Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2002 - 03
Publications on the internet
The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 13 February 2003

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Thursday 13 February 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.

THURSDAY 13th FEBRUARY

1
N   Mr A.J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will call in the planning application by Northumberland County Council for a waste transfer station on the Lionheart Industrial Estate, Alnwick.

(97260)

2   Matthew Green (Ludlow): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what studies have been conducted for his Department into potential growth in the (a) Thames Gateway, (b) Ashford, (c) Milton Keynes and (d) London-Stansted-Cambridge areas.

(98170)

3   Matthew Green (Ludlow): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the Departmental expenditure limit for housing was in each year since 2000-03.

(98000)

4   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will identify those elements of the resources listed in Annex A of the paper, Sustainable Communities, that will provide funding for investment in (a) repairs and improvements to council housing, (b) repairs and improvements to housing owned by registered social landlords and (c) the provision of new homes for rent.

(98159)

5   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has under the new provisions to move travellers on immediately from unauthorised sites where authorised sites are provided by the local authority.

(98066)

6   Phil Sawford (Kettering): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he expects to receive a report from the Shadow Regional Housing Body on housing priorities for the East Midlands; what the status is of the Shadow Regional Housing Body; which organisations and individuals are represented on the Shadow Regional Housing Body; and what public consultation will be undertaken by the Shadow Regional Housing Body prior to the formulation of the Regional Housing Strategy.

(97962)

7   Phil Sawford (Kettering): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he commissioned Roger Tym & partners to carry out a study of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands.

(97964)

8   Phil Sawford (Kettering): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he appointed the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at Birmingham University to undertake a study of housing demand and supply in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands area; what the timescale is for this study; and which local authorities and other bodies will be consulted as part of the study.

(97963)

9   Phil Sawford (Kettering): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what meetings he has had with (a) the Government Office for the East Midlands, (b) the East Midlands Regional Assembly, (c) the East Midlands Region Local Government Association, (d) Northamptonshire County Council, (e) Kettering Borough Council, (f) honourable Members from Northamptonshire, (g) Daventry District Council and (h) the East Midlands Regional Development Agency to discuss Sustainable Communities in the East Midlands; and who (i) was invited and (ii) attended.

(98047)

10   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

(98088)

11   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what requirement is made of public entertainment outlets to ensure that first aid treatment is available during opening hours; and if she will make a statement.

(98007)

12   Kate Hoey (Vauxhall): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the likely impact on sport and recreation of the introduction of a 10 mile per hour speed limit on Lake Windermere.

(98074)

13   Kate Hoey (Vauxhall): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what alternative venues have been sought by Sport England to accommodate those affected by the introduction of the Navigation Bye Law 1992 at Lake Windermere.

(98077)

14   Kate Hoey (Vauxhall): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how the increase in participation targets set out in the Government's Game Plan will be affected by the speed limit restrictions for Lake Windermere.

(98075)

15   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received on the impact of the Communications Bill on regional newspapers.

(98063)

16   Joyce Quin (Gateshead East & Washington West): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the consequences for the existing planned levels of public expenditure on investment in (a) Greater London and (b) each English region of an Olympic bid.

(98158)

17   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received from local authorities regarding the funding of the Lee Valley Authority; what recent discussions she has had with the authority; and if she will make a statement.

(98207)

18
N   Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will release information on the courses of MoD vessels on or before the 23rd January from which the quantities of anthrax vaccine found on a Dorset beach could have come; and if he will make a statement.

(97307)

19   Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 27th January, Official Report, column 638W, on the Eurofighter, if he will make a statement on the procedure for the booking and use of designated areas for testing Eurofighter jets; and if he will publish the rules covering supersonic flights.

(96760)

20   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which instruments of international law have been during the drafting of the rules of engagement for Her Majesty's Armed Forces deploying to the Gulf.

(98165)

21   Matthew Green (Ludlow): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what land has been sold by his Department in the Ashford area in the last five years.

(98172)

22   Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, why his Department has not deployed Merlin HC3 Helicopters to the Gulf.

(98180)

23
N   Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many hours were worked in the average week in (a) the Army, (b) the Navy and (c) the Air Force in each of the past five years.

(97924)

24   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel, on an annual basis, over each of the past three years, in renewal of the Army's vehicle fleet on a lower emission basis.

(97975)

25   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual rate is at which the Army renews its on road vehicle fleet, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit, and (iii) type of fuel.

