Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 1998-98
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The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Friday 19 March 1999

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Friday 19 March of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

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.

FRIDAY 19th MARCH

1
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what (a) discussions he has had and (b) proposals his Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if he will make a statement.

(77777)

2
   Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what access the Review of the Public Analyst Arrangements in England and Wales had to information about the sampling and analysis of food samples held by local authorities; and what restrictions were placed on the publication of that information.

(77951)

3
   Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the occasions on which he has taken action in respect of a local authority which failed to take sufficient or appropriate samples of food in relation to its statutory duties under food law in the last five years.

(77952)

4
N   Mr Terry Lewis (Worsley):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he expects to answer the questions tabled by the honourable Member for Worsley on 25th January, 9th February and 1st March, concerning ministerial flights.

(77853)

5
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78142)

6
N   Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will estimate how many people will be employed at the Food Standards Agency; and what the consequential changes will be to staff numbers in terms of (a) actual numbers and (b) establishment in his Department.

(77557)

7
   Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what was the monetary value in (i) 1997 and (ii) 1998 of live lambs and sheep exported from the UK for (a) slaughter and (b) further fattening; and if he will make a statement.

(77949)

8
   Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will introduce legislation requiring the master of a vessel carrying live farm animals to submit a written return on animals (a) injured and (b) dying during the voyage; and if he will make a statement.

(77948)

9
   Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what advice has been given since 1991 by his Department to quarantine kennel owners who submitted plans for expansion and improvement to their facilities.

(77950)

10
   Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what criteria he applies in deciding whether to use his powers under the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997 to prevent a vessel carrying live farm animals from sailing in adverse weather conditions; and if he will make a statement.

(77947)

11
   Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his powers in relation to animal welfare to prevent livestock vessels from sailing in rough weather conditions; and if he will make a statement.

(77946)

12
   Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, for what reasons the 'Cap Afrique' was allowed to sail in adverse weather conditions with live farm animals on board on 3rd March; and if he will make a statement.

(77945)

13
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what help he is giving to pig farmers in the United Kingdom; what assessment he has made of the impact the recent proposals to reform the Common Agricultural Policy will have on pig farmers; what plans he has to implement the recommendations contained in the Agriculture Committee's report, the UK Pig Industry (HC 87) Session 1998-99; and if he will make a statement.

(77454)

14
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what were the running costs of the Residuary Milk Marketing Board in the last year for which figures are available; and from what source they were funded.

(77806)

15
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he expects the Residuary Milk Marketing Board to begin the distribution of the remaining surplus assets of the Milk Marketing Board to eligible milk producers.

(77805)

16
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assets, rights and liabilities the Residuary Milk Marketing Board has.

(77804)

17
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how he will determine which milk producers will be eligible to receive payments from the Residuary Milk Marketing Board.

(77802)

18
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what are the outstanding disputes and obligations which have to be settled before the assets, rights and liabilities of the Residuary Milk Marketing Board can be distributed.

(77801)

19
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if interest payments will be made to the eligible milk producers in respect of their portion of the assets rights and liabilities which the Residuary Milk Marketing Board are currently holding.

(77803)

20
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he has discussed with representatives of the biotechnology industry the introduction of a voluntary three-year halt in the planting of herbicide tolerant genetically-modified crops.

(77683)

21
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78148)

22
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make a statement on the availability of records which monitor the number of ethnic minorities in Government offices; and what plans he has to publish the breakdown of Government employees by race and gender.

(78121)

23
   Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the leaked Select Committee documents that reached (a) him, (b) his Ministers, (c) his officials, (d) his advisers and (e) departmental parliamentary private secretaries during (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999.

(77928)

24
N   Mr Shaun Woodward (Witney):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants saw the European Scrutiny Committee questions brief in advance of the appearance of the Parliamentary Secretary before the committee on 2nd December.

(77850)

25
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he has discussed with representatives of the biotechnology industry the introduction of a voluntary three-year halt in the planting of herbicide-tolerant genetically-modified crops.

(77682)

26
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what (a) discussions he has had and (b) proposals his Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if he will make a statement.

(77782)

27
N   Mr Robert Maclennan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proposals have been received by the New Millennium Experience Company for the sale of books and the promotion of reading and literature as part of the Millennium Experience: and what response the company has made.

