 House of Commons |
Session 1997-98 Publications on the internet The Order Book |
| Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Monday 26 January 1998
Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Monday 26 January of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department. For other Written Questions for answer on Monday 26 January, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business. For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Tuesday 27 January, see Part 2 of this Paper. |
| 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. |
| |
| 1 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will introduce compulsory segregation of genetically modified crops. |
| (25458) | |
| 2 N | Mrs Jackie Ballard (Taunton): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the effect on the BSE prion of treating offal with ether. |
| (25034) | |
| 3 N | Mrs Jackie Ballard (Taunton): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who instructed renderers to stop treating offal with ether; and when the instruction was issued. |
| (25035) | |
| 4 | Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the potential for canine immunity to BSE-related disease to be used to develop vaccines for BSE and CJD. |
| (25920) | |
| 5 | Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what research his Department has (a) carried out and (b) evaluated on spongiform encephalopathy in (i) cats and (ii) dogs. |
| (25919) | |
| 6 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25843) | |
| 7 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many prosecutions were brought under the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994, relating to the importation of non-human primates for research purposes. |
| (25752) | |
| 8 | Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what proposals he has to change current arrangements for OTMS cattle, with particular reference to the Meat Hygeine Service clean cattle strategy. |
| (25625) | |
| 9 | Mr Michael Foster (Worcester): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what progress has been made in appointing experts to support Lord Justice Phillips in the inquiry into the emergence of BSE and new varient CJD. |
| (25619) | |
| 10 | Mr Christopher Gill (Ludlow): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what advice he plans to issue on the disposal of beef bones for which there is no longer a commercial market. |
| (25876) | |
| 11 | Mr Christopher Gill (Ludlow): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what is the total tonnage of rendered bovine material currently held in store; and what plans he has for its disposal. |
| (25877) | |
| 12 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will publish a list of measures which his ministry has required to be implemented in order to safeguard the public's health since BSE was first identified in the United Kingdom. |
| (25252) | |
| 13 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if there have been any findings of the BSE agent in the dorsal root ganglia of cattle born after 1st August 1996. |
| (25455) | |
| 14 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what has been the cost to public funds of each package of agrimonetary compensations claimed by other member states of the EU under the terms of the current Agrimonetary Regime. |
| (25248) | |
| 15 | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on his plans for the future ownership and operation of new Covent Garden market. |
| (25911) | |
| 16 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on the actions planned by the EU Commission to adopt the decision 97/534/EC of 30th July 1997 on the exclusion of specified risk material. |
| (25249) | |
| 17 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what quantity of beef imports into the United Kingdom was physically examined for compliance with the SRM ban and the OTMS requirements in the period 1st to 16th January; what were the countries of origin of the inspected meat; which organisations undertook each of these checks; and if he will publish the results of these examinations. |
| (25460) | |
| 18 | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he plans to introduce legislation to enable him to sell the new Covent Garden market. |
| (25910) | |
| 19 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the actions so far taken by the United Kingdom Government to meet the requirements agreed at the EU summit in Florence in order to get the ban on beef exports lifted; and what additional actions now remain to be taken. |
| (25251) | |
| 20 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many individual shipments of beef to the United Kingdom there were in the period 1st to 16th January; how many such shipments received only a documentary examination; what the countries of origin of these shipments were; and if he will publish the results of these examinations. |
| (25461) | |
| 21 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement describing the workings of the Agrimonetary Regime for EU member states who do not join its single currency in the first wave. |
| (25246) | |
| 22 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on how and when he will be implementing his plans to safeguard Britain's fishing industry from the effects of quota hoppers. |
| (25456) | |
| 23 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what quantities of beef were imported into the United Kingdom in the period 1st to 16th January; from which country they came; and what were the quantities in the same period in 1997. |
| (25459) | |
| 24 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will publish the full details of the United Kingdom presidency's work programme which were discussed at the EU Agriculture Council on 20th January. |
| (25250) | |
| 25 N | Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Inverness West): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if SEAC has investigated possible links between (a) Phosmet and (b) other organo-phosphate compounds and BSE; and if he will make a statement. |
| (24696) | |
| 26 N | Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Inverness West): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will estimate the cost per tonne for the collection, transport, administration and processing of high-risk material by the rendering industry for the next three years when the current scheme is phased out. |
| (25096) | |
| 27 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the principles he proposes to apply in restructuring the beef-producing sector in the United Kingdom; and if producers in less favoured areas will continue to be the prime recipients of longer-term support payments. |
| (25245) | |
| 28 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will estimate the cost per tonne of the disposal of high-risk material via landfill in each of the next three years. |
| (25097) | |
| 29 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what tonnage of fallen stock, animal waste and other tissue categorised as high risk by EU directive 90/667 has been produced in the United Kingdom over the last three years for which figures are available. |
| (25083) | |
| 30 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on the likely effect on the negotiations currently under way to lift the EU export ban on beef of increased use of dead pits on UK farms as a route of disposal for fallen stock. |
| (25091) | |
| 31 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about the potential increased use of dead animal pits on United Kingdom farms. |
| (25088) | |
| 32 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what representations he has received on the proposed arrangements for the collection, treatment and disposal of fallen stock and other high-risk animal waste. |
| (25079) | |
| 33 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what levels of financial support have been made available for the last three years and will be available over the next two years to businesses offering a fallen stock collection service to the livestock sectors in each county within the United Kingdom. |
| (25082) | |
| 34 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list those EU countries which currently allow an on-farm disposal route for fallen stock. |
| (25090) | |
| 35 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what plans he has to review the Code of Good Animal Practice as it relates to on-farm burial. |
| (25086) | |
| 36 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will estimate the amount of regulatory costs experienced by British beef producers which is not experienced by producers in other parts of the EU. |
| (25239) | |
| 37 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his oral statement of 22nd December, Official Report, column 677, if he will give a breakdown of the £2 billion provided in 1996-97 and the £1.4 billion in 1997-98 to support the beef sector, identifying what the money was spent on, and what proportion of the money was used in each year for government food safety or public health measures. |
| (25253) | |
| 38 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will estimate the reduction in size necessary in the United Kingdom specialist beef herd to make it economically sustainable in the long term; and if he will make a statement indicating the period of time over which the restructuring is to be achieved. |
| (25244) | |
| 39 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the implications of a dead pit disposal route for fallen stock on the authorities charged with monitoring the quality of private water supplies in rural areas. |
| (25094) | |
| 40 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the public health and environmental consequences of dead animals being buried on-farm in future. |
| (25080) | |
| 41 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will review the effectiveness of the Rendering Industry Support Scheme as a means of allowing the knacker/fallen stock trade to provide a low-cost disposal service to the farmer and livestock producers. |
| (25095) | |
| 42 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will (a) authorise an immediate review of the costs to the UK economy of the externality and direct costs of the disposal of animal waste and (b) continue the support available via the Rendering Industry Support Scheme currently being phased out until such a review is completed. |
| (25092) | |
| 43 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will estimate the risks to (i) environmental, (ii) human and (iii) animal health from uncontrolled on-farm burial schemes of fallen stock. |
| (25087) | |
| 44 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what plans he has to legislate to control or proscribe on-farm burial. |
| (25085) | |
| 45 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what plans he has to introduce an EU early retirement scheme for the UK agriculture industry; what level of resources is estimated to be available; and how soon the scheme will become available. |
| (25240) | |
| 46 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many businesses operating in the United Kingdom currently offer a fallen stock collection service to the livestock sectors in each country. |
| (25081) | |
| 47 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement outlining policy on the future arrangements for the collection, treatment and disposal of fallen stock and other high-risk animal waste. |
| (25078) | |
| 48 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the current requirements to charge for processing high-risk material; and what estimate he has made of the value of dead stock which will in future be buried in-farm when the charges commence. |
| ((25084) | |
| 49 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what steps he proposes to take to consult livestock interests about the need to restructure; and if he will make special arrangements to consider the needs of livestock producers in less favoured areas. |
| (25242) | |
| 50 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what account he will take of the position of the quality specialist suckler producer in the hill areas in his proposals to restructure the beef industry. |
| (25243) | |
| 51 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the levels of green pound compensation claimed for production of (i) beef, (ii) cereals, (iii) milk and (iv) sugar by each of the other EU states, showing what percentage is nationally funded and indicating where appropriate which payments are subject to the Fontainebleau mechanism. |
| (25241) | |
| 52 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will introduce interim financial support to enable those engaged in the collection and disposal of fallen stock in the United Kingdom to continue to operate on a nation-wide basis in the period before the implementation of United Kingdom legislation consistent with EU environmental health and commercial objectives. |
| (25093) | |
| 53 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the impact black-market disposal of fallen stock on-farm would have on the traceability measures currently planned to enable the EU to sanction the lifting of the beef export ban. |
