Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 1997-98
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The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Wednesday 18 February 1998

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 18 February 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 Wednesday 18 February, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Thursday 19 February, 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.

WEDNESDAY 18th FEBRUARY

1
N   Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what (a) studies and (b) evaluations have been carried out by his Department into (i) the microbiological standards of the finished product from slaughterhouses and cutting plants and (ii) the scores achieved by those plants under his hygiene assessment system.

(30214)

2
N   Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what microbiological tests are made during the assessment of slaughterhouses and cutting plants under his hygiene assessment system.

(30213)

3
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many contracts of a value greater than £10,000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30100)

4
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30099)

5
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30097)

6
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30098)

7
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will give a breakdown of the total financial support his Department gave to (a) the fishing industry and (b) the farming sector in the last year for which figures are available in (i) South-East England (ii) England and (iii) total.

(30102)

8
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the total value of research projects he has commissioned with bodies in (a) London, (b) South-East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales, (f) Northern Ireland and (g) the UK.

(30101)

9
   Mr Marsha Singh (Bradford West):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will estimate the percentage of baby food products sold in the United Kingdom in 1997 which contained unlabelled genetically-modified soya.

(30417)

10
   Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what advice he has received from his statutory advisers on herbicide-tolerant crops.

(30421)

11
   Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will issue a moratorium on the introduction of genetically-modified herbicide-tolerant crops.

(30420)

12
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Attorney General, how many contracts of a value greater than £1000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30092)

13
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Attorney General, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30089)

14
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Attorney General, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30090)

15
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Attorney General, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30091)

16
   Mr Tom Pendry (Stalybridge and Hyde):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assurances he has sought from the Secretary of State for Education and Employment concerning the role of the PE profession in developing sport for young people through National Curriculum PE following recent decisions affecting the National Curriculum.

(30440)

17
   Mr Tom Pendry (Stalybridge and Hyde):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to discuss with the Secretary of State for Education and Employment the implications of the recent changes to the National Curriculum for the national policy on young people and sport.

(30441)

18
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30083)

19
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what is his latest estimate of the building costs of the new building for the British Library; and if he will estimate the value of contracts associated with this construction sourced with companies in (a) London, (b) the South East of England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland.

(30064)

20
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many grants of a value greater than £10,000 were made to bodies in (a) London, (b) the South East of England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland by his Department in the last year; and what was the total value of such grants in each area.

(30062)

21
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30084)

22
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30082)

23
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make a statement on the financial support he provides to non-government agencies.

(30065)

24
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many institutions in (a) London, (b) the South East of England and (c) England receive funding from his Department; and what is the total level of funding for institutions in each area.

(30063)

25
   Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidelines exist for the purchase of furniture for service accommodation; whether price ranges are provided; and whether there is specific advice with regard to the purchase of beds.

(30235)

26
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 71, on precision guided weapons, which countries possess multi-spectral smoke.

(30263)

27
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 71, on precision guided weapons, which countries have been supplied with multi-spectral smoke by UK companies.

(30244)

28
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list by (i) subject and (ii) current value the projects supported by his Department's applied research programme in 1997 indicating work (a) let with the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency and (b) work carried out by industry through extramural contracts let by DERA.

(29518)

29
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the balance and scope of his Department's applied research programme was last received by the Defence Research Council.

(29520)

30
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the current value of the defence corporate research programme; and if he will list its technology groups and their research objectives and related technical areas, defined in terms of equipment and technology capabilities.

(29522)

31
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he has established a national programme to bring together industry, both civil and defence, the academic community and the DERA on collaborative research projects of common interest; what percentage of project costs are made from Government sources; and what the programme's current budget is.

(29513)

32
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) national and (b) international collaboration has been achieved under the defence research programme's Beacon fund.

(29514)

33
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the companies which through (a) the DERA Pathfinder process and (b) other briefings, have shared in his Department's evaluation of defence technological and research priorities; and if he will list those priorities.

(29515)

34
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the individuals, with their qualifications, who currently review the defence corporate research programme to identify areas of potential pullthrough into the applied research programme.

(29516)

35
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list for the defence corporate research programme (a) scientists from his Department and academic institutions who are currently involved in peer review and (b) the functions of the customer advisory groups, together with current membership and qualifications.

