Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2002 - 03
Publications on the internet
The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 13 January 2003

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Monday 13 January 2003, 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.

MONDAY 13th JANUARY

1   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Advocate General, what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90522)

2   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90511)

3   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90541)

4   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90532)

5   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the (a) schemes and (b) bodies to which his Department contributes funding that are concerned with climate change.

(90420)

6
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment the Government has made of the costs and benefits of making the fitting of smoke alarms a statutory requirement for (a) domestic and (b) other property owners.

(89132)

7
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate the Government made of the number of homes (a) equipped and (b) not equipped with a working smoke alarm.

(89135)

8   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what progress has been made in the procurement of a national radio network for the fire service; and when he expects the budget to be complete.

(90434)

9
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many fire authorities made claims for compensation for the cost of abortive work undertaken in implementing the regional procurement strategy for a new radio system; what the total value of the claims was; and how much has been paid to each authority.

(90439)

10
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) the Government and (b) contractors of the aborted regional fire service replacement radio budget.

(90436)

11
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make it the policy of the Government to reimburse Dorset Fire Authority for costs and expenses incurred in its commitment to the South West Radio Project prior to the project being curtailed by the Government.

(90437)

12
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will place in the Library the information used by his Department in deciding upon area cost adjustments in the provisional funding settlement for local Government in 2003-04.

(90438)

13   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the distribution of his Office's wholetime equivalent staff including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him was in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90480)

14   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when firefighting personnel, including those military personnel on Operation FRESCO, have been redeployed from their home fire stations in each month since October 2002; and whether such stations are classified (a) rural and (b) urban.

(90223)

15
N   Michael Fabricant (Lichfield): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list for each Local Education Authority the formula spending share, expressed as the amount available for each pupil, in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools for financial year 2003-04 and subsequent years for which data are available.

(88637)

16   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which local government services are funded via the environmental protective and cultural services standard spending assessment.

(90658)

17   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, in respect of each local authority, how much money was distributed and is planned to be distributed through the environmental protective and cultural services standard spending assessment for each financial year from 1997-98 to 2003-04; what the total sum distributed via EPCS SSA was for each year; and if he will make a statement.

(90657)

18   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, why Worcestershire local authorities are not eligible for area cost adjustment.

(90387)

19   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent planning policy guidance he has issued on light pollution.

(90388)

20   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to require local authorities to respond annually to him on the number of public conveniences they operate and maintain; and if he will make a statement.

(90700)

21   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the cost, by English regions, of re-organising local government, should a decision be made to establish a regional assembly.

(90701)

22   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the Audit Commision's comprehensive performance assessment of single tier and county councils; and what assessment he has made of the reasons underlying the proportion of unitary authorities rated as excellent.

(90694)

23   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London regarding his draft budget; and if he will make a statement.

(90288)

24
N   Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much his Department has allocated for waste recycling projects undertaken by (a) local authorities, (b) non-profit making organisations and (c) industry in financial years (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 2003-04.

(90450)

25   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many Green Goddess fire appliances there are; what is the age of the (a) oldest and (b) newest; and what plans he has to replace them.

(90363)

26
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many departmental minutes issued by his Department were outstanding on 30th November that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89424)

27
N   Paddy Tipping (Sherwood): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he will publish the Best Value Code of Practice.

(89539)

28   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what changes in council tax in each local authority would be required and possible, assuming spending next year were at FSS level, and no change were made to its non-grant income.

(90685)

29   Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the cost is of the soundings exercise on the level of interest in holding a referendum about an elective assembly in each English region.

(90345)

30   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90601)

31   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the total cost to her Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90500)

32   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90536)

33   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90519)

34   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the distribution of her Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to her, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90476)

35   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many public libraries have (a) closed and (b) opened in each local authority in England since 1997.

(90733)

36   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many working days were lost due to illness in her Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years.

(90745)

37   Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Office of Fair Trading intends to report on whether the BBC has met its independent production quota for the period April 2001 to March 2002.

(90283)

38   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many working days have been lost in her Department due to industrial action in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99, (c) 1999-2000, (d) 2000-01, (e) 2001-02, and (f) 2002-03; and if she will make a statement.

(90484)

39   Jim Knight (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what decisions have been taken on the distribution of the £257 million, designated to arts and culture under the 2002 Spending Review; and what proportion will be allocated to (a) heritage buildings and (b) the historic environment.

(90408)

40
N   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when consultations will be completed between officials and the BBC regarding amendments to the television licence fee regulations to introduce measures to preserve the rights of beneficiaries of the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary television licence scheme when the social mix and the level of warden cover in sheltered housing changes.

(90221)

41
N   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the new guidance for local authorities for assessment of sports fields will be published.

(89684)

42   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Independent Football Commission, (b) football supporters' associations, (c) football clubs, (d) the Football Association and (e) the Football League regarding supporter and other stakeholder involvement with clubs; and if she will make a statement.

(90735)

43
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many departmental minutes issued by her Department were outstanding on 30th November, that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89415)

44   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90716)

45   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90678)

46   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90598)

47   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on his plans for RAF Uxbridge.

(90342)

48   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 16th December, Official Report, column 518W, on RAF bases, for what reason no budget is shown for RAF Menwith Hill.

(90153)

49   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90534)

50   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90528)

51   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90513)

52
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans from (a) the Second World War and (b) conflicts since 1945 are claiming (i) a war disablement pension, (ii) an armed forces pension and (iii) a war pension.

(89471)

53
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the educative measures his Department has taken to ensure (a) serving armed services personnel and (b) veterans are informed of the pension benefits veterans are entitled to.

(89470)

54
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is in regard to back-dating a claimant's war pension entitlements; and how many claims his Department received in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002 from (i) veterans of the Second World War and (ii) veterans of conflicts since 1945.

(89472)

55   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90479)

56   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what other nations are involved in discussions with the UK and the US regarding a co-operative programme to develop defences which enhance global security.

(90317)

57   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the USA regarding its further development of nuclear missile capabilities.

(90316)

58   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reservists are being called up who reside in Scotland.

(90391)

59   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to award a general service medal to those involved in the Suez Crisis in 1956.

(90728)

60   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what role he expects the Fairford Airbase in Gloucester to play in any conflict with Iraq.

(90255)

61   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Ministry of Defence is pursuing legal redress from General Dynamics UK Limited for the suspension of the Defence Stores Management System programme.

(90177)

62   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what tests were carried out on the ricin sample recently recovered by the police; where the tests were carried out; and how the samples were taken.

(90224)

63   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the new agency to replace the Royal Navy Marine Families Association will be set up; what performance indicators have been set for the new agency; who will be responsible for monitoring those indicators; and if he will make a statement.

(90187)

64   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what major (a) variations and (b) delays there have been to the Private Finance Initiative contract for the (i) Central Scotland Family Quarters, (ii) NRTA Fire Training, (iii) Army Foundation College, (iv) RAF Mail, (v) RAF Cosford/Shawbay family quarters, (vi) RAF Lossiemouth family quarters, (vii) Attack Helicopter Training and (viii) Light Aircraft Flying (LAFT) (Bulldog) since they were signed; what their cost has been; whether the partners in the PFI were required to meet these costs; and if he will make a statement.

(90168)

65   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the cost in each of the last five years of his Department's search and rescue capability in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

(90157)

66   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who made the decision to withdraw funding for the Royal Navy Marine Families Association; on what basis was the decision made to withdraw the funding; and if he will make a statement.

(90155)

67   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when a decision is to be made on the additional purchase of Future Joint Combat Aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

(90159)

68   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the purchase of the MH-47G Chinooks for special operations purposes.

(90169)

69   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the LCD-S palm sized chemical detectors have been delivered to service personnel; and if he will make a statement.

(90170)

70   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the independence of the agency that will replace the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Families Association.

(90158)

71   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what performance indicators have been set for the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Families Association; which of these has not been met in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(90156)

72   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the funding of the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Families Association.

(90154)

73   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to sell RN Type 23 frigates to the Chilean Navy; and if he will make a statement.

(90160)

74   Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 5th December 2002, Official Report, column 85WS, on QinetiQ, what proportion of the company's assets is reflected in the £50 million already received by his Department from QinetiQ as part of the purchase price paid by Carlyle Group for those assets; and what the total estimated value is of QinetiQ's assets divided into (a) tangible and (b) intangible assets.

(90736)

75   Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what policy his Department has on the use of British manufactured goods on the future aircraft carrier.

(90431)

76   Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will introduce a policy whereby defence contracts awarded to foreign companies require 50 per cent. of the work to be carried out in the United Kingdom.

(90430)

77   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what regular and reserve units are entitled to use the badge of the Royal Army Medical Corps.

(90340)

78   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on the disposal of HMS Coventry and HMS London; and if he will make a statement.

(90339)

79   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if HMS Invincible will complete her refit at Rosyth on schedule.

(90338)

80   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where the Castle class patrol ships will be deployed in 2003.

(90336)

81   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) field hospital units and (b) field ambulance units are currently deployed; and how many are ready to be deployed.

(90341)

82   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which SSNs are in refit; and when they will rejoin the fleet.

(90332)

83   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the Watchkeeper programme; and what extra costs are being incurred by industry bidders in advance of the down select decision.

(90335)

84   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Tomahawk-capable SSNs are operational; and of these how many are at sea.

