 House of Commons |
Session 1999-2000 Publications on the internet The Order Book |
| Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Tuesday 23 November 1999
Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 23 November 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 N | Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee, if he will break down the total costs of refurbishing the Grand Committee Room into those costs which would have been incurred anyway as part of the planned programme of refurbishment, and those which arise specifically from the use of the Grand Committee Room for Westminster Hall sittings. |
| (98551) | |
| 2 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he plans to (a) introduce and (b) facilitate the passage of a Bill banning fur farming within the current parliamentary session. |
| (99119) | |
| 3 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what regulatory requirements must be satisfied by persons seeking to export primates for experimentation purposes. |
| (99138) | |
| 4 N | Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what was the result of the Veterinary Products Committee's meeting of 18th November in respect of recommended policy towards the suspension of the authorisation of Zinc Bacitracin for use in animal feed. |
| (98550) | |
| 5 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many poultry birds were being reared in intensive breeding units in England and Wales on 1st November. |
| (99526) | |
| 6 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many pesticides have been banned from use in the United Kingdom by his Department since May 1997. |
| (99524) | |
| 7 N | Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what provisions of (a) the Treaty of Rome and (b) World Trade Organisation rules govern the banning of imports of (i) beef, (ii) sheepmeat, (iii) pork, (iv) venison and (v) poultry on the basis of animal welfare standards. |
| (99310) | |
| 8 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99559) | |
| 9 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the total cost of providing all Government Car Service services in 1998-99; and what was the estimated cost of vehicles and drivers allocated to Ministers and their private offices in 1998-99. |
| (99136) | |
| 10 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the Church Commissioners, if he will list the expenses claimed by each bishop for the last year for which figures are available. |
| (99117) | |
| 11 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the Church Commissioners, to what extent the Commissioners take into account extra income earned by bishops (a) from giving lectures and (b) from other sources in determining their remuneration. |
| (99118) | |
| 12 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many free tickets to the Millennium Dome have been made available to Dome sponsors. |
| (99129) | |
| 13 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make a statement in respect of his policy towards the percentage of home-produced material broadcast on Channel 5. |
| (99133) | |
| 14 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy to introduce an independent complaints procedure in respect of the BBC. |
| (99134) | |
| 15 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the impact of proposed taxes on the London art market. |
| (99520) | |
| 16 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99551) | |
| 17 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many women members of the Royal Navy were serving at sea on 1st November. |
| (99525) | |
| 18 | Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the loss of an RAF Tornado off the coast of East Lothian on 17th November; if he will ensure that the inquiry into this incident includes consideration of the extent of exclusion zones around nuclear installations; and if he will publish the inquiry report when it is completed. |
| (99533) | |
| 19 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the undertaking given by his predecessor concerning the number of civilian staff to be employed at Imphal Barracks following the transfer of the tri-Service Defence Vetting Agency to York and the removal of the 2nd Division Headquarters from York to Scotland. |
| (99469) | |
| 20 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what military personnel assistance his Department provides to Colombia; and for what purposes. |
| (99430) | |
| 21 N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what arrangements he has put in place to ensure a common approach to the intensification of research selectivity between higher education funding bodies responsible for the various constituent parts of the United Kingdom. |
| (99121) | |
| 22 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99550) | |
| 23 N | Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate and Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what funds allocated from the windfall tax levy to the New Deal for Schools were counted as part of the additional expenditure on education announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review (Cm. 4011). |
| (99424) | |
| 24 N | Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate and Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how much funding was and will be (a) provided and (b) planned by his Department as revenue support to local education authorities in England to meet private sector annual charges for private finance initiative projects in each financial year from 1997-98 to 2001-02; what percentage of the total cost to local education authorities of these projects this represents; and which of these amounts were counted as part of the additional money announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review (Cm. 4011). |
| (99423) | |
| 25 N | Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to review the current legislation relating to telecommunications masts. |
| (99311) | |
| 26 | Caroline Flint (Don Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what funding he has made available for community-based projects (a) to tackle drug abuse and (b) to promote safer communities since May 1997. |
| (99529) | |
| 27 N | Mr Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to include aircraft emissions in the UK greenhouse gases totals; and if he will make a statement. |
| (99243) | |