| (25089) | |
| 54 | Mr James Plaskitt (Warwick and Leamington): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will review the regulations regarding the labelling of beef in supermarkets. |
| (25801) | |
| 55 | Angela Smith (Basildon): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will take steps to prevent live sheep being exported from the United Kingdom for slaughter in France at the Eid-el-Kabir festival; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25641) | |
| 56 | Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what estimate he has made of the cost to farmers of (a) a ban on the sale of raw cows' milk and (b) the cost of enforcement of a ban. |
| (25838) | |
| 57 | Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what measures he is taking to ensure that food standards in other member states of the EU match those in the United Kingdom. |
| (25861) | |
| 58 | Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what discussions he has had with representatives of small-scale dairy farmers; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25858) | |
| 59 | Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what plans he has to ban the sale of raw sheep and goat's milk. |
| (25860) | |
| 60 N | Mr John Swinney (North Tayside): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland to produce a concordat setting out arrangements for relations between his Department and the Scottish Executive after the establishment of a Scottish parliament; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25476) | |
| 61 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25902) | |
| 62 | Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the costs and processes involved of the delivery of services by (a) his Department and (b) bodies delivering similar services in other EU states. |
| (25931) | |
| 63 | Mr Paul Tyler (North Cornwall): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what steps he will take during the United Kingdom presidency to complete negotiations on a standard European Union-wide system of food product labelling to indicate genetically-modified ingredients; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25753) | |
| 64 N | Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will pay tuition fees for veterinary students in the fifth and subsequent years of their courses; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25342) | |
| 65 N | Mr John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will state the expected duration of MAGP V and the forecast reduction of EU marine resources available in that period, together with the forecast reduction in vessel capacity. |
| (24685) | |
| 66 N | Mr John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what estimate he has made of fishing already conducted in EU waters by boats of applicant nations for EU membership listed in phases one and two of projected EU enlargement, as based on the 1983 principle of relative stability; and what percentage per species catch is accounted for by each of these potential new EU members. |
| (24684) | |
| 67 | Mr Alan W. Williams (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what was the annual average price to farmers for (a) beef and (b) lamb in each year for 1990 to 1997. |
| (25888) | |
| 68 | Mr Alan W. Williams (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will publish the number of confirmed cases of BSE (a) for each year since 1990 and (b) for each month since January 1997. |
| (25804) | |
| 69 | Mr Alan W. Williams (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the average price to farmers for (i) beef and (ii) lamb in each month since January 1995. |
| (25889) | |
| 70 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask Mr Attorney General, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25848) | |
| 71 | Bridget Prentice (Lewisham East): To ask Mr Attorney General, how many prosecutions were not proceeded with in 1997 on the grounds that to do so would not be in the public interest. |
| (25835) | |
| 72 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask Mr Attorney General, pursuant to his Answer of 15th January, Official Report, column 268, if he will publish the programme of his wife when she accompanied him to Dublin at public expense. |
| (25595) | |
| 73 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to his oral Answer of 12th January, Official Report, column 18, what plans he has to reduce the £124,545 spent on average per bishop per year. |
| (25203) | |
| 74 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the Church Commissioners, what was the annual cost of running and maintaining Lambeth Palace in each of the last three years. |
| (25204) | |
| 75 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the Church Commissioners, how many people work for the Church Commissioners; and what was their total cost in 1996. |
| (24830) | |
| 76 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25847) | |
| 77 | Mrs Ann Cryer (Keighley): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make representations to Bradford Metropolitan District Council not to sell off a section of the Bolling Road School playing field in Ilkley for housing development. |
| (25639) | |
| 78 | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what is the difference in real terms between his Department's grant in aid allocations to the Arts Council of England in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 1998-99. |
| (25895) | |
| 79 | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what are the proposed activities the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts will undertake which will prevent it acquiring charitable status. |
| (25891) | |
| 80 N | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what was the cost to public funds and class of air travel of the visit to the USA between 20th to 24th January by (a) the Minister for Film and Tourism and (b) his civil servants and special adviser. |
| (25551) | |
| 81 N | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what is his Department's policy on the (a) class and (b) mode of travel abroad for Ministers and public servants. |
| (25553) | |
| 82 | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to support England's bid to host the 2006 Soccer World Cup. |
| (25890) | |
| 83 N | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will list the film festivals (a) he and (b) the Minister for Film and Tourism have attended since 1st May 1997. |
| (25550) | |
| 84 | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to ensure an adequate allocation of tickets for (a) England and (b) Scotland supporters for the forthcoming Soccer World Cup. |
| (25893) | |
| 85 N | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will give a breakdown of the meetings and film screenings attended by (a) the Minister for Film and Tourism and (b) officials in his Department on the Minister's visit to the USA. |
| (25549) | |
| 86 N | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans Ministers in his Department have to visit the Cannes Film Festival in May. |
| (25552) | |
| 87 | Mr Ian Pearson (Dudley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received on the need to ensure that the England football team has an effective World Cup song. |
| (25760) | |
| 88 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to regularise the availability of concessions on television licences in relation to second homes which are (a) mobile caravans, (b) static caravans and (c) dwellings; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25755) | |
| 89 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will authorise the introduction of television licences (a) with a monthly or quarterly validity, and (b) with a monthly refund of unexpired time; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25756) | |
| 90 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many animals bred at Porton Down were sold for scientific use at other establishments for each year from 1990 to date, giving the species of animals and the establishments concerned. |
| (24829) | |
| 91 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many project licence applications for animal procedures at Porton Down have been (a) approved unamended for submission to the Home Office, (b) approved in amended form for submission to the Home Office and (c) rejected for each year from 1990 to date. |
| (24832) | |
| 92 | Mr Hugh Bayley (City of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is his estimate of the additional staffing and administration costs of expanding Land Command United Kingdom's Scotland Headquarters to take command of both the Scotland and North of England districts. |
| (25935) | |
| 93 | Mr Hugh Bayley (City of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 16th January Official Report column 349, what estimate he has made of the redundancy costs which would be incurred with the closure of 2nd Division headquarters at York. |
| (25934) | |
| 94 | Mr Hugh Bayley (City of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 16th January, Official Report, column 349, what other options are being studied by the Commander in Chief Land Command for the restructuring of his command. |
| (25933) | |
| 95 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25857) | |
| 96 | Mr Howard Flight (Arundel and South Downs): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to recognise the wartime service of Sir Arthur Harris; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25726) | |
| 97 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what has been the impact of the introduction of Trident on (a) the availability of the United Kingdom's ballistic missile-carrying submarines to fire their missiles and (b) the number of submarines that can be deployed on patrol at any one time. |
| (24602) | |
| 98 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the Government's present policy towards disclosing the number of nuclear warheads deployed on Trident submarines and the date they entered service; and if he will make a statement on changes in Government policy in respect of disclosing such information. |
| (24604) | |
| 99 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many anti-ballistic missile defence systems capable of use against strategic ballistic missiles are deployed world-wide, where they are located; how many launchers are involved; and what is his Department's assessment of how soon other states will be capable of deploying such defences. |
| (24599) | |
| 100 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions were held on the co-ordination of patrols of Trident and Triomphant submarines at the Anglo-French summit in London in November. |
| (24606) | |
| 101 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which nuclear arms control treaties that place restrictions on the level of nuclear weapons capability, measure that capability in terms of megatonnage. |
| (24592) | |
| 102 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the relative accuracy of the Trident D5 missile against the Polaris/Chevaline system; and what are his Department's requirements in respect of the accuracy of nuclear weapons. |
| (24594) | |
| 103 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the warheads on the Trident D5 missile deployed by the United Kingdom are independently targetable. |
| (24596) | |
| 104 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions in the last four years (a) representatives and (b) contractors of the Delegation Generale pour l'Armement, and the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique have visited (i) the United Kingdom to discuss the furtherance of nuclear co-operation and (ii) the atomic weapons establishments at (1) Aldermaston, (2) Burghfield, (3) Cardiff and (4) Foulness. |
| (24608) | |
| 105 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what activities have been undertaken by the Anglo-French Joint Commission on Nuclear Policy and Doctrine since May 1997. |
| (24609) | |
| 106 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the Anglo-French Joint Commission on Nuclear Policy and Doctrine approved at the Anglo-French summit in London in November. |
| (24610) | |
| 107 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what account his Department takes of the relationship between megatonnage and destructive effect when assessing warheads of different explosive yields. |
| (24600) | |
| 108 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the purpose of the United Kingdom's sub-strategic nuclear capabiltiy; and if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's future sub-strategic nuclear capability. |
| (24601) | |
| 109 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is his Department's assessment of the (a) current and (b) future capacity of Russia to track and determine the whereabouts of the United Kingdom's Trident submarines when on patrol; and if he will make a statement. |
| (24603) | |
| 110 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the relative capability of the anti-missile defence technology employed in the Trident D5 missile system against that of Polaris/Chevaline. |
