Question Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2002 - 03
Publications on the internet
The Question Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 14 January 2003

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 14 January 2003, of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

For other Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 14 January 2003, of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order of Business.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer from Wednesday 15 January 2003 see Part 2 of this Paper.

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

TUESDAY 14TH JANUARY

1   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Advocate General, if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

(90871)

2   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90862)

3   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many households were classified as homeless and in priority need of housing in (a) England and (b) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

(90828)

4   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much revenue was collected in real terms for each council tax band in (a) England and (b) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1992.

(90839)

5   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of housing stock was (a) owner-occupied, (b) public sector rented and (c) private sector rented in (i) England and (ii) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

(90836)

6   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many new affordable housing units were completed in (a) England and (b) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

(90831)

7   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many affordable housing units were (a) in use and (b) unused in (i) England and (ii) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

(90832)

8   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many people were on the waiting list for social housing in (a) England and (b) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

(90829)

9   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average (a) public sector and (b) private sector rent was for housing in (i) England and (ii) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

(90837)

10   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many households in (a) England and (b) local authorities defined as rural, by region, were identified as being in each band for council tax purposes in each year since the introduction of the scheme.

(90838)

11   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average turnaround time was for unused housing stock in (a) England and (b) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

(90833)

12   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90876)

13   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of new buildings constructed between July and September 2002 were built to the new thermal standards in Part L of the Building Regulations for England and Wales.

(90804)

14   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what training will be provided for building control officers to enable them to enforce the requirements of Part L of the new Building Regulations for England and Wales.

(90803)

15   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

(90868)

16   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much producing her Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90878)

17
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to require churches to be licensed in order to stage concerts; what fees they will have to pay in order to hold such concerts; and if she will make a statement.

(90574)

18
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to change the status of the Tote; when such proposals will be brought forward; and if she will make a statement.

(90575)

19
N   Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much on average was paid out annually through Public handling Rights over the last five years; and what the administrative cost was.

(89857)

20   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90857)

21   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90879)

22   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the 202 Field Hospital Volunteers have been called up; what their profession is in each case; and in which NHS facility they are employed.

(90911)

23   Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on his medical contingency plans in respect of Iraq with particular reference to military hospitals, after care and convalescence contingency planning for armed forces personnel (a) not involved in Iraq, and (b) based in Iraq.

(90912)

24   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90867)

25   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90880)

26
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will cancel all debts incurred by social work students in the two years leading to the introduction of the Bursary Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

(90578)

27   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many new schools have been funded by faith organisations since 1997, broken down by faith; and how many are planned.

(90903)

28   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what progress has been made in the teaching of development issues in state schools; and if he will make a statement.

(90904)

29   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what mechanisms have been set up to ensure that schools set up by private companies and faith organisations (a) do not select their pupils, (b) follow the national curriculum, (c) teach science, including Darwin's theory of evolution and (d) protect the human rights of female students.

(90905)

30   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many new schools have been funded by private companies since 1997; and how many are planned.

(90902)

31   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the budget profile is for the Entry to Employment programme for (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04; and how many participants are expected to enter the programme in each year.

(90919)

32   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many 16 to 17 year olds took their employer to an employment tribunal to enforce their right to reasonable paid time off to achieve a first Level 2 qualification in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02.

(90922)

33   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the latest estimate is of the proportion of 16 to 18 year olds not in education, employment or training.

(90926)

34   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what role Education Business Links play in facilitating work-related learning placements with small and medium sized enterprises.

(90929)

35   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what percentage of children excluded from mainstream schooling were in an alternative form of education in the last period for which figures are available.

(90913)

36   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many employers with (a) 25 employees or more and (b) less than 25 employees, were involved in modern apprenticeships in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002.

(90925)

37   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research the Department has carried out on the relationship between the level of Learning and Skills Council training allowance and the rates of young people entering full-time training.

(90920)

38   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many Centres of Vocational Excellence have been established and in what specialisms; and how many have been established by (a) colleges, (b) private training providers and (c) employers.

(90927)

39   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much the Learning and Skills Council spent on training allowances for young people in 2001-02.

(90917)

40   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many 16 to 18 year olds were in employment but not receiving (a) training provided by their employer and (b) training provided by their employer linked to a qualification in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02.

