Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 1998-98
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The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Tuesday 20 April 1999

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 20 April of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

For other Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 20 April, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Wednesday 21 April, see Part 2 of this Paper.

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

TUESDAY 20th APRIL

1
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will require the Advisory Committee on Pesticides to take account of the effects on biodiversity in reaching decisions about the clearance of pesticides.

(81449)

2
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what steps he is taking to prevent the illegal slaughtering of goats and sheep, involving the removal of hides by oxyacetylene blowtorches; and if he will make a statement.

(81394)

3
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which of his responsibilities in respect of genetically-modified organisms will be devolved to (a) the Scottish Parliament and (b) the National Assembly for Wales.

(81460)

4
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which millennium landmark projects have undergone changes from the original approved scheme; which schemes were involved; and what changes have been made.

(81605)

5
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many millennium landmark projects have had significant elements removed from the original approved scheme; and which elements have been lost.

(81604)

6
   Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, from whom he received advice concerning the possible inclusion of the Atlantic Frontier on the list of World Heritage sites to be put forward to UNESCO; what the advice was; and what the reasons were for not including the Atlantic Frontier in his list.

(81618)

7
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the Defence Estates Organisation was relaunched on 29th March.

(81630)

8
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what value of stationery, signage and documentation formerly owned by the Defence Estates Organisation will not be used by Defence Estates, established on 29th March.

(81628)

9
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 24th March, Official Report, column 307, if he will list, by case, the experiments that have been performed on goats at the Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory in each of the last 12 months.

(81633)

10
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 24th March, Official Report, column 307, how many goats have died in experiments at the Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory in each of the last 12 months.

(81634)

11
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 24th March, Official Report, column 307, how many goats have been injured before undergoing experiments at the Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory in the last 12 months; and what anaesthetics are administered to goats before experiments take place.

(81635)

12
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the cost of the relaunch of the Defence Estates Organisation.

(81629)

13
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what measures the Government is undertaking to promote life-long learning and develop the skills base of older workers as a means of improving the levels of employment amongst the over 50s.

(80946)

14
   Mrs Eileen Gordon (Romford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many representations he has received from parents in Havering concerning secondary school admission for September.

(81610)

15
   Mrs Eileen Gordon (Romford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what powers he has under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to ensure that in cases where a local education authority operates catchment areas for secondary school admission, all primary schools within the local education authority fall within a catchment area.

(81612)

16
   Mrs Eileen Gordon (Romford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what powers he has under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to require admission authorities to take part in consultation over secondary school admission arrangements with the local education authority.

(81611)

17
   Mr Clive Soley (Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many schools in England and Wales, broken down by local education authority, there are where special education needs children exceeded (a) 10 per cent., (b) 20 per cent., (c) 30 per cent., (d) 40 per cent., (e) 50 per cent. and (f) 60 per cent. of the total school population in the last year for which figures are available.

(81608)

18
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the environmental consequences of the farming of genetically-modified salmon.

(81451)

19
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for British beekeepers wishing to produce honey free of genetically-modified material of the commercial growing of genetically modified oilseed rape.

(81395)

20
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the maximum distance he assumes bees can travel when setting isolation distances for genetically modified trial crops.

(81408)

21
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, which of his responsibilities in respect of genetically-modified organisms will be devolved to (a) the Scottish Parliament and (b) the National Assembly for Wales.

(81461)

22
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will investigate the appearance on beaches in the South West of beheaded dolphins; and if he will make a statement.

(81393)

23
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what measures the Government has taken to tackle fuel poverty in pensioner households.

(80944)

24
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps his Department is taking to improve the provision of adequate social housing for the elderly.

(80945)

25
N   Dr Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what recent representations he has received concerning the incidence of serious illnesses amongst women employed in the electronics industry who are, or have been, exposed to organic solvents and other chemicals; and if he will make a statement.

(81127)

26
N   Dr Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the risk of miscarriage to women working in the Scottish semiconductor industry relative to that of women working in other industries; and if he will make a statement.

(81150)

27
N   Dr Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what information he has obtained concerning the possible link between the exposure to organic solvents of women employed in the electronics industry and the incidence amongst women of (a) leukaemia, (b) breast cancer, (c) other forms of cancer and (d) foetal abnormalities; and if he will make a statement.

(81126)

28
N   Dr Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what research he has commissioned recently on the effects on workers of the use of organic solvents in industry; and if he will make a statement.

