Written answers

Wednesday, 6 December 2023

  • Ministry of Justice

    • Judges: Retirement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many judges retired in each of the last five years.

    • Bedford Prison: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what maintenance work is required at HMP Bedford as of 29 November 2023.

      Prisons: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the number of applications received for jobs in prisons at grade bands 3 to 5 in each year since 2010.

      Solicitors: Complaints

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of (a) the adequacy of the support provided to people making complaints against solicitors and (b) the potential merits of...

      Solicitors: Negligence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward proposals to ensure that people who have lost a court case a result of a...

      Prison Accommodation: Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost was of a prison place in each of the last five years.

      Probation Service: Vacancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many vacancies for roles in the probation delivery units within the probation service there are in the areas covering Greater London as of 29...

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Culture: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what data her Department holds on the accessibility of arts and culture to children and young people under the age of 16.

    • Local Broadcasting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the definition of local broadcasting to mean content broadcast...

      BBC: Local Broadcasting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the BBC on (a) local broadcasting and (b) the potential impact of its plans relating to...

      Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla: Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department spent of the coronation ceremony; and how this money was spent.

      Voluntary Work

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to support volunteering through the Big Help Out campaign.

      Veterans: Radiation Exposure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish (a) a copy of Lord Chancellor's Instruments (LCIs) Nos 76 and 118 and (b) set out which exemptions applied under...

      Orchestras: Tax Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings on changes to Orchestra Tax Relief she has had with representatives of the orchestra sector since 18 July 2023.

  • Ministry of Defence

    • Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) service family accommodation and (b) single living accommodation homes have been left without (i) heating and (ii) hot water for more than...

    • Land Enterprise Working Group: Membership

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the membership of the Land Enterprise Working Group is as of 29 November 2023.

      Weapons: Procurement

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

      F-35 Aircraft: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to bring forward the delivery date for the F-35 fleet.

      Ministry of Defence: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023, published on 20 July 2023, what steps he is taking to improve (a)...

      Ministry of Defence: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 53 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, if he will publish the latest version of his Department’s...

      Shipbuilding: Procurement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion of the social value weighting that is applied to his Department's shipbuilding competitions has been used for (a) covid-19...

      Ministry of Defence: Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to reduce expenditure on consultancy services.

      Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 12 of the Memorandum for the Ministry of Defence Main Estimate 2023-24, for what reason his Department transferred £4.955...

      Ministry of Defence: Small Businesses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many contracts for his Department were reserved for SMEs in the (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23 financial years.

      Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for how many (a) service family accommodation and (b) single living accommodation homes have issues with (i) heating and (ii) hot water been reported...

      Cybersecurity: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 12 of the Memorandum for the Ministry of Defence Main Estimate 2023-24, when his Department first began Other Government...

      Shipbuilding: Small Businesses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent with small and medium-sized enterprises in the shipbuilding industry in each financial year since 2019-20.

      Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much compensation has been provided to service personnel to cover the increased energy costs of using a temporary heater in each month since January...

      Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many families have been required to move out of a service family accommodation property as a result of maintenance issues in each year since 2010.

      Armed Forces: Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many families who live in service family accommodation properties are living in temporary hotel accommodation as a result of maintenance issues in...

      Intelligence Services: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 12 of the Memorandum for the Ministry of Defence Main Estimate 2023-24, what the reason was for each of the transfers totalling...

      Intelligence Services: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 12 of the Memorandum for the Ministry of Defence Main Estimate 2023-24, published on 23 May 2023, if he will clarify what HQS...

      Cybersecurity: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 12 of the Memorandum for the Ministry of Defence Main Estimate 2023-24, for what reason his Department provides funding for the...

      Conventional Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average (a) AS90, (c) L118 light gun, (c) Jackal and (d) Foxhound vehicle availability rate was in each year since 2018.

      SA80 Rifle

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current status is of Project Grayburn.

      Cybersecurity: Government Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 12 of the Memorandum for the Ministry of Defence Main Estimate 2023-24, what recent estimate he has made of the amount of Other...

      Ministry of Defence: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what mechanisms his Department uses to help ensure value for money when utilising Other Government Department transfers.

      Ministry of Defence: Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on surveys to identify buildings on his Department's land which may have been constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated...

      Middle East: Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 2760 on Middle East: Armed Forces, how many UK troops were present in (a) Jordan, (b) Lebanon,...

      Armed Forces: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the medical conditions for which an application to join the Armed Forces is automatically rejected.