(90924)

41   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the maximum values of Learning and Skills Council training allowance are (a) by region and (b) by sector within each region.

(90918)

42   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many 16 to 17 year olds exercised their right to reasonable time off to achieve a first Level 2 qualification in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02.

(90921)

43   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many 16 to 18 year olds were in employment and receiving (a) employer funded training and (b) employer funded training for apprenticeships not funded by the Learning and Skills Council in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02.

(90923)

44   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) Beacon Schools, (b) Specialist Schools, (c) Centres of Vocational Excellence and (d) Education Business Links are involved in the part-time vocational placements announced in the Green Paper 14-19: Extending Opportunities, Raising Standards.

(90928)

45   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

(90873)

46   Mr Martin Caton (Gower): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to encourage AONBs to become recognised as biosphere reserves by UNESCO; and what support her Department will provide to successful applicants.

(90853)

47   Mr Martin Caton (Gower): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timetable is for the creation of the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Conservation Boards under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

(90896)

48   Mr Martin Caton (Gower): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was paid to the Countryside Agency for AONBs in 2002-03, for core costs and projected expenditure, broken down by AONB.

(90895)

49   Mr Martin Caton (Gower): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Government departments responsible for provision of emergency telecommunication services about minimising the (a) numbers and (b) environmental impact of transmitters located in (i) AONBs and (ii) national parks.

(90852)

50   Mr Martin Caton (Gower): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the secondary legislation necessary for the establishment of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Conservation Boards for the Chilterns and the Cotswolds will be considered by Parliament.

(90851)

51   Mr Martin Caton (Gower): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government intends to ratify the European Landscape Convention adopted by the Council of Europe in October 2000.

(90854)

52   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the notification and results of tenders to dispose of tallow produced under the over-thirty-months scheme.

(90842)

53   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) develop and (b) validate the Immunocapillary Electrophoresis test with the European Union; and if she will make a statement.

(90841)

54   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which companies her Department has contracts with for the incineration of tallow produced under the over-thirty-months scheme; and when those contracts were (a) agreed and (b) signed.

(90844)

55   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to evaluate the Immunocapillary Electrophoresis (ICE) test in a large surveillance trial.

(90840)

56   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much tallow produced under the over-thirty-months scheme has been sold (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas in each year since the scheme began; for what purpose it has been sold; and how much revenue has been raised from sales (i) in the United Kingdom and (ii) overseas, in each year since the scheme began.

(90843)

57   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much producing her Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90881)

58
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much public money (a) was and (b) is planned to be allocated to the Environment Agency for each year from 2000-01 to 2005-06 in respect of (i) flood protection and flood management and (ii) coastal defence.

(90630)

59
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much money was spent by the Environment Agency on (a) flood protection and flood management and (b) coastal defence in (i) 2000-01, (ii) 2001-02 and (iii) 2002-03; and if she will place in the Library an analysis by project of each year's expenditure.

(90629)

60   Mr Gwyn Prosser (Dover): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many live sheep were exported from Dover to continental Europe on (a) 17th December 2002, (b) 20th December 2002 and (c) 8th January; when and where health certification was carried out in respect of the sheep, how many of the sheep were rejected as unfit for the intended journey (i) during inspection for health certification purposes and (ii) at Dover docks, and to where those sheep were taken; and what was the address of the final destination given on the route plan for each of the consignments.

(90901)

61   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of those defined as being in fuel poverty in 2001 have carried out DIY insulation measures to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

(90806)

62   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government's response to the Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review will be published.

(90815)

63   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of the total expenditure on warm front grants made in England and Wales in the financial years ending 2001 and 2002 were represented by (a) loft and (b) cavity wall insulation measures.

(90811)

64   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the price assumptions used in developing Government Energy Efficiency initiatives are sustainable and adequate to allow expansion in capacity required to meet Government targets.

(90809)

65   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what decision has been made on reviewing the project appraisal guidance to ensure that social and environmental issues are addressed following the Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review.

(90813)

66   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the average administrative cost associated with each household that benefited under the Warm Front scheme, as a percentage of the cost of the measures installed, in 2001-02.