(77561)

28
N   Mr Robert Maclennan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what provision will be made for the sale of books in the Millennium Dome; and how much space has been allocated for this purpose.

(77560)

29
N   Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne and Sheppey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to ensure that the Commonwealth Games headquarters remain in London; and if he will make a statement.

(77774)

30
N   Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne and Sheppey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will list the chief executives of the international sporting bodies resident in the United Kingdom whom he has met since 1st May 1998.

(77773)

31
   Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect the potential removal of the Lan Chile flight to and from the Falklands will have on the proposal to reduce Tristar flights to the islands.

(77991)

32
   Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, to what extent the weaponry held by the Falkland Island Defence Force and by the British troops stationed on the island is compatible.

(77992)

33
   Mr Michael Colvin (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on his future plans for the Defence Evaluation Research Agency.

(77903)

34
   Mr Michael Colvin (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what are the titles of the study groups established by his Department to examine the globalization of technology transfer; what are the terms of reference of each; and when they are due to report.

(77904)

35
   Mr Michael Colvin (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions there have been between his Department and the American Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; and if he will make a statement.

(77902)

36
   Mr Ian Davidson (Glasgow, Pollok):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 10th March, Official Report, column 209, on auxiliary oilers, if he will estimate the extent of the anticipated slippage.

(77993)

37
   Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Government has made of the conditions under which the Trident system could fulfil a substrategic role through (a) deterrence and (b) use.

(77937)

38
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many questions he has answered from the honourable Member for Portsmouth South since 1st January; and at what cost to his Department's budget.

(77483)

39
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Territorial Army personnel are (a) currently deployed in Macedonia and (b) planned to be deployed in Macedonia; and whether notice has been given to TA units and personnel of intention to deploy them.

(77491)

40
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what units of the Defence Medical Services will be deployed in support of operations in Macedonia.

(77492)

41
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Internet and e-mail facilities will be available for the personal and welfare use of British forces deployed in Macedonia.

(77493)

42
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement about arrangements for the sending and receipt of personal mail by Her Majesty's forces deployed in Macedonia.

(77494)

43
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the (a) current and (b) planned entitlement for welfare telephone calls for personnel deployed in Macedonia; and whether such calls will be available through his Department's satellite links or commercial contractors.

(77495)

44
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is his policy on the supply of bottled mineral water to British troops in Macedonia; and if he will make a statement.

(77496)

45
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of British troops in Macedonia are currently accommodated (a) under canvas and (b) in CORIMET 20 foot equivalent units and (c) in other shelters; and if he will make a statement.

(77497)

46
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many 20 foot equivalent CORIMET accommodation units are (a) in place in Macedonia, (b) in transit to Macedonia and (c) on order for use by (i) the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and (ii) other British forces.

(77498)

47
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78147)

48
   Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's estimate was of the cost of answering the Question from the honourable Member for Chichester of 17th March, Official Report, column 689, concerning the waiving of the Working Time Directive (Ref. 76811); and if he will provide a breakdown.

(78048)

49
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many joint training exercises were conducted by the Army with other countries in the past year; and which countries they were.

(78119)

50
N   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on (a) the level of payments from NATO to cover the salaries of UK armed forces personnel on NATO missions, (b) the level of salaries and allowances paid to UK armed forces on NATO missions and (c) the reasons for differences between the amounts at (a) and (b).

(77621)

51
   Mrs Helen Brinton (Peterborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what minimum qualifications classroom assistants are required to possess.

(77907)

52
   Mrs Helen Brinton (Peterborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what regulations set the pay and conditions of classroom assistants.

(77906)

53
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what (a) discussions he has had and (b) proposals his Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if he will make a statement.

(77776)

54
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78151)

55
N   Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what has been the cost of running helplines for the New Deal; how many staff have been employed in manning the helplines; and how many calls have been received since their inception.

(77808)

56
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, on what date he received the Statement of Case from Gloucestershire County Council on its proposals to close Toddington Primary School.

(77365)

57
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what discussions he had with (a) teachers, (b) playgroup staff and (c) parents before proposing guidelines for the teaching of the under-fives; what extra provision he is making in terms of (i) teachers and (ii) buildings for implementing the guidelines; and if he will make a statement.

(77367)

58
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many overseas students are currently studying in Great Britain.

(78129)

59
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, at which UK universities overseas students are currently studying; and where these students are from.

