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 6 July 1999

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 6 July 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.

TUESDAY 6th JULY

1
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89993)

2
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of older people who have received improved public services as a result of the first year of the Better Government for Older People Programme.

(90068)

3
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many copies of Making it Happen, the report of the first year of the Better Government for Older People Programme have been produced; at what cost; and to whom unsolicited copies have been sent.

(90063)

4
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the improvements made to public services as a result of the first year of the Better Government for Older People Programme.

(90067)

5
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the cost to public funds of the first year of the Better Government for Older People Programme.

(90069)

6
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89986)

7
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89990)

8
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89988)

9
N   Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge and Malling):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what review he is conducting of the war pension entitlements of Gurkha soldiers following the death of Sergeant Balaram Rai in Kosovo; when he expects to complete his review; and if he will make a statement.

(89897)

10
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, in establishing boundaries for local learning and skills councils, how he will ensure that the boundaries fit with local travel-to-work and travel-to-study patterns and are within RDA/Government Office boundaries in cases where local travel-to-work and travel-to-study patterns cross the RDA/Government Office boundaries.

(90086)

11
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what will be the maximum number of local learning and skills councils in each regional development agency/government office boundary consistent with the Government's objectives of having no more than 50 such councils nationally.

(90064)

12
   Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will include study of the Commonwealth in the planned citizenship module of the national curriculum.

(90111)

13
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his Answer of 11th February, Official Report, column 336, on nursery education, what percentage of three year olds in each of the local education authorities listed (a) currently have (i) free full-time early education places and (ii) free part-time early education places and (b) will have (i) free full-time early education places and (ii) free part-time early education places when the promised additional places are provided.

(89751)

14
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89980)

15
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 9th March, Official Report, column 153, if the stakeholders' forum he intended to instigate has been superseded by the two commissions announced by the Minister for the Cabinet Office in his statement of 21st May 1999, Official Report, column 1371, on biotechnology.

(90066)

16
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what the square footage is of the English Partnerships' offices in Cockermouth.

(88755)

17
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what are (a) the name of the landlord and (b) the address of the site of the new premises to be occupied by the North West Development Agency and related activities in Penrith, Cumbria.

(88767)

18
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what proposals the North West Development Agency has for the future of the English Partnerships' offices in Cockermouth.

(88752)

19
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what the annual rental costs are of the premises to be occupied by (a) English Partnerships and (b) the Rural Development Commission at Penrith.

(88756)

20
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what the staff complement was at the English Partnerships office in Cockermouth in (a) 1996, (b) 1997, (c) 1998 and (d) 1999; and what the proposed complement of staff at English Partnerships' new offices at Penrith is for the first three years following relocation from Cockermouth.

(88751)

21
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what arrangements are being made for the sale or rental of the English Partnerships' offices in Cockermouth.

(88762)

22
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Standard's Excellent Standard will apply to the offices which will be occupied by English Partnerships and other North West Development Agency operations at Penrith.

(88757)

23
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the schemes for which funding had been approved by English Partnerships but not legally committed and which are the subject of funding reappraisal following the commencement of the operation of the North West Development Agency.

(88766)

24
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what are (a) the nature of the title and (b) the annual running costs of the English Partnerships offices in Cockermouth.

(88753)

25
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what has been the budget for English Partnerships in each year since 1994; and what are the proposed budgets for the next three years.

(88759)

26
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment has been made of the comparative costs of locating North West Development Agency activities in premises (a) owned by English Partnerships' in Cockermouth and (b) rented in Penrith.

(88768)

27
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what consultation took place prior to the appointment of the membership of the North West Development Agency.

(88749)

28
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the maximum number of staff it is possible to accommodate in the English Partnerships offices in Cockermouth; and if the proposed personel requirements of English Partnerships' and the Rural Development Commission in Cumbria could be accommodated there.

(88754)

29
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimate he has made of (a) the change in the amount of excess mileage allowances arising out of the transfer of persons currently working at the English Partnerships office in Cockermouth to offices in Penrith and (b) the costs of excess mileage allowance if persons currently working for the RDC in Penrith had been required to travel to the Cockermouth offices of English Partnerships.