(90808)

67   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much grant aid has been paid to the Environment Agency and its flood defence committees for flood defence in England in each of the past five financial years; how much will be allocated to them this financial year; and how much has been allocated under the Government's Spending Review 2002 for the next three financial years.

(90616)

68   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what standards of thermal performance are indicated under the definition of a decent home in the Building Regulations of England and Wales Approved Document L.

(90812)

69   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions on industries important to the delivery of Government initiatives aimed at reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions.

(90810)

70   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what conclusions have been reached concerning the establishment of a minimum standard of flood defence, following the Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review.

(90814)

71   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities adopted measures to improve the thermal insulation of buildings under their Home Energy Conservation Act obligations in fewer than 0.25 per cent. of their buildings over the last year.

(90805)

72   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90866)

73
N   Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce measures to abolish the switching fees which some home insurance companies charge consumers when they arrange home insurance with someone other than their mortgage providers.

(90216)

74   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the house price to earnings ratio was for each year since 1978 in (a) England, (b) local authorities defined as rural and (c) by region.

(90830)

75   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average mortgage rate was in England in each year since 1978.

(90835)

76   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average price of a house was in real terms in (a) England and (b) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

(90834)

77   Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye & Inverness West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government will return to the Scottish Executive the revenue derived following the Scottish Executive's decision to pay the VAT on the Skye Bridge toll.

(90899)

78
N   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his latest assessment of public borrowing this financial year; and whether his projections remain in accordance with those set out in the Pre-Budget Report.

(90689)

79   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many copies of his Department's latest Annual Report were printed; to whom copies of the report were provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90894)

80
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date stamp duty was paid by Mapeley on the STEPS Contract with the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise; and if he will make a statement.

(89475)

81
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the advice given by Mr. Dave Shaw of the Inland Revenue special investigation section to the Deputy Chairman of the Inland Revenue in respect of the Mapeley STEPS contract; and if he will make a statement.

(89476)

82   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what amounts were claimed by companies under the Enhanced Capital Allowances scheme for each qualifying energy efficiency technology and product type in the last year for which figures are available.

(90802)

83
N   Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the profit or loss on sales of gold by the Bank of England since May 1997, calculated by comparing the price achieved on sale with the current price of gold.

(89856)

84   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families with children aged 16 to 19 are claiming Working Families Tax Credit.

(90916)

85   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90861)

86   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90882)

87   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he and the international community have to extend ISAF beyond Kabul.

(90908)

88   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Afghanistan concerning women's rights in that country.

(90906)

89   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90860)

90
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many delayed discharge patients there were in hospital in (a) the latest month for which figures are available and (b) May 2002, broken down by local authority area in England.

(89694)

91
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average fee paid per week by each local social services department to private care homes for clients in (a) nursing and (b) residential care was in 2002, broken down by local authority in England; and what the average costs were for self-funders.

(89695)

92   Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding his Department has provided to support research into (a) drug treatment programmes and (b) alcohol harm reduction programmes in each of the last five years.

(90633)

93   Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many responses he has received to the consultation document Human Bodies, Human Choices; and if he will make a statement.

(90635)

94   Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding his Department has provided to support (a) alcohol abuse treatment programmes and (b) drug treatment programmes in each of the last five years.

(90634)

95   Mr David Hinchliffe (Wakefield): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will require the General Medical Council to publish information on the number of complaints against doctors currently unresolved which indicates those outstanding for more than (a) six and (b) 12 months.

(90898)

96   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90883)

97
N   Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what NHS dentistry services are available to new adult patients in the Gosport area.

(89858)

98
N   Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what health screening tests are carried out on (a) existing NHS staff and (b) prospective recruits; and what are planned.

(90188)

99
N   Mr Michael Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many consultants on the register of the General Medical Council are over 60, broken down by nation and region; and what the figures were in each of the last five years.

(90758)

100
N   Mr Michael Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many medical consultants undertake work in the private sector, broken down by nation and region.

(90759)

101   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90856)

102   Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his assessment is of Operation Street Cred on the Wirral.

(90897)

103
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will meet representatives of the Dorset Police Authority and Dorset honourable Members to discuss the provisional funding settlement in Dorset police in 2003-04.

(90755)

104
N   Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he has received the report on the Landmark Co in Liverpool concerning housing and support services for asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement.