(29517)

36
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the members of the Defence Research Council.

(29519)

37
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if, under his applied research programme he will list technology demonstrator projects by value, stating in each case (a) the spin off benefits of defence research into the private sector and (b) civil technologies applied to defence.

(29521)

38
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the activities and costs of his Department's defence technology strategy; and if he will make a statement.

(29523)

39
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many contracts of a value greater than £10,000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30073)

40
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list expenditure on (a) defence procurement, (b) research and development, (c) running costs and (d) service wages and costs for (i) London, (ii) the South East of England, (iii) England, (iv) Scotland, (v) Wales and (vi) Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available.

(30131)

41
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the number of current research contracts of a value greater than £10,000 sourced at sites in (a) London, (b) the South East of England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales, and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the forecast expenditure on such projects in each area.

(30129)

42
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the number and running costs of (a) Royal Naval shore stations and (b) Army core headquarters in (i) the South East of England, (ii) England, (iii) Scotland, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland.

(30127)

43
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30071)

44
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30070)

45
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the current location in the United Kingdom of each Army regiment, the number of service and support personnel at each site, and the total wage bill for each site in the last year for which figures are available.

(30128)

46
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many companies based in (a) London, (b) the South East of England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland currently supply his Department with armaments; and what was the value of such supplies in each area in the last year for which figures are available.

(30130)

47
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30072)

48
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30066)

49
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many contracts of a value greater than £5,000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30069)

50
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30068)

51
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30067)

52
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what was the cost of London salary weightings to the Civil Service for each of the last five years.

(30054)

53
   Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his Answer of 13th February, Official Report, column 440, concerning Iraqi students at British universities, what assessment he has made of the potential for studies undertaken by Iraqi students in each subject of study to be of assistance to the Iraqis' military, chemical and biological capability.

(30416)

54
   Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his Answer of 13th February, Official Report, column 440, concerning Iraqi students at British universities, what assessment he has made of Iraqi government financial or other support for the Iraqi students who are not receiving United Kingdom funding or official Iraqi funding; and, of the 16 receiving Iraqi government funding, what proportion are funded by the Iraqi ministries of (a) Defence, (b) Trade and Industry or equivalent, (c) Science and Technology, or equivalent and (d) Communications.

(30390)

55
N   Mr Vernon Coaker (Gedling):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what assessment he has made of the current situation with regard to the supply of teachers.

(29238)

56
N   Mr Vernon Coaker (Gedling):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will estimate what shortages of teachers there are in each National Curriculum subject at (a) primary and (b) secondary level.

(29239)

57
N   Mr Vernon Coaker (Gedling):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many applied for teacher training courses in each National Curriculum subject in the current academic year; what the target figures were; and what these figures were in the last academic year.

(29240)

58
N   Mr Hilton Dawson (Lancaster and Wyre):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his Answer of 1st December, Official Report, column 10, on Astra pensioners, what further steps he has taken to press the liquidators and pension fund trustees to resolve the outstanding issues.

(29848)

59
N   Mr Stephen Dorrell (Charnwood):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what is the maximum pupil to staff ratio permitted by the regulations covering (a) nursery classes for four year olds, (b) reception classes for four year olds and (c) pre-school play groups for four year olds.

(29698)

60
N   Mr Stephen Dorrell (Charnwood):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the characteristics which distinguish reception classes for four year olds from nursery classes for four year olds.

(29697)

61
   Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many inspectors have had contracts of employment terminated, or not renewed, by Ofsted in each year of its existence on grounds of incompetence.

(30289)

62
   Mr Tom Levitt (High Peak):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if information produced as part of the New Deal promotion campaign will be available in British Sign Language.

(30456)

63
   Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what representations he has made to the Department of Social Security about the recommendation of the Dearing Report to conduct a review of the interaction between entitlement to JSA and part-time study.

(30240)

64
   Mr Tom Pendry (Stalybridge and Hyde):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of National Curriculum PE between 1988 and 1997.

(30422)

65
   Mr Tom Pendry (Stalybridge and Hyde):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what guidance he has given to local education authorities on the requirements of the Education Act 1988 in respect of provision of physical education.

(30439)

66
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many contracts of a value greater than £5000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30114)

67
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30113)

68
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30111)

69
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30112)

70
N   Mr Robert N. Wareing (Liverpool, West Derby):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will take further steps to outlaw discrimination against disabled people.