| (24597) | |
| 111 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the number of warheads currently deployed on each of the United Kingdom's Trident submarines relative to the original estimates of the number of warheads required. |
| (24605) | |
| 112 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions in the last four years members of the French armed forces have visited the United Kingdom to discuss nuclear co-operation. |
| (24607) | |
| 113 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is his Department's assessment of the comparative explosive yields of the warheads currently carried on strategic ballistic missiles deployed by Russia relative to those deployed in the 1960s. |
| (24593) | |
| 114 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the range of the Trident D5 missile system as deployed by the United Kingdom relative to that of the Polaris system. |
| (24595) | |
| 115 N | Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is his Department's current assessment of the efficacy of Russia's missile defence system around Moscow; what is the extent of the geographical area protected by that system; and what is his assessment of Russia's future modernisation plans for that system. |
| (24598) | |
| 116 | Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 19th January, Official Report, column 415, for what reasons Airbus has been invited to tender for the RAF's heavy lift requirements; and when the competition will commence for this project. |
| (25624) | |
| 117 N | Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Inverness West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the regional lists of his Department's agricultural holdings, indicating respectively, (a) the number of hectares used for agricultural production and (b) the number of agricultural tenancy agreements involved. |
| (24694) | |
| 118 | Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes have been made since February 1997 to the armed forces allowances and charges package which indicate progress towards greater equity of treatment between married and single personnel; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25759) | |
| 119 | Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if Her Majesty's forces access to (a) indulgence travel, (b) free flights on posting, (c) leave travel at public expense and (d) other concessionary and privileged travel is restricted to serving personnel and their wife or husband and children; and what plans he has to extend (a) to (d) to other relationships. |
| (25743) | |
| 120 N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the latest Anglo-Bahrain defence talks. |
| (25031) | |
| 121 N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications of the Amsterdam Treaty for the future of the Western European Union. |
| (25033) | |
| 122 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25899) | |
| 123 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25844) | |
| 124 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, when demolition of 2 Marsham Street will commence. |
| (24782) | |
| 125 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25897) | |
| 126 | Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what was the cost to public funds of travel by spouses and partners of ministers of each of the last five years. |
| (25884) | |
| 127 | Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth and Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what arrangements have been put in place for New Deal participants to raise individual and collective problems they are facing. |
| (25628) | |
| 128 | Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth and Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what developments to increase the provision of further and higher education he plans in Cornwall. |
| (25627) | |
| 129 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25856) | |
| 130 N | Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what discussions he has had with OFSTED on the recent errors made in selecting schools for inspection in the autumn term; and what steps are being taken to prevent such errors occurring in the future. |
| (25278) | |
| 131 N | Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, which local education authority holds back the lowest percentage of its school budget; and what amount per pupil, would be made available to schools if all local authorities held back the same percentage. |
| (25339) | |
| 132 N | Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the amount of increase in the standard spending assessment of each local authority in 1998-99 for primary and secondary schools. |
| (25336) | |
| 133 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if a participant in the employment option of New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds will have a good cause for leaving if the employer fails to comply with the employer agreement. |
| (25563) | |
| 134 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many people have joined the workskill pilots broken down by standard region; and how many of these (a) completed the course and (b) left early. |
| (25562) | |
| 135 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if a participant in the workskill pilots who is aged 18 to 24 years will be automatically referred to the New Deal. |
| (25561) | |
| 136 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if an 18 to 24 year old who has completed a New Deal option and then claimed jobseeker's allowance for a further six months will be re-referred to the Gateway and New Deal. |
| (25558) | |
| 137 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what funding will be allocated to the New Deal hotline; and how many operators there will be in each standard region. |
| (25565) | |
| 138 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will (a) provide a breakdown of expenditure (i) in cash terms and (ii) at July 1997 prices and (b) indicate the number of starts for (1) restart interviews, (2) 1-2-1, (3) jobfinder interviews, (4) the job interview guarantee scheme, (5) employment training, (6) training for work, (7) learning for work, (8) workskill, (9) community programme, (10) employment action, (11) the national insurance contributions holiday, (12) the enterprise allowance scheme and (13) the business start up scheme since 1987. |
| (25560) | |
| 139 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, in what circumstances a lone parent who claims jobseeker's allowance to enter the New Deal programme for 18 to 24 years olds will be allowed to return to income support if they are issued with a jobseeker's allowance or New Deal sanction. |
| (25557) | |
| 140 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what would be the cost of extending the education and training options of the New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds to allow those eligible to take a level 3 course or equivalent as set out in schedule 2 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and section 6 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992. |
| (25566) | |
| 141 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many places will be available in the next five years under the education and training options of the New Deal for the over 25 year old long-term unemployed |
| (25555) | |
| 142 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if the New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds will be voluntary in circumstances where a claimant has been unemployed for six months and broken his claim for between one and 28 days. |
| (25559) | |
| 143 | Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow, Govan): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what steps the Government has taken to tackle age discrimination. |
| (25646) | |
| 144 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what is the guide price per trainee per week for placements on the New Deal in Cornwall (a) in total and (b) excluding payments to the trainee. |
| (25470) | |
| 145 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25908) | |
| 146 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what funding there is for materials in Home Energy efficiency programmes carried out under environmental placements on the New Deal. |
| (25467) | |
| 147 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what is the average amount per trainee allowed for supervision under New Deal contracts in Cornwall. |
| (25468) | |
| 148 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the environmental objectives for the New Deal in Cornwall. |
| (25471) | |
| 149 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many contracts have been (a) awarded, (b) finalised and (c) signed for the New Deal in Cornwall. |
| (25465) | |
| 150 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many contracts have (a) been awarded at tender, (b) signed at the tender price and (c) signed at a price below tender for the New Deal in Cornwall. |
| (25466) | |
| 151 N | Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, which Government department is responsible for the funding of (a) veterinary and (b) architecture students' additional year tuition fees. |
| (25338) | |
| 152 N | Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if local authorities in England will be liable to pay fourth-year tuition fees for EU migrant workers resident within the boundaries of the local authority area, should they apply to a Scottish university; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25335) | |
| 153 N | Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if future increases in the level of tuition fees will be limited to the rate of inflation. |
| (25333) | |
| 154 | Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth and Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what amounts were allocated to housing associations for aids and adaptations for disabled tenants in each of the last five years; and what will be the funding for 1998-99. |
| (25803) | |
| 155 | Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth and Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he has reached a decision on upgrading the A30 at Goss Moor. |
| (25626) | |
| 156 | Mr Peter Atkinson (Hexham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to permit the use of Wharfarin for the control of grey squirrels in areas where there are populations of reds; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25640) | |
| 157 | Mrs Helen Brinton (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what action he intends to take to tackle the problem of unreliable and ineffective builders. |
| (25649) | |
| 158 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make a statement on funding of the Great Leighs by-pass. |
| (25292) | |
| 159 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the plans by the Driving Standards Agency to move the driving test centre in Beeches Road, Chelmsford to another site in the town; and when he expects the move to take place. |
| (25290) | |
| 160 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what measures he will take to protect greenfield sites in the North East of Chelmsford and the A12 corridor. |
| (25291) | |
| 161 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25855) | |
| 162 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will set up an inquiry into the deaths of two cyclists on the track of the Sheffield supertram; and if he will make a statement. |
| (24992) | |
| 163 N | Mr Tim Collins (Westmorland and Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will bring forward proposals to reduce overcarrying of passengers on the rail network in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25077) | |
| 164 N | Mr Tim Collins (Westmorland and Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regulations regarding maximum permitted decibel levels and the environmental impact of private parachuting flights; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25098) | |
| 165 | Mrs Ann Cryer (Keighley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what representations he has received regarding services on the Airedale and Wharfdale lines, between Keighley, Shipley and Leeds and Ilkley, Ben Rhydding and Leeds. |
| (25631) | |
| 166 | Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he intends to publish the Second Report on the sinking of the 'Derbyshire'. |
| (25744) | |
| 167 | Mr Howard Flight (Arundel and South Downs): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he plans to revise upwards from 4.4 million the number of new homes needed by 2016; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25727) | |
| 168 N | Sir Norman Fowler (Sutton Coldfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what analysis his Department has made of the answers to the questions set out in the Government's Consultation Paper, New Leadership for London; if he will publish this analysis; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25528) | |
| 169 N | Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Inverness West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans his Department has to adopt an integrated rural policy in England; and if he will make a statement. |
