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House of Commons

Session 1997-98 Publications on the internet The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Wednesday 21 October 1998 Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on  Wednesday 21 October 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 21 October, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business. For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Thursday 22 October, 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 21st OCTOBER
1	Mr A. J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what proportion of paper used by his Department is recycled.
	(55721)
2	Mr Christopher Gill (Ludlow):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what the total cost of the calf processing aid scheme has been in the United Kingdom in each year to date.
	(55947)
3	Mr Christopher Gill (Ludlow):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what is (a) the maximum permissible and (b) the actual or anticipated total of agrimonetary compensatory amounts paid out in 1997-98 and 1998-99.
	(55945)
4	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the size of the current black market in veterinary medicines for horses in the United Kingdom; and what assessment he had made of the impact of European Council Directive 81/851/EEC after 1st January 2000.
	(55805)
5	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what representations he has received concerning the European Union classification of horses as food-producing animals.
	(55806)
6	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the numbers and types of veterinary medicines used for horses which do not currently have a maximum residual limit; and what estimate he has made of the proportion which will not have a submitted MRL by 1st January 2000.
	(55807)
7	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which drugs used to support blood pressure during anaesthesia used in the United Kingdom for horses do not currently have a submitted maximum residual level; how many he expects to have a MRL by 1st January; and how many presently have a submitted MRL.
	(55804)
8	Mr David Kidney (Stafford):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will give a breakdown of the £2 billion provided in 1997-98 to support British agriculture.
	(55749)
9	Mr David Kidney (Stafford):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, by what means his Department intends to promote the take-up of the new arrangements in support of farmers switching to organic farming.
	(55751)
10	Mr David Kidney (Stafford):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what progress his Department has made in ensuring that British beef is bought for British armed forces.
	(55748)
11	Mr David Kidney (Stafford):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what representations he has received in support of retaining the calf processing aid scheme beyond 30th November.
	(55750)
12   N	Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what are his projections for BSE cases in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland for (i) 1998, (ii) 1999, (iii) 2000, (iv) 2001, (v) 2002 and (vi) 2003.
	(55494)
13   N	Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list for (a) each EU country (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) Northern Ireland the number of BSE cases recorded in each of the last three years for which figures are readily available and the figures for this year to the latest available date, indicating for each of the United Kingdom countries the figures for each month of the current year to 30th September.
	(55495)
14	Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what steps he is taking to implement the Cardiff Summit Ministerial Declaration on environmental integration; what indicators he is developing for measuring progress; and if he will raise these matters at the forthcoming Agriculture Council of Ministers meeting.
	(55780)
15   N	Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to co-ordinate government policy relating to European directives.
	(54708)
16	Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the Church Commissioners, what representations he has received on proposed changes to the role and status of church wardens in the Church of England.
	(55787)
17	Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support he has given to efforts to attract the 2006 Football World Cup to the United Kingdom.
	(56029)
18	Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support he has given to efforts to attract a future Olympic Games to the United Kingdom.
	(56030)
19	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what is his policy in respect of the preservation of traditional British seaside resort piers.
	(55709)
20	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many posts staffed by military personnel within his Department have been civilianised in each of the last three years.
	(55819)
21	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Royal Air Force officers and (b) other ranks have been (i) dismissed from the service and (ii) court-martialled in each of the last five years.
	(55808)
22	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many claims his Department has received from former civilian personnel arising from exposure to radiation whilst engaging with Royal Navy submarines.
	(55813)
23	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many fully trained pilots have requested to leave the RAF in each of the last five years.
	(55818)
24	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Marines personnel have left the service on health grounds in each of the last five years.
	(55809)
25	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which RAF squadrons currently have a shortage of trained pilots; and what is the total extent of the shortfalls.
	(55816)
26   N	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what compensation payments have been made as a result of injuries incurred by military personnel participating in the Royal Tournament in each of the last five years.
	(55695)
27	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF personnel are currently undergoing training to become pilots.
