 House of Commons |
Session 1999-2000 Publications on the internet The Order Book |
| Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Thursday 17 February 2000
Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Thursday 17 February 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. |
| |
| 1 | Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what plans he has to encourage the broiler chicken industry to give a higher priority to selective breeding of broiler chickens so as to reduce leg disorders, strengthen legs and increase walking ability. |
| (110771) | |
| 2 | Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what plans he has to implement the Farm Animal Welfare Council's 1992 recommendation that a maximum stocking density for broiler chickens should be controlled by regulation. |
| (110770) | |
| 3 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110681) | |
| 4 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on the availabililty of EU funds to offset the impact of fluctuations in the green pound. |
| (110712) | |
| 5 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110730) | |
| 6 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what percentage of arable farms have hedgerow buffer strips around their fields; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110704) | |
| 7 | Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what plans he has to persuade other EU governments, when undertaking the review of Council Directive 91/628 EEC required by Article 13 of that Directive, to abandon the long distance transport of live farm animals through the European Union and replace it with a trade in meat and carcases; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110812) | |
| 8 | Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his Answer of 25th January, Official Report, column 189W, on live animal exports, how many live sheep were exported from the UK in 1999 for breeding. |
| (110810) | |
| 9 | Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many live pigs were exported from the UK in 1999 for (a) slaughter, (b) further fattening and (c) breeding in 1999, broken down by each country of destination. |
| (110811) | |
| 10 | Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what proportion of the electricity used by his Department is generated from renewable sources; and if he will make a statement. |
| (111034) | |
| 11 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps she is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by her Department; and if she will make a statement. |
| (110729) | |
| 12 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many libraries have closed each year for the last 10 years in (a) rural areas and (b) urban areas. |
| (110784) | |
| 13 | Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many families in Wirral South will benefit from the introduction of free television licences for households with a member aged 75 years or over. |
| (110906) | |
| 14 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make a statement since May 1997 on the loss of playing fields and recreational grounds. |
| (110836) | |
| 15 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110682) | |
| 16 | Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many applications for National Lottery grants have been received to date from organisations within the Burton constituency; and how many have been successful. |
| (110741) | |
| 17 | Mr Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make a statement on the schedule for maintenance and repairs of the roof of the Millennium Dome in 2000. |
| (110935) | |
| 18 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many tickets were sold for the Millennium Dome on each day of the first two weeks of February. |
| (110521) | |
| 19 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what days to date all available tickets for the Millennium Dome have been sold; and what was the attendance on those days. |
| (110464) | |
| 20 N | Mr Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average size of grant was from the National Lottery in (a) urban areas and (b) rural areas between 1st May 1997 and 31st December 1999. |
| (110643) | |
| 21 N | Mr Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the number of grants made from the National Lottery was in (a) urban areas and (b) rural areas between 1st May 1997 and 31st December 1999. |
| (110642) | |
| 22 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110728) | |
| 23 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what are the terms and conditions of contract of new (a) directors and (b) officers appointed to the New Millennium Experience Company since 1st January; and if he will provide details of all financial payments and benefits to be provided in each case. |
| (110475) | |
| 24 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will provide details of (a) advances, (b) loans and (c) grants agreed to be made to the New Millennium Experience Company from the Millennium Commission since 1st January, and of provisions for (i) their repayment and (ii) the security provided for them. |
| (110435) | |
| 25 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy that no further funds, by way of (a) loan, (b) grant and (c) otherwise, will be received by the New Millennium Experience Company from any lottery fund. |
| (110472) | |
| 26 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what amount of sponsorship funds has been provided to date to the New Millennium Experience Company; and what (a) proportion and (b) amount of such funds has been provided in (i) cash and (ii) kind. |
| (110442) | |
| 27 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will provide in respect of (a) advances, (b) loans and (c) grants agreed to be made to the New Millennium Experience Company by the Millennium Commission since 1st January, details of undertakings as to the personal liability of (i) officers and (ii) directors of the New Millennium Experience Company and the Millennium Commissioners. |
| (110474) | |
| 28 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy that no further funds, by way of (a) loan, (b) grant and (c) otherwise, shall be provided from the Millennium Commission to the New Millennium Experience Company. |
| (110473) | |
| 29 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the contractual liabilities are of sponsors of the New Millennium Experience Company; and whether such sponsors have given undertakings enforceable at law to provide, in cash or kind, the amounts pledged. |
| (110463) | |
| 30 N | Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the names of the operators of the contracted catering outlets that operate in and around the Millennium Dome at Greenwich; and what style of food they were contracted to supply. |
| (110504) | |
| 31 N | Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the terms and conditions of standard contracts with the operators of the catering outlets that operate in and around the Millennium Dome at Greenwich. |
| (110505) | |
| 32 N | Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what requirement there was that all foods sold meet the standards required of domestic producers in the contracts with the operators of catering outlets that operate in and around the Millennium Dome at Greenwich. |
| (110506) | |
| 33 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the military establishments within (a) Somerset and (b) Yeovil constituency, showing in each case the personnel complement; if he will set out the plans to change the (i) number and (ii) manning of such establishments; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110793) | |
| 34 | John Austin (Erith and Thamesmead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will replace HMS 'Dumbarton Castle' when she completes her current assignment; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110845) | |
| 35 | John Austin (Erith and Thamesmead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if HMS 'Dumbarton Castle' is to be withdrawn from the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110844) | |
| 36 N | Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the average number of flying hours undertaken by fully trained operational RAF pilots, not including pilots on staff/ground tours, in (1) 1998 and (2) 1999 in aircraft type (a) BAe 125, (b) BAe 146, (c) Canberra, (d) Chinook, (e) Harrier, (f) Hercules, (g) Jaguar, (h) Nimrod, (i) Puma, (j) Sea King, (k) Sentry, (l) Tornado F3, (m) Tornado GR1/4, (n) Tristar, (o) VC10 and (p) Wessex; and if he will make a statement. |
| (109493) | |
| 37 N | Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what were (a) the number of qualified doctors, (b) the number of qualified dentists, and (c) the number of support staff in each service available to the Defence Medical Services in 1998 and 1999; and if he will make a statement. |
| (109494) | |