| (24695) | |
| 170 N | Mr Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the frequency of those Marine Safety Agency inspections of passenger ferries at which the MSA inspectors witness emergency drills. |
| (25279) | |
| 171 | Mr James Plaskitt (Warwick and Leamington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if the contracts to build and operate the Birmingham Northern Relief Road have been signed; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25940) | |
| 172 | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimates he has made of the costs of removing oestrogenic substances from sewage treatment works effluents. |
| (25623) | |
| 173 | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimates he has made of the percentage of the ingredients of cemfuel which have their source in (a) Lancashire, (b) the rest of the United Kingdom and (c) overseas. |
| (25620) | |
| 174 | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many tonnes of crushed and carbonised cattle bones for use in water treatment plants were imported from South Asia in the last year for which figures are available. |
| (25834) | |
| 175 | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he is taking to protect and preserve Hadrian's Wall. |
| (25836) | |
| 176 N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will commission an inquiry into the running of Sanctuary Housing, with particular relevance to its administration and financial controls; and if he will consult residents currently living in its West Country sheltered housing developments on the conduct of the present management. |
| (25341) | |
| 177 N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will quantify the (a) jobs expected to be created in the tourism industry of the North West and (b) the (i) regional and (ii) national employment effects as calculated in the Civil Aviation Authority's analysis for bilateral air service talks with Pakistan, India, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. |
| (25474) | |
| 178 N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will estimate the impact on the revenue costs of the National Air Traffic Control over (a) 10 and (b) 20 years of the PFI project for the Air Traffic Control Centre at Prestwick. |
| (25464) | |
| 179 N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will place in the Library copies of the full regional economic analyses prepared by the CAA for bilateral air service talks for (a) Australia, (b) India, (c) Pakistan, (d) Canada, (e) Mauritius, (f) Seychelles, (g) Singapore and (h) the United Arab Emirates. |
| (25473) | |
| 180 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the draft European Union Energy Products Directive to the United Kingdom climate change strategy; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25757) | |
| 181 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how much (a) oil, (b) gas and (c) electricity was purchased for the heating, lighting and powering of accommodation occupied by his Department within the United Kingdom in each year since 1989-90; and what was the total cost in real terms for (a) to (c) in each year. |
| (25790) | |
| 182 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the total real terms value of (a) staff car mileage claims paid and (b) staff rail fares paid by his Department; for what amount of staff car mileage reimbursement was made, and what was the percentage change over the previous year for each year since 1989-90. |
| (25789) | |
| 183 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what proportion of his Department's energy usage was from combined heating in each year since 1989-90. |
| (25793) | |
| 184 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many staff were employed by his Department; and what percentage of them were eligible to claim a car mileage allowance on 31st March in each year since 1990. |
| (25792) | |
| 185 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what was the (a) estimated average fuel consumption and (b) total mileage of ministerial cars travelling on official business in each year since 1989-90. |
| (25791) | |
| 186 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what changes have ben made to the (a) powers and (b) responsibilities of Green Ministers since 1st May. |
| (25938) | |
| 187 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25936) | |
| 188 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, which Government departments were not represented at Ministerial level at the last meeting of the Green Ministers. |
| (25939) | |
| 189 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for Ceredigion of 9th June, Official Report, column 314, what was the outcome of the review of the network of Green Ministers. |
| (25937) | |
| 190 | Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when the consultation paper on measures to increase public access to the countryside will be published. |
| (25930) | |
| 191 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he expects to hold the public inquiry into the plan to replace Walton Bridge at Shepperton. |
| (25469) | |
| 192 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the (a) total tax yield and (b) income generated for the United Kingdom economy by the arts in the United Kingdom in the most recent year for which figures are available. |
| (24750) | |
| 193 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the total value added tax income generated from value added tax registered (a) artists, (b) sculptors, (c) designers, (d) authors, (e) journalists and (f) composers for each year since 1993. |
| (24744) | |
| 194 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend tax relief to parents paying maintenance for disabled children over 18 years old; and if he will estimate the cost. |
| (25607) | |
| 195 | Mr Martin Bell (Tatton): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate how much additional taxation would have been raised in 1997-98 if the higher personal tax allowance for (a) people aged 65 to 74 years and (b) people aged 75 years and over had been abolished. |
| (25746) | |
| 196 | Mr Martin Bell (Tatton): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the reduction in Government spending which would have occurred in 1997-98 if tax relief on penson contributions had been restricted to the basic rate of taxation. |
| (25754) | |
| 197 | Mr Martin Bell (Tatton): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the amount of additional revenue which would have been raised in 1997-98 if the upper earnings limit on national insurance contributions had been abolished. |
| (25799) | |
| 198 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997; and how many have been appointed to the Parliamentary Secretary's Office. |
| (25850) | |
| 199 N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the total annual tax revenue generated in each of the years from 1995-96 to 1999-2000 from (a) removing the relief on contributions to non-state pensions and (b) removing the relief on all contributions to non-state pensions on earnings above the upper earnings limit for national insurance. |
| (24749) | |
| 200 N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the total cost of reducing VAT on fuel to 5 per cent; and how much of this sum will accrue to each decile of the income distribution. |
| (24683) | |
| 201 N | Mr Howard Flight (Arundel and South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the impact on charities of his policies with regard to the taxation of charities. |
| (24565) | |
| 202 N | Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many representations his Department has received since the enactment of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1997, on measures contained in the Act. |
| (24883) | |
| 203 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a breakdown of each of the underspends on EU programmes which provided the £400 million distributed to pensioners in the July 1997 Budget. |
| (25247) | |
| 204 N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin and Harpenden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the tax treatment of a United Kingdom resident beneficiary in respect of capital payments received by the beneficiary in the United Kingdom from a non-UK resident discretionary trust of which the settlor has never been resident or domiciled in the United Kingdom. |
| (25283) | |
| 205 N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin and Harpenden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the progress of his review of corporate taxation. |
| (25282) | |
| 206 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what further discussions the Paymaster General has had with the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury since 14th December concerning Orion Trust and TransTec shares. |
| (25533) | |
| 207 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what contacts (a) the Chief Press Officer and (b) other Treasury civil servants have had with Titmuss Gainer, Delheny subsequent to the issue of their letters of 8th December. |
| (25538) | |
| 208 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury will reply to the letter of 12th December from the Right honourable Member for St. Albans. |
| (25534) | |
| 209 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the Treasury's definition of a blind trust. |
| (25535) | |
| 210 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information the Paymaster General has provided to him on the circumstances leading to the transfer of TransTec shares to the Orion Trust on 30th April 1997. |
| (25532) | |
| 211 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ensure that papers relating to taxation of offshore trusts and tax enforcement are not passed to the Paymaster General. |
| (25539) | |
| 212 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what letters of wishes the Paymaster General has written to the Orion trustees. |
| (25529) | |
| 213 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Paymaster General concerning the possibility of the Paymaster General waiving his right to confidentiality in his tax affairs. |
| (25542) | |
| 214 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury approved in advance the statement and accompanying document issued by the Treasury Press Office on 8th December concerning the Paymaster General. |
| (25536) | |
| 215 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons the notes to the accounts of Stenbell Ltd. describe the Paymaster General as a beneficiary of the Orion Trust rather than a potential discretionary beneficiary. |
| (25531) | |
| 216 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what part the Paymaster General had in the selection of Richmond Corporate Services as trustees of the Orion Trust. |
| (25541) | |
| 217 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received concerning the accuracy of the Treasury press release of 8th December 1997 containing the Titmuss Gainer Delheny letters to the Sunday Times and The Observer. |
| (25540) | |
| 218 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Treasury Press Office received the information that the Paymaster General had suggested to Orion that it buy TransTec shares. |
| (25543) | |
| 219 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Geoffrey Robinson personal settlement financed or guaranteed the money which enabled Stenbell Ltd. to purchase the Paymaster General's TransTec shares. |
| (25530) | |
| 220 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will state the amount of Treasury resources, including press office time, devoted to dealing with the queries surrounding the Paymaster General's financial affairs. |
| (25537) | |
| 221 N | Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the use of framework contracts for the purchase of IT equipment and services by the public sector. |
| (25457) | |
| 222 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreement reached by the Paymaster General with the power generators. |
| (25427) | |
| 223 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25898) | |
| 224 N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford and Southend East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment Her Majesty's Government has made of the argument advanced by the Bank of England in the papers circulated at the symposium on 20th January on the application of regulations stemming from Article 109I of the Maastricht Treaty to the United Kingdom and their treatment by English courts; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25036) | |
| 225 N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford and Southend East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he has come to a decision on the issue, relating to Article 109L of the Maastricht Treaty raised in paragraph 4, page 86 of the paper circulated by the Bank of England at the symposium on 20th January; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25037) | |
| 226 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will release for public scrutiny the files held by MI6 relating to the Zinoviev letter. |