(97974)

26   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel, on an annual basis, over each of the past three years, in renewal of the Royal Air Force's vehicle fleet on a lower emission basis.

(97979)

27   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual rate is at which the Royal Air Force renews its on road vehicle fleet, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each (i) category of vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel.

(97978)

28   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel, on an annual basis, over each of the past three years, in renewal of the Royal Navy's vehicle fleet on a lower emission basis.

(97977)

29   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual rate is at which the Royal Navy renews its on road vehicle fleet, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each (i) category of vehicle, (ii) type of power unit, and (iii) type of fuel.

(97976)

30   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual rate is at which his Department renews its vehicle fleet, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit, and (iii) type of fuel.

(97972)

31   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel, on an annual basis, over each of the past three years, in renewal of his Department's vehicle fleet on a lower emission basis.

(97973)

32   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on NATO policy in respect of Iraq.

(98040)

33   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to conclude the deal with the Carlyle Group for the partial sale of QinetiQ.

(98041)

34   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list each of the QinetiQ sites which have been sold since the creation of the company, indicating the value of the sale in each case.

(98039)

35   Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list, by site, his best current assessment of the land assets of QinetiQ.

(98038)

36   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many youth action groups have been established with funding through partnerships of study support schemes.

(98184)

37   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research has been commissioned by his Department to assess the benefits of youth action groups established with funding through partnerships of study support schemes; whether youth action groups have helped to reduce anti-social behaviour in school age children; and if he will make a statement.

(98185)

38   Ross Cranston (Dudley North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether the skills strategy about which he has recently consulted will include provision to encourage private individuals to meet the costs of their own skills training in higher level IT skills and other skill areas.

(97966)

39   Ross Cranston (Dudley North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assistance he intends to give to private individuals who meet the cost of skills training from their own resources as opposed to their employer's; and if he will make a statement.

(97959)

40   Ross Cranston (Dudley North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether the forthcoming review of the funding of adult education will include a review of provision for those private individuals who fund their own skills training.

(97958)

41   Ross Cranston (Dudley North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent representations he has received from learning providers about (a) the need for higher level IT skills and (b) the Government's policy on this issue.

(97965)

42   Mr John Greenway (Ryedale): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many school playing fields disposals have (a) satisfied and (b) have not satisfied the criterion of a net gain for sport.

(98114)

43   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many teacher vacancies there were in Portsmouth South in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(98097)

44   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of students in Portsmouth South eligible to claim grants for university in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

(98096)

45   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate of the funding gap in higher education his Department used in drawing up the proposals in the policy document, The Future of Higher Education; and if he will make a statement.

(98145)

46   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimates were made of the delay times in repayments to the Treasury if graduate tax were adopted in place of tuition fees, when drawing up the proposals in the policy document, The Future of Higher Education; and if he will make a statement.

(98132)

47   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what evidence his Department assessed on the deterrent effect of debt on potential students from lower socio-economic groups when drawing up the proposals in the policy document, The Future of Higher Education; and if he will make a statement.

(98131)

48   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment his Department made of the deterrent effects to students of imposing top-up fees on shortage subjects in drawing up the proposals in the policy document, The Future of Higher Education; and if he will make a statement.

(98130)

49
N   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to reduce the level of (a) regulatory requirements and (b) numbers of administrative staff in further education colleges; and if he will make a statement.

(97923)

50   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what evidence was assessed on the effect on credit ratings of increasing levels of graduate debt, in drawing up the proposals in the policy document, The Future of Higher Education; and if he will make a statement.

(98135)

51   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimates were made of the extra income tax an average graduate earning £400,000 more than the average non graduate would pay if they were (a) a standard rate tax payer and (b) a higher rate tax payer, in drawing up the proposals in the policy document, The Future of Higher Education; and if he will make a statement.

(98134)

52   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimates were used in establishing the costs of raising student bonds to cover a delay in repayment times, in drawing up the proposals in the policy document, The Future of Higher Education; and if he will make a statement.

(98133)

53
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many local authorities have exempted schools from the job evaluation schemes linked to the recent single status agreement for local government staff.

(97685)

54
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to review the type and amount of data collected by his Department on term-time working in education; and if he will make a statement.

(97687)

55
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of people employed on term-time contracts in schools, whose hourly pay over the year places them below the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions.