(78122)

60
N   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate and Knaresborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what is the range of bids accepted by his Department to deliver the Gateway and each of the four strands of the New Deal.

(77684)

61
N   Mr Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if it is his target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom by 20 per cent. of the 1997 level by 2010; and if he will make a statement.

(77623)

62
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what (a) discussions he has had and (b) proposals his Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if he will make a statement.

(77779)

63
   Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to amend the planning regulations in order to help the UK to meet its targets for renewable energy generation.

(77944)

64
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what representations he has received on the availability of insurance for transport providers on 1st January 2000; and if he will arrange to meet transport providers to discuss this issue.

(77894)

65
N   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into a link between contaminated waste sites and birth defects in the local area.

(77800)

66
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what discussions he has had with the members of regional development agencies regarding their environmental role; what plans he has to monitor the environmental impact of RDAs; what plans he has to assess the implementation of the Regional Strategy of the RDAs; and if he will make a statement.

(77366)

67
   Mr Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the monitoring arrangements for each of the currently agreed field test sites for genetically-modified crops, specifying (a) which sites were subject to pre-planting environmental audits, (b) what sub-surface soil changes are being monitored, (c) what criteria for above-ground environmental impact form part of the field test monitoring and (d) which government office conducts the monitoring.

(78049)

68
   Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list each (a) biotechnology and (b) other company which has asked the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment to keep confidential papers or information which it has provided to the committee on genetically-modified engineering.

(77942)

69
   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what proportion of the total number of cars in the United Kingdom have engine capacity below 1100 cc.

(78009)

70
N   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate and Knaresborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 15th March, Official Report, column 469, if he will list the local authorities that made trading credit approval applications in 1997-98, indicating (a) the value of each application, (b) the purpose for which the trading credit approval was sought, (c) the political control of the local authority concerned and (d) whether the application was successful.

(77618)

71
N   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate and Knaresborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 15th March, Official Report, column 469, if he will list the applications for trading credit approvals which were successful in 1998-99, and the political control of each local authority concerned with the applications.

(77616)

72
N   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate and Knaresborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 15th March, Official Report, column 469, what effect granting the trading credit approval applied for by Harrogate Borough Council would have had on the PSBR for 1999-2000.

(77617)

73
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he has discussed with representatives of the biotechnology industry the introduction of a voluntary three-year halt in the planting of herbicide-tolerant genetically-modified crops.

(77679)

74
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps his Department has taken to delay the commercial release of herbicide-tolerant genetically-modified crops through voluntary agreements with the biotechnology industry.

(77680)

75
N   Mr Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of extending the application of the 10 pence tax rate to include income from investment; and if he will make a statement.

(77685)

76
N   Mr Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 16th March, Official Report, columns 641-2, if (a) special advisers and (b) officials (i) saw the draft report and (ii) discussed the preliminary draft of the report with (A) the Parliamentary Private Secretary and (B) members of the Social Security Committee.

(77852)

77
N   Mr Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 16th March, Official Report, columns 641-2, if (a) he and (b) his Ministers discussed the Social Security Committee's Draft Report with (i) his Parliamentary Private Secretary, (ii) members of the Social Security Committee, (iii) special advisers and (iv) officials.

(77886)

78
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) discussions he has had and (b) proposals his Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if he will make a statement.

(77778)

79
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78143)

80
N   Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the impact of a 1 per cent. increase in wages on employment levels.

(77888)

81
   Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to remove VAT on care for the elderly in cases where social services sub-contract the service and instruct the sub-contractor to recover the cost directly from the elderly.

(77934)

82
   Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list those measures in the Budget which will assist the United Kingdom in conforming to his five economic tests for joining EMU.

(77895)

83
   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set out the assumptions used in calculating the annual saving of carbon if the road fuel duty escalator is maintained at its present level until 2010 as in Custom and Excise Press Notice, C&E11.

(78017)

84
   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cars will attract the reduced rate of vehicle excise duty for cars with engines up to 1100 cc.

(78010)

85
   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to continue to implement the road fuel duty escalator in future years; and if he will set a final date for implementation of the duty escalator.

(78016)

86
   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the level of duty on a litre of (a) leaded petrol, (b) unleaded petrol, (c) ordinary diesel and (d) ultra-low sulphur diesel in the year (i) 2001, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2010 if the road fuel duty escalator is maintained at its present level.