| (24746) | |
| 227 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25854) | |
| 228 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action the British Ambassador in Dar es Salaam has taken to pursue the claim of Mr Patel, of Twickenham, in respect of the settlement of monies owed under a British aid project. |
| (25630) | |
| 229 N | Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent public opinion surveys the Government has carried out into public perceptions of EU membership; what organisation conducted them; how much they cost; how large in each case was the sample size; what was the date of the field work; if he will place a copy of the findings in the Library; and what further surveys he plans to undertake. |
| (25332) | |
| 230 | Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow, Govan): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on British relations with South Africa. |
| (25645) | |
| 231 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25905) | |
| 232 | Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to ratify the Hague Convention on adoption. |
| (25805) | |
| 233 | Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to set up independent agencies to provide services to prospective United Kingdom intercountry adopters. |
| (25814) | |
| 234 | Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funds have been made available to agencies specialising in intercountry adoption in line with the Hague Convention. |
| (25813) | |
| 235 | Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the range of charges imposed for home study reports on intercountry adoption. |
| (25810) | |
| 236 | Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will introduce controls on the charges made for home study reports for intercountry adoption. |
| (25809) | |
| 237 | Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many intercountry adoption agencies there are in the EU. |
| (25808) | |
| 238 | Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department funded on intercountry adoption in the past six years; what was the cost of research; and if he will publish it. |
| (25812) | |
| 239 | Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure all adopters can obtain a home study report for intercountry adoption. |
| (25807) | |
| 240 | Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to introduce legislation to update the law on adoption. |
| (25806) | |
| 241 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25853) | |
| 242 N | Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what rules or arrangements exist to prevent collusion or the development of cartels amongst candidates expressing an interest and admitted to negotiate under Article 22 (3) of the Public Works Directive 93/37. |
| (24686) | |
| 243 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what factors led to the appointment of Mrs Christine Reid as Chairman of the Bath Mental Health Care Trust; and what assessment his Department made of the candidature of the previous incumbent. |
| (24781) | |
| 244 | Mr Quentin Davies (Grantham and Stamford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received about the use of regulations providing for general practitioners to dispense drugs directly in rural areas, by practices in market towns to dispense to patients in surrounding villages. |
| (25811) | |
| 245 | Julia Drown (South Swindon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the yearly cost to the NHS in (a) England and (b) Great Britain of meeting the nursing costs of long-term care. |
| (25914) | |
| 246 | Julia Drown (South Swindon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consultation the Government has carried out on the proposal that the nursing costs of long-term care should be met by the NHS. |
| (25918) | |
| 247 | Mr Stephen Hesford (Wirral West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has (a) to establish a dedicated budget for and (b) to appoint a minister for mental health; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25879) | |
| 248 N | Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to extend the range of residential care for mental health clients in the community. |
| (25343) | |
| 249 N | Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on care in the community. |
| (25346) | |
| 250 N | Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the total cost of the Government's care in the community programme for 1998-99; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25345) | |
| 251 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research work he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the long-term and short-term effects on the skin of smoking. |
| (25609) | |
| 252 | Mr John Maples (Stratford-on-Avon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Turnberg Committee submitted its report on London Hospitals to him. |
| (25894) | |
| 253 N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the impact on revenue costs to the NHS over the next (a) 10 and (b) 20 years of all PFI schemes. |
| (25472) | |
| 254 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25901) | |
| 255 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will release for public scrutiny the files held by MI5 relating to the Zinoviev letter. |
| (24747) | |
| 256 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the (a) longest and (b) average recorded journey time endured by non-human primates imported into the United Kingdom for research purposes during (1) 1996 and (2) 1997 from (i) China, (ii) Mauritius, (iii) Indonesia and (iv) Phillipines. |
| (24748) | |
| 257 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) announced and (b) unannounced visits have been made by inspectors to Porton Down under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for each year from 1990 to date. |
| (24833) | |
| 258 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will incorporate into section 5(4) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 measures to deal with the adverse effects which may be encountered by non-human primates during transport prior to arrival in the United Kingdom. |
| (24745) | |
| 259 N | Mr A. J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the terms of reference of the review of the system of financial regulation in the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands enable it to recommend changes in the law of these territories by means other than legislation in Tynwald and the States. |
| (25413) | |
| 260 | Mr A. J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions his Department has consulted competitors of an employer making an offer of employment to an official from his Department, for the purpose of compliance with the Civil Service Management Code rules on the acceptance of outside appointments by Crown servants, in each year for which the rules have applied; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25862) | |
| 261 N | Mr A. J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultations he had with the Isle of Man government and with the authorities in Jersey and in Guernsey before his announcement on 20th January of a review of the financial legislation in Crown dependencies. |
| (25415) | |
| 262 N | Mr A. J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who has been appointed by the government of the Isle of Man and the authorities in the Channel Islands to participate alongside Mr Andrew Edwards in the review of financial regulation in the Crown dependencies; and if their status in the conduct of that review will be the same as that of Mr Edwards. |
| (25414) | |
| 263 | Mr A. J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the information collected for the purpose of compliance with the Civil Service Management Code rules on the acceptance of outside appointments by Crown Servants, in each year for which the rules have applied; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25896) | |
| 264 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the game licence system has cost to administer for (a) game shooters and (b) game dealers in each year since 1992. |
| (24991) | |
| 265 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many game licences have been issued to (a) game shooters and (b) game dealers in each year since 1992. |
| (24989) | |
| 266 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the net revenue from the system of licences for (a) game shooters and (b) game dealers in each year since 1992. |
| (24990) | |
| 267 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25852) | |
| 268 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the procedures for searching for illegal drugs (a) within Chelmsford Prison and (b) in the visitors area of the prison; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25288) | |
| 269 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times illegal drugs have been found (a) within Chelmsford Prison and (b) in the visitors area of the prison in each of the last five years; and if he will list the types of illegal drugs that have been found. |
| (25289) | |
| 270 | Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 12th January, Official Report, column 66, on incidents of self-harm among remanded 15 and 16 year olds, in how many of the reported incidents of self-harming carried out by 15 and 16 year olds on remand a F2052 SH self-harm at risk form had been opened prior to the incident of self-harm. |
| (25929) | |
| 271 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what account is taken under section 5(4) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 of the length of journey time in determining whether to grant a project licence for experiments on non-human primates. |
| (25750) | |
| 272 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is his Department's policy on maximum time allowable for journeys of non-human primates to United Kingdom laboratories; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25751) | |
| 273 N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the number of (a) asylum (i) applications and (ii) appeals to be dealt with and the average waiting time, (b) applications for citizenship to be dealt with and the average waiting time and (c) full-time equivalent posts (1) in the Immigration and Nationality Department and (2) not covered by superannuation at (A) 1st January 1996, (B) 1st May 1996, (C) 1st January 1997, (D) 1st May 1997 and (E) 1st January 1998. |
| (24680) | |
| 274 | Julia Drown (South Swindon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will review the treatment of asylum-seekers from Algeria. |
| (25916) | |
| 275 | Julia Drown (South Swindon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to declare Algeria a country of upheaval under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. |
| (25917) | |
| 276 N | Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 20th January, Official Report, column 514, if he will make available a list of the sites in the North West assessed for possible future prison development, together with the results of those assessments. |
| (25344) | |
| 277 | Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the honourable member for Salisbury may expect a reply to his letter of 1st December 1997 to the Minister of State, the honourable Member for Cardiff South and Penarth, about the police raid in Donhead St. Andrew on 21st November 1997. |
| (25725) | |
| 278 | Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the firms and advisers dealing with asylum and immigration cases who will be excluded from the official register of authorised immigration advisers. |
| (25800) | |
| 279 N | Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will provide the figures for the element within the Derbyshire standard spending assessment which relates to Derbyshire Fire Service for each of the last five years. |
| (25337) | |
| 280 | Joan Ryan (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents in the London Borough of Enfield the Fire Rescue Unit based at Euston has attended since the Fire Rescue Unit based at Finchley was removed. |
| (25837) | |
| 281 N | Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date he passed ministerial responsibility for matters relating to on-line lotteries to another minister. |
| (24993) | |
| 282 N | Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place copies of his correspondence with the Deputy Prime Minister on the subject of on-line lotteries in the Library. |
| (24994) | |
| 283 N | Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will extend the period of consultation on the draft Lotteries (Frequent Draws) Bill; and if he will make a statement. |
| (24995) | |
| 284 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25903) | |
| 285 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 16th January, Official Report, column 330, if he will publish the programmes of Lady Williams when she accompanied her husband to (a) Jersey and (b) the Isle of Man at public expense. |
| (25598) | |
| 286 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to her Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25851) | |
