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 22 April 1998

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 22 April 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 22 April, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Thursday 23 April, 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 22nd APRIL

1
   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the preparations known by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate to be used to combat varroa in bees; and which of these preparations the Veterinary Medicines Directorate has concerns about.

(39360)

2
   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what guidance he has given as to which drugs are most appropriate for treating varroa disease in bees.

(39359)

3
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the service career in the Royal Irish Regiment of (a) David Keys, (b) Stephen McClean, (c) Noel McCready and (d) Ryan Robley; on what date each joined the Regiment; and what were the circumstances of their discharge.

(38904)

4
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what rules govern the discharge of a serving soldier who has been convicted of a serious criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment.

(38905)

5
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department classifies Guardsman Wright and Fisher as serving soldiers.

(38906)

6
   Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if British veterans of nuclear tests received different lengths and degrees of exposure to radiation in the course of the tests; and what was the extent of such variations.

(39427)

7
   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the numbers of (a) full-time and (b) sandwich undergraduates broken down by socio-economic categories A to E attending former polytechnics and colleges in 1995.

(39423)

8
   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the proportion of people with higher education qualifications by parliamentary constituency in (a) 1981 and (b) 1991.

(39424)

9
   Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the causes of delays to London Underground passenger journeys in 1997, broken down into specified time periods and indicating for each category the ways in which the proposed new funding arrangements will reduce those delays.

(39428)

10
   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what mechanisms exist for requiring PowerGen to fit Ferrybridge C power station with flue gas desulphurisation.

(39361)

11
   Mr Keith Hill (Streatham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make a statement on developments on London Underground since his statement on 20th March.

(39422)

12
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many local authorities employ tenancy relations officers pursuant to the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

(39335)

13
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what was the average level of rent paid by local authority tenants in (a) Greater London and (b) England in each year since 1989.

(39339)

14
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he expects to undertake consultation on matters relating to the private rented sector, with particular reference to houses in multiple occupation.

(39337)

15
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans his Department has to commission research into matters relating to private tenancies, with particular reference to six-month assured shorthold tenancies.

(39336)

16
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what was the average level of rent paid by tenants of housing associations and other registered social landlords in (a) England and (b) Greater London in each year since 1989.

(39340)

17
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what proportion of dwellings in the private rented sector were, as defined by the Housing Act 1985, (a) unfit for human habitation, (b) not unfit for human habitation but in serious disrepair and (c) lacking basic amenities at the latest available date.

(39334)

18
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what was the average level of rent paid by tenants of private landlords in (a) England and (b) Greater London in each year since 1989.

(39338)

19
   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what progress his Department has made in respect of the publication of technical guidance arising out of provisions of the Environment Act 1995 relating to contaminated land.

(39354)

20
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list for each local authority in England, what the additional business rate would have been if a local business rate had varied by the same percentage in relation to the national business rate as the authority had budgeted for the council tax to vary in relation to CTSS.

(38572)

21
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list those authorities where the business rate base represents more than 60 per cent. of the combined total of their business and council tax bases.

(38573)

22
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list for each local authority what their average council tax in each band would have been if they had budgeted to spend at SSA in 1998-99.

(38574)

23
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list for each local authority (a) what the band D council tax would have been in 1998-99 with no additional council tax benefit subsidy for any council tax levied above the CTSS and with the changes having equal effect on billing and non-billing authorities and (b) how this differs from the actual band D tax levied in 1998-99.

(38575)

24
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list for each local authority in England which spends above SSA, what the additional business rate poundage would have been (a) if the cost of the additional spending above SSA had been borne entirely by local businesses and (b) if the cost of additional spending above SSA had been shared equally by local businesses and council tax payers, assuming in each case no change in the local business base.

(38576)

25
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list for each local authority the extent to which they are budgeted to spend at, above or below SSA in 1998-99.

(38577)

26
   Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the rise or fall in (a) real and (b) nominal terms of the Deutschmark against (i) sterling and (ii) the US dollar for (1) each three month period in the four years up to the end of March 1998 and (2) in total for that period and indicating the balance of trade with Germany for each period.

(39351)

27
   Mr Tom Levitt (High Peak):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Saudi Arabia in connection with their detention of Sarah Jane Demetera.

(39352)

28
   Jackie Ballard (Taunton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 2nd April, Official Report, columns 643-4, on Investing in Dentistry, if he will list the successful applications in the South West by parliamentary constituency.