(90334)

85   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which SSNs will be going into refit in each of the next three years; and for how long they will be non-operational.

(90333)

86   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether reservists are awaiting call-up to come from (a) the Territorial Army and (b) the Civilian Regular Reserves; what reserve liabilities exist for each category of reserve in each of the three services; which situations must exist before recall can be permitted; what procedures have to be followed in order to implement the call-up in each case; and if he will make a statement.

(90799)

87   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel and from which departments or agencies within his Department, currently employed by his Department, would be transferred to the employ of DynCorp should the company's bid prove successful; and if he will make a statement.

(90776)

88   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many chefs and catering staff, broken down by regiment, have undergone combat training in the last six months in addition to any routine training that they may receive; and if he will make a statement.

(90773)

89   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the contracts signed by his Department requiring the service provider to employ sponsored reserves; how many sponsored reserves are required in each case; and if he will make a statement.

(90774)

90   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) people were trained by DISC and (b) training places were made available in DISC, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(90775)

91   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many call-out notices have been sent out recently; how many call-out notices were sent to reservists and under what legal headings prior to and during (a) the Kosovo crisis, (b) the first Gulf war and (c) operations in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

(90798)

92   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons reservists can refuse to serve; what powers the MoD has to compel reservists to serve; and if he will make a statement.

(90800)

93
N   Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states.

(89853)

94
N   Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what British (a) special forces and (b) other military personnel (i) are and (ii) were in 2002 (A) involved in operations and (B) present on the ground within the borders of Iraq.

(89854)

95   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many weapons have been reported as missing from the Colchester Garrison in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

(90352)

96   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how any members of HM Armed Forces have been trained to use modern fire appliances; what plans he has for more to be trained; and if he will make a statement.

(90353)

97   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people left the Army in each of the last six calendar years.

(90354)

98   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people joined the Army in the last year for which figures are available.

(90355)

99   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to increase salaries for soldiers as a means to encourage retention; and if he will make a statement.

(90356)

100
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many departmental minutes issued by his Department were outstanding on 30th November, that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89418)

101   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many children have been killed in Iraq as a direct result of bombs and missiles used to enforce the no-fly zones in Iraq since the policy of implementation was started.

(90234)

102   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what has been the cost to date of mobilisation of British troops and medical auxiliaries for prospective military activities in the Gulf.

(90239)

103   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what provisions exist for compensating (a) injured civilian victims and (b) the surviving families of civilians killed as a result of military action taken against another sovereign state; and what his policy is on compensating civilian victims of military action taken to enforce the no-fly zones over Iraq.

(90235)

104
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the places where British troops are serving abroad and whether they can (a) receive radio and (b) obtain newspapers; and if he will make a statement.

(89605)

105
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will establish a decoding card for those serving in the Armed Forces overseas with a digital box so that they can receive BFBS radio and television; and what evaluation has been made as to the merits of providing these services.

(89606)

106   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90715)

107   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90677)

108   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90609)

109   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his (a) European and (b) US colleagues regarding military cooperation in the Gulf.

(90329)

110   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the troops referred to in his oral statement of 7th January, Official Report, columns 23-39, will arrive in the Gulf; and what training they will undertake.

(90327)

111   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to send more troops to the Gulf; whether armoured regiments are to be sent; and what increases in naval and air forces are planned.

(90328)

112   Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list those universities with over 20 per cent. of students expected to drop out of their courses without finishing their degrees, using the latest figures compiled by the Higher Education Funding Council; if he will estimate the cost to public funds for each student; what initiative he is taking to reduce drop outs; and if he will make a statement.

(90465)

113   Tony Baldry (Banbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many secondary schools taught Mandarin as an extra-curricular subject in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002; and how many taught Mandarin as part of the curriculum in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2002.

(90368)

114   Tony Baldry (Banbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what resources were allocated to train teachers to teach Mandarin in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002.

(90385)

115   Tony Baldry (Banbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what level of funding has been required from secondary schools in relation to offering Mandarin on the curriculum in the next financial year; and what level of funding has been allocated to the subject.

(90383)

116   Tony Baldry (Banbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many secondary schools that are (a) providing and (b) pursuing specialist status on languages will have the teaching of Mandarin on the curriculum.

(90384)

117   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90549)

118   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on his Department's performance against its Public Service Agreement targets on truancy, literacy and numeracy.

(90552)

119   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90506)

120   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90544)

121
N   Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his Answer of 8th January, ref 89323, if he will give details of each ministerial visit during 2002 on departmental business to (a) Belgium, (b) France, (c) Slovakia, (d) Italy, (e) Australia and (f) the United States, including (i) the purpose of the visit, (ii) the Ministers involved, (iii) the number of officials accompanying the Minister, (iv) the number of advisers accompanying the Minister and (v) the cost of the visit.

(90443)

122
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make it a policy of the Government to limit relevant employment under the Education (Teachers' Qualifications and Health Standards) (England) Regulations 1999 to teaching; and if he will make a statement.

(90435)

123   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on progress in providing a laptop computer with internet access and ICT support to every teacher (a) in the UK and (b) in Leyton and Wanstead; and when he expects the policy to be fully implemented.

(90457)

124   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90478)

125   Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the extra resources required to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway area; what discussions he has had with other Government Departments in relation to supporting the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway; and what resources he has allocated to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway.

(90427)

126   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many working days were lost due to illness in his Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years.

(90746)

127   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many school days were lost due to truancy in Lancashire in each year since 1997.

(90741)

128   Mr Peter Pike (Burnley): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answers to the honourable Member for Birmingham Selly Oak and Amber Valley of 18th December 2002, Official Report, column 832W, when he expects to annnounce detailed plans for the funding of study support activities.

(90783)

129   Mr Peter Pike (Burnley): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the contribution breakfast clubs and the school joint scheme can make to reducing childhood obesity and poor nutrition; and if he will make a statement.

(90784)

130   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to harmonise (a) pay rates and (b) pay scales between teachers in schools and further education, and if he will make a statement.

(90696)

131
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) organisations and (b) plant hire organisations in Scotland have claimed the training grants from the Construction Industry Training Board Levy in each of the past five financial years.

(89432)

132
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many departmental minutes issued by his Department were outstanding on 30th November, that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89414)

133
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much was raised via the Construction Industry Training Board Levy in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years.

(89429)

134
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much he expects the Construction Industry Training Board Levy will raise in the present financial year.

(89430)

135
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) organisations and (b) plant hire organisations in Scotland have paid into the Construction Industry Training Board Levy in each of the past five financial years.

(89431)

136   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the equivalent figures were for 1997.

(90676)

137   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90714)

138   Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when he last met the Home Secretary to discuss crimes by schoolchildren.

(90264)

139   Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures he is taking to educate young people about the penalties for shop theft.

(90263)

140   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90608)

141   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what support the Government has committed to the Sector Skills Council for the logistics industry.

(90321)

142   Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with other European governments regarding cetacean bycatch.

(90780)

143   Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the deaths of dolphins and other cetaceans in Devon and Cornwall in December 2002; and if she will make a statement.

(80779)

144   Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission on the issue of dolphins and other cetaceans being trapped in fishing nets.

(90778)

145   Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the trials into the use of exclusion devices developed by the Sea Mammal Research Unit to reduce the bycatch of cetaceans in pelagic trawl fisheries.

(90777)

146   Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans there are to divert water from the River Frome into the River Stour; if the consequences of flood risk will be taken account of in such plans; and if she will make a statement.

(90463)

147   Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) fines and (b) compensation has been paid by the French Government for banning British beef; and if she will make a statement.

(90462)

148   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role her Department has in the maintenance and running of RIMNET3; and what changes have taken place and are planned to this system.

(90228)

149   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research has been conducted by or for her Department on the effectiveness of RIMNET3.

(90229)

150   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost to her Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90504)

151   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90524)

152   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90548)

153   Mr Tony Colman (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the final version of her Department's draft CHP strategy.

(90350)

154   Mr Tony Colman (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the budget is for the Government's Community Energy Programme in the financial year (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04; what proportion of the funds available in each year have been committed to strategic research designed to secure the wider use of district energy schemes; what proportion of the funds in each year are absorbed by the administration of the programme by the Energy Saving Trust; and what plans there are for continuation of the programme beyond March 2004.

(90351)

155
N   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the grant for (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 to each national park authority is; and what the percentage grant uplift to each park authority is.

(90442)

156   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the distribution of her Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to her, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90474)

157   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to promote understanding that the actions of UK citizens have global consequences and to introduce the principles of sustainability into local communities.

(90459)

158
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures are in place to encourage power plants to reduce their SO2 emissions and to increase the use of flue gas desulphurisation systems.

(90458)

159   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with industries dependent on unsustainable activities to encourage a transition to more sustainable ways of earning their living.

(90622)

160
N   Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department knew that drinks and entertainment organisations were clients of MCM Research Ltd when it was commissioned by her Department to advise on proposed changes in the arrangements for alcohol and entertainment licensing.

(89540)

161   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the projected cost is of completing the Rural Land Register.

(90396)

162   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many seizures of illegally imported meat were made at (a) Stranraer and (b) Cairnryan in each year since 1999.

(90406)

163   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many inspectors are employed by her Department to validate claims for (a) slaughter premium and (b) Beef Special Premium Scheme.

(90393)

164   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers were assisted by the Farm Business Advice Service in the last 12 months.