(97689)

56
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of schools who use the form of employment contract recommended by the local education authority for the employment of teaching assistants.

(97686)

57
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) men and (b) women who are employed on term-time contracts in schools.

(97688)

58   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the number of students expected to enter university in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05.

(98062)

59   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many problematic drug users (a) were temporarily excluded from school, (b) permanently excluded from school and (c) have one or more GCSEs in the last year for which figures are available.

(98149)

60   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many designated specialist schools are involved in the network learning communities organised by the National College for School Leadership.

(98029)

61   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

(98086)

62
N   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on the free release of radioactive material; what thresholds apply to such releases; and what quantities have been released in each year since 1997.

(97714)

63   Mr Keith Bradley (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to publish her Department's guidance to the Planning Inspectorate on the hearing of appeals against the inclusion of land on the maps of open country and registered common land under Part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

(98113)

64   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's policy on fly-tipping on forest land is (a) generally and (b) where it is owned by the City of London Corporation; what her policy is in cases where it is her opinion that (i) a local authority and (ii) the Environment Agency should make greater efforts to remove fly-tipped rubbish from forest land; and if she will make a statement.

(98163)

65
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19th November 2002, Official Report, column 40W, on animal diseases (EU finance), on what date the claims were submitted to the European Commission and by what means.

(97916)

66   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to change the law relating to the welfare of circus animals; and if she will make a statement.

(98100)

67   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will introduce a bill of rights for animals; and if she will make a statement.

(98101)

68   Kate Hoey (Vauxhall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of (a) job losses and (b) loss of revenue at Lake Windermere arising from the application of the Navigation (Amendment) (No 2) Bylaw 1992 in 2005.

(98078)

69   Kate Hoey (Vauxhall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consultations the Lake District National Park Authority has undertaken with (a) local recreational users, (b) businesses and (c) lake users from outside the National Park on proposals to introduce a speed limit on Lake Windermere.

(98079)

70
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the individual marking of eggs.

(97712)

71   Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Environment Agency on new sources of income for flood defence from (a) councils and (b) households in flood-zone areas.

(98067)

72   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement about how she will deal with future flood alerts.

(98065)

73   Diana Organ (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information she collates on the imposition of penalties for equine cruelty on a regional basis; and what plans she has to take further measures on equine cruelty.

(98037)

74   Diana Organ (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward proposals for an automatic lifetime ban on keeping horses following a conviction for cruelty.

(98048)

75   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the annual emission was of (a) NOx, (b) SOx, (c) particulates and (d) CO2 at London Heathrow Airport in the last year for which figures are available.

(98009)

76   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will resubmit the draft Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock: Cattle for consideration by the Second Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation.

(98144)

77   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the local authorities in England which have completed Ambient Air Quality (a) plans and (b) assessments; and what measures she is taking to assist local authorities to adopt ambient air quality plans.

(98008)

78   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the populations of (a) white, (b) hammerhead and (c) thresher sharks in each of the last 15 years; and what measures her Department is taking to protect shark populations.

(98001)

79   Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many bovine TB reactors were positive in (a) Herefordshire and (b) Worcestershire in 2002; and how many have been positive in 2003.

(97967)

80   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the forms that her Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

(98085)

81   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints have been received in the past year by the Investment Ombudsman; how many have been upheld; and what the terms of reference are of the Ombudsman.

(98006)

82   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has had access to (a) all intelligence reports relevant to the official report on BCCI and (b) those intelligence reports that were supplementary to the BCCI report at around the time of its official publication; whether he has availed himself of that access; and if he will make a statement.

(98160)

83
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total budgetary provision is for the introduction of the new child tax credit in each of the first three years of its operation, broken down by (a) the budgetary provision for payment of the estimated sums due to recipients, (b) the promotional and advertising costs associated with the child tax credit and (c) the publishing costs of documentation sent to potential applicants.

(97915)

84   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of burglary offences to the British insurance industry each year between 1995 and 2002.

(98137)

85
N   Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue loss of (a) extending the basic income tax rate bracket to individuals with an annual income of (i) £38,000, (ii) £39,000, (iii) £40,000, (iv) £41,000, (v) £42,000, (vi) £43,000, (vii) £44,000, (viii) £45,000, (ix) £46,000, (x) £47,000, (xi) £48,000, (xii) £49,000 and (xiii) £50,000 and (b) having a starting income tax rate bracket of (i) £0-£2,500, (ii) £0-£3,000, (iii) £0-£3,500, (iv) £0-£4,000, (v) £0-£4,500 and (vi) £0-£5,000.