(39384)

29
   Jackie Ballard (Taunton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that the sums from the 1997-98 fund for the Investing in Dentistry initiative which remain unallocated are spent on NHS dentistry.

(39378)

30
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what expenditure his Department has (a) incurred and (b) planned for addressing the health problems created by the use of controlled drugs which was not planned for on 1st May 1997.

(39392)

31
   Mr Denzil Davies (Llanelli):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, following the judgment of the European Court of Justice of 19th October 1995 on the equalisation of prescription charges for men and women at the age of 60 years or over, how many appeals against his Department's restriction of the effect of the judgment to the period commencing 20th July 1995 have been received; and how many were successful.

(39347)

32
   Mr Denzil Davies (Llanelli):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, following the judgment of the European Court of Justice of 19th October 1995, on prescription charges for men and women aged 60 years and over, how many eligible claims based on the purchase of pre-payment certificates his Department has received; and what has been the total cost to date of meeting the said claims.

(39349)

33
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is his Department's policy towards NHS trusts introducing car parking charges on hospital sites; and if he will make a statement.

(39313)

34
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is his Department's policy towards the zero-rated VAT status of condoms; and what plans he has to seek to redefine condoms as medicinal devices under European legislation.

(39314)

35
   Helen Jackson (Sheffield, Hillsborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to publish the sixth annual report of the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillence Unit.

(39417)

36
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans are in place for the use of information technology in processing asylum claims which were not in place on 1st May 1997.

(39387)

37
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to establish additional immigration detention centres; and what estimate he has made of the number of places thereby created.

(39390)

38
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to change the criteria for holding asylum seekers and illegal entrants in detention.

(39391)

39
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the Ministerial Group on the Family has met since 1st January; and when it will hold its next meeting.

(39383)

40
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral Answer of 30th March to the Right honourable Member for North West Cambridgeshire, Official Report, column 882, on illegal immigrants, what is the legal basis of the rule that the position of asylum seekers is regularised after seven years; and if he will list the occasions on which the rule has been brought into operation since 1979.

(39379)

41
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the terms of reference of the spending review relating to the asylum process.

(39389)

42
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) legal practitioners and (b) victims have taken part in the inter-departmental review of vulnerable and intimidated witnesses announced on 13th June 1997.

(39382)

43
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 20th January, Official Report, columns 507-10, on departmental reviews, when he expects the consultative document in respect of the Review of Immigration and Asylums Appeals to be published.

(39376)

44
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much spending on the deployment of information technology in the processing of asylum claims has been planned for, which was not planned for on 1st May 1997.

(39388)

45
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the cautioning rates by police force area for (a) the supply of class A drugs, (b) the possession of class A drugs and (c) the supply of class B drugs.

(39385)

46
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 20th January Official Report, columns 507-10, on departmental reviews, if the inter-departmental review of the Treatment of Vulnerable and Intimidated Witnesses announced on 13th June 1997 has been completed; and if he proposes to publish its findings.

(39377)

47
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if, in respect of the 1996 contract between his Department and Siemens for computer supply at the Immigration and Nationality Department, at Lunar House, he will list the purposes for which the computer services were described as being acquired at the time the contract was concluded and, make a statement on the extent to which the computer services are currently used for the processing of asylum claims; if the computer services are to be used to a greater extent for the processing of future asylum claims; and what representations he has received from trade unions at Lunar House regarding the computer contract.

(39386)

48
   Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures were followed to establish the availability of appropriate treatment in Nigeria for people with mental illness prior to a decision being made on Emmanuel Ekpo's immigration case; and what assessment he made of the treatment available for people with mental illness in Nigeria.

(39364)

49
   Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the conduct of prison officers and Group 4 officers who removed Emmanuel Ekpo from HMP Rochester's hospital on 31st March, indicating for what reasons (a) he was not given a health check prior to removal from the hospital, (b) he was not allowed to use the telephone to ring his solicitor, Member of Parliament or family members, (c) the usual exit was not used to remove Mr Ekpo and (d) he was not allowed to collect his personal belongings prior to removal.

(39366)

50
   Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the conduct of Group 4 officers on the arrival of Emmanuel Ekpo at their headquarters in Harmondsworth, with particular reference to toilet facilities not being available to him.

(39365)

51
   Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what social, medical and counselling services are provided for immigration detainees with mental illnesses when they are released back into the community from detention.

(39363)

52
   Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who authorised the removal of Emmanuel Ekpo from HMP Rochester's hospital on 31st March and his planned deportation the next day.

