Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 1998-99
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The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Wednesday 13 January 1999

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 13 January of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

For other Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 13 January, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Thursday 14 January, see Part 2 of this Paper.

Notes:
* Indicates a Question for Oral Answer.
+ Indicates a Question not included in the random selection process but accepted because the quota for that day had not been filled.
[N] Indicates a Question for Written Answer on a named day, i.e. the Member has indicated under S.O. No. 22(4) the day on which he wishes the Question to be answered.
[R] Indicates that a relevant interest has been declared.

WEDNESDAY 13th JANUARY

1
   Mr Bill Rammell (Harlow):    To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee, how much was spent on prepaid envelopes for honourable and Right honourable Members in each financial year since 1980.

(65640)

2
   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the potential side effects on consumers of milk and (b) the effect on milk output and price, of the use of bovine somatotrophin.

(65658)

3
   Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to meet the chairman of the Royal Society of Literature.

(65574)

4
   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is his estimate of the number of civilian casualties caused by the bombing of Iraq during December 1998.

(65480)

5
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what were the circumstances in which missiles landed on the Hail Adel residential district of Baghdad during the recent raids on Iraq.

(65382)

6
   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make available the independent evidence which he stated the UK had that the El Shifa factory in Khartoum was making chemical or biological weapons before the US air strike.

(65661)

7
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will set out his responsibilities in respect of the co-ordination of Government policy on environmental issues.

(63731)

8
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimate he has made of the number of accidents caused by drivers being distracted by mobile telephones in each of the last five years.

(65487)

9
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will establish a campaign to reduce the number of accidents caused by drivers using mobile telephones.

(65494)

10
   Mr Clive Efford (Eltham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when the research into the land supply and housing demand model, undertaken by the Government Office for London and the South East and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, will be published.

(65654)

11
   Mr Alan Hurst (Braintree):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the (a) new roads and (b) road improvement projects which were announced in the roads review for which the statutory undertaker plans to apply for funding support from the EU.

(65479)

12
   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Tunbridge Wells dated 7th September, about the A21 in Kent.

(65436)

13
   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Tunbridge Wells dated 29th September, about the A21 in Kent.

(65435)

14
   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Tunbridge Wells dated 26th November, about the A21 in Kent.

(65437)

15
   Mr Peter L. Pike (Burnley):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what research his Department has undertaken on the effects of traffic-calming methods on (a) emergency vehicles and (b) public transport vehicles, with particular reference to low-deck vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

(65675)

16
   Mr Peter L. Pike (Burnley):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what representations he has received on Access to the Open Countryside in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

(65674)

17
   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list (a) the dates and (b) the Minister in attendance, indicating whether (i) in person or (ii) by video link, for meetings requested by local authorities to discuss the local government grant settlement; and if he will list in each case the date his Department received the request for such a meeting from the local authority.

(65432)

18
   Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he is taking to apprehend and punish ships making illegal discharges of oil off the British coast; and if he will make a statement.

(65571)

19
   Mrs Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many teenage suicides have occurred in South West Surrey since 1995.

(65575)

20
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the impact of a reduction in the mutual building society sector on the housing market.

(65572)

21
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimates he has made of the relative costs of mortgages from (a) commercial banks and (b) building societies.

(65569)

22
   Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what were the percentage changes in the share of the allocation of identifiable general expenditure per head between the English regions, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over the last 10 years.

(65589)

23
   Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what were the percentage changes in allocation of identifiable general expenditure per head between the English regions over the last 10 years.

(65590)

24
   Mr Peter L. Pike (Burnley):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the progress in the EU-South Africa trade negotiations.

(65659)

25
   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is the Government's policy on the provision of Beta-interferon for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

(65488)

26
   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice has been sought by the East Surrey Health Authority from his Department in respect of providing services and treatment for multiple sclerosis.

(65481)

27
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the NHS budget was spent on the care of patients with learning difficulties in each of the last five years.

(65486)

28
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list by region the vacancy rate for (a) physiotherapists and (b) paediatric physiotherapists.

(65492)

29
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what levels of spare capacity in terms of (a) beds and (b) staff hospitals are advised to maintain to meet surges in demand for accident and emergency services.

(65493)

30
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that children receive paediatric physiotherapy in line with their statements.

(65499)

31
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the hospitals in the North and South Thames Regions which have received winter pressures money this winter, indicating the amounts received.

(65491)

32
   Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the next meeting of the Board of Health Services Accreditation to take place.

(65495)

33
   Mr Peter L. Pike (Burnley):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of appointments to health trusts and health authorities in 1998 were not filled by re-appointment or new appointment immediately upon the completion of the period of service of the existing incumbent; how many such vacancies currently exist; and if he will make a statement.

(65660)

34
N   Mr David Prior (North Norfolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will backdate the pension arrangements for widowers of female doctors to align them with the pension arrangements for widows of male doctors.

