You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and records > House of Commons Business papers > Question Book > Question Book - Part 1

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 10 September 2013

Notes:
* Indicates a Question for Oral Answer.
+ Indicates a Question not included in the random selection process but accepted because the quota for that day had not been filled.
[N] Indicates a Question for Written Answer on a named day, i.e. the Member has indicated under S.O. No. 22(4) the day on which he wishes the Question to be answered.
[R] Indicates that a relevant interest has been declared.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer

beginning on Tuesday 10 September 2013

(the ‘Questions Book’™)

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on

Tuesday 10 September 2013

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on the date of issue of this paper of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper.

For other Written Questions for answer on the date of this paper of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer on future days, see Part 2 of this paper.

Tuesday 10 September  
Questions to the Attorney General
1  
Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland): To ask the Attorney General, how many staff are currently employed at the Serious Fraud Office.
      (168357)
2 N
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland): To ask the Attorney General, how many convictions for committing female genital mutilation there were in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.
      (168248)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
3  
Nick de Bois (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much inward foreign direct investment UK Trade and Investment has secured in the year to date.
      (168344)
4  
Nick de Bois (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the return on investment to the public purse from the London UK Trade and Investment office through inward investment and exports.
      (168358)
5  
Nick de Bois (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the return on investment from the public purse from the UK Trade and Investment's private sector partners through the inward investment they attract into London.
      (168359)
6  
Nick de Bois (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much inward foreign direct investment UK Trade and Investment and its private sector partners attracted into London during the last (a) 12 months and (b) two years.
      (168360)
7  
Nick de Bois (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many small and medium-sized enterprise exporters in London contributed to the Trade Growth Value metric by reporting receipt of significant assistance from UK Trade and Investment during the last (a) 12 months and (b) two years.
      (168361)
8  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what input his Department provided to the Department for Transport's response to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling report, Get Britain Cycling.
      (168383)
9  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funding his Department provides for cycling infrastructure development.
      (168388)
10  
Mr Chuka Umunna (Streatham): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 517W, on Industry, for which sectors he intends to publish (a) strategy documents and (b) strategy documents for an industry-led strategy.
      (168378)
Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office
11  
Mr David Blunkett (Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of changes in the levels of financial giving and philanthropy over the last two years.
      (168353)
12 N
Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many invoices were processed by his Department in the last financial year for which figures are available.
      (167658)
Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer
13 N
Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2013, Official Report, column 525W on British Overseas Territories, how many action plans from the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have been published to date; where such plans have been published; and what steps he plans to take against those jurisdictions that fail to publish action plans by the end of this year.
      (168214)
14 N
Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cases investigated by HM Revenue and Customs were awaiting a tax tribunal hearing on 31 March (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; and what steps he is taking to reduce these figures.
      (168225)
15 N
Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what HM Revenue and Customs' compliance yield has been in the financial year to date.
      (168226)
16 N
Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful criminal prosecutions have been brought as a result of investigations by HM Revenue and Customs in each year since 2010-11; and which offences were prosecuted in that time.
      (168227)
Questions to the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners
17  
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Honourable Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how many workers were (a) directly employed by the Church Commissioners and (b) indirectly employed by the Church Commissioners through other companies on zero hours contracts in each of the last 10 years.
      (168350)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
18 N
Mr David Anderson (Blaydon): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will facilitate negotiations between employers and trades unions on pensions in the fire service.
      (168316)
19  
Lyn Brown (West Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the effects of betting shops on local communities.
      (168342)
20  
Lyn Brown (West Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many times he has met representatives of the bookmakers industry in the last three years.
      (168352)
21 N
Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many invoices were processed by his Department in the last financial year for which figures are available.
      (167659)
22  
Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to announce allocations of the Housing and Council Tax Benefit Administration grant for 2015-16.
      (168364)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
23  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what input her Department provided to the Department for Transport's response to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling report, Get Britain Cycling.
      (168384)
24  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department provides for cycling infrastructure development.
      (168389)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence
25 N
Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what savings, in each category of expenditure, his Department has made since May 2010; and what savings are forecast over the next five years.
      (168325)
26 N
Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding was allocated for the improvement and maintenance of living accommodation in each category for the (a) RAF, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Army for each financial year from 2009-10; and what funding has been allocated for the next three full financial years.
      (168326)
27 N
Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding was allocated to the (a) RAF, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Army for recruitment purposes in each category of expenditure in each financial year since 2009-10.
      (168327)
28 N
Mr Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what land in the UK is available to his Department for use in training; and on what occasions each such location has been used for those purposes in the last year.
      (168319)
29 N
Mr Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what benefits in kind were received by the (a) Permanent Secretary of his Department, (b) the Chief of the Defence Staff, (c) the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and (d) the Chief of Defence Materiel in 2012-13.