(96995)

86   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what IT qualifications each of the senior civil servants within his Department possesses.

(98111)

87
N   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether payments of child tax credit in April 2003 will be based on earnings data from 2001-02; whether payments of child tax credit will be adjusted during 2003-04 when final earnings data for 2002-03 becomes available; whether amounts of child tax credit payable for 2003-04 will be adjusted after the end of 2003-04 when final earnings data for 2003-04 becomes available; and if he will make a statement.

(97843)

88   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer which computer systems within his Department use XML.

(98112)

89   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

(98089)

90   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the prohibitions on the use of (a) riot control agents and (b) other disabling chemicals as a method of warfare contained in the Chemical Weapons Convention 1993 would apply to potential conflict in the Gulf.

(98166)

91   Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding his Department makes available for projects that involve members of the (a) Greek and (b) Turkish communities in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

(98093)

92   Stephen Hesford (Wirral West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects the Intergovernmental Conference on a Future Treaty of the EU to begin work; and if he will make a statement.

(98068)

93   Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to ensure that a draft European constitution reflects Europe's religious heritage.

(98042)

94   Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Indian government on human rights abuses in Kashmir.

(98011)

95   Mr Chris Mullin (Sunderland South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the US Government to permit access by the Red Cross and by British diplomats to Moazzam Begg who is detained at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan; when; and with what result.

(97993)

96   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Spanish Government about Gibraltar since 7th November 2002; and if he will list the topics discussed.

(98205)

97   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy that change to the sovereignty of Gibraltar will only be agreed by the Government after the majority of the people of Gibraltar have consented to the proposed change.

(98206)

98   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if it is his policy to withdraw the proposals for shared sovereignty of Gibraltar that he set out in his statement of 12th July 2002.

(98204)

99   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if it is his policy to separate the sovereignty over military interests in Gibraltar from the sovereignty of Gibraltar as a whole.

(98203)

100   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the European Commission regarding allegations of EU aid to Palestinian territories being directed into funding terrorist activities; and if he will make a statement.

(98035)

101   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to participants in the Peace Process in Sudan regarding the situation in Darfur.

(98004)

102   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 Sudan regarding (a) the special courts and human rights violations and (b) fighting between the Baggara and the Fur Marralit tribes in Darfur.

(98003)

103
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been waiting (a) less than one month, (b) over one month and less than two months, (c) over two months and less than three months, (d) over three months and less than four months and (e) over four months for an assessment for free nursing care.

(97793)

104
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which local authorities have a zero rating policy for charging for home care.

(97792)

105
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many named day written questions were tabled between 15th October 2002 and 5th February 2003; how many that received a holding answer were given a substantive answer (a) within three days, (b) within seven days, (c) within 14 days, (d) within 28 days and (e) over 28 days.

(97795)

106
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people are awaiting an assessment for free nursing care and what proportion that represents of people who require an assessment for free nursing care.

(97794)

107   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many care homes refused to admit NHS patients due to the contraction of (a) MRSA and (b) other hospital acquired infections, in the last year for which figures are available.

(98031)

108
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications of hospital acquired infections for delayed discharge rates; and what representations he has received from care homes refusing to take residents from NHS trusts who have MRSA.

(97691)

109   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that older people are not discharged from hospital into care homes with hospital acquired infections.

(98030)

110   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to reduce the over-medication of older people in (a) residential and (b) nursing homes; and if he will make a statement.

(98033)

111   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of older people who are inappropriately prescribed (a) traditional and (b) atypical antipsychotic medication.

(98032)

112   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans the Government has for increasing (a) the numbers of carers and (b) the effective use of respite care for the disabled.

(97984)

113   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the impact on long-term conditions, with particular reference to eczema, psoriasis and acne, if they are omitted from the National Service Framework on long-term conditions.

(97981)

114   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on progress towards an action plan for reducing sudden death by epilepsy.

(97982)

115   Patsy Calton (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he gives to consultants of patients with epilepsy to ensure that those patients are fully informed about the risks of sudden death from the complaint.

(97983)

116
N   Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff formerly employed by community health councils will be employed within the new system of patient and public involvement.

(97303)

117
N   Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the new NHS foundation trusts will set their pay within the limits spelt out in Agenda for Change.

