Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 1998-98
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The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Wednesday 12 May 1999

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 12 May 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 12 May, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Thursday 13 May, 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 12th MAY

1
N   Mr Denis Murphy (Wansbeck):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what representations he has received from consumer groups and individuals in relation to the details of genetically-modified flavourings and additives to be included on food labelling; and what actions are being taken by his Department in pursuance of this.

(83783)

2
N   Mr Denis Murphy (Wansbeck):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what safety measures and regulations his Department has implemented in relation to genetically-modified food products on sale in the UK; and what proposals he has to extend these regulations.

(83784)

3
N   Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Arts Council of England regarding the future of its commissioning budget; and if he will make a statement.

(83046)

4
N   Mr Denis Murphy (Wansbeck):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assistance his Department is providing for local authority administered museums which are seeking to increase and improve their visitor attractions whilst retaining free admission.

(83720)

5
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the (a) nature and (b) number of sorties undertaken to date by the Yugoslav Air Force over Kosovo.

(83964)

6
N   Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Territorial Army infantry battalions and companies there were in (a) May 1998 and (b) May 1999.

(83625)

7
N   Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Territorial Army centres there were in (a) May 1998 and (b) May 1999.

(83626)

8
N   Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many individual members of the Territorial Army are currently serving with British forces in the Kosovo theatre; and with which units they are serving.

(83627)

9
N   Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was (a) the ceiling on personnel numbers and (b) the actual strength of the Territorial Army in each month between May 1998 and May 1999; and if he will make a statement.

(83629)

10
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the numbers of his Department's (a) military and (b) civilian personnel tasked (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas as United Kingdom contributions to (1) UN missions in former Yugoslavia, (2) the UN Tribunal on Yugoslavia, (3) the UN missions in the former Soviet Union, (4) the UN Special Commission on Iraq, (5) the UN Iraq/Kuwait observation mission, (6) the UN mission for the referendum in western Sahara, (7) the UN Angola verification mission, (8) the UN support mission in Haiti, (9) the UN observer mission in Angola, (10) the UN mission in Central African Republic, (11) the UN observer mission in Sierra Leone, (12) the UN tribunal in Rwanda, (13) the OSCE in Albania and (14) the WEU police mission in Albania.

(83631)

11
   Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many classes for five to seven year olds in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire had over 30 pupils in each year from 1992 to date; and if he will make a statement.

(83962)

12
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what response his Department has made to the European Commission White Paper establishing a common transport infrastructure charging framework in the EU.

(83941)

13
   Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the total amount of capital housing receipts that have been released to Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council for each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(83924)

14
   Bob Russell (Colchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what procedures are available to a local authority to take action against individuals who wrongly claim the single person's household council tax discount; and what monitoring he undertakes to ensure that local authorities check the validity of those claiming such a discount.

(84034)

15
   Bob Russell (Colchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many investigations have been held in the past year into aircraft arriving at UK airports with a fuel level lower than that required; how many have been in respect of aircraft landing at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Stansted; if he will investigate recent reports concerning an aircraft from Malaysia Airlines with nearly empty fuel tanks; and if he will make a statement.

(84033)

16
   Bob Russell (Colchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many investigations have been held in the past year into reports of near misses by aircraft flying over the UK; how many were related to aircraft using the Clacton sector air corridor; whether an investigation is being made into reports of an incident on 7th May; what action he will take to prevent further incidents; and if he will make a statement.

(84035)

17
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the (a) role in informing business on EMU, (b) the budget and (c) publications of Business Link.

(83927)

18
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the UK subscription to the capital of the European Central Bank (a) in total and (b) as paid-up capital.

(83943)

19
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the new European Community pension scheme will be privately funded; what liabilities currently exist; and if he will make a statement.

(83931)

20
   Mr Jim Marshall (Leicester South):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the outcome of the ECOFIN Council held in Brussels on 10th May; and if he will make a statement.

(83973)

21
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much third world debt the UK has written off since May 1997; how much remains due to the UK; to whom this is owed; and if he will make a statement.

(82957)

22
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 4th May, Official Report, columns 340-1, if the letter from the Dutch Government of 16th July 1997 on the Amsterdam Treaty negotiations was referred to during Council discussions on the Home Secretary's proposal to join elements of the Schengen system.

(83963)

23
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place (a) the Register of MEPs' interests and (b) the guidelines for MEPs registering interests in the Library.