	(55817)
28	Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the World Court statement of 8th July 1996 relating to the obligation to pursue negotiations on nuclear disarmament under effective international control.
	(56027)
29	Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress the Government has made towards multi-lateral nuclear disarmament since May 1997.
	(56028)
30	Ms Oona King (Bethnal Green and Bow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to promote global nuclear disarmament.
	(55777)
31	Mr Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 30th July 1998, Official Report, column 453, how much, in net real terms, the UK will pay the USA for nuclear spares and services which it will not need or cannot use.
	(55799)
32	Mr Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department's estimate of the costs of building and equipping two new aircraft carriers is accounted for within (a) the Strategic Defence Review and (b) elsewhere.
	(55798)
33	Mr Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what involvement Britain has in the continuing US SDI-star wars programme.
	(55788)
34	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many new infant schools have been (a) started and (b) completed in each of the last five years; and in which council areas the schools are located.
	(55814)
35	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many new teacher posts have been created in each of the last five years in the primary phase.
	(55815)
36	Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will place in the Library copies of EU Objective 3 Social Fund application forms used by other European Union member states.
	(55716)
37	Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, when he will make an annoucement on the make-up of the Skills Development Fund.
	(55697)
38	Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will assess the advantages of establishing an independent pay review body for members of the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.
	(55743)
39	Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what recommendations his Department has submitted to the Independent Review Committee on Higher Education Staff Pay and Conditions.
	(55742)
40	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what assistance his Department has given to efforts to minimise the effects of the redundancies at the Northern Telecom proximity 1 plant in Paignton, South Devon.
	(55702)
41	Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he will meet the delegation of South West Liberal Democrat honourable Members to discuss housing targets in the region.
	(55696)
42	Bob Russell (Colchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when the Government will refund to the Bus Pension Fund of the former National Bus Company the pension surplus withheld at the time of privatisation; if payment of funds will be made so that bus company pensioners can be paid without further delay; and if compensation will be paid to the families of those bus company pensioners who have died since privatisation.
	(55796)
43	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list those measures which reflect the additional costs from seasonal influxes of population contained within local authority grant settlements; and if he will make a statement.
	(55714)
44	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the Lisbon Charter on the development and implementation of economic instruments for the protection of the marine and coastal environment by local governments dated July 1998; and if he will make a statement.
	(55713)
45	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list market and reference rents by district from 1996.
	(55718)
46	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make a statement on his proposals for the council tax discounts on second homes in England.
	(55720)
47	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what recent representations he has received about driving licence restrictions on insulin-dependent diabetics; and if he will make a statement.
	(55715)
48	Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he is taking to implement the Cardiff Summit Ministerial Declaration on environmental integration; what indicators he is developing for measuring progress; and if he will raise these matters during the forthcoming Energy and Transport Council of Ministers meetings.
	(55779)
49	Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the total compensation paid, or agreed to be paid, to date to contractors in respect of the Polegate Bypass scheme.
	(55828)
50	Mr David Amess (Southend West):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many letters of objection he has received to the increase on gaming machine licensing duty.
	(55784)
51	Mr Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review the membership of the Monetary Policy Committee.
	(55792)
52	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received regarding the extension of income tax relief to the part of employees' national insurance contributions relating to SERPS; and if he will make a statement.
	(55790)
53	Mr Christopher Gill (Ludlow):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria will be used to establish the rate of exchange at which the UK could join the single European currency.
	(55946)
54	Mr Christopher Gill (Ludlow):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, at what rate of exchange each of the 11 countries will join the European single currency on 1st January 1999.
	(55943)
55	Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects the research by the Office of National Statistics into bias in the Retail Price Index to be published.
	(56025)
56	Bob Russell (Colchester):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason Customs and Excise ruled that value added tax must be charged by Age Concern Essex to those receiving the home support service; when the ruling was implemented; and if he will give an instruction that VAT should not be levied.
	(55800)
57	Tom Cox (Tooting):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which minister from his Department has visited the Lebanon since 1st May 1997.