      (168320)
30 N
Mr Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ministers in his Department have taken charter flights to which destinations and at what cost per flight in each of the last 12 months.
      (168321)
31 N
Mr Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the nature was of each of his Department's loss of personal data incidents in 2012-13.
      (168323)
32 N
Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Moor View): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the companies which tendered for the GoCo will be the subject of scrutiny and consideration by the Government's cross-departmental review.
      (168249)
33 N
Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what reserve force facilities there are for each service in West Sussex; how many reservists attend each such base regularly; and if he will make a statement.
      (168260)
34 N
Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with which countries in the Middle East the UK has a defence co-operation agreement.
      (168322)
35  
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what agreements and procedures the Government has put in place with that of the US to ensure the legality of any activity undertaken by the United States Visiting Forces based in the UK.
     R (168343)
36  
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 53W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, if he will publish the evaluations undertaken on the noise made by this technology.
     R (168345)
37  
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 53W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, how such noise evaluations are carried out; and if he will make a statement.
     R (168346)
38  
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 53W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, if he will place in the Library a current copy of the Reaper Agreement; and when a new such agreement is expected.
     R (168347)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Education
39  
Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West): To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will review Ofqual's decision to remove the Speaking and Listening Assessment from GCSE English and GCSE English Language.
      (168349)
40  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what input his Department provided to the Department for Transport's response to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling report, Get Britain Cycling.
      (168385)
41  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department provides for cycling infrastructure development.
      (168390)
42 N
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many special advisers in his private ministerial office have developed vetting security clearance.
      (168215)
43 N
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many appointments and reappointments he has made to public bodies since May 2010; and which candidates for those posts have declared political activity since May 2010.
      (168217)
44 N
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of his Department's non-executive board member's entry in the Register of Interests.
      (168220)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
45  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what input his Department provided to the Department for Transport's response to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling report, Get Britain Cycling.
      (168386)
46  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what funding his Department provides for cycling infrastructure development.
      (168391)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
47 N
Mary Creagh (Wakefield): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Huddersfield of 15 July 2013, Official Report, column 478W on accountancy, what the purpose of each contract with Deloitte is.
      (168213)
48 N
Mary Creagh (Wakefield): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the study into the use of food aid commissioned by his Department in February 2013 will be published.
      (168331)
49 N
Mary Creagh (Wakefield): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many badger carcasses resulting from the pilot badger culls have been disposed of at category 1 waste facilities; and if he will list those facilities.
      (168332)
50 N
Mary Creagh (Wakefield): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many badgers have been reported killed in the two pilot badger cull areas.
      (168333)
51 N
Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is planning to take to improve the management of ragwort.
      (168262)
52 N
Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy objectives are with respect to the transport of animals over long distances.
      (168318)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
53  
Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), (b) his Rwandan counterpart, (c) the UN Special Envoy to the Great Lakes and (d) the UN Special Representatives for the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the need for a renewed political dialogue between the government of the DRC and the M23 rebel group.
      (168355)
54  
Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage the government of (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and (b) Rwanda towards the resumption of the peace talks between the DRC and the M23 rebel group.
      (168356)
55  
Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 578W, on Western Sahara, whether money paid by the EU for fishing opportunities in the waters of Western Sahara will be used for the benefit of (a) the local Saharawi population and (b) Moroccan settlers in the Western Sahara.
      (168348)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Health
56 N
Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which organisations or individuals have withdrawn from each of the networks established under the public health responsibility deal to date.
      (168216)
57  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what input his Department provided to the Department for Transport's response to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling report, Get Britain Cycling.
      (168387)
58  
Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding his Department provides for cycling infrastructure development.
      (168392)
Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department
59 N
Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many invoices were processed by her Department in the last financial year for which figures are available.
      (167657)
60 N
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which education institutions sponsoring non-EEA students under Tier 4 of the points-based system have yet to obtain Highly Trusted status.
      (168218)
61 N
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many education institutions are able to offer below-degree level courses to adults entering the UK under Tier 4 of the points-based system.
      (168219)
62 N
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases asylum was granted on the grounds of the risk of female genital mutilation in each year since 2010.
      (168223)
63 N
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases asylum was applied for on the basis of the risk of female genital mutilation but subsequently rejected since 2010.
      (168224)
64 N
Mr Gareth Thomas (Harrow West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a reply will be sent to letters sent by the hon. Member for Harrow West on 13 May and 16 July 2013 to UK Visas and Immigration regarding Mr Khaldoon Atiyah.
      (168328)
65 N
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration enforcement staff were involved in her Department's pilot advertising scheme using the phrase, 'go home or face arrest'.
      (168263)
66 N
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who contacted her Department as a result of the pilot advertising scheme using the phrase, 'go home or face arrest', were (a) identified as illegal immigrants, (b) deported and (c) left the country voluntarily.
