Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2001-02
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The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Tuesday 26 March 2002

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 26 March, 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 26 March, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Tuesday 9 April 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 26th MARCH

1
N   Sandra Gidley (Romsey):    To ask the Deputy Prime Minster, which Government departments are expected to reach the target of equal representation for women in public appointments by 2005.

(46501)

2
   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):    To ask the Deputy Prime Minster, pursuant to his Answer of 10th March, Official Report, column 432W on sponsorship, if he will place in the Library a copy of the internal sponsorship guidelines circulated to departments in March 1999.

(46611)

3
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much money the Department and its predecessors has spent on providing schools with instruments in each of the past 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

(46588)

4
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many schoolchildren have been offered training on a musical instrument in each of the past 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

(46586)

5
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average salary for (a) a professionally trained librarian and (b) an untrained library assistant has been in each local authority in each of the past 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

(46590)

6
N   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to improve the levels of Lottery grants to (a) Barrow in Furness and (b) Wear Valley.

(46422)

7
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much money the Department has spent on encouraging schoolchildren to play a musical instrument in each of the past 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

(46587)

8
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which representatives of the ITC have attended meetings with minsters and officials from her Department in the last six months.

(46593)

9
N   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what appraisal she has made of Lottery funding levels for (a) Barrow in Furness and (b) Wear Valley.

(46420)

10
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations her Department has received from the ITC on the issue of preparation for OFCOM; and what form they have taken.

(46591)

11
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many times (a) ministers and (b) officials from her Department have met representatives of the ITC in the last six months.

(46592)

12
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what costs the ITC has incurred in advising her Department on the creation of OFCOM.

(46594)

13
N   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will discuss with Lottery distributing bodies the level of grants to (a) Barrow in Furness and (b) Wear Valley.

(46421)

14
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) professionally trained librarians and (b) untrained library assistants were employed by each local authority in each of the past 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

(46589)

15
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what figures she has collated on how many music advisors in the Department (a) perform or have performed music in the past, (b) play an instrument and (c) studied music at University; and if she will make a statement.

(46585)

16
N   Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she will reply to the letter of 19th December 2001 from the honourable Member for Fareham, concerning his constituent Mrs Miolk.

(45804)

17
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government is establishing regional archivist groups; what movement of archives there will be to such groups from county and national archives; and what representations she has received on the matter.

(45925)

18
   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether anti-aircraft defences in the United Kingdom have combat identification of friend and foe facilities; and what steps he is taking to ensure that all anti-aircraft defences can use information from air traffic control systems.

(46612)

19
N   Lady Hermon (North Down):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on (a) the casualties injured in the RAF Puma helicopter crash in South Armagh on 17th March and (b) the probable causes of the crash.

(46369)

20
N   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the sites from which MoD police have been withdrawn from security duties since 1997, stating in each case the (a) reason for withdrawal, (b) company who have replaced MoD police duties, (c) terms of the contract for such companies, including cost to the MoD per year, (d) expected savings to his Department and (e) the contingency for armed cover; and if he will make a statement.

(44721)

21
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his policy only to review the findings of the air marshals on the reasons for the crash of the ZD 576 Chinook helicopter on 2nd June 1994 if there is new evidence in this case; and if he will make a statement.

(45860)

22
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what legal advice he has recently requested in relation to his Department's review of the handling of the investigation into the crash of the ZD 576 Chinook helicopter in June 1994; and if he will make a statement.

(45861)

23
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what regard he has had to DETR Circular 02/99 in submitting planning applications for the development of the Princess Mary Hospital site, RAF Halton.

(46313)

24
N   Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed forces are deployed abroad on operations; and where.

(46305)

25
N   Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the strength of the armed forces deployed in (a) the Balkans, (b) Macedonia, (c) Kosovo and (d) Bosnia (i) is and (ii) was a year ago.

(46304)

26
N   Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed forces are deployed in Northern Ireland, broken down by service; and what the equivalent figures were a year ago.

(46306)

27
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what (a) the number of grants paid out and (b) the average grant allocation given to individuals to obtain National Vocational Qualification level II was in each of the last five years.

(45626)

28
   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions her officials have had with promoters of a City Academy in the City of Newcastle area; how many promoters have approached her; and whether those discussions are continuing.

(46616)

29
N   Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when she will reply to the letter of 18th December 2001 from the honourable Member for Fareham, concerning his constituent Ms Prosser.