	(55932)
58	Tom Cox (Tooting):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Lebanese government ministers have visited the United Kingdom since 1st May 1997.
	(55931)
59	Mr Christopher Gill (Ludlow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which countries show the Queen's head on their currency.
	(55944)
60	Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects to publish a White Paper on the future of the British Overseas Territories; and if he will make a statement on the citizenship of the people of St. Helena.
	(55785)
61	Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will cause a reply to be made to the honourable Member for Solihull from the Migration and Visa Unit of his Department to correspondence initiated by that honourable Member on 5th June in the matter of Asmaham J. Tahmas and Mohamad R. Ismail bearing the unit's reference GV100/45781.
	(55740)
62	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice the National Screening Committee has given regarding the extension of the breast cancer screening programme to women aged 65 years and over; and if he will make a statement.
	(55791)
63	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many associate specialist posts have been created in ENT departments in each of the last five years.
	(55811)
64	Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of (a) midwives and (b) health visitors have received accredited training in the teaching of breast feeding.
	(56019)
65	Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is the current waiting time for urgent cardiac surgery broken down by health authority area; how many people in each area are waiting for cardiac surgery; and what proportion is considered to be in urgent need.
	(56024)
66	Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made towards a national register for paramedics.
	(55778)
67	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list those measures which reflect the additional costs from seasonal influxes of population contained within health authority grant settlements; and if he will make a statement.
	(55710)
68	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to conclude his consideration of making pen needles available on the NHS for insulin dependent diabetics.
	(55711)
69	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement about the availability of needles for diabetic pen injection systems through the NHS.
	(55712)
70	Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department is currently funding into the treatment and causes of Parkinson's Disease.
	(55782)
71	Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures he is taking to promote awareness of cardiac risk in the young; and if he will make a statement.
	(55829)
72   N	Mr Peter Bradley (The Wrekin):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress he has made with the proposed freedom of information legislation.
	(54734)
73   N	Mr Michael Connarty (Falkirk East):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his plans for freedom of information legislation.
	(54719)
74   N	Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on progress with the freedom of information legislation.
	(54714)
75   N	Mr Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to promote open government.
	(54738)
76	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what visits have been made by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions to United Kingdom immigration holding centres in each of the last three years.
	(55810)
77	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been granted political asylum in the UK in each of the last five years; and from which countries they came.
	(55812)
78   N	Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to introduce legislation on freedom of information.
	(54721)
79   N	Mr John Healey (Wentworth):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations he has received on plans to introduce a bill to establish freedom of information.
	(54736)
80   N	Mr John McAllion (Dundee East):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on how the proposed freedom of information legislation will apply to the Scottish Parliament.
	(54727)
81	Mr Chris Mullin (Sunderland South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps have been taken to make available audio-recording facilities for interviews with persons arrested under the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.
	(55994)
82	Mr Chris Mullin (Sunderland South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Metropolitan Police officers have outstanding civil claims against their employer; how many were settled in each of the last five years; and at what cost.
	(55823)
83	Mr Chris Mullin (Sunderland South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has for regulating wheelclamping on private land; and if he will make a statement.
	(55827)
84   N	Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress he has made with his Department's open government initiatives.
	(54739)
85	Bob Russell (Colchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fire authorities (a) have been and (b) have not been affected by strike action in the last five years; and, for each authority affected, how many days were lost in each of the last five years.
	(55797)
86	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces currently charge local and health authorities for criminal record checks.
	(55700)
87	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list those measures which reflect the additional costs from seasonal influxes of population contained within constabulary grant settlements; and if he will make a statement.
	(55701)
88   N	Mr John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to bring forward legislation for a Freedom of Information Act.
	(54724)
89   N	Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to make the procedures relating to inter-departmental communication on policy development more transparent.
	(54726)
90   N	Dr George Turner (North West Norfolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is his Department's current timetable for implementation of freedom of information legislation.