(29583)

71
   Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the Answer of 21st January, Official Report, column 549, on air misses, how many air misses took place in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years in categories (i) A (real risk of collision), (ii) B (possible risk of collision) and (iii) C (slight risk of collision).

(30418)

72
   Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the Answer of 22nd January, Official Report, column 617, how much contaminated material has been buried beneath the Millennium Experience site; on which parts of the site this material has been buried; if contaminated material has been buried beneath the Millennium Dome; and what the contaminated material is composed of.

(30388)

73
   Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 22nd January, Official Report, column 617, concerning re-use of material on the Millennium Experience site, what material has been re-used and in what way.

(30389)

74
   Mr John Grogan (Selby):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to issue guidance to local authorities concerning the use of advertising signs to acknowledge sponsorship of the maintenance of roundabouts.

(30291)

75
   Mr John Grogan (Selby):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will estimate the number of empty housing units in the districts of (a) York and (b) Selby, in (i) 1995, (ii) 1996 and (iii) 1997, (1) in total and (2) by sector.

(30292)

76
   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what advice his Department have issued on methods of aerial spraying to be used following oil spills; and what reports his Department has received in the last two years on the effectiveness of methods of tackling oil spills.

(30284)

77
   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if the proposed Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations will include provisions relating to visual information inside and outside buses and coaches to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing people can travel in safety and without unreasonable difficulty.

(30285)

78
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many contracts of a value greater than £10,000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30138)

79
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30137)

80
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the public funding given to (a) London Underground and (b) the London Docklands Development Corporation in each of the last 15 years.

(30140)

81
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what financial assistance his Department has given to date to the Jubilee Line extension; and what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on this project for each of the next five years.

(30142)

82
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the total value of financial assistance packages, including tax and rates relief, offered to companies in enterprise zones in (a) the City of London, (b) Docklands, (c) London, (d) the South East of England, (e) England and (f) total in the last year for which figures are available.

(30169)

83
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the location and running costs of each of his Department's buildings.

(30136)

84
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what has been the total financial support his Department has given to transport projects in (a) London, (b) the South East of England and (c) England for each of the last 10 years.

(30141)

85
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30135)

86
   Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list each approval under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1995 for releases relating to trials for national seed listing or common seed listing, giving the names of the companies applying, the crop plant and variety names and reference numbers, the genetically modified traits of the varieties, the location of trial sites and the date when the approvals were granted.

(30393)

87
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will discuss human rights and Tibet with the Chinese authorities during his visit to China in June; and if he will make a statement on those discussions on his return.

(30415)

88
N   Mr James Wallace (Orkney and Shetland):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many incidents were handled by each of the marine rescue co-ordination centres and marine rescue sub-centres of Her Majesty's Coastguard in (a) 1996 and (b) 1997; and how many of these were (i) false alarms and (ii) hoax calls.

(30001)

89
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the appointment of Mr Michael Johns as Chief Executive of the Valuation Office Agency.

(30230)

90
   Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice he has received from the European Commission as to which Government housing policy measures qualify for a lower rate of VAT because they are defined as the supply, construction, renovation and altering of housing as part of social policy under Annex H of the Sixth VAT Directive.

(30265)

91
   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the annual cost to the Exchequer of the conditional exemption for heritage property from inheritance tax, and how many properties took advantage of the scheme, in the last year for which figures are available.

(30465)

92
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30094)

93
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30093)

94
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost to public funds of mortgage tax relief for each of the nations of the UK in (a) the current and (b) the next five years in 1998 prices.

(30160)

95
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the value of duty free sales in each United Kingdom country in each of the last five years.

(30162)

96
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30095)

97
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many contracts of a value greater than £10,000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30096)

98
   Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how his proposals for the Working Families Tax Credit scheme will be applied to employees who work for more than one employer.

(30458)

99
   Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultations he has had with representatives of small businesses concerning the implication for their cash flow of his proposals for the Working Families Tax Credit scheme; and if he will make a statement.

(30457)

100
   Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made on the payment of guaranteed minimum pension increases to retired teachers and other categories of public sector pensioners, who are in receipt of invalidity or incapacity benefit beyond state retiring age; and if he will make a statement.