(97304)

118
N   Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures foundation hospitals will be able to use to recruit and retain staff.

(97305)

119
N   Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health to have its first meeting.

(97306)

120   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that claims for the benefits of medicines advertised to health professionals are investigated.

(97952)

121   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for public consultation on the operation of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

(97950)

122   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the NHS was from April to December 2002 of prescribing (a) Yasmin and (b) Marvelon.

(97954)

123   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the assessment by the Medicines Control Agency of the advertising for the oral contraceptive Yasmin.

(97953)

124   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to act upon the recommendations made in the recent National Audit Office report on the Medicines Control Agency.

(97951)

125   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the benefits of Yasmin in relation to other oral contraceptives.

(97955)

126   Matthew Green (Ludlow): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what land has been sold by his Department in the Ashford area in the last five years.

(98171)

127   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures he is taking to protect children aged 13 to 15 engaged in illegal part-time employment; and if he will make a statement.

(98102)

128
N   Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to improve food labelling; and if he will make a statement.

(95549)

129
N   Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will require food products which contain artificial sweeteners and display a label indicating that they are sugar free to display details of the artificial sweeteners in the same typeface as the sugar free declaration.

(95550)

130   Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what protocols are in place to clarify the responsibility and funding arrangements for the follow-up care of NHS patients sent abroad for treatment; how he has ensured that GPs and consultants are aware of them; and what advice he has given GPs and consultants on measures to take if they identify complications from the treatment or have concerns about the standard of care of those patients.

(98104)

131
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is the Government's policy that strategic health authorities should (a) monitor the financial performance of trusts within their area and (b) collate estimates of the end-of-year financial out-turn for each trust.

(97945)

132
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 10th February, ref 95606, what his reasons are for not providing figures for the estimated financial out-turn of NHS trusts; and if he will cite the section of the Code of Conduct on Access to Official Information on which he based his decision.

(97947)

133
N   Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to finalise the details of the sale of Inventures to the Miller Group; and when he will publish the details.

(97917)

134
N   Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many properties being sold by NHS Estates to the Miller Group will be sold with planning permission.

(97919)

135
N   Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list those NHS properties which have so far been agreed as being included in the list of sites to be transferred from NHS Estates to the Miller Group.

(97918)

136
N   Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list (a) the members of senior management and (b) the number of employees who formerly worked for Inventures whose employment has been transferred to the Miller Group Consortium.

(97921)

137
N   Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many affordable homes have been built on former NHS sites sold by his Department over the last six years to the private sector.

(97920)

138   Mr John Lyons (Strathkelvin & Bearsden): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people from outside the UK were treated in acute trusts in 2001-02.

(97985)

139   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received concerning the level of GP vacancies; and if he will make a statement.

(98049)

140   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average ratio of family doctors to patients was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2000; and what the average is now in (i) England and (ii) North Yorkshire.

(98050)

141   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the funding arrangements for primary care trusts in North Yorkshire.

(98060)

142   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of agency and bank nurses in (a) York and (b) North Yorkshire; and what assessment he has made of the impact of these costs on the respective primary care trusts.

(98052)

143   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average ratio of NHS dentists to patients was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2000; and what the average is now in (i) England and (ii) North Yorkshire.

(98051)

144   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many problematic drug users were known to the social services as children.

(98147)

145   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drug misusers under treatment have had GP involvement since 1st January 2002.

(98152)

146   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what specific health treatment is recommended under a drug treatment and testing order for (a) heroin addiction, (b) crack cocaine addiction, (c) polydrug use and (d) dual diagnosis.

(98154)

147   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what clinical trials there have been on heroin treatment using (a) methadone, (b) buprenorphine, (c) naltraxone, (d) psychotherapy and (e) residential rehabilitation.

(98153)

148   Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information he has received on the reasons of the resignation of the former Chief Executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

(97992)

149   Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ban the use of tissue from aborted foetuses in research for Parkinson's disease; and what assessment he has made of the side-effects caused to patients by its use in research.

(97986)

150   Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many licenced clinics offer single ovum IVF; and how many couples have been offered the option of this procedure.

(97987)

151   Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the take-home-baby rate has been for IVF in unstimulated cycles (single ovum IVF).

(97988)

152   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will direct to itemise cancer funding and where it has been spent in their annual reports.

(98002)

153
N   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is towards the sponsorship of darts championships by tobacco companies; and if he will make a statement.

