Written Answers - Department for Work and Pensions: Christmas Cards
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which (a) individuals, (b) companies and (c) other organisations receive Christmas cards from his Department. More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Prime Minister: Autumn Statement
Jonathan Ashworth: The Chancellor asked in 2010 that we judge him on whether he balanced the books by 2015, and he is set to fail that test. Will he explain why, compared with March, he has had to revise up borrowing for this year and next by £12.5 billion? More...

Written Answers - Home Office: Take-away Food
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on take-away food for staff since May 2010. More...

Written Answers - Department for Transport: Art Works
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria the Government uses to determine whether public appointments should be regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. More...

Written Answers - Cabinet Office: Public Appointments
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria the Government uses to determine whether public appointments should be regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Cabinet Office: Trade Union Subscriptions (Civil Service)
Jonathan Ashworth: The Paymaster General has reiterated his support for getting rid of check-off, even though the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has written to Departments saying that there could be legal costs associated with that. A leaked HMRC memo talks about marginalising the unions, which could lead to industrial action among civil service unions. Does that show that Ministers are playing irresponsible... More...

Written Answers - HM Treasury: Taxation
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was spent on collating, distributing and mailing the recently sent annual tax summary letter. More...

Written Answers - Department of Health: Hospitals: Pharmacy
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS hospital pharmacies there are. More...

Written Answers - Department of Health: NHS: Temporary Employment
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent on agency and locum staff in the NHS (a) in total, (b) for each job type and (c) in each year since May 2010. More...

Written Answers - Department for Work and Pensions: Unemployment
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many unemployed people are (a) not in receipt of any of the benefits to which they are entitled and (b) not registered at job centres. More...

Written Answers - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Mangoes: India
Jonathan Ashworth:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with EU institutions on the ban on the import of mangoes from India. More...

Business of the House: Backbench Business - Palestine and Israel
Jonathan Ashworth: I meant no discourtesy to the Minister earlier; I was simply aware that colleagues were anxious to make their contributions, and that is why mine will be brief. I speak in support of the motion in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Easington (Grahame M. Morris) and of the amendment tabled by my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr Straw). This House has a duty to support... More...

Business of the House: Iraq: Coalition Against ISIL
Jonathan Ashworth: My right hon. Friend is making a very good speech. Does he agree that we must do all we can to rebuild trust between the Kurdish Government and the Government in Baghdad, because that will help us to build up civil society in Iraq, which is absolutely key to taking on ISIL? More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Cabinet Office: Government Reform (Savings Programme)
Jonathan Ashworth: Why has the Cabinet Office increased spending on consultants and agency staff to over £50 million in the last year? More...

Opposition Day - [5th allotted day]: Infant Class Sizes
Jonathan Ashworth: May I ask the right hon. Lady about an issue specific to Leicester with which she will be familiar, namely the Falcons primary school, which is a Sikh free school that was due to open this week? She will know that the Department effectively pulled the plug on it last Friday and 69 pupils were supposed to start there today. Can she give us an explanation as to why it got to this late stage... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Education: Child Care
Jonathan Ashworth: As a fellow Leicestershire MP, may I welcome the right hon. Lady to her promotion, which is well-deserved? I am sure she will know that in Leicester the cost of holiday child care has doubled since 2010, with parents paying about £50 more than they were. When is she going to get a grip of escalating child care costs? More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Defence: Gaza
Jonathan Ashworth: Like all Members I condemn the rocket attacks, but like many Members I consider the bombings and aggression that has led to the loss of many innocent children's lives, damage to schools and destruction of homes to be disproportionate-indeed, many of my constituents feel that it amounts to collective punishment. I am sure the Foreign Secretary agrees that there is an urgent need... More...

Bill Presented: Childcare Payments Bill
Jonathan Ashworth: I apologise for the fact that I am going to have to leave to pick up my own children from child care. Will the Minister confirm that a lot of parents who need access to child care help need it now, and that it was a mistake on the part of the Government, back in 2011, to reduce the child care support that was available when they made cuts to working tax credit? More...

Written Answers - Cabinet Office: Arts
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost to the public purse was (a) in total, (b) of wine served at, (c) of food served at and (d) of catering staff working at the Best of British Creative Industries reception on 30 June 2014; and which ministers attended that event. More...

