Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 1999-2000
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The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Tuesday 31 October 2000

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 31 October, of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

For other Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 31 October, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Wednesday 1 November see Part 2 of this Paper.

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

TUESDAY 31st OCTOBER

1
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):    To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee, if he will make a statement on recent media reports concerning Portcullis House.

(135913)

2
N   Mr Christopher Gill (Ludlow):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what evidence his Department has obtained that links new variant CJD in humans with BSE in cattle.

(135915)

3
N   Mr Colin Pickthall (West Lancashire):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the policy of the French Government towards UK beef exports.

(135672)

4
N   Mr Colin Pickthall (West Lancashire):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what his policy is regarding the arable agri-compensation that will be available by 31st October.

(135674)

5
N   Mr Colin Pickthall (West Lancashire):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what checks are made on imported foods labelled as organic to ensure that they do not include residues which would not be allowed in UK-produced organic foods.

(135673)

6
N   Mr Colin Pickthall (West Lancashire):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what investigation his Department is undertaking into the recent rise in fertilizer prices.

(135675)

7
N   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement about Government policy on coastal erosion.

(133339)

8
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will set up a field trial to eliminate bee colonies with European foul brood; and what steps he is taking to ensure colonies with European foul brood are destroyed.

(134636)

9
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time bee inspectors are employed by his Department.

(134637)

10
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will reintroduce (a) a regular checking of bee hives in order to discover and eliminate disease; and for what reasons such checking has been discontinued.

(134638)

11
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many outbreaks of foul brood and European foul brood have been identified in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(134639)

12
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make available a grant of £600 per annum to enable bee keepers to take basic bee keeping exams.

(134640)

13
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason no fee is being charged to the Ministry of Sound for the hire of secondary venues at the Dome on 31st December.

(135735)

14
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what issues delayed the payment by Tesco to the New Millennium Experience Company of the £500,000 due for payment on 1st March; and if he will place in the Library copies of all correspondence between Tesco and NMEC relating to this matter.

(135737)

15
N   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement about the future of the Tracer programme as a bilateral progamme with the United States of America.

(135834)

16
N   Mr Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contingency plans he has for using service drivers to deliver oil to other than essential service providers.

(135943)

17
N   Mr Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what powers he has to direct service drivers to drive oil tankers owned by private contractors or oil companies.

(135942)

18
N   Mr Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service drivers are being trained to drive oil tankers.

(135941)

19
N   Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many troops have been deployed under the UN from each country in Sierra Leone; what the timetable plan has been for their deployment in each case; and what the numbers and timetable are for future deployment for each country's troops.

(135923)

20
N   Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the costs have been to date of the UK training teams deployed in Sierra Leone under Operation Basilica.

(135922)

21
N   Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK forces are (a) deployed in Sierra Leone and (b) about to be deployed; from which parts of the armed forces they have come; and what their mission and rules of engagement are.

(135921)

22
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much time his Department, BAE Systems, and DERA have allotted for the fire-support requirements study; what percentage of the time frame will be dedicated to the development programme of the 155mm naval gun; and if he will make a statement.

(136000)

23
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) cost and (b) performance advantages the 155mm naval gun to be deployed on the type 45 destroyer will have over the mk 8 mod 1 gun now deployed; and if he will make a statement.

(135997)

24
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the development programme for construction of the 155mm naval gun will ensure it is capable of unloading 20 rounds per minute; and if he will make a statement.

(136003)

25
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the (a) timescale and (b) cost of retrofitting (i) Type 45 destroyers and (ii) new Type 45 destoyers with the new naval 155 mm gun; and if he will make a statement.

(135989)

26
   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made in developing the new extended-range guided munitions for use in land-based 155mm artillery; what has been the cost to date of the development and production of ERGMs for the (a) land-based and (b) naval 155mm gun; and if he will make a statement.

(135999)

27
N   Norman Baker (Lewes):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what the teacher-to-pupil ratio was in East Sussex (a) for children aged between five and seven years, (b) for children aged eight to 11 years, (c) for all primary schools in the county and (d) for all secondary schools in the county in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99 and (iii) 1999-2000.

(135736)

28
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, when he will publish the results of the consultation exercise on a new code of practice for special educational needs and announce his decision thereon.