(90395)

165   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what has been the operating cost of the Rural Payments Agency fraudline since its launch.

(90402)

166   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to improve administrative (a) accuracy and (b) efficiency at the British Cattle Movement Service.

(90399)

167   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many claims for slaughter premium were refused for the reason that they were received more than six months after sale or slaughter of the animal in each year since the scheme began.

(90394)

168   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of England's land area has been covered by the Rural Payments Agency through their Rural Land Register project.

(90397)

169   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what has been the cost incurred by her Department in providing translation of (a) forms and (b) publications for (i) Welsh and (ii) Gaelic speakers in the last 12 months.

(90398)

170   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many calls have been received by the Rural Payments Agency fraudline telephone number in each quarter since it was launched.

(90401)

171   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enquiries regarding lost documentation at the British Cattle Movement Service are under investigation.

(90400)

172   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farms fall in nitrate vulnerable zones.

(90727)

173   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farm waste grants have been awarded in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

(90726)

174   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farm waste grants have been awarded in each of the regions; and how much each region has received.

(90750)

175   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her estimate is of how many homes flooded (a) in January and (b) in the previous three major floods.

(90214)

176   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her latest calculation is of the change in the value of (a) farm land, (b) farm houses and (c) other farm buildings over the last 10 years.

(90252)

177   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what initiatives she intends to take to encourage the use of alternatives to animal markets by direct sales, internet and video links.

(90257)

178   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her most recent estimate is of the cost to the average British family of all subsidies paid to the farming industry and to rural areas in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02.

(90256)

179
N   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many funding commitments were launched by her Department and its predecessors in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001, (f) 2002 and (g) 2003; which (i) require bidding and (ii) are linked to a set funding formula; and what the total amount available was for each commitment.

(89687)

180
N   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to manage amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops; and what recent discussions she has had and what representations she has received on management of amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops.

(89689)

181
N   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many funding commitments were ended by her Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997.

(89688)

182
N   Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what effect the Jubilee River relief scheme has had on flooding in the Medmenham area and Marlow.

(89763)

183
N   Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what effect the operations of the Environment Agency have had on the levels of flooding in the Medmenham area and Marlow.

(89762)

184
N   Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to respond to the consultation on funding and organisation of flood defences.

(89692)

185   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason she has not replied to the letter from the honourable Member for Yeovil, dated 23rd October 2002, on the Rural Payments Agency; and if she will make a statement.

(90795)

186
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what reports she has received from (a) the Environment Agency, (b) Coastal Defence Groups, and (c) Coastal Protection Authorities about the implementation of High Level Targets 6a and 6b; and what action has been taken to inspect coast protection assets in pursuance of High Level Target 6A.

(89761)

187   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government's original target date was for the completion of the National Food and Coastal Protection Database; what the target is now; and if she will make a statement.

(89681)

188   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) terms and (b) objectives are of her Departments' contract with Scisys for the provison of the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database.

(89682)

189   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of livestock movement controls on agricultural shows; and if she will make a statement.

(90386)

190   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action is being taken to ensure that odour emissions from mushroom substrate manufacturing processes are reduced.

(90558)

191   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the review of the Environment Protection Act 1990 Part 1; Processes Prescribed for Air Pollution controlled by Local Authorities; Secretary of State's Guidance Note PG6/30(97) on Mushroom Substrate Manufacturing Processes.

(90559)

192
N   Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has allocated for waste recycling projects undertaken by (a) local authorities, (b) non-profit making organisations and (c) industry in financial years (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 2003-04.

(90449)

193
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many departmental minutes issued by her Department were outstanding on 30th November, that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89422)

194   Alan Simpson (Nottingham South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the release consents that contain the GM oilseed rape transformation events Ms8 and Rf3 for each of the years from 1990 to 1999 in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland.

(90617)

195   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of buildings built as part of the Government's estate in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002 made use of the Government's design advice scheme on energy efficiency.

(90240)

196   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance she has given to the Environment Agency on the investments made by its pension fund.

(90244)

197
N   Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of delays in her Department in payments to beef farmers in the South West who have prime organic cattle condemned as a result of the unavailability of abattoirs to slaughter under the Beef Assurance Scheme; and if she will make a statement.

(89683)

198   Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the Common Fisheries Policy with the EU; and whether conditionality on UK registered vessels to (a) land a percentage of catch in the UK, (b) have a minimum percentage of UK residents in the crew and (c) operate from UK ports will be part of the review.

(90616)

199   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the equivalent figures were for 1997.

(90675)

200   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90713)

201   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90604)

202   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been received in oil revenues from extraction of oil from the UK section of the North Sea in each year from 1974 in (a) gross and (b) net terms, allowing for grants and other payments to the oil industry.

(90788)

203   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90505)

204   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90550)

205   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90543)

206
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from trade associations and other business interests regarding the New Export System.

(89130)

207
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the target time period is for Customs and Excise to clear applications under the New Export System.

(89129)

208   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer when the honourable Member for Christchurch will receive a response to his letter of 6th November to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury concerning correspondence from Mr Hawksworth.

(90720)

209   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90466)

210   Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will explain the policy reasons for the special tax point regime for VAT due on barristers' fees; and if he will make a statement.

(90422)

211   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees in Scotland pay national insurance.

(90392)

212   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working days were lost due to illness in his Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years.

(90748)

213
N   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many recipient families live in a household receiving Working Families Tax Credit but not housing benefit.

(89693)

214   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total revenue from the sale of tobacco products was in each of the last five years.

(90273)

215   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent calculation he has made of the cost to public funds if (a) the Army, (b) the Education Service and (c) the NHS were required to purchase all supplies from exclusively British sources.

(90254)

216   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated annual consumption of tobacco products was in each of the last five years.

(90274)

217   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to ensure that inheritance tax is paid on the same basis by all residents of the United Kingdom.

(90251)

218   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the value of manufacturing exports from companies in (a) the Scottish Borders, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in each of the last 10 years.

(90371)

219
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answer of 7th January, refs 88430-88432, when he expects to conclude discussions between the various departments and agencies involved and to announce the Government's decisions.

(89800)

220
N   Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list programmes of research being conducted by members of the countries and regions team within his Department.

(89852)

221   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employment costs are, including benefits, of (a) ministers representing the Office of Government Commerce and (b) special advisers and their supporting staff retained by the Office of Government Commerce.

(90562)

222   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list government contracts, including those with SMEs, and PFI and PPP contracts, where there has been an identified cost saving greater than 5 per cent. as a result of the services provided by the Office of Government Commerce.

(90567)

223   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the administrative estimate for the Office of Government Commerce was in the year ending (a) April 2001, (b) April 2002 and (c) April 2003.

(90564)

224   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times the Supervisory Board to the Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce has met in the last year; what allowances from public funds are made to members of the group; and what the cost was in each year since 2000.

(90566)

225   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times the Chief Executive Advisory Group of the Office of Government Commerce has met in the last year; what allowances from public funds are made to members of the group; and what the cost was in each year since 2000.

(90565)

226   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees work in the Office of Government Commerce, and what the cost is of their employment, including National Insurance.

(90563)

227
N   Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the allocation of landfill tax credits was to waste recycling projects run by (a) local councils, (b) non-profit making charitable organisations and (c) industry in financial years (i) 2001-02 and (ii) 2002-03.

(90452)

228   Christine Russell (City of Chester): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were unemployed in the City of Chester in (a) May 1997 and (b) December 2002.

(90282)

229   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he estimates will be raised in the current financial year from the levying of value added tax on musical instruments.

(90360)

230   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial payments are being made to the United States of America in respect of loans and other financial assistance given to the UK during the Second World War.

(90361)

231
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer when the five tests will begin being conducted on UK entry to the euro; and who will conduct the five tests.

(89386)

232
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many departmental minutes issued by his Department were outstanding on 30th November that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89426)

233
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason government accounts have switched from gross domestic product of regions and nations of the UK to gross value added of regions and nations of the UK.

(89388)

234
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what elements of UK GDP are classed as 'extra regio' and what proportion of the total of 'extra regio' GDP each comprises for the current financial year.

(89390)

235
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total Government expenditure on contingent liabilities which came to fruition was in each year since 1992.

(89387)

236
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a revised set of regional gross value added statistics for the period of 1989 to 1999 will be published.

(89428)

237
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the budget of the Office of National Statistics was in each year from 1992.

(89389)

238
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what documents comparable to Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland are published for regions of the UK.

(89427)

239   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 16th December 2002, Official Report, column 587-8W, on cigarettes, what method of calculation was used; and if he will place the calculations in the Library.

(90313)

240   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the additional yield of an income tax rate of 50 per cent. on taxable incomes exceeding (a) £100,000 per annum, (b) £125,000 per annum, (c) £150,000 per annum and (d) £200,000 per annum; and if he will make a statement.

(90173)

241   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the additional yield from levying a 45 per cent. rate of income tax on (a) taxable and (b) gross incomes exceeding £100,000 per annum; and if he will make a statement.

(90176)

242   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of small and medium sized companies that have made preparations for UK membership of the Euro; and if he will make a statement.

(90171)

243   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue yield of abolishing taper relief for financial years 2003-04 and 2004-05 and reintroducing indexation and retirement relief; and if he will make a statement.

