Oral Answers to Questions - Defence: Party Funding
Jonathan Ashworth: The Paymaster General talks of transparency, yet casually dismisses out of hand the prospects of an independent inquiry. Given that we have heard some very serious allegations about donors' access to the No. 10 policy unit, which the Minister admitted a few moments ago is staffed by career civil servants, he is obviously confident as the Minister for the Cabinet Office that nothing... More...

Written Answers - Culture Media and Sport: Arts
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the value of the creative sector is to the economy; how many people are employed in the industry; what proportion of the industry operates in each region; and what the industry spent on its supply chains in the UK in 2011. More...

Written Answers - Culture Media and Sport: Arts
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to support the creative industries and their domestic supply chain. More...

Written Answers - Home Department: Metals: Theft
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which forms of scrap metal a ban on cash payments for scrap metal will apply. More...

Written Answers - Treasury: Departmental Official Hospitality
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what official (a) lunches, (b) dinners and (c) receptions he hosted in each of the last six months; and what the (i) location, (ii) cost to the public purse and (iii) purpose was of each such event; (2) what official (a) lunches, (b) dinners and (c) receptions he hosted in each of the last 12 months... More...

Written Answers - Health: Heart Diseases: Children
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is for the safe and sustainable review of children's heart services in England which is being carried out by the National Specialised Commissioning Team; and how much has been spent on the review. More...

Written Answers - Communities and Local Government: Planning Permission: Sustainable Development
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he applied the definition of sustainable development recommended by the Communities and Local Government Select Committee when drafting the National Planning Policy Framework. More...

Written Answers - Treasury: Moody's Investor Services: Press Releases
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2012, Official Report, column 428W, on Moody's Investor Services, whether his Department requested changes to be made to the draft press release submitted to it by Moody's Investor Services on 13 February 2012; whether any such requested changes were incorporated by Moody's Investor Services into their final press... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Prime Minister: Diamond Jubilee
Jonathan Ashworth: Jon spoke in the House of Commons during the debate on Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee and referred to the forthcoming visit to the City of Leicester. You can view the televised session by clicking on the Play button, and skip through to 13:04:58 for the start of Jon's speech, or click here to read.

Oral Answers to Questions - Work and Pensions: Student Support
Jonathan Ashworth: A constituent of mine, Mr Ollie Evans, had to interrupt his studies owing to a serious illness. He was unable to claim the various benefits that the Minister has outlined; at the same time, the Student Loans Company was clawing back all types of support that it had given him. More...

Business of the House
Jonathan Ashworth: The Leader of the House might recall that a few weeks ago, I raised with him the situation facing Leicester businesses that were damaged at the height of the summer disturbances. They are not getting any compensation, because the police authority does not designate the disturbances as a riot... More...

Written Answers - Treasury: Moody's Investors Service
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2012, Official Report, column 840W, on Moody's Investors Service, other than the requirement to submit a draft ratings assessment to his Department in advance of publication, what communications took place between his Department and Moody's Investors Service on (a) 12, (b) 13 and (c) 14 February 2012; who was...More...

Vote on Account 2012-13: Department for Transport - Transport and the Economy
Jonathan Ashworth: I start by paying tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs Ellman), who spoke with great eloquence and distinction. She spoke a lot of good sense on behalf of the Transport Committee and I agreed with every word that she said. She is quite right to draw the link between the wider impact on economic growth and investing in and building a modern transport... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Health and Social Care Bill
Jonathan Ashworth: If I may say so, I think that the Secretary of State and the Government have been at sixes and sevens over this issue in recent weeks and they would be better off dropping this disastrous Bill. However, may I press the right hon. Gentleman on the answer he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Thomas Docherty)? If he now agrees that the amendments are significant,...More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Topical Questions
Jonathan Ashworth: Ministers will know that there is a sizeable Somali community in Leicester, many of whom followed the deliberations of the recent conference with great interest. I am keen to find out how Ministers plan to continue to engage with that community. In addition, to what extent was the role of children discussed at the conference? More...

Written Answers - Health: Hepatitis: Ethnic Groups
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision he plans to make in the forthcoming national liver disease strategy to improve awareness and diagnosis of hepatitis C within the South Asian population. More...

Written Answers - Health: Hepatitis: Ethnic Groups
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take as part of his proposals for NHS reform to improve the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C in South Asian communities. More...

Written Answers - Treasury: Moody's Investors Service
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions staff in his Department had with representatives of Moody's on 12 and 13 February 2012; who took part in any discussions; and what their purpose was. More...

Written Answers - Transport: Railways: Finance
Jonathan Ashworth; To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the proposed transfer of assets and responsibilities of British Waterways to the Canal and River Trust and the reduced level of funding on regeneration around the Grand Union Canal Leicester Section. More...

Business of the House
Jonathan Ashworth: Will the Leader of the House guarantee that the Health Secretary leads for the Government in the Opposition day debate on the NHS risk register when we return? Does he agree that the handling of the Health and Social Care Bill has been an utter shambles from start to finish? Every day we see blue-on-blue briefing against the poor, downtrodden Health Secretary. Would it not better for all... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Cabinet Office: Big Society
Jonathan Ashworth: The Minister is a keen follower of my website, so he will know that I support initiatives to build social capital in communities. When I visit voluntary groups, I am very struck by the extent to which they have benefited from the future jobs fund. From a big society point of view, was it not a mistake, therefore, to abolish that fund? More...

Written Answers - Defence: Freedom of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website. More...