(65114)

35
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the current estimate for the completion of option C claims under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997.

(65585)

36
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to bring forward proposals concerning the underfunding of pensions in the (a) London and (b) other fire services.

(65500)

37
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to extend police disability entitlements to special constables injured while carrying out their duties.

(65497)

38
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many special constables in the Metropolitan Police area were forced to retire from police work due to disability resulting from injuries sustained in the line of duty in each of the last five years.

(65496)

39
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what basis transitional funding relief to local authorities for asylum seekers will be allocated for (a) passported refugees, (b) asylum seekers who declared their intention at the port of entry and (c) other asylum seekers.

(65573)

40
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what circumstances police authorities are permitted to charge promoters for the costs of crowd policing outside (a) sporting events and (b) entertainment events.

(65489)

41
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received concerning the accommodation of medically-qualified asylum seekers as regards (a) the adequacy of the accommodation and (b) its proximity to institutions where they could use their qualifications or requalify.

(65595)

42
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received regarding the provision of disability pensions and entitlements for former special constables forced to retire from police work due to injuries sustained in the line of duty.

(65498)

43
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the timetable for dealing with the cases of (a) pre-13th July 1993 asylum applicants and (b) 1st July 1993 to 31st December 1995 asylum applicants.

(65568)

44
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases periods of extended supervision for sexual and violent offenders were imposed under the provisions of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 between 30th September and 31st December 1998.

(65567)

45
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation he (a) has carried out and (b) plans to carry out with (i) local authorities and (ii) other relevant bodies regarding his proposals for a new support scheme for asylum seekers.

(65565)

46
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many local child curfew schemes were made by local authorities under the provisions of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 between 30th September and 31st December 1998.

(65566)

47
   Mr Clive Efford (Eltham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many accidents involving police vehicles in England and Wales have been referred to the Police Complaints Authority in each year since 1990.

(65657)

48
   Mr Clive Efford (Eltham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in each police area in England and Wales how many road traffic accidents have occurred whilst police vehicles are in pursuit of another vehicle since 1990.

(65656)

49
   Mr Clive Efford (Eltham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers in England and Wales have been involved in road traffic accidents whilst involved in car chases in each year since 1990; and how many such accidents have resulted in injury or fatality to (a) police officers, (b) those being pursued and (c) other members of the public.

(65655)

50
   Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hospitals are currently the subject of police investigations into cases of alleged euthanasia; and if he will list them.

(65570)

51
N   Mr Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the (a) publication and (b) availability of literature which encourages drugs misuse.

(63745)

52
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many practitioners who have been declared bankrupt are permitted to practise as barristers or solicitors in the courts.

(65670)

53
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to paragraph 35 of the explanatory notes to the Access to Justice Bill [Lords], by what percentage average payments in civil and family cases rose between 1991-92 and 1997-98; and what was the reason for the size of the increase.

(65666)

54
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to paragraph 35 of the explanatory notes to the Access to Justice Bill [Lords], what were the annual increases in expenditure on legal aid overall in each year from 1991-92 to 1997-98.

(65665)

55
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, what estimate he has made of the increased costs of litigation which will arise from the right of lawyers providing representation pursuant to conditional fee agreements to uplift their costs by up to 100 per cent. in successful cases.

(65671)

56
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, how much the Legal Aid Board has paid to the Court Service or other providers for taxation of (a) criminal and (b) civil legal aid cases in the financial year ending April 1995 and in each succeeding financial year.

(65664)

57
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, what estimate he has made of the administrative costs of the Criminal Defence Service in each of its first three years of operation.

(65663)

58
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to paragraph 35 of the explanatory notes to the Access of Justice Bill [Lords], by what percentage average payments to defence lawyers in the Crown courts increased between 1991-92 and 1997-98; and what was the reason for the size of the increase.

(65668)

59
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, what was the proportion of cases in the Crown courts in which legally aided defences were subject to the graduated fee scheme in each year between 1991-92 and 1997-98.

(65669)

60
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many firms of insurers (a) from the United Kingdom and (b) from overseas have come forward with products to provide legal fees insurance under conditional fee agreements; and if he will list them.

(65672)

61
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to paragraph 35 of the explanatory notes to the Access of Justice Bill [Lords], what was the increase in the average payments to defence lawyers in the Magistrates courts over the period 1991-92 to 1997-98; and what was the aggregate rate of inflation over the same period.

(65667)

62
   Sir Nicholas Lyell (North East Bedfordshire):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, what estimate he has made of the administrative costs of the Community Legal Service in each of its first three years of operation.

(65662)

63
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, at which schools there are facilities for preparatory departments; and how many pupils are enrolled in each of these preparatory departments.