      Ministry of Defence: Digital Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 101 of the publication entitled Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2022–23, how much his Department has spent...

      Ministry of Defence: Ethnic Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage people from ethnic minorities groups to join his Department.

      Armed Forces: Cost of Living

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse of his Department's spending on targeted cost of living support for service personnel was in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023 as...

      Ministry of Defence: Secondment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil servants in his Department were seconded to other Departments in each since year since 2019.

      Armed Forces: Cost of Living

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to support service personnel with the cost of living in winter 2023-24.

      Armed Forces: Working Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has a target for the average number of hours per week worked by armed forces personnel, broken down by service.

      Asbestos: Industrial Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many settlement payments were issued by his Department for asbestos-related diseases in 2022-23.

      Asbestos: Industrial Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average settlement payment was for asbestos-related diseases in the 2022-23 financial year.

      Armed Forces: Working Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what data his Department holds on the number of excess hours worked by service personnel in each of the last five calendar years, broken down by service.

      Ministry of Defence: Off-payroll Working

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the percentage change of people within his Department on an off-payroll engagement was between financial years 2019-20 and 2022-23.

      Ministry of Defence: Off-payroll Working

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average duration for an individual within his Department on an off-payroll engagement for over four years was in the 2022-23 financial year.

      Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 218 of the publication entitled Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2022–23, what recent estimate his Department...

  • Department for Business and Trade

    • Batteries: Lithium

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has taken steps to monitor the general (a) use and (b) safety of new lithium battery products.

    • Post Offices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many sub post offices there were in each year since 2012.

      Future Fund: Breakthrough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much the British Business Bank has invested directly in companies through its Future Fund: Breakthrough programme as of 28 November 2023.

      Postal Services: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had recent discussions with Royal Mail on the steps it is taking to tackle delays in delivery to the BR7 postcode area.

      Batteries: Lithium

      To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with the Office for Product Safety and Standards on lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters.

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Naloxone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of supplying Naloxone to the NHS.

    • Naloxone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of overdoses that were (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully reversed with...

      Dementia: Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's Press Release entitled, Prime Minister launches Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, published 14...

      Social Services: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to reform the social care charging system.

      Dementia: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress she has made on delivering the NHS Long Term Plan's priorities on dementia prevention.

      Palliative Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding the Government has spent on research into improving palliative care in the last five years.

      Hospitals: Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase retention levels of experienced hospital staff.

      Health: Disadvantaged

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 26 January 2023 to Question 128715 on Health: Disadvantages, what plans she has to expand the Major...

      Skin Diseases: Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to provide training to (a) GPs and (b) specialists to help improve the time taken to (i) diagnose and...

      Ambulance Services: Rural Areas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of closures of community ambulance stations on people living in rural areas.

      Dementia: Continuing Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the process for assessing the eligibility of dementia patients for continuing...

      Memory Clinics: Standards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it her policy to establish national standards for (a) referral and (b) waiting times for memory assessment services.

      Care Workers: Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase the number of social care workers.

      Air Pollution: Greater London

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 11 May 2023 to Question 183644 on Air Pollution: Greater London, whether the fraction of mortality...

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the RSPCA on possible changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

    • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Public Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which spending programmes their Department devolves for administration to (a) local government in England and (b) other...

      Milk: Environment Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the comparative environmental...

      Milk: Plants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will take steps to encourage consumption of plant-based milks.

      Milk: Plants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to enable manufacturers of plant-based milks to label them as plant-based...

      Sugar Beet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support negotiations between sugar beet growers and British Sugar PLC.

      Hunting: Animal Products

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on the number of individuals who have imported hunting trophies in each of the past five years.

      Recycling: Innovation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding innovative recycling ideas.

      Food: Waste

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will reinstate the role of Food Surplus and Waste Champion.

      Question

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on strengthening national flooding preparedness.

      Tree Planting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of trees planted during this Parliament.

      Nature Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason he plans that the public consultation on the definition of irreplaceable habitats and principles for...

      Horticulture: Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the guidance entitled Apply for CITES permits and certificates to move or trade endangered species,...

      Hornets: Pollinators

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Asian hornet on (a) the bee population and (b) the level...

      Hornets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has considered the potential merits of increasing the resources available to the National Bee Unit to support the...

      Hornets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has taken steps to identify technologies that (a) eradicate Asian hornet colonies and (b) prevent their...