Business of the House
Jonathan Ashworth: Many of my constituents have been in touch with me recently to express alarm at the escalating situation in Gaza, and that topic arouses great interest in many Members across the House who have sincerely held views. May we have a statement from the Foreign Secretary next week on the position of the UK Government? More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Prime Minister: Universal Credit
Jonathan Ashworth: The Secretary of State said a moment ago from the Dispatch Box that we should be congratulating him. I remind him that only a few months ago his Cabinet colleague, the Paymaster General, was giving television interviews saying that the implementation of universal credit had been “lamentable” and that a lot of money had been “wasted”. More...

Written Answers - Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: Burma
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he considers that the recent census in Burma meets international standards. More...

Written Answers - Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: Burma
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the imprisonment of ethnic Rohingya people for getting married. More...

Written Answers - Health: Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to prevent the detention of patients with mental health illnesses who have not received a full medical assessment. More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Communities and Local Government: European Council
Jonathan Ashworth: Having so skilfully turned a divided EU into an EU united against his position, will the Prime Minister spell out at the Dispatch Box precisely where he expects to win in his renegotiation? More...

Opposition Day - [2nd Allotted Day]: Office for Budget Responsibility (Manifesto Audits)
Jonathan Ashworth: My hon. Friend is speaking with his typical eloquence. Is it not the case that for all the arguments that we have heard about what Mr Chote may or may not have said and all the arguments about timing and what Bills can or cannot be brought before Parliament, Tory Front Benchers do not want the proposal to be implemented because they put Tory party interest ahead of the national interest? More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Cabinet Office: Trade Union Facility Time
Jonathan Ashworth: The Paymaster General will of course be aware that many private sector employers, such as Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover and Airbus, all take advantage of facility time, because they know it helps with workplace relations and with their obligations to consult. The private sector can recognise the benefits of facility time, so rather than knocking facility time in the public sector, why can he... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Treasury: Long-term Economic Plan
Jonathan Ashworth: Does the right hon. Lady agree that the Chancellor promised to balance the books, but is going to fail; he promised to deal with debt, but is failing; he promised to maintain triple A ratings, but he failed; and when it comes to the jobs market, as my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington North (Helen Jones) said, it is increasingly characterised by low pay, squeezed wages and zero-hours... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Education: Iraq and Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict
Jonathan Ashworth: What discussions were held at the summit with regard to Sri Lanka? In the past 24 hours, a number of my Muslim constituents of Sri Lankan origin have got in touch because they are deeply fearful for the lives of many of their relatives in Sri Lanka, who are under threat from the sectarianism of the extremist Bodu Bala Sena group. What advice does the Foreign Secretary have for my constituents...More...

Passport Office (Delays)
Jonathan Ashworth: My hon. Friend has secured a very timely Adjournment debate and he has hit the nail on the head. The Minister will doubtless claim that the problems are the result of unusual demand, but they are not. They are the result of the changes the Government have made to the Passport Service and the cuts and structural changes made in the last three years. The Minister needs to explain how they will... More...

Extremism
Jonathan Ashworth:I am going to press the Home Secretary again on the nature of the unauthorised correspondence. It was on the website for three days. She said that the Cabinet Secretary launched an investigation. Did she therefore make the judgment at the start of that investigation not to take down the correspondence from the website? Did she wait for the Cabinet Secretary to tell her to take it down? More...

Birmingham Schools
Jonathan Ashworth:On Friday, in my constituency, I was approached by some Muslim parents and, indeed, Muslim teachers who were very concerned about the tone of this debate, and who felt that the Muslim community were being branded as extremists. Does my right hon. Friend agree that all of us who are involved in the debate should be cool-headed and avoid using incendiary language... More...

Outlawries Bill: Debate on the Address
Jonathan Ashworth: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend and parliamentary neighbour for giving way. In the city that we represent we have two superb universities, both of which want to attract students from India. Yet the Home Office insists that students applying for visas have to go through credibility interviews. How on earth can the Government on the one hand say they want to increase our links and trade... More...

Written Answers - Cabinet Office: Publications
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what literature was produced to educate the public on government policy in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14. More...

Commons debates - Mango Import Ban
Jonathan Ashworth:I am delighted that my right hon. Friend has secured this debate and grateful that he has given way. He is right that Leicester is the mango capital, but may I say how disappointed I was last Friday and Saturday when I failed to find a mango on Evington road in my constituency? All the mangos had been snapped up. I know that many of my Leicester constituents are disappointed that they are... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Justice: Richard III (Reburial)
Jonathan Ashworth: I am the hon. Member for Leicester, and I am a keen advocate for my city. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the dig for Richard III was well advertised, and the relevant licence granted by the Ministry of Justice was very specific that, should Richard be found, his remains should be buried in Leicester. More...

