House of Commons portcullis
House of Commons
Session 1997-98
Publications on the internet
The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Thursday 23 April 1998

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Thursday 23 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 Thursday 23 April, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Friday 24 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.
 


 
THURSDAY 23rd APRIL
1  
  
Mr Andrew George (St Ives):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of EU enlargement on the British fishing fleet and the British fishing industry.
(39702)
2  
N  
Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment is made of the level of public support prior to a proposal for funding by the Millennium Commission being accepted.
(39420)
3  
  
Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many TA centres are also used by the cadet forces.
(39498)
4  
  
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the cost of the C-17 aircraft; what tendering rules have been drawn up for the C-17; and what assessment he has made of the benefits to British industry of the project.
(39565)
5  
  
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on his Department's requirement for the Beyond Visual Range Missile for Eurofighter.
(39660)
6  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the average cost in (a) the 1996-97 financial year and (b) the 1997-98 financial year of members of (i) the Territorial Army and (ii) the regulars.
(39633)
7  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what evidence he has obtained of the effectiveness of the fifth year rate of bounty in improving the rate of turnover in the Territorial Army.
(39627)
8  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Auxiliary Air Force aircrew for Hercules squadrons have been recruited in each month since February 1997; and if he will make a statement.
(39620)
9  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what were the findings of the 1996 study into the demographic and geographical distribution profile of potential recruits to the reserves which was announced in the Government response to the Twelfth Report of the Defence Committee in January 1996 (HC188).
(39636)
10  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is (a) the establishment and (b) the strength of the Royal Marines Reserve.
(39632)
11  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what new roles for RAF reservists have been (a) identified and (b) established since the enactment of the Reserve Forces Act 1996.
(39630)
12  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the numbers of regular reserve forces in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force in each year since 1988.
(39634)
13  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many sea-going posts were available, by ship, to Royal Naval reservists in (a) 1993 and (b) 1998.
(39629)
14  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the (a) actual strength and (b) establishment of the Merchant Navy Reserve; what is the recruiting target; and what is the annual bounty payable.
(39631)
15  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the strength in (a) June 1997 and (b) March 1998 of the RAuxAF training and standardisation squadrons at RAF Halton and RAF Shawbury.
(39625)
16  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF reservist role support squadrons have been established; for which aircraft; and what are their missions.
(39623)
17  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what are the establishment targets for (a) the High Readiness Reserve and (b) the Sponsored Reserve; and if he will make a statement.
(39635)
18  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was (a) the establishment and (b) the actual strength of the Royal Naval Reserve in (i) 1994, (ii) 1995, (iii) 1996, (iv) 1997 and (v) 1998.
(39628)
19  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the strength in (a) April 1997 and (b) April 1998 of the RAuxAF Air Transportable Surgical Squadron at RAF Leuchars.
(39624)
20  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on trials being conducted on the feasibility of recruiting and training volunteer reservist aircrew for Tornado F3 fighter aircraft.
(39622)
21  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list by (a) unit, (b) strength and (c) purpose, deployments of Territorial Army units in 1997 in military aid to the civil community (MACC) tasks, stating in each case the costs, if any, to the civil authorities.
(39626)
22  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Auxiliary Air Force aircrew have been recruited to fly Puma helicopters in each month since February; and if he will make a statement.
(39261)
23  
  
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what were the overall costs in (a) 1996-97 and (b) 1997-98 of (i) regular forces and (ii) reservists in (1) the Royal Navy, (2) the Army and (3) the Royal Air Force.
(39619)
24  
N  
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the benefits of removing the death penalty from military law; and if he will make a statement.
(39220)
25  
  
Mr Jonathan R. Shaw (Chatham and Aylesford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the definitions were for the permanent allowance codes (a) 12, (b) 13, (c) 15 and (d) 16 as applied for industrial employees at Her Majesty's Naval Base, Chatham.
(39579)
26  
  
Mr Jonathan R. Shaw (Chatham and Aylesford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what pay codes and definitions were used relating to working in a radiation environment at Chatham Dockyard.
(39578)
27  
  