(90174)

244   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue yield of a 50 per cent. income tax rate on (a) taxable incomes and (b) gross incomes exceeding £100,000 per annum; if he will estimate in each case the (i) income tax and (ii) capital gains tax yield; and if he will make a statement.

(90175)

245   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answer of 3rd December 2002, Official Report, column 680-1W, on self-assessment, if he will update the figures; and if he will make a statement.

(90314)

246   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90665)

247   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90705)

248   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90596)

249   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many drugs seizures, broken down by type of drug, have HM Customs in Scotland made by (a) financial value and (b) weight in each of the last five years.

(90611)

250   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made regarding the introduction of a lorry road user charge for non-UK vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

(90461)

251
N   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the attendance by Dame Shirley Porter at a function held by the British Embassy in Israel; and what instructions have been given, and on what date, by his Department in respect of contact with, and the provision of hospitality to, Dame Shirley Porter.

(90344)

252   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90508)

253   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90546)

254   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90539)

255   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has provided the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission with background intelligence briefings on the material within its dossier on Iraq and weapons of mass destruction published on 24th September 2002.

(90178)

256   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which of the sites listed in the Government's dossier on Iraq and weapons of mass destruction published on 24th September 2002 have been visited by inspectors from the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission; and whether anything of significance was found at such locations.

(90179)

257   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many copies of the Government's dossier on Iraq and weapons of mass destruction published on 24th September 2002 have been provided to the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission.

(90180)

258   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the Government's voting record for each measure, and amendments thereto, on the agenda of the first committee of (a) the UN General Assembly and (b) the UN Security Council in 2002.

(90181)

259   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90472)

260   Mr Ian Davidson (Glasgow, Pollok): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 7th January, Official Report, column 136W, whether the Government plans to give (a) indirect financial support to campaigning groups within the 10 EU accession states and (b) other support to such groups and individuals; and if he will make a statement.

(90738)

261   Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British nationals made an official confession in prison in Bahrain between 2000 and 2003.

(90302)

262   Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British nationals made an official confession of a criminal offence in Bahrain between 2000 and 2003 without the presence of a lawyer.

(90301)

263   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his assessment is of the effect of the war in Afghanistan on the supply of heroin to the United Kingdom.

(90253)

264   Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of current levels of religious discrimination in Hungary.

(90561)

265   John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to assist the incoming Kenyan Government in developing effective public administration and tackling corruption.

(90145)

266   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise the issue of child murders in Honduras at the March meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

(90220)

267   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in North Korea concerning its (a) nuclear power and (b) nuclear arms programmes.

(90698)

268   Joyce Quin (Gateshead East & Washington West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has received on compensation for alleged victims of repression by the British authorities in Kenya during the period of the Mau Mau rebellion and before Kenyan independence; and if he will make a statement.

(90681)

269   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with governments of other countries on protecting those who convert from Islam to other faiths, from (a) persecution and (b) arrest and punishment.

(90730)

270   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the United States Government regarding the prisoners held on the British military base in Diego Garcia.

(90296)

271   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement regarding the situation in North Korea.

(90290)

272   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will bring forward plans for the devolved integration of British Overseas Territories into the United Kingdom.

(90794)

273   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had in the past month with the Spanish Foreign Minister regarding Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.

(90289)

274   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the United States administration on the guidance given in the publication, A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management - Handbook for Prison Staff, in respect of United Kingdom citizens held by the United States in the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

(90232)

275   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations, including requests to meet with clients, he has had from the legal representatives of United Kingdom citizens detained in Cuba by the United States as suspected members of the Al-Qaeda terrorist group; what representations he has made to his United States counterparts in respect of the application of due legal process to these detainees; what information he has collated on the nature of the charges they face; and if he will make a statement on the compatibility of the conditions under which they are being held with human rights commitments entered into by the United States.

(90237)

276   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the United States on US plans for a post-Saddam Hussein government in Iraq.

(90236)

277   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90674)

278   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90712)

279   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90600)

280   Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that forthcoming public information anti-smoking campaigns will raise awareness of the link between smoking and stroke; and what targets have been set to reduce the number of stroke deaths caused by smoking.

(90553)

281
N   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the public health implications arising from the placing by mobile phone companies of masts in (a) chimney stacks, (b) drainpipes, (c) alarm boxes and (d) other adjuncts to domestic properties; if he will take steps to ensure the location of such masts is maintained on a register open to the public; and if he will make a statement.

(90343)

282   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90518)

283   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90538)

284   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90507)

285
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in the mid-Essex hospital trust area were waiting for in-patient treatment on the latest date for which figures are available.

(88347)

286   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90477)

287   Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the extra resources required to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway area; what discussions he has had with other Government Departments in relation to supporting the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway; and what resources he has allocated to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway.

(90424)

288
N   Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether (a) the Secta Group Ltd, (b) Quo Health and (c) Sema Health have managed a hospital before.

(89542)

289
N   Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, to what extent the new national tariff system for NHS hospitals will vary to reflect regional differences in the cost of providing services.

(89543)

290
N   Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, why he will not disclose the names of the NHS trusts which expressed an interest in foundation status.

(89541)

291   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance will be given to foundation hospitals on recruitment from existing Scottish NHS hospitals.

(90403)

292   Clive Efford (Eltham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Medical Control Agency will complete the review of the safety of Roaccutane; and what independent sources of information have been used by the Medical Control Agency in the assessment of the side effects of Roaccutane.

(90766)

293   Clive Efford (Eltham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research has been undertaken into those suffering the most serious side effects of Roaccutane to identify those who may be vulnerable; and if he will review advice given to doctors and patients regarding the side effects of Roaccutane.

(90767)

294   Clive Efford (Eltham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many reported cases of patients suffering side effects of Roaccutane there have been in each year since it was first prescribed.

(90768)

295   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his estimate is of the likely changes that will take place in the next five year totals of (a) male and (b) female smokers as a result of the ban on tobacco advertising and the future use of nicotine replacement therapies and Zyban.

(90215)

296   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to improve surveillance of the elderly in residential homes in order to protect them from abuse.

(90250)

297
N   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what financial assessment he has made of the impact of European Commission Regulation COM (2002) 377 on abattoirs in the UK; what discussions he has had and what representations he has received on European Commission Regulation COM (2002) 377; what steps he is taking to assist abattoirs in meeting the requirements of the Regulation; and if he will make a statement.

(89686)

298
N   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many operations have been cancelled by the NHS in each of the past eight quarters; and what percentage of these cancellations have not been rebooked (a) within a month and (b) for a date within two months, broken down by (i) Strategic Health Authority Area and (ii) NHS trust.

(90433)

299   Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will adjust the level of income which allows those on incapacity benefit to receive free NHS prescriptions to compensate for the recent increase in incapacity benefit.

(90284)

300   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 7th January, Official Report, column 199W, on mental health services, what assessment he has made of the contribution that a code of conduct for mental health professionals and users can make to improvements in the treatment of users of mental health services.

(90702)

301   Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made towards the establishment of a mandatory national surveillance scheme to measure the extent of hospital-acquired infection; and what reduction in the rate of infection has been achieved.

(90278)

302   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospitals within the West Midlands (South) Strategic Health Authority area were on red alert on each day since 1st December 2002; and if he will make a statement.

(90348)

303   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) general practitioners, (b) consultants, (c) nurses and (d) other NHS staff who will be required to serve overseas in the event of a conflict with Iraq (i) from the West Midlands (South) Strategic Health Authority area and (ii) from the NHS.

(90347)

304   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of armed forces personnel likely to be treated in hospitals in the West Midlands (South) Strategic Health Authority area in the event of conflict in Iraq; and what assessment he has made of the consequences for the continuing provision of health services to the resident population.

(90346)

305   Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on how many days since 1st December 2002 hospitals within the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust were on red alert; and if he will make a statement.

(90349)

306   Mr John Lyons (Strathkelvin & Bearsden): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nursing vacancies exist in trusts in England and Wales.

(90225)

307   Mr John Lyons (Strathkelvin & Bearsden): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much trusts in England and Wales allocated to digital hearing aids in the last year for which figures are available.

(90226)

308   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department defines treatment for heroin misusers.

(90557)

309
N   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for a new network of centralised sterile service facilities for the NHS in England.

(90303)

310   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with suppliers for the proposed network of centralised sterile service facilities for the NHS in England; and which suppliers these were.

(90304)

311   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether procurement for the new network of centralised sterile service facilities for the NHS in England will be on a single national basis or by sub-region.

(90305)

312   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consultations his Department has had (a) within and (b) outside the NHS about the (i) provision of sterilisation services and (ii) proposals for a new network of centralised sterile service facilities for the NHS in England.

(90618)

313
N   Mrs Marion Roe (Broxbourne): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will reply to the letters from the honourable Member for Broxbourne of (a) 11th September 2002, (b) 8th October 2002, (c) 7th November 2002, (d) 5th December 2002 and (e) 7th January relating to Miss P V Kennion of Broxbourne, a constituent.

(90222)

314   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards top-up fees for patients in residential care homes.

(90785)

315   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the NHS Trust in Havering regarding the building of a new hospital in Romford; and if he will make a statement.

(90299)

316   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on General Practitioner numbers in the London Borough of Havering; and what plans he has to increase their number.

(90298)

317   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his target is for the number of General Practitioners per head of population.

(90297)

318
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many departmental minutes issued by his Department were outstanding on 30th November, that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89420)

319   Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent meetings he has had with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to discuss revisions to their Code of Practice on IVF treatment.