| 38 N | Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the budget of the Defence Medical Services in 1998-99 and 1999-00; what was the budget allocation to the (a) DSCA, (b) DDA, (c) DMTO and (d) MSA in the same period; and if he will make a statement. |
| (109495) | |
| 39 N | Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the annual track mileage allocation and the average track mileage completed for (a) Warrior variants, (b) Challenger One, (c) Challenger Two, (d) Saxon variants, (f) AVF 430 variants, (g) Sabre, (h) Striker, (i) Scimitar, (j) Spartan, (k) Sultan (l) Samaritan and (m) Samson in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. |
| (109496) | |
| 40 N | Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the average time spent in maintenance for (a) Warrior variants, (b) Challenger One, (c) Challenger Two, (d) Saxon variants, (f) AVF 430 variants, (g) Sabre, (h) Striker, (i) Scimitar, (j) Spartan, (k) Sultan, (l) Samaritan and (m) Samson in each of the last five years; what proportion was planned maintenance; what proportions was reactive repair maintenance; and if he will make a statement. |
| (109498) | |
| 41 N | Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the US/UK initiative on the joint development of tactical Tomahawk missiles will be completed; at what costs; what plans his Department has to procure tactical Tomahawk missiles; and if he will make a statement. |
| (109499) | |
| 42 N | Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the time and mileage schedule of planned maintenance servicing for (a) Warrior variants (b) Challenger One, (c) Challenger Two, (d) Saxon variants, (f) AVF 430 variants, (g) Sabre, (h) Striker, (i) Scimitar, (j) Spartan, (k) Sultan, (l) Samaritan and (m) Samson in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. |
| (109497) | |
| 43 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what has been the total cost to the Exchequer of the military operations against Iraq (i) in Operation Desert Fox and (ii) since the end of Operation Desert Fox. |
| (110697) | |
| 44 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many precision-guided weapons have been used by the UK in Iraq (a) in Operation Desert Fox and (b) since the end of Operation Desert Fox; and what was their total cost in each case. |
| (110698) | |
| 45 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the additional communications equipment supplied to army units in the Balkans is compatible with the Bowman specification. |
| (110841) | |
| 46 | Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to change the policy of permanently barring those who have suffered from childhood eczema from entering the armed forces. |
| (110761) | |
| 47 | Mr Sam Galbraith (Strathkelvin and Bearsden): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilian jobs there are at the Faslane and Coulport base. |
| (111001) | |
| 48 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what criteria the Minister will decide between the BVRAAM European guided missile and the USA's AMRAAM; and if he will make a statement. |
| (111012) | |
| 49 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many AN/PRC-138 have to be supplied to his Department within the £5 million contract awarded by his Department to the Harris Corporation. |
| (111011) | |
| 50 N | Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what UK military units are deployed in support of the UN force in Sierra Leone; what further units he will deploy to the operation; and when. |
| (110516) | |
| 51 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110727) | |
| 52 | Mr William Ross (East Londonderry): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions in the last six months units of the Territorial Army have travelled from Northern Ireland to Great Britain for training purposes; and on how many of these visits the unit did not have (a) its own weapons and (b) an armed escort. |
| (110900) | |
| 53 | Mr William Ross (East Londonderry): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personal protection weapons held by the members of the Territorial Army in Northern Ireland have been withdrawn from (a) serving members and (b) former members of the Territorial Army in the last six months. |
| (110901) | |
| 54 | Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the electricity used by his Department is generated from renewable sources; and if he will make a statement. |
| (111039) | |
| 55 N | Mr Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, to what extent the governments of the overseas territories provide (a) equipment and (b) funding for their own defence. |
| (110673) | |
| 56 N | Mr Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when HMS 'Dumbarton Castle' will complete her current assignment; and which vessel will replace her. |
| (110674) | |
| 57 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what plans he has to establish a university in Somerset; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110764) | |
| 58 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what is his estimate of the number of pupils in Somerset in classes with over 30 pupils in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000, broken down by (i) Key Stage 1, (ii) Key Stage 2, (iii) Key Stage 3 and (iv) Key Stage 4; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110763) | |
| 59 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will make it his policy to enable schools to plan ahead by fixing their budgets, on a per capita basis, for three years ahead in line with the public expenditure planning periods set out in each Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110796) | |
| 60 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many people have had their benefits stopped for failing to properly take up a New Deal option, at each benefit office within the Yeovil constituency and at the Taunton office; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110797) | |
| 61 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what is his estimate of spending per pupil in secondary schools in Somerset for each year from 1988-89 to 1999-2000, expressed in 1997-98 prices; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110762) | |
| 62 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will make a statement on the development of the revised syllabus for GNVQ at Advanced Level for implementation by schools and colleges in the autumn, with particular reference to the assessment regime. |
| (110280) | |
| 63 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what progress is being made in developing electronic data interchange between further education colleges and awarding bodies. |
| (110279) | |
| 64 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the introduction of key skills to the GCE A Level syllabus from autumn 2000, with particular reference to difficulties encountered in individual subject areas. |
| (110281) | |
| 65 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many of the education zones include rural areas. |
| (110783) | |
| 66 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many of the local Sure Start programmes already (a) announced and (b) running, operate in rural areas. |
| (110789) | |
| 67 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what percentage of urban wards have (a) no school for six year olds, (b) no school for 12 year olds and (c) no school for 18 year olds. |
| (110813) | |
| 68 | Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of implementing citizenship education at key stages 3 and 4. |
| (110941) | |
| 69 | Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what factors underlay his decision to require pupils at key stage 3 to be taught about regional identities in the United Kingdom as part of the programme of study for citizenship. |
| (110938) | |
| 70 | Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what estimate he has made of the number of additional teachers who will need to be recruited in order to teach citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. |
| (110940) | |
| 71 | Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what assessment he has made of the amount of curricular time needed for the teaching of citizenship as a foundation subject at key stages 3 and 4. |
| (110937) | |
| 72 | Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what plans he has to issue guidance for teachers on the teaching of controversial subjects as part of citizenship education at key stages 3 and 4. |
| (110936) | |
| 73 | Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what plans he has to implement the recommendation of the Advisory Group on Citizenship for the establishing of a Commission on Citizenship Education to monitor and scrutinise the implementation of citizenship education. |
| (110939) | |
| 74 | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what the average class sizes were (a) in (i) primary and (ii) middle schools, and (b) for (1) seven, (2) eight, (3) nine, (4) 10, (5) 11, (6) 12, (7) 13, (8) 14, (9) 15, (10) 16 and (11) 17 year olds in the last three years in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. |
