Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2001- 02
Publications on the internet
The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 18 June 2002

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 18 June 2002, of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

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

TUESDAY 18th JUNE

1
N   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many requests were made, broken down by government office region, for planning applications to be called in for the last year for which figures are available; and, for each region, how many were called in.

(62580)

2   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the housing capital debt attributable to the housing revenue account of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne is (a) in total and (b) per dwelling chargeable to the housing revenue account.

(62973)

3
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps are being taken to increase the number of homes for homeless single mothers.

(61904)

4
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many homeless shelters in major cities serve free meals.

(61905)

5
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps are being taken to restrict the power of landlords to evict renters with little or no notice.

(61906)

6
N   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussion he has had with Herefordshire Council regarding (a) electronic voting and (b) all postal vote elections for (i) the next general election and (ii) the 2003 local elections; and if he will make a statement.

(62703)

7   Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans there are to create a Human Rights Commission for the UK; and how such a Commission will cater for the rights of children and young people.

(63099)

8   Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what action is being taken to ensure that national spending programmes are being effectively delivered regionally.

(63102)

9   Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how the work of the (a) Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, (b) Social Exclusion Unit and (c) Regional Co-ordination Unit will be co-ordinated within his new Department; and what impact this will have on the joined-up delivery of inclusive public services at a regional level.

(63100)

10   Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many central Government departments are not represented at a regional level within the network of Government offices; and what plans there are to increase the remit and responsibilities of regional staff.

(63101)

11   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures his Department has taken to encourage local authorities to procure timber products from sustainable sources.

(63060)

12
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps are being taken to increase the number of libraries in the United Kingdom.

(61903)

13
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps are being taken to attract more film productions to the United Kingdom.

(61907)

14
N   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many school sports co-ordinators are in place.

(62985)

15
N   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the £1.1 billion recently announced for sport in schools has been previously (a) allocated or (b) announced.

(62984)

16
N   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which organisations will be responsible for distributing the £1.1 billion for sport in schools announced on 9th June; and what procedures will be in place to administer its distribution.

(62981)

17
N   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will provide a breakdown of how the £1.1 billion for sport in schools will be distributed and the estimated timescale of the distribution of the money.

(62980)

18
N   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, from which budget heads the £1.1 billion to be made available for sport in schools will be provided.

(62979)

19
N   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) school and (b) other playing fields have been sold since June 2001 (i) in England and (ii) broken down by constituency.

(62983)

20   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when ministers in her Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1st June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

(63068)

21
N   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance for officals in her Department on answering parliamentary questions.

(62977)

22
N   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pusuant to his reply to the honourable Member for Coventry South of 10th June, Official Report, column 748W, if he will state which of the countries listed have offset agreements with the UK; what the value of UK defence exports to each listed country in each year since 1997 was; and in how many cases MOUs were signed after June 1997.

(63040)

23   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment has been made of the possible use of Armed Services Reserves for supporting civilian authorities in major civil emergencies; and if he will make a statement.

(63064)

24   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people from organisations outside his Department have been seconded to start work in his Department since 1st January 1999.

(63072)

25   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 1st May, Official Report, column 789W, on Porton Down, if he will place in the Library a copy of the protocol drawn by the chemical defence establishment for the experiment which was recorded in 1985 in the report, 'Evaluation of pyrodostigmine bromide as a pretreatment for nerve agent poisoning in man'; when the ethics committee overseeing the human experiments at the chemical defence establishment scrutinised this experiment; and if he will place in the Library copies of the papers of the committee which relate to the discussion of this experiment.

(63044)

26   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of the documents held by his Department relating to a meeting on 16th January of representatives from his Department and the Medical Research Council Physiological Medicine and Infections Board regarding the epidemiological study into the health of service personnel who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down.

(63071)

27   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when ministers in his Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1st June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

(63069)

28   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when between 1st January 1994 and 1st January 1997 the Independent Ethics Committee overseeing human experiments at the chemical defence establishment discussed the question of the possible long-term effects of (a) nerve gas, (b) mustard gas and (c) pepper gas on humans.