(97797)

154
N   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures the Government is taking to assist the British Darts Organisation to find alternative sources of sponsorship.

(97798)

155
N   Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will extend the transitional arrangements for the sponsorship by tobacco companies to cover the World Professional Darts Championship; and if he will make a statement.

(97796)

156   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

(98092)

157
N   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many subject access requests have been made to MI5 since the right of access was afforded; and how many have been granted.

(97713)

158   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research his Department has undertaken to assess the impact on re-offending rates of offenders who have completed the National Grid Transco Foundation in Reading Young Offender Institution; and if he will make a statement.

(98193)

159   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many probation officers were employed by the National Probation Service in each year since 1990.

(98191)

160   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Neighbourhood Wardens Initiative schemes have been established in England and Wales since 2000; where such schemes have been in operation; and how many people are employed as neighbourhood wardens.

(98186)

161   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the forecast spending is on investment in the Probation Service from 2003 to 2008.

(98188)

162   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff he employs to conduct research into projects, schemes, programmes or courses run for the Prison Service.

(98195)

163   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent research his Department has undertaken into public opinion on community based alternatives to prison.

(98192)

164   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research has been undertaken to assess whether Neighbourhood Warden Initiative schemes (a) have reduced crime, (b) have provided public reassurance and (c) are an effective deterrent to anti-social behaviour; and if he will make a statement.

(98187)

165   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures his Department is taking to (a) increase employment to the Probation Service and (b) ensure that officers have the necessary qualifications, training and experience to manage their caseloads; and if he will make a statement.

(98194)

166   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time required was to research, evaluate and accredit a project or scheme being run for the Prison Service in the last three years.

(98201)

167   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average number of offenders on supervision per probation officers caseload is.

(98190)

168   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what forecast his Department has made of the number of probation officers required to manage the caseloads of non-custodial sentences; and if he will make a statement.

(98189)

169
N   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects basic disclosures to be issued again by the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will make a statement.

(97690)

170   Mr Vernon Coaker (Gedling): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has for merging drug action teams and crime reduction partnerships; and if he will make a statement.

(98083)

171   Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) men and (b) women were detained in prisons in England and Wales for immigration offences on 1st February; and if he will make a statement.

(98094)

172
N   Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the effect on drug users of RAPt in the prisons at which RAPt runs programmes.

(97683)

173   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average weekly number of offenders was (a) entering the prison system and (b) released from the prison system in each year since 1995.

(98139)

174   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the budgets were for (a) offending behaviour programmes, (b) drug treatment and (c) basic skills education in prisons in each year between 1995 and 2002; and if he will make a statement on future spending plans.

(98142)

175   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners have participated in the Cognitive Self-Change Programme since its inception; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the programme.

(98136)

176   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners participated in the Enhanced Thinking Skills programme since its inception; and what plans there are to expand the programme.

(98143)

177   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the relationship between Class A drug addiction and recidivism among criminal offenders.

(98138)

178   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on prison rehabilitation programmes.

(98141)

179   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) total prison population and (b) number of people convicted of a criminal offence were in (i) 1980, (ii) 1985, (iii) 1990, (iv) 1995 and (v) 2000.

(98140)

180   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to tackle sex tourism by British people, with particular reference to those who are known paedophiles; and if he will make a statement.

(98103)

181
N   Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people seeking asylum are registered as living at the Hinton Hotel, Fareham; and if the hotel provides accommodation to asylum seekers by arrangement with the National Asylum Support Service.

(97680)

182   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his estimate is of the proportion of property crime related to the need of the perpetrator to support illegal drug use in each of the last five years.

(98174)

183   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his estimate is of the proportion of (a) the prison population, (b) those going through the court system and (c) those going through the court system charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 whose offending relates to the need to support illegal drug use over the last five years.

(98177)

184   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many treatment orders have been given to people with alcoholism in each of the last five years.

(98175)

185   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been through the court system for (a) possession, (b) dealing and (c) trafficking of illegal drugs in each of the last five years.

(98178)

186   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his estimate is of the proportion of violent crimes in each of the last five years where (a) alcohol and (b) illegal drug use were involved.

(98173)

187   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many alcohol abstinence orders have been given in each of the last five years.

(98176)

188   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been to prison for offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in each of the last five years; and what proportion of these people were from black and ethnic minority backgrounds.