(78018)

87
N   Mr Shaun Woodward (Witney):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants saw the European Scrutiny Committee questions brief in advance of the appearance of the Economic Secretary before the committee on 10th December.

(77849)

88
   Mr Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many applications for visitors' visas for persons aged over 60 years applying from India and Pakistan were (a) approved and (b) refused in each of the past 10 years.

(77896)

89
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) discussions he has had and (b) proposals his Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if he will make a statement.

(77775)

90
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78150)

91
   Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will instruct the United Kingdom Ambassador to the United Nations to ask (a) Secretary General Kofi Annan and (b) the Executive Chairman of Unscom what information has been made available to the office of (i) the Secretary General and (ii) Unscom in respect of allegations of the United States using Unscom as a cover for signals intelligence operations in Iraq.

(78155)

92
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the jailing of political dissidents in Cuba.

(78123)

93
N   Mr Shaun Woodward (Witney):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants saw the European Scrutiny Committee questions brief in advance of the appearance of the Minister of State before the committee on 25th November.

(77851)

94
   Mrs Helen Brinton (Peterborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the proposed regional commissions for care standards to be introduced.

(77908)

95
   Mr Ronnie Fearn (Southport):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is his estimate of the extra administrative costs to the National Health Service of the introduction of primary care boards.

(78134)

96
   Mr Ronnie Fearn (Southport):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the changes in the last five years in the average weight and height of schoolchildren in England and Wales; and if he will list the changes in the last five years in the (i) consumption of (a) dietary carbohydrate and (b) refined sugar products and (ii) total calorie intake and average levels of exercise of schoolchildren.

(78135)

97
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78141)

98
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 17th March, Official Report, column 677, concerning the use of mobile phones and memory loss, if either of the two studies has been completed; and when he expects the studies to be published.

(78113)

99
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to recruit and retain scientific medical officers and other laboratory support staff in the NHS.

(78003)

100
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much money he has allocated in the last year for which figures are available for research into the HIV virus in Great Britain.

(78124)

101
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have the HIV virus in Great Britain.

(78128)

102
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the Rowntree Report's proposal to support food projects as a way to tackle health and social problems; and if he will make a statement.

(78130)

103
   Mr Mike Wood (Batley and Spen):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the plans being made to cope with the expected extra demand which will be placed on emergency services during the Millennium celebrations.

(78138)

104
   Mr Ivor Caplin (Hove):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) civil and (b) criminal prosecutions were made in relation to prostitutes' calling cards in telephone boxes in 1997 and 1998.

(78047)

105
   Mr Ivor Caplin (Hove):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will consult on the possibility of making the placing of prostitutes' calling cards in telephone boxes a specific criminal offence.

(78046)

106
N   Mr Edward Davey (Kingston and Surbiton):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list, by date, the number of people who have been turned away after queuing at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate on each day after 1st February.

(77809)

107
N   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers were in post in each constabulary in Wales (a) in April 1997 and (b) at the latest available date.

(77554)

108
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) discussions he has had and (b) proposals his Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if he will make a statement.

(77783)

109
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78149)

110
N   Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the cost of training court welfare officers in each of the last two years; and what training was made available to such officers.

(77556)

111
N   Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is provided to (a) court welfare officers and (b) relevant members of the judiciary on parental alienation syndrome.

(77558)

112
   Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) handguns and (b) accessories, broken down by (i) type and (ii) calibre, have been surrendered to each police force in Great Britain by (A) private citizens, (B) shooting clubs and (C) firearms dealers under the Firearms Act 1997.

(78153)

113
   Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much compensation (a) has been paid and (b) is outstanding in respect of firearms surrendered under the terms of the Firearms Act 1997; and when he expects the process to be completed.

(78154)

114
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the recent arrest of Abu Hamza al-Masri; and what his policy is in respect of Yemen's request for his deportation.

(78131)

115
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Venezuelan nationals there are in British prisons.

(78125)

116
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee, what estimate he has made of the savings to public funds which could be generated by the central provision of information technology services and equipment for honourable Members' offices.

(77932)

117
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) discussions she has had and (b) proposals her Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if she will make a statement.

(77781)

118
N   Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people were directly employed by her Department on 1st March.