(45806)

30
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of baby food consumed in the UK was organically produced in (a) 1990, (b) 1995 and (c) 2000.

(46620)

31
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost of removing pesticide and fertiliser contamination from water in water catchment and other areas that affect drinking water supplies was in (a) areas of standard farming procedures and (b) areas where farming is carried out to Soil Association organic standards in the last year for which figures are available.

(46638)

32
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to develop mechanisms (a) to prevent an increase in GM presence in conventional seeds and produce and (b) to prevent GM contamination of organic seeds and produce; and with whom this responsibility lies.

(46622)

33
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to develop an animal health strategy; and to what extent this strategy is based on (a) the promotion of health and (b) the treatment and prevention of disease.

(46636)

34
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the level of pesticide residues found in fresh water in the UK which comes from (a) agro-chemicals used in farming and (b) products used by organic farmers to control insect pests.

(46637)

35
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many agricultural employees there are per hectare on (a) organic and (b) non-organic farmland.

(46628)

36
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which EU member states have been notified of the action taken by the National Assembly for Wales under the safeguard clause of the EU Deliberate Release Directive in respect of GM maize being grown in the UK; and when they were informed.

(46640)

37
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of organic food sold in the UK in (a) 1987, (b) 1992, (c) 1997 and (d) 2002 was grown in the UK.

(46631)

38
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) collect organic food market and production data and (b) track developments in the organic market.

(46641)

39
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether multiple pesticide residues on food produced with agro-chemicals are covered by testing procedures; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that foods possibly containing such multiple residues are safe for consumers.

(46624)

40
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what separation distances she recommends should be imposed between GM and non-GM or organic crops of (a) sugar or fodder beet, (b) maize and (c) oilseed rape, to avoid contamination of the non-GM or organic crop above 0.01 per cent.

(46621)

41
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total value was of the organic retail market in the UK in (a) 1987, (b) 1992, (c) 1997 and (d) 2002.

(46630)

42
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the interested parties with whom she discussed the measures necessary to allow for practical co-existence of GM and non-GM crops.

(46623)

43
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will estimate the change in the external costs of agriculture which would be achieved if 30 per cent of all agricultural land in the UK was converted to organic.

(46625)

44
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the soil strategy report being prepared by her Department will recognise the role played by soil organisms in relation to (a) the ability of soil to retain moisture and carbon, (b) delivering nutrients to plants and (c) preventing soil erosion.

(46635)

45
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of food produced in the UK was sold to British consumers in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

(46626)

46
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the European Commission to respond to the action taken by the National Assembly of Wales under the safeguard clause of the EU Deliberate Release Directive in respect of GM maize being grown in the United Kingdom.

(46639)

47
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what average payments per hectare from the Common Agricultural Policy's production subsidies are received by (a) non-organic farmers and (b) organic farmers.

(46627)

48
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of organic land area is used in the production of (a) arable crops, (b) sheep, (c) beef and (d) dairy products.

(46632)

49
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many acres of land was organic or in conversion to organic in the UK in (a) 1985, (b) 1990, (c) 1995 and (d) 2000.

(46629)

50
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps have been taken to strengthen UK commitments to multilateral environmental agreements; and if she will make a statement.

(46557)

51
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps have been taken to assess the (a) environmental, (b) economic and (c) economic impacts of exploiting natural resources in environmentally fragile ecosystems; and what account these have taken of research on the circumstances of those areas assessed.

(46556)

52
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role her Department has played in discussions relating to the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy; and if she will make a statement.

(46569)

53
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on action taken by her Department with regards to (a) the Aarhus Convention and (b) the ECE Sofia Guidelines on Access to Environmental Information and Public Participation in Environmental decision-making.

(46564)

54
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps have been taken to (a) promote sustainable management and (b) strengthen conservation of use of forests.

(46558)

55
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the 2001 United Kingdom business packaging waste recovery and recycling targets for (a) recovery and (b) material-specific recycling were met; and whether the percentage levels of business packaging waste recovery and recycling in the United Kingdom in 2001 satisfied the stipulations of the EU Packaging Waste Directive 1994.

(46357)

56
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on progress with regard to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.

(46560)

57
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken in response to the UNEP Governing Council Decision 21/21; and if she will make a statement.

