police officer initiates a...

      Free Schools: Havering

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to help establish new free schools in Havering Borough.

      Free School Meals: Migrants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children from families with no recourse to public funds are currently receiving means-tested free school meals as a result of the temporary...

      Pupils: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Child Poverty Action Group’s estimate that 900,000 children living below the poverty line in England do not qualify for...

      Children and Young People: Visual Impairment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating a universal model pathway for children and young people with visual...

      Special Educational Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will ensure that Education and Health Care Plan forms are available in languages other than English.

      Children: Missing Persons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department holds data on the total number and proportion of children of compulsory school age in local authorities who were recorded as...

      Adoption: Self-employed

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of self-employed people seeking to adopt.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Prison Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the savings to Government from reduced prison officer numbers since 2010.

    • Prison Service: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) total and (b) full-time equivalent staff were employed in each of the Prison Service Establishment regions in each year since 2010.

      Prison Officers: Length of Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) mean and (b) median length of time in employment of prison officers was in each of the Prison Service Establishment Regions in each year...

      Victim Support Schemes: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the £450m announced as funding for victim support over the next three years is additional or reallocated budget.

      Domestic Abuse: Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an estimate of the costs of psychiatric assessments in relation to cases where victims of domestic violence are required...

      Sexual Offences: Victim Support Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many trained Independent Sexual Violence Advisers were working with police forces in England and Wales in each of the last five years for which...

      Prison Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) staff in total and (b) full-time equivalent civil service staff were employed to manage prison officer numbers in each year since 2010; and...

      Prison Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) total and (b) full-time equivalent prison officers were employed in each of the Prison Service Establishment Regions in each year since 2010.

      Prison Officers: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much (a) his Department (b) Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service and (c) the National Offender Management Service has spent on prison officer...

      Prison Officers: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much (a) his Department and (b) HMPPS or NOMS has spent on advertisements for prison officer recruitment in each year since 2010; and how much of...

      National Offender Management Service and Prison and Probation Service: Agency Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much (a) Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service and (b) the National Offender Management Service has spent on temporary agency staff in each...

      Prison Officers: Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of granting a pay rise to prison officers.

      Domestic Abuse: Advisory Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much funding has been allocated to training Independent Domestic Violence Advisors in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Ukraine: Gender Based Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations the Government has made to Russia on gender-based violence in Ukraine, reportedly perpetrated...

    • UK Trade with EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will ensure that the EU-UK TCA Domestic Advisory Group will have balanced representation with a third of...

      UK Trade with EU

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will confirm when the first meeting of the EU-UK TCA Domestic Advisory Group meeting will be held.

      Disinformation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Information Unit in her Department will coordinate its work with the Counter Disinformation Cell led...

      Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the £25 million matched Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal aid funding to Ukraine is (a) part of or...

      Iran: Nuclear Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what role the Government of Russia is undertaking in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

      UN Mine Action Service: Ukraine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support the United Nations Mine Action Service is providing on military (a) training and (b) equipment in Ukraine.

      Russia: Nuclear Power Stations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if her Department will take steps to encourage her international partners to ensure that sanctions on Russia...

      Rosatom: Sanctions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that all the international activities of Rosatom are subject to Russian sanctions.

      Platinum Jubilee 2022: British Overseas Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take to work with the British Overseas Territories to celebrate The Queen's...

      Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the budget was for the ODA crisis reserve in each of the last five years; and what the projected budget is...

      Ukraine: Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much of the approximately £400 million in emergency humanitarian and economic support pledged to Ukraine...

      Belarus: Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to figure 5 in Statistics on International Development: final UK aid spend 2020, how much Official...

      Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount and proportion of her Department’s Official Development Assistance...

      UK-EU Civil Society Forum and UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement Domestic Advisory Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her planned timetable is for the establishment of the TCA UK Domestic Advisory Group and Civil Society Forum.

      Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to (a) end, (b) reduce funding for or (c) not provide anticipated funding for any UK Aid...

      Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2022 to Question 143624, whether humanitarian aid shipped by volunteer...

      Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether in kind donations to Ukraine of equipment, such as medical supplies and power generators, are counted (a)...

