Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 1998-98
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The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Monday 17 May 1999

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Monday 17 May 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.

MONDAY 17th MAY

1
N   Mr David Heath (Somerton and Frome):    To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee, what recent representations she has received concerning the circumstances under which British citizens could be required to pay for access to visit the Palace of Westminster.

(83457)

2
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what plans the Government has to contribute towards the new charges for veterinary inspection on the slaughter of animals; and if he will make a statement.

(84565)

3
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what representations he has received on the Berlin Summit agreement for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy relating to beet and cereals.

(84552)

4
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in what circumstances Article 36 of the Treaty of Rome can be used to ban the import of food products on grounds of public health and safety.

(84713)

5
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what representations he has received on the role of women in farming.

(84554)

6
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when he plans to bring into force the new legislation concerning the control of quarantine of pets.

(84571)

7
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will publish the research commissioned by his Department into the cross-contamination between genetically-modified crops and crops that are not genetically-modified.

(84533)

8
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what changes he proposes in the modus operandi of the Joint Cabinet Consultative Committee following the establishment of joint working between Labour and the Liberal Democrats in the Scottish Parliament.

(84680)

9
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Answer of 28th January, Official Report, column 316, on the Joint Consultative Committee, if he will publish the unclassified minutes of the JCC.

(84679)

10
N   Mr Tony McWalter (Hemel Hempstead):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current arrangements for funding public libraries.

(83722)

11
N   Mr Bill Rammell (Harlow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make a statement on the development of healthy living centres.

(83417)

12
N   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department expects to be able to make available to the House of Commons Defence Committee the list of measures scored as efficiency savings under the efficiency programmes of (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02.

(83583)

13
N   Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he intends to reply to the letter of 15th January from the honourable Member for Tiverton and Honiton concerning John Heathcoat & Co. Ltd., and the RAF Coverall contract.

(84381)

14
N   Mr Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of the deployment of UK forces in the Balkans since 18th April.

(83984)

15
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if Fleet Support at Portsmouth bid for the refit of HMS 'Ark Royal'; and if he will make a statement.

(84568)

16
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when those companies which had been invited to tender for the upgrade programme for mine counter-measure vessels were informed of the delay in the programme; how this was done; and by whom.

(84569)

17
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many surplus RAF aircraft have been sold in each of the last five years; and to whom they were sold.

(84567)

18
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements are in place to fund locums when general medical practitioners who are officers in the TA are required to serve.

(84124)

19
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Defence Vetting Agency plans to move to York.

(84550)

20
   Bob Russell (Colchester):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel are based at the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency in Colchester; and how many staff have agreed to be transferred to Caversfield.

(84648)

21
   Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has received concerning the use of depleted uranium weapons in operation Allied Force against Yugoslavia.

(84624)

22
   Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what plans he has to ensure that pupils have the opportunity to take part in outdoor activities as part of the school curriculum.

(84693)

23
   Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what response he plans to make to the conclusion of the FEFC Inspection Report of Wirral Metropolitan College that the Remuneration Committee had not complied with its terms of reference when it recommended the early retirement package for the outgoing Principal.

(84540)

24
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what steps the Government is taking to improve the effectiveness of measures aimed at reducing the level of long-term unemployment among the over 25 year olds in Coventry.

(83972)

25
   Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list for schools in the Devon Local Education Authority the change in the average size of classes, taught by one teacher, between January 1998 and January 1999 for pupils in (a) nursery classes, (b) Key Stage Two and (c) secondary schools.

(84645)

26
N   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what recent guidance has been given to colleges of further education concerning the attendance of members of the governing body; and if he will make a statement.

[R] (84385)

27
   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will make a statement on the changes made by his Department since 2nd May 1997 to the rules on allocating capital approvals for special school re-organisation projects.

(84557)

28
   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list in respect of each local education authority in England, (a) the amount bid for under the New Deal for Schools (phase 3), (b) the amount awarded by his Department and (c) the amount awarded expressed as a percentage of the bid.

(84556)

29
   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how much money is currently being held in reserve by his Department under the New Deal for schools (phase 3) following the allocation of awards to local education authorities; and if he will make a statement on his policy towards the use of this money.

(84558)

30
   Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will publish the agenda for the Labour and Social Affairs Council of 25th May.

(84685)

31
   Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his Answer of 4th May, Official Report, column 369, if he will be using (a) off-flows and (b) an absolute fall in the unemployment count in the target category to measure the Government's progress against the New Deal pledge target of moving 250,000 people from welfare to work.

(84566)

32
   Mr Patrick Nicholls (Teignbridge):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many NVQ Level IIIs have been accredited since 1st September 1998; what is his estimate of the number of small and medium sized businesses which no longer have their preferred NVQ available to them for modern apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement.

