Written answers

Tuesday, 21 November 2023

  • Treasury

    • Theatres: Tax Allowances

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing half of all marketing spend to be included in the qualifying costs of Theatre Tax Relief.

    • Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing VAT charged on property repairs required as a result of damage caused by flooding.

      Theatres: Tax Allowances

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of permanently extending the higher rate of Theatre Tax Relief.

      Business Rates: Rural Areas

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help small businesses in rural areas with increases in business rates.

      Apprentices: Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a reduced apprenticeship levy contribution for companies which take on...

      Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of further measures to support (a) SME, (b) independent and (c) other wine and spirits...

      Companies: Sanctions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to increase sanctions on companies that approve credit applications for people subject to Court of Protection Orders.

      Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has met representatives of (a) SME and (b) independent wine businesses since the changes to alcohol duty introduced in August 2023.

      Mileage Allowances

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to (a) review the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment and (b) take fiscal steps to support employees and volunteers using their own...

      Motor Vehicles: Insurance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on helping ensure that rises in car insurance premiums do not disproportionately...

      Shareholders

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations on shareholder rights in the interim report of the...

      Mortgages: Arrears

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the number of people who are in arrears on their residential mortgages.

      Unpaid Taxes

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce on trends in the level of uncollected tax.

      Bicycles: VAT

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of having zero VAT on children's bicycles.

      Taxation: Rebates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has plans to tackle third party websites which charge excessive fees for helping taxpayers reclaim tax rebates.

      Revenue And Customs: Staff

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff work on customer compliance in (a) total and (b) each team in HMRC.

      Tax Evasion

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the cost to the public purse of tax compliance cases in each of the last five financial years.

      Bank Services: Charities

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of adequacy of the level of access to banking services for small charities in the South East.

      Prices: Christmas

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the impact of inflation on the average price of a (a) turkey, (b) Christmas pudding, (c) bottle of brandy and (d) Christmas...

      Off-payroll Working

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will male an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to abolish the changes to the IR35 off-payroll working rules introduced in April 2021.

      Defibrillators: VAT Exemptions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how his Department estimates the potential cost to the public purse of removing VAT on (a) defibrillators and (b) other products.

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of what the prison population will be in (a) 2030 and (b) 2040.

    • Sexual Offences: Custodial Treatment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that serious sexual offenders serve the whole of their custodial sentence.

      Community Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of (a) short custodial sentences and (b) sentences served in the community.

      Crimes of Violence: Sentencing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to increase sentences for violent offenders.

      Question

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve the court estate.

      Probate: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications for probate grants were received by his Department in September (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

      Courts: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve the condition of the court estate.

      Legal Aid Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made recent representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the level of legal aid funding.

      Special Educational Needs: Gloucestershire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals of SEND decisions made by people from Gloucestershire were heard at tribunals in each of the last five years; and how many and what...

      Prison Sentences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that offenders attend their sentencing hearing.

      Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the maintenance backlog across the public-sector prison estate.

      Lie Detectors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to enable the use of polygraph tests by probation officers in the management of serious offenders.

      Probation Service: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Annex 1.12 of the model service agreements for contracts with Red Snapper and Service Care Solutions, dated 5 May 2022, and with...

      Probation Service: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Annex 1.12 of the model service agreements for contracts with Red Snapper and Service Care Solutions, dated 5 May 2022, and with...

      National Tactical Response Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many officers were serving in the National Tactical Response Group at the end of the each year since 2018.

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • British Nationals Abroad: Hostage Taking

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a Minister for hostage affairs to help support...

    • Narges Mohammadi

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the imprisonment of Narges Mohammadi in...

      Jagtar Singh Johal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to call for the release of Jagtar Singh Johal.

      Afghanistan: Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence by Fawzia Koofi to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 17 October 2023, Q3, HC...

      Afghanistan: Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence by Fawzia Koofi to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 17 October 2023, Q3, HC...

      Vietnam: Human Rights

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his Vietnamese counterparts on (a) upholding the human rights of climate activists and...

      Hamas: Hostage Taking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking with international counterparts to encourage the safe release by...