      Ukraine: World Bank

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the $500 million guarantee in the event of a default by Ukraine on the planned World Bank loan will be...

      Ukraine: Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the costs of hosting Ukrainian refugees in the UK will be (a) reported as Official Development Assistance...

      Debts: British Overseas Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the liabilities or obligations are of an Overseas Territory in the event that it defaults on its debt to...

      Tigray: British Nationals Abroad

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support her Department has provided to British Citizens attempting to leave the Tigray region.

      Capital Punishment: British Nationals Abroad

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of British nationals who have been convicted of capital...

      Qatar: Islamic State

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the Qatari Government on ISIS terrorist attacks in that country.

      Economic Situation: British Overseas Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made a recent estimate of the economic value of the Overseas Territories to the UK economy.

      UN Mine Action Service: Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much financial support her Department has given to the work and activities of the United Nations Mine Action...

      South Africa: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the The Joint Statement: International Just Energy Transition Partnership Joint Statement,...

      Energy: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to The Joint Statement: International Just Energy Transition Partnership with South Africa of 2...

      Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her letter of 21 March 2022 to the International Development Committee entitled Update on FCDO...

      Human Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress she has made with her international counterparts on tackling human rights abuses in human...

      Ulster Scots Language

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the reasons for which Scots is not afforded protection under Part III of the...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Asia-Pacific Region: Type 32 Frigates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated cost is of stationing a Type 32 frigate in the Indo-Pacific.

    • Ajax Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 22 March 2022 to Question 141148 on Ajax Vehicles, which role is currently vacant.

      Ajax Vehicles: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of whether Defence Equipment and Support's response to DSTL's reporting of safety issues on the AJAX programme was...

      War Pensions: Complaints

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing referral to the Independent Case Examiner as a stage in the War Pensions complaints...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Universal Credit: Deductions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2022 to Question 129166 on Universal Credit: Deductions, how many children were living in households in...

    • Discretionary Housing Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of tenants who will be able to obtain a Discretionary Housing Payment from their local...

      Universal Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the note on the cover report for the Universal Credit Programme Board’s meeting of 22 October 2019, what follow-up...

      Maternity Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 23 February 2022 to Question 125365 and 8 March 2022 to Question 134067 on Maternity Allowance, and with reference...

      Bereavement Benefits: Parents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will introduce a bereavement support payment for parents who were full-time carers of a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening...

      Pension Credit: North West Norfolk

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who are entitled to pension credit in North West Norfolk constituency who are not in...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Plants: Genetically Modified Organisms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to consult on forthcoming ACRE advice on qualifying higher plants in the Genetically Modified Organisms...

    • Plants: Genetically Modified Organisms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) role the Genetic Modification Inspectorate will play and (b) procedures it will follow in monitoring and reporting...

      Liquefied Petroleum Gas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on the use of propane gas in...

      Water Supply: Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Adaptation Committee’s recommendations on page 28 of the Climate Change Committee's report of...

      Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2022 to Question 136639 on Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges, if he will publish the names...

      Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure the UK is not highly vulnerable in relation to climate change.

      Nature Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has for proposals for a legislative nature restoration target; and whether he plans to make funding available...

  • Home Office

    • Asylum: Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she will take to ensure equal treatment of asylum seekers of all ethnicities and nationalities fleeing war; and if she will make...

    • Naturalisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) applications for British citizenship by naturalisation have been made and (b) applicants have been granted British citizenship...

      Refugees: Ukraine

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that refugees who are (a) Ukrainian citizens and (b) third country nationals fleeing from...

      Youth Mobility Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on extending the Youth Mobility Scheme.

      Skilled Workers: Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Migration Advisory Committee’s review of the Shortage Occupation List will be asked to consider the potential merits of...

      Crimes of Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department’s report, The economic and social costs of domestic abuse, published on 21 January 2019, whether the...

      Independent Office for Police Conduct

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to take steps to speed up the time it takes for the IOPC to publish its reports.

      Offences against Children: Internet

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2022 to Question 143686, how many online child sexual abuse cases the National Crime Agency disseminated...

      Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of the 4 to 4.5 per cent real terms cut to the National Crime Agency’s budget on its...

      Migrants: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the annual cost to the public purse is for housing migrants within hotels in Northern Ireland.

      Asylum: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which businesses are contracted to provide accommodation via the Asylum and Accommodation and Support Contracts; and in which locations they...

      Visas: Pakistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the priority visa service for all application routes remains suspended for Pakistan.

      Shoplifting: Fines and Fixed Penalties

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to review the appropriateness of a fixed penalty notice or fine as an adequate penalty for the offence of...

      Slavery

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many outstanding cases are being considered by the National Referral Mechanism as of 22 March 2022.

      Slavery

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time is for cases referred to the National Referral Mechanism as of 22 March 2022.

      Animals in Science Regulation Unit

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (a) strengthens its regulatory oversight responsibilities and...

      Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2022 to Question 121942, on Animal Experiments, of the 65,888 botulinum tests carried out, what product...

  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

    • Homes for Ukraine Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, what estimate his Department has made of the number of sponsors matched...

    • Homes for Ukraine Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, what steps he is taking to (a) appraise visas of people who have been...

      Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much his Department has spent on paid advertising in (a) local papers, (b) billboards and (c) online in the latest six...

      Sanctions: Russia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow the seizure of assets of sanctioned Russian individuals.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Glasgow East to the Minister for Afghan...

      Homes for Ukraine Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's expected timeframe is for applicants for the Homes for Ukraine visa sponsorship scheme to (a) have...

      Planning Permission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many planning inquiry decisions are with his Department as of 22 March 2022, by date submitted.

      Affordable Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he will take to help ensure improved local authority (a) processes and (b) housebuilding in areas where social...

      Local Plans: York

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he expects the publication of the new local plan for York.

      Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will provide each local authority with an assessment of the specific housing challenges in that area to help better...

      Parking: Fines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Private Parking Code of Practice makes provision for freezing Penalty Charge Notices at the discounted rate...

      Employment Schemes: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made on the effect of the potential funding gap between the end of EU funding for...

      Parking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the clamping and parking provisions in the Protection of...

      Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will (a) list the spending programmes his Department devolves for administration to local government in England and...

  • Church Commissioners

    • Church of England: Wigan

      To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the Transforming Wigan project in the Diocese of Liverpool, (a) how much Strategic...

    • Church of England: Finance

      To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2022 to Question 141116 on Church of England: Finance, where funding has...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Ministerial Boxes: Social Media

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether information relating to the contents of Ministerial red box Government business has been sent via (a) WhatsApp and (b) other messaging...

    • Veterans: Mental Health Services

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure veteran services are consistent across the UK; and if he will make an assessment of the potential...

  • Treasury

    • Batteries and Solar Power: VAT

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making combined solar and battery systems eligible for zero rated VAT.

    • Heating: VAT

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making replacement radiators and other pipework for heat pump systems eligible for zero rated VAT.

      Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Females

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has undertaken any studies to determine the potential merits for female entrepreneurs of extending from two to three years the...

      Child Benefit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of families who will see reductions in their child benefit allowance as a result of rising inflation...

      Tax Avoidance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether there is a time limit on HMRC's pursuit of outstanding monies owed under the loan charge.

      Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Females

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data his Department holds on the number of female entrepreneurs that have participated in the SEIS scheme, compared with male counterparts.

      Fossil Fuels: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish his Department's assumptions on tax revenue from (a) VAT and (b) profits on fossil fuel sales over the next 12 months.

      Consumer Goods: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has been made of the potential merits of offering VAT relief on the repair of personal and household goods to support sustainability and...

      Sanctions: Russia

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to tackle the flow of Russian money and assets through the UK economy.

      Debts: Advisory Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that agencies which provide debt advice to households receive sufficient funding to meet levels of demand.

      Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Fraud

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason his Department did not consult the Cabinet Office fraud team regarding the potential fraud risks of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme during the...

      Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Fraud

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish details of the advice received by his Department from consultancy PwC regarding the key fraud risks associated with the Bounce Back Loan...