(39367)

53
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the report of the New South Wales Attorney General's Department into the homosexual panic defence; and if he will make a statement.

(39216)

54
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list those police services in England which monitor and record incidents of homophobic crime.

(39204)

55
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the under-reporting of homophobic crime.

(39206)

56
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list by police authority and by category of offence, the types of offences reported or recorded as homophobic crime.

(39213)

57
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list, by police authority, the number of homophobic incidents recorded in each of the last five years..

(39205)

58
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proposals he has to increase the confidence of homosexual people in reporting crimes against them to the police.

(39207)

59
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to amend section 14 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989.

(38902)

60
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the provisions contained in Part III of the Police Act 1997 relating to actions with respect to property and wireless telegraphy.

(38903)

61
   Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in which countries her Department is providing assistance towards hydropower installations; and in each case, at what cost.

(39343)

62
   Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she has made to the World Trade Organisation preparatory to a WTO Agreement on Investment; and if she will make a statement.

(39355)

63
   Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department has given, and at what cost, to the Ethical Training Initiative; and if she will make a statement.

(39341)

64
   Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress she has made with her European counterparts in submitting a draft decision to the Commission on Sustainable Development to take forward the UN General Assembly Special Session decision on national sustainable development strategies; and if she will make a statement.

(39344)

65
   Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what action she has taken to review the co-ordination arrangements between Whitehall departments involved in emergency aid interventions.

(39346)

66
   Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she plans to make to the OECD in connection with its forthcoming review of the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Investment; and if she will make a statement.

(39342)

67
   Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she will publish the results of the study commissioned by her Department into a rights-based approach to poverty elimination.

(39345)

68
N   Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what representations he has recently received on the question of the payment of translators to and from the Welsh language in family courts; and if he will make a statement.

(38018)

69
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans he has to introduce training programmes for the judiciary on international human rights standards and on the jurisprudence of international human rights bodies.

(38915)

70
   Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead):    To ask the Minister without Portfolio, if he will list the proposed sites for the provision of car parking for visitors to the Millennium Experience; what assessment he has made of the impact of visitors travelling by car upon the availability of car parking spaces at London Underground stations; and if he will make a statement.

(39419)

71
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list the number of homophobic incidents recorded by the RUC in each of the last five years; what estimate she has made of the under-reporting of homophobic crime; and what proposals she has to increase the confidence of homosexual people in reporting crimes against them to the police.

(39208)

72
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list by category of offence, the type of offences reported or recorded as homophobic crime.

(39215)

73
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will take steps to increase public awareness of (a) the UN Draft Principles on the Role of Lawyers approved by the 8th UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders and (b) paragraph 5.13 of the Concluding Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Human Dimension of the CSCE agreed in June 1990.

(38907)

74
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will instigate an independent investigation into the extent of threats to legal counsel in Northern Ireland; and what protection is made available to solicitors and barristers who are threatened in connection with their professional duties.

(38909)

75
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will request the RUC, Law Society and Bar Council to organize joint training seminars for police officers on the role of defence lawyers in the administration of justice.

(38910)

76
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the date on which video and audio-recording equipment will be installed and fully operational in each of the holding centres.

(38911)

77
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will appoint an independent judicial inquiry to investigate the case of Patrick Finucane.

(38912)

78
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will repeal the Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 to reinstate the right to silence; and what steps she takes to ensure that the standard for admitting confession evidence conforms to the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order of 1989.

(38913)

79
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans she has to reinstate the right to trial by jury.

(38914)

80
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will consult with the Chief Constable and Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres in order to draw up RUC Guidelines regulating what officers may say to suspects in the course of interrogation about their legal advisers.

(38908)

81
   Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made with the decommissioning of terrorists' weapons in Northern Ireland; what steps she is taking to accelerate that progress; and if she will ensure that comprehensive decommissioning is achieved within six months.

(39380)

82
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the President of the Council, what estimates she has made of how much will be spent by the United Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator in each of the three years of his term.

(39381)

83
N   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 22nd April.

(38039)

84
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list those police services in Scotland which monitor and record incidents of homophobic crime.

(39209)

85
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the under-reporting of homophobic crime.

(39211)

86
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list by police authority and by category of offence, the type of offences reported or recorded as homophobic crime.

(39214)

87
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list, by police authority, the number of homophobic incidents recorded in each of the last five years.

(39210)

88
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proposals he has to increase the confidence of homosexual people in reporting crimes against them to the police.