(46566)

58
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken in response to the (a) ECE Regional Assessment Report on progress made in the implementation of Local Agenda 21, (b) conclusions on sustainable development of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting of May 2001 and (c) EU Sustainable Development Strategy of June 2001.

(46568)

59
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role her Department has played in developing and implementing (a) the United Nations Secretary-General's Global Compact Initiative, (b) the UNEP Global Reporting Initiative and (c) the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

(46562)

60
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role her Department has played in discussions relating to the UNECE Water and Industrial Accidents Conventions.

(46555)

61
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role her Department has played in discussions relating to (a) the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Environment Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context and (b) the Kiev Ministerial Conference in 2003; and if she will make a statement.

(46571)

62
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the implementation of Local Agenda 21; what steps her Department is taking to promote its introduction by local authorities; and to what extent agreements on Local Agenda 21 signed at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 have been enacted.

(46565)

63
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on progress with regard to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

(46559)

64
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the percentage levels of (a) business packaging waste recovery and (b) business packaging recycling were in the United Kingdom in 2001.

(46358)

65
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps (a) her Department and (b) the Government have taken to encourage environmentally and socially responsible investments in least developed countries.

(46561)

66
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken in response to the LRTAP Protocols on (a) heavy metals, (b) persistent organic pollutants and (c) abatement of acidification, eutrophication and ground level ozone.

(46567)

67
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role her Department has played in discussions relating to the fourth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe; and if she will make a statement.

(46570)

68
   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to promote the implementation of Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration.

(46563)

69
   Sue Doughty (Guildford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when Ministers from her Department last raised EU obstacles to the ban of live exports and their replacement by meat exports in the Council of Ministers; and if she will make a statement.

(46551)

70
N   Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Fareham, dated 18th January, concerning his constituent Mr Broadbridge.

(45811)

71
N   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to consult Lord Burns over interpretation of his report on hunting with dogs before drafting legislation on the subject, with particular reference to the issues of cruelty and utility.

(46360)

72
N   Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the availability of farm tenancies for young farmers; and what plans she has to facilitate more opportunities for new entrants to farming.

(45314)

73
N   Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if egg producers will be permitted to beak trim chickens intended for laying up to a maximum of 10 days of age, where carried out by qualified staff.

(45315)

74
N   Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the enriched cages to be permitted in England under the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 99/74/EC will need to provide more than 250 cubic centimetres, 60 cubic centimetres of which shall be usable.

(45316)

75
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that the funding assigned to conservation within the money spent on the acquisition of EU fishing rights agreements with third countries is spent on the purpose for which it was intended in countries (a) north of the EU and (b) south of the EU.

(45512)

76
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her assessment is of the economic benefit to the United Kingdom of European Union fishing rights agreements (a) with third countries south of the EU and (b) with third countries north of the EU.

(45514)

77
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the environmental impact of EU fishing rights agreements with third countries (a) north of the EU and (b) south of the EU.

(45513)

78
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what action is being taken to reduce delays in repayments by National Savings and Investments.

(45813)

79
N   Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the case for extending seafarer income tax concessions.

(46356)

80
   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the tax revenue derived from non-domiciles who have (a) UK income or gains and (b) overseas income remitted to the UK in the last year for which figures are available.

(46618)

81
   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the (a) Treasury and (b) Inland Revenue are reviewing the tax rules about (i) partial and (ii) flexible retirement; and if he will make a statement.

(46617)

82
N   Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was spent in (a) January, (b) February and (c) March on (i) national newspaper, (ii) regional newspaper and (iii) local newspaper advertisements to promote the use of share incentive schemes.

(46366)

83
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the European Commission has given state aids approval for the proposed phasing in of the Aggregates Levy in Northern Ireland.

(46311)

84
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which countries will be (a) gross and (b) net contributors to the European Union budget in 2002; how much they will each contribute in net terms; what the gross amount contributed to the European Union budget by each member state will be; and if he will make a statement.

(46135)

85
   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 11th March, Official Report, column 700W, on private sponsorship, if he will list the conferences and seminars that HM Treasury and its associated departments have organised since May 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(46610)

86
   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he will reply to the honourable Member for Truro & St. Austell's Question of 15 January concerning sustainable development and the 2002 spending review; and if he will make a statement.

(46574)

87
   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department has commissioned external research into its paper on public services productivity; and if he will make a statement.

(46573)

88
N   Mr Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the situation relating to the British Taliban and Al Qa'ida suspects held at Camp X-ray in Guantanamo Bay.