      Birds of Prey: Conservation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the illegal killing of raptors.

      Moorland: Fire Prevention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help reduce the risk of wildfires breaking out on moorland.

  • Department for Education

    • Social Services: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress she has made on implementing the children's social care national framework and dashboard.

    • Schools: Census

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will add Down syndrome as a separate data item on the school census.

      Uniforms: Low Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support families on low incomes with the cost of school uniforms.

      Teachers: Parents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to retain teachers when they become parents.

      Pre-school Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to communicate with (a) schools and (b) local authorities about the extension of eligibility for free early...

      Apprentices: South Holland and the Deepings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many youth apprenticeship starts there have been in South Holland and the Deepings constituency in each year since 2010.

      Extended Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide (a) activities and (b) food support for children over school holiday periods.

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the average length of time the Student Loans Company takes to refund people who have made an overpayment on...

      Students: Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of financial advice available to students before they take out a student loan.

      Education and Skills Funding Agency: Wellingborough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been allocated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency in Wellingborough constituency in each year since 2017.

      T-levels: Work Experience

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of age limits in regulated professions on the ability of colleges to provide industry...

      Out-of-school Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many unregistered schools there are in England.

      Apprentices: Wellingborough

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many youth apprenticeship starts there have been in Wellingborough constituency in each year since 2011.

      Schools: Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) mental health and (b) suicide prevention provision in secondary schools.

      Further Education: Teachers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of teacher (a) recruitment and (b) retention on the provision of (i) English,...

      Apprentices: Degrees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Degree Apprenticeship places have been available in each of the last ten years.

      Pupils: Absenteeism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in absence rates of children with pathological demand avoidance.

      Office for Students: Further Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding the Office for Students has provided to further education institutions in each of the last three years.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Parliamentary Private Secretaries

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish an updated list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries.

    • Public Sector Fraud Authority

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to his Department of (a) setting up and (b) running the Public Sector Fraud Authority each year are.

      Elections: Subversion

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Intelligence and Security Committee report on Russia, HC 632, published on 21 July 2020, what steps he is taking to ensure that...

      Public Sector Fraud Authority

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much Government expenditure lost to fraud has been recovered by the Public Sector Fraud Authority in each year since its establishment.

      Coronavirus: Fraud

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of how much (a) was lost from the public purse due to fraud during the covid-19 pandemic, (b) of that fraud has been...

      Movement Assistance Scheme and Trader Support Service

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full time equivalent staff are employed in (a) implementing and (b) monitoring the (i) Trader Support Service and (ii) Movement Assistance Schemes.

      Death

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 30 May 2023 to Question 185872 on Death, if he will publish the total number of deaths from all causes (a) including...

      Ministers: Science and Statistics

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to increase levels of (a) scientific and (b) statistical literacy among ministers.

      Vetting: Mental Illness

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with United Kingdom Security Vetting on vetting clearance rates for applicants with mental health conditions.

  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

    • System Building: Repairs and Maintenance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number of large panel system buildings that require remediation work.

    • Housing: Construction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2023 to Question 194815 on Housing: Construction, what recent progress his Department...

      Islamophobia: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, how much funding his Department has provided to tackle islamophobia since 2010.

      Homes England: Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much and what proportion of the Homes England budget was not spent in each of the last three financial years.

      Roads: Access

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of amending the planning rules on new accesses to the highway.

      Housing: Insulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had discussions with (a) United For Warm Homes and (b) Friends of the Earth on the potential merits of...

  • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

    • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's publication entitled DSIT ministerial travel, April to June 2023, published on 21 November...

    • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Aviation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's publication entitled DSIT ministerial travel, April to June 2023, published on 21 November...

      Space: Treaties

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions the Government has had with the UN on international space conventions.

      Space Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 36 of the National Space Strategy, published in September 2021, what steps her Department has taken to...

      Space Debris

      To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release G7 nations commit to the safe and sustainable use of space, published by the UK Space...

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Gaza: Internally Displaced People

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether it is his policy that civilians displaced from the north of Gaza should be able to return when it is safe for...

    • Diplomatic Service: Staff

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in which overseas countries are there no resident diplomatic staff from (a) his Department and (b) other Departments.

      Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made representations to his Israeli counterpart on allowing aid to enter Gaza directly through the Karem...

      Global Disinformation Index: Finance

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what funding his Department has provided to the Global Disinformation Index to assess media markets overseas in this...