(63070)

29
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps are being taken to increase computer literacy at (a) adult and (b) adolescent levels.

(61902)

30
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if her Department intends to provide peripatetic language (a) primary and (b) secondary school teachers.

(62518)

31
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when modern foreign language teaching is to be excluded from the compulsory curriculum for those aged 14.

(62463)

32
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what provision is available to teachers to assist them to deliver a wider range of specialisms and cross-curricular activities, particularly in vocational subjects.

(62458)

33
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research into the study of languages and the benefits of studying a foreign language is being undertaken by her Department.

(62465)

34
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what support and resources are made available to young people when developing their individual learning plans.

(62460)

35
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how the parity of esteem between general academic, vocational and work-based qualifications for young people is to be funded; to what extent; from what sources; and over what timescale.

(62461)

36
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will list the universities, founded before 1992, that will receive a developmental visit from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

(62457)

37
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if the Government intends to improve provision for teaching (a) Spanish and (b) Mandarin at (i) pre-16 and (ii) post-16 level.

(62462)

38
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what provision is available for teachers to use a proportion of their statutory Inset days to increase their awareness and understanding of industry and commerce.

(62459)

39
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how the Government intends to encourage the integration of language learning within Modern Apprenticeship Frameworks as stated in the Green Paper '14-19: Extending Opportunities, Raising Standards', with reference to the availability of an optional foreign language.

(62464)

40   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will make a statement on the criteria used to select specialist schools.

(63079)

41
N   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many specialist sports schools there are in (a) England and (b) each local education authority.

(62982)

42   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what action she is taking to encourage young people to enter modern apprenticeship schemes.

(63053)

43   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans she has to improve the skills base of people entering the construction industry.

(63054)

44   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when ministers in her Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1st June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

(63073)

45
N   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many 11 year olds are functionally illiterate.

(62614)

46
N   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what empirical evidence she has collected on the relative success of teaching of reading by (a) whole language and real books method, (b) the national literacy strategy and (c) synthetic phonics.

(62613)

47
N   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average reading age is of pupils in each age cohort.

(62615)

48
N   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what percentage of children who lived (a) in a residential care home and (b) with foster parents (i) left their higher education course and (ii) completed higher education; and what grades were achieved, in the last five years for which figures are available.

(62172)

49
N   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what percentage of pupils awarded educational maintenance allowances were living (a) in a residential care home and (b) with foster parents in the last three years for which figures are available.

(62173)

50
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many refrigerators and freezers are being stored by local authorities pending disposal or recycling.

(62667)

51
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the Seeds (National List of Varieties) Regulations; and what plans she has to amend them.

(62581)

52
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to provide funding to local authorities to assist with the disposal of refrigerators, beyond the £6 million allocated for the last financial year.

(62975)

53
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department's 2000 to 2002 Municipal Waste Management Survey will be published.

(62664)

54
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Answer to the honourable Member for Mid Bedfordshire, of 15th January, Official Report, column 270W, on waste refrigeration equipment, when the new recycling plants will come online; and what their capacity will be.

(62668)

55
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many mobile recycling plants there are in operation in the UK; and what their weekly capacity is.

(62976)

56
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the length of time needed to clear the backlog of refrigerators and freezers stored by local authorities.

(62666)

57   Mrs Helen Clark (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to integrate good standards of farm animal welfare into her strategy for the future of farming; and if she will make a statement.

(63046)

58   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on her estimate of the extra costs to local authorities in 2002-03 as a result of the EU Directive on the recycling of refrigerators and freezers.

(63077)

59   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures her Department has put in place to ensure the authenticity of certificates identifying the origin of tropical hardwood imports.

(63062)

60   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which Departments are represented on the Interdepartmental Working Group on Timber.

(63061)

61   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when ministers in her Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1st June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

(63074)

62   Mrs Helen Clark (Peterborough): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make available the funds to support the implementation of the Curry Report proposals; and if he will make a statement.