      Cost of Living: Disability

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to regularly (a) monitor and (b) publish data on the impact of inflation on disabled people.

      Fuels: Prices

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what further steps he plans to take to help support average to low-income households with fuel costs.

      Capital Investment: Republic of Ireland

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent comparative assessment he has made of business investment per capita in the (a) UK and (b) Republic of Ireland.

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Public Libraries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support local libraries.

    • Euro 2028

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Sport, what engagement her Department has had with the national football associations across the UK regarding a joint bid for...

      Sports: Females

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government plans to respond to the re-consultation on adding women's sporting events to the listed events regime,...

      Cultural Heritage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the devolved Administrations to promote and enhance access to historical and...

      Tourism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the tourism industry throughout the UK.

      Leisure: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that swimming pools and leisure facilities have adequate disabled access.

      Tourism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote staycations to support the tourism sector.

      Youth Services: Harrow West

      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 claim by the YMCA that, adjusted to real terms,...

      Youth Services: North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the provision of youth services in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b)...

      Broadband: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that internet speeds in rural homes matches those in urban areas.

      Allwyn Entertainment: National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish the (a) dates, (b) meeting minutes and (c) attendees of all meetings that Ministers and officials in her...

      Allwyn Entertainment: National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish her Department's correspondence with the Gambling Commission with reference to their decision to appoint...

  • House of Commons Commission

    • House of Commons: Taxis

      To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether or not late night and early shift workers are offered free transportation home from Parliament.

  • Women and Equalities

    • Question

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to support women in the workplace.

    • Question

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the rise in the prevalence of spiking.

  • Department for Transport

    • Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to appoint a delivery body to (1) supervise, and (2) lead, Project Rapid; and what are the (a) targets, and (b) funding, associated with the project.

    • Railways: Fares

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to link future increases in regulated rail fares to the Consumer Price Index rather than to the Retail Price Index.

      Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the backlog of road repairs nationally; and what assessment they have made of the impact such repairs will have on (1)...

      Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they first became aware of alleged problems with the employment terms and conditions at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency; what steps they took to...

      Biofuels: Industry

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible environmental, strategic and economic benefits of retaining a strong domestic biodiesel industry; and what...

      Electric Vehicles

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to incentivise the increased use of electric vehicles.

      Russia: Navtex

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures (1) they, and (2) the International Maritime Organization, are taking to prevent Russia using the NAVTEX system to spread false information.

  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    • Consumer Goods: Origin Marking

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require internet retailers to declare countries of origin of items to purchasers in advance of their sale.

    • Refugees: Ukraine

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to encourage employers to provide employment for refugees from Ukraine.

      Petrol: Sales

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the profit margin per litre of petrol sold at petrol stations in (1) February 2022, (2) February 2021, and (3) February 2020.

      Energy: Prices

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a new cap on energy prices.

      China General Nuclear Power Corporation

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 15 March (HL6519), why no minute was kept of the meeting between a Minister and the China General Nuclear...

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Refugees: Afghanistan

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the £3m additional NHS funding to support access to healthcare has been spent on psychological support for Afghan citizens who arrived...

    • Health Services and Social Services

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they will provide to local authorities to support them with the (1) financing, and (2) provision, of (a) adult social care services, (b) public...

      Tuberculosis

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat of tuberculosis to human health (1) in England, and (2) globally.

      Care Homes: Visits

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the role of the Care Quality Commission in addressing (1) residential care home visits being blocked following a complaint...

      Coronavirus: Prescription Drugs

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 24 March (HL7023), why they are retaining stocks of COVID-19 antiviral treatments.

      Coronavirus: Medical Treatments

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 patients are currently in hospital; whether those patients are being given antiviral treatments to aid their recovery; and if so, what is the...

      Influenza: Vaccination

      To ask Her Majesty's Government why those aged 50 to 64 will not be eligible for free flu vaccinations in the 2022/23 flu season.

      Breast Cancer: Screening

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage breast screening units to work with their communities to (1) design, and (2) deliver, an equitable recovery of the programme.