	(54717)
91	Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, if, for each of the last five years, he will give the number of complaints made under the Court Service Charter, the percentage of complaints upheld and the average and total amount of compensation paid to complainants.
	(56020)
92   N	Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list for each month in 1998 and for each police division the number of (a) arson attacks and (b) other attacks causing damage to property owned by (i) each religious denomination in Northern Ireland, (ii) Orange halls, (iii) GAA, (iv) community halls and (v) AOH halls indicating the terrorist organisation to which the police attribute each attack; and in how many cases in each group the police have failed to make any attribution.
	(53672)
93   N	Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list for each month from January 1997 to the end of September 1998 for each RUC division the number of (a) punishment beatings and (b) punishment shootings, indicating the numbers attributed by the RUC to (1) the Provisional IRA, (2) the INLA, (3) CAC, (4) other Republican terrorist groups, (5) the UDA, (6) the UFF, (7) the UVF, (8) the LVF and (9) other Loyalist paramilitary organisations.
	(53673)
94	Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list the number of violent deaths in each month in 1998 in each police division in Northern Ireland attributed to each terrorist organisation in Northern Ireland, indicating the cause of death and whether the victims were army, police or civilian.
	(53765)
95   N	Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list the sums expended by Her Majesty's Government in respect of (a) the RUC, (b) the Army, (c) the RAF and (d) the other public bodies in respect of the recent visit by President Clinton.
	(55496)
96   N	Maria Eagle (Liverpool, Garston):    To ask the President of the Council, what progress has been made in ensuring millennium compliance in central government's systems and equipment and in its suppliers.
	(54713)
97   N	Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the President of the Council, if she will estimate the cost to public funds of the recall of Parliament for 2nd and 3rd September.
	(55493)
98   N	Mr William Cash (Stone):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will issue a white paper on the constitutional implications of the Government's policy in respect of economic and monetary union.
	(54868)
99   N	Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter of 23rd June, if he will discuss with President Clinton and M. Jacques Santer the sanctions imposed on Libya under UN Security Council resolutions.
	(54965)
100   N	Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 27th April, Official Report, column 17, what report he has received from Scotland Yard about the case of the murder of WPC Fletcher; and what is his current assessment of the case as a major obstacle to the United Kingdom's bilateral relations with Libya.
	(54966)
101	Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make it his policy to require the Scottish water authorities to (a) ensure that their domestic mechanical water meters are accurate and durable, (b) assess the damage caused by particulate matter in water to their domestic water meters, (c) ensure that the domestic meters which they purchase from manufacturers have been tested using unfiltered water, (d) devise a strategy to reduce meter replacements arising from meter failure, (e) assess the viability of other forms of metering equipment and (f) evaluate the effects of increased flow through of layer particulate matter arising from the use of electro-magnetic and solid state meters.
	(55747)
102	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what decisions he has taken regarding the rates of benefit payable from April 1999; and when the Treasury was informed of those decisions.
	(56014)
103	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what would be the basic pension rate for a single person in 1999-2000 if it had been uprated in line with average earnings (a) in each year since 1980, (b) in 1998 and 1999 and (c) in 1999 only.
	(56013)
104	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he has, in the current tax year, carried out the review of benefit rates required by section 150(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.
	(56012)
105	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what was the combined value of child dependency addition and child benefit for the child of a widowed mother (a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms and (c) as a percentage of average earnings in November 1979 and at each subsequent uprating date.
	(56017)
106	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what would be the gross and net cost of (a) raising the basic retirement pension and linked benefits to £90 per week for a single person and £144 for a couple and (b) paying an additional non-contributory benefit of £40 per week to each person over pension age.
	(56016)
107	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what is his current estimate of the proportion of pensioners entitled to income support who claim it; and what will be the corresponding proportion by the end of the year 2001-02 if take-up rises as assumed in his Answer of 29th July, Official Report, column 326.