Business of the House
Jonathan Ashworth:I was delighted to learn a few minutes ago that my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz) has secured an Adjournment debate on the mango ban, which is causing considerable concern for businesses in my part of Leicester as well. Will the Leader of the House use his good offices to ensure that we can bring a delegation of businesses affected to the relevant Minister in the... More...

Bill Presented: Civil Service Reform
Jonathan Ashworth: This has been an extremely good debate, with exceptional speeches from all Members who have contributed. I congratulate Mr Jenkin on securing the debate. His speech was very thoughtful, and in “Truth to power” his Committee has produced a weighty, detailed report that must be taken seriously. More...

Written Answers - Work and Pensions: Trade Unions
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department is (a) undertaking or (b) plans to undertake a review of the check-off union subscription provision. More...

Written Answers - Business, Innovation and Skills: Trade Unions
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department is (a) undertaking or (b) plans to undertake a review of the check-off union subscription provision. More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Cabinet Office: Public Bodies: Appointments
Jonathan Ashworth: I am not sure that the row has come to an end, because in recent weeks we have learned that a Tory donor has been made chair of Natural England, that a former Tory Member of this House has been made chair of the Care Quality Commission, and indeed in the Cabinet Office an impartial civil service post, heading up the appointments unit, has gone to a former member of Conservative central... More...

Westminster Hall debate - HMRC Inquiry Centre Closures
Jonathan Ashworth: I apologise for coming in to the Chamber a few minutes late. My hon. Friend is making a powerful case. One of the offices affected is in Leicester, where a number of staff jobs are now at risk. Does he agree that the Government must put in the time to negotiate properly with the workplace unions, particularly Public and Commercial Services Union, and do all they can to ensure that if they... More...

Face Coverings (Prohibition) Bill
Jonathan Ashworth: The other Member for Leicester was also looking askance at the hon. Gentleman, and I am very surprised that he finds the wearing of the veil so discourteous. In the parks in Leicester or even the soft play area on Evington Valley road where I often take my children, we often see women wearing the niqab and it does not offend me in any way, but I were to see a gentleman wearing a balaclava... More...

Business of the House
Jonathan Ashworth: May we have a debate on the role of the banks in our communities? Santander has announced that it will close 11 agency branches throughout Leicestershire and Leicester, including the branch at Highfields in my constituency, which is a densely populated area of some deprivation. Many of our constituents are getting fed up with how the banks operate. More...

Written Answers - Energy and Climate Change: Energy Supply
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that organisations granted STOR Long Term Contracts before May 2012 do not receive double payments for their capacity; (2) what steps he is taking to ensure that all organisations with capacity awarded through STOR Long Term Contracts granted before May 2012 will only be eligible to... More...

Written Answers - Home Department: Immigration Controls
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the guidance on the UK Border Agency's website entitled Checks for staff employed from 1 May 2004 to 28 February 2008 was last updated. More...

Written Answers - Home Department: Immigration
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date officials in her Department were first made aware that the hon. Member for Forest of Dean had concerns over the immigration status of his cleaner. More...

Written Answers - Cabinet Office: Electronic Government
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what 25 top priority digital projects the Government Digital Service is currently helping Departments design. More...

Written Answers - Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: European External Action Service
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2014, Official Report, column 340W, on EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on what date he used the aeroplane charted by the European External Action Service; and for what purpose. More...

Written Answers - Prime Minister: Publications
Jonathan Ashworth:To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 469W, on publications, whether relevant people includes individuals employed by the Conservative Party. More...

Written Answers - Transport: Curzon Institute
Jonathan Ashworth:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent contact his Department has had with (a) Curzon Education and (b) the Curzon Institute; what contracts his Department holds with those bodies; and what the value of those contracts is. More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Cabinet Office: Civil Service (Commercial Skills)
Jonathan Ashworth:Of course we agree that we want greater commercial skills, and indeed management skills, in the civil service, but with the fiasco over the west coast main line, botched contracts over rural broadband roll-out and the lamentable implementation of the universal credit, with the Minister squabbling publicly with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when will Ministers, rather than... More...