| (111052) | |
| 75 | Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what is the total allocation of seed challenge capital for schools within Staffordshire County Council in the next financial year. |
| (110742) | |
| 76 N | Mr Michael Jack (Fylde): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, when an official from his Department last visited the Lytham St. Anne's High Technology School. |
| (109133) | |
| 77 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list (a) the total administration costs and (b) administration costs as a percentage of income for each local education authority in England in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110708) | |
| 78 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list for each local education authority the average price of school meals in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110702) | |
| 79 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110726) | |
| 80 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list for each local education authority the percentage of schools in which hot meals are served; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110703) | |
| 81 N | Mr Bill Michie (Sheffield, Heeley): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what studies his Department has commissioned or evaluated on the effectiveness of remedial education in primary schools. |
| (109741) | |
| 82 | Mr Andrew Reed (Loughborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the cash and percentage funding variance of Leicestershire County Council from the County Council standard spending assessment average in each year between 1991-92 to 2000-01. |
| (110840) | |
| 83 | Mr Andrew Reed (Loughborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how much money has been given to Leicestershire County Council in respect of education funding for each year since the introduction of the revenue support grant. |
| (110838) | |
| 84 | Mr Andrew Reed (Loughborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the percentage increase in education funding for Leicestershire County Council for each year between 1991-92 and 2000-01. |
| (110839) | |
| 85 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will estimate the total cost of abolishing tuition fees in England and Wales for each of the years 2001-02 to 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110024) | |
| 86 | Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what was the cost of preparing, printing and distributing the publication, Raising Aspirations in the 21st Century: A Speech by the Right Honourable David Blunkett MP Secretary of State for Education and Employment, 6th January 2000. |
| (110739) | |
| 87 | Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate and Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the successful bidders for Employment Zone contracts for the long term unemployed. |
| (111007) | |
| 88 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is his estimate of the total road accident fatalities in the United Kingdom since 1970 (a) in total and (b) for each year; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110806) | |
| 89 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to ensure that punctuality on South-West trains services from Waterloo to Crewkerne is improved; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110803) | |
| 90 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what monitoring of key pollution indicators takes place at sites within the Yeovil constituency; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110804) | |
| 91 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what has been the total of road accident fatalities in England for each year since 1990; what has been the total of road accident fatalities in each English county since 1990, expressed (a) in absolute terms and (b) in relation to the population of each such county; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110805) | |
| 92 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to re-open Chard Junction railway station; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110802) | |
| 93 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will estimate the (a) real terms and (b) cash terms rise in the council tax in Somerset for each year since 1983-84 ; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110801) | |
| 94 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is the total of public transport accident fatalities in the UK since 1970 (a) in total and (b) for each year; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110807) | |
| 95 | Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 20th December, Official Report, column 337W, on London Transport, on what date he will report on London Transport's expenditure on external consultants up to the end of the first half of the current financial year. |
| (110894) | |
| 96 | Mr Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if the public-private partnership for London Underground will include the funding for the installation of a moving block signalling system on each London Underground line. |
| (110895) | |
| 97 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what recent assessment he has made of the levels of air pollution in rural areas; and what plans he has for programmes to reduce such pollution levels. |
| (110775) | |
| 98 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to encourage people in rural areas to use public transport. |
| (110776) | |
| 99 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to improve access to bus services in rural areas. |
| (110777) | |
| 100 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will amend planning regulations to provide for the establishment of a national network of farmers' markets. |
| (110835) | |
| 101 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to facilitate the building of more homes in villages of fewer than 3,000 people, through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme. |
| (110787) | |
| 102 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the road access to the Eden Project tourist attraction in South East Cornwall. |
| (110788) | |
| 103 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110687) | |
| 104 | Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when the public inquiry into the Thameslink 2000 project will commence. |
| (111006) | |
| 105 | Mr Sam Galbraith (Strathkelvin and Bearsden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many people are employed by the National Air Traffic Services at (a) Prestwick in Scotland and (b) in total throughout the United Kingdom. |
| (111005) | |
| 106 N | Mr Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what was the total revenue raised by the Packaging Recovery Note system in (a) 1998 and (b) 1999. |
| (110641) | |
| 107 | Mr John Grogan (Selby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to scrutinise the operation of the Hedgerow Regulations 1997. |
| (110907) | |
| 108 | Mr Alan Hurst (Braintree): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimate he has made of the number of installations to be affected by the introduction of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, specifying (a) pig installations and (b) poultry installations. |
| (110738) | |
| 109 | Mr Alan Hurst (Braintree): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimate he has made of the charges to be levied by other EU countries and by Scotland consequent upon the introduction of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110737) | |
| 110 | Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what action the Government will take with its counterparts in the European Union to ensure that the Montreal Protocol of 1987 is implemented; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110773) | |
| 111 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he is taking to protect (a) vascular plants, (b) fungi, (c) lichens, (d) bryophytes and (e) stoneworts; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110706) | |
| 112 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what percentage of (a) wild flower meadows, (b) open heaths, (c) open peat bogs and (d) hedgerows were (i) destroyed and (ii) seriously damaged between 1979 and 1997 in (x) England and (y) Shropshire; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110705) | |
| 113 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110714) | |
| 114 N | Mr Michael Portillo (Kensington and Chelsea): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he proposes to introduce legislation to enfranchise leaseholders. |
| (110465) | |