| 287 | Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the environmental assessment procedure for European Commission expenditure in respect of European aid programmes in developing countries. |
| (25885) | |
| 288 | Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will commission during the United Kingdom Presidency an environmental and social impact assessment of the EC decision to fund the upgrading of roads in the rainforests of Cameroon. |
| (25886) | |
| 289 | Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take action during the United Kingdom Presidency to ensure that the EU development assistance programme procedures include full consultation with and participation of those involved throughout the project cycle. |
| (25887) | |
| 290 N | Mr John Burnett (Torridge and West Devon): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for Hendon of 19th January, Official Report, column 403, if the implementation of those civil justice reforms and changes intended for completion in April 1999 are progressing as anticipated; and if he will make statement. |
| (25416) | |
| 291 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25849) | |
| 292 N | Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, on what date his Department's proposals to introduce the legal aid changes announced by the Lord Chancellor on 18th October 1997 will come into effect. |
| [R] (25340) | |
| 293 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what proposals his Department has to reform the law relating to marriages with particular reference to pre-marriage contracts. |
| (25740) | |
| 294 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if the current review of legal aid will include consideration of the up-rating of the £2,500 exemption from the statutory charge in matrimonial cases. |
| (25741) | |
| 295 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what (a) information and (b) opportunities to register an interest are available to the public in the system for the deposit and safe-keeping of the wills of living persons operated by the principal registry of the family division. |
| (25734) | |
| 296 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what proportion of the adult population of England and Wales (a) has used the system for the deposit and safe-keeping of the wills of living persons operated by the principal registry of the family division and (b) he estimates have made wills. |
| (25735) | |
| 297 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what are the annual costs of the system for the deposit and safe-keeping of the wills of living persons operated by the principal registry of the family division gross and net of any fee income charged; and if he will assess the costs of operating the system as an open register with facilities for inspection and registering of third party interests and appropriate fees for such services. |
| (25736) | |
| 298 | Mr David Lepper (Brighton, Pavilion): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what (a) research he has commissioned and (b) consultation he has held into the introduction of commonhold as a form of tenure. |
| (25745) | |
| 299 | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will assess the advantages and disadvantages of continuing with the institution of Queen's Counsel. |
| (25622) | |
| 300 | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will establish which common law jurisdictions have abolished the institution of Queen's Counsel. |
| (25621) | |
| 301 N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what steps he plans to take to strengthen the principle of local justice dispensed through magistrate's courts. |
| (25032) | |
| 302 N | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Minister without Portfolio, if he will make a statement on the tendering process used for the corporate identity and logo design contract awarded to Brand Union Ltd. |
| (25547) | |
| 303 N | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Minister without Portfolio, what steps were taken to ensure that the tendering process for the contract awarded to Brand Union conformed with European law. |
| (25548) | |
| 304 N | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Minister without Portfolio, if he will list the shortlisted candidates for the Board of the New Millennium Experience Company. |
| (25554) | |
| 305 N | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Minister without Portfolio, what is the lower limit for contracts regarding logo design or corporate identity to be placed in the European Journal. |
| (25546) | |
| 306 N | Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk): To ask the Minister without Portfolio, pursuant to his Answer of 15th January, Official Report, column 286, what role he envisages for Norfolk within the Millennium Experience national programme on the theme, time to make a difference. |
| (25281) | |
| 307 | Mr John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood): To ask the Minister without Portfolio, in what capacity he attended Club of Three meetings in September; what public expenditure was incurred by his participation; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25928) | |
| 308 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to her Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25846) | |
| 309 | Julia Drown (South Swindon): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been made of the yearly costs to the NHS in Northern Ireland of meeting the nursing costs of long-term care. |
| (25915) | |
| 310 N | Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to pay the fourth year of tuition fees for eligible Northern Irish students beginning degrees at Scottish universities from 1998 onwards; and if he will make statement. |
| (25417) | |
| 311 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the President of the Council, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to her Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25845) | |
| 312 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the President of the Council, what mechanisms have been established since 1st May to ensure that the environmental implications of new legislation are considered before being presented to Parliament. |
| (25909) | |
| 313 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Prime Minister, what monitoring he is undertaking to ensure ministers follow the guidance in the Ministerial Code of Conduct; how many instances of non-compliance he has identified; and what steps he intends to take when non-compliance is identified. |
| (24831) | |
| 314 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Prime Minister, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to the staff of (a) No. 10 Downing Street and (b) the Cabinet Office under the Minister without Portfolio since 1st May. |
| (25878) | |
| 315 N | Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Prime Minister, if the Paymaster General submitted the case of his interest in the Orion Trust to him for determination in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 109 of the Ministerial Code. |
| (25486) | |
| 316 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Prime Minister, what are the terms of reference and the membership of the new Cabinet committee on welfare reform; when the committee will have its first meeting; and if he will make a statement. |
| (23953) | |
| 317 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Prime Minister, what limits he has placed on the costs incurred by Ministers travelling with their spouses or partners to be borne by the Exchequer. |
| (25424) | |
| 318 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Prime Minister, if he was informed of the details of the agreement reached by the Paymaster General with the power generators to ensure more British coal is burned in the second quarter of 1998. |
| (25425) | |
| 319 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Prime Minister, what was the purpose of the Minister without Portfolio's recent visit to a coal mine. |
| (25428) | |
| 320 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Prime Minister, what plans he has to appoint an independent representative of the housing professions to the Social Exclusion Unit; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25786) | |
| 321 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the Prime Minister, what was the public interest justification under Rule 83 of the Ministerial Code when he granted permission to the Attorney General to take his wife to Dublin on 17th and 18th September 1997. |
| (25570) | |
| 322 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the Prime Minister, what was the public interest justification under Rule 83 of the Ministerial Code when he granted permission to Lord Williams to take his wife (a) to Jersey on 11th and 12th July 1997 and (b) to the Isle of Man on 15th and 16th August 1997. |
| (25567) | |
| 323 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 19th January, Official Report, column 402, if he will list the variety of factors he took into account when appointing the current Foreign Secretary. |
| (25494) | |
| 324 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the Prime Minister, what was the public interest justification under Rule 83 of the Ministerial Code when he granted permission to Lord Clinton-Davis to take his wife to Korea and Japan from 21st to 29th September 1997. |
| (25569) | |
| 325 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the Prime Minister, what definition of partner will apply to paragraph 83 of the ministerial code of conduct. |
| (25462) | |
| 326 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the Prime Minister, what was the public interest justification under Rule 83 of the Ministerial Code when he granted permission to the President of the Board of Trade to take her husband (a) to India and Australia from 15th to 22nd November 1997 and (b) to China, Hong Kong and Pakistan from 10th to 21st January 1998. |
| (25568) | |
| 327 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list, by local authority, the level of charges levied on residents in receipt of the social work care services broken down by service item. |
| (25605) | |
| 328 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will require Scottish local authorities to have a common charging policy for social work services. |
| (25608) | |
| 329 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25842) | |
| 330 | Mr Alan Clark (Kensington and Chelsea): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what opportunities for scrutiny of the final decision on the Cairngorm funicular railway project will be available to (a) the Edinburgh Parliament, (b) the Westminster Parliament and (c) the European Environment Commission. |
| (25882) | |
| 331 | Mr Alan Clark (Kensington and Chelsea): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the effect on the provision of EC funding to the Cairngorm funicular railway of its alleged incompatibility with community environmental guidelines. |
| (25881) | |
| 332 | Mr Alan Clark (Kensington and Chelsea): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether the projected Cairngorm funicular railway is to be regarded as a reserved category under the Scotland Bill. |
| (25880) | |
| 333 N | Ms Roseanna Cunningham (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what guidelines have been issued to publicly-funded bodies in Scotland regarding the use of Scottish legal firms. |
| (25201) | |
| 334 N | Ms Roseanna Cunningham (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on the progress made so far by his Land Reform Unit; what meetings this unit has held; from which bodies or individuals it has (i) sought and (ii) received evidence on land reform; and when he expects to publish the the unit's interim findings. |
| (24568) | |
| 335 N | Ms Roseanna Cunningham (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on the development of sustainable support services for the film industry in Scotland with particular reference to legal services. |
| (25199) | |
| 336 N | Ms Roseanna Cunningham (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what mechanisms exist for the assessment of the Scottish Arts Council's tendering process for legal services; what assessment he has made of the Scottish Arts Council's most recent tendering process for legal services; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25202) | |
| 337 N | Ms Roseanna Cunningham (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the additional resources that would be required to allow the completion of the Scottish land registration data base by 2000; if it is his policy to provide additional resources for the Scottish land registration data base; what plans he has for extending the range of material and information contained in the land data base; and if he will make a statement. |
| (24567) | |
| 338 N | Ms Roseanna Cunningham (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations he has received concerning the establishment of a Scottish land convention to prepare legislation for the Scottish Parliament for the reform of Scotland's land laws; what is his policy on the creation of a Scottish land convention; and if he will make a statement. |