(88764)

30
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what the financial implications for the Exchequer are arising out of the movement from Mercury Court of the North West Development Agency's premises in Liverpool.

(88761)

31
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what the terms of the lease are for the property to be occupied by English Partnerships and other North West Development Agency operations at Penrith.

(88758)

32
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimate has been made of the change in the costs in travelling time and mileage allowances in servicing West Cumbria following the move of English Partnerships' operations from Cockermouth to Penrith.

(88769)

33
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what it will cost the Countryside Agency to occupy the property at Penrith formerly occupied by the Rural Development Commission.

(88763)

34
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, from which year's budget the additional costs of the location of English Partnerships' in Penrith will be funded.

(88760)

35
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment has been made of the costs of complying with TUPE arising out of the transfer of staff from the Cockermouth offices of English Partnerships to a new location at Penrith.

(88765)

36
N   Mr Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what consultation took place and with which organisations and individuals prior to the North West Development Agency's decision to close the Cockermouth Office of English Partnerships.

(88750)

37
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what measures he will take to ensure that levies on (a) road use and (b) workplace parking schemes will not unfairly penalise car ownership by vulnerable groups.

(89457)

38
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make a statement on progress towards achieving the national targets for reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries resulting from road accidents in the United Kingdom.

(89710)

39
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89981)

40
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the honourable Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston of 24th June, Official Report, column 457, what definition he used for a child in poverty; and, using that definition, what estimate he has made of the number of children in poverty (a) at present and (b) by the end of 2002.

(90087)

41
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how much the Treasury will receive annually as a result of the climate change levy; and if the levy will be fiscally neutral within the manufacturing sector.

(89568)

42
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89982)

43
   Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what is the procedure for drawing up the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings; and when the agenda for the next meeting will be (a) determined and (b) published.

(90109)

44
   Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Foreign Policy Centre's recent report on Reinventing the Commonwealth.

(90112)

45
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89983)

46
   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made on EU appointments in connection with the Balkans region; and if he will make a statement.

(90120)

47
   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contact (a) he and (b) his officials had with the Centre for European Reform, in relation to its lecture programme, during June.

(90119)

48
N   Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford and Southend East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received about the persecution and the resultant migrations of Christians in Chechnya.

(89998)

49
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the review of services at Eastbourne District General Hospital.

(88262)

50
N   Julia Drown (South Swindon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that good-quality food is provided for people in NHS care.

(88247)

51
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89989)

52
N   Mr David Winnick (Walsall North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the honourable Member for Walsall North will receive a reply to his letter of 24th May regarding a constituent (ref: POH(6)5608/25).

(90065)

53
N   Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the cost of instruction material provided to (a) polling clerks and (b) returning officers for the European Elections on 10th June.

(89972)

54
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultations his Department carried out with organisations representing blind and visually-impaired people before publishing and distributing literature on the new proportional representation system for the 1999 European elections.

(89748)

55
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason his Department's leaflet explaining the new proportional representation system for the 1999 European elections was not available in large print.

(89749)

56
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department took to ensure that blind and visually impaired people were aware that the his Department's leaflet explaining the new proportional representation system for the 1999 European elections was available in Braille and audiocassette.

(89750)

57
   Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to bring forward proposals for a new legal definition of domestic violence.

(90110)

58
   Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are taken to ensure that risk assessments in the Prison Service conform to a uniform approach.

(90116)

59
   Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons prisoners serving sentences of over four years are not eligible for home leave in their last six months of sentence before probation if they pass a risk assessment.

(90114)

60
   Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are in place to ensure parity of treatment in respect of entitlement to home leave across the Prison Service.

(90113)

61
   Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to review the definitions in law of sexual offences.

(90117)

62
   Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are in place to monitor the consistency of approach in the use by governors in the Prison Service of their discretionary powers.

(90115)

63
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89985)

64
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the criteria which he applied in awarding the Passport Agency's contract for passport-issuing arrangements to Siemens Business Services.