(98179)

189
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department received notification from the Independent Appellate Tribunal of its decision to reject the Home Office's appeal to the Tribunal in the case of Mrs T B (TH/22817/2001; B1010649); when he intends to notify Mrs T B's representatives of the arrangements for her to collect her visa; and if he will make a statement.

(97677)

190
N   Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were (a) removed and (b) deported from the UK in each year since 1990; and how many of each category were asylum seekers.

(97944)

191
N   Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were forcibly removed or deported from the UK in each year since 1990.

(97943)

192
N   Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if it is his policy to remove from the UK students who do not comply with the immigration rules for students visas, particularly with regard to attendance records; and how many students have been removed from the UK in the last 12 months for failing to comply with any requirements based on attendance records.

(97678)

193
N   Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans his Department has to house asylum seekers in Pyrford Court, Pyrford Common Road, Woking, Surrey.

(97679)

194   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average number of interventions through the criminal justice system is for a Class A drug misuser before (a) treatment, (b) a drug treatment and testing order and (c) a prison sentence is imposed.

(98150)

195   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many problematic drug users have been in prison.

(98151)

196   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drug misusers under treatment have been (a) arrested and (b) imprisoned since 1st January 2002.

(98146)

197   John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drug treatment and testing orders have been issued to (a) heroin addicts, (b) crack cocaine addicts and (c) polydrug users since the scheme began.

(98148)

198   Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what revenue funding will be provided to match the capital funding for new refuge provision announced on 11th December.

(98010)

199   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answers of 28th January, Official Report, columns 757-9W, what importance he attaches to each of the routes he has identified by which drugs enter prisons.

(97996)

200   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answers of 28th January, Official Report, columns 757-9W, which measures to reduce the availability of drugs in prisons aim to disrupt attempts to smuggle drugs in by mail.

(97997)

201   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answers of 28th January, Official Report, column 757-9W, how many attempts have been made to smuggle drugs into prisons by means of perimeter breach in the last year for which figures are available.

(97999)

202   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answers of 28th January, Official Report, columns 757-9W, what assessment he has made of (a) the adequacy of closed circuit television provision in visits areas of prisons and (b) their success in obstructing smuggling of drugs into prisons by visitors.

(97995)

203   Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answers of 28th January, Official Report, column 757-9W, by what means he will assess the effectiveness of measures to reduce the availability of drugs in prisons.

(97998)

204
N   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the incidence of domestic violence was against (a) married women, (b) women with long-term partners and (c) other women in each of the last three years.

(97609)

205
N   Angela Watkinson (Upminster): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for the Green Paper on domestic violence.

(97614)

206   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

(98087)

207   Mr John Taylor (Solihull): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to encourage the World Trade Organisation to (a) give a higher priority to and (b) treat with greater urgency issues brought by poor countries under special and differential treatment.

(97960)

208   Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what financial resources from the UK Government have been (a) pledged and (b) transferred to (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Kosovo, broken down by (A) government department and (B) departmental budget heading.

(98005)

209
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed (i) full-time, (ii) part-time and (iii) on a contract basis by his Department in (A) 2001-02 and (B) 2002-03.

(97946)

210
N   Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what the costs of her Department's Libra project are (a) as originally estimated and (b) as currently predicted.

(97711)

211
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, when the Independent Appellate Authority notified the Home Office of its decision to reject the Home Office's appeal to the Tribunal in the case of Mrs T B (TH/22817/2001; B1010649).

(97676)

212   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will make a statement on progress towards Government targets for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

(98064)

213   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff are employed in servicing (a) the Civic Forum, (b) the North-South Ministerial Council, (c) North-South Implementation Bodies and (d) British Irish Council.

(98196)

214   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff are employed in the Linguistic Diversity Branch of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure; how many have competence in the Irish language; and how many have competence in the Ulster Scots language.

(98197)

215   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to whom the draft linguistic diversity policy of the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland has been presented.

(98198)

216   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to which trustees the draft linguistic diversity policy of the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland has been presented; and for what reason.

(98199)

217   Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when the draft linguistic diversity policy of the National Museums and Galleries of Northen Ireland was completed for submission to the Chief Executive.

(98200)

218   Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to issue extradition warrants in the case of Michael Dixon, recently arrested in the Czech Republic.

(98070)

219   The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions the Department of Employment and Learning had with Work Permits UK on the application made for a group work permit for lap dancers for the Movie Star Cafe� in summer 2002.