(45808)

89
   Sue Doughty (Guildford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the planned visit of 19th March by consular staff in India to Mr Ian Stillman took place; and if he will make a statement.

(46552)

90
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost will be to the EU in 2002 of the CAP (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the overall EU budget; how much each EU member state will receive from the CAP; and if he will make a statement.

(46136)

91
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department had with the European Commission on its recent investigation into Spanish/Gibraltarian border restrictions.

(45472)

92
N   Ann Taylor (Dewsbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the situation in the Gujerat state of India.

(46021)

93
N   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Government of Vietnam regarding the persecution of Christians.

(46307)

94
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to respond to the long term reduction in the mineral content of UK food.

(46633)

95
   Mr Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether advice on the need to provide clear information about levels of uncertainty contained in Guideline 2000 applies to advice given by the Food Standards Agency to (a) the public and (b) the Government.

(46634)

96
   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many blood tests in each of the last five years for which figures are available (a) were sent to laboratories for tests and (b) were misplaced before the patient received the results.

(46576)

97
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make his policy to include adult protection indicators arising from the implementation of No Secrets in the performance indicator framework; and if he will make a statement.

(45634)

98
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many health authorities have directly funded the training costs for care workers employed by (a) local authorities and (b) independent providers to National Vocational Qualification level II.

(45628)

99
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the National Care Standards Commission's business plan; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

(45640)

100
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the Protection of Vulnerable Adults consultation document.

(45635)

101
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to publish the General Social Care Council Codes of Practice for (a) employers and (b) employees; and if he will place copies in the Library.

(45629)

102
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funds have been provided by his Department for (a) research into the extent of hospital delayed discharge resulting from elderly patients unable to be discharged because their home does not provide a warm and healthy living environment and (b) practical improvement programmes to ensure that elderly people discharged from hospital can return to a healthy and comfortable home.

(45637)

103
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to utilise community pharmacists in the review of medication of older people.

(45642)

104
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in the care sector in each of the last five years (a) obtained National Vocational Qualification level II and (b) held National Vocational Qualification level II; and how many staff were working in the sector.

(45622)

105
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which people are inappropriately placed in (a) residential care homes and (b) nursing homes; and what steps he is taking to ensure appropriate placements.

(45627)

106
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list those homes which have received a letter from the honourable Member for Redditch following representations regarding the failure to pass on the free nursing care payments to residents.

(45698)

107
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are in place to prevent (a) financial, (b) sexual, (c) physical and (d) mental abuse against older people in home care settings.

(45624)

108
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what allocation of (a) staff and (b) cash resources has been given to each police force in England for the referral of cases of adult abuse under the No Secrets guidance; and if he will make a statement.

(45636)

109
   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is towards nursing homes passing on an administration charge to residents for the payment of the free nursing care money.

(46575)

110
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the National Care Standards Commission will take with those care homes that fail to comply with the Care Standards Act 2000 Part 11, Section 11 (1) by 1st April.

(45630)

111
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) budget and (b) staff are allocated to media relations in the National Care Standards Commission.

(45638)

112
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how he plans to measure the compliance of care homes on National Minimum Standard 18 of the Care Standards Act 2000.

(45643)

113
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the total number of staff working in the (a) health sector and (b) social care sector with NVQ level II in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

(45632)

114
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the National Care Standards Commission will take if a care home is failing to comply with National Minimum Standard 18.

(45631)

115
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many local authority (a) residential homes, (b) nursing homes and (c) dual registered homes have been voluntarily deregistered in each (i) local authority and (ii) region in each of the last five years.

(45639)

116
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimates he has made of the cost (a) to local authorities, (b) to health authorities, (c) to individuals and (d) in total of training care workers to NVQ level II.

(45633)

117
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of community pharmacists (a) in post and (b) vacancies, broken down by (i) health authority and (ii) region in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

(45641)

118
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are in place to ensure that there is consistency beween Commission for Health Improvement and National Care Standards Commission regulation inspections.

(45644)

119
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Social Services Inspectorate plans to inspect social services' implementation of the No Secrets guidance.

(45625)

120
   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason he has not yet issued guidance on atypical and traditional anti-psychotic medication for schizophrenia; when he expects to issue guidance to NICE to investigate the use of atypical and traditional anti-psychotic medication for older people in care settings; and if he will make a statement.