	(56015)
108	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will ensure that widowed mother's allowance, including the increases for children, is uprated in line with prices in 1999.
	(56018)
109	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, in which countries (a) United Kingdom state pensioners receive an increase in payments in line with United Kingdom residents and (b) no increases are paid.
	(55803)
110	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate he has made of the cost of equalising retirement benefits for United Kingdom state pensioners resident in other countries.
	(55802)
111	Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what representation he has received concerning the level of pensions paid to British citizens retired in other countries.
	(55801)
112	Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will make it his policy to allow weekly benefit savings claims if, on inquiry by an officer of a local authority, a claimant for housing benefit admits that they have omitted to provide the correct details or given incorrect details in circumstances where a designated fraud officer subsequently investigates the reason for omission and concludes that fraud was intended.
	(55744)
113	Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what plans he has to revise the draft guidance on weekly benefit savings after abandonment of a property following the publication of the notes Accommodation Related Fraud, with particular reference to the section indicating that fraud would be considered to arise if a tenant in receipt of housing benefit failed to report that they had moved.
	(55741)
114	Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will review the capital limits for income support.
	(56023)
115	Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will make a statement about his proposals to improve access to general information about benefits; and if the restoration of the freephone social security line is being considered.
	(56022)
116	Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will publish a summary of responses to the Green Paper on Welfare Reform.
	(56021)
117	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what proportion of incapacity benefit claimants currently receive the long-term rate.
	(55938)
118	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many people have (a) applied for and (b) been awarded incapacity benefit in each of the last three years.
	(55935)
119	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what proportion of current claimants of incapacity benefit are aged (a) 25 to 35, (b) 35 to 45, (c) 45 to 55 and (d) 55 to 65 years.
	(55940)
120	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what proportion of current claimants have been in receipt of incapacity benefit for (a) under six months, (b) six to 12 months, (c) one to two years and (d) over two years.
	(55941)
121	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many people currently claim (a) short-term and (b) long-term incapacity benefit.
	(55934)
122	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate his Department has made of the number of those currently receiving incapacity benefit who are capable of employment.
	(55933)
123	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate his Department has made of the total level of fraud in the payment of incapacity benefit.
	(55936)
124	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate his Department has made of the savings from means-testing incapacity benefit for the first two years of all new claims.
	(55937)
125	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how much fraud has been detected in the payment of incapacity benefit in each of the last three years.
	(55942)
126	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what plans he has to review the capital threshold for long-term care cost contributions; and if he will make a statement.
	(55706)
127	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many people currently receive support from his Department towards their mortgage interest payments.
	(55705)
128	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what representations he has received on extending the range of mortgage interest rates to include former building societies not converted to banks for the calculation of support with mortgage interest payments; and if he will make a statement.
	(55703)
129	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will exempt Huntingdon's disease sufferers from the benefits integrity project; and if he will make a statement.
	(55704)
130	Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many appeals relating to (a) incapacity benefits, (b) income support and (c) severe disablement allowance determined by social security appeal tribunals concerned the all work test for incapacity for (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97 and (iii) 1997-98; what proportion of the appeals in each benefit category for these years related to the all work test; what proportion of all work test appeals in each benefit category for these years were determined without a oral hearing; and in how many all work test appeals for these years the claimant was at least partially successful, in (1) appeals determined after an oral hearing and (2) appeals determined without such a hearing.
	(55746)
131	Mr Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many information packs inviting businesses to order factsheets on preparation for the launch of the Euro have been sent out; and how many businesses have requested those factsheets.
	(55795)
132	Mr Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps the Government have taken to ensure that the electricity supply will not be disrupted by the millennium bug.
	(55793)
133	Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many sub-post offices have (a) opened and (b) closed since 1979 by county, and if he will list them.
	(55726)
134	Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many complaints he has received from sub-postmasters/mistresses over (a) the manner in which their sub-post offices were closed down and (b) the post office appeal procedure; and what action was taken to deal with such complaints.