| 28 | Helen Jackson (Sheffield, Hillsborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what proposals he has to protect dry stone walls in areas of outstanding natural beauty and conservation; and if he will make a statement. |
| (99531) | |
| 29 | Helen Jackson (Sheffield, Hillsborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimate he has made of the number of dry stone walls which have been removed from upland country over the last (a) five and (b) 10 years. |
| (99530) | |
| 30 | Helen Jackson (Sheffield, Hillsborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Peak District and (b) the North Yorkshire national parks about the destruction of dry stone walls. |
| (99532) | |
| 31 N | Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what advice he has received from the Chief Inspector of Railways on the effectiveness of the railway safety regime in place since rail privatisation; and if he will list the relevant papers and place copies in the Library. |
| (99313) | |
| 32 N | Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, which local authorities will pursue pilot schemes for (a) congestion charging and (b) work place car parking charges. |
| (99316) | |
| 33 N | Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when he plans to introduce the Transport Bill. |
| (99314) | |
| 34 N | Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if the Transport Bill will contain proposals to remove the Safety and Standards Department from Railtrack. |
| (99315) | |
| 35 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will place a copy of the voluntary agreement on the commercial growing of genetically-modified crops between his Department and SCIMAC, which he announced on 5th November, in the Library. |
| (99543) | |
| 36 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list research contracts controlled by his Department for work associated with the genetically-modified crop farm-scale trials. |
| (99536) | |
| 37 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the payments made to farmers hosting the genetically-modified farm-scale trials; and whether the payments include (a) a fee for managing the farm-scale trial crop, (b) compensation for loss of income from the land growing the farm-scale crop and (c) a fee for taking part in the farm scale trial. |
| (99541) | |
| 38 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, when genetically-modified winter oilseed rape was planted at Summerhouse Farm, Royston, Hertfordshire, under consent 98/R19/18; and, if he will publish the opinion of the Farm-Scale Trial Scientific Steering Committee on the relevance of the planting to biodiversity. |
| (99537) | |
| 39 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the method and date of destruction and disposal used for the harvested crops from the 1999 genetically-modified farm-scale trial of fodder maize at Little Park Farm, Beech Hill Road, Mortimer, Berkshire. |
| (99540) | |
| 40 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the criteria used by the Farm-Scale Trials Scientific Steering Committee for the selection of farms to take part in the farm-scale trials. |
| (99542) | |
| 41 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will put measures in place to ensure that honey produced around the farm-scale trials for genetically-modified crops will not contain genetically-modified pollen. |
| (99535) | |
| 42 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will publish a list of the crop varieties, including the respective companies which developed them, so far proposed by SCIMAC for the inclusion in the genetically-modified crop farm-scale trials. |
| (99538) | |
| 43 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will publish a copy of the protocols for the management of the GM farm-scale trials for each crop and each variety planted. |
| (99544) | |
| 44 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, on which dates the crops in the 1999 genetically-modified crop farm scale trials were sown and harvested involving fodder maize at Walnut Tree Farm, Lyng, Norfolk, crops at (a) Home Farm, Spittle-in-the-Street, Glentham, Lincolnshire, (b) Little Park Farm, Beech Hill Road, Mortimer, Reading, Berkshire, and (c) Rothampsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and spring oilseed rape at Advanta Seed, Booth Graffoe, Lincoln, and Model Farm, Shirburn, Watlington, Oxfordshire. |
| (99539) | |
| 45 | Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what plans he has to review the separation distances between genetically-modified crops and non-genetically-modified crops, including the farm-scale trials; and if he will list the proposed revised distances for each crop. |
| (99534) | |
| 46 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99558) | |
| 47 | Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will publish for (a) Merseyside, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) Cornwall, the amount of Objective 1 finance which he expects each area will get by way of commitment in the year 2000-2001 from the European Union; how much of these commited project costs he expects to be spent during that year; how much will carry over to subsequent financial years; and how much match funding will be made available to each of these areas for the financial year 2000-2001. |
| (99546) | |
| 48 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the present surplus on the National Insurance Fund; and what plans he has to deploy this. |
| (99135) | |
| 49 N | Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what expenditure he plans to make from revenues hypothocated from increases in fuel duty in each of the next three years. |
| (99317) | |
| 50 N | Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the net and gross contributions to the European Union of 1998 by each member state; and what is the source of these figures. |
| (99318) | |
| 51 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99578) | |
| 52 | Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps in his next Budget to reduce the VAT rate payable on energy-saving materials; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on this. |
| (99545) | |
| 53 N | Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the transcript of the interviews the Metropolitan Police held with (a) Movladi Akhmetkhanov and (b) Turpal Atgerier. |
| (99250) | |