(46554)

121
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are in place to ensure that district general nurses have protection if they blow the whistle on care homes that are suspected of failing standards.

(45699)

122
   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what additional expenditure has been incurred by the Health Protection Agency on (a) counter-terrorism and (b) civil protection since 11th September 2001.

(46615)

123
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 22nd November 2001, to the honourable Member for Wantage, Official Report, column 410W, how many smallpox vaccine doses would be required to contain a smallpox outbreak with a two-week time to disease recognition, in an area with a population density of (a) 100 persons per sq km, (b) 1,000 persons per sq km and (c) 10,000 persons per sq km.

(44006)

124
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what analysis his Department has undertaken of the risks of passing Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease to recipients of a smallpox vaccine made from bovine cell culture.

(44007)

125
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 25th February, to the honourable Member for Wantage, Official Report, column 985W, what the outcome was of the safety and quality control tests performed on vaccine stocks.

(44008)

126
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the population would be expected to contract smallpox on a transmission ratio of (a) 4 to 6 and (b) 10 to 12.

(44009)

127
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what actions the Government has undertaken to warn the public (a) about possible bio-terrorist attacks and (b) of the symptoms of smallpox.

(44010)

128
N   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 13th November 2001, Official Report, column 687W, on smallpox, what recent representations he has received about smallpox vaccines.

(43913)

129
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average annual salaries for NHS (a) speech therapists, (b) pharmacists and (c) clinical psychologists were for each of the past 10 years for (i) males and (ii) females; and if he will make a statement.

(46684)

130
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much money the NHS awarded to female speech therapists in the case against the MSF Union for Speech and Language Therapy; and if he will make a statement.

(46582)

131
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the formula to ascertain the amounts of monetary awards given to female speech therapists in the NHS case against the MSF Union for Speech and Language Therapy was determined; and if he will make a statement.

(46579)

132
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women originally submitted equal pay claims in the NHS case against the MSF Union for Speech and Language Therapy; and if he will make a statement.

(46581)

133
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, of the women who received monetary awards from the NHS case against the MSF Union for Speech and Language Therapy, how many were awarded (a) £2,500-£5,000, (b) £5,000-£10,000, (c) £10,000-£20,000, (d) £20,000-£30,000, (e) £30,000-£40,000, (f) £40,000-£50,000, (g) £50,000-£70,000 and (h) £70,000 or more; and if he will make a statement.

(46580)

134
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on the case against the MSF Union for Speech and Language Therapy each from 1986 to 2000; and if he will make a statement.

(46583)

135
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much money the NHS spent employing (a) lawyers and (b) researchers working on the case against the MSF Union for Speech and Language Therapy each year from 1986 to 2000; and if he will make a statement.

(46578)

136
   Nick Harvey (North Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) lawyers and (b) researchers were employed by the NHS to work on the case against the MSF Union for Speech and Language Therapy in each year from 1986 to 2000; and if he will make a statement.

(46577)

137
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how he plans to deal with the revenue consequences of capital schemes which are in progress, but not yet in use, in making allocations to PCTs; and if he will list the (a) PCTs affected and (b) related capital schemes.

(46413)

138
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether health authority deficits will be allocated to PCTs; and if he will make a statement on how such allocations will be calculated and made.

(46417)

139
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how deficits arising in health authorities or in strategic health authorities in 2002-03 will be taken into account in allocating money to PCTs.

(46415)

140
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how he plans to allocate money to PCTs in order that they can meet expenditure associated with functions delegated to them; and when such allocations will be made.

(46414)

141
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which (a) NHS trusts and (b) health authorities are expected to exceed their resource limits in 2001-02; and by what amount the resource limit is expected to be exceeded in each case.

(46416)

142
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in relation to the £120 million in his Department's Spring Supplementary Estimate 2001-02 designated for take-up of end year flexibility, how much relates to (a) NHS trusts, (b) health authorities and (c) other NHS bodies; and which trusts, health authorities and other bodies received end year flexibility and the amount involved in each case.

(46412)

143
N   Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason the letter of 26th September 2001 to him from the honourable Member for Fareham was answered on 15th March.

(45802)

144
N   Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will reply to the letter of 5th December 2001 from the honourable Member for Fareham, concerning his constituent Mr Fred Johnson.

(45807)

145
N   Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will reply to the letter of 9th January from the honourable Member for Fareham, concerning Claire Bayliss.