      Alaa Abdel Fattah

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 14 December 2022 to Question 102801 on Alaa Abdel Fattah, when (a) he and (b) a...

      Gaza: Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help ensure Israel protects (a) civilians, (b) hospitals, (c)...

      Gaza: Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Israeli counterpart on ending the siege conditions on Gaza.

      Gaza: Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help ensure guarantees that Palestinians forced to flee from...

      Israel: Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to re-energise efforts towards a two state solution in Israel and Palestine.

      Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to increase aid to Gaza as a result of recent damage to (a) hospitals and...

      Sudan: Armed Conflict

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help (a) de-escalate tensions during the war in Sudan and (b) prevent...

      Japan: Prisoners

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the news release of 14 November 2023 from Human Rights Watch, entitled Japan: Women Seriously Abused...

      Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement: Marine Protected Areas

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department plans to take to help establish new high-seas marine protected areas under the Biodiversity...

      Taiwan: Diplomatic Service

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many British diplomatic staff are based in Taiwan as of 15 November 2023.

      Sudan: Human Rights and International Law

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to encourage parties engaged in the Sudanese conflict to (a) comply with...

      Sudan: Internally Displaced People

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to support people who have been displaced during the war in Sudan.

      Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to deploy specialised emergency relief and medical support teams to the Rafah crossing.

      Occupied Palestinian Territories: Development Aid

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for International Development on 8 November 2023,...

      Blue Belt Programme: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve the Blue Belt Programme in the South Georgia and the South...

      Chad: Refugees

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department is taking steps to support Chad with the arrival of refugees who have been displaced during the...

      Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps the Government is taking to encourage other countries to ratify the Biodiversity beyond National...

      USA: Travel Restrictions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department has made the US Administration on greater transparency for UK nationals on the...

      Venezuela: Prisoners' Release

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Venezuelan counterpart on the release of (a) Guillermo Zarraga, (b)...

      Development Aid: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Assistance Committee handbook for...

      Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what progress the Government has made on ratifying the Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.

      Sri Lanka: Ports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the potential use of the Colombo Port City...

      Taiwan: World Health Assembly

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he plans to take diplomatic steps to support Taiwan’s application to join World Health Assembly.

      Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent steps his Department has taken to provide humanitarian support to Sudan.

      Development Aid: Genito-urinary Medicine

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the Answer of 19 October 2023 to Question 202276 on Development Aid: Genito-urinary Medicine, if he...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Access to Work Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are waiting for an Access to Work assessment.

    • Access to Work Programme: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times on Access to Work applications.

      Poverty: North Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) adults and (b) children living in destitution in each constituency in North Wales.

      Social Security Benefits: Overpayments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have an outstanding overpayment of benefits as of 15 November 2023; what the value of those overpayments is; and how many of...

      Carer's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the Carers UK's publication entitled State of Caring Survey...

      Personal Independence Payment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken was for his Department to respond to enquiries about Personal Independence Payments in the period between June...

      Access to Work Programme: Neurodiversity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to promote the access to work scheme to people with neurodiverse conditions.

      Universal Credit: Carers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that the same Universal Credit work conditionality requirements apply to family and friend carers as to foster...

      Employment Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether negative evaluations of employment support programmes made by his Department's Employment Data Lab result in reduced spending on those...

      Employment Schemes: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to publish objectives agreed with the West Midlands Combined Authority for (a) purposes, (b) outcomes and (c) monitoring of...

      Labour Market and Skilled Workers: Employment Data Lab

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to share data from the Trailblazer labour market and skills programmes with its Employment Data Lab.

      Employment Data Lab: Impact Assessments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 7 February 2023 to Question 133981, when his Department plans to complete the evaluations.

      Jobcentre Plus: West Midlands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to ensure that Jobcentre Plus districts align with the West Midlands Combined Authority area.

      Employment Data Lab: Impact Assessments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department's Employment Data Lab evaluates (a) jobcentres and (b) his Department's employment services.

      Social Security Benefits: Haemophilia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will take steps to passport people infected with haemophilia that are eligible for compensation via the Infected Blood...

      Cost of Living Payments: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to provide a Disability Cost of Living Payment during winter 2022-23.