Mr Jonathan R. Shaw (Chatham and Aylesford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on codes 37 (obnoxious condition) and 38 (extremely obnoxious conditions) as applied for industrial employees at Her Majesty's Naval Base, Chatham.
(39580)
28  
  
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to support visits to war graves by war widows.
(39682)
29  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will make a statement on his responsibilities relating to senior and public appointments; and what policy initiatives he has taken in this area.
(39686)
30  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what is the average interval between the nomination of candidates for appointment to a public body, and the taking up of the appointment.
(39688)
31  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will make a statement on the role of headhunting bodies in the selection of public appointees; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which those from ethnic minority backgrounds are represented on such headhunting bodies.
(39691)
32  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will make a statement on the use of information technology in the selection of candidates for public appointment.
(39689)
33  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what proportion of public appointees appointed since 1st May 1997 have been selected from outside the central list of nominees.
(39690)
34  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what assessment he has made of the accountability of public appointments bodies to ministers.
(39687)
35  
  
Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what the spending by local education authorities in England was on teacher training and development for special educational needs in (a) 1994-95, (b) 1995-96, (c) 1996-97 and (d) 1997-98.
(39617)
36  
  
Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what the spending by local education authorities in England was on special educational needs for the years (a) 1994-95, (b) 1995-96, (c) 1996-97 and (d) 1997-98.
(39616)
37  
  
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, when the decision will be taken on the level of capitation grant for supported employment placements for 1999-2000.
(39637)
38  
  
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on supported factories of the freeze of the capitation grant for supported employment placements.
(39640)
39  
  
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what assessment he has made of the impact on income levels of people with disabilities who have approved placements at supported factories of the freeze on the capitation grant for supported employment placements.
(39639)
40  
  
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, when the decision was taken to freeze the capitation grant for supported employment placements.
(39641)
41  
  
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what is the projected level of funding available to the Sheltered Employment and Procurement Consultancy Services for capital grants for 1999-2000 and for 2000-01.
(39638)
42  
N  
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will make a statement on the national roll-out of the New Deal.
(38257)
43  
  
Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into different tariff structures for water charging.
(39642)
44  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what role (a) he and (b) other Government ministers play in determining the tariff structure set by the London Taxi Board; and what criteria are used in setting the tariff structure.
(39458)
45  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he has taken to introduce taximeter-controlled car-sharing in suburban areas for commuters.
(39459)
46  
  
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the Government's policy towards the collection and recycling of plastics used on the farm.
(39490)
47  
  
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will introduce a compulsory levy scheme to fund the collection and recycling of farm plastics.
(39491)
48  
  
Mr Clive Efford (Eltham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many houses purchased by the Department of Transport to accommodate the building of the East London River Crossing are still required by the Highways Agency; and what progress has been made by the Highways Agency in disposing of properties purchased for this function.
(39465)
49  
  
Mr Mike Gapes (Ilford South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many applications for dispensation (a) have been approved and (b) were not approved in each year since the coming into force of (i) the Local Government Compensation for Redundancy Regulations 1994 (SI 3025) and (ii) the Local Government Pension Scheme (Pensionable Remuneration Amendment) Regulations 1995 (SI 2249).
(39683)
50  
  
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he is taking to ensure there are no procedural delays in the contracting of decontaminated brownfield land sites.
(39497)
51  
  
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when the experimental scheme for planes landing at Heathrow Airport was introduced; if this scheme resulted in more planes flying over areas of South and South East London; and when the experiment is to be assessed.
(39581)
52  
  
Mr Christopher Leslie (Shipley):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what targets he has set for the Driving Standards Agency.
(39489)
53  
  
Mr Tom Levitt (High Peak):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the toxicity of the isocyanate MDI.
(39573)
54  
  
Mr Tom Levitt (High Peak):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the Swedish proposal for the EU to reclassify MDI from harmful to toxic.
(39574)
55  
  
Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to her oral statement of 1st April, Official Report, column 1231, when she expects to write to the honourable Member for Torbay on traffic congestion measures.
(39614)
56  
  
Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will place in the Library copies of (a) The Hydrogeology of Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment (1978), prepared by the Institute of Geological Sciences, (b) Environmental Radioactivity in Caithness and Sutherland, AERE-R17999 (1988), (c) the annual health and safety reports for Dounreay since 1956 and (d) the earliest report made by the UK Atomic Energy Authority to the Government on the accident at its waste shaft, D1225, at Dounreay in May 1977.
(39673)
57  
  
Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will institute an annual assessment of the most environmentally-friendly vehicles produced by British-based manufacturers.
(39672)
58  
  
Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will estimate the latest punctuality figures for Great Western Trains in terms of the percentage of passengers whose trains arrive on time.
(39699)
59  
  
Julia Drown (South Swindon):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the progress of the Commonwealth Debt Initiative laid out in his Mauritius speech in September 1997, indicating which countries have received or are to receive relief, the level of that relief and when it will be applied.
(39669)
60  
  
Julia Drown (South Swindon):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria exist for refusing debt relief to countries which otherwise meet the Highly Indebted Poor Countries criteria; and if he will list the countries to which they apply.
(39666)
61  
  
Julia Drown (South Swindon):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much debt was owed to the Department for International Development by each individual debtor country at 31st December 1997.
(39668)
62  
  
Julia Drown (South Swindon):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much is owed to the European Union by countries identified under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative; and how much it has already agreed to write off.
(39667)
63  
  
Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research he has commissioned on the accuracy of the RPI as a measure of inflation.
(39570)
64  
  
Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the principal factors which underlie differences in trends of (a) the RPI and (b) the harmonised indices of consumer prices.
(39566)
65  
  
Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what has been the impact on the public finances of (a) the introduction of self-assessment and the six month advance in payments by the self-employed and (b) the moving forward of corporation tax.
(39561)
66  
  
Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance he has issued to the Monetary Policy Committee on the account it should take of trends in the harmonised index of consumer prices where they differ from the RPI trend.
(39575)
67  
  
Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will express the Bank of England's inflation target in terms of the harmonised index of consumer prices.
(39571)
68  
  
Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what basis he set an inflation target of 2.5 per cent. for the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee; what plans he has to review that target rate; and what assessment he has made of the effect of that rate on the exchange rate.
(39572)
69  
  
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the location of and access arrangements for items within Derbyshire in respect of which owners have been granted exemption from inheritance tax on condition of reasonable access being given to the public.
(39698)
70  
  
Mr Andrew George (St Ives):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will support the nomination of the Cornish language for inclusion in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
(39700)
71  
  
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the Refugee Legal Group will receive a reply to their letter of 17th July, concerning entry clearance officers in Columbo.
(39484)
72  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action the embassy in Yemen is taking to secure the release of the Mitchell family.
(39706)
73  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British citizens have sought advice and assistance from the British High Commission in South Africa in each of the last three years.
(39703)
74  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to meet the Prime Minister of India.
(39704)
75  
  
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the ambassadors he has appointed since 1st May 1997.
(39705)
76  
  
Jackie Ballard (Taunton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 2nd April, Official Report, column 645, on investing in dentistry, for what reasons £6.9 million of the money available has not yet been allocated.
(39697)
77  
  
Jackie Ballard (Taunton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria are used when allocating grants under the investing in dentistry scheme.
(39695)
78  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is the capacity of each local authority secure unit in London and the home counties.
(39474)
79  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many females are currently accommodated in each local authority secure unit in London and the home counties; and if he will provide a breakdown by age.
(39475)
80  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what changes have taken place in staffing levels since 1st May 1997 in respect of (a) administrative personnel and (b) nursing staff in (i) Kingston Hospital and (ii) West Middlesex Hospital.
(39476)
81  
  
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will commission research in order to assess the use of nicotine replacement therapy.
(39569)
82  
  
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to encourage the use of nicotine replacement therapy to wean people from smoking.
(39567)
83  
  
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy.
(39568)
84  
N  
Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is the growth in public spending between 1997-98 and 1998-99 on health and social services in England relative to the previous three year period.
(38259)
85  
N  
Mr Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidelines exist concerning the length of time for removing a body from a bed in a public general ward when a patient is believed to have died.
(39371)
86  
  