Written Answers - Transport: Freedom of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website. More...

Written Answers - Environment Food and Rural Affairs: Freedom of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available... More...

Written Answers - Transport: Freedom of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on the website. More...

Answers to Questions - Business, Innovation and Skills: Tax Avoidance (Public Servants)
Jonathan Ashworth: I welcome the review that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has announced, but why did it not occur to him to launch such a review when he was asked to sign off this deal? Secondly, he said that he was not aware of the tax benefits to the individual involved, yet a BIS spokesman said last night... More...

Answers to Questions - Justice: Informal European Council
Jonathan Ashworth: Will the Prime Minister explain how he will take action, as he says, if this non-EU treaty under which the 25 nations can take advantage of the full force of the EU institutions, encroached on our national interest and undermined the single market? More...

Written Answers - Culture Media and Sport: Freedom of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on... More...

Written Answers - Culture Media and Sport: Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department publishes a breakdown of the types of work for which claims are made under the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme. More...

Written Answers - Culture Media and Sport: Freedom of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department publishes on its website its response to each request it receives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; whether the response is published in the same part of its website on each occasion; and what the average time taken is between responding to a request and the information being made available on... More...

Business of the house
Jonathan Ashworth: I thank the Leader of the House for scheduling a debate on the Somalia conference-a debate that I called for last week. May I ask him for an urgent statement on the businesses affected by the riots and disturbances last August? Leicester businesses have learnt that they are not eligible for any money from the policy authority, and we learnt from the Minister for Policing and Criminal... More... This quesion is also on the News page - click here to view

Commons debates - Energy and Climate Change: Wind Farms
Jonathan Ashworth: Given the importance we attach to National Grid maintaining balance in the system, will the Minister tell us what discussions he has had with National Grid on how it contracts with short-term operating reserve aggregators? There is concern that National Grid is paying for so-called phantom megawatts and the cost is being passed on to consumers. Does the Minister agree that we need an...More...

Written Answers - Energy and Climate Change: Electricity Generation
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received from (a) industry and (b) the National Grid on the use of STOR aggregators. More...

Written Answers - Health: Hospitals: Electricity
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a list of all hospitals that are contracted to provide electricity on demand to STOR aggregators. More...

Written Answers - Energy and Climate Change: Electricity
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the use of short-term operating reserve aggregators; and if he will make a statement. More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Treasury: Topical Questions
Jonathan Ashworth: Can the Chief Secretary confirm, so that we are clear, that the Chancellor is set to borrow more and debt is set to be larger than it would have been, had the Government followed the path of my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling)? More...

Written Answers - Transport: Departmental Consultants
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2011, Official Report, columns 411-12W, on departmental consultants, how much (a) her Department and (b) franchised train operators have spent on each consultant or consultancy for the (i) Thameslink Programme, (ii) Thameslink Rolling Stock Procurement and (iii) Intercity Express Programme since the start... More...

Written Answers - Culture Media and Sport: Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many listed places of worship have participated in the grant scheme for repairs in (a) Leicester and (b) England in the last 12 months. More...

Written Answers - International Development: East Africa: Droughts
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the famine in Somalia; and if he will make a statement. More...

Written Answers - Treasury: Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to review the budget allocated to the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme. More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Work and Pensions: Executive Pay
Jonathan Ashworth: A few moments ago, the Secretary of State told us that he would consider it desirable to see more employees represented on boards, but then he told us about what he considered to be insurmountable obstacles. If Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark can do it, why cannot we? More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Church Commissioners: Cathedrals
Jonathan Ashworth: The hon. Gentleman will know that other cathedrals have also suffered from metal theft in recent days; there were reports in the newspapers this week of Manchester cathedral being hit. Given the impact of metal theft and further to the hon. Gentleman's earlier answer, will he tell us how many churches and cathedrals have applied for support from the listed places of worship grant scheme... More...

Business of the House
Jonathan Ashworth: Further to the exchanges that the Leader of the House had with the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond) and my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Ms Eagle), may I join the calls for a debate on Somalia? There is a humanitarian crisis in that country, its political instability is well known and the conference that the Prime Minister is convening in February is potentially an...More...

Written Answers - Transport: Railways: Finance
Jonathan Ashworth; To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding has been allocated to the (a) Thameslink rolling stock and (b) Intercity Express programme; and if she will make a statement. More...

Women and Equalities: Tax Credits
Jonathan Ashworth; What assessment she has made of the effect of changes to tax credits on the income of women. More...

Written Answers - Business, Innovation and Skills: Apprentices: East Midlands
Jonathan Ashworth; To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many (a) men and (b) women enrolled on apprenticeships in (i) information and communication technology and (ii) engineering and manufacturing technology in (A) the East Midlands, (B) Leicester South constituency and (C) Leicester City constituency in the latest period for which figures are available; (2) how many... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Health: High-speed Rail
Jonathan Ashworth: I welcome the Secretary of State's statement on high-speed rail. She will presumably agree-certainly with regard to phase 1-that commuters travelling from Leicester train station in my constituency will see no direct advantage, although I appreciate that phase 2 may be different. She will be aware that many of those commuters have been hoping for the electrification of the... More...

Written Answers - Culture Media and Sport: Sikhs
Jonathan Ashworth; To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will have discussions with the Sikh Council UK and Sikh Federation (UK) on policy matters relating to the Sikh community. More...

Written Answers - Treasury: Excise Duties: Tobacco
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to tackle the illicit trade in non-UK duty paid cigarettes. More...