(135501)

29
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what steps he is taking to inform small and medium sized enterprises about the Access to Work scheme.

(135841)

30
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what action he is taking to improve the position of those with more than one impairment or complex disabilities.

(135840)

31
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how many lecturers have been employed on regular contracts (a) full-time and (b) part-time in further education in each of the last 10 years.

(135500)

32
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what plans he has to ensure a common approach to the Connexions service (a) within his department and (b) between his Department and other Departments.

(135498)

33
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what plans he has to ensure that the Connexions service will deliver (a) a universal and (b) a differentiated service.

(135497)

34
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what quality assurance processes his Department will use to maximise the effectiveness of the Connexion programme.

(135499)

35
   Mr Ronnie Fearn (Southport):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what the average fee is for completion of a university course in the United Kingdom.

(136006)

36
   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when information and advice from the Highways Agency will be available on the priorities for resurfacing concrete roads up to 2010.

(136012)

37
   Mrs Helen Brinton (Peterborough):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he plans to publish for public consultation the Soil Protection Strategy recommended by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in its 1996 Report, 'Sustainable Use of Soil'.

(136011)

38
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, which discussions have taken place since 1st August on the future of air-traffic control between his Department and (a) IPMS and (b) BALPA.

(133491)

39
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he expects consultations upon concessionary fares for bus travel to be completed.

(135741)

40
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will review the trigger level for the holding of parish polls.

(135740)

41
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to phase out refrigerants with a high global-warming potential.

(135775)

42
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to extend the arrangements for conversion of vehicles from petrol or diesel to liquified petroleum gas to older vehicles.

(135739)

43
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to review the ban on driving of Group II vehicles by insulin-using diabetics.

(135496)

44
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to review current arrangements for ascertaining the medical fitness of older drivers.

(135734)

45
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimates of the population in 2016 in each English region and London have been used in devising the projected level of household formations proposed for the current round of draft regional planning guidance.

(135738)

46
N   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel and South Downs):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what discussions he has held with Railtrack plc regarding railway station refurbishment in West Sussex.

(133243)

47
N   Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what investigations he has instigated to ascertain the safety of Firestone tyres fitted to Ford Explorer vehicles imported from the United States of America.

(135842)

48
N   Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many families are benefiting from the working families tax credit in the Bury North constituency.

(135914)

49
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to introduce tax exemptions for community amateur sports clubs.

(135732)

50
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the review on annuities is expected to report.

(135733)

51
   Mr Ronnie Fearn (Southport):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the causes of the fluctuations in the exchange rate between the euro and the pound in 1999-2000.

(136009)

52
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to introduce a tax rebate for bee keepers.

(134641)

53
N   Mr Donald Anderson (Swansea East):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the future structure and strategy of the British Council.

(135592)

54
N   Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact on dealing in illegal diamonds by the RUF in Sierra Leone of his initiatives on conflict diamonds.

(135918)

55
N   Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to President Mugabe of Zimbabwe over (a) the revocation of the national reconcilation policy and (b) threats to arrest Ian Smith and other former Rhodesian Government members.

(135838)

56
N   Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to Nigeria concerning allegations about senior Nigerians in the UN force dealing in illegal diamonds.

(135920)

57
N   Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on his most recent discussions with King Abdullah of Jordan.

(135837)

58
N   Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in what capacity Peter Penfold is employed by his Department.

(135919)

59
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 UN about the new commander of the UN peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone.

(135917)

60
   Mr Ronnie Fearn (Southport):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent reports he has received on the availability of medical services in the armed forces; and what advice he has received on increasing their availability.

(136008)

61
   Mr Ronnie Fearn (Southport):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on trends in the availability of medical services in the armed forces over the last three years.

(136007)

62
   Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will set up a review of the system of prescription charges including assessment of the treatment under the scheme of (a) patients requiring life-long treatment for non-exempt medical conditions and (b) other patients who are exempted from charges.

(135987)

63
   Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are being taken to help people with involuntary long-term addiction to benzodiazepines; and if he will make it his policy to establish residential units to help them withdraw.

(136014)

64
   Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on trends in the prescribing of benzodiazepines and the action his Department is taking to implement the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines in January 1988 concerning the continued long-term use of these drugs.