(81129)

29
N   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral Answer of 13th April, Official Report, column 5, what plans he has to issue a consultation paper on his proposals for the public funding arrangements for the railways; and if he will list the representations he has received on this matter.

(81601)

30
N   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral Answer to the honourable Member for Workington, of 13th April, Official Report, column 9, concerning transport costs per tonne-kilometre, when he will produce such an analysis; whether such an analysis will be produced by a firm without other contractual links with the Government; and if he will make a statement.

(81600)

31
N   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if the definition of a steeply-sloping plot within Part M of the Building Regulations which come into force in October will be based solely on the topography of the site.

(81445)

32
   Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he expects to have gathered enough scientific evidence from farm-scale testing of genetically-modified crops to make an assessment of the environmental and wildlife consequences of the commercial growing of such crops.

(81639)

33
   Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has for farm-scale test sites for genetically-modified crops in addition to the three he announced on 15th April in the current year.

(81638)

34
   Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what regulations he has applied to the dispersal of seed from genetically-modified crops grown in farm-scale test sites over the next five years.

(81640)

35
   Miss Geraldine Smith (Morecambe and Lunesdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to provide additional funding for areas of outstanding natural beauty; and if he will make a statement.

(81614)

36
   Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 15th April, Official Report, column 299, what methodology will be used to assess the impact of the fuel duty escalator on transport emissions and when an accurate assessment of impact will be prepared.

(81619)

37
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to paragraph 5.81 in Budget 99 (HC 298), what detailed procedures will be followed to undertake the environment appraisals.

(81396)

38
N   Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the additional income and staff required by the Financial Services Authority if it assumes regulatory responsibility for loans secured on land as (a) first mortgages within the scope of the Council for Mortgage Lenders Code, (b) other loans secured on land with a value over £25,000 and (c) consumer credit loans with a value below £25,000.

(81591)

39
N   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people will cease to receive tax relief on maintenance payments at (a) 10 per cent. and (b) 40 per cent. as a result of the change contained in the Finance Bill.

(81586)

40
N   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the procedure by which Customs and Excise informs businesses of changes to the VAT rules; and if he will make a statement.

(81590)

41
N   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue will be raised in 2000-01 as a result of the removal of tax relief for maintenance payments.

(81588)

42
N   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the average retail price of a packet of 20 cigarettes in each member state of the European Union.

(81587)

43
N   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon and East Chelmsford):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the proportion of the average retail price of a packet of 20 cigarettes which is taken in tax on each member state of the European Union.

(81589)

44
N   Mr Mike Gapes (Ilford South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met the President of the European Commission to discuss reform of the institutions of the European Union.

(79963)

45
N   Dr John Marek (Wrexham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions have taken place with the government of Gibraltar concerning the enfranchisement of Gibraltarians for European elections; and if he will make a statement.

(81426)

46
N   Mr Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many public interest immunity certificates he has signed since coming into office.

(81446)

47
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in what ways the £21 billion of extra investment in the NHS will be targeted on improving healthcare provision amongst those of pensionable age.

(80942)

48
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the number of people who will benefit from the abolition of eye test charging for over the 60s.

(80943)

49
   Mrs Eileen Gordon (Romford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what has been the (a) number and (b) percentage of calls to NHS Direct which relate to back pain; and what advice NHS Direct has offered callers.

(81609)

50
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what money his Department has provided for research into the study of liver disease in each of the last three years; what assessment he has made of the need for futher research into liver disease; and if he will make a statement.

(81631)

51
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to provide increased funding for the national liver units.

(81632)

52
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 10th March, Official Report, columns 298-9, on the Private Finance Initiative, if the contracts for the schemes which have reached financial closure contain any provision for monitoring as to whether they will be completed on time.

(81367)

53
   Fiona Mactaggart (Slough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much iophendylate was purchased by the National Health Service in 1998-99.

(81620)

54
   Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on how many occasions his Department has used an emergency control order to respond to instances of food poisoning or contamination in each of the last five years.

(81613)

55
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 21st January, Official Report, column 556, if the Prison Service has completed the short review on recruitment to the Prison Service; and if he will publish the conclusions.

(81637)

56
   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding allocation his Department has made for the development of local bail support provision for 1999-2000 and the following two years.

(81636)

57
N   Dr David Clark (South Shields):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultations he has had with local authorities concerning the body-piercing of minors.

(81422)

58
N   Dr David Clark (South Shields):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will introduce legislation to prohibit body-piercing of minors without their parents' or guardians' consent.