	(55772)
135	Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if redundancy packages of sub-postmasters/mistresses who have lost their jobs following closure of their sub-post offices take into consideration (a) loss of future earnings and (b) capital lost from their business as a result of closure.
	(55771)
136	Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) the viability of sub-post offices and (b) village economies of state pensions being paid directly into bank or building society accounts; and if he will make a statement.
	(55745)
137   N	Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list inward investments in the UK manufacturing sector over £1 million in each of the last three years, indicating the nation from which the investment came, the area of the United Kingdom in which it was made, and the grants made by the Government in respect of each investment; and if he will list those investments which have fallen short of the amount indicated to the Government by 30th September or as much of such information as is readily available to him.
	(55497)
138	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will publish the criteria for determining future qualification for assisted area status; and if he will make a statement.
	(55699)
139	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what studies his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the structural economic problems of British seaside resorts.
	(55708)
140	Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, he will make a statement on the proportion of gross revenue (a) from the Post Office and (b) from the Royal Mail which goes directly to the Exchequer.
	(55822)
141	Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what studies his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on postal services in other EU countries with particular reference to the effects of (i) total and (ii) partial privatisation.
	(55821)
142	Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proposals he has to improve (a) Post Office and (b) Royal Mail (i) efficiency and (ii) levels of service.
	(55820)
143	Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what research into alternatives to Jet A1 aviation fuel is being funded by his Department.
	(55781)
144	Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):    To ask the President of the Council, pursuant to the Answer from the honourable Member for South Shields of 8th July, Official Report, column 565, if he wrote to honourable Members during the recess to report on the millennium compliance of computer systems in central government.
	[Transferred] (55786)
145	Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the information given in confidence at the times of the 1901-1991 decennial censuses of population will be exempt from sections 14a and 14b of the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	[Transferred] (55826)
146	Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list those 1901-1991 decennial population censuses (a) for which the then Registrar General did not promise informants that the householders' forms would be treated as confidential for 100 years and (b) for which the Lord Chancellor has not granted, and is not intending to grant, the Registrar General statutory permission for an extended 100-year retention of the census forms.
	[Transferred] (55824)
147	Mr John M. Taylor (Solihull):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many representations his Department has received from honourable Members since 1993 on section 9.21 of the Open Government White Paper; if he will publish the text of the explicit non-statutory assurances of 100-year closure given by the Registrar General on the forms for the 1901-1991 censuses; and if he will make a statement about section 9.21.
	[Transferred] (55825)
148	Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many physical education teachers were employed by local education authorities and grant-maintained schools in each year since 1979.
	[Transferred] (55783)
149	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the Environment Agency's regional flood defence business plans for the South West; and if he will make a statement.
	[Transferred] (55719)
150	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what is his policy for the protection of seaside resort piers and esplanades from coastal erosion.
	[Transferred] (55707)
151	Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make a statement about the future of the former Department of the Environment and Transport buildings on Marsham Street.
	[Transferred] (55717)
152	Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to the oral statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 17th March, Official Report, column 1097, if he will make a statement on the training of 20,000 bug busters.
	[Transferred] (55948)
153	Paul Flynn (Newport West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what is the expected contribution by the Treasury to the National Insurance Fund for each year from 1998-99 to 2001-02.
	[Transferred] (55789)
154	Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement about his Department's response to the recommendations contained in the Health Committee's Third Report of 1997-98 on the Welfare of Former British Child Migrants (HC 755).
	[Transferred] (55698)
155	Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many former incapacity benefit recipients have (a) transferred to IS/JSA and (b) entered employment at the end of their claim, in each of the last three years.
	[Transferred] (55939)
156	Mr Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities promote awareness of the millennium bug in their local communities.
	[Transferred] (55794)
157	Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what research he has undertaken into the preferred method of payment of state pensions in (a) urban areas and (b) rural areas; and what is his policy on the method of payment of state pensions.
	[Transferred] (55773)

© Parliamentary copyright 1998	Revised 21 October 1998

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