(90615)

320   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to reply to the letter of John C. Wood of Barton-on-Sea of 21st November 2002.

(90695)

321   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what restrictions are applied by (a) regulation, (b) his policy and (c) regional policies on primary care trusts' decisions on where patients should be sent for hospital treatment.

(90684)

322   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90711)

323   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the non-NHS hospitals in (a) the Isle of Wight, (b) Sussex, (c) Hampshire, (d) Dorset and (e) Wiltshire which are accredited to provide (a) cancer services, (b) coronary care services and (c) orthopaedic services to NHS patients.

(90682)

324   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90673)

325   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the standards required for the accreditation of non-NHS hospitals for the provision of NHS services (a) as contractors with primary care trusts and (b) as sub-contractors of hospital trusts; and whether the standard for a particular procedure varies between (a) and (b).

(90683)

326   Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12th December, Official Report, column 494W, on consultants, if he will list the specialities in which offers of appointment have been made under the NHS International Fellowship Scheme.

(90312)

327   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to provide support for (a) those with a traumatic brain injury, (b) their families and (c) carers in North Staffordshire.

(90241)

328   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what facilities are in place in North Staffordshire to provide effective rehabilitation for those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

(90242)

329   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve care for those who suffer from traumatic head injuries in North Staffordshire.

(90243)

330   Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what categories of (a) health service employees, (b) civil servants, (c) ministers, (d) servicemen and women and (e) other public service personnel (i) have been and (ii) are intended to be vaccinated against smallpox.

(90612)

331
N   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations were (a) sought and (b) received from the Scottish Executive regarding the purchase of Life Resources Incorporated; and what consultations have taken place between his Department and the Scottish Executive regarding acccess to resources stored in Life Resources Incorporated.

(88780)

332
N   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what future consultations he plans with the Scottish Executive regarding access to resources stored in Life Resources Incorporated; and what financial resources (a) have been received from and (b) will be paid by the Scottish Executive regarding access to resources stored in Life Resources Incorporated.

(88781)

333
N   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what role the Scottish Executive played in the purchase of Life Resources Incorporated; and whether the Scottish Executive will have representation at board level.

(88782)

334
N   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations were received from the Scottish Executive regarding bonus payments to be paid out in future years to Life Resources Incorporated.

(88783)

335
N   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether contracts on behalf of the NHS in Scotland have been made with Life Resources Incorporated, for the purchase of plasma products that are free of vCJD, for use within the NHS in Scotland.

(88784)

336   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90607)

337   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90512)

338   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90527)

339   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90533)

340   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many mothers with responsibility for children were serving sentences in prisons in England and Wales for the period January 1992 to December 2002, broken down by prison and what estimate he has made of the numbers of mothers with children who will be serving sentences in prisons in England and Wales for the period January 2003 to December 2013.

(90488)

341   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are being taken by his Department to ensure a decrease in the numbers of suicides by inmates of prisons in England and Wales.

(90492)

342   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many mothers in prisons in England and Wales have responsibility for babies (a) under nine months old and (b) under 18 months old.

(90490)

343   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many juveniles held in young offenders institutions in England and Wales have (a) been previously excluded from school and (b) have a level of educational attainment below level 1 basic skills.

(90486)

344   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are being taken by his Department to ensure a decrease in the numbers of mothers with children serving sentences in prisons in England and Wales.

(90489)

345   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's guidelines are to young offenders institutions in England and Wales regarding formal child protection procedures for juveniles in prison, what his estimate is of the number of young offenders institutions in England and Wales that implement formal child protection procedures; and if he will list the young offenders institutions in England and Wales that have formal child protection procedures for juveniles in their care.

(90485)

346   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many suicides by inmates of prisons in England and Wales there were for the period January 1992 to December 2002 broken down by prison; and what estimate he has made of the numbers of suicides for the period January 2003 to December 2013.

(90491)

347   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to estimate, for each young offenders institution in England and Wales, (a) the number of youth offending teams that each youth offenders institution links with and (b) the average distance in miles from the youth offenders institution of each of the youth offending teams with which it has links.

(90487)

348   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the (a) date and (b) purpose of each (i) past and (ii) planned system released from the Criminal Records Bureau's computer system.

(90275)

349   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for disclosures by the Criminal Records Bureau were cleared by (a) three weeks and (b) six weeks in each month since April 2002.

(90276)

350
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what Government initiatives have been put in place in the (a) Twickenham constituency, (b) London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (c) London, designed to bring down crime; and if he will make a statement.

(88823)

351
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of crime in the (a) Twickenham constituency, (b) London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (c) London in 2001 was deemed to be drug related; and if he will make a statement.

(88824)

352
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many teenagers he estimates have tried class A drugs in the (a) Twickenham constituency, (b) London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (c) London; and if he will make a statement.

(88825)

353   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the visa application of Mrs Gale of Ringwood of 21st October 2002, acknowledged on 14th November by the Integrated Casework Directorate will be decided and the original documents returned.

(90719)

354   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were queuing at the public caller unit of Lunar House at 8 am on (a) 6th January, (b) 7th January and (c) 8th January; and how many people were turned away on each day without having their applications dealt with.

(90718)

355   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90470)

356   Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the extra resources required to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway area; what discussions he has had with other Government Departments in relation to supporting the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway; and what resources he has allocated to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway.

(90425)

357   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the new education campaign on the risks of drug misuse will start; and whether it will be standardised throughout the United Kingdom.

(90330)

358   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the expansion of services to refer drug users to treatment via the criminal justice system will start.

(90331)

359
N   Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidelines have been issued to prisons, with specific reference to HMP Wakefield, concerning the rights of solicitors to trawl for inmates who have been residents in Tennal Assessment and Community School.

(89538)

360   Mr Ian Davidson (Glasgow, Pollok): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his negotiations with the French Government to close the Sangatte camp.

(90610)

361   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department's officials last met the Scottish Executive to discuss emergency planning.

(90405)

362   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are in place for coordinating emergency planning guidance and procedures with the Scottish Executive.

(90407)

363   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were (a) injured and (b) killed by guns in Wales in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the previous five years.

(90740)

364   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of incidents of minors purchasing alcoholic beverages (a) in Lancashire and (b) in the UK in the last 12 months.

(90723)

365   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of illegal gun-possession crime were recorded in (a) Lancashire, (b) the North West of England, (c) England, (d) Wales and (e) the UK in (i) 2002 and (ii) each of the preceding five years.

(90749)

366   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many road traffic accidents there were in (a) the latest available year and (b) each of the preceding five years, broken down by police force area.

(90722)

367   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests and (b) cautions for gun possession were recorded in (i) 2002 and (ii) each of the previous five years in (A) Lancashire, (B) the North West of England and (C) Wales.

(90739)

368   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the most recent per capita figures are for the use of neuroleptic drugs in each women's prison; and what percentage of prisoners in each women's prison are users, at least weekly, of (a) tranquillisers and (b) pain killers.

(90271)

369   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his estimate is of the numbers and percentage of prisoners who will be participating in drug treatment programmes in each of the next 10 years.

(90270)

370   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce reforms to assist women prisoners through (a) improved accommodation and (b) delaying sentencing orders.

(90249)

371   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of female prisoners are mothers to children aged under 10 years.

(90272)

372   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his estimate is of the proportion of female prisoners who will be (a) offenders in respect of cannabis, (b) class A drug offenders and (c) housed in hospital wings in each of the next five years.

(90269)

373   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent in each of the past three years in prisons to deal with misuse of (a) illegal drugs and (b) alcohol; and what has been the cost of the monitoring of illegal drugs in prisons in each of the last three years.

(90268)

374   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what changes have occurred in the (a) numbers and (b) percentages of (i) women and (ii) men imprisoned in each of the past five years; and what his estimate is of the likely changes in the next three years.

(90265)

375   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women prisoners who were addicts of (a) heroin and (b) cocaine continued their habits after serving their sentences in each of the last five years; and what proportion died from drugs misuse in the 12 month period after leaving prison.

(90266)

376   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of (a) male and (b) female prisoners tested positive for illicit drugs in each British prison in the last year for which figures are available.

(90267)

377
N   Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convicted prisoners there were in England and Wales in the last period for which figures are available; how many were (a) United Kingdom nationals, (b) nationals of another EU state and (c) nationals of other states; and how many, when sentenced, had no current right of abode in the United Kingdom.

(90358)

378   Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under which Common law power the Metropolitan Police have closed Blackburne Mews, London W1; and how many times in the last 12 months Blackburne Mews, London W1 has been closed in accordance with (a) section 67 of the Road Traffic Act 1984 and (b) section 116 of the Highways Act 1980.

(90555)

379   Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to whom the Metropolitan Police must apply to close a road for (a) a period of seven days and (b) a period of more than seven days; and for how many consecutive periods of seven days the Metropolitan Police may close a road.

(90556)

380
N   Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letters from the honourable Member for Bolton South East of (a) 18th July 2002, (b) 20th September 2002, (c) 4th November 2002 and (d) 4th December 2002 regarding the case of Miss Zakiya Motala.

(90285)

381   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the research on the reception policies of Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany has been published; and if he will make a statement.

(90447)

382   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children seeking asylum are in detention.

(90659)

383
N   Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to establish a removal centre alongside the immigration reception centre at Oakington in Cambridgeshire.