(63049)

63
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the total costs to the Exchequer of the recent UK developing world debt cancellation, as announced since 1st May 1997, in each year from 1997-98 to 2020-21; and if he will make a statement.

(62392)

64   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what bilateral discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry regarding new taxes and regulations imposed on small businesses.

(63083)

65   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of not including sterling in the EU Regulation on cross-border payments in euros.

(63055)

66   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to establish an infrastructure for cross-border payments in euros.

(63056)

67   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on relations with Iraq.

(63076)

68   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the situation in Kashmir.

(63084)

69   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Malaysia concerning the export of illegal timber products.

(63057)

70   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what new steps the Government will take to verify the implementation of the bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and Indonesia regarding the trade in illegal timber products.

(63058)

71   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 9th May, Official Report, column 306W, on Government information, how many internal reviews under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information have been conducted by his Department since 1st January 2000; and how many have been completed within the target time of 20 working days.

(63045)

72   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when ministers in his Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1st June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

(63075)

73
N   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 10th June, to the honourable Member for Chichester, Official Report, column 816W, on special advisers, what the accommodation and subsistence costs were for each trip; if those costs are included in the figures in the Answer; and what the (a) starting point, (b) means of transport, (c) destination, (d) overnight accommodation and (e) point of return were of his predecessor's special adviser's trip to Montenegro on 24th/25th April 2001.

(62628)

74
N   Mr Robert N. Wareing (Liverpool, West Derby): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he has collated on the prevention of medical supplies and medical journals from entering Iraq by the United Nations Sanctions Committee.[R]

(61598)

75
N   Mr Robert N. Wareing (Liverpool, West Derby): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with representatives of the Minsk Group and Azerbaijan in respect of Nagorno-Karabakh; and if he will make a statement.[R]

(61599)

76   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 13th November 2001, Official Report, column 682W, on nutrition, (a) how many and (b) which of the six key targets under the Better Hospital Food Programme by (i) region and (ii) health authority will have been fully delivered by the end of (A) December 2001, (B) February 2002 and (C) April 2002.

(63043)

77
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the Government has made of the number of care homes which will be unable financially to meet the requirements of the Care Standards Act 2000, broken down by (a) constituency and (b) local authority and region.

(61891)

78
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Government will ensure that there is effective communication between primary and secondary epilepsy care providers.

(61895)

79
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the Government has made of the number of care homes which fall short of the standards set in the Care Standards Act 2000, due to come into force in 2006-07, broken down by (a) constituency and (b) local authority and region.

(61887)

80
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what provision the Government has made for people who will be displaced by their care home failing to meet the standards laid down in the Care Standards Act 2000, broken down by (a) constituency and (b) local authority and region.

(61889)

81
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will conduct awareness-raising campaigns for epilepsy with (a) patients, (b) carers and (c) the general public.

(61892)

82
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will ensure that those experiencing their first epileptic seizure have access to an epilepsy specialist within 28 days.

(61896)

83
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will ensure that people with epilepsy receive check-ups every six months with their GP or epilepsy specialist to review their medication.

(61893)

84
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the Government's policy is on the recommendation by the Chief Medical Officer in his annual report that it should put together an action plan for treatment of epilepsy within three months.

(61886)

85
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assistance the Government has made available towards the additional resources required by social services departments to meet the shortfall in provision for people who will be displaced by their care homes failing to meet the standards laid down in the Care Standards Act 2000.

(61888)

86
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the Government has made of the numbers of people who will be displaced by the Care Standards Act 2000, broken down by (a) constituency and (b) local authority and region.

(61890)

87
N   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government seeks to ensure that (a) epilepsy related deaths are centrally recorded and (b) coroners are made aware of this.

(61894)

88
N   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will strengthen the management of primary care trusts operating in areas of social deprivation.

(59128)

89
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to warn those with epilepsy of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

(61898)

90
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to reduce the number of people who die each year as a result of epilepsy.

(61900)

91
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to improve care for those with epilepsy.