(84564)

33
   Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list (a) the names and current employers of the board members of each regional development agency and (b) the names and previous employers of the senior management team appointed by each regional development agency.

(84714)

34
   Mr Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many cases of nuisance caused by misuse of fireworks were reported to environmental service departments between January 1998 and January 1999.

(84695)

35
   Mr Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many applications for authorisation and categorisation of fireworks to be imported to the United Kingdom there have been in each year since 1996; how many were (a) approved and (b) denied; and what were the categories involved in each case.

(84696)

36
   Mr Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the levels of harassment and nuisance caused by misuse of fireworks.

(84694)

37
   Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the contribution which switching wherever practical to (a) energy-efficient light bulbs and (b) semi-conductor (gallium nitride) illumination in traffic lights, would make toward meeting the UK's obligations under the Kyoto Accord.

(84549)

38
N   Mr Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what discussions he has had with Railtrack on their plans to take over part of London Underground.

(83983)

39
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what efforts the Government is making to advise the British transportation industry on (a) the availability and (b) the applicability of alternative fuels

(83985)

40
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what requirements his Department (a) has set down and (b) proposes to set down for local authorities for the purchasing of motor vehicles in respect of the use of alternative fuels.

(83986)

41
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what efforts the Government is making to ensure adequate labelling of fuel-efficient cars.

(83987)

42
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what reports he has received in the period since 1st January 1997 of aircraft arriving at (a) Luton and (b) Stansted with empty fuel tanks; and if he will make a statement.

(84376)

43
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what regulations are in place to prevent (a) debris and (b) ice falling from aircraft.

(84378)

44
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what discussions he has had in the past year with the CAA relating to (a) debris and (b) ice falling from aircraft over Hertfordshire.

(84380)

45
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he plans to take to improve aircraft safety relating to (a) debris and (b) ice falling from aircraft.

(84375)

46
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what reports he has received about (a) debris and (b) ice falling from aircraft in the past year; and if he will make a statement.

(84377)

47
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will meet representatives of the CAA to discuss the recent incidents of (a) debris and (b) ice falling from aircraft over Hertfordshire.

(84379)

48
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the current timetable for the opening of (a) the transport links to the Millennium Experience and (b) the exhibition itself.

(83443)

49
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what recent representations he has received on runway capacity at airports in the South of England; and if he will make a statement.

(84561)

50
   Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to allocate funding to highway authorities for the provision of safety measures at sites with an accident record of less than three years.

(84633)

51
   Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to review the criteria for allocating funding to highway authorities under the Local Safety Scheme Programme.

(84634)

52
   Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the policy to restrict funding allocations under the Local Safety Scheme Programme to sites with a three-year accident record.

(84631)

53
   Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to review the current guidelines for highway authorities on the provision of accident reduction and traffic calming measures.

(84632)

54
   Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the impact on road accident reduction of the Local Safety Scheme Programme.

(84643)

55
N   Mrs Diana Organ (Forest of Dean):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many farms are involved in whole farm trials of genetically-modified crops; and what is the total acreage given over to trials of such crops.

(84279)

56
N   Mr Ian Pearson (Dudley South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what the total budget is for each regional development agency for 1999-2000 and subsequent years (a) in cash terms and (b) on a per capita basis; and if he will break it down in each case by major funding source.

(84420)

57
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the public subsidy given to each of the train operating companies for the most recent year for which figures are available.

(84656)

58
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what percentage of the aggregates and other material from redundant roads is recycled and used in new roads.

(84686)

59
   Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of accidents which would result from providing lighting on the whole of the motorway system.

(84539)

60
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what distance between a field of genetically-modified crops and a field of non-genetically-modified crops he has been advised will be necessary to ensure that cross-contamination does not occur.

(84534)

61
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will publish the research commissioned by his Department into the cross-contamination between genetically-modified crops and crops that are not genetically-modified.

(84535)

62
   Mr Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what has been the average price for a private medical insurance premium for each of the last five years.

(84658)

63
   Mr Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Government has made of the effects in percentage terms on average domestic fuel bills of (a) the introduction of competition into the domestic gas market, (b) the reduction in VAT on domestic fuel and (c) the windfall tax, over the period since each measure was introduced.

(84660)

64
N   Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 26th April, Official Report, column 56, concerning HM Customs and Excise staff at Heathrow, since 1st May 1997 in relation to Customs Cargo staff other than NIS at Heathrow, how many jobs have been lost in Customs Cargo; what is the reduction in staff of the import control teams; what steps are being taken to combat the increase in traffic of the undeclared excise goods from the Continent; how HM Customs and Excise plans to meet its obligations with regard to DTI documentary checks, CAP controls, community transit controls and anti counterfeit checks; and what is the estimated revenue loss from failure to detect undeclared excise goods.