(89801)

384
N   Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions his Department has had with other departments about the timing of announcements relating to the discovery of terrorist threats in Britain.

(90147)

385
N   Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the dates on which arrests were made in connection with recent terrorist threats in the United Kingdom.

(90146)

386   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make the use of fireworks at certain times of the night a criminal offence.

(90560)

387   Mr David Marshall (Glasgow, Shettleston): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the local authorities in Scotland with whom NASS has a contract for accommodation to be provided for asylum seekers; and how many places there are in each such contract.

(90495)

388   Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were convicted of offences involving airguns during 2001-02; what proportion of those convictions were for criminal damage; how many of those convicted of criminal damage were aged under 17 years; and what the ages were of all those convicted of offences more serious than criminal damage involving airguns.

(90654)

389   Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of those convicted of firearms offences during 2001-02 (a) had no previous criminal convictions, (b) had served sentences in custody and (c) were in each age decile from age 10 upwards.

(90655)

390   Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been taken out in England in each year since their introduction, by local authority area.

(90656)

391   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of visitors from Jamaica who have overstayed in each year since 1997.

(90699)

392   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what latest estimate he has made of the cost of introducing and maintaining a system of counting visitors in and out of the UK; and if he will make a statement.

(90697)

393   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions in the past 12 months magistrates' courts and crown courts have not imposed automatic driving bans on motorists guilty of offences which individually or collectively qualify for a disqualification; and if he will make a statement.

(90365)

394   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many claims have been made to the Criminal Records Bureau for loss of earnings caused by delays in processing disclosure applications; how many have been agreed; what is (a) the highest and (b) the lowest compensation paid; what is the total compensation paid to date; and if he will make a statement.

(90364)

395
N   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to the Minister of State from the honourable Member for Colchester of 27th November 2002.

(90280)

396   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people committed suicide in prisons in each of the past five years; of these, how many took place in safe cells; and if he will make a statement.

(90362)

397
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many departmental minutes issued by his Department were outstanding on 30th November that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89423)

398   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which body is responsible for updating the police national computer when an offender is arrested as a result of an order of recall due to breach of parole.

(90731)

399   Jonathan Shaw (Chatham & Aylesford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 7th January, ref 88368, what criteria his Department uses to assess whether it is satisfied that suitable arrangements are in place for reception and care when removing unaccompanied minors to their country of origin.

(90448)

400   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90710)

401   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90672)

402   Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent study he has made into the link between truancy and street crime.

(90781)

403   Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average sentence for assaulting a shop worker was in the last two years.

(90261)

404   Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued for crimes against retailers since their introduction.

(90262)

405   Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent study he has made into the level of crime in proximity to schools.

(90782)

406
N   David Winnick (Walsall North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Walsall North of 26th November 2002, regarding a constituent, ref 24367/2.

(90259)

407
N   David Winnick (Walsall North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Walsall North of 27th November 2002, regarding a constituent, ref 24789/2.

(90260)

408   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90603)

409   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with road haulage companies regarding the security of vehicles against illegal immigrants.

(90324)

410   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to provide protection for vehicles against illegal immigrants at seaports; and whether civil penalties for unknowingly carrying illegal immigrants will be withdrawn.

(90325)

411   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will support the European Commission proposals for an EU Known Shipper System; and if he will make a statement.

(90326)

412   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many hours per week the line of route (a) was open before the change in working hours of the Commons and (b) is open after the change in working hours of the Commons.

(90258)

413   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90551)

414   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90523)

415   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the distribution of her Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to her, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90475)

416   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans there are for talks between the new government of Kenya and the UK Government; and if she will make a statement.

(90166)

417   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the Government's policy is towards assistance to Kenya as a result of the recent Kenyan elections.

(90165)

418   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total UK public funding to Kenya was in each year since 1997.

(90164)

419   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what percentage of her Department's contributions to poverty reduction in Brazil in the years (a) 2000, (b) 2001, and (c) 2002 was spent on water and sanitation projects; what assessment she has made of the privatisation of water and sewage treatment in Brazil; and if she will make a statement.

(90414)

420   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department will provide towards the UN appeal for basic readiness funding, in light of the possible war and subsequent humanitarian situation in Iraq.

(90411)

421   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of water and sanitation provision in Brazil to (a) the rural population and (b) the urban population; and if she will make a statement.

(90416)

422   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the UN report on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of Congo; what assessment she has made of the British companies named in the report; and if she will make a statement.

(90413)

423   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the Indian Government on food aid containing GM products; and if she will make a statement.

(90418)

424   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate her Department has made of the revenues of the Congo Desk of the Rwandan Patriotic Army and Rwanda's national budget; and what impact this has had on development aid to the Rwandan Government.

(90412)

425   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the USA on food aid containing GM products and the provision of GM-free food aid; and if she will make a statement.

(90417)

426   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department's aid budget to Brazil is this year; and how much of that will go to water and sanitation projects.

(90415)

427   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department is giving to Cambodia in 2003-04; and if it is tied to sustainable forestry management.

(90419)

428   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of sex education, with particular reference to education about AIDS/HIV, for young people in Swaziland.

(90410)

429   Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what action the Government is taking to promote bringing to justice members of the former Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

(90277)

430   John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on the Government's plans to assist the incoming Kenyan Government to tackle poverty and encourage economic regeneration.

(90144)

431   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what schemes her Department supports in Peru.

(90571)

432   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much aid is provided (a) to encourage and (b) to finance abortions in Peru; and if she will make a statement.

(90573)

433   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on the objectives of the Improving the Health of the Poor: A Human Rights Focus aid programme in Peru.

(90572)

434   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on her Department's activities in relation to Afghanistan planned for the coming year.

(90737)

435   Jonathan Shaw (Chatham & Aylesford): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when her Department's solicitors will respond to the University of Greenwich regarding arrangements for a new underlease for the Natural Resources Institute buildings in Chatham Dockyard as set out in the university's letter of 24th April 2002; and if she will make a statement.

(90429)

436   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90709)

437   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90671)

438   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90602)

439   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90502)

440   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what the total expenditure of the Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90521)

441   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90529)

442   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what the distribution of the Lord Chancellor's Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90473)

443   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will list the offences for which his Department's guidelines recommend a custodial sentence.

(90423)

444
N   Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans the Lord Chancellor has to allow staff working for the children and family court advisory and support service to be paid to work at weekends and to be given travel allowance.

(89685)

445   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90670)

446   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90708)

447
N   Mr Paul Tyler (North Cornwall): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if her Department will arrange for an early release of documents held by the Public Record Office, originated by the then Department of the Environment and the Department of Trade and Industry, relating to the Lowermoor Water Poisoning Incident of July 1988.

(90032)

448   Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reason the personal invitation documents to be issued by post offices to eligible benefit customers will not be issued until 24th March; and if he will make a statement.

(90661)

449   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90509)

450   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90531)

451   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90542)

452   David Burnside (South Antrim): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much of the general grant will be allocated to each district council in 2002-03; and how much he estimates will be allocated to each district council during 2003-04.

(90761)

453   David Burnside (South Antrim): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the percentage change in rates will be for each district council during 2003-04 compared to 2002-03 as a result of changes to the general grant formulae; and what transitional arrangements will be made to moderate the effect of the changes in the local government general grant formulae to those councils for which funding has been reduced.

(90762)

454   David Burnside (South Antrim): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which Minister was responsible for the placing of an order for 23 new train sets for Northern Ireland Railways; who signed the contract; and on what date it was signed.

(90763)

455   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many jobs were (a) created and (b) lost in Northern Ireland in 2002.

(90163)

456   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost has been of damage to CCTV equipment in North Belfast installed for security purposes.

(90162)

457   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost has been of installing CCTV cameras in North Belfast for security purposes.

(90161)

458
N   Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made in the appointment of the new Ceasefire Monitor; and when the appointment will be announced.

(90454)

459
N   Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which public representatives are competent to refer complaints to the Northern Ireland Ombudsman about maladministration by Northern Ireland departments during suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(90455)

460   Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the ownership of Donaghadee Harbour.

(90453)

461   Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when the Office of Law Reform will complete its analysis of the responses to the public consultation on Physical Punishment in the Home—Thinking About the Issues, Looking at the Evidence.

(90456)

462   Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on what grounds the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment has been granted public funding to pursue private legal action against the media.

(90185)

463   Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if the investigation into the Into the West Credit Card Scandal has been completed; and when the report of the investigation will be made available to Parliament.

(90182)

464   Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many lifejackets were purchased by the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland in the six months to 1st January 2002; and how much of this consignment is available for use.

(90184)

465   Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many civil servants in each of the past 15 years have been granted public funds to pursue libel actions.

(90186)

466   Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether logbooks on all motor cars owned by the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland are completed in accordance with the undertakings in the Northern Ireland Assembly's Public Accounts Committee Report on The Fire Authority for Northern Ireland: Fleet Management and Reports on the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 Accounts.

(90183)

467   Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will provide funding for all pre-school places proposed, through the PEAGS scheme, by the South Eastern Education and Library Board for the year 2003-04.

(90620)

468   Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the (a) satisfaction and (b) needs of teachers in Northern Ireland; and what plans he has for further research.

(90621)

469   Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many individuals have been made subject to anti-social behaviour orders in Northern Ireland since the policy was implemented.