(83942)

24
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what will be the (a) role, (b) budget and (c) fees for the pre-accession advisers funded under the EU twinning programme with candidate countries in Central Europe; who will select them; on what criteria; and if he will make a statement.

(83928)

25
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the nature of the social security provision agreed at the Luxembourg General Affairs Council of 26th and 27th April.

(83930)

26
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the pre-conflict Kosovan ethnic mix in (a) percentage and (b) numerical terms; and what measures he is planning to guarantee the security of non-Albanians in post-conflict Kosovo.

(83926)

27
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) the draft MEP statute agreed by the Council of Ministers, (b) the proposal from the European Parliament set before the Council and (c) the European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee Report on the Council amendments; what assessment he has made of the prospects for agreement being reached on an MEP statute; what action his Department is taking to reach such an agreement; and if he will make a statement.

(83944)

28
   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the discussions at the General Affairs Council of 26th and 27th April concerning European Court of Justice preparations for implementation of the Amsterdam Treaty.

(83929)

29
   Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what records his Department has (a) from August, September and October 1975 of communications between Britain and (i) Australia and (ii) Indonesia in those months, (b) from 1975 and 1976 of communications between Britain and (i) Australia, and (ii) Indonesia concerning the invasion of East Timor and (c) of the visits to his Department in London by (i) Jose Ramos-Horta in February 1976 and (ii) James Dunn in early 1977; when each of these sets of records was last consulted; and who has access to them.

(83958)

30
   Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement about the Australian government's recent report on the deaths of the British and other newsmen in East Timor in 1975.

(83959)

31
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if (a) the British Embassy offices and (b) the SFOR offices in Banja Luka are back in use following their occupation by demonstrators on 25th March; and if he will make a statement.

(83628)

32
   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the proposal for Her Majesty's Government to support the construction of the Ilisu Dam in Turkey meets the criteria of the Government's ethical foreign policy.

(83920)

33
   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department was first informed by the Department of Trade and Industry of its proposal to support the construction of the Ilisu Dam in Turkey.

(83945)

34
   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Syria and the Government of Jordan, representing Iraq, on the proposals of the Government of Turkey to construct the Ilisu Dam.

(83921)

35
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the use of child soldiers in (a) Ethiopia and (b) Eritrea.

(83923)

36
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in changing the laws on homosexual acts in the overseas territories since publication of the White Paper on Dependent Territories.

(83940)

37
   Mr Kevin Barron (Rother Valley):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made in his Department's review of the services available under the domiciliary oxygen service; how many outside organisations have been consulted; when he expects the review to be completed; and if he will publish its findings.

(84038)

38
   Mr David Kidney (Stafford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to publish the Government's response to the Report of the Royal Commission into long-term care.

(83979)

39
N   Mr Denis Murphy (Wansbeck):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses and nursing assistants have been recruited (a) in the UK and (b) in each NHS region since the recent recruitment campaign.

(83719)

40
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is his current estimate of the cost of providing (a) accommodation, (b) support for essential living needs and (c) expenses incurred in connection with (i) a claim for asylum and (ii) an appeal made in relation to it for each asylum seeker receiving support under his proposed asylum support system.

(83956)

41
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the throughput of files achieved by the Case Allocation Unit for the latest available period.

(83954)

42
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the average number of (a) callers, (b) calls and (c) calls answered per day to the telephone caller unit in the Immigration and Nationality Department in (i) March and (ii) April.

(83951)

43
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the unit cost of caseworking in the Immigration and Nationality Department in (a) each of the last six months for which figures are available and (b) May 1997.

(83950)

44
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will estimate the number of staff to be employed in the administrative machinery for the proposed Home Office Asylum Support System.

(83955)

45
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing the administrative machinery for the proposed Home Office asylum support system.

(83960)

46
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will estimate the cost of providing each £1 worth of support for asylum applicants (a) in receipt of income support following an application for asylum at a port of entry and (b) in receipt of support from a local authority following an in-country asylum application.

(83961)

47
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for asylum were (i) received and (ii) determined in (a) February, (b) March and (c) April.

(83953)

48
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of asylum applications made (a) before 1st July 1993 and (b) between 1st July 1993 and 31st December 1995 have resulted in the granting of leave to remain under the asylum backlog procedures.

(83952)

49
   Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications were outstanding in (a) each of the last six months for which figures are available and (b) May 1997.