(84225)

65
   Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the agenda of the ECOFIN Council of 25th May.

(84684)

66
   Fiona Mactaggart (Slough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people were waiting in each of the queues for settlement entry clearance at each of the British posts in the Asian subcontinent at the latest available date.

(84655)

67
   Fiona Mactaggart (Slough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what was the income from entry clearance fees in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1996-97 and (c) 1995-96 at (i) each British post in the Asian subcontinent, (ii) Lagos, (iii) Abuja, (iv) Accra, (v) Manila, (vi) Moscow and (vii) Bogota; and what is the estimated entry clearance fee income at each of those posts for (1) 1998-99 and (2) 1999-2000.

(84662)

68
N   Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many visa applicants in 1998 were turned away from Islamabad High Commision by the pre-sift process before their formal application had been considered.

(84327)

69
N   Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford and Southend East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent contact there has been with the Government of Sudan about the bombing by the USA of the factory in Khartoum; and if he will make a statement.

(84227)

70
N   Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford and Southend East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government to support the action of the USA in bombing the factory in Khartoum, Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

(84226)

71
   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to review his Department's current advice about travel to Uganda.

(84572)

72
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is his policy in relation to retaining samples of smallpox cultures.

(84421)

73
   Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for encouraging private sector involvement in the provision of primary care services.

(84640)

74
   Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list for each type of cancer the type and effectiveness of the screening tests currently available on the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

(84688)

75
   Mr Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 20th April, Official Report, columns 488-9, for what reasons a POLSA team was instructed to search Sergeant Gurpal Virdi's house.

(84654)

76
   Mr Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often safes in police stations are checked and their contents noted.

(84651)

77
   Mr Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many black and Asian Metropolitan Police officers have (a) applied to and (b) been accepted into the CID in each of the past four years.

(84652)

78
   Mr Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will agree to meet honourable Members to discuss the general issues raised by the case of Sargeant Gurpal Virdi.

(84653)

79
   Mr Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what dates the homes of Metropolitan Police officers have been searched by POLSA teams since 1st May; and if he will list the reasons in each case.

(84650)

80
   Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park and Kensington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to publish his proposals to deal with the problem of prostitutes' cards in public telephone boxes.

(84647)

81
   Mr Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list those coroners' offices which provide an out of hours service which enables the authorisation of removal of bodies out of England at a weekend when the death occurs during or immediately before that weekend.

(84689)

82
   Tom Cox (Tooting):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many young (a) men and (b) women up to the age of 21 years were sentenced to periods of imprisonment in England and Wales during each of the last five years.

(84681)

83
   Tom Cox (Tooting):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the recommendations made by Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons in his report for 1998 have now been carried out.

(84649)

84
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what efforts are being made by his Department to encourage a speedy conclusion to the pay dispute between the Fire Brigades Union and the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire Brigades; and to what extent a deal will have to take account of the Best Value regime.

(84383)

85
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to consolidate current fire safety legislation.

(84384)

86
   Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received about breaches of the Landmines Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.

(84625)

87
   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 26th April, Official Report, column 75, concerning coroners, how many currently-employed coroners do not have one of the specified qualifications.

(84715)

88
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are currently in place which are intended to reduce the need for high-speed vehicle chases involving the police and car thieves; and if he will make a statement.

[R] (84553)

89
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list, by each police constabulary, the number of motor vehicles stolen in (i) 1998, (ii) 1997 and (iii) 1996.

[R] (84547)

90
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations he has received on (a) police manpower, (b) ethnic minority recruitment to the police and (c) recruitment of women to the police, in North Yorkshire.

(84551)

91
   Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement concerning the business conducted at the K4 committee at its meeting in Brussels on 29th and 30th April; under what title that committee will continue to operate; and with what terms of reference and duties.

(84657)

92
   Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for Tewkesbury of 8th March, Official Report, columns 33-4, on elections to the European Parliament, if the number of votes cast for each group of candidates in each parliamentary constituency will be made known to counting agents, or any candidates present, when they are forwarded to the respective regional returning and calculating officers; and what arrangements will be made for recounts in each parliamentary divisional count where a recount after the completion of an initial calculation has been granted.

(84687)

93
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will encourage chief contables to install black box recorders in police vehicles.

(84626)

94
N   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what is the budget for her Department's office in Tirana, Albania; how many staff are in post and at what grades; who is the budget holder in Tirana and what is his authorised level of expenditure; what is the role of the Crown Agents; and if she will make a statement.

(84125)

95
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the incidence of glaucoma in developing countries; what assessment she has made of the cost of treating the condition; and if she will make a statement.