      Climate Change: Finance

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if his Department will pledge (a) new and (b) additional finance to the Loss and Damage fund at COP28.

      Sudan: Minority Groups

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with the Sudanese authorities on the protection of religious minorities.

      Israel: Palestinians

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the Government has taken steps to condemn settler violence and forced displacements since the start of the war...

      Development Aid

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department takes to ensure that UK aid is administered in a way which does not discriminate based on...

      Afghanistan: Refugees

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has taken steps to help Pakistan create a commission for managing matters relating to Afghan...

      Embassies: Flags

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what his Department's policy is on the flying of the Union flag at UK embassies and consulates.

      British Nationals Abroad: Detainees

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help secure the release of UK nationals who are being arbitrary detained overseas.

      Nicaragua: Human Rights

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of reports that eight priests...

      Occupied Territories: International Criminal Court

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the UK recognises the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in (a) Gaza and (b) other Occupied...

      Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2023 to Question 2123 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, what information his Department...

      Development Aid: Education

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how much and what proportion of UK Official Development Assistance spending has been on (a) 16-19 education, (b) adult...

      Gaza: Israel

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on reports on the presence of a tunnel beneath...

      Development Aid: Climate Change

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference the Written Statement of 17 October 2023, HCWS1071, on International Climate Finance, what assessment he...

      Climate Change: Finance

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the discussions ahead of COP28 on the World Bank potentially hosting the Loss and Damage fund for an...

      Climate Change: Finance

      To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays to the delivery of the $100 billion global climate...

  • Home Office

    • Lasers: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to take steps with Cabinet colleagues to prevent purchases of laser pens by people under the age of 18.

    • Asylum: Rwanda

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 2159 on Asylum: Rwanda, where on the Gov.uk website information on legal fees for R...

      Biometric Residence Permits

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the recent technical issue with the processing and issuing of Biometric Resident Permits has been; what steps his Department is taking...

      Passports: Fees and Charges

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of waiving the cost of passport renewal in the event that renewal is required as a...

      Passports

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many instances of passports being damaged by foreign border control agents have been reported to his Department in each of the last...

      Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that private providers contracted to run asylum accommodation services deliver on their...

      Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate of the average level of profit that private providers have made running asylum accommodation in the most recent...

      Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of complaints concerning asylum accommodation were escalated to (a) the accommodation provider and (b) his...

      Biometric Residence Permits

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Biometric Residence Permits were issued within 10 days of a person receiving their decision confirming their refugee status since 1...

      Asylum

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Minister for Immigration's oral contribution on Monday 27 November 2023, column 536, what the evidential basis is for...

      Visas: Applications

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services appointments have been available at the Oxford Service Point in each month since...

      Subversion

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his planned timetable is for the introduction of the foreign interference offence.

      Defending Democracy Taskforce

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he plans to take to support the work of the Defending Democracy Taskforce in the next 12 months.

      Demonstrations: Palestinians

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the potential role of foreign state actors in pro-Palestinian protests in London.

      Hate Crime: Transphobia

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the causes of changes in the level of transphobic hate crimes.

      Hate Crime: Transphobia

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help tackle the causes of transphobic hate crimes.

      Police: Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help support police officers with mental health issues.

      Tobacco: Seized Articles

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions the provisions in the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 allowing a constable to seize any tobacco or cigarette...

      Drugs: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department provides on the enforcement of offences relating to Category B drugs.

      Radiology: Prescriptions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State during the debate in Grand Committee on Healthcare:...

      Retail Trade: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of recorded crime against retailer workers was associated with age-related sales in the last 12 months.

      Retail Trade: Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many recorded incidents of (a) violence, (b) abuse, (c) theft and (d) other crimes against retailers took place in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020,...

      Police: County Durham and Darlington

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to take steps to increase the number of police officers in (a) County Durham and (b) Darlington.

  • Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

    • Offshore Industry: North Sea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department expects that new gas and oil produced in the North Sea will be allocated for domestic use.

    • North Sea Transition Authority

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the North Sea Transition Authority for supporting the delivery of the...

      Carbon Emissions: Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Answer of 19 May 2023 to Question 185867 on Buildings: Carbon Emissions, what guidance he has issued to (a)...

      Nuclear Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the policy paper entitled Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, published on 19 October 2021, when she plans to...

      Nuclear Power: Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of locating a nuclear power project in Northern Ireland.

      North Sea Oil

      To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department expects the proportion of heavy crude oil to increase as a proportion of the UK's North Sea oil production...