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people left the Employment and Support Allowance Support Group in each of the last twelve months for which data is available.

      Employment Schemes: Disability

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) long-term sick and (b) disabled people have been referred for personalised support under the Universal Support employment programme.

      Access to Work Programme: Neurodiversity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people with neurodiverse conditions who used the access to work scheme in the last 12 months.

      Access to Work Programme: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising support for people with ADHD through the access to work scheme in the...

      Jobcentres: Coronavirus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria were used to determine where Temporary Job Centres were commissioned during the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Ministry of Defence: Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on synthetic environments for land domain system technologies in the (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23...

    • Defence Transition Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Defence Transition Service has sufficient resources to support service leavers.

      Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many high rise buildings housing service personnel contain flammable cladding.

      Apache AH-64 Helicopters: Guided Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons his Department selected the JAGM Air-to-Ground Missile to equip the AH-64E Apache helicopter.

      Army: Testing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made in establishing the Experimentation and Trials Group.

      Army: Artificial Intelligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to integrate artificial intelligence into the Army’s capabilities.

      Ministry of Defence: Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent by his Department on human optimisation (a) enhancement and (b) augmentation in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv)...

      Ministry of Defence: Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on (a) system and (b) system of systems integration in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23...

      Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has issued guidance to (a) serving members of the armed forces and (b) family members of serving members of the armed forces on...

      Type 45 Destroyers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the readiness days were for each of the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers in each year since 2010.

      Watchkeeper WK450

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) original and (b) current (i) initial and (ii) full operating capability date is for Watchkeeper.

      Ajax Vehicles: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans that the Ajax programme will complete its Reliability Growth trials.

      Armed Forces: Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference the Answer of 11 September 2023 to Question 197994 on Armed Forces: Weapons, how much and what proportion of the funding for Armed Forces...

      Armed Forces: Personal Savings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the number of staff working for the armed forces who have (a) no savings, (b) savings of less than £100 and (c)...

      Defence: Exports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to secure greater export opportunities in the defence sector.

  • Department for Business and Trade

    • Import Duties: Morocco

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will lift (a) tariffs and (b) quotas on (i) tomatoes, (ii) cucumbers, (iii) other winter fruit and vegetables and (iv) other products...

    • Liquefied Natural Gas: Mozambique

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the report by Jean-Christophe Rufin entitled Report on the socioeconomic, humanitarian and human rights situation in the...

      Overseas Investment: Southern Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to support sustainable investment in Southern Africa; and if she will publish a sustainable investment plan for...

      Global Britain Investment Fund: Yorkshire and the Humber

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many businesses in Yorkshire have received funding from the Global Britain Investment Fund; and what proportion of that Fund has been spent.

      Employment Agencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when her Department plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled Payment handling by employment agencies in the entertainment,...

      Small Businesses: Skilled Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help small businesses train their skilled staff.

      Hospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Skilled Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to ensure that the hospitality and retail sectors equip their staff with transferable skills.

      Energy Intensive Industries: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her Department's planned timetable is for publishing its response to the consultation entitled Consultation on the British Industry...

      Trade Agreements: India

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) prevent any potential conflicts of interest for (i) Cabinet Ministers and (ii)...

      Business: Government Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to provide local authorities with an (a) application form template, (b) eligibility pre-payment checklist guide and (c) FAQ...

      Warehouses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to support the warehouse sector in (a) Romford, (b) Essex and (c) the UK.

      Office for Life Sciences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many times she has met officials from the Office for Life Sciences since 7 February 2023; and what correspondence she has had with the...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Disease Control: Departmental Responsibilities

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the UK biological security strategy published on 12 June 2023, when he expects a dedicated Minister for the UK Biological Security...

    • National Security: China

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament report entitled China, published on 13 July 2023, what recent steps his...

      Ministers: Redundancy Pay

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much each Secretary of State who has resigned in the last three years received as severance pay.

      Veterans: Homelessness

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Government has spent on Op Fortitude in 2023.

      Suella Braverman

      To ask the Minister of the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister exchanged letters with the Rt hon. Member for Fareham at the end of her term in office as Home Secretary; and for what...