  • Department for Education

    • Curriculum

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that greater focus within the school curriculum is placed on the teaching of creative and practical subjects.

    • Teachers: Career Development

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce a school teacher development programme to enable all leaders and teachers to access continuing professional development.

      Students: Loans

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of proposed changes to student loan repayments on sectors of the economy experiencing staffing shortages, such as...

      Schools: Standards

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what their definition is of a school that is 'stuck'; and how many of the 415 schools designated by Ofsted as stuck in 2019 remain in that category.

      Universities: Remote Education

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the savings to universities of delivering courses online and re-using digital teaching materials; and what plans they have,...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Marriage: Humanism

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend legal recognition to humanist weddings; and why they did not do so at the same time as extending legal recognition to outdoor weddings.

    • Marriage: Humanism

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possibility of extending legal recognition to humanist marriages in premises approved for civil marriages and civil...

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Tigray: Armed Conflict

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 21 March (HL6783), what assessment they have made of the denial of transit...

    • Benedict Rogers

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Hong Kong following reports of threats and intimidation of Benedict Rogers, a UK citizen and Chief...

      Belarus: Sanctions

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to imposing sanctions on Belarus.

      Belarus: Sanctions

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any sanctions imposed on Belarus by other countries.

      India: Overseas Aid

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the (1) curtailment, and (2) suspension, of overseas aid to India, in light of reports that India has facilitated...

      Kyaw Zwar Minn

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what conversations they have held with the government of Myanmar in relation to the continuing presence of the former Ambassador of Myanmar, Kyaw Zwar Minn,...

      Ukraine: Refugees

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to offer transport to the UK for Ukrainians seeking refuge in this country.

      International Criminal Court: Vladimir Putin

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 15 March (HL6553), whether the referral to the International Criminal Court (1) names President...

      Gazprombank: Sanctions

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to impose sanctions on Gazprombank.

      Israel: Palestinians

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning recent reports of Israeli soldiers invading Palestinian homes in Tiwani village, near Hebron.

      Nigeria: Christianity

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria regarding Christian persecution in that country.

      Sudan: Police

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision of the government of the United States to add the Sudan Central Reserves Police to its list of sanctioned entities;...

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Ukraine: Armed Conflict

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of President Putin's role in Russian military decisions to attack (1) civilian targets, and (2) nuclear facilities, in Ukraine.

    • Ukraine: Refugees

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to utilise (1) current, and (2) former, Ministry of Defence Service Family Accommodation units to house (a) individuals, and (b)...

      Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft: Procurement

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to speed up (1) delivery of F35B fighters, and (2) the formation of the second squadron.

      Fleet Solid Support Ships

      To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the first Fleet Solid Support ship to operate with the carrier battlegroup.

  • Department for Work and Pensions

  • Home Office

    • Refugees: Ukraine

      To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Ukrainian refugees (1) have applied for visas, (2) have been granted visas; and (3) have entered each of the four nations of the UK, under (a) the family...

    • Immigration: Ukraine

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow Ukrainians living in the UK, regardless of their immigration status, the right to bring dependants or spouses into the UK.

  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

    • Homes for Ukraine Scheme

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the amount payable to sponsors of Ukrainian refugees above £350 per calendar month, especially in the case of larger...

    • National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers from Lord Greenhalgh on 23 February (HL6158 and HL 6159), what assessment they have made of the risk of damage to the Victoria...

  • Department for International Trade

    • Trade Agreements: Australia

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Northern Ireland is treated in the same way as the rest of the UK under the terms of the UK–Australia free trade agreement as a result of the...

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

    • Football: Sportsgrounds

      To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the ongoing safe standing trial in English football, what consideration they have given to alternative crowd safety systems such as those that...

    • Football: Ownership

      To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they have for foreign bodies (1) owning, and (2) investing in, football teams in England; and what measures they have in place to safeguard the...

      National Lottery

      To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the next operator of the National Lottery will be permitted to offer online instant win games.

  • The Senior Deputy Speaker

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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