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the waiting lists for hip replacement operations by hospital trust on (a) 31st March 1997 and (b) 31st March 1998.
(39618)
87  
N  
Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses were recruited by each NHS trust and how many nurses left each trust (a) through retirement, (b) to work for a nursing agency and (c) for other reasons in (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97 and (iii) 1997-98.
(39302)
88  
  
Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many breast screening units (a) failed to reach the national minimum standard for breast cancer detection in 1997, (b) reached the national minimum standard for breast cancer detection in 1997 but failed to reach the national expected standard and (c) reached the national expected standard for breast cancer detection in 1997; and if he will indicate for (a) to (c) how many of the units used (i) single and (ii) two view mammography at incident breast screening rounds.
(39564)
89  
  
Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assumptions are made about take-up rates in the over 65 years age group for breast cancer screening when the Government allocates funding to health authorities.
(39562)
90  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many racial attacks have been recorded per 1,000 inhabitants in each police division in London in each of the last five years.
(39466)
91  
N  
Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners currently serving sentences for drug-related offences in (a) HMP Risley and (b) the North-West Region.
(39368)
92  
N  
Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many remand prisoners were assessed to have (a) a drug abuse problem and (b) an alcohol abuse problem on admission, by region, for each of the past five years.
(39369)
93  
N  
Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were imprisoned for drug-related offences (a) nationally and (b) in the North-West in each of the last five years.
(39370)
94  
  
Mr Robert Syms (Poole):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what quality control tests have been evaluated into DNA testing; and if he will publish the results.
(39496)
95  
  
Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what resources have been made available to the Probation Service in each of the last five years.
(39499)
96  
  
Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is his Department's policy in relation to the local provision of probation services.
(39500)
97  
  
Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department has issued on the size of population centre in respect of which individual probation offices should be maintained.
(39501)
98  
N  
Mr Robin Corbett (Birmingham, Erdington):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will list those projects funded either in part or whole in Swaziland in each of the past three years, identifying each project by (a) name, (b) location and (c) purpose.
(39393)
99  
N  
Mr Robin Corbett (Birmingham, Erdington):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will list the (a) name, (b) location and (c) purpose of projects currently funded, either solely or in partnership, in Swaziland.
(39394)
100  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what financial support her Department will give to the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict; and in which countries it will work with him.
(39452)
101  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures her Department is taking to increase access education for girls in Afghanistan.
(39450)
102  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department is giving to the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Commonwealth of Independent States to disseminate international humanitarian law through local institutions; and what will be the cost to public funds of such assistance.
(39446)
103  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, who will represent her Department at the Global Environment Conference in New Delhi; what new initiatives will be proposed; and if she will make a statement.
(39577)
104  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, who will represent her Department at the UN's Commission on Sustainable Development meeting on freshwater management; and what new policy initiatives her Department will promote.
(39453)
105  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what mechanisms her Department will employ to evaluate its work in respect of the removal of gender discrimination in developing and transitional countries; and if she will publish such evaluations.
(39448)
106  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will publish the Good Governance Assessment Framework.
(39454)
107  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she will publish the study on the gender dimensions to international trade commissioned by her Department.
(39451)
108  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which initiatives relating to women's empowerment her Department is supporting in the current financial year; and at what cost to public funds.
(39447)
109  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen the conflict-management capacity of regional organisations.
(39445)
110  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has held with her EC counterparts about regulations to guide the use of development funds for human rights promotion and protection; what will be the status of those regulations; and if she will make a statement.
(39455)
111  
  
Sir Alastair Goodlad (Eddisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in which countries her Department launched new women's empowerment programmes in 1997-98; and at what cost.
(39449)
112  
  
Bob Russell (Colchester):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many appeals against closures of magistrates' courts were made in (a) 1992, (b) 1993, (c) 1994, (d) 1995, (e) 1996 and (f) the first four months of 1997; and how many were (i) upheld and (ii) rejected.
(39684)
113  
  