  • Home Office

    • Asylum: Rwanda

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was of responding to legal challenges to the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership as...

    • Sham Marriage

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of how many sham marriages for the purposes of an immigration advantage have taken place since 2019.

      Demonstrations: Arrests

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested (a) on and (b) relating to pro-Palestinian marches that have taken place since 14 October 2023.

      Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what advice his Department provides to rescue services that pick up migrants in small boats in the English Channel in (a) international and...

      Asylum: Hotels

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of hotels previously used to house asylum seekers have stopped being used for this purpose in the last 12 months.

      British Nationality: Hamas

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has taken recent steps to withdraw British citizenship from people who are members of Hamas.

      Religious Freedom

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will have discussions with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police on the (a) circumstances which led the police to cancel a...

      Lancashire Constabulary: Vetting

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data his Department holds on the number of (a) members of staff and (b) officers in Lancashire Constabulary for whom (i) the correct...

      Police: Career Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had recent discussions with the College of Policing on the reinstatement of direct entry routes to (a) inspector and (b)...

      Non-crime Hate Incidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent by police forces in England investigating non-crime hate incidents in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022.

      Asylum: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has a target for the time taken to make decisions on section 95 asylum support applications.

      Asylum: Rwanda

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government is contractually obligated to pay any further monies to the Rwandan Government as part of the Migration and Economic...

      Abortion: Demonstrations

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023, if he will publish a timetable on the implementation of safe access zones around...

      Asylum: Rwanda

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much his Department spent on R (on the application of AAA (Syria) and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department and related cases.

      Burglary: Mid Bedfordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to reduce the rate of burglaries in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

    • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Theft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what data their Department holds on the (a) number and (b) cost of replacing (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones, (iii) memory...

    • Social Rented Housing: Eligibility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number of people living in the private rented sector who are eligible for social housing.

      Pedestrian Areas: Planning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of planning regulations on the accessibility of pavements for...

      Planning: Birmingham

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many (a) site visits by (i) an inspector and (ii) an inspector's representative and (b) written exercises were...

      Housing: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had recent discussions with the Mayor of London on levels of demand for new homes in the Greater London...

  • Department for Transport

    • Bicycles: Delivery Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to encourage delivery companies to switch to cargo bikes in urban areas.

    • Bicycles: Recycling and Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage the recycling and repair of old bicycles.

      Merchant Shipping (Work in Fishing Convention) (Medical Certification) Regulations 2018

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish a report following a review of the regulatory provision contained in regulations 3 to 16 of the Merchant Shipping...

      Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of ensuring that electric vehicle charging points are available throughout the UK, in...

      Driving Tests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of practical driving tests booked in 2023 as of 16 November 2023 and (b) proportion of those practical...

      Parking: Pedestrian Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's consultation on Pavement parking: options for change, which closed on 22 November 2020, when he plans to publish...

      Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue guidance to highways authorities on the best practice to decarbonise roads maintenance.

      Electric Scooters: Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an e-bike subsidy scheme.

      Property: Appleby Magna

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the Land Registry does (a) include a record of the sale in 2011 and (b) not include a record of the sale in 2015 of the Old Rectory in...

      Question

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to implement the recommendation of the APPG on Cycling...

      Alternative Fuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the low carbon fuels strategy; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the use of hydrogen in...

      Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to take account of the life cycle analysis of L-Category vehicles when phasing out new non zero emission variants.

      Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on the actions identified in the joint action plan published by the Motorcycle Industry Association entitled...

      Motor Vehicles: Alternative Fuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the use of (a) low carbon and (b) synthetic fuels for L-Category vehicles in the...

      Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about their decision not to set a date for the phase out of new non zero emission L-Category vehicles.

      Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will work with the Motorcycle Industry Association on establishing a credit scheme for non-zero emission L-Category vehicles after the...

      Parking: Pedestrian Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish a response to his Department's consultation Pavement parking: options for change, updated on 29 June 2023.

      Department for Transport: Theft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data their Department holds on the (a) number and (b) cost of replacing (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones, (iii) memory sticks and (iv) external...