(77620)

119
N   Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will list her Department's budget for the Commonwealth Development Corporation was or is for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000.

(77624)

120
N   Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much debt relief was granted by her Department in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 1998-99.

(77622)

121
N   Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what is her Department's expenditure or budgeted expenditure through the British Council for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000.

(77619)

122
   Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when was the last time that (a) the ALA and (b) the EDF Committee of the European Commission completely rejected a proposed project (i) on any subject and (ii) on environmental and social grounds; what was the title of the project; and what were the grounds for the objections.

(77930)

123
   Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when was the last time that (a) the ALA and (b) the EDF Committee of the European Commission demanded that an independent (i) environmental impact assessment should be conducted before a project was given approval and (ii) evaluation be conducted on a Commission (1) project and (2) programme that was currently under implementation or had recently been completed.

(77931)

124
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has to offer aid to South African medical workers to combat the HIV problem.

(78127)

125
   Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much money she has allocated in the last year for which figures are available for Third World countries to combat the HIV problem.

(78126)

126
   Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans he has to amend Part II of the Solicitors Act 1974 to include amongst those Law Society rule changes which require his consent, the Law Society's Accounts Rules; and if he will make a statement.

(78120)

127
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78140)

128
N   Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many fathers had their application for residence awarded in each of the last two years.

(77555)

129
N   Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many contact orders were not kept in 1998 resulting in applications to the courts; and how many penalties were awarded by the courts where contact orders were broken.

(77559)

130
   Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will list the total number of occasions when (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity since 2nd May 1997, unaccompanied by ministers.

(77980)

131
   The Reverend Ian Paisley (North Antrim):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applicants for membership of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, represented both shades of political opinion in Northern Ireland.

(77983)

132
   The Reverend Ian Paisley (North Antrim):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if the interview panel for appointments to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission recommended only the persons ultimately appointed.

(77985)

133
   The Reverend Ian Paisley (North Antrim):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what criteria were adopted to ensure that the human rights commissioners appointed were representative of the community as a whole.

(77982)

134
   The Reverend Ian Paisley (North Antrim):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what criteria were used for shortlisting applicants for membership of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; who carried out the shortlisting; and what consultation was undertaken with (a) the Irish Government and (b) others regarding shortlisting.

(77984)

135
   The Reverend Ian Paisley (North Antrim):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what were the advertised requirements for the appointment of Northern Ireland's Human Rights Commission; and if these requirements were discussed with (a) the Irish Government and (b) the Secretariat at Maryfield.

(77981)

136
   The Reverend Ian Paisley (North Antrim):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whom she consulted prior to agreeing the appointments to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

(77986)

137
N   Mr Robert Maclennan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will amend the Code of Conduct for Ministers to include a prohibition against attempting to procure the (a) appointment, (b) promotion and (c) dismissal of individual journalists, and an obligation to make any complaints about journalists in writing, and to place them on public record.

(77615)

138
N   Sir Brian Mawhinney (North West Cambridgeshire):    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer to the Right honourable Member for Penrith and the Border, Official Report, columns 641-2, of 16th March, if he will require the Chancellor to return the leaked select committee report to the Chairman of the Social Security Committee.

(77844)

139
N   Sir Brian Mawhinney (North West Cambridgeshire):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will issue instructions to Ministers on the actions to be taken following unauthorised receipt of (a) drafts and (b) final unpublished versions of select committee reports.

(77846)

140
N   Sir Brian Mawhinney (North West Cambridgeshire):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the Government's policy when Ministers receive leaked copies of a select committee report in (a) draft and (b) unpublished form.

(77845)

141
   Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 8th March, Official Report, column 15, on Unscom, if he made any contact with the United States Administration when preparing his reply; and if he sought any clarification of the allegations of United States signals intelligence operations under the cover of Unscom in Iraq, from United Kingdom nationals working for Unscom.

(78156)

142
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he has discussed with representatives of the biotechnology industry the introduction of a voluntary three-year halt in the planting of herbicide-tolerant genetically-modified crops.

(77681)

143
   Mr Donald Gorrie (Edinburgh West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the estimated cost of the refurbishment of St. Andrew's House currently under way.

(77938)

144
   Mr Donald Gorrie (Edinburgh West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the estimated cost of those roadworks made necessary by the siting of the new Scottish Parliament building.