(84628)

96
   Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what development funding the Government has provided to (a) Bulgaria, (b) the Czech Republic, (c) Hungary, (d) Poland, (e) Romania and (f) the Slovak Republic, either directly or through the EU, in the areas of (i) the arts, (ii) the environment, (iii) economic development, (iv) education and training and (v) health, since May 1997.

(84682)

97
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what advice her Department gives to applicants to the International Fund for Ireland on how to accommodate the McBride principles in their applications.

(83355)

98
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her Answer of 27th April, Official Report, columns 116-7, on the costs of the trial of Lee Clegg, for what reasons an answer could be prepared only at disproportionate cost.

(83988)

99
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list the heads under which the costs of a criminal trial are recorded by her Department.

(83989)

100
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on how many occasions in each of the past 10 years her Department has been asked for the cost of specific criminal trials; and if she will list the trials, indicating those in respect of which information has been refused on the grounds of disproportionate cost.

(83990)

101
   Mr John D. Taylor (Strangford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans she has to grant Carryduff Primary School integrated status; and if she will make a statement.

(84570)

102
   Tom Cox (Tooting):    To ask the President of the Council, pursuant to her Answer of 19th April, Official Report, column 467, on the death penalty in Commonwealth countries for how long each of the appeals and applications for appeal in Trinidad and Tobago have been outstanding; and when each person was sentenced to death.

(84683)

103
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Prime Minister, what methods are used to identify and recruit MI6 personnel; and if he will make a statement.

(84630)

104
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Prime Minister, what plans he has to hold regular formal meetings with the first Ministers of (a) the Scottish Parliament and (b) the National Assembly for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

(84629)

105
   Mr Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):    To ask the Prime Minister, how many civilians have been killed as a result of the use of (a) British and (b) NATO weapons in operation Allied Force against Yugoslavia.

(84644)

106
   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many lone parents have obtained jobs through the New Deal for Lone Parents in the unit of delivery area covering the Vale of York.

(84555)

107
   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what rules will govern the use of funds which have been transferred into a stakeholder pension from a personal pension, with particular reference to (i) the use of the fund for a tax-free lump sum and (ii) the nature of the annuity which may be bought with the fund.

(84548)

108
   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will estimate the balance in the National Insurance Fund at the end of each of the next 10 years assuming (a) unchanged policies, (b) an increase in the basic state pension to £75 per week, (c) the implementation of his proposed reforms to SERPS, the state second pension and the stakeholder pension and (d) both (b) and (c) above.

(84635)

109
   Mrs Helen Brinton (Peterborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the rate of progress in the reform of the electricity pool.

(84641)

110
   Mrs Helen Brinton (Peterborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what is his policy on the regional location of power stations.

(84642)

111
   Mr Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions trends in harassment and nuisance arising from the misuse of fireworks; and if he will make an assessment of the risks to consumer safety arising from such misuse.

(84691)

112
   Mr Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what arrangements are in place to ensure that imported fireworks placed on the market in the United Kingdom have received authorisation and categorisation by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

(84692)

113
   Mr Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the likely trends in the use of fireworks at the time of the millennium celebrations; and what plans he has to promote consumer safety associated with that use.

(84690)

114
   Mr Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many households in the UK use coin-operated meters for electricity.

(84661)

115
   Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what export licences his Department has issued for RDX explosives since September 1998; and how many applications are pending.

(84646)

116
   Mr Martin Caton (Gower):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans he has to introduce new planning policy guidance on housing for the protection of greenfield sites.

(84563)

117
   Mr Martin Caton (Gower):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans he has to introduce measures to encourage farmers to shift to organic production methods.

(84562)

118
N   Mr Alan Williams (Swansea West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when he will announce the allocation of funds for 1999-2000 to the health authorities in Wales.

(84382)

119
   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood and Ongar):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many local authorities (a) do and (b) do not disregard the whole amount of war widows' pensions and war disablement pensions for the purpose of housing benefit.

[Transferred] (84559)

120
   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood and Ongar):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will estimate the additional cost to (a) central Government and (b) local authorities, if every local authority disregarded the whole amount of war widows' pensions and war disablement pensions for the purposes of housing benefit.

[Transferred] (84560)

121
   Mr Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the effect of abolition of private medical insurance tax relief on demand for public healthcare.

[Transferred] (84659)

122
   Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, what steps he intends to take to improve the service to people who require to use the offices of the Probate Registry.

[Transferred] (84639)

123
   Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many people are employed at the offices of the Probate Registry.

[Transferred] (84637)

124
   Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, what estimates he has made of the average time taken to answer a telephone call at the offices of the Probate Registry.

[Transferred] (84636)

125
   Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, what was the cost of the new office of the Probate Registry in High Holborn.

[Transferred] (84638)

126
   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make it a duty on employers to ensure that ear protectors are worn by persons operating pneumatic drills; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (84627)