(61901)

92
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what he is doing to remove the stigma surrounding mental health in relation to the delivery of services.

(61897)

93
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to prevent those at risk from developing epilepsy.

(61899)

94   Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 15th May to the honourable Member for North Durham, Official Report, column 725W, on smallpox vaccine, when the new supplies of vaccine will be delivered.

(59466)

95
N   Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average daily number of available (a) beds and (b) wards open overnight was in each NHS (i) trust and (ii) region in England in each of the last two years.

(61885)

96
N   Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the occupancy rate was of beds in each NHS (a) region and (b) trust in England in each year since 1996.

(61884)

97   Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 3rd April, Official Report, column 1045W, on Asian women, when he intends to launch the consultation on the national suicide prevention strategy; if he will list those organisations to whom it will be sent; and if he will make a statement on the findings of the national survey of ethnic minority psychiatric illness rates in the community and on the action he intends to take as a result.

(63047)

98   Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will implement a compulsory obligation for pharmacists to undertake and document their continuing professional development.

(63111)

99   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many delayed discharges there were in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) England in the last three months.

(63082)

100   Fiona Mactaggart (Slough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the salary of the chair and the chief executive and the total spending and capitation fee of each of the Berkshire primary care trusts; and if he will list the distance from target of the annual spend in each primary care trust area in (a) 2000-01, (b) 2001-02 and (c) 2002-03.

(63112)

101
N   Laura Moffatt (Crawley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the new cataract unit at the Surrey and Sussex Trust.

(59124)

102
N   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the technical reasons why mobile phones are prohibited from hospitals.

(62704)

103   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will amend the terms of the capacity grant paid to social service departments so that social services departments that perform well do not receive less than those with an average or poor performance; and if he will extend the time covered by the capacity grant.

(63095)

104   Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to extend the availability of digital hearing aids in the NHS.

(63063)

105   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when ministers in his Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1st June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

(63086)

106   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people from organisations outside his Department have been seconded to start work in his Department since 1st January 1999.

(63087)

107
N   Tony Wright (Cannock Chase): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the impact on the number of lives that would be saved each year if a system of presumed consent for organ donation were introduced.

(59130)

108
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the only people who have been detained in Dungavel Detention Centre are those who (a) are subject to removal, (b) have committed an offence and (c) are regular absconders.

(62699)

109
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what budget provision has been made to implement the provisions of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill.

(62701)

110
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the cost of converting Dungavel Detention Centre into a removal centre is to be met from his Department's budget.

(62700)

111
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 10th May, Official Report, column 384W, on Premier Services, when a copy of the service aspect of the contract with Premier Services in connection with the operation of Dungavel Detention Centre will be placed in the Library.

(62974)

112   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans there are to make passports and visa information better protected against fraud; what assessment has been made of the viability of biometrics; and if he will make a statement.

(63066)

113
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his estimate is of the percentage change in the (a) prison population and (b) the number of notifiable offences in (i) 1979 to 1994, (ii) 1994 to 1999 and (iii) 1999 to 2002; and if he will make a statement.

(60138)

114
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to require freemasons working in the police and criminal justice system to register their membership publicly; and if he will make a statement.

(62394)

115
N   Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will propose amendments to the criminal injuries compensation legislation in order to entitle victims of child abuse to benefit from the funds in those cases where the victim (a) lived with abuser and (b) the abuser was a close relative.

(61922)

116   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when ministers in his Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1st June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

(63089)

117
N   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many languages are spoken among those whose claims for asylum are registered and undetermined.

(62174)

118   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on aid to Afghanistan.

(63085)

119   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when ministers in her Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1st June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

(63088)

120
N   Mr Robert N. Wareing (Liverpool, West Derby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department has given to Azerbaijan to help its refugee problem in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.[R]

(61597)

121
N   Mr Robert N. Wareing (Liverpool, West Derby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will seek the co-operation of British companies engaged in oil exploration in Azerbaijan in assisting that country to deal with refugees; and if she will make a statement.[R]

(61600)

122   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans are being formulated by the Land Registry to make public a list of previous owners for each property registered by the Land Registry; and if he will make a statement.