(30424)

101
   Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what guidelines exist for the purchase of furniture in embassies and high commissions overseas; whether they include price ranges; and whether there is specific guidance on the purchase of beds.

(30233)

102
   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel and South Downs):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 11th February, Official Report, columns 248-9, if he will list the dates and destinations of the overseas visits undertaken by special advisers at public expense.

(30286)

103
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many contracts of a value greater than £10,000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30106)

104
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30103)

105
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30104)

106
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30105)

107
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise human rights issues in his discussions with the Chinese authorities on 20th February.

(30262)

108
   Mr Don Touhig (Islwyn):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what further representation he intends to make to the Russian government about the number of cases pending under the legislation on religious freedom and the severity of the draft regulations.

(30288)

109
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to visit Africa.

(30226)

110
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the current condition of Kurdish people in northern Iraq.

(30228)

111
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on Iraqi claims to possess biologically armed intermediate range missiles.

(30248)

112
   Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what was the average turnover derived solely from the NHS for dental practices undertaking NHS work in the last year for which figures are available.

(30238)

113
   Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase fee levels for NHS dentistry.

(30236)

114
   Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the average income of dental practitioners undertaking work which is (a) solely and (b) principally funded by the NHS.

(30239)

115
   Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the total NHS expenditure on dentists' fees in the current financial year; and what was the total expenditure in each of the last four years.

(30237)

116
   Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what was the (a) non-recurring and (b) recurring deficit of (i) Merton and Sutton Health Authority and (ii) Wandsworth Health Authority in the three years up to merger in 1996.

(30294)

117
   Mr Tony Colman (Putney):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action he is taking to (a) identify and (b) disseminate good practice within social services departments.

(30225)

118
   Mr John Grogan (Selby):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on statutory registration of psychologists.

(30293)

119
N   Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West and Abingdon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the health authorities and NHS trusts which have merged or changed their names since April 1997.

(30212)

120
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, under the arrangements contained in the NHS White Paper, which body will commission local hospital and community mental health services; and what scope there will be for local determination.

(30210)

121
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the procedure for investigating the deaths of children as a result of medical error; and what plans he has to improve the accountability of the medical profession.

(30208)

122
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons mental health services in England are not commissioned by primary care trusts.

(30211)

123
   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish the documents considered in the re-evaluation of accident and emergency services at Guy's Hospital, as recommended in Health Services in London--A Strategic Review.

(30392)

124
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of evidence on the beneficial effects for dyslexic children of plano coloured spectacle lenses; and if he will amend the regulations to allow the inclusion of such lenses for clinical purposes within the optical voucher scheme.

(30207)

125
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will establish an independent public inquiry into the death of Lexie McConnell.

(30209)

126
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many disciplinary cases have been brought before the General Medical Council since 1984 concerning doctors undertaking cosmetic operations who were (a) found to be incompetent and (b) not qualified to carry out the surgical procedures.

(30386)

127
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many contracts of a value greater than £5000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30081)

128
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30078)

129
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30080)

130
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30079)

131
   Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will estimate the cost to Devon and Cornwall police of recent operations involving protests by farmers.

(30287)

132
   Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prescriptions were issued per 100 (a) male and (b) female prisoners for (i) tranquillisers and (ii) other medicinal drugs in each of the last five years.

(30224)

133
   Mr David Kidney (Stafford):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what directions he (a) has given and (b) intends to give to police forces on interviewing victims of crime with learning difficulties for the purpose of gathering evidence.

(30282)

134
   Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many licences have been withdrawn from pubs, hotels, restaurants, cafes and off licences for selling bootlegged or smuggled alcohol in each of the last three years.

(30419)

135
   Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what financial benefit would accrue to PA Consulting if the PFI contract for providing information technology services to his Department were to be awarded earlier than the proposed date in the current timetable.

(30283)

136
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many doctors have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted since 1984 for assault arising from carrying out a cosmetic surgical procedure for which they were unqualified or were incompetent.

(30387)

137
   Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers he intends to give the proposed young offender teams; and if he will make a statement.

(30290)

138
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many contracts of a value greater than £5,000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30077)

139
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30074)

140
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30075)

141
   Mr Stephen Twigg (Enfield, Southgate):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what consultation she has held with relevant non-governmental organisations in advance of the signing of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment.