| 54 N | Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the remit given by his Department to the Metropolitan Police in respect of their investigation into the murdered hostages in Chechnya. |
| (99251) | |
| 55 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contribution the United Kingdom will make to international monitoring missions to Sri Lanka to oversee the presidential elections. |
| (99427) | |
| 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 the Nigerian Government about the imposition of Shariah laws in the state of Zamfara. |
| (99428) | |
| 57 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Sudanese Government concerning human rights abuses in the Sudan. |
| (99429) | |
| 58 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he will ask the Commonwealth to take to oversee the presidential elections in Sri Lanka. |
| (99426) | |
| 59 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on continuing peace iniatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo. |
| (99242) | |
| 60 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received concerning Occidental Petroleum and the indigenous Uwa of Colombia. |
| (99254) | |
| 61 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Wunlit Peace Accords signed in March 1999 in southern Sudan. |
| (99240) | |
| 62 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the political situation in Western Sahara. |
| (99257) | |
| 63 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the situation in Ethiopia and Eritrea. |
| (99234) | |
| 64 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received concerning the development of the Urra Dam in Colombia. |
| (99253) | |
| 65 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his (a) European and (b) American counterparts concerning the peace process in Sudan; and if he will make a statement. |
| (99241) | |
| 66 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his United States counterpart with regard to United States military intervention in Colombia. |
| (99252) | |
| 67 | Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will apply economic sanctions against Indonesia if its Government does not take immediate and effective steps to disarm the militia whose activities are preventing refugees from returning to East Timor. |
| (99548) | |
| 68 N | Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will reply to the letter sent to him on 3rd November by the honourable Member for Altrincham and Sale West, seeking guarantees on the future of cancer surgery at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. |
| (99245) | |
| 69 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the National Burns Care Review; and when he expects it to be completed and its findings published. |
| (99421) | |
| 70 N | Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have been struck off general practitioners' registers over the last two years. |
| (99312) | |
| 71 N | Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to combat tuberculosis. |
| (99425) | |
| 72 N | Mr Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) first consultation and (b) inpatient waiting times have been since 1997 for (i) orthopaedics, (ii) rheumatology, (iii) cardiology and (iv) cancer care. |
| (98656) | |
| 73 N | Mr Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to publish performance indicators of (a) consultants and (b) hospital departments in relation to patient waiting times for (i) first consultation and (ii) inpatient treatment. |
| (98657) | |
| 74 N | Mr Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received regarding assessments of waiting times to see hospital consultants. |
| (98658) | |
| 75 N | Mr David Rendel (Newbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent by the NHS in the last five years for which figures are available on (a) primary care continence services, (b) secondary continence care, (c) prolapse operations and (d) continence, related problems. |
| (98654) | |
| 76 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99557) | |
| 77 | Mr Mike Wood (Batley and Spen): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the plans being made to cope with the expected extra demand placed on emergency services during the millennium celebrations. |
| (99560) | |
| 78 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to ensure the permanent quarters of performing animals are brought within the scope of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981. |
| (99126) | |
| 79 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to require suppliers of exotic pets to provide written information to customers concerning housing and care for certain threatened species. |
| (99127) | |
| 80 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the applications leading to existing OECD guideline 401 licences issued (a) before 5th September 1998 and (b) since that date approximately how many animals it was envisaged would be used. |
| (99140) | |
| 81 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to encourage other EU states to adopt the UK position on LD50 tests. |
| (99131) | |
| 82 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to repeal section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. |
| (99122) | |
| 83 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the policy as to whether or not to disclose information has been changed from one based on substantial harm to one based on prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs. |
| (99124) | |
| 84 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government's support for a ban on hunting with hounds is dependent on the findings of the committee of inquiry he has set up to look into the issue. |
| (99120) | |
| 85 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will bring performing animal centres within the terms of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981; and if he will make a statement. |
| (99125) | |
| 86 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the increased numbers of cruelty convictions against pet shops over the last year; and if he will make it his policy to introduce a more robust and comprehensive inspection and licensing regime. |
| (99128) | |
| 87 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by what date he proposes to review Guideline 401 licences; and what the outcome was of reviews already carried out. |
| (99143) | |