(136013)

65
   Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the list of medical conditions exempt from prescription charges was last reviewed.

(135988)

66
   Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is in granting exemption from prescription charges to patients suffering from sickle cell and thalassaemia; and what changes there have been in that policy since May 1997.

(136001)

67
   Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information he collates about the level of prescribing of psychotropic medication in residential homes; and what guidance he issues to doctors on this subject.

(136015)

68
   Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue guidance to doctors about alternatives to the prescribing of psychotropic medication for stress and minor illness.

(135990)

69
   Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to combat the increase in the prescribing of SSRI antidepressants; and if he will make statement.

(136002)

70
N   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department defines intermediate care.

(135836)

71
N   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued regarding the recruitment of nurses from overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(135835)

72
   Mr Tony Colman (Putney):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will urgently replace, for grantees of exceptional leave to remain, the Home Office Certificate of Identity with a travel document accepted by all other EU member states.

(135998)

73
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce restrictions upon practicising freemasons in (a) the police, (b) the judiciary and (c) his Department.

(135916)

74
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation there has been with voluntary organisations on the cost of criminal record checks by the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will make a statement.

(134677)

75
N   Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on whether the cost of criminal record checks by the Criminal Record Bureau should be paid for by the local authority or the new employee; and if he will make a statement.

(134678)

76
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many charities were removed from the Charities' Register following an investigation under section 8 of the Charities Act 1993 in each year since the Act came into force.

(134439)

77
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations under section 8 of the Charities Act 1993 have taken more than 12 months to complete; and what percentage of section 8 investigations this represents.

(134440)

78
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations have been carried out under section 8 of the Charities Act 1993; and what was the average length of time taken to complete an investigation.

(134441)

79
N   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff her Department employs to maintain her Department's website; how frequently each topic area within the website is updated; what expenditure has been incurred by her Department in the operation of the website in 1999-2000; and what the average number of hits on the site was in each of the last six months.

(135156)

80
N   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many press releases were issued by her Department, its agencies and non-departmental bodies in (a) 1999 and (b) 2000 to date; and how many of them have been made available on the Department's website.

(135157)

81
   Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):    To ask the President of the Council, for what reason the petition by Mr Raymond Hale of the University of Bristol, submitted to the Privy Council on 10th September 1999, has not received a response; and if she will make a statement.

(136010)

82
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on his responsibilities for the Scottish Civil Service and its adherence to the Civil Service Code.

(135946)

83
N   Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will refer to the Cabinet Secretary the proposals of the honourable Member for Central Fife in relation to privileged access for Labour MSPs to civil servants of the Scottish Executive and compliance with the Civil Service Code.

(135945)

84
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what the annual cost would be of extending winter fuel payments to those under the age of 60 now in receipt of the middle or higher rate of disability living allowance care component or higher rate of mobility component.

(135839)

85
   Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many households will benefit this winter from the winter heating allowance in each county in Wales.

(135991)

86
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his Answer of 6th July, Official Report, columns 252-3W, concerning the percentage of the price of petrol which is accounted for by taxation in each EU country, if he will update those figures.

(135774)

87
N   Mr David Drew (Stroud):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans he has to extend pre-shipment financial support to exporting businesses through (a) ECGD and (b) other means.

(135591)

88
N   Mr Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what power the Government has to seize oil tankers owned by (a) private contractors and (b) oil companies.

(135944)

89
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many claims for compensation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been (a) received and (b) settled in each of the last five years.

(134437)

90
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what was the average time take by IRISC Claims Management to deal with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease claims in the last 12 months.

(134438)

91
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the claim of William Farrington (deceased) for compensation for respiratory disease will be dealt with by IRISC Claims Management.

(134442)

92
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action he has taken to deal with the claim of Mr William Farrington (deceased) for compensation for respiratory disease.

(134443)

93
   Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he has taken, following recent job losses at the Sony factory in Pencoed, to maintain Japanese firms' commitment to and confidence in Wales.

(136004)

94
   Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the average cost of petrol was accounted for by VAT and duty in each of the last seven years.

[Transferred] (136005)

95
   Mr Quentin Davies (Grantham and Stamford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, when the sums due to victims of vaccine damage he will pay to the families concerned; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (135996)



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