(30229)

142
   Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what guidance exists for the purchase of furniture for judges' lodgings; whether price ranges are included; and whether there is specific advice on the purchase of beds.

(30234)

143
   Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what options were considered in selecting the furniture for his official accommodation.

(30232)

144
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, in how many child support commissioner cases appeal has been sought to the Court of Appeal; which party sought leave; and which cases were granted leave to appeal.

(30060)

145
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his Answer of 12th February, Official Report, column 300, on Queen's Counsel, what steps he plans to take to ensure that all consultees reply.

(30394)

146
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30107)

147
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will list the total value of research projects he has commissioned with bodies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales, (f) Northern Ireland and (g) the UK.

(30161)

148
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many contracts of a value greater than £1000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each such area.

(30110)

149
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30109)

150
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30108)

151
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30076)

152
N   Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley):    To ask the Minister without Portfolio, what steps he will take to encourage the commissioning of original works of art, for the Millenium Dome, by faith communities.

(29696)

153
N   Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley):    To ask the Minister without Portfolio, what plans he has to assist faith communities in financing their contributions to the Millennium Dome interior, with particular reference to those which will not use National Lottery funding.

(29695)

154
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what percentage of members of the judiciary and other consultees who were asked for an opinion on the suitability of applicants for silk, declined to express an opinion in the last year for which figures are available.

(30384)

155
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Prime Minister, how many contracts of a value of greater than £5000 his Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30088)

156
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30087)

157
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30085)

158
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings.

(30086)

159
N   Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth and Horncastle):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 18th February.

(29276)

160
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many and what percentage of the judiciary and other consultees who were asked for an opinion on the suitability of applicants for silk, declined to express an opinion in the last year for which figures are available.

(30385)

161
N   Rachel Squire (Dunfermline West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on the overall cost of relocation of Fife Health Board from Glenrothes to Cupar; and what were the costs of relocation broken down into those of (i) removal, (ii) redecoration, (iii) office equipment and furniture, carpets, curtains and other furnishings and telephone and computer systems and (iv) relocation of staff.

(29143)

162
N   Rachel Squire (Dunfermline West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what has been the cost of maintaining Fife Health Board's Glenrothes site since 1993.

(29144)

163
N   Rachel Squire (Dunfermline West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the costs of returning Fife Health Board's offices to Glenrothes.

(29145)

164
N   Rachel Squire (Dunfermline West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) transferring the maternity facilities currently located at Forth Park Hospital to Victoria Hospital and (b) adapting and equipping the Victoria Hospital to take the maternity wards from Forth Park.

(29146)

165
N   Rachel Squire (Dunfermline West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the cost of building and equipping the maternity ward at Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline.

(29147)

166
N   Rachel Squire (Dunfermline West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the annual cost of work related to the structure of Victoria Hospital; what was the date of the last full structural survey of the Victoria Hospital; and when it was published.

(29148)

167
N   Rachel Squire (Dunfermline West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the cost of relocating the paediatric and gynaecological services from the Queen Margaret Hospital to the Victoria Hospital.

(29149)

168
N   Rachel Squire (Dunfermline West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what were the costs of dealing with recent flooding at the Victoria Hospital; and what assessment he has made of the likelihood and frequency of future flooding.

(29150)

169
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will take steps to encourage claimants of disability living allowance who are about to be included within the Benefit Integrity Project to gain access to their initial disability living allowance claim forms.

(30002)

170
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to her Answer of 8th July, Official Report, column, 464, concerning the Benefit Integrity Project, what are the outturn savings figures to date; and what is her current estimate of the total savings in 1997-98.

(30222)

171
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many people, who have been subject to either (a) Benefit Integrity Project postal survey and (b) BIP interviews, have had their disability living allowance stopped; and how many of these have (i) had the decision reviewed, (ii) on review had their disability living allowance restored, (ii) on review had their disability living allowance restored to the previous rate, (iii) had their disability living allowance restored at a higher rate and (iv) had their disability living allowance restored at a lower rate.

(30003)

172
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to her Answer on 9th February, Official Report, column 80, on disability living allowance for disabled people whose predominant disability is deafness, if she will break the figures down to show the claimants for each age group who are claimants of (a) the mobility component, (b) the care component and (c) both components.