| 115 | Mr Neil Turner (Wigan): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the amount of housing benefit paid to each local authority in respect of council housing for the years 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, and 1999-2000, indicating the average number of recipients for each authority |
| (110952) | |
| 116 | Mr Neil Turner (Wigan): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list those local authorities which (a) have completed and (b) are in the process of transferring their housing stock by means of a large scale voluntary transfer, indicating the number of units involved for each authority. |
| (110951) | |
| 117 | Mr Neil Turner (Wigan): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the amount of council house subsidy paid to each local authority in the years 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, and 1999-2000, indicating the number of council houses in each authority in those years. |
| (110950) | |
| 118 | Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of his plans to house care leavers and orphans between the ages 16 and 17 years; and by what amount these proposals will reduce the number of rough sleepers. |
| (110955) | |
| 119 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in (a) Somerset and (b) Yeovil constituency earn (a) £3.60 per hour, (b) £3.61 per hour to £3.80 per hour, (c) £3.81p per hour to £4.00 per hour and (d) £4.00 to £4.50 per hour; and what percentage of total employees this constitutes in each case. |
| (110795) | |
| 120 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many suicides there have been in (a) Somerset and (b) Yeovil constituency in each year since 1980, broken down by age; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110794) | |
| 121 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110679) | |
| 122 | Mr Sam Galbraith (Strathkelvin and Bearsden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list for each of the last 10 years the amount spent by Customs and Excise on drug enforcement for (a) the United Kingdom as a whole, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales. |
| (111002) | |
| 123 N | Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what evidence his Department has collected concerning the extent to which agreed property prices in London are banded at values just below the stamp duty thresholds. |
| (110639) | |
| 124 N | Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to prevent purchasers of property from avoiding stamp duty by schemes to apportion the purchase price between taxable and non-taxable items. |
| (110640) | |
| 125 N | Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what evidence his Department has collected concerning property purchasers avoiding higher rates of stamp duty by apportioning the purchase price between taxable and non-taxable items. |
| (110644) | |
| 126 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the take-up rate for the working families tax credit. |
| (110700) | |
| 127 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110717) | |
| 128 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms using 1998-99 prices the total level of national insurance contributions received for each year from 1979-80 to 1999-2000, indicating for each of those years the real terms percentage growth of national insurance contributions received in relation to the preceding year's total. |
| (110026) | |
| 129 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the combined net annual change in Exchequer revenues which would result from reducing the top rate of income tax from 40p to 30p and removing the ceiling on employees' national insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110022) | |
| 130 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to more closely align the income tax and national insurance systems; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110023) | |
| 131 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were paying income tax at the higher rate in (a) 1989-90, (b) 1996-97 and (c) 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110025) | |
| 132 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total annual net cost of (a) raising the income threshold at which the upper rate of income tax is paid by £3,000 per annum and (b) aligning this threshold with the ceiling on making employee national insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110059) | |
| 133 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the present terms of employment of members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England. |
| (110060) | |
| 134 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 19th January, Official Report, column 515W, on economic and monetary union, what the level of preparedness was of small and medium sized enterprises as a whole in April 1999. |
| (110760) | |
| 135 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is his estimate of the cost savings which would result if the national insurance system were abolished and integrated into the income tax system; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110062) | |
| 136 | Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the electricity used by his Department is generated from renewable sources; and if he will make a statement. |
| (111035) | |
| 137 | Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to promote the development of exchanges between police forces in China and the UK in the field of protecting the victims of crime. |
| (110910) | |
| 138 | Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement about the steps being taken by the Government to encourage China to continue its process of economic reform. |
| (110908) | |
| 139 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what response the UK Ambassador made to the proposal by the Kazakhstan Government to change the country's capital city. |
| (110695) | |
| 140 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proposals the Government has for an expansion of the heating oil to Serbia scheme. |
| (110694) | |
| 141 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what projects have been (a) agreed by and (b) put to, but not yet agreed by (i) the European Union, (ii) the World Bank, (iii) NATO and (iv) other institutions, as part of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe. |
| (110691) | |
| 142 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what are the (a) terms of reference and (b) proposed composition of the European Union Political and Security Committee. |
| (110701) | |
| 143 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what forthcoming conferences and meetings with UK government involvement are planned to consider economic projects for South-Eastern Europe; and what is on the agendas. |
| (110692) | |
| 144 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on cyanide pollution in the Danube; and if he will make a statement. |
| (111003) | |
| 145 N | Mr Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps are being taken by United Kingdom representatives at the United Nations to help ensure the speedy implementation of the proposed referendum on the future of the Western Sahara. |
| (110478) | |
| 146 N | Mr Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what monitoring of human rights is undertaken by his Department in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110477) | |
| 147 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110689) | |
| 148 | Mr Sam Galbraith (Strathkelvin and Bearsden): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met the President of Russia; and if he will make a statement on the matters discussed. |
| (111004) | |
| 149 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many diplomats in the British Embassy in Ukraine are engaged in trade promotion; and what monitoring he conducts of the comparable figures for other EU states. |
| (110572) | |
| 150 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 3rd February, Official Report, column 739W, on departmental expenditure, how much is (a) the transfer from another departmental expenditure limit of DFID and (b) the charge on the departmental expenditure limit reserve. |
| (110514) | |
| 151 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to re-open the British Embassy in Kabul. |
| (110568) | |
| 152 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department last (a) received representations from and (b) made representations to the Afghan Embassy in London. |
| (110570) | |
| 153 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the Israeli (a) politicians and (b) political advisers who met Lord Levy on each of his visits to the Middle East as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy. |
| (110509) | |
| 154 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the (a) meetings and (b) official social contacts between Foreign Office (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers and Mr Philip Gould from 1st May 1997 to date. |
| (110510) | |
| 155 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the location of heroin production within Afghanistan. |