| (24566) | |
| 339 N | Ms Roseanna Cunningham (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what instructions he has given to publicly-funded bodies in the arts sector in Scotland regarding the use of public funds to develop support services for the film industry, with particular reference to legal services. |
| (25200) | |
| 340 | Julia Drown (South Swindon): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the yearly cost to the NHS of meeting the nursing costs of long-term care. |
| (25913) | |
| 341 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, for how many staff employed in the Scottish NHS in each of the last five years a degree in orthoptics was part of the requirement for their employment. |
| (24563) | |
| 342 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many students graduated with a degree in orthoptics from Scottish universities or colleges in each of the last five years. |
| (24564) | |
| 343 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on the recruitment benefits for Scottish hospitals of the Scottish-based degree course for the training of orthoptists. |
| (24559) | |
| 344 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the British Orthoptic Society concerning the future of the Scottish-based degree course for training orthoptists. |
| (24560) | |
| 345 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to ensure the continuation of degree training for orthoptists in Scotland. |
| (24558) | |
| 346 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations he has made to (i) Caledonian University and (ii) the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine regarding the future of the orthoptic degree course at Caledonian University; and if he will make a statement. |
| (24561) | |
| 347 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many Scottish students received funding for an orthoptic degree course (i) at Caledonian, (ii) at Liverpool, (iii) at Sheffield universities and (iv) outside the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available. |
| (24562) | |
| 348 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the loss of income sustained by the Scottish beef sector as a result of (a) the continuation of the BSE export ban, (b) increased cost relating to public health measures in response to the BSE outbreak and (c) fluctuations in market prices for livestock in (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97 and (iii) 1997-98. |
| (25238) | |
| 349 N | Mr Robert Maclennan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will publish the criteria which he applies for the purpose of establishing whether or not agriculture enterprises are separate businesses to determine their eligibility for assistance under IACS. |
| (25420) | |
| 350 N | Mr Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list the (a) operating costs, (b) maintenance costs and (c) revenue from tolls in respect of (i) Erskine, (ii) Skye, (iii) Forth and (iv) Tay road bridges in the last year for which figures are available. |
| (25280) | |
| 351 | Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow, Govan): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of new homes that will need to be built in Scotland to accommodate projections of household growth. |
| (25644) | |
| 352 | Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow, Govan): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans the Government has for improving nutrition standards in Scotland. |
| (25642) | |
| 353 | Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow, Govan): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many persons were prosecuted for making a false declaration in respect of benefit in (a) 1986 and (b) 1996. |
| (25643) | |
| 354 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25900) | |
| 355 N | Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if a domiciled English student at a Scottish university who changes course after the first year and re-applies as a Scottish resident to the Scottish Office for funding, will be eligible to have his fourth year tuition fees paid. |
| (25349) | |
| 356 N | Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if an applicant to a Scottish university, who is eligible to pay tuition fees, will be liable to pay fourth-year tuition fees if he/she moves their permanent address (a) from England to Scotland and (b) from Scotland to England on 29th June of the year in which he/she applies. |
| (25334) | |
| 357 N | Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the total financial contribution of non-Scottish United Kingdom students to the Scottish economy in off-campus expenditure for each of the last five years. |
| (25348) | |
| 358 N | Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what was the total financial contribution of non-Scottish United Kingdom students to the Scottish higher education sector for each of the last five years. |
| (25347) | |
| 359 | Mrs Jackie Ballard (Taunton): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what progress has been made on the joint strategy with the public appointments unit to ensure that women are more involved in public bodies. |
| (25731) | |
| 360 | Mr Martin Bell (Tatton): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if the winter fuel payment will be paid to older people who live in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) the Isle of Man and (c) the Channel Islands. |
| (25732) | |
| 361 | Mr Martin Bell (Tatton): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what assessment he has made of the consistency between (a) the exclusion of men aged 60 to 64 years, unless married to women aged 60 years or over or receiving income support, from receiving the winter fuel payment and (b) EU directive 79/7, article 3.1(a) on equal treatment and section 29 of the Sex Discrimination Act. |
| (25728) | |
| 362 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to her Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25841) | |
| 363 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate she has made of the level of take-up of the money being made available to help pensioners meet their fuel costs this winter; and for what reasons she has decided to launch a national advertising campaign about this money. |
| (25287) | |
| 364 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how much money the Government is spending on the advertising campaign about the money being made available to help pensioners with their winter fuel bills this winter. |
| (25286) | |
| 365 | Mr Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many telephone enquiries have been handled by the family credit helpline in each month since January 1996. |
| (25638) | |
| 366 | Mr Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what method the family credit unit has of recording how many callers failed to get through to the family credit helpline; and how many unsuccessful attempts were made to call the helpline in each month since January 1996. |
| (25635) | |
| 367 | Mr Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many people have received extended payments of (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit on starting a family credit claim since the extended payment system was introduced. |
| (25634) | |
| 368 | Mr Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many claims for extended payments of (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit have been unsuccessful since the extended payment system was introduced because they were made outside the eight-day qualifying period. |
| (25633) | |
| 369 | Mr Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimates were made for take-up of the childcare disregard on family credit prior to its introduction; what percentage of family credit claimants actually receive the childcare disregard; and what assessment she has made of the reasons underlying the take-up rate. |
| (25632) | |
| 370 | Mr Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what proposals she has to guarantee CSA payments to family credit claimants. |
| (25637) | |
| 371 | Mr Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what progress has been made on fast-tracking family credit and CSA claims under the New Deal for Lone Parents. |
| (25636) | |
| 372 N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will recalculate the table on page 6 of Welfare Reform Focus File 1 on the basis of income distribution before housing costs. |
| (24681) | |
| 373 N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will estimate on the basis of the information used on page 6 of Welfare Reform Focus File 6 the percentage of employees earning above the lower earnings limit who are contributing to an occupational pension by (a) gender, (b) region (c) broad socio-economic group and (d) broad heading of industrial classification. |
| (24682) | |
| 374 N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will list the amount and percentage of (a) total benefits expenditure and (b) total expenditure on the state retirement pension accounted for by women qualifying for state retirement pension on the basis of their own independent contribution record in (i) 1981 and (ii) 1995. |
| (24751) | |
| 375 N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will estimate the percentage of the savings achieved by abolishing lone parent premium and one parent benefit borne by each decile of the income distribution in 1999-2000. |
| (24678) | |
| 376 N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will estimate the cost to the National Insurance Fund of rebates in respect of personal pensions in each of the years 1995-96 to 1999-2000. |
| (24679) | |
| 377 N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will estimate, using the information base shown on page 3 of Welfare Reform Focus File 6, the size of average (a) gross and (b) net pensioner incomes in each decile of pensioner incomes, the amount and percentage of total income accounted for by (i) retirement and (ii) other state pensions in each decile (1) on a gross and (2) on a net basis; and if she will indicate whether this information is presented on an individual or household basis. |
| (24677) | |
| 378 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will list the total number of recipients of (a) disability living allowance, (b) disability living allowance with mobility addition, (c) disability living allowance with care allowance and (d) disability living allowance with both mobility and care elements in the last year for which figures are available. |
| (23649) | |
| 379 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many people in receipt of disability living allowance have, in the last year for which figures are available, been re-assessed under the provisions of the Disability Integrity Project; and what percentage this represents of the total number to be re-assessed. |
| (23650) | |
| 380 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many Benefits Agency staff have received additional training for the re-assessment of those in receipt of disability living allowance; and how many of these staff have medical qualifications. |
| (23651) | |
| 381 N | Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what is the average length of time taken for an appeal to be processed where an applicant has been refused disability living allowance. |
| (23652) | |
| 382 | Mr Stephen Hesford (Wirral West): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will review the operation of housing benefit in relation to supported housing tenants; and if she will make a statement. |
| (25863) | |
| 383 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what benefits are currently subject to the benefit integrity project; and what further benefits will be subjected to it. |
| (25737) | |
| 384 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what assistance is available to applicants for disability benefits for obtaining medical evidence in support of tribunal appeals. |
| (25738) | |
| 385 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what reform of housing benefit is proposed to promote the Government's welfare to work programme. |
| (25739) | |
| 386 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, on what date the DSS Departmental Report and spending plans for 1998-99 to 2000-01 will be published. |
| (23954) | |
| 387 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will publish the DSS Executive Agency Business Plans for 1998-99 before the end of March. |
| (23955) | |
| 388 N | Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will make a statement on her Department's plans and priorities for the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union. |
| (23956) | |
| 389 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what restrictions on the amount of study or training an asylum seeker may undertake who is in receipt of income support and who is not allowed to sign on as unemployed incurs. |
| (25564) | |
| 390 N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if the lone parent premium of an income support claimant will be protected if the claimant participates in a waged option of the New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds and then returns to benefit at the end of the option. |