(39212)

89
N   Mr Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he will bring forward proposals for legislation based on the consultation paper, Managing the Finances and Welfare of Incapable Adults.

(38634)

90
   Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much expenditure was incurred by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Moray, Badenoch, and Strathspey Enterprise to support the Cairngorm Chairlift Company's study by Arthur Andersen and L & R Leisure of development options; and if he will ask them to publish it.

(39418)

91
   Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many representations he has received about the proposed funicular railway on Cairn Gorm; and how many of these opposed the plan.

(39439)

92
   Mr David Hinchliffe (Wakefield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will arrange for a constituent (CSA reference 1006328122) to meet senior officials of the Child Support Agency, in Falkirk, in order to conclude outstanding disagreements over the handling of his case.

(39416)

93
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many reviews of disability living allowance awards during each of the years 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98 were requested (a) within three months of the original decision and (b) at any time broken down by reviews initiated by (i) the claimant and (ii) the Benefits Agency; and how many in each case were found in the claimant's favour.

(39218)

94
N   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many reviews of disability living allowance awards were requested by recipients during each of the years 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98; and what was the average time between the request and the review decision being made.

(39217)

95
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, when she expects to announce the outcome of her review of the effects of the single room rent restriction on housing benefit claimants under the age of 25.

(39411)

96
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many housing benefit claimants renting from private landlords had their claims restricted and what was the average amount of those restrictions under regulations in force in (a) 1995-96 and (b) 1996-97.

(39414)

97
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many claims for exceptional hardship payments were made by housing benefit claimants; how many were paid by local authorities; and what was the average payment in the last year for which figures are available.

(39413)

98
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many housing benefit claimants under the age of 25 have (a) applied for and (b) received hardship payments at the discretion of local authorities under the Housing Benefit Regulations, since the single room rent restrictions on housing benefit came into force.

(39415)

99
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how much housing benefit was paid to claimants who were tenants of private landlords in (i) 1989-90 and (ii) 1996-97 in (a) England and (b) Greater London.

(39412)

100
   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will make a statement on funding for research and development into remediation technologies applicable to contaminated land.

(39353)

101
   Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, how many ex gratia payments have been made by her Department to individuals or organisations in each of the last three years.

(39425)

102
   Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will list the statutory provisions governing ex gratia payment in cases involving employment agencies.

(39426)

103
   Mr Denzil Davies (Llanelli):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, following the judgment of the European Court of Justice of 19th October 1995, on prescription charges for men and women aged 60 years and over, how many eligible claims based on the purchase of pre-payment certificates his Department has received; and what has been the total cost to date of meeting the said claims.

(39350)

104
   Mr Denzil Davies (Llanelli):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, following the judgment of the European Court of Justice of 19th October 1995 on prescription charges for men and women at the age of 60 years or over, how many appeals against his Department's restriction of the effect of the judgment to the period commencing 20th July 1995 have been received; and how many were successful.

(39348)

105
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, in what ways and by what amounts he has assisted the film industry in Wales.

(39430)

106
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assistance his Department provides for deaf and autistic children; and if he will make a statement.

(39436)

107
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many cases of bovine TB were recorded in Wales in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(34434)

108
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make a statement on prospects for the tourist industry.

(39431)

109
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what estimate he has made of the savings to date from his policy of reducing bureaucracy in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

(39438)

110
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, in what ways and by what amounts he has assisted the National Orchestra of Wales; and if he will make a statement.

(34929)

111
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Sports Lottery Distribution Board concerning applications by local cricket clubs; and if he will make a statement.

(39432)

112
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make a statement on bovine TB in Wales.

(39433)

113
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many teachers in local education authority schools in Wales were given early retirement at the age of 55 years and over in each of the last five years.

(39435)

114
   Mr Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when he expects the trust formed by the merging of the Maelor Hospital Trust and the Clwydian Community Trust to be operational; and if he will make a statement.

(39437)

115
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make a statement on the increase in expenditure on (a) health and (b) social services between 1996-97 and 1998-99.

[Question Unstarred] (38025)

116
   Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list (a) the members and (b) the proportion of members of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment who provide research support or consultancy services to pharmaceutical companies.

[Transferred] (39374)

117
   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will estimate the amount of money spent by the Government on research (a) based on the hypothesis that the only factor in BSE causation is prion protein transmitted via contaminated foodstuffs and (b) examining other possible hypotheses for BSE causation and other contributory factors.

[Transferred] (39362)