| (110571) | |
| 156 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations have been made by him to the Government of Zimbabwe concerning demands that the UK compensate white farmers for land to be taken by the Zimbabwean Government. |
| (110576) | |
| 157 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if it is the Government's policy to support Ukraine's aspiration for EU membership; and what representations he or his Department have received from Ukraine concerning Ukrainian membership of the EU. |
| (110579) | |
| 158 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list all his Department's premises (a) currently for sale and (b) being considered for disposal. |
| (110513) | |
| 159 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, where representatives of his Department have met representatives of the Taliban Government of Afghanistan. |
| (110567) | |
| 160 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department last received representations from the former Afghan Government of President Rabbani. |
| (110569) | |
| 161 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations have been made to him by opposition groups within Zimbabwe about (a) that country's referendum on a new constitution and (b) human rights in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110575) | |
| 162 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government has an arms embargo on Zimbabwe. |
| (110577) | |
| 163 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the recent departmental meetings with Stanley Greenberg and James Caville. |
| (110511) | |
| 164 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department last had contact with a representative of the Taliban Government of Afghanistan. |
| (110566) | |
| 165 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list all of his Department's premises sold since 1st May 1997 together with the sale price and the names of the buyers. |
| (110512) | |
| 166 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Ukrainian Government about (a) Ukraine's weapons exports and (b) illegal export of arms from Ukraine. |
| (110582) | |
| 167 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations have been made to other EU states by his Department concerning Ukrainian membership of the EU. |
| (110580) | |
| 168 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 3rd February, Official Report, column 739W, on departmental expenditure, what is the reason for the increase of £2 million in the capital expenditure and £2 million in the appropriation in aid for FCO estates rationalisation. |
| (110515) | |
| 169 N | Dr Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the report on Children's Rights published by the Children's Select Committee. |
| (109822) | |
| 170 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110725) | |
| 171 N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford and Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the Internet report on the assassination attempt on Colonel Gaddafi in Libya in 1996. |
| (110429) | |
| 172 N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford and Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support was supplied by Her Majesty's Government to the persons who made the assassination attempt on Colonel Gaddafi in Libya in 1996. |
| (110430) | |
| 173 | Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of the electricity used by his Department is generated from renewable sources; and if he will make a statement. |
| (111036) | |
| 174 | Dr Peter Brand (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the impact on the availability of stoma nurses of a price reduction in stoma appliances. |
| (110931) | |
| 175 | Dr Peter Brand (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many stoma nurses working in the NHS are sponsored by dispensing appliance contractors; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in respect of sponsored clinical personnel. |
| (110929) | |
| 176 | Dr Peter Brand (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the number of neurosurgical consultants in each NHS region in each of the last 10 years. |
| (110932) | |
| 177 | Dr Peter Brand (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many surgical interventions for epilepsy have been carried out in each region in each of the last 10 years. |
| (110933) | |
| 178 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to improve access to (a) day care, (b) residential care and (c) recreational clubs for the elderly in rural areas. |
| (110780) | |
| 179 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to improve access to post-natal clinics for people in rural areas. |
| (110778) | |
| 180 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to improve access to (a) day care and (b) residential care for people with disabilities in rural areas. |
| (110779) | |
| 181 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what are the latest figures in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area for the (a) total number of patients waiting for hospital treatment, (b) total number of people waiting 12 months or more for treatment, (c) total number of people waiting over 18 months for treatment and (d) number of people waiting 13 weeks or more to see a consultant on the out patient waiting list. |
| (109972) | |
| 182 N | Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is the expected funding of the NHS in England per head of population in 1999-2000; and what are the comparable figures in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) Northern Ireland. |
| (110476) | |
| 183 | Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what socio-economic factors and indices are included as part of the weighted capitation formula used when determining funding for health authorities and whether the formula is under review. |
| (110942) | |
| 184 | Mr Vernon Coaker (Gedling): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of first appointments not attended by patients at hospital outpatient departments; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110896) | |
| 185 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what additional funding the London Regional Office of the NHS Executive plans to make to the London Ambulance Service to assist it to meet its performance targets; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110696) | |
| 186 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110685) | |
| 187 | Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many general practitioners have been (a) struck off and (b) reprimanded for professional negligence in each year since 1995. |
| (110790) | |
| 188 | Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on adequacy of NHS chiropody services in East Staffordshire. |
| (110731) | |
| 189 | Mr Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East and Mexborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many calls have been made to NHS Direct over the last six months; and what proportion of those calls were made by carers. |
| (110735) | |
| 190 | Mr Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East and Mexborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to establish a 24-hour national helpline for carers. |
| (110736) | |
| 191 | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the contract for the provision of plants in Wellington House and Shipton House is managed; and what plans he has to change the contractual arrangement. |
| (110947) | |
| 192 | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost of the provison of plants in Wellington House and Shipton House was in 1999; and what the budgeted cost for 2000 is. |
| (110948) | |
| 193 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the variations in local authorities' baseline fee rates for residential and nursing care in England. |
| (110699) | |
| 194 | Mr Tom Levitt (High Peak): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will announce the final plans for the disposal of the Devonshire Royal Hospital site, Buxton. |
| (110843) | |
| 195 | Mr Stephen McCabe (Birmingham, Hall Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he can report on the pilot projects which are evaluating digital hearing aids. |
| (110814) | |
| 196 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many incidences there have been in NHS trusts of transfusions of the wrong type of blood to patients in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110832) | |
| 197 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of hyperbaic oxygen therapy for MS sufferers; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110707) | |
| 198 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110724) | |
| 199 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list (a) the total management costs and (b) the management costs as a percentage of income for each NHS trust in England in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110709) | |