(45803)

146
   John Mann (Bassetlaw):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the limited opening hours of local pharmacies on Sundays.

(44040)

147
N   Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made towards his target for the reduction of suicides; and if he will make a statement.

(43718)

148
N   Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his Answer of 19th March, Official Report, column 308W, on cottage hospitals, what funding is available to Faversham Cottage Hospital to develop its role.

(46312)

149
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the Government has made of the cost to British business of the Directive on food supplements.

(45515)

150
N   Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to instruct the National Radiological Protection Board to carry out research into illnesses caused by exposure to depleted uranium.

(43654)

151
N   Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many trolley waits of over four hours in locations other than within the accident and emergency department there were at the Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust in each month between January 2001 and February 2002.

(46503)

152
N   Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many operations were cancelled on the day before an operation had been scheduled at the Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust in each month between January 2000 and February 2002.

(46502)

153
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many umbrella bodies have registered with the Criminal Records Bureau; how many of them are open to take registrations from outside their own membership; and if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of arrangements in covering the registration need of the voluntary sector.

(45810)

154
   Mrs Annette L. Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many local authorities make use of mediation and restorative justice services in tackling anti-social behaviour

(46572)

155
   Mrs Annette L. Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his Answer of 27th February Official Report, column 1393W on female imprisonment, when statistics for 2001 on the number of women appearing before the courts and their subsequent sentences will be made available.

(46607)

156
   Mrs Annette L. Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his Answer to the honourable Member for the Isle of Wight of 11th February, Official Report, column 48W, on anti-social behaviour orders, how many of the anti-social behaviour orders given in each police/magistrates' court committee area between 1st April 1999 and 30th September 2001 have been breached; and how many of these breaches have resulted in a sentence of imprisonment.

(46608)

157
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what legislation applies to nuisance neighbours in sheltered housing schemes; and if he will make a statement.

(45621)

158
N   Sandra Gidley (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the data for women is not disaggregated in Table 6 of the Prison Population Brief for England and Wales, January 2002; and if he will make a statement.

(46500)

159
   Tony Baldry (Banbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on relations between refugees and the local communities in the Bolochistan area of Pakistan.

(46597)

160
   Tony Baldry (Banbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on the flow of refugees from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

(46596)

161
   Tony Baldry (Banbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the flow of refugees from Afghanistan into the camps in the Bolochistan area of Pakistan fleeing economic hardship and tribal instability; and how these problems are being addressed by (a) her Department and (b) the international community.

(46595)

162
   Tony Baldry (Banbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support (a) the UK Government and (b) the international community are providing to the Government of Pakistan (i) to address overcrowding in and (ii) to provide adequate resources for refugee camps in the Bolochistan area.

(46598)

163
N   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which EU-funded projects in the (a) West Bank and (b) Gaza Strip have recently been damaged by Israeli retaliatory attacks; what the damage incurred was; and what the value of the damage sustained was.

(46308)

164
N   Lady Hermon (North Down):    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what measures are being taken in Northern Ireland to ensure that more women and more members of the ethnic minorities become high court judges.

(46368)

165
N   Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what expenditure has been made on the refurbishment of the Police Landrover fleet in Northern Ireland in each year since 1995; what tendering processes were held for the award of the contracts; and what the benefit to the public purse will be of using low cost substitute Landrover components in the refurbishment work.

(46032)

166
N   Mr Tom Clarke (Coatbridge & Chryston):    To ask the Prime Minister, what recent representations he has had further to his welcome on 5th July 2000 for Rehabilitation International's Charter for the Third Millennium, with particular reference to developments in relation to the Charter's call for a UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People; and what reply has been sent.

(45829)

167
N   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):    To ask the Prime Minister, what his response is to the petition of residents of the Isle of Wight delivered to 10 Downing Street on 19th March.

(46309)

168
N   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):    To ask the Prime Minister, when he expects to respond to the letter from the honourable Member for the Isle of Wight concerning the death of Gavin Martin Taylor.

(46310)

169
N   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much her Department has spent on external consultants in each of the past five years.

(46036)

170
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent representations she has received from the Iron Trades Management Services concerning the non-payment of insurance claims to victims of asbestos related diseases; and what the planned timescale is for future progress on resolving the issue.

(45965)

171
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Police Federation concerning the pay and conditions proposed to police officers by the Home Secretary.

(45960)

172
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive concerning the pay and conditions proposed to police officers by the Home Secretary.