  • Women and Equalities

    • LGBT+ People

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which stakeholder groups representing the LGBT+ community she has met in the last 12 months.

  • Department for Transport

    • Electric Vehicles: Fires

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential risks to safety of trends in the level of fires caused by conversion kits for e-bikes.

    • Diesel Vehicles: Cars

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 May 2023 to Question 185865 on Diesel Vehicles, how many diesel cars were registered for the first time in each...

      North Wales Coast Line: Electrification

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of when the North Wales Coast Railway will be electrified.

      Roads: Shipley

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with Bradford Council on a commencement date for construction of the Shipley eastern relief road.

      Electric Scooters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will publish guidance on the use of personal light electric vehicles.

      Electric Vehicles: Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to develop guidance for the public on (a) the potential risks of and (b) how to safely purchase conversion kits...

      Driving Tests: Large Goods Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Driver CPC part 3b tests were available for public booking in each quarter since April 2021 in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Bishopbriggs...

  • Treasury

    • Apostle Accounting

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has held with HMRC on payment requests issued to Apostle Accounting Ltd customers following HMRC compliance checks.

    • Banks: Closures

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help prevent the closure of high street banks in rural areas.

      Vacancies

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of changes in the level of job vacancies; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of that on...

      Apostle Accounting

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to conduct an investigation with HMRC into the practices of Apostle Accounting Ltd following its liquidation.

      Taxation: International Cooperation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the proposed UN framework on international tax cooperation.

      Bank Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on (a) the role of face-to-face banking services and (b) steps being taken to ensure that such...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Social Security Benefits: Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of how many children would be lifted out of poverty if the household benefit cap was (a) uprated with inflation...

  • Wales Office

    • Rivers: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve the quality of water in rivers and streams in Wales.

    • Owner Occupation: Wales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the impact of changes in the level of interest rates on homeowners in Wales.

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

    • Nigeria: Terrorism

      To ask His Majesty's Government how they marked Red Wednesday on 22 November, with particular reference to the rise in religious persecution in Africa, and whether they noted the associated...

    • Libya: Visits Abroad

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, plans to visit Libya.

      Belfast Agreement and European Convention on Human Rights

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 20 November (HL Deb col 618), what steps they will take to (1) remain a member of the European...

      British Committee for Iran Freedom

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work in the UK of the British Committee for Iran Freedom.

      Sudan: Internally Displaced People

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that more than 6 million people, half of them children, have been forcibly displaced in Sudan; and that Sudan now...

      Ukraine Recovery Conference

      To ask His Majesty's Government which directorate produced the list of invitees for the recent Ukraine Recovery Conference; and what were the criteria for selection for the invitees.

      North Korea: Human Rights

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they discussed the United Nations Commission of Inquiry report into human rights violations in North Korea with President Yuan of the Republic of Korea...

      North Korea: Refugees

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they discussed the repatriation of North Korean escapees to China with President Yuan of the Republic of Korea during his state visit; and, if so, what...

      Cholera

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cholera outbreak reported by the United Nations as affecting 27 localities across seven states with 78 associated deaths,...

      Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy: Finance

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sources of funding for the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy for their activities in the UK.

      Sudan: Armed Conflict

      To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of steps to be taken with international partners to stabilise the conflict in Abyei, Sudan, through (1) civil society, and (2) the...

      Developing Countries: Climate Change

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the disproportionate impact of climate change, such as flooding, disease, drought and famine, on developing and poorer...

  • Department for Business and Trade

    • Small Businesses: Inflation

      To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to small businesses experiencing financial pressure as a result of customers being unable to afford items or services because of...

    • Trade Promotion

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they keep a list of exporters for the purposes of determining who to invite to government sponsored trade conferences held in the UK; and what are the...

      Nuclear Fuels: Exports

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the UK is a net exporter of enriched uranium; and what discussions they have had with the industry regarding growing...

  • Department of Health and Social Care

    • Cancer: Medical Treatments

      To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to increase the availability of non-invasive cancer treatment technologies.

    • World Health Assembly

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amendment to Article 59 of the World Health Organisation's International Health Regulations, adopted on 22 May 2022 by the...

      Royal Sussex County Hospital: Air Ambulance Services

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 9 December 2022 (HL3930), what progress they are making towards starting operations of the helipad...

      Ambulance Services: Standards

      To ask His Majesty's Government what was the average waiting time for an ambulance (1) in the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, and (2) across all NHS trusts in England, in each year since 2000.