| 200 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people over 65 have received free eye tests in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire since April 1999; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110833) | |
| 201 | Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will commission a public inquiry into the events and procedures surrounding the death of Mrs Hilary Pearce at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110842) | |
| 202 | Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which local authorities have made representations to his Department on section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 following the High Court judgement R v London Borough of Richmond ex parte Watson and have been advised not to charge for section 117 services. |
| (110981) | |
| 203 | Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps have been taken by his Department to ensure that local authorities follow the decision made in the High Court in R v London Borough of Richmond ex parte Watson and other related cases. |
| (110982) | |
| 204 | Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 18th January, Official Report, column 423W, on the Mental Health Act 1983, if there continues to be a variation in practice between local authorities. |
| (110980) | |
| 205 | Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research has been undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) local authorities to establish the cost if local authorities ceased to charge for residential care under section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983, in line with the High Court judgement R v London Borough of Richmond ex parte Watson. |
| (110979) | |
| 206 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what were the principal causes of premature death in Somerset in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110800) | |
| 207 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to improve the quality of care in the community for people with learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110799) | |
| 208 | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what is his estimate of the number of cases of influenza per 100,000 of the population (a) in England and (b) in each health authority in England for each winter in each of the years from 1984-1985 to 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110798) | |
| 209 | Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the electricity used by his Department is generated from renewable sources; and if he will make a statement. |
| (111038) | |
| 210 | Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on procuring improved control technology for East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust. |
| (110897) | |
| 211 | Audrey Wise (Preston): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the programmes of research funded under his Department's policy research programme, indicating (i) the organisation holding the research contract, (ii) the research unit undertaking the research, (iii) the start date of the contract, (iv) the end date of the contract, (v) the date of the most recent review of the programme, and (vi) whether negotiations are under way for a new contract and the stage reached in these. |
| (110946) | |
| 212 | Audrey Wise (Preston): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list, in cash terms and at constant prices, his Department's total spending on research and development in each of the last five years and the projected expenditure in each of the next five years. |
| (110944) | |
| 213 | Audrey Wise (Preston): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list in cash terms and at constant prices, the spending on his Department's policy research programme in each of the last five years and the projected expenditure in each of the next five years. |
| (110945) | |
| 214 | Dr Peter Brand (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers (a) in each police authority and (b) as a percentage of officers employed do not hold (i) occupational accident and (ii) ill-health insurance. |
| (110930) | |
| 215 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the success of farm watch schemes in combating crime. |
| (110786) | |
| 216 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the success of the Kent Country Eye partnership in combating crime. |
| (110785) | |
| 217 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the average time out of cell for (a) juvenile and (b) young adult remand prisoners in Feltham Young Offenders Institute during 1999. |
| (110961) | |
| 218 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the factors which have led to officers seeking transfer out of Feltham Young Offenders Institute. |
| (110960) | |
| 219 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to improve the recruitment and retention of prison staff in areas of high property prices. |
| (110959) | |
| 220 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many juvenile remand prisoners and young adult remand prisoners are held in doubled-up cells in (a) Feltham Young Offenders Institute and (b) other young offenders institutes in England; and what were the numbers during 1999. |
| (110958) | |
| 221 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110680) | |
| 222 | Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is his estimate of the number of young offenders in Staffordshire who have committed (a) five offences or more, (b) 10 offences or more, (c) 20 offences or more and (d) 50 offences or more; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110732) | |
| 223 | Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) civilians and (b) special constables have been employed by the Staffordshire Police in each of the last five years. |
| (110734) | |
| 224 | Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers transferred from the Metropolitan Police to other forces in 1999. |
| (110905) | |
| 225 | Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications by officers in the Metropolitan Police to retire on medical grounds were approved in 1999. |
| (110971) | |
| 226 | Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will set out the percentage of revenue budget apportioned to the payment of police pensions for each police authority in England and Wales for 1999-00. |
| (110903) | |
| 227 | Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the average length of service of police officers in the Metropolitan Police in 1999. |
| (110904) | |
| 228 | Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the (a) length of service and (b) age profile of police officers serving in the Metropolitan Police. |
| (110970) | |
| 229 | Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers in the Metropolitan Police have applications to retire on the grounds of ill health outstanding; and how many such officers are (a) on full pay, (b) on half pay and (c) off pay. |
| (110954) | |
| 230 | Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers resigned from the Metropolitan Police in 1999. |
| (110978) | |
| 231 | Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many current prisoners have (a) reached and (b) exceeded their tariff date; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110847) | |
| 232 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110723) | |
| 233 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list for each of the years 1995 to 1999 the average length of time between charge and final disposal of contested cases involving either way offences tried in the magistrates' courts. |
| (110426) | |
| 234 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list for each of the years 1995 to 1999 the average length of time between committal and final disposal of contested cases involving either way offences which are tried before jury after election for jury trial. |
| (110427) | |
| 235 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost of appeals to the Crown Court per annum as a result of the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) Bill (Lords). |
| (110467) | |
| 236 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to end the power of magistrates to commit for sentence to the Crown Court. |
| (110424) | |
| 237 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the impact of the requirement to plead before venue for each of the years 1997, 1998 and 1999. |
| (110425) | |
| 238 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list for each of the years 1995 to 1999 the number and percentage of those who elected trial by jury who pleaded guilty to different offences from those on which they were committed. |
| (110428) | |
| 239 N | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to reduce the sentencing power of magistrates to those available to the Sheriff's Court in Scotland. |
| (110520) | |