(77939)

145
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78144)

146
   Mrs Ray Michie (Argyll and Bute):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is his estimate of the total number of food premises in Scotland which will be liable for the proposed Food Standards Agency levy.

(77905)

147
   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will (a) list the consents he has refused for gas-fired power stations and (b) estimate the proposed investments in each station by those applying for consents.

(78012)

148
   Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will publish a of list leaked Select Committee documents that reached (a) him, (b) his Ministers, (c) his officials, (d) his advisers and (e) departmental parliamentary private secretaries during (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999.

(77929)

149
N   Mr Shaun Woodward (Witney):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants saw the European Scrutiny Committee questions brief in advance of the appearance of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State before the committee on 16th February.

(77848)

150
N   Mr Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his Answer of 10th March, Official Report, columns 250-1 on select committee reports, if he will list the occasions on which Ministers discussed the contents of Social Security Committee reports or draft reports of the deliberations of the committee with members of the Social Security Committee prior to their publications.

(77810)

151
N   Mr Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his Answer of 10th March, Official Report, columns 250-1 on select committee reports, if he will conduct an investigation into whether special advisers or civil servants reviewed or discussed Social Security Committee reports, drafts or parts of reports or their conclusions, prior to their publication.

(77811)

152
N   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, who will be undertaking the Minimum Funding Requirement review; and if he will list all those involved in the review.

(77553)

153
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78146)

154
N   Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many recruitment or contracting companies have been required to administer statutory sick pay to workers they contract to other companies since 1998; and what has been the consequent average additional annual (i) premiums for professional indemnity, public liability and employee's liability insurance and (ii) time which a company has had to spend administering the new rules.

(77807)

155
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what discussions he held with pensioners' groups before increasing the minimum income guarantee for pensioners; and if he will make a statement.

(77363)

156
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many pensioners he estimates will be ineligible for the minimum income guarantee, following the Budget, due to the level of their savings; and if he will make a statement.

(77362)

157
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate he has made of the percentage of those pensioners who are entitled to claim income support who actually do so.

(77364)

158
   Mr Gerry Steinberg (City of Durham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what plans he has to extend to those (a) in receipt of benefits and (b) on low incomes the heating allowance for those on pensions.

(77990)

159
   Mr Mike Wood (Batley and Spen):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what steps he is taking to deal with delays in pension payments due to computer breakdown at the Contributions Agency in Newcastle.

(78050)

160
   Mr Peter Bradley (The Wrekin):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what has been the percentage change in oil prices over the last two years.

(78109)

161
   Mr Peter Bradley (The Wrekin):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what has been the percentage change in pre-tax petrol retail prices over the last two years.

(78007)

162
   Mr Ronnie Fearn (Southport):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what is his Department's assessment of the effect on Exchequer revenues of the retail purchase and subsequent importation into Britain of private motor vehicles from (a) European Union countries and (d) non-European Union countries.

(78133)

163
   Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations have been made by the British Government to the Government of the United States about the environment risks of NASA's Cassini space probe; and when such representations were made.

(77933)

164
   Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if the British Government has obtained a copy of the European Space Agency's evaluation of the Cassini space probe.

(77936)

165
   Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Canning Town):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations have been made by the British Government to the European Space Agency about the environmental risks of the Cassini space probe; and when such representations were made.

(77935)

166
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what (a) discussions he has had and (b) proposals his Department has put forward at Council of Ministers' meetings in respect of EU fraud; and if he will make a statement.

(77780)

167
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department, if the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78139)

168
N   Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will reassess the annual cost to business of full implementation of the (a) minimum wage and (b) working time regulations following recent business experience.

(77885)

169
N   Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if defence sales in the UK are made in a (a) national, (b) European or (c) global market for competition purposes.

(77887)

170
   Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what reports he has received from British Nuclear Fuels in respect of its current collaboration with Pangea Resources to establish a repository for high level nuclear waste in Australia.

(77979)

171
   Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the European Commission's response to criticisms by the Court of Auditors, in special report 25/98, of the expenditure undertaken on nuclear safety in Central and Eastern Europe and in the newly-independent states of the former Soviet Union between 1990 and 1997; and if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the use of the resources provided by the United Kingdom for nuclear safety improvements under the TACIS and PHARE programmes.

(78152)

172
   Mr Clive Soley (Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if his Department is preparing a white paper on renewables; and if he will make a statement.