(65484)

64
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many complaints she received about Northern Ireland Electricity services during December 1998; what proposals she has to nationalise the electricity distribution systems in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

(65485)

65
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what are the estimated populations of the boroughs of (a) Ards, (b) Castlereagh and (c) North Down; what proposals there are to provide a natural gas supply in these three boroughs; and if she will make a statement.

(65482)

66
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many planning applications are currently the subject of public inquiries; what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the resources of the planning section of the Department of the Environment to deal with these public inquiries; what delays there currently are in the determination of these planning applications; and if she will make a statement.

(65676)

67
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, at which grammar schools there are facilities for boarders; and how many boarders there are at each of these schools.

(65483)

68
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Prime Minister, if it was with his authority that his spokesman contacted the BBC to express disquiet about the BBC's handling of the Iraq conflict; and if he will make a statement.

(65381)

69
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Prime Minister, what contact he has had with Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates about the bombing raids on Iraq.

(65383)

70
   Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what consultation was conducted prior to introducing the change in the composition of social security appeals tribunals hearing all-work test appeals; and if he will make a statement.

(65583)

71
   Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what is the reason for the recent review of the composition of social security appeals tribunals hearing all-work test appeals.

(65582)

72
   Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many representations his Department has received (a) in favour of and (b) in total on the review of the composition of social security appeals tribunals hearing all-work test appeals; and if he will make a statement.

(65584)

73
N   Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how much is being spent on the new computer system at the Central Office of the Contributions Agency in Newcastle; and when it (a) was originally and (b) is currently expected to be fully operational.

(64853)

74
   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will set up a national information service on equipment for people with disabilities.

(65433)

75
   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what proposals he has for a disablement services authority with a brief to set standards and monitor the standard of equipment provision for people with disabilities.

(65434)

76
   Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will respond to the Motor Neurone Disease Association's report on the effect of the Benefits Integrity Project on people with Motor Neurone Disease.

(65591)

77
   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what will be the incremental value to (a) the basic state pension and (b) the state second pension, of a year spent caring for a disabled person under his proposed pension reforms.

(65577)

78
   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to paragraph 20, on page 4 of Partnership in Pensions, Cm 4179, what proportion of people currently work throughout their working life.

(65578)

79
   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, on what basis the figure of £9,000 per year was chosen as the value below which individuals would not be encouraged to take out stakeholder pensions.

(65576)

80
   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will update his estimates based on the Family Resources Survey 1996-97 of (a) median pensioner incomes, excluding means-tested benefits, by age, sex and marital status, consistent with his Answer of 12th November, Official Report, columns 295-98, and (b) the size of each group.

(65581)

81
   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what plans he has for the structure and level of national insurance rebates for those who take out stakeholder pensions.

(65580)

82
   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to paragraph 17, on page 14 of Partnership in Pensions, Cm 4179, what estimate he has made of the number of those reaching retirement age who, by 2025, will have to rely on means-tested benefits under his proposals.

(65579)

83
   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to paragraph 21, page 4, of Partnership in Pensions (Cm 4179), what is the basis for the statement that the minimum income guarantee provides a minimum income in retirement without the stigma some people associate with income support.

(65594)

84
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when he expects to publish the report of the inquiry into the flotation of the Mirror Group.

(65587)

85
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on what date the Permanent Secretary to the Department of Trade and Industry was informed of the loan from the honourable Member for Coventry North West to the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool.

(65598)

86
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on what date the former Secretary of State, the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool, withdrew from any involvement in or influence over investigations conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry into the dealings of the honourable Member for Coventry North West.

(65638)

87
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which an individual or business is required to obtain a consumer credit licence.

(65588)

88
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the former Secretary of State, the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool, minuted the Permanent Secretary in order to record his decision to have no involvement in the inquiry into alleged accounting offences by Hollis Industries plc.

(65596)

89
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what papers relating to his Department's inquiry into dealings of the honourable Member for Coventry North West were shown to the former Secretary of State, the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool.

(65636)

90
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when his Department received the letter of 15th July from the Right honourable Member for Wells, passed on by the Registrar of Companies, regarding alleged accounting offences by Hollis Industries plc.

(65593)

91
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which of his Department's Ministers had responsibility for his Department's inquiry into alleged accounting offences by Hollis Industries plc. during the period from September to December 1998.

(65592)

92
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will publish an interim report into the inquiry on the flotation of the Mirror Group.

(65586)

93
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on what date the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool made the decision to have no involvement in the Department of Trade and Industry investigation into the dealings of the honourable Member for Coventry North West.

(65637)

94
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, by what means the former Secretary of State, the Right honourable Member for Hartlepool, informed the Permanent Secretary of his decision to have no involvement in the inquiry into alleged accounting offences by Hollis Industries plc.

(65597)

95
   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the use of private jets by ministers in his Department since 2nd May 1997.

(65673)

96
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received concerning horses working underground in coal and mineral mining; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (65490)



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