(89974)

65
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the dates, since 1st April 1998 when (a) Ministers and (b) the Chief Executive of the Passport Agency met trade union representatives to discuss the introduction of new passport-issuing arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

(89977)

66
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received from the Civil Service trade unions since 1st April 1998 about the introduction and implementation of new passport issuing arrangements.

(89978)

67
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff at each passport office have transferred to Siemens Business Services.

(89976)

68
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list his original target dates for the introduction of new passport-issuing arrangements at the (a) London, (b) Belfast, (c) Glasgow and (d) Peterborough offices of the Passport Agency and the dates when he decided not to implement those targets.

(89975)

69
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by her special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89979)

70
N   Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if, in the context of aid for Serbia, assistance to reconstruct a hospital is humanitarian assistance or reconstruction.

(89973)

71
N   Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what data her Department has collated on possible breaches of regulations in respect of the supply of out-of-date medicines to Kosovo by British based non-governmental organisations in the past three months.

(90000)

72
N   Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department has funded non-governmental organisations which have supplied out-of-date medicines to Kosovo.

(89999)

73
N   Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will hold an inquiry into the supply to Kosovar Albanians of obsolete medical supplies by non-governmental organisations.

(90001)

74
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89984)

75
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by her special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89996)

76
N   Mr William Ross (East Londonderry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what sums she has expended to date under section 2 of the Northern Ireland (Location of Victims' Remains) Act 1999.

(89879)

77
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the President of the Council, if she will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by her special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89997)

78
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by special advisers in his policy department for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89995)

79
   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells):    To ask the Prime Minister, whether he will list the meetings which have taken place in the last month between his adviser on European affairs and EU ambassadors; and for each meeting, if he will list those who accompanied him, and specify the purpose of the meetings.

(90121)

80
   Mr Ian Davidson (Glasgow, Pollok):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list, for each local authority in Scotland, the gross (a) contribution to and (b) receipts from the non domestic rates pool for 1998-99.

(90093)

81
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89987)

82
N   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what are the percentages of households with (a) no savings, (b) savings up to £1,500, (c) savings between £1,500 and £3,000, (d) savings between £3,000 and £8,000, (e) savings between £8,000 and £10,000, (f) savings between £10,000 and £16,000, (g) savings between £16,000 and £20,000, (h) savings above £20,000, among households with gross weekly income of (i) less than £100, (ii) £100 to £200, (iii) £200 to £300, (iv) £300 to £400, (v) £400 to £500, (vi) £500 to £600, (vii) £600 to £700 and (viii) over £700.

(89878)

83
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89992)

84
   Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will place in the Library a copy of the tendering documents which were sent to those companies wishing to seek export credit assistance in respect of the proposed Ilisu Dam.

(90122)

85
N   Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of current takeover bids in the pub trade on the United Kingdom brewing industry.

(89971)

86
N   Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when his Department first submitted the proposal for government financing of Rover/BMW to the Competitions Commissioner.

(89970)

87
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make a statement on progress made through negotiated agreements with energy intensive industries as part of the climate change levy to improve energy efficiency; and what measures his Department is taking to safeguard the international competitiveness of manufacturing firms in the United Kingdom.

(89458)

88
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89994)

89
   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will place a copy of the European Commission Communications on (a) the Environment and the Internal Market and (b) Mutual Recognition in the Library.

(90090)

90
   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make a statement on his policy regarding the EU Artists' Resale Right Directive.

(90089)

91
   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list the legislative changes required by the proposed EU Takeovers Directive.

(90092)

92
   Mr Stephen Hesford (Wirral West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action he is taking to prevent disqualified company directors becoming involved with new companies.

(90094)

93
N   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his special advisers for all Labour honourable Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these.

(89991)

94
   Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will estimate the average weekly government expenditure on income maintenance per head of population in the United Kingdom.

[Transferred] (90118)

95
   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the European Commission's objections to the proposed comitology provisions of the proposed EU Chocolate Directive.

[Transferred] (90091)