(81424)

59
N   Dr David Clark (South Shields):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the statutory provisions which cover the body-piercing of minors.

(81423)

60
N   Dr David Clark (South Shields):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received concerning body-piercing of minors.

(81425)

61
N   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance she is giving to the Government of Macedonia to help it cope with the influx of refugees from Kosovo.

(79961)

62
N   Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will make public the names of all applicants for silk during the assessment process of their applications; and if he will make a statement.

(81500)

63
N   Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will introduce fixed-term appointments for Queen's Counsel; and if he will make a statement.

(81501)

64
   Mr John Hume (Foyle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the condition of public parks and play areas in Northern Ireland and the impact of social and policing problems related to the conflict of the past 30 years on such facilities.

(81626)

65
   Mr John Hume (Foyle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures the Government plans to take to improve parks and play areas in Northern Ireland.

(81625)

66
   Dr Gavin Strang (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will make a statement on the anonymised programme of HIV surveillance in Northern Ireland, setting out for each survey currently in operation or planned (a) the location, (b) the targeted populations, (c) the clinical reasons for initial collection of specimens, (d) the number of specimen collection venues, (e) the annual specimen numbers, (f) the most recent prevalence data, (g) whether the consent of those tested was sought for entry into the survey and (h) whether those tested were informed that they were to be entered into the survey.

(81615)

67
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Prime Minister, what steps he is taking to achieve greater co-ordination between the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.

(81450)

68
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many genetically-modified salmon he estimates have escaped from farms into the environment.

(81447)

69
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the number of genetically-modified salmon presently being farmed.

(81448)

70
N   Dr Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the incidence is of (a) leukaemia, (b) breast cancer, (c) other forms of cancer and (d) foetal abnormalities amongst women (i) in Inverclyde and (ii) elsewhere in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

(81128)

71
N   Dr Gavin Strang (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his Answer of 23rd February, Official Report, columns 222-4, if he will set out for each group of people tested, whether (a) their consent was sought for entry and (b) they were informed that they were to be entered into an anonymised HIV prevalence survey.

(80714)

72
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what has been the increase in take-up of (a) income support and (b) other benefits amongst people of pensionable age since 1st May 1997.

(80947)

73
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate he has made of the number of people who will benefit as a result of the new guaranteed minimum income for pensioners on income support.

(80948)

74
N   Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what monitoring the Office of Fair Trading and trading standards officers undertake of individuals granted consumer credit licences under the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

(81597)

75
N   Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many consumer credit licences issued by the Office of Fair Trading under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 are still current.

(81598)

76
N   Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many current consumer credit licensees are operating (a) in the consumer credit market, (b) in the secured credit market for loans of up to £25,000 and (c) in the secured credit market for loans above £25,000.

(81593)

77
N   Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what requirements have to be met to obtain a consumer credit licence from the Office of Fair Trading.

(81594)

78
N   Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many staff were employed by the Office of Fair Trading to carry out its consumer credit, licensing and related regulatory functions during (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000.

(81592)

79
N   Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many consumer credit licences have been revoked by the Office of Fair Trading, and for what reasons, in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 to date.

(81595)

80
N   Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of holders of current consumer credit licences are also authorised under the Financial Services Act 1986.

(81596)

81
N   Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the honourable Member for West Derbyshire can expect a reply to his letter of 30th January and reminder of 9th March concerning the East Midlands Electricity Consumers' Council.

(81444)

82
   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what progress has been made towards negotiating an agreement on investment since the ending of negotiations on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment.

(81616)

83
   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make it his policy to ensure that social, environmental and development issues are given high priority in future discussions on developing an international agreement on investment.

(81617)

84
   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the European Commission document I.G 1/98 prepared by DG1 for a meeting of the EU Council's Article 113 Committee; and if he will make a statement.

(81627)

85
N   Mr Cynog Dafis (Ceredigion):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, under what provision the National Assembly is given the power to introduce free bus travel for pensioners.

(80511)

86
N   Mr Cynog Dafis (Ceredigion):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of the funding for the scheme to provide free bus travel for pensioners will come from local authority funds.

(80512)

87
N   Mr Cynog Dafis (Ceredigion):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what role the National Assembly will have in the operation of a scheme to provide free bus travel for pensioners.

(80513)

88
N   Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what advice he has obtained regarding the legality of demonstrations by lorry drivers.

[Transferred] (81599)



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