(45961)

173
N   Pete Wishart (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent representations she has made to the (a) Strategic Rail Authority and (b) Scottish Executive on developing rail links at (i) Glasgow and (ii) Edinburgh International Airports.

(45964)

174
N   Pete Wishart (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive concerning the number of flights from Scottish airports to those in the UK, Europe and North America.

(45962)

175
N   Pete Wishart (North Tayside):    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on helping shipyards in Scotland to market themselves (a) abroad and (b) within the UK.

(45963)

176
N   Andy Burnham (Leigh):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many applications have been made under the coal health compensation scheme for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger from residents of (i) Leigh constituencys (ii) Wigan constituency, (iii) Makerfield constituency and (iv) Wigan borough; and how many of these applications have been (A) settled and (B) received interim payments.

(45265)

177
N   Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will ensure that there are no additional transports of radioactive material to Sellafield before October 2002, with particular reference to the return of the faulty MOX fuel which BNFL supplied to Japan.

(45471)

178
N   Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the necessary domestic regulatory approvals are which British Nuclear Fuels must obtain before it can return the MOX fuel it has supplied to Japan in respect of which data had been falsified; and whether these approvals have been granted.

(45469)

179
N   Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what type of processing BNFL plans to undertake on the faulty MOX fuel supplied to Japan.

(45470)

180
N   Mr Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on what date Companies House was informed that Astra Windows Ltd had gone into voluntary liquidation.

(45926)

181
N   Mr Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many representations she has received on the activities of Astra Windows Ltd.

(45927)

182
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Parental Leave.

(45320)

183
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Working Time.

(45318)

184
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Pregnant Workers.

(45322)

185
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many European regulations and directives affecting businesses were implemented in the last calendar year; and what assessment she has made of what the total cost of their implementation was on business.

(45317)

186
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Part Time Workers.

(45321)

187
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on European Works Councils.

(45319)

188
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the cost to business of the European Directive on Young Workers.

(45323)

189
N   Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 20th March, Official Report, column 350W, on EU state aid, if he will publish the assessments made by his Department of the operation of EU state aid rules on the encouragement of national flag shipping and seafarer employment.

(46361)

190
N   Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 20th March, Official Report, column 348W, on British seafarers, what performance indicators are used by his Department to assess the impact of (a) the Support for Maritime Training Scheme and (b) the Tonnage Tax on the training and employment of British seafarers.

(46359)

191
N   Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 20th March, Official Report, column 350W, on short sea shipping, when he will publish the proposals being considered by his Department for a short sea shipping employment grant.

(46362)

192
N   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how much his Department has spent on external consultants in each of the past five years.

(46035)

193
   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how the funding for new affordable homes announced in the Social Exclusion Unit's National Strategy Action Plan for Neighbourhood Renewal has been allocated, broken down by (a) the amount, (b) the recipient and (c) the purpose of each award.

(46601)

194
   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what pilot schemes are in place to support the introduction of choice-based lettings policies by social landlords; and how much money has been spent on each of these schemes.

(46604)

195
   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many local authorities have benefited from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, setting out the (a) amount and (b) the purpose of each award.

(46599)

196
   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 19th March, Official Report, column 228W, on the cost of rescues by the fire service, what is the most recent guidance he has given to chief fire officers on recording the costs of (a) fires attended, (b) rescues from road traffic accidents and (c) other rescues by their fire authority.

(46609)

197
   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what progress there has been towards the baseline assessment of the number of dwellings and the number and location of wards affected and at risk from low demand and unpopular housing, announced in the Social Exclusion Unit's National Strategy Action Plan for Neighbourhood Renewal.

(46602)

198
   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the local authorities that have implemented policies to improve public transport provision in deprived areas as part of their full local transport plans, giving details of the provision in each case.

(46603)

199
N   Sandra Gidley (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he has established a baseline for policy appraisal against which to measure progess on equal treatment; and what progress has been achieved.

(46495)

200
N   Sandra Gidley (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since August 1997 to the latest date for which information is available.

(46494)

201
N   Sandra Gidley (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the women's organisations which have been consulted over proposed legislation by his Department during (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2001-02 sessions; and if their responses have been published.

(46493)

202
N   Mr Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how much his Department estimates the average local authority will spend in setting up an arms length management organisation, with specific reference to (a) employment or purchase of legal and other professional, (b) new accommodation, (c) new staff and (d) regrading of existing posts.