(90627)

105
N   Michael Fabricant (Lichfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes involving the use of guns were committed in Staffordshire over the last 12 months for which figures are available; and in which locations.

(90152)

106   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average sentence for (a) burglary and (b) robbery was in each year since 1972.

(90151)

107
N   Mr John Horam (Orpington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many notifiable offences there were in the London Borough of Bromley in each year since 1973.

(89802)

108
N   Mr John Horam (Orpington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers there were in the London Borough of Bromley in each year since 1973.

(89803)

109
N   Mr John Horam (Orpington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many special constables there were in the London Borough of Bromley in each year since 1973; and how many police support staff there were in each year over the same period.

(89804)

110
N   Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the honourable Member for Bolton South East will receive responses to his letters of 6th June, 6th August, 4th October, 4th November and 4th December 2002 regarding the case of Mr Siraj Ismail Patel (HO ref P386124).

(90628)

111
N   Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of those currently charged with criminal offences in the United Kingdom are in the country illegally.

(89433)

112   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90884)

113   Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assumptions the Home Office made about the change in police pay and pension costs between 2002-03 and 2003-04 in determining the police grant distribution.

(90217)

114
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent estimate is of the average response time to grade 1 incidents by the Avon and Somerset Constabulary in (a) rural areas and (b) urban areas; and if he will make a statement.

(89696)

115   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for (a) asylum and (b) naturalisation were received by the Home Office in each year since 1997; and how many are still outstanding for each year.

(90849)

116   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many telephone calls were made by the public to the Immigration and Nationality Telephone Enquiry Bureau in each year since 1997; and what the average response time was for each year.

(90850)

117   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff were employed in the Asylum Department of the Home Office in each year since 1997; and what the rate of absenteeism was in each year.

(90848)

118
N   Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the performance of each Constabulary in recording conviction data on the Police National Computer under the Court Results 90 per cent data targets for the latest month available.

(90306)

119   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

(90872)

120   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much producing her Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90900)

121   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) progress is being made in and (b) aid is being given to educating women in Afghanistan.

(90909)

122   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what aid is being given to (a) democracy building, (b) women's advocacy organisations and (c) the Revolutionary Association of women, in Afghanistan.

(90910)

123   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in the Department.

(90869)

124
N   Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, when she will make a decision on the release of documents relating to King Edward VIII.

(90626)

125   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how much producing the Lord Chancellor's Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90886)

126   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90863)

127   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90887)

128
N   Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if there is a policy in his Department relating to the receipt and process of letters from local authorities in relation to (a) their acknowledgement, (b) the normal period for the despatch of a substantive reply and (c) when it is appropriate to despatch an interim or holding reply; and if he will make a statement.

(90497)

129   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the President of the Council, how much producing the Privy Council Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90888)

130   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his office.

(90865)

131   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

(90870)

132   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much producing her Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90889)

133
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what her estimate is of the real increase in spending at the Scottish Office between 1999-2000 and 2002-03; and if she will make a statement.

(90440)

134
N   Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what her estimate is of total public spending on the Scottish Office for each year from 1999-2000 to 2005-06; and if she will make a statement.

(90441)

135   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Solicitor General, if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

(90875)

136   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Solicitor General, how much producing the Law Officers' Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90885)

137   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

(90874)

138
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the operating cost in each year since 1997 was of her Department's (a) ORACLE RAB and (b) anti-fraud control system; and if she will make a statement.

(88827)

139
N   Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department is doing to promote the services of the Post Office network among other departments who use its services.

(88879)

140
N   Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will take powers to ensure that development agencies do not use public money to open offices and employ staff overseas without parliamentary or ministerial approval.

(88587)

141
N   Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the level of accountability of development agencies in respect of their use of public money; and if she will make a statement.

(88588)

142
N   Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, for what purpose Government money will be used to fund offices and staff for the Welsh Development Agency, the Scottish Development Agency, the East of England Development Agency, the North of England Development Agency and the South West of England Development Agency in California.

(88586)

143
N   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the total sums (a) claimed and (b) paid out by the Redundancy Payments Office were in each month over the last two years in respect of (a) redundancy pay, (b) holiday pay, (c) notice pay and (d) unpaid wages.