(63092)

123   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, when the inter-departmental steering group to take forward the proposals contained in the Land Registry Quinquennial review has met since June 2001.

(63091)

124   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans he has to implement the recommendation contained in the Land Registry's Quinquennial Review to compel the owners of property to declare the true and beneficial owners of property in the Land Registry; and if he will make a statement.

(63093)

125   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will set out the timetable for the (a) repeal and (b) amendment under section 75 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 of the primary and secondary legislation which contains provisions prohibiting the disclosure of information.

(63090)

126
N   Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list those members of the (a) RUC and (b) Northern Ireland Prison Service who resided in the Ards Borough Council area and have been killed in the line of duty since 1972.

(62395)

127
N   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Prime Minister, whether civil servants involved in providing preparatory material for him in advance of Prime Minister's Question Time supply information relating to (a) the previous Conservative Government and (b) alternative policies held by opposition parties.

(62662)

128   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if she will make a statement on the impact of the aggregates tax on the quarrying industry in Scotland.

(63080)

129
N   Mr David Chidgey (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she will respond to the letter from the honourable Member for Eastleigh dated 18th March regarding the funding for supply chain companies constructing the A380 Airbus.

(62311)

130
N   Mr Tim Collins (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will hold discussions with (a) the European Commission and (b) the French Government on the operation of the French national rules requiring that yachts registered in France must be captained at all times by French nationals, with regard to the freedom of movement of labour within the EU; whether she has assessed the impact of these rules on the employment of UK nationals; and if she will make a statement.

(62098)

131   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures are being taken to address organised avoidance of national insurance payments through false claims on CIS4 tax certificates; and if she will make a statement.

(63103)

132   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the total amount of national insurance contributions lost owing to false self employment claims on CIS4 tax certificates was in each year for the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

(63097)

133   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment has been made of the need to review the tax system in regard to national insurance contributions lost owing to false self employment claims on CIS4 tax certificates; and if she will make a statement.

(63098)

134
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to introduce for all employees (a) statutory entitlement to bank and public holidays and (b) a right to either time off, double pay or time off in lieu; and if she will make a statement.

(62393)

135   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action she is taking to eliminate bogus self-employment claims in the construction industry.

(63052)

136   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action she is taking to prosecute construction companies who operate in the black economy.

(63050)

137   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what new steps her Department has taken to regulate British companies trading in products derived from endangered and threatened species.

(63059)

138
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what incentives are offered by her Department to encourage internet service providers to roll out broadband technology facilities to villages and small towns throughout the United Kingdom.

(62099)

139
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what financial assistance has been provided to (a) local authorities and (b) regional development agencies to encourage internet service providers to roll out broadband internet facilities to villages and small towns throughout the United Kingdom.

(62100)

140
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations have been made by (a) local authorities, (b) parish councils, (c) town councils and (d) businesses on improving the broadband technology facilities available in the United Kingdom.

(62101)

141   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people from organisations outside her Department have been seconded to start work in her Department since 1st January.

(63094)

142   Mr Simon Thomas (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of the guarantee put up by the ECGD for investment in the power generating sector (a) was used fully, (b) was recovered by the ECGD, (c) is still owed to the ECGD and (d) is counted as foreign debt; and which countries have had that debt in each year since 1992-93.

(63096)

143
N   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what legal curtailments are in place to prevent the exercise of rights to use the public highway in the case of Downing Street.

(62663)

144
N   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what recent assessment he has made of the noise levels experienced by residents of Lewes arising from surface noise from the A27 Lewes bypass; if he will make it his policy to secure the early resurfacing of this road; and if he will make a statement.

(62312)

145
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the 10 strategic maintenance principles developed by Railtrack that involve Railtrack directly managing inspection, appraisal and key work decisions.

(62445)

146
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the proposals for establishment of a railway industry safety body; and if he will place the consultation papers in the Library.