      Passenger Ships: Electricity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to introduce a marine electricity tariff for shore power to incentivise cruise ships to use ports capable of proving shore power.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for the Lords) plans to reply to the correspondence from the the hon. Member...

    • Viral Diseases: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of financial support for medical research into post-viral conditions.

      Radiology: Telemedicine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of radiology scans were outsourced to teleradiology companies based overseas in each of the last five years.

      Commercial Clinical Trials in the UK Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken to implement the (a) significant actions under problem statement 6 and (b) other recommendations of...

      Pancreatic Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will fund specialist pancreatic cancer roles in every Cancer Alliance.

      Cancer: Screening

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to promote self examination for cancer.

      Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to tackle shortages in the ADHD medication supply.

      Motor Neurone Disease: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides for research into motor neurone disease.

      Rheumatology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the numbers of (a) nurses and (b) allied professionals specialising in rheumatology as a...

      Hospitals: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce NHS waiting times.

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish the final myalgic encephalomyelitis delivery plan.

      Pancreatic Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing an optimal care pathway for pancreatic cancer.

      Surgery: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people died whilst waiting for an operation in (a) Bury South constituency, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) England since 24...

      Department of Health and Social Care: China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether senior officials from her Department have travelled to China since January 2019.

      Members: Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Shipley to her predecessor, dated 27 September 2023.

      Cystic Fibrosis: Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to make (a) Orkambi, (b) Symkevi and (c) Kaftrio available for everyone with cystic fibrosis.

      NHS: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of integrating (a) clinical and (b) applied research with clinical practice.

      Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times his Department answered Named Day written parliamentary questions stating that it would not be possible to answer a...

      NHS: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England has made on expanding the scope of the National Contract Value Review to include (a) early phase studies and...

      Paramedical Staff: Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many students were accepted onto paramedic graduate courses provided by Health Education England beginning in Autumn 2023.

      Hospitals: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the NHS estate on his...

      Doctors: Misconduct

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the General Medical Council on how many doctors have been struck off the medical register...

      Neurodiversity: Diagnosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with (a) autism, (b) ADHD and (c) dyslexia in the East of England in the last five years.

      Eating Disorders: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on the average length of time for which adults had been waiting for (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment for...

      General Practitioners: Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of GP surgeries that offer appointments with a mental health nurse.

      Gynaecology: Waiting Lists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for NHS gynaecology services in (a) Rotherham and (b) the rest of England.

      Lead: Health Hazards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she made of the impact of lead pollution on (a) children's and (b) other people's health.

      Care Workers: Minimum Wage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of care workers earning the minimum wage.

  • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

    • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Disclosure of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to publish her Department's transparency returns for Ministers' gifts, hospitality, meetings and travel for...

    • Artificial Intelligence: Public Sector

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November to Question 334 on Artificial Intelligence: Public Sector, if she will provide a table...

      Social Media: Antisemitism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 7 November to Question 333 on Social Media: Antisemitism, if she will publish the written...

      5G: Havering

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information her Department holds on the number of 5G mobile signal towers that have been constructed in (a) Romford...

      Further Education and Higher Education: Social Media

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information Special Advisors in his Department have gathered on (a) the political views and (b) related social media...

      Further Education and Higher Education: Social Media

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information officials in her Department have gathered on (a) the political views and (b) related social media posts of...

      World Radiocommunication Conference

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to (a) prepare for the World radiocommunication conference and (b) protect the UK's interests in...

      Mobile Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what comparative assessment she has made of how the UK compares to other European nations on its proportion of (a) 4G and (b)...

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Honours: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make an assessment of the potential (a) merits of restoring The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick as an active chivalric order...

  • Department for Education

    • Advanced British Standard

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many officials in her Department have been reassigned from other projects to work on the development of the Advanced British Standard; and what...

    • Teachers: Crimes of Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support teachers who experience violence from a student (a) in early years, (b) of primary school age and (c) of secondary...

      Special Educational Needs: Private Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils are in independent special schools; and of that total how many pupils are in independent schools whose fees are...

      Pupil Exclusions: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the strength of the correlation between school exclusions and children who have experienced trauma.