(46371)

203
N   Mr Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how much expenditure has been incurred by each local authority in transferring its stock to RSLs; and what he estimates the cost will be in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04.

(46365)

204
N   Mr Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the cost is to the Department of writing off the over-hanging debt for local authorities transferring their housing stock to RSLs in (a) the current year and (b) each of the past five years; and what the projected cost is in (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 2003-04.

(46363)

205
N   Mr Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the average management costs are for large scale voluntary transfer housing associations in the most recent year for which figures are available.

(46370)

206
N   Mr Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the cost is of the community housing task force in the current year; and what its projected cost is in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04.

(46364)

207
   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many road traffic accidents there were in Herefordshire in the last five years that led to fatalities and serious injuries; and if he will make a statement.

(46553)

208
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 15th March to the honourable Member for Luton North, Official Report, column 1276W, on the Central Railway, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Strategic Rail Authority's report on the Central Railway proposal.

(46367)

209
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the impact on Chiltern Railway passenger services of (a) the construction and (b) the operation of the Central Railway project.

(46314)

210
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the average level of local authority debt in England is (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of their budget; and if he will make a statement.

(46039)

211
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the debt-free authorities in England, broken down by the parties which control them.

(46038)

212
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what proposals he has to require debt-free local authorities to pay into a central fund.

(46037)

213
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what assessment the Government has made of the cost to British farming of the Vibrations Directive.

(45700)

214
N   Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what assessment the Government has made of the impact of the noise directive on small manufacturers.

(45701)

215
N   Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what monitoring his Department undertakes on local authorities to ensure compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998 when undertaking best value reviews of services.

(45812)

216
N   Sandra Gidley (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since August 1997.

(46497)

217
N   Sandra Gidley (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he has established a baseline for policy appraisal against which to measure progress on equal treatment; and what progress has been achieved.

(46496)

218
N   Sandra Gidley (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by his Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published.

(46498)

219
N   Sandra Gidley (Romsey):    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the women's organisations which have been consulted over proposed legislation by his Department during (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2001-02 sessions; and if their responses have been published.

(46499)

220
N   Mr Richard Bacon (South Norfolk):    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the handling of the claim by Mr Douglas Gowan, a constituent, for disability living allowance by his Department's Disability Benefits Centre in Wembley; and what internal inquiries have been made into his case.

(46411)

221
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the work of the new Disability and Carers Service and the arrangements for handling of individual cases in which other services within the Department may also be involved.

(45809)

222
   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer of 18th March, Official Report, column 145W, to the honourable Member for Northavon, on pensioners, how many (a) men and (b) women not making National Insurance contributions or receiving credits in the years mentioned were (i) under 24 years of age and (ii) full-time students.

(46619)

223
   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of the minimum income guarantee are attributed with income from private pension funds not yet annuitised; and how many claimants of MIG who were rejected were attributed with such income.

(46613)

224
N   Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will reply to the letter of 17th January from the honourable Member for Fareham, concerning Mrs McDonald.

(45805)

225
N   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the IT projects being undertaken by his Department; and which companies have been awarded the contracts.

(46317)

226
N   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to seek compensation from the Affinity Consortium for the delay to the Child Support Reforms New Rules Implementation IT project.

(46316)

227
N   Steve Webb (Northavon):    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) planned cost was and (b) current estimated cost is of the Child Support Reforms New Rules Implementation IT project.

(46315)

228
N   David Winnick (Walsall North):    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will reply to the letter of 20th February from the honourable Member for Walsall North regarding correspondence sent by a Member of the Irish Parliament.

(46504)

229
N   David Burnside (South Antrim):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the difference in the treatment for tax purposes of the attributable pension awarded to war widows and widows of disabled service personnel.

[Transferred] (46410)

230
   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what additional expenditure has been incurred on counter-terrorism (a) planning, (b) provisions and (c) defences, including civil defence, since 11th September 2001.

[Transferred] (46614)

231
   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which market towns have received grants for regeneration under the New Deal for Market Towns, stating (a) the amount and (b) the purpose of each grant.

[Transferred] (46600)

232
   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress there has been in improving air quality in deprived areas to meet the objectives and targets prescribed in the Government's Air Quality Strategy; and whether the target the dates set out in the Strategy have been met.

[Transferred] (46606)

233
   Mr Don Foster (Bath):    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the GDP per capita growth of (a) the English regions and (b) Wales was in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (46605)