(83949)

50
   Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith and Fulham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research has been undertaken by his Department into the levels of support that will need to be available to dispersed asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement.

(84040)

51
   Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith and Fulham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what transitional arrangements he will put in place under the Immigration and Asylum Bill to deal with existing asylum seekers who are waiting for their applications to be processed; and if he will make a statement.

(84037)

52
   Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith and Fulham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what level of clothing allowance he plans to make available to (a) adult and (b) child asylum seekers, whose application has not been processed within six months; and if he will make a statement.

(84041)

53
   Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith and Fulham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received from (a) refugee organisations and (b) other agencies since the assessment of the level of cash support available to asylum seekers proposed under the Immigration and Asylum Bill; and if he will make a statement.

(84039)

54
   Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith and Fulham):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures he plans to introduce to allow asylum seekers of school age to claim free school meals; and if he will make a statement.

(84036)

55
   Mr Lawrence Cunliffe (Leigh):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement about the review of the Tote.

(84050)

56
   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will provide an index and catalogue for the evidence placed in the House of Lords Library which was provided to the inquiry into the Hillsborough Disaster.

(83925)

57
   Mr Andrew Rowe (Faversham and Mid Kent):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints of passports being (a) mislaid and (b) lost have been received in each month since November 1998.

(84032)

58
N   Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on the preparations being made to provide assistance to Kosovar refugees over the winter.

(82965)

59
N   The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the impact of the demands of relief aid in Kosovo and Albania upon other areas of development support.

(83277)

60
   Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list for the week ended Saturday 8th May the number of violent incidents involving paramilitary groups which took place in Northern Ireland, indicating how many involved (a) Loyalist and (b) Republican groups.

(83974)

61
   Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list for the week ended Saturday 8th May the number of (a) punishment beatings and (b) punishment shootings which took place in Northern Ireland indicating how many in each category were committed by (i) Loyalist and (ii) Republican groups.

(83975)

62
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many state pathologists there are in Northern Ireland.

(83934)

63
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many relatives of the deceased in each of the last 10 years have waited (a) one year, (b) two years and (c) more than two years between the death and the issuing of a death certificate; and if she will issue a statement.

(83936)

64
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many post mortems each state pathologist in Northern Ireland has conducted in each of the last three years; and what were the numbers performed by Home Office pathologists in England and Wales.

(83937)

65
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which department is responsible for cutting the grass (a) at Belmont roundabout on the intersection of Belmont Road and Knock Dual Carriageway, Belfast and (b) in front of Nos. 1 to 40 Old Holywood Road; and how often the grass is cut.

(83932)

66
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many post mortems were conducted in each of the last five years in Northern Ireland.

(83935)

67
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans she has to allow hospital pathologists to conduct routine post mortems.

(83938)

68
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans she has to issue a standard charter for the State Pathologists Department.

(83939)

69
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many recruits there were to the RUC reserve in each of the last five years; how many recruits are currently training; and when the next intake will be into the RUC reserve.

(83933)

70
   Mr Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst):    To ask the President of the Council, if she will review the Parliamentary Office and Secretarial Allowances of Scottish honourable Members following the transfer of responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament.

(83957)

71
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will discuss with CBD Porton Down the basis on which the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons lists EMPTA as a compound which also has commercial uses.

(82946)

72
N   Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth and Horncastle):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 12th May.

(83630)

73
   Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many families have received the increase in child benefit for the eldest child in the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency; and if he will make a statement.

(83922)

74
   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what ethical and environmental guidance exists for the Export Credits Guarantee Department on applications for support.

(83976)

75
   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people likely to be displaced as a result of the proposed construction of the Ilisu Dam.

(83977)

76
   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what amount of credit is being requested by Balfour Beattie from the Export Credits Guarantee Department to underwrite its share of the cost of the Ilisu Dam.

(83978)

77
   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what estimate he has made of the cost of removing student tuition fees for higher education in Wales.

(83980)

78
N   Mr Mike Gapes (Ilford South):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many refugees and displaced persons have been driven from their homes in (i) Serbia, (ii) Kosovo, (iii) Croatia, (iv) Macedonia, (v) Montenegro, (vi) Bosnia and (vii) Slovenia since 1990 as a result of the civil wars and conflicts in former Yugoslavia; and how much development assistance and humanitarian support has been made available by the British Government to the countries of the regions.

[Question Unstarred] (82956)