(30047)

173
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what assumptions her Department has made concerning the level of disability living allowance fraud in devising the Benefit Integrity Project (a) in cash terms and (b) in terms of the number of claimants commiting fraud.

(30223)

174
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what plans she has to institute a programme of sampling decisions taken as part of the Benefit Integrity Project.

(30004)

175
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, in what proportion of child support appeals one of the parties has requested an oral hearing; how often one or both parties has attended; and in what proportion of cases a full decision has been requested in each of the last three years.

(30057)

176
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, in how many Child Support Agency cases each quarter (i) since April 1993 an alleged absent parent has disputed paternity of a qualifying child, (ii) the absent parent subsequently admitted to paternity without resorting to court action or DNA testing, (iii) since May 1995 paternity has been established or disproved by a discounted DNA test, (iv) since September 1995 paternity has been established or disproved by a CSA-funded DNA test and (v) paternity remains unresolved.

(30164)

177
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many reduced benefit directions are currently in force; how many of these directions have been issued since the increase of the benefit penalty on 7th October 1996; what are the estimated resulting benefit savings; and what amount of child support maintenance is received by (a) family credit claimants and (b) former income support claimants which is not offset by benefit reductions.

(30134)

178
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will list the number of cases awaiting periodical review, change of circumstances review and second tier review at (a) 31st March (i) 1995, (ii) 1996 and (iii) 1997 and (b) 30th December 1997.

(30124)

179
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many deductions from earnings orders issued by the CSA are currently in force; what is the number of accounts with live assessments with arrears; and if she will include this information in the CSA statistical information which is placed in the Library.

(30119)

180
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what proportion of CSA assessments are due to be paid via the CSA; and how many of these accounts relate to parents with care on income support and family credit.

(30163)

181
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many child support appeal tribunal hearings have been held in each quarter to date; in what percentage of cases the CSO's decision was upheld; how many cases are awaiting a hearing; and what is the average time from the letter of appeal being received to a tribunal decison being made.

(30056)

182
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how much child support maintenance estimated in 1996-97 as not offsetting benefits savings was received by (a) family credit claimants and (b) private clients.

(30055)

183
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how long departure applications to the Child Support Agency are taking to process; what proportion of applications have been referred to an appeal tribunal by the CSA; and what proportion or departure decisions have been appealed.

(30126)

184
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many deductions from earnings orders issued by the CSA have been appealed to the magistrates and sheriff courts; and how many of these appeals have been successful.

(30120)

185
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, for each year since the CSA began operation, how much of the total child support maintenance paid by absent parents has been (a) retained by the Secretary of State in lieu of benefits and (b) if paid to the person with care, has reduced her state benefit.

(30168)

186
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many Child Support Agency clients have applied to the Independent Case Examiner since she began work in April 1997; how many of these cases were accepted as under her jurisdiction; how many cases have been determined; and how many complaints have been upheld.

(30123)

187
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what proportion of appeals to child support appeal tribunals are made by (a) absent parents and (b) parents with care; what proportion are referrals by (i) child support officers and (ii) the Secretary of State; and what proportion of appeals to child support commissioners are made by (1) absent parents, (2) persons with care and (3) the child support officer.

(30059)

188
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many persons with care have left income support for employment as a result of receiving a Child Support Agency assessment in each year for which figures are available.

(30132)

189
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what was the outcome of the research commissioned by her Department on customer satisfaction with the CSA; and when the customer satisfaction target will be re-introduced.

(30166)

190
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what have been the total arrears attributable to child support maintenance assessments, excluding category A interim maintenance assessments, at each quarter since November 1995.

(30121)

191
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what research she is undertaking on the effect of a reduced benefit direction on children in the family since the increase in the benefit penalty in October 1996.

(30139)

192
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, in how many child support appeal cases the appeals are over the 28 day time limit; and what proportion of these appeals are allowed to proceed.

(30058)

193
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many departure applications have been refused by the Child Support Agency on preliminary consideration; what number of applications have been (a) succesfully and (b) unsuccessfully made under each of the grounds for departure; and what plans she has to extend the grounds for departure.