| 88 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, against what criteria he proposes to review existing OECD guideline 401 licences issued before 5th September 1998. |
| (99142) | |
| 89 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what legal advice he has received in respect of OECD guideline 401 licences granted (a) before and (b) since 5th September 1998. |
| (99144) | |
| 90 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of the existing OECD guideline 401 licences issued before 5th September 1998, how many, taking into account any renewal already granted, are due to expire in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003. |
| (99141) | |
| 91 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to ensure that there are no blanket confidentiality clauses in the forthcoming Freedom of Information Bill. |
| (99123) | |
| 92 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many existing project licences authorising the use of the LD50 test, as defined in OECD guideline 401, were issued (a) before 5th September 1998 and (b) since that date. |
| (99139) | |
| 93 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many animals were used in LD50 tests as set out in OECD guideline 401 in the UK in (a) 1996, (b) 1997 and (c) 1998, listed by species. |
| (99132) | |
| 94 N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Director General of the Prison Service will reply to the honourable Member for West Chelmsford's letter of 20th April concerning a constituent and Chelmsford Prison. |
| (99420) | |
| 95 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Christchurch dated 26th July about Mrs Seaward. |
| (99465) | |
| 96 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter of 10th September from the honourable Member for Christchurch concerning the visa application of Victoriano Sarmiento. |
| (99464) | |
| 97 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many attacks by motorists against other motorists have been reported during 1999; how many people have been charged as a result of such reports; and how many such people have been (a) sent to prison, (b) fined and (c) acquitted. |
| (99527) | |
| 98 N | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the Merseyside Police Authority's budget has been spent on investigating drug-related crime and on preventing drug-related crime in each year since 1995. |
| (99433) | |
| 99 N | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drug-related murders and manslaughters there have been on Merseyside in each year since 1995. |
| (99434) | |
| 100 N | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested for drug-related crime on Merseyside in each year from 1995 onwards; how many were charged; how many were subsequently convicted; and how many were aged (a) between 14 and 16, (b) between 16 and 19, (c) between 19 and 29 and (d) over 29 years. |
| (99432) | |
| 101 N | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations similar to Operation Care are being undertaken in the United Kingdom. |
| (99431) | |
| 102 | Caroline Flint (Don Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has for a formal consultation of the education and youth services about combating drug abuse. |
| (99519) | |
| 103 N | Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library copies of the representations received in response to the Government's consultation document on managing dangerous people with a severe personality disorder. |
| (99308) | |
| 104 | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of defendants who opted for trial by jury in either-way offences and pleaded guilty at the Crown Court were committed together with co-defendants who contested indictments at the Crown Court, in the most recent year for which figures are available. |
| (99562) | |
| 105 | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of defendants who opted for trial by jury in either-way offences and pleaded guilty in the Crown Court pleaded guilty to (a) charges or (b) counts different from those upon which they were committed, in the most recent year for which figures are available. |
| (99563) | |
| 106 | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of defendants who opted for trial by jury in either-way offences and pleaded guilty at the Crown Court received sentences at the Crown Court which could not have been passed by the committing magistrates court, in the most recent year for which figures are available. |
| (99561) | |
| 107 | Mr Jim Murphy (Eastwood): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total costs were of policing the England v Scotland Euro 2000 playoffs match at Wembley on 17th November. |
| (99528) | |
| 108 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99556) | |
| 109 | Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with the Russian Government concerning help with, and advice on, the welfare and protection of street children. |
| (99523) | |
| 110 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress is being made by her Department in implementing alternative development in drug-producing regions of drug-producing countries. |
| (99249) | |
| 111 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has held with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry concerning the forthcoming WTO Seattle Round. |
| (99238) | |
| 112 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made with the reconstruction of Honduras since Hurricane Mitch. |
| (99256) | |
| 113 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made with the reconstruction of Armenia-Colombia since the January earthquake. |
| (99255) | |
| 114 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will list the projects her Department supports which focus on conflict prevention in Kenya. |
| (99236) | |
| 115 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what education projects her Department is supporting in Southern Sudan; and if she will make a statement. |
| (99239) | |
| 116 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has to support long-term agricultural projects in the Orissa region of India. |
| (99235) | |
| 117 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on the conditions of East Timorese living in militia-controlled West Timor refugee camps. |
| (99246) | |
| 118 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Orissa. |
| (99237) | |