  • Home Office

    • Detainees: Medical Examinations

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many reports under (1) rule 32 of the Short-term Holding Facility Rules 2018, and (2) rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001, were issued in (a) 2021, (b)...

    • Asylum: Rwanda

      To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the costs incurred to date of the asylum transfer scheme with Rwanda.

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    • Arts: Employment

      To ask His Majesty's Government, for each year since 2013, what number of people were working in each of the nine sub-sectors of the creative industries, and what contribution each sub-sector has...

    • British Library: Cybersecurity

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to establish specific initiatives or grants to support the British Library in developing and implementing comprehensive cybersecurity...

  • Department for Transport

    • Avanti West Coast: Catering

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 27 September (HL10350), what text is included in Avanti's National Rail Contract on the...

    • Liverpool Street Station: Construction

      To ask His Majesty's Government what finance they are providing, or planning to provide, directly or indirectly, to the scheme to partially demolish Liverpool Street Station and to build a tower...

      Liverpool Street Station: Construction

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they or Network Rail will own the tower which is proposed to be built over Liverpool Street Station; and whether it is proposed that the ownership of the...

      High Speed 2 Line: Construction

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 26 October (HL10766), how much money has been spent to date on the Crewe leg (Phase 2a) of HS2.

      Railways: Midlands and North of England

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 22 November (HL278), whether the Prime Minister's commitment to deliver new rail schemes...

      Public Transport: Sexual Harassment

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the recent survey conducted by the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union, which found that 40 per cent of women public transport workers have been...

      Old Oak Common Station: Great Western Main Line

      To ask His Majesty's Government how many platforms are planned for Old Oak Common rail station on the Great Western Main Line.

      Old Oak Common Station

      To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of intercity trains are planned to stop at Old Oak Common Great Western rail station when it is fully operational; and what is the additional...

      Old Oak Common Station: Construction

      To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of (1) the total cost of construction at Old Oak Common Great Western rail station, and (2) the total time for construction from the...

      Old Oak Common Station: Finance

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether the funding for Old Oak Common Great Western rail station comes from HS2 Ltd or Network Rail.

      Old Oak Common Station: Construction

      To ask His Majesty's Government over what time periods rail services to and from Paddington Station will be disrupted due to construction for Old Oak Common Great Western station; and what...

      Euston Station: Disability

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 27 November (HL339), why the steel sidebars on the disability buggies at Euston station were...

  • Department for Work and Pensions

    • Social Security Benefits: Chronic Illnesses and Disability

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Autumn Statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 22 November where he stated that if jobseekers "choose not to engage with the work...

    • Artificial Intelligence: Redundancy

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic and societal risks of generative AI, including a potential increase in unemployment as a result of automation of...

      Social Security Benefits: Mental Health

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of removing benefits from, and applying sanctions to, claimants with mental health conditions after 18 months in the...

  • Cabinet Office

  • Northern Ireland Office

    • Northern Ireland

      To ask His Majesty's Government what active steps they have taken to promote Northern Ireland’s position within the UK.

  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

    • Property: Management

      To ask His Majesty's Government, since the Social Housing (Regulations) Act 2023 received Royal Assent, (1) what steps they have taken regarding the implementation of the requirement under the...

    • Multiple Occupation: Licensing

      To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to reduce the number of unlicensed houses in multiple occupation, and (2) to promote safe and uncrowded living conditions for those...

      Levelling Up Fund: Northern Ireland

      To ask His Majesty's Government how much Round 3 Levelling Up funding has been ring-fenced for spending in Northern Ireland; and when, and by whom, the decision was taken to exclude Northern...

      Travellers: Caravan Sites

      To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Friends, Families and Travellers, Kicking the Can down the Road: the planning and provision of Gypsy and Traveller...

      New Towns

      To ask His Majesty's Government when was the last time the provisions of the New Towns Act 1946 was used to support delivery of a new community.

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    • Pets: Disease Control

      To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make it a mandatory requirement for dog and cat flea treatments only to be approved for use if they have passed an environmental damage test.

  • Department for Education

    • Children: Protection

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 26 October (HL10658), whether they will undertake to publish the finalised annual version of Keeping...

  • Ministry of Justice

  • Treasury

    • Debts: Cuba

      To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 22 November (HL158), what was the rationale behind the decision to defer payments under the...

What is this?

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

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

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