(90688)

144   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much producing her Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90890)

145   Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the progress of the National Debt Helpline.

(90847)

146
N   Mr Michael Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many of the nuclear power stations proposed to be built under the new nuclear programme will be built in Scotland.

(90760)

147   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90859)

148   Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 9th December 2002, Official Report, columns 38W-41W, on statutory harbour authorities, which statutory harbour authorities (a) have not completed and (b) have not indicated that they have completed implementation of the Port Marine Safety Code.

(90801)

149   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90891)

150   Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will require the Strategic Rail Authority to publish regional freight strategies.

(90846)

151
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what the Government's policy is on reducing carbon emissions from aircraft.

(90631)

152
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what estimate he has made of (a) the amount in tonnes of carbon emissions and (b) the proportion of total United Kindom carbon emissions represented by emissions from aircraft (i) using United Kingdom airports and (ii) overflying the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

(90632)

153   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90864)

154   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90893)

155   Mr John Bercow (Buckingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department.

(90858)

156
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what action she is taking to encourage the take-up of Post Office card accounts.

(90756)

157
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what action he is taking to encourage benefit recipients to opt for post office card accounts when order books are replaced.

(90757)

158
N   Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what enhanced services will be provided at Ringwood Jobcentre when Jobcentre Plus is introduced.

(90754)

159   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the basis was for the calculation made on page 102 of the green paper Simplicity, security and choice: Working and saving for retirement, that a £20,000 lump sum could be taken instead of a state pension.

(90818)

160   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out the assumptions made for the estimate, given in the green paper Simplicity, security and choice: Working and saving for retirement, that UK state spending on pensions will continue broadly at its current level of around five per cent.

(90822)

161   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of those with liquid financial assets of more than £10,000 are members of an occupational or private pension scheme.

(90821)

162   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out the basis of the calculation given in the green paper on pensions Simplicity, security, and choice: Working and saving for retirement, that there has been a 40 per cent. increase in pension contributions since 1997.

(90826)

163   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out the basis for the calculation of page 5 of the green paper Simplicity, security and choice, that the simplification proposals in the green paper could save employers £150-£200 million per year.

(90825)

164   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will recalculate table 14 of the Pensioners' Incomes Series excluding all those with earnings.

(90824)

165   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) men aged 55 to 64 and (b) women aged 55 to 59 who are not in full or part-time employment (i) receive one or more benefit and (b) are not in receipt of any benefit.

(90823)

166   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place a copy of the latest quantitative evaluation of the New Deal 50 plus in the Library.

(90819)

167   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many defined benefit schemes are (a) open, (b) closed to new members and (c) closed to further contributions from existing members, giving for each type of scheme the estimated number of members, in each of the past five years.

(90827)

168   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much producing his Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

(90892)

169
N   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a divorced woman can claim a full category A retirement pension on the basis of her ex-husband's contributions when she reaches the age of 60.

(90498)

170
N   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a divorced woman who previously paid national insurance contributions at the reduced rate for married women can substitute her ex-husband's contributions record in respect of any year in which she paid contributions at the reduced rate.

(90499)

171   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether lump sum payments from school sixth form and college access funds used for living costs are treated as income or capital.

(90914)

172
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the introduction of the Bursary Scheme for students taking the Diploma in Social Work.

[Transferred] (90576)

173
N   Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate how many students will take up the Bursary Scheme to take the Diploma in Social Work.

[Transferred] (90577)

174   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people fell out of fuel poverty because of reduced energy prices during the financial year which ended on 31st March 2002.

[Transferred] (90807)

175   Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been spent on Child Benefit for 16 to 19 year olds in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (90915)

176   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of pledged assistance for the reconstruction of Afghanistan has been received by the Afghan Government; and how much of the financial assistance so far received by the interim Government of Afghanistan has been spent on projects other than humanitarian aid.

[Transferred] (90907)

177   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Cabinet Office, how much producing the Cabinet Office's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

[Transferred] (90877)

178   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the research was, referred to in the green paper Simplicity, security and choice: Working and saving for retirement, that found that the 401k schemes in the USA have been successful in raising pension saving amongst the low paid.

[Transferred] (90820)

179   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate was of the number of people, broken down by age and sex, who have never worked.

[Transferred] (90817)