(30061)

194
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will publish the benefits savings made as a result of Child Support Agency activity for the first half of 1997-98, the desired level of benefits savings required before a child maintenance disregard on income support is to be introduced and the estimated loss in benefits savings if the maintenance disregard was set at £5 a week.

(30133)

195
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many applications for departure have been made to the Child Support Agency from absent parents and persons with care with new assessments since December 1996; how many such applications have been made by parents with pre-December 1996 assessments; how many of each of these were successful; and what was the average change in the assessment.

(30125)

196
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, of the total number of CSA accounts with child support maintenance arrears (a) how many are being dealt with by the litigation teams in the CSA centres, (b) how many of the liability orders applied for during 1997 were granted by the courts, (c) how many of these related to self-employed cases and (d) what further action was taken to enforce the liability orders.

(30122)

197
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what assessment she has made of the value of setting up a Child Support Agency Board as part of the review of the CSA.

(30167)

198
   Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what plans she has to review the criteria for assessing entitlement to war pensioners' mobility supplement and constant attendance allowance for war disablement pensioners suffering from post-viral fatigue syndrome.

(30242)

199
   Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what medical guidance her Department has given to the War Pensions Agency in respect of the condition post-viral fatigue syndrome for assessing entitlement to (i) war disablement pensions, (ii) war pensioners' mobility supplement and (iii) constant attendance allowance.

(30243)

200
   Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what percentage of Gulf War veterans awarded war disablement pensions due to post-viral fatigue syndrome have (a) applied for war pensions' mobility supplement and constant attendance allowance and (b) been awarded these benefits since 1992.

(30241)

201
   Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate she has made of the amount contributed annually to the redundancy fund by fishermen made redundant as a result of the loss of Icelandic fishing in 1976.

(30231)

202
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, when she plans to reply to questions from the honourable Member for Pendle on statutory maternity pay tabled on 26th January.

(30383)

203
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will give a regional breakdown of her Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available.

(30117)

204
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of her Department's buildings.

(30116)

205
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many contracts of a value greater than £10,000 her Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30118)

206
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will list the number of her Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30115)

207
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what plans she has to introduce legislation that links maintenance payments with access to children from absent fathers.

(30264)

208
N   Mr Robert N. Wareing (Liverpool, West Derby):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many disabled people are awaiting appeals against reductions in their (a) incapacity benefit and (b) disabled living allowance; what is the average waiting time for their appeals to be heard; and what estimate she has made of the savings to public funds arising from the reductions in benefits during the waiting period.

(29585)

209
N   Mr Robert N. Wareing (Liverpool, West Derby):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will list each disability benefit currently subject to review, prior to the publication of a green paper; and if she will make a statement.

(29584)

210
N   Mr Robert N. Wareing (Liverpool, West Derby):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will list the disabled people's organisations that have made representations to her in respect of the review of welfare benefits; what has been the nature of their representations; and if she will make a statement.

(29586)

211
N   Mr Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, on how many occasions in each of the last five years she has received (a) advice and (b) representations from the Industrial Development Advisory Board in respect of her Department's activities in Scotland.

(30206)

212
   Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is the EU budget for 1997-98 for consultation, conferences, training and education as part of the social dialogue in the United Kingdom.

(30437)

213
   Miss Geraldine Smith (Morecambe and Lunesdale):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, when she expects to announce her decision on the application submitted by Norweb to erect an overhead power line in the Lune Valley; and if she will make a statement.

(30438)

214
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will list the number of her Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill (a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings.

(30143)

215
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will make a statement on the assistance she has provided to enterprise bodies in (i) the Docklands area, (ii) London, (iii) the South East of England and (iv) England in the last year for which figures are available.

(30165)

216
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will give a regional breakdown of her Department's expenditure on (a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel.

(30145)

217
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, how many contracts of a value greater than £5,000 her Department has with companies in (a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area.

(30146)

218
N   Mr John Swinney (North Tayside):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will list the location and running costs of each of her Department's buildings.

(30144)

219
   Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what steps she is taking to impose a more rigorous system of control over armaments exports from the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

(30423)

220
N   Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make a statement on the future of council tax discounts in Wales.

(28402)

221
N   Mr Cynog Dafis (Ceredigion):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans he has to issue a version of the policy statement, Modernising Planning, in Wales.

(28397)

222
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the current level of the British armed forces presence in the Indian Ocean.

[Transferred] (30227)