Written Answers - Wales: Curzon Institute
Jonathan Ashworth:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent contact his Department has had with (a) Curzon Education and (b) the Curzon Institute; what contracts his Department holds with those bodies; and what the value of those contracts is. More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Home Department: Topical Questions
Jonathan Ashworth: Earlier, the policing Minister said he wanted police forces to do more to increase the recruitment of black and minority ethnic officers-I think he said the College of Policing should show some "early energies". Why does he not go a step further and introduce a legal requirement for every force to increase the number of black and minority ethnic officers serving our communities? More...

Written Answers - Cabinet Office: Minister Without Portfolio
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many staff were employed in the Office of the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for West Dorset in January 2012; and what the salary of each such member of staff is; More...

Written Answers - Scotland: Curzon Institute
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent contact his Department has had with (a) Curzon Education and (b) the Curzon Institute; what contracts his Department holds with those bodies; and what the value of those contracts is. More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Home Department: Topical Questions
Jonathan Ashworth: Earlier, the policing Minister said he wanted police forces to do more to increase the recruitment of black and minority ethnic officers-I think he said the College of Policing should show some “early energies”. Why does he not go a step further and introduce a legal requirement for every force to increase the number of black and minority ethnic officers serving our communities? More...

Written Answers - Cabinet Office: Minister Without Portfolio
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many times the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield has used an official Government car from the ministerial car pool since September 2012; and what the (a) departure point and (b) destination was in each such case; (2) what international trips the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for... More...

Written Answers - Deputy Prime Minister: Ryan Coetzee
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister with reference to the Cabinet Office publication special advisers in post, published on 25 October 2013, in what capacity he employs Ryan Coetzee; what his job description is; and what the duration is of his contract. More...

Written Answers - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have used the transport of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy since May 2010. More...

Written Answers - Business, Innovation and Skills: Business: Leicester
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies registered in (a) Leicester South constituency and (b) Leicester city are classified as (i) small and (ii) medium-sized as defined by the Companies Act 1985. More...

Written Answers - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions (a) his special advisers or (b) officials in his private office have met senior staff of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; and what was discussed on each such occasion. More...

Bangladesh
Jonathan Ashworth: The hon. Lady is speaking eloquently, and she is a distinguished chair of the all-party group. I want to reinforce the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn). I might be wrong, but I think, statistically, that Bangladesh has the second-largest Hindu population in the world. We are all supporters of Bangladesh-I have a huge Bengali... More...

Business of the House
Jonathan Ashworth: I listened to the Leader of the House's answer on the revelations about the Golden Temple in Amritsar. This issue has caused much shock and upset for many of my constituents of all faiths. The Prime Minister indicated yesterday that he thought that a statement might be in order. I hope that we get that statement; many of my constituents will be disappointed if we do not. I also impress... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Work and Pensions: Topical Questions
Jonathan Ashworth: A few moments ago the Secretary of State quoted the Minister for the Cabinet Office on universal credit, but he forgot to mention the part where the Minister called its implementation “lamentable” and said that a lot of money has been wasted. We also learnt last week that the Cabinet Office withdrew the Government Digital Service from universal credit, a decision described as... More...

Business of the House
Jonathan Ashworth: We have learned in the past 24 hours through leaks to the media that the Cabinet Office has accelerated the withdrawal of the Government Digital Service from the universal credit programme. On a point of order yesterday, I inquired whether the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), would be making a statement to the House. I was... More...

Written Answers - Cabinet Office: Universal Credit
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) if he will publish the guidance his Department gave to the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the development of the universal credit IT systems; (2) what involvement his Department had in the decision to use agile methods of project management in the development of the universal credit IT system; and what assessment he has made of... More...

Written Answers - Cabinet Office: Minister Without Portfolio
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what international visits the Minister Without Portfolio the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings, has undertaken in his official capacity since 1 January 2012; and what mode of travel was used for each such visit funded by his Department; (2) what international visits the Minister Without Portfolio, the right hon. Member for... More...

Points of Order
Jonathan Ashworth: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. No doubt, you will have seen today's Guardian front page, which reports a major rift between the Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions over universal credit. Leaked documents in The Guardian report that the Cabinet Office has accelerated Government Digital Service withdrawal from universal credit. At the last Cabinet Office oral... More...

Written Answers - Cabinet Office: Universal Credit
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he has met the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to discuss the development of the universal credit programme. More...