      Department for Education: Women

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of SCS2 civil servants on full-time contracts in her Department are women.

      Education: Stockport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council for education services.

      Religion: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that regulations on the teaching of religious education are the same for individual academies and...

      Logistics: Curriculum

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to include reference to (a) warehousing, and (b) logistics in the National Curriculum.

      Religion: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to take steps to fund network hubs for Religious Education; and if she will make a statement.

      Music: Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to music hubs for the increased employer contributions to the teachers’ pension scheme.

      Teachers: Gloucestershire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many music teachers there are in Gloucestershire; and how many there were in 2010.

      Secondary Education: Truancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of truancy in secondary schools since 2020.

      Schools: Zero Hours Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's publication entitled 2022 School Workforce Census, published 8 June 2023, whether her Department has had...

      Education: Gloucestershire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to Gloucestershire County Council for education services.

      St Leonard's Catholic School

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete at St Leonard's Catholic School has been raised at Gold Command meetings; and what...

      Special Educational Needs: Gloucestershire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many supported internships for people with high special educational needs have been made available for 16-19 year olds in Gloucestershire.

  • Women and Equalities

    • Veganism

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to page 22 of the Vegan Society’s report entitled, Catering for Everyone: How far are councils catering to vegans, published in...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Deposit Return Schemes: Devolution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his relevant (a) Welsh, (b) Scottish and (c) Northern Irish counterparts on the potential...

    • Packaging: Recycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the planned implementation of (a) a deposit return...

      Recycling: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to (a) commission and (b) publish research on the impact of the circular economy on business and consumers.

      Joint Air Quality Unit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Joint Air Quality Unit; and whether the Government has plans to (a)...

      Metals: Recycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to prevent plastic contamination in (a) steel and (b) other metals exported for recycling.

      Sewage: Mid Bedfordshire

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce sewage discharges in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Sports: Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase youth participation in sport.

    • Football: Ethnic Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase black representation in the football profession.

      Football: Ethnic Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled Black Representation in English Professional...

  • Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

    • Lighting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that light-sensitive people will continue to have access to non-LED lightbulbs...

    • Energy: Consumption

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology of the potential impact of...

      Renewable Energy: Community Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero during...

      Renewable Energy: Community Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what her expected timeline is on when her Department will launch its consultation on community energy.

      Renewable Energy: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the contract for difference scheme.

      Electricity Interconnectors: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2023 to Question 506 on Electricity Interconnectors: Scotland, if he will publish the terms...

      Electricity Interconnectors: Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2023 to Question 506 on Electricity Interconnectors: Scotland, what further projects in (a)...

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Palestinians: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that perpetrators of the 7 October terrorist attacks on Israel will be financially rewarded via welfare payments funded by the Palestinian...

    • Israel: Gaza

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to avert a regional escalation of the hostilities in Israel and Gaza.

      Islands: Climate Change

      To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) economic, and (2) technological support they are providing, alongside the foreign aid budget, to ensure that Small Island States, particularly those that...

      South China Sea: Shipping

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current security situation in the South China Sea, following the recent shipping incident between a Chinese and a...

      Hong Kong: Demonstrations

      To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of China about the punishments given to those who took part in the Hong Kong protest movement of 2019–20,...

      Sudan: Armed Conflict

      To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total number of (1) deaths, (2) injuries, and (3) displacement of Sudanese people, since the commencement of hostilities...

      Islands: Climate Change

      To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the foreign aid budget for Small Island States at risk from climate change; and to make commitments within that...

      Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask His Majesty's Government what information they have on the amount of overseas aid to Gaza which has been taken or used by Hamas.

  • Attorney General

    • Domestic Abuse: Transgender People

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the recent statement by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, that the Crown Prosecution Service will be reviewing its domestic...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Surveillance: China

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Procurement Act 2023 obliges police forces to remove Chinese-made surveillance equipment from sensitive sites.

    • Census: Transgender People

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the 2021 census, (1) how were the cisgender and transgender individuals who took part in ONS qualitative research on gender identity conducted in 2017...