| 119 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what is the estimated total cost to the Government of the security enhancements to his London home. |
| (99258) | |
| 120 N | Mr David Maclean (Penrith and The Border): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what is the estimated total cost to the Government of security blinds and curtains for his London home. |
| (99259) | |
| 121 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the official visits to China since 1st May 1997, specifying for each occasion (i) the (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) numbers of officials who attended, (ii) the matters discussed and conclusions reached and (iii) the cost of the visit. |
| (99130) | |
| 122 N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Prime Minister, what has been the total salary bill, including on-costs, of special advisers employed at 10 Downing Street for each year since 1st May 1997. |
| (99137) | |
| 123 N | Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West): To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to provide guidance to government ministers regarding the purchase of private health insurance policies. |
| (99309) | |
| 124 N | Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge and Malling): To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the state visits to the United Kingdom that have been made since May 1997 and the dates of each visit. |
| (98655) | |
| 125 | Mr Mike Wood (Batley and Spen): To ask the Prime Minister, if the Government will appoint a Minister for Youth. |
| (99468) | |
| 126 N | Rachel Squire (Dunfermline West): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, on on what date his Department announced (a) the closure of Lynebank Hospital and (b) the sell-off of the site; and if he will make a statement. |
| (99244) | |
| 127 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99553) | |
| 128 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99555) | |
| 129 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what assurances he has received from the banking industry that, in the event of all benefit payments being made into bank accounts from 2003, bank accounts would be available to all benefit recipients. |
| (99570) | |
| 130 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what the status is of the recent letter from the Benefits Agency to weekly recipients of child benefit encouraging them to opt for payment by automated credit transfers; and if he will write to all those who opted for automated credit transfer as a result of this letter to remind them of their continued option of payment through a post office. |
| (99565) | |
| 131 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what the results were of his trial of the use of a benefits payment card in respect of the level of benefit fraud. |
| (99566) | |
| 132 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if the Government's policy of eliminating child poverty requires rates of social security benefits set above the official poverty line. |
| (99569) | |
| 133 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what the policy of the Benefits Agency is on encouraging the replacement of benefit payments to post offices by automated credit transfers prior to 2003. |
| (99564) | |
| 134 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what are (a) the annual costs of the production and distribution of order books and (b) his estimate of the annual running costs if printed order books are replaced by benefit payment cards. |
| (99567) | |
| 135 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what assessment he has made of the extent of benefit fraud when payments are made by automated credit transfer. |
| (99568) | |
| 136 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what assurances he has received from the banking industry that, if new accounts were opened solely for the purpose of receipt of social security benefits, no charges would be levied for the withdrawal of cash. |
| (99577) | |
| 137 | Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, under what circumstances the Independent Tribunal Service is required to hold a re-hearing of an appeal case; and if he will review the law with regard to such cases. |
| (99547) | |
| 138 | Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, in what circumstances a female appellant against a disability living allowance rejection is permitted to ask for an all-female tribunal to hear her case; and if he will make a statement. |
| (99549) | |
| 139 N | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what are the exceptional public interest criteria that he applies when he overrides advice of the Office of Fair Trading in cases of reference to the Competition Commission. |
| (98553) | |
| 140 N | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations he has received from (a) British Telecommunications and (b) BSkyB in relation to the proposed merger between NTL and Cable and Wireless Communications. |
| (98554) | |
| 141 N | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in how many cases since 1st May 1997 he has (a) accepted and (b) not accepted the ruling of the Office of Fair Trading; and if he will list the cases, indicating whether the ruling of the Office of Fair Trading was accepted or rejected. |
| (98552) | |
| 142 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if the implementation of the OECD guidelines on multi-national enterprises will be on the agenda of November's WTO Seattle Round. |
| (99247) | |
| 143 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99554) | |
| 144 N | Mr Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what initiatives he proposes to take at the World Trade Organisation Conference at Seattle to ensure that WTO policies have specific objectives which include (a) the reduction of Third World poverty, (b) ensuring equitable market access for the products of Third World countries on the basis of a level playing field and (c) helping consumers to distinguish between products on ethical, environmental and health grounds. |
| (99422) | |
| 145 | Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. |
| (99552) | |
| 146 N | Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made with the Ethical Trading Initiative; and how many companies have joined the initiative. |
| [Transferred] (99248) | |
| |
| © Parliamentary copyright 1999 | Revised 23 November 1999 |