Bob Russell (Colchester):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many appeals against closures of magistrates' courts have been lodged since 1st May 1997; and how many (a) were upheld, (b) were rejected and (c) have still to be determined.
(39685)
114  
N  
Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many nurses were recruited by each trust and how many nurses left each trust (a) through retirement, (b) to work for a nursing agency and (c) for other reasons in (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97 and (iii) 1997-98.
(39303)
115  
  
Mr Douglas Alexander (Paisley South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what expenditure by health trusts in (a) Scotland and (b) the Argyll and Clyde area was on agency nurses in the last financial year.
(39563)
116  
  
Jackie Ballard (Taunton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many applications received for funding under the Investing in Dentistry Scotland scheme have been successful; and what was the amount of each grant.
(39694)
117  
  
Mr Damian Green (Ashford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans he has for developing the Cairngorm mountains range; and if he will make a statement.
(39457)
118  
  
Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what has been the annual cost to his Department or public bodies responsible to his Department, since May 1979, of the oversight and implementation of environmental safety at (a) Dounreay Nuclear Power Establishment, (b) Hunterston Nuclear Plant, (c) Torness Nuclear Plant and (d) Chapelcross Nuclear Materials Production Plant.
(39671)
119  
  
Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, for what reasons her Department could not provide members of the Disability Benefits Consortium with copies of the reports (a) A Study of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance Awards, (b) First Findings from the 1996-97 Disability Follow-up to the Family Resources Survey and (c) the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board discussion paper, the Future of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance, before her meeting with the Disability Benefits Consortium on 12th March.
(39615)
120  
N  
Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will make a statement on her plans for the Treasury Grant.
(38245)
121  
  
Mr Ted Rowlands (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, when the income limits for invalid care allowances were last revised; and what these limits would be if they had been revised in line with the rise in (a) earnings and (b) prices.
(39444)
122  
  
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what assessment she has made of delays in social security payments due to poor performance of the computer system; and what steps she is taking to address the problem.
(39482)
123  
  
Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if she will supply information on pensioner incomes based on the Households Below Average Incomes 1961-91 dataset, in response to questions from honourable Members for years for which the Pensioners Income series has not been constructed.
(39576)
124  
  
Julia Drown (South Swindon):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what is the breakdown by (a) year and (b) country of the amount of export credits in pounds sterling granted for defence-related business between 1990 and 1997 to all low-income countries and highly indebted poor countries; and what percentage of total ECGD cover that represents.
(39670)
125  
  
Julia Drown (South Swindon):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what amount of export credits for each of the years between 1994 and 1997 was granted for defence-related business with (a) India, (b) Indonesia, (c) Jordan, (d) Kenya, (e) Malaysia, (f) Nigeria, (g) Pakistan, (h) Saudi Arabia, (i) Thailand and (j) Turkey.
(39665)
126  
  
Julia Drown (South Swindon):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will make a statement on the values of imports to the United Kingdom from and exports from the United Kingdom to (a) Malaysia, (b) Thailand, (c) Argentina, (d) Brazil, (e) Venezuela, (f) Peru, (g) Zambia, (h) Tanzania and (i) Egypt in each of the years between 1987 and 1997.
(39681)
127  
  
Mr Damian Green (Ashford):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what plans she has to restructure Post Office Counters Ltd., with particular reference to plans to allow the separation of the Logistics Business Unit from POCL.
(39456)
128  
  
Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what studies her Department has conducted into the costs of funeral services; and if she will publish them.
(39464)
129  
  
Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what plans she has to protect consumers in respect of the costs of funeral services.
(39463)
130  
  
Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will estimate the total cost of the sodium treatment facilities built at Dounreay; for how many years they are expected to remain in operation; and what potential exists for selling the technology abroad.
(39675)
131  
  
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what representations she has received on the recent increase in the level of postal charges to Europe above that for inland post; and if she will make a statement.
(39483)
132  
N  
Mr Cynog Dafis (Ceredigion):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he intends to introduce health action zones in Wales.
(38365)
133  
N  
Mr Cynog Dafis (Ceredigion):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the link between poverty and ill health in Wales.
(38367)
134  
N  
Mr Cynog Dafis (Ceredigion):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the advantages to the health of the people in Wales of a closer working relationship between health services and social services.
(38366)
135  
N  
Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many nurses were recruited by each trust and how many nurses left each trust (a) through retirement, (b) to work for a nursing agency and (c) for other reasons in (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97 and (iii) 1997-98.
(39301)
136  
  
Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his Answer of 20th April, Official Report, column 444, how the aims and operation of the Environmental Task Force in Wales differ from those in (a) England and (b) Scotland.
(39696)
137  
N  
Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what report on the position of the College in respect of European funding the Corporation of Gwent Tertiary College received at their June 1997 meeting; what was the substance of that report; and what action they took in response to it.
(39440)
138  
N  
Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much Gwent Tertiary College estimates that they will have to repay to the European Union; and how much ESF money has been withheld by the EU to date for projects already agreed to.
(39441)
139  
N  
Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what is the surplus projected by Gwent Tertiary College for 1997-98; and what account has been taken of (a) monies withheld by and (b) sums required to be repaid to the EU.
(39442)
140  
  
Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) Welsh farmers and (b) his Department of the radioactive fall-out from the Chernobyl accident; and what are the figures for each year since the accident for the area determined as restricted in Wales as a result of the accident.
(39674)
141  
  
Mr Gareth Thomas (Clwyd West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking to ensure the effective promotion of Welsh beef and lamb, with particular reference to the production methods of Welsh food producers.
(39502)
142  
  
Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much public funding has been given to Welsh Food Promotions Ltd in each financial year since it was formed; and how much the Welsh Office has committed to it for the current financial year.
(39644)
143  
  
Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what guidelines he has issued to general practitioners in Wales with regard to the level of emergency cover needed out of hours and at weekends and bank holidays; what surveys he has undertaken to ascertain the effectiveness of such cover; and if he will make a statement.
(39643)
144  
  
Mr Andrew George (St Ives):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the advantages to (a) Britain and (b) Cornwall and Scilly of the proposal to incorporate the Cornish language in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
[Transferred] (39701)
145  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if uncorroborated complaints against taxi cab drivers are kept in their personal files by the Public Carriage Office.
[Transferred] (39485)
146  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, for what reasons cabs appointed by the Public Carriage Office are required to have 6-ply-rated taxi tyres.
[Transferred] (39486)
147  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, for how long records of court convictions are retained by the Public Carriage Office in a licensed driver's personal file.
[Transferred] (39487)
148  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what percentage of taximeters have to be retested and resealed by the BSI and again by the Public Carriage Office during the period of the annual cab licence.
[Transferred] (39488)
149  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what driving examination qualification Public Carriage Office test examiners are required to hold.
[Transferred] (39467)
150  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what (a) total ceiling and (b) annual ceiling the Public Carriage Office places on the number of cab driver licences issued in London.
[Transferred] (39471)
151  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the turning circle of (a) the LTI/TXI taxi cab and (b) Metrocab Series III in taxi cabs approved by the Public Carriage Office as being in roadworthy condition.
[Transferred] (39460)
152  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will introduce a requirement to make a U-turn in Public Carriage Office driving tests.
[Transferred] (39462)
153  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many (a) central and (b) suburban cab driver licences were (i) issued and (ii) surrendered in 1996 and 1997; and how many are forecast to be issued in 1998.
[Transferred] (39469)
154  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what educational qualifications and vocational experience are required of Public Carriage Office knowledge of London examiners.
[Transferred] (39473)
155  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the purpose of the Public Carriage Office cab driving test.
[Transferred] (39468)
156  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what market surveys and other evidence is used by the Public Carriage Office to establish market demand for taxi cabs in London.
[Transferred] (39472)
157  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, for what reasons taximeters are removed, retested and resealed by the BSI and again by the Public Carriage Office as part of the annual relicensing vehicle road test.
[Transferred] (39461)
158  
  
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many applicants in respect of knowledge of London attended the Public Carriage Office's initial talks in 1996 and 1997 after being accepted as cab driver trainees.
[Transferred] (39470)


Contents, today's questions
 
House of Commons home page Houses of Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries

© Parliamentary copyright 1998
Revised 23 April 1998