(90619)

470
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many departmental minutes issued by his Department were outstanding on 30th November, that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89419)

471
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what comparable documents to Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland are published for Northern Ireland.

(89434)

472   The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health regarding the extension of the proposed NHS University to Northern Ireland.

(90389)

473   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90707)

474   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90669)

475   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90599)

476
N   David Winnick (Walsall North): To ask the President of the Council, what plans he has to modernise the Commons procedure relating to the state opening of Parliament.

(89760)

477
N   David Winnick (Walsall North): To ask the President of the Council, above what amount claimed by an honourable Member for expenses, receipts and documentation is required; and if it is the policy to adopt best practice in this matter.

(90421)

478   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Prime Minister, if he will seek assurances from the US President that intelligence from the US Security Services relating to the location of WMD in Iraq have been passed to the UN Weapons inspectors; and if he will make a statement.

(90692)

479   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Prime Minister, whether intelligence from the security services concerning the location of WMD in Iraq has been passed to the UN weapons inspectors.

(90693)

480   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart; what recent representations he has made to Israel about possession of weapons of mass destruction; and when he last made representations to Israel on behalf of Mordecai Vanunu.

(90233)

481   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West): To ask the Prime Minister, if a decision to adopt a constitution for the EU will first be the subject of a referendum in the United Kingdom.

(90680)

482
N   Paddy Tipping (Sherwood): To ask the Prime Minister, how many written representations he has received in support of the recommendations of the Policy Commission on the future of farming and food.

(88382)

483   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the total cost to her Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90501)

484   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90545)

485   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90520)

486   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how long after receiving the final report from the Boundary Commission for Scotland she intends to lay (a) the report and (b) the orders required to implement it before the House.

(90404)

487   Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans she has to provide further financial support for ferry services between (a) Campbell town and Ballycastle and (b) Rosyth and Zeebrugge.

(90390)

488   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the running costs were of the Department in (a) 1997 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90752)

489   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many working days were lost due to illness in her Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years.

(90743)

490   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many overseas visits have been made by Scottish Office Ministers in the last 12 months; to where and at what cost; and if she will make a statement.

(90445)

491   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what her estimate is of the cost to the Scotland Office of the offices occupied by its staff in (a) Edinburgh, (b) Glasgow and (c) Leith in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

(90379)

492   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what her estimate is of the number of permanent staff in the Scotland Office in each year from 1999-2000 to 2003-04; if she will give the reasons underlying any change in staff numbers; and if she will make a statement.

(90377)

493   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what her estimate is of her Department's spending on (a) consultants, (b) advertising and publicity, (c) travel and (d) conferences in each year from 1999-2000 to 2002-03; and if she will make a statement.

(90382)

494   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what her estimate is of total spending on Ministers' (a) private offices, (b) entertainment, (c) UK travel, (d) international travel, (e) pay and (f) other costs for each year from 1996-97 to 2002-03; and if she will make a statement.

(90444)

495   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if she will list each asset of the Scottish Office valued at £50,000 or more; and if she will make a statement.

(90380)

496   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) special advisers, (b) press officers, (c) senior management, (d) ministerial private offices, (e) information divisions and (f) policy divisions there have been in the Scotland Office in each year from 1999-2000 to 2002-03, giving the total cost of each for each year; and if she will make a statement.

(90374)

497   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the key Public Service Agreement targets of her Department are; what her latest estimate is of progress in relation to each target; and if she will make a statement.

(90375)

498   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many full time equivalent staff there were at the Scotland Office in each year since 1999-2000.

(90446)

499   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, who owns the Scotland Office headquarters at Dover House in Whitehall; what her latest estimate is of the total value of this building; and what her estimate is of its annual rental cost.

(90378)

500   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what her estimate is of the total value of art and antiques (a) possessed by and (b) used by the Scottish Office; and if she will make a statement.

(90381)

501   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what her estimate is of the cost of the Friends of Scotland initiative; and if she will make a statement.

(90376)

502   Mr David Marshall (Glasgow, Shettleston): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many electors there are in each Westminster parliamentary constituency in Scotland as set out in the latest electoral registers.

(90494)

503
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what percentage of Scottish university graduates left Scotland after graduation in the last three years.

(89474)

504
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 2000-01 will be published; and what input she has had into its preparation.

(89425)

505
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when revised population statistics will be released for Scotland.

(89391)

506
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, which sectors of the Scottish economy are in recession; and if she will make a statement.

(89473)

507
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what Scotland's real GDP growth rate was from (a) 1972 to 1999 and (b) 1989 to 1999.

(89392)

508   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in the Department;and what the equivalent figures were for 1997.

(90668)

509   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if she will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90606)

510   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Solicitor General, what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90526)

511   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Solicitor General, what guidance is given to magistrates courts and crown courts on the circumstances in which driving bans should not be imposed on motorists who have accumulated sufficient points for disqualification; in what circumstances a court is given discretion not to impose a ban; what plans she has to remove the discretionary powers available to the courts; and if she will make a statement.

(90367)

512   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Solicitor General, what guidance is given to magistrates courts on the circumstances in which a driving ban should not be imposed on a motorist who has committed a criminal offence where an automatic disqualification is the normal outcome; in what circumstances a court is given discretion not to impose a ban; and what plans she has to remove the discretionary powers available to the courts.

(90366)

513   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) extent and (b) accessibility of oil under Iraqi sovereignty; and what recent (a) representations she has received from and (b) discussions she has had with BP on this matter.

(90790)

514   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department's role is in the event of a nuclear accident.

(90230)

515   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate she has made of (a) the quantity of oil in the world that remains unextracted and (b) how long this will last at present rates of extraction.

(90787)

516   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much oil has been extracted from the UK section of the North Sea in each year since 1974; and what the estimated total left unextracted is.

(90789)

517   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the contracts awarded by her Department to Logica since 1st August 2002; and in each case what the (a) title, (b) total cost, (c) timescale and (d) terms of reference were.

(90227)

518   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what has been the annual global (a) production and (b) consumption of oil each year since 1997.

(90786)

519   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the involvement of DEFRA in the energy review; and if she will make a statement.

(90791)

520   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what has been the average (a) gross and (b) net price received per barrel of oil extracted from the UK section of the North Sea in each year since 1974; and what the average price of oil per barrel was on the world market in each of those years.

(90792)

521   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much each local council is expected to spend on implementing REPPIR; how much each local council has spent on formulating their latest REPPIR plan; how much each local council has spent on acquiring the necessary equipment; and what stocks of equipment each REPPIR council has.

(90231)

522   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90525)

523   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90503)

524   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90547)

525
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what regulatory impact assessment has been carried out of the New Export System; and what the estimated annual costs are to business.

(89133)

526
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the bodies outside her Department that have been involved in her Department's policy development in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

(88826)

527
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many annual transactions in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002 could have been covered by the New Export System procedures; and how many are expected to be covered in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2004.

(89131)

528
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she has taken to coordinate the introduction of the New Export Systems with comparable measures in the EU countries.

(89134)

529   Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what criteria are used to determine the payment of compensation to former miners suffering from (a) respiratory disease and (b) vibration white finger.

(90279)

530   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the distribution of her Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to her, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90468)

531
N   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in respect of which projects guarantees were issued with respect to Qatar in 1995.

(90031)

532   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with BAe Systems regarding the sale of the aerostructures division.

(90725)

533   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many working days were lost due to illness in her Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years.

(90744)

534   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimates she has made of the number of UK jobs within the defence industry that depend on export credit guarantees; and if she will make a statement.

(90337)

535   Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on her Department's role in approving Post Office Ltd's communications with customers concerning the new post office card account.

(90687)

536   Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the performance of Staffordshire Business Link since April 2001.

(90148)

537   Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what (a) rules, (b) guidance and (c) advice she has published on declarations of interest and withdrawal from meetings in respect of the members of boards of Business Links.

(90150)

538   Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many chief executives of Business Links are (a) men and (b) women.

(90149)

539   Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make it illegal for retailers to sell postage stamps for less than the face value.

(90686)

540   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who will conduct the review into the childcare tax credit; what the review's terms of reference are; whether the results of the review will (a) be published and (b) be made available in the Library; and if she will make a statement.

(90770)

541   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the advertising campaign on maternity and paternity leave rights will include information about financial support with childcare costs.

(90769)

542   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the review into the childcare tax credit will (a) look at extending the scope of the credit and (b) examine regional and national differences in the take-up of childcare tax credit.

(90771)

543   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the difficulties involved in making an estimate of the number of parents eligible but not claiming the childcare tax credit.

(90772)

544
N   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on what conclusions she has reached as part of her Department's review of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 with respect to the questions of (a) how credit card annual percentage rates are calculated and (b) whether there is a case for reform of the statutory rules.

(90030)

545   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the estimate is of the costs of the Business Link advertisement campaign by (a) news and print papers, (b) radio and (c) television in the calendar year 2003.

(90569)

546   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many responses had been received from businesses as a result of the Business Link advertisement campaign before 31st December 2002.

(90568)

547   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she is taking to improve postal services in Romford.

(90294)

548   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on postal services in Romford.

(90295)

549
N   Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much her Department has allocated for waste recycling projects undertaken by (a) local authorities, (b) non-profit making organisations and (c) industry in financial years (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 2003-04.

(90451)

550
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many departmental minutes issued by her Department were outstanding on 30th November, that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89416)

551   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the major programme of activities to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen the arrangements for consequence management at nuclear installations.