(77901)

173
   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which makes of car with engines of up to 1100 cc were built in Britain in 1998; and how many were sold in the United Kingdom of each make.

(78011)

174
   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will (a) list the consents he has refused for gas-fired power stations and (b) estimate the proposed investments in each station by those applying for the consents.

(78013)

175
N   Mr Shaun Woodward (Witney):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants saw the European Scrutiny Committee questions brief in advance of the appearance of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State before the committee on 16th February.

(77847)

176
   Mr Phil Woolas (Oldham East and Saddleworth):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what guidance he has issued to companies operating in the United Kingdom cashmere wool industry regarding the guaranteeing of the bond imposed upon them by the United States of America.

(77900)

177
   Mr Phil Woolas (Oldham East and Saddleworth):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans he has to revise the guidance notes on country of origin labelling for the United Kingdom clothing industry.

(77898)

178
   Mr Phil Woolas (Oldham East and Saddleworth):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many meetings there have been of the clothing and textile industry actions group; on what dates; who was in attendance; what progress has been made; and if he will make a statement.

(77897)

179
   Mr Phil Woolas (Oldham East and Saddleworth):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what issues are being considered by the Clothing and Textile Industry Action Group.

(77899)

180
   Mr John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round.

(78145)

181
   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many doctors were employed by Bridgend and District NHS Trust on 30th September 1996.

(78006)

182
   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, for what purpose he used his ministerial car on Monday 15th March.

(78004)

183
   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many (a) nurses and (b) mental care nurses were employed by Bridgend and District NHS Trust on (i) 30th September 1996 and (ii) 30th September 1997.

(78005)

184
N   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who will have an income below the minimum income guarantee level who will not qualify for the minimum income guarantee.

[Transferred] (77552)

185
   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is the policy of his Department in relation to stocks of cheese made with milk from a dairy herd which subsequently experiences an outbreak of bovine TB.

[Transferred] (78110)

186
   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that food poisoning incidents attributable to a failure of the pasteurisation process are correctly recorded as emanating from imperfectly pasteurised milk rather than from unpasteurised milk; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (78111)

187
   Mr Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, in relation to the approved field trials of genetically-modified crops, what evidence is (a) currently available and (b) in the process of being collected, in respect of (i) pollen transfer, (ii) horizontal gene flow to soil bacteria, (iii) changes in the nature of residues in the final product, with particular reference to neurotoxins, metabolites and those in its transgenic counterpart, (iv) transfer of genes from plants to micro-organisms, (v) transfer of genes between plant species and (vi) the impact on insect and wildlife in the local ecosystem.

[Transferred] (78015)

188
   Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what research has been (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department into the forms of packaging available for containment of (i) low, (ii) intermediate and (iii) high level radioactive wastes for its repatriation after reprocessing.

[Transferred] (77943)

189
   Tom Cox (Tooting):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons Her Majesty's Government has not ratified the Council of Europe: Protocol of amendment to the European convention for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (77988)

190
   Tom Cox (Tooting):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason Her Majesty's Government has not ratified the Council of Europe: Criminal law convention on corruption; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (77989)

191
   Mr Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make a statement on progress made following the signing of the Aarhus Convention on environmental rights in June 1998; and whether Britain will have ratified the Convention in time to be involved in the first meeting of signatories in Moldova in April.

[Transferred] (78014)

192
   Mr Ronnie Fearn (Southport):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is his Department's estimate of the total value of goods sold in the United Kingdom in the categories of (a) private motor vehicles, (b) white goods and (c) personal computers in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

[Transferred] (78008)

193
   Mr Ronnie Fearn (Southport):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the average retail prices of (a) private motor vehicles, (b) white goods and (c) personal computers in each European Union country in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

[Transferred] (78132)

194
   Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he is taking to encourage the offshore industry workforce to become involved in safety matters.

[Transferred] (77940)

195
   Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the implementation by offshore operators of the recommendations of the Cullen Inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster.

[Transferred] (77941)

196
   Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many (a) deaths at work and (b) serious injuries were recorded for the United Kingdom oil and gas extraction industry in each of the years 1978 to date, excluding the deaths as a result of the Piper Alpha disaster.

[Transferred] (77978)



© Parliamentary copyright 1999	Revised 19 March 1999