| 240 | Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to ensure that prisoners at HMP and Young Offenders Institution Foston Hall have access to suitable healthcare. |
| (110899) | |
| 241 | Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to attract more recruits to the police force. |
| (111033) | |
| 242 N | Miss Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone and The Weald): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to re-role existing adult prisons as (a) young offender institutions or (b) young offender institutions holding 16 and 17 year olds. |
| (110436) | |
| 243 N | Miss Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone and The Weald): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement about the future of Blantyre House Prison. |
| (110438) | |
| 244 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in her Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110678) | |
| 245 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will list, by country, the percentage of her Department's funding that goes (a) directly to foreign governments, (b) to NGOs and charities and (c) directly to the private sector. |
| (110565) | |
| 246 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what has been the amount of (a) UK bilateral aid to Ukraine for use in the clean-up following the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident, (b) aid relating to Chernobyl from the UK Government channelled through international organisations and (c) UK aid specifically targeted to the victims of the Chernobyl accident, expended in (i) Ukraine and (ii) Belarus. |
| (110581) | |
| 247 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by her Department; and if she will make a statement. |
| (110715) | |
| 248 | Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many official visits the honourable Member for Wyre Forest has paid to the United States since his appointment as Parliamentary Under Secretary; what was the location of each visit; who he met; and what subjects were discussed. |
| (110911) | |
| 249 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110722) | |
| 250 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110684) | |
| 251 | Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what statutory provisions prohibit serving police officers swearing a new oath. |
| (110957) | |
| 252 | Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will provide a breakdown of the compensation claims made under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1996 for each of the last three years. |
| (110956) | |
| 253 | Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of (a) women and (b) Catholics are involved in work at a senior policy level on police reform within the (i) Northern Ireland Office, (ii) Police Authority and (iii) RUC. |
| (110846) | |
| 254 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110721) | |
| 255 | Mr William Ross (East Londonderry): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what costs have been incurred through action under the Northern Ireland (Location of Victims' Remains) Act 1999 to date; how many bodies have been recovered to date in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) in the Irish Republic and (c) elsewhere; and if he will provide a breakdown of these costs under the principal headings used in accounting for this expenditure. |
| (110902) | |
| 256 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Prime Minister, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his office; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110676) | |
| 257 | Mr Simon Thomas (Ceredigion): To ask the Prime Minister, when the Performance and Innovation Unit's study into the future of the post office network will be published. |
| (110837) | |
| 258 N | Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list those people who were invited to the Countryside reception at 10 Downing Street on 2nd February. |
| (110503) | |
| 259 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110677) | |
| 260 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110719) | |
| 261 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will make a statement on the claim process for the winter fuel allowance for men between the ages of 60 and 65. |
| (110808) | |
| 262 | Jackie Ballard (Taunton): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will make a statement on recruitment and promotion of Benefits Agency staff in Somerset. |
| (110831) | |
| 263 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110686) | |
| 264 N | Mr Robert Maclennan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what would be the (a) cost in real terms and (b) resulting increase in pensions, of raising pensions to the level they would have reached if the link between pensions and the rise in earnings had never been broken. |
| (110415) | |
| 265 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110720) | |
| 266 | Mr Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will review his policy on inclusion of invalid care allowance in a person's income when assessing eligibility for housing benefit; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110774) | |
| 267 | Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will (a) raise the savings limit of £2,500 for all benefit claimants and (b) establish a higher limit for those with special needs. |
| (110713) | |
| 268 | Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will estimate the number of people on income support for each ward in the constituencies of (a) Stockton South and (b) Stockton North. |
| (110768) | |
| 269 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what is his estimate of the cost of abolishing the shared residency requirment for housing benefit; what assumptions underlie his estimate; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110063) | |
| 270 N | Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what is his estimate of the total annual net cost of restoring benefit entitlements to 16 and 17 year olds; what assumptions underlie this estimate; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110061) | |
| 271 | Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what proportion of the electricity used by his Department is generated from renewable sources; and if he will make a statement. |
| (111037) | |
| 272 | Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, when the assumed cost of a funeral within the Social Fund was last revised. |
| (110898) | |
| 273 N | Miss Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone and The Weald): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate he has made of the expense of retraining staff following the re-roling from a full benefits office to a gateway of Medvale House, Maidstone. |
| (110437) | |
| 274 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Solicitor General, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in the Law Officers' Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110690) | |
| 275 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the number of public houses receiving rates relief in each English county; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110792) | |
| 276 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans he has to improve access to post offices for people in rural areas. |
| (110781) | |
| 277 | Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of the population lives (a) within one mile of a post office and (b) over three miles from a post office in (i) rural areas and (ii) urban areas. |
| (110782) | |
| 278 N | Mr Ian Bruce (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make a statement on the UK Government's policy on the proposed EU End of Life Vehicles Directive. |
| (110346) | |
| 279 N | Mr Ian Bruce (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures are currently in place to deal with end of life vehicles. |
| (110348) | |
| 280 N | Mr Ian Bruce (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what information and advice his Department has given to UK MEPs on the likely economic and environmental impact of the proposed EU End of Life Vehicles Directive. |
| (110350) | |
| 281 N | Mr Ian Bruce (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions he has had on the potential impact of the proposed EU End of Life Vehicles Directive with motor industry representatives. |
| (110352) | |
| 282 N | Mr Ian Bruce (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the cost to the UK motor industry of implementing the proposed EU End of Life Vehicles Directive. |
| (110347) | |
| 283 N | Mr Ian Bruce (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportions of the material in (a) cars, (b) computers, (c) refrigerators and (d) televisions are recycled. |
| (110349) | |
| 284 N | Mr Ian Bruce (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the Government's policy is in respect of EU legislation that imposes a restrospective financial liability on UK industry. |
| (110351) | |