| (25556) | |
| 391 | Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to her Answer of 22nd January on councillors' allowances, if she will list concessions in the benefits system which are available to councillors but not to other people. |
| (25859) | |
| 392 | Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow, Govan): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what measures the Government has taken to improve the performance of the Child Support Agency. |
| (25647) | |
| 393 | Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow, Govan): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what is her estimate of the number of lone parents who are (a) in work and (b) not in work. |
| (25648) | |
| 394 N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will list the number of compensation payments made by the CSA in each £50 band in the last year for which figures are available. |
| (25463) | |
| 395 | Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to her Department's Appropriation Accounts 1996-97, what steps she proposes to reduce the amount of benefit fraud with particular reference to fraud on income support. |
| (25733) | |
| 396 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what was the total real terms value of (a) staff car mileage claims paid and (b) staff rail fares paid by his Department; for what amount of staff car mileage reimbursement was made; and what was the percentage change on the previous year for each year since 1989-90. |
| (25797) | |
| 397 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how much (a) oil, (b) gas and (c) electricity was purchased for the heating, lighting and powering of accommodation occupied by her Department within the United Kingdom in each year since 1989-90; and what was the total cost in real terms for (a) to (c) in each year. |
| (25798) | |
| 398 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what was the (a) estimated average fuel consumption and (b) total mileage of ministerial cars travelling on official business in each year since 1989-90. |
| (25796) | |
| 399 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what proportion of her Department's energy usage was from combined heating in each year since 1989-90. |
| (25795) | |
| 400 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many staff were employed by her Department; and what percentage of these were eligible to claim a car mileage allowance on 31st March in each year since 1990. |
| (25794) | |
| 401 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what mechanisms she has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25906) | |
| 402 N | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many people aged under 30 years are currently accruing rights under (a) the state earnings related pension scheme, (b) an occupational pension scheme, (c) a personal pension scheme and (d) no second tier pension; and what recent initiatives she has taken to encourage second tier provision among this group. |
| (25544) | |
| 403 N | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what will be the effect on revenues from national insurance contributions in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000 and (c) 2000-01 of her decison to adjust the rebates for those who have contracted out of SERPS. |
| (25545) | |
| 404 N | Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if those young unemployed people who take up the Welfare-to-Work employer option will be paid the full national minimum wage. |
| (23089) | |
| 405 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what assessment she has made of the impact on consumers of the deferral of retail electricity competition; and what compensatory action is proposed in connection with returns to regional electricity companies. |
| (25484) | |
| 406 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what estimate she has made of the increased costs of coal-fired power generation as a result of the accelerated imposition of emission standards recently announced. |
| (25482) | |
| 407 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what estimate she has made of the likely impact on total coal-burn in the United Kingdom of the new emissions standards which will operate by 2001. |
| (25485) | |
| 408 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what consultations she held with power generators prior to the Environment Agency's recent anouncement of accelerated emissions limits. |
| (25483) | |
| 409 | Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what representations she has received on selling techniques within the gas industry. |
| (25802) | |
| 410 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what representations she has received on the Monopolies and Mergers Commission proposals to abolish recommended retail prices within the domestic electrical goods market. |
| (25730) | |
| 411 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what plans she has to implement the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's proposals for the retail of domestic electrical goods. |
| (25729) | |
| 412 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to her Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25840) | |
| 413 N | Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what proportion of the budget of the Radio Communications Agency is spent on overseas visits. |
| (24688) | |
| 414 N | Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what (a) rental, (b) leased and (c) freehold property assets are held by the Radio Communications Agency. |
| (24689) | |
| 415 N | Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, on what date the Radio Communications Agency was last subject to an audit by the National Audit Office. |
| (24687) | |
| 416 N | Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is his estimate of the underspend on the ESF and ERDF budgets for the North West in the period 1994 to 1996. |
| (24692) | |
| 417 N | Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what instructions have been given to Regional Office North West on the need to underspend on ESF and ERDF budgets for the period 1994 to 1996. |
| (24693) | |
| 418 N | Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is the total complement of staff in the Radio Communications Agency, at what grades; and at which locations. |
| (24690) | |
| 419 N | Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is the total annual revenue raised by the Radio Communications Agency; and from what sources. |
| (24691) | |
| 420 | Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will list the action taken by the Minister for Science, Energy and Industry to ensure that the Treasury takes full account of national scientific achievements in determining the level of support for the scientific base. |
| (25606) | |
| 421 | Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, when she received the letter dated 22nd December 1997 from two United States of America senators concerning the relationship between MAFF's proposed universal ban on the general sales of dietary supplements containing more than 10 mg of vitamin B6 and international agreements; what consultations she had with other Government departments; and what reply she plans to make. |
| (25618) | |
| 422 | Dr Stephen Ladyman (South Thanet): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, how many regional selective assistance grants were made at the maximum level and how many grants were made in total in each of the Government office areas in 1997. |
| (25748) | |
| 423 | Dr Stephen Ladyman (South Thanet): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what was the average level of regional selective assistance grant made in 1997 in each of the Government office areas. |
| (25747) | |
| 424 | Dr Stephen Ladyman (South Thanet): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what was the average level of regional selective assistance grant made in Thanet during 1997; how many such grants were made; and how many were at the maximum level. |
| (25749) | |
| 425 N | Sir Brian Mawhinney (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, when the right honourable Member for North West Cambridgeshire can expect an answer to his letter to her of 28th October on behalf of his constituent Mrs Tomayan. |
| (25285) | |
| 426 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, which ministers of her Department were notified of the details of the agreement reached by the Paymaster General with the power generators; and if she will publish details of the agreement. |
| (25422) | |
| 427 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Prime Minister's pledge to cut COÜof6Ý2 emissions by 20 per cent. on jobs in the mining industry over the next five years. |
| (25419) | |
| 428 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, how much extra British coal she estimates will be burned in British power stations in the second quarter of 1998 as a result of the agreement facilitated by the Paymaster General. |
| (25421) | |
| 429 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what assessment she has made of the impact of the revised sulphur protocol issued by the Environment Agency on coal mines and jobs in the coal industry. |
| (25418) | |
| 430 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the likely job losses in the coal mining industry over the next two years. |
| (25423) | |
| 431 N | Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if the Paymaster General will ensure that the report on the future of the coal industry is completed before the current redundancy terms for miners end on 30th June. |
| (25426) | |
| 432 | Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what assessment she has made of the impact of the draft European Union Energy Products Directive on United Kingdom manufacturers, retailers and consumers; and if she will make a statement. |
| (25758) | |
| 433 N | Mr Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, how many reinstatements have been awarded by industrial tribunals in cases of unfair dismissal in the past five years (a) nationally and (b) on a regional basis. |
| (24504) | |
| 434 N | Mr John Swinney (North Tayside): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland to produce a concordat setting out arrangements for relations between his Department and the Scottish Executive after the establishment of a Scottish parliament; and if he will make a statement. |
| (25475) | |
| 435 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what mechanisms she has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for her Department. |
| (25907) | |
| 436 | Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what measures are in place to prevent the importation of gem stones illegally irradiated to alter their colour; and if she will make a statement. |
| (25883) | |
| 437 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her Answer of 20th January, Official Report, column 473, if she will publish the programmes of her husband when he accompanied her to (a) India and Australia and (b) China, Hong Kong and Pakistan at public expense. |
| (25596) | |
| 438 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her Answer of 20th January, Official Report, column 473, if she will publish the programme of Lady Clinton-Davis when she accompanied her husband to Korea and Japan at public expense. |
| (25597) | |
| 439 | Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his oral Answer of 21st January, Official Report, column 1001, by what date the Minister expects welfare savings resulting from the New Deal in Wales to exceed the cost of the New Deal programme in Wales. |
| (25787) | |
| 440 | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1st May 1997. |
| (25839) | |
| 441 | Julia Drown (South Swindon): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the yearly costs to the NHS of meeting the nursing costs of long-term care. |
| (25912) | |
| 442 N | Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Inverness West): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans his Department has to adopt an integrated rural policy for Wales; and if he will make a statement. |
| (24697) | |
| 443 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. |
| (25904) | |
| 444 | Mr Alan W. Williams (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the average net annual income for farmers in Wales from 1990 to the present. |
| (25788) | |
| 445 | Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to prevent violence and disorder among England and Scotland fans during the forthcoming Soccer World Cup. |
| [Transferred] (25892) | |
| 446 | Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the locations of those new places in local authority secure accommodation which (a) have been provided and (b) it is planned to provide within the next five years and which were not planned for on 1st May 1997. |
| [Transferred] (25932) | |
| 447 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the project on short-term breaks for carers. |
| [Transferred] (25742) | |
| |
| © Parliamentary copyright 1998 | Revised 26 January 1998 |