(90315)

552   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the latest position on research, demonstration and development expenditure on energy options and institutions.

(90238)

553   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90666)

554   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90706)

555   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90605)

556   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the Low Pay Commission will produce its next report.

(90637)

557   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans there are to extend coverage of the national minimum wage to under 18s.

(90639)

558   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans there are to abolish the development rate for the national minimum wage.

(90638)

559
N   Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 8th January (ref 88014), how many of the grants for broadband satellite were placed in Sittingbourne and Sheppey; and if she will make a statement on the timing of publication of information about SEEDA's broadband strategy.

(90246)

560
N   Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will publish the Strategic Rail Authority report on Central Railway; and if he will make a statement.

(89691)

561   Mr A.J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what arrangements are in place to reduce the risk of air proximity incidents involving civilian and RAF aircraft in the approaches of Newcastle Airport; and whether these include a corridor of controlled airspace.

(90554)

562   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90537)

563   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90515)

564   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90517)

565
N   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, when he expects the SRA report on central railways to be published; and who will be responsible for publication.

(89690)

566   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90471)

567   Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the extra resources required to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway area; what discussions he has had with other Government Departments in relation to supporting the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway; and what resources he has allocated to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway.

(90428)

568   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many aircraft transport movements there have been at Manchester Airport in each month since December 2001.

(90732)

569   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the age of the rolling stock on the West Coast Mainline.

(90724)

570   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what plans he has to require the fronts of vehicles to be more pedestrian-friendly.

(90248)

571   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the progress in assessing the work in the Netherlands where traffic lights have been removed in an attempt to reduce road deaths; and if he will make a statement.

(90765)

572   Jim Knight (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will publish the risk assessment of the safety implications of moving the Portland Search and Rescue Helicopter to Lee-on-Solent.

(90409)

573   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what assessment he has made of the impact of expenditure by Network Rail on public expenditure commitments; and if he will make a statement.

(90613)

574   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, when he expects the (a) Cross Rail project and (b) Thameslink project to be completed.

(90614)

575   Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, when he will produce a summary of letters regarding the proposal for a new airport between Rugby and Coventry.

(90493)

576   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on progress made to meet his target of (a) an increase of 75 per cent. investment in the transport service through the Transport 2010 programme and (b) a reduction of 15 per cent. in traffic congestion.

(90793)

577   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what steps he is taking to ensure the delivery of the accelerated town centre improvements to re-route traffic and enhance the pedestrian environment in Romford.

(90796)

578   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the levels of (a) public and (b) private money being used to fund Transport 2010 in London.

(90797)

579   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, when he will publish a consultation paper on night flights serving London's airports.

(90734)

580   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what plans he has to fund experimental (a) single route and twin route light railways and (b) tram systems in towns with populations of over 100,000.

(90359)

581
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many departmental minutes issued by his Department were outstanding on 30th November, that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89421)

582   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what plans he has for (a) compulsory eye tests and (b) random eye tests for drivers; and if he will make a statement.

(90679)

583   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90704)

584   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90664)

585   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90597)

586   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what Government assistance has been given to UK freight transport since 1997.

(90318)

587   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what steps have been taken to relieve points on Britain's roads where freight transport is frequently held up.

(90319)

588   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what incentives the Government has put in place to encourage (a) vehicle manufacturers and road haulage companies to cut emissions on existing diesel technology and (b) the wider use of alternative based vehicles.

(90322)

589   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the road haulage industry and vehicle manufacturers regarding (a) the use of alternative fuels and (b) the development and use of lean, clean and low noise engines.

(90323)

590   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what action the Government has taken since 1997 to ensure that UK seaports and airports have the necessary capacity to satisfy demand.

(90320)

591   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90540)

592   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90510)

593   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90530)

594   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had regarding the services offered by the airline Bmibaby from Cardiff airport.

(90751)

595   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many letters the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State received from members of the public in relation to his ministerial responsibilities in 2002.

(90729)

596   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many working days were lost due to illness in his Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years.

(90747)

597   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the running costs were of the Department in (a) 1997 and (b) the most recent year for which figues are available.

(90753)

598   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans he has to introduce a bank holiday for Wales on St David's Day.

(90247)

599   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what his estimate is of his Department's spending on (a) consultants, (b) advertising and consultancy, (c) travel and (d) conferences in each year from 1999-2000 to 2002-03; and if he will make a statement.

(90357)

600   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in the Department; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90667)

601   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90595)

602   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

(90516)

603   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002.

(90535)

604   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002.

(90514)

605   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consultations have been carried out on the proposal to withdraw Social Fund services from the Ringwood Jobcentre; and what alternative arrangements are proposed for those living in Three Legged Cross and Kenwood.

(90721)

606   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90469)

607   Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the extra resources required to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway area; what discussions he has had with other Government Departments in relation to supporting the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway; and what resources he has allocated to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway.

(90426)

608   Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many working days were lost due to illness in his Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years.

(90742)

609
N   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer to the Member for Havant, Official Report, 9th December 2002, column 140W, on New Deal costs, how much of the windfall tax revenue has been allocated to (a) welfare-to-work programmes and (b) other items; and how much remains unallocated.

(89855)

610   Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what instructions he has given to his staff who are dealing with the programme for migrating benefit payments from order book to direct bank credit for responding to benefit recipients who express a wish to receive payment in cash via a post office card account.

(90653)

611   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of the pension credit on the mean benefit income of single pensioners and couples in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06, by quintile.

(90372)

612   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many payments have been made yearly from the Adviser Discretion Fund; and how many of these payments have gone to help pay for advance childcare deposits or other childcare costs in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK.

(90764)

613   Mr Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what number and proportion of those on each option of the New Deal for Young People and for those aged over 25 years went into a sustained job, in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(90373)

614   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what effect changes proposed in the recent Green Paper on retirement would have on the retirement age of clergy.

(90570)

615   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on unemployment in (a) Romford, (b) the London Borough of Havering and (c) Greater London.

(90300)

616   Christine Russell (City of Chester): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young people in the City of Chester have been helped into jobs by the New Deal.

(90281)

617
N   Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many departmental minutes issued by his Department were outstanding on 30th November, that referred to public private partnerships as included in Table B14 of the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts; and what their value was.

(89417)

618   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost of (a) an increase of £5 in the rate of the basic state pension and (b) the introduction of age additions of (i) £5 for pensioners aged 75 to 79 and (ii) £10 for pensioners aged 80 years or over, on the basis that the age additions for those aged 75 to 79 or 80 years and over are paid in full, regardless of contribution record; and if he will make a statement.

(90172)

619   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90663)

620   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90703)

621   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many letters were issued to married women who had a valid election to pay national insurance contributions at the reduced rate in each of the large-scale publicity campaigns run by his Department in (a) 1977, (b) 1989 and (c) 2000; and if he will list the criteria that were used to identify those women who were sent a letter.

(90624)

622   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the ages of the women who (a) revoked and (b) did not revoke their reduced rate national insurance contribution elections during 1978-79.

(90625)

623   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library copies of the literature and materials sent to (a) individual women, (b) employers and (c) placed in Social Security offices in connection with each of the large-scale publicity campaigns run by his Department in (i) 1977, (ii) 1989 and (iii) 2000 aimed at married women who had a valid election to pay national insurance contributions at the reduced rate; and if he will make a statement on the other methods his Department used to advertise the changes to the system in each of these years.

(90623)

624   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the impact on benefit payments in the next financial year of a single minimum wage for all age groups of (a) £4.17 per hour, (b) £4.20 per hour, (c) £4.87, (d) £5 per hour and (e) £5.30 per hour.

(90652)

625   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

(90594)

626   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the impact on the level of benefit payments of setting the minimum wage for young people at (a) £4.17 per hour and (b) £4.87 per hour.

(90640)

627   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of benefit savings which would result from an increase in the national minimum wage from (a) £4.20 to £4.87 and (b) 3.60 to £4.17 in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales, and (iv) Northern Ireland.

(90651)

628   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the impact on each benefit payable to those in paid employment of a national minimum wage of (a) £4.17 and (b) £4.87 for the next financial year.

(90641)

629   Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East): To ask the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants there were in each year since 1997.

(90464)

630   Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Cabinet Office, what the distribution of his Department's wholetime equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period.

(90467)

631   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Cabinet Office, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997.

(90662)

632   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Cabinet Office, what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(90717)

633
N   Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport): To ask the Cabinet Office, who will pay the London congestion charge for ministerial cars.

(90167)

634   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what action was taken by the UK in 2002 to contribute to the prevention of water shortages for the world's population by 2025.

[Transferred] (90460)

635   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what proposals there are to reform the EU Working Time Directive for drivers on long distance haulage to cut out dead time and to recast drivers' duties; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (90369)

636   Mr James Wray (Glasgow, Baillieston): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what recent discussions he has had with European colleagues regarding European road and rail haulage and drivers.

[Transferred] (90370)

637   Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the combined deduction of taxation and pensions credit for an extra £1 of income to a pensioner paying tax and receiving pensions credit.

[Transferred] (90660)

638   Pete Wishart (North Tayside): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what he estimates the cost to businesses would be of an increase in the national minimum wage from (a) £4.20 to £4.87 and (b) £3.60 to £4.17 in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales, and (iv) Northern Ireland.

[Transferred] (90636)