(62440)

147
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if the development group meetings of key stakeholders of the rail industry safety body will be available to the public.

(62452)

148
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the initiatives and management systems that the rail industry use to ensure employee involvement in safety issues.

(62453)

149
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the deferred timescales for Railtrack for the revised selection process for prospective contractors.

(62444)

150
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the terms of reference, term of office and the job description for the successful candidate applying for the position of director in Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate.

(62449)

151
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the steps to be completed by Railtrack to comply with the recommendations of the Cullen Report into the Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry, indicating the timescales for these activities and the costs involved.

(62442)

152
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will publish the results of the development of a corporate training and development strategy by Railtrack, as outlined in the Cullen Report.

(62456)

153
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the reasons for non-completion of recommendations 4, 6, 9 and 72 of the Cullen Report into the Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry; and what the timetable is for their completion.

(62438)

154
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the terms of reference are for the local management teams that monitor the implementation of contracts for the rail industry.

(62448)

155
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the shortcomings in the scope of contract documentation reported in the Cullen Report on the Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry.

(62447)

156
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what meetings his Department has had with Railtrack officials since the Southall rail accident.

(62441)

157
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will place a copy of the programme of safety tours that the Chief Executive Officer of Railtrack undertakes.

(62454)

158
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if his Department is represented on the Railtrack Safety Executive.

(62455)

159
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what maintenance delivery and other improvements are being followed up by Railtrack in line with the Cullen Report.

(62446)

160
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, when the primary legislation required to set up the Railway Advisory Investigation Branch will be published.

(62451)

161
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if the results of the enhanced basic questionnaire for prospective Railtrack contractors will be made available to the public.

(62443)

162
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on details regarding the timescale, terms of reference and costing of the consultation exercise on the establishment of an independent rail accident investigation body.

(62439)

163
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the terms of reference are for the two additional members of the Railway Industry Advisory Committee; and from which areas nominations will be accepted.

(62450)

164   Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what progress has been made in the discussions since 15th May in the International Maritime Organisation regarding maritime security.

(63109)

165   Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many responses he has received to the consultation document on, Introducing a More Structured Approach to Learning to Drive, broken down by category of respondents.

(63110)

166
N   Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what budgetary provision has been made for compensating train operating companies for increases in track access charges determined by the Rail Regulator in the current and future control periods.

(62978)

167
N   Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what responsibility he has for amendments to electoral law in relation to local government in Wales.

(62852)

168   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many Wales Office departmental reports were given away free in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

(63108)

169   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much the (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002 departmental reports cost to produce.

(63105)

170   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many Wales Office departmental reports were printed in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

(63106)

171   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many Wales Office departmental reports were returned and destroyed in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

(63107)

172   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many Wales Office departmental reports were sold in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

(63104)

173
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if it is his policy to treat persons sent abroad for hospital or other medical treatment under the National Health Service as having uninterrupted residence in the United Kingdom as regards their entitlement to benefits; and in what circumstances in relation to health condition and country involved such treatment extends to those seeking overseas treatment in the private sector.

(61909)

174
N   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will report progress on the requirements for reporting by third party administrators and insurers of pension schemes without trustees.

(61908)

175   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Cabinet Office, when he last had bilateral meetings with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State for Transport, to discuss regional co-ordination of rural policy.

(63078)

176   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Minister for Women, what recent bilateral discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on access to training for women returners to work.

(63081)

177
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the successful examples of the contracting out of the running of accommodation and removal centres referred to by him during the report stage of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill, 11th June, Official Report, column 767.

[Transferred] (62702)

178
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what measures his Department intends to introduce to (a) strengthen vehicle licensing controls and (b) improve the traceability of the owners of abandoned cars.

[Transferred] (62665)

179   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Cabinet Office, what assessment has been made of the system of sharing information across departments in major civil emergencies after 11th September 2001; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (63065)

180   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Cabinet Office, what measures have been taken by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat to improve co-ordination between departments following 11th September 2001; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (63067)

181   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce VAT on domestic repair and maintenance.

[Transferred] (63051)