      (168264)
67 N
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people texted her Department during its pilot advertising scheme using the phrase, 'go home or face arrest'; and what the nationalities were of those who texted.
      (168265)
68 N
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many vans were used by her Department for its pilot advertising scheme using the phrase, 'go home or face arrest'.
      (168266)
69 N
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to roll out her Department's advertising scheme using the phrase, 'go home or face arrest'.
      (168267)
70  
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which firm was awarded the July 2010 tender for information with regard to covert aerial surveillance services by the Serious Organised Crime Agency; and whether unmanned aerial vehicles are used by that company.
     R (168351)
Questions to the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission
71 N
Thomas Docherty (Dunfermline and West Fife): To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate he has made of the cost to the House service of the recall of the House on 29 August 2013; and what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue foregone by (a) visitor services, (b) the Jubilee Cafe, (c) other catering services and (d) other services due to that recall.
      (168228)
Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development
72 N
Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on research and development of new drugs, diagnostics and vaccines for global health through each of her Department's product development partnerships in each of the last five years; and how much she intends to spend in such fashion in each of the next five years.
      (168221)
73 N
Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Departmernt has to replace the current research strategy for new drugs, diagnostics and vaccines when it expires at the end of 2013.
      (168222)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice
74 N
Mary Creagh (Wakefield): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list by (a) region and (b) month the (i) nationality, (ii) gender and (iii) age of each suspected victim of trafficking referred by the Gangmaster's Licensing Authority to the Trafficking Victim support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army since June 2010.
      (168330)
75 N
Emily Thornberry (Islington South and Finsbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what consideration he has given to reviewing the ban on facilitation payments under the Bribery Act 2010.
      (168268)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport
76  
Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the provision of alternative, toll-free routes when a toll is introduced on an existing road.
      (168379)
77  
Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the additional capacity will be of the planned A14 toll road between Ellington and Girton.
      (168380)
78  
Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional free-of-tolling routes between Ellington and Girton have been planned for development.
      (168381)
79  
Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the costs of development of the proposed new A14 toll road that will be met by tolling.
      (168382)
80 N
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the extra cost of compensation to the owners of the further properties along the route of Phase 1 of High Speed 2 to whom letters have been sent this week informing them that their property will be required for HS2 construction purposes.
      (168329)
81 N
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the revised maps showing the extra properties along the route of Phase 1 of High Speed 2 where owners are this week being informed that their property is in some way required for the construction of High Speed 2.
      (168334)
82 N
Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many disqualification decisions taken in another EU member state have been given effect in the UK under the terms of the 1998 EU Convention on Driving Disqualifications in each of the last four years.
      (167747)
83 N
Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on which EU member states which have not yet done so intend to adopt the 1998 EU Convention on Driving Disqualifications.
      (167748)
84 N
Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether the UK would be obliged to accept the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU to give preliminary rulings on the interpretation of the 1998 EU Convention on Driving Disqualifications if the UK remained bound by that Convention after the expiry of the transitional period provided for in Article 10 of the Protocol on Transitional Provisions annexed to the EU treaties.
      (167749)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
85 N
Mr Liam Byrne (Birmingham, Hodge Hill): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date the new rollout plan for universal credit will be published.
      (168317)
86 N
Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many invoices were processed by his Department in the last financial year for which figures are available.
      (167656)
87  
Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when Housing and Council Tax Benefit Administration grants will cease to be paid as a result of the introduction of universal credit.
      (168363)
88 N
Stephen Timms (East Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of reports of difficulties with the new simpler payment system for pensions and disability benefits, in particular of PIN numbers being overheard by bystanders.
      (168250)
89 N
Stephen Timms (East Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what ways the weekly signing requirement for jobseeker's allowance announced in the 2013 Budget differs from the system in place prior to April 2011 when weekly signing was abolished.
      (168251)
90 N
Stephen Timms (East Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of additional children who would be living in households receiving below the 60 per cent median equivalised household income if the benefit cap were reduced to £20,000 per annum.
      (168252)
91 N
Stephen Timms (East Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of additional households that would be affected by the benefit cap if that cap were reduced to £20,000 per annum.
      (168253)
92 N
Stephen Timms (East Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his contribution of 11 September 2012, Official Report, column 154, when he started holding weekly meetings on the IT development for universal credit.
      (168261)
Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer
93 N
Chris Evans (Islwyn): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, What recent comparative assessment he has made of trends in real wages in the UK and in similar economies.
   [Question Unstarred]  (900240)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Health
94  
Alok Sharma (Reading West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the saving to the public purse in 2015-16 as a result of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
   [Transferred]  (168362)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport
95 N
Alex Cunningham (Stockton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal helicopter accidents there have been in the offshore oil and gas sector in each year since 1983; and what comparative assessment he has made of the relative safety of helicopters working in the Norwegian oil and gas sector over the same period.
   [Transferred]  (168314)
96 N
Alex Cunningham (Stockton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of (a) employers and (b) trade unions on safety in the offshore helicopter sector.
   [Transferred]  (168315)
97 N
Alex Cunningham (Stockton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure the safety of Super Puma model helicopters used to transport workers to and from offshore installations in the North Sea.
   [Transferred]  (168324)

Prepared 10th September 2013