      Death

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many excess deaths there have been in England and Wales in each quarter since 1 January 2020; what were the totals in the years (1) 2020, (2) 2021, (3) 2022,...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Social Security Benefits: Children

      To ask His Majesty's Government why, from the next release of the benefit cap statistics, information on the youngest child in capped households will be suspended; and whether they propose to...

    • Social Security Benefits: Fraud

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many staff were employed in (1) 2021, (2) 2022, and (3) 2023, in roles which target fraud, error and debt across the benefit system.

  • Treasury

    • Aviation: Taxation

      To ask His Majesty's Government what tax is levied on private commercial flights (1) taking off, or (2) landing, in the UK.

    • Reclaim Fund

      To ask His Majesty's Government how much money has been paid out to claimants by The Reclaim Fund in each of the past five years, following enactment of the Dormant Bank and Building Society...

      Food: Prices

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that food inflation is set to reduce next year; and what assessment they have made of the impact this will have on...

      Training: Tax Allowances

      To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to regularise the treatment of training expenses against profits subject to Schedule D income tax and profits subject to corporation tax.

      Electric Vehicles: VAT

      To ask His Majesty's Government what is the annual amount to date received in value added tax from electric vehicles using public charging points.

      Gift Aid

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the gift aid review launched in their policy paper Summary of tax administration and maintenance: Spring 2023, published on 27 April, how many...

      Gift Aid

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the gift aid review launched in their policy paper Summary of tax administration and maintenance: Spring 2023, published on 27 April, what progress...

      Banks: Pay

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer on 23 September 2022 to remove the cap on bankers' bonuses (HC Deb col 936), what...

      Exports: VAT

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the withdrawal of the VAT Retail Export Scheme; and if they have any plans to reintroduce the scheme.

      Funerals: Pre-Payment

      To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of pre-paid funeral plan customers who lost the money they had invested prior to the sector becoming fully regulated by the...

      VAT: Registration

      To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the threshold for compulsory registration for VAT; and what plans they have to reinstate the policy of annually updating the...

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Schools: Transport

      To ask His Majesty's Government what official regulatory requirements must be met and demonstrated before an organisation can operate secure transportation services for children and young people.

    • Remand in Custody: Women

      To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of women remanded into custody in each of the past five years  subsequently received no sentence.

      Remand in Custody: Women

      To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of women remanded into custody in each of the past five years subsequently received a custodial sentence of (1) one year and over, (2) six...

      Remand in Custody: Women

      To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of women remanded into custody in each of the past five years were subsequently sentenced to (1) a community sentence, and (2) a prison sentence.

  • Department for Transport

    • Electric Vehicles: Licensing

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Motorcycle Industry Association and Zemo Partnership report Realising the Full Potential of Zero Emission Powered Light Vehicles: A Joint...

    • Railways: North of England

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Northern Powerhouse rail proposals, whether the proposed new route alignment between Bradford and Huddersfield involves tunnelling; and, if so,...

      Railway Stations: Bradford

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Northern Powerhouse rail proposals, whether the new Bradford railway station will replace Bradford Interchange and Bradford Forster...

  • Home Office

    • Asylum: Biometrics

      To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of using (1) X-rays, (2) magnetic resonance imaging, and (3) any other scientific methods, as provided for by the...

    • RSPCA: Private Prosecutions

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the comments made by Judge Peter Veits in Lincolnshire Magistrates Court that the RSPCA had acted unlawfully in the initiation of the prosecution of a...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Water Supply: Surrey

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the restoration of water supply in areas of Surrey left without water following Storm Ciarán; and to...

  • Department for Education

    • Schools: HIV Infection

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are planning to introduce any measures to include HIV education as a part of the school curriculum in order to promote understanding about HIV and...

    • Pupils: Absenteeism

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Children's Commissioner report Missing Children, Missing Grades, published on 2 November; and what steps they are taking...

      Apprentices: Employment Agencies

      To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support flexi-job agencies for apprenticeships, particularly for SME employers in rural areas and regions.

  • Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

    • Fossil Fuels: Storage

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental impact of the planned redevelopment of Cloghan Point oil terminal into a storage and distribution hub for all...

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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