| 285 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much ECGD cover was granted in respect of (a) highly indebted poor countries, (b) lower middle income countries and (c) higher middle income countries in each of the financial years (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97, (iii) 1997-98 and (iv) 1998-99 indicating in each case the percentages for civil aerospace and defence cover. |
| (111008) | |
| 286 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans the Government has to bring forward legislation to better regulate the brokering of arms. |
| (110962) | |
| 287 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list the 10 companies in receipt of the highest level of export credit guarantees for the financial year 1998-99, indicating the amount of cover given to each company and listing the projects for which it was given. |
| (111009) | |
| 288 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make a statement on the outcome of the General Council of the WTO held on 7th and 9th February. |
| (110964) | |
| 289 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of the United Kingdom's total exports received ECGD cover in each of the last three years. |
| (111010) | |
| 290 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make it his policy to encourage the EU to make progress towards the elimination of subsidies on exports in relation to the forthcoming round of WTO agriculture negotiations. |
| (110963) | |
| 291 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110688) | |
| 292 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if, under the G8 memorandum of understanding, Ukraine is intended to receive international funding for the continuing Chernobyl clean-up operation (a) before and (b) after the closure of reactor number three. |
| (110573) | |
| 293 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list the UK and EU tariffs applicable to products imported from Ukraine. |
| (110578) | |
| 294 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much Britain has pledged as part of the G8 funding for the Chernobyl clean-up operation. |
| (110574) | |
| 295 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110718) | |
| 296 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many pensioners he estimates use rural post offices for collecting pensions; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110710) | |
| 297 | Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate his Department has made of the number of telecommunication masts that will be required by new operators who win one of the new generation of telecommunication licences; and whether a commitment to sharing masts with other operators will be (a) a condition of the licence and (b) one of the criteria in the granting of licences. |
| (110816) | |
| 298 | Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what is his policy on the level of national coverage by mobile phone telecommunications operators which will be sufficient for competition purposes; and what plans he has for further licences being granted beyond those currently planned. |
| (110817) | |
| 299 | Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans he has to amend licence conditions to limit (a) damage to the environment and (b) threats to health and safety. |
| (110815) | |
| 300 | Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment his Department has made of the changes required to existing telecommunications networks in order to meet the standards of the next generation of licences; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of extra masts required. |
| (110765) | |
| 301 | Mr Kerry Pollard (St. Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many arms export licences for Indonesia have been (a) applied for, (b) granted and (c) rejected since May 1997, in each case listing the categories of equipment they cover. |
| (110772) | |
| 302 | Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what reasons underlay the Government decision to sell additional mobile phone licences before the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones has published its report; and if he will delay this sale. |
| (110769) | |
| 303 N | Charlotte Atkins (Staffordshire Moorlands): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when the Waterhouse Report into abuse in North Wales Children's homes will be published. |
| (110214) | |
| 304 | Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned, to assess the impact of amending the formula for funding health authorities in Wales since 1997. |
| (110943) | |
| 305 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many senior civil servants from an ethnic minority background are employed in his Department; and how many of them are (a) men and (b) women. |
| (110683) | |
| 306 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens (a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. |
| (110716) | |
| 307 N | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what steps he is taking to expand access to higher and further education. |
| [Question Unstarred] (109134) | |
| 308 N | Mr Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow West): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what progress has been made in establishing the Disability Rights Commission. |
| [Question Unstarred] (109139) | |
| 309 N | Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the monetary value of National Lottery awards made in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in each of the years since the National Lottery was established. |
| [Transferred] (110508) | |
| 310 N | Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if the statement that rural areas received a higher share of National Lottery awards than urban areas on page six of the report by the Cabinet Office, entitled Sharing the Nation's Prosperity, refers to (a) the share of the number of individual lottery awards or (b) the monetary value of the awards. |
| [Transferred] (110507) | |
| 311 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the percentage change has been in youth unemployment in the ward of Sundorne in Shrewsbury and Atcham since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. |
| [Transferred] (110834) | |
| 312 | Mr Neil Turner (Wigan): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will list the amount of housing benefit paid to each local authority in respect of non-local authority rented housing for the years (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97, (c) 1997-98, (d) 1998-99, and (e) 1999-2000, indicating the average number of recipients for each authority. |
| [Transferred] (110949) | |
| 313 | Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what is his estimate of the percentage of adults in the UK who are credit blacklisted. |
| [Transferred] (110733) | |
| 314 | Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many rural (a) banks and (b) post offices closed in each year since 1992; and if he will make a statement. |
| [Transferred] (110711) | |
| 315 | Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will estimate the number of (a) children and (b) adults living in poverty (i) in actual terms and (ii) as a percentage of the general population in each category (A) for each of the past 10 years and (B) expected for these categories in each of the next three years. |
| [Transferred] (110767) | |
| 316 | Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent progress has been made on co-operation with China in science and technology. |
| [Transferred] (110909) | |
| 317 | Mr Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans the Government has for humanitarian aid for Serbia. |
| [Transferred] (110693) | |
| 318 | Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton South): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many underweight babies were born in each health authority for each of the past 10 years; and what percentage of live births this represented. |
| [Transferred] (110766) | |
| 319 | Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will adopt comparable policies to those of President Clinton on prohibiting the use of genetic testing in employment policy. |
| [Transferred] (110740) | |
| 320 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years do not have a national insurance number; and for what reasons; what assessment he has made of the effects on access to work of not possessing a national insurance number; and if he will make a statement. |
| [Transferred] (110809) | |
| 321 | Mr Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what is his estimate of the number of post offices which receive (a) 25 per cent., (b) 50 per cent., (c) 75 per cent. and (d) 100 per cent rate relief, for the latest year for which statistics are available; what plans he has to change the funding of, and guidelines for, such rate relief; and if he will make a statement. |
| [Transferred] (110791) | |
| |
| © Parliamentary copyright 2000 | Revised 17 February 2000 |