(98036)

220   The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the term Baltic dancers appeared in the application made in summer 2002 for a group work permit for lap dancers for the Movie Star Cafe�.

(98034)

221
N   Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the President of the Council, what the value is of the national pension funds that would be required to pay the Lord Chancellor's pension calculated on the basis of (a) the salary resulting from the recommendations of the report No 54 of the Senior Salaries Review Body and (b) the reduced salary which the Lord Chancellor has indicated that he would accept.

(97799)

222
N   Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the President of the Council, whether the Lord Chancellor's pension will be based on the full salary he has been awarded from 1st April.

(97800)

223   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Prime Minister, whether forces deploying to the Gulf have adopted uniform rules of engagement.

(98164)

224   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Prime Minister, what weaknesses of control in 2001-02 were identified in the security and intelligence agencies in those areas which do not comply fully with generally accepted accounting practice or the requirements of the Resource Accounting Manual; what the consequences were, in terms of financial loss; what is being done in 2002-03 to address these weaknesses; and if he will make a statement.

(98161)

225   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Prime Minister, what weaknesses of control in 2001-02 were identified in the security and intelligence agencies in the areas of (a) asset management, (b) management of consultants, (c) suspense accounts, (d) records management, (e) management information and (f) contract management; what the consequences were, with particular regard to financial loss; what is being done in 2002-03 to address these weaknesses; and if he will make a statement.

(98162)

226   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, where copies of the 1992 National Audit Office report on the Saudi Arabian Airforce Project are located.

(98181)

227   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many clauses were (a) fully, (b) partially and (c) not debated during the Committee Stage of the Electricity (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

(97994)

228   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on how many occasions the Downstream Oil Industry Forum has met; who the members are; what the objectives of the Forum are; what it has achieved to date; and if she will make a statement.

(98044)

229   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many retail petrol filling stations there are in the UK; and how many there were in (a) 2000 and (b) 1997.

(98046)

230   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will set out her policy the adequate supply and distribution of motor transport fuels for the public service in all areas of the UK; and if she will make a statement.

(98043)

231   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent research her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) begun to undertake to assess the amount of fur derived from domestic animals labelled in a misleading manner for sale to the public; and if she will make a statement.

(98183)

232   Mr Vernon Coaker (Gedling): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent assessment she has made of the progress being made by the Office of Fair Trading investigation into the carriage costs charged by newspaper wholesalers to independent newsagents; and if she will make a statement.

(98082)

233
N   Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many manufacturing businesses operated with five employees or fewer in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

(97949)

234   Mr Wayne David (Caerphilly): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what consultation has taken place with the National Assembly for Wales on the allocation of 3.4 GHz wireless broadband licences.

(98169)

235   Mr Wayne David (Caerphilly): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what regional boundaries are being used for the allocation of 3.4 GHz wireless broadband licences.

(98168)

236   Mr Wayne David (Caerphilly): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what progress is being made in providing funds for the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation to continue its work.

(98167)

237
N   Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the opportunities for UK businesses arising from EU enlargement.

(97619)

238   Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East & Mexborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, for what reasons a second medical examination to assess the services proportion of coal industry vibration white finger claims is required; what additional (a) resources and (b) expenditure have been set aside for this purpose; and when he expects all claims to be settled.

(97968)

239   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many and what percentage of the workforce in Portsmouth (a) were employed in 1997 and (b) are employed in the manufacturing industry; and if she will make a statement.

(98098)

240   Kate Hoey (Vauxhall): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations she has received about the ease of access to information about the Post Office bank account.

(97961)

241   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the provision of banking services by sub post offices in North Yorkshire from 1st April.

(98058)

242
N   Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will ensure that the Post Office Card Account is given equal promotion and advertising as high street banking options.

(95442)

243   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the forms that her Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

(98084)

244   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list completed road building programmes that have affected designated (a) SSSIs, (b) AONBs and (c) national parks in each year since 1997.

(98056)

245   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list road building programmes by county.

(98053)

246   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what steps have been taken by the Highways Agency to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of route improvements to the A21.

(98055)

247   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list road schemes proposed by local authorities in England and Wales in local transport plans that will affect (a) sites of special interest, (b) areas of outstanding scientific natural beauty, (c) national parks and (d) internationally designated sites; and in each case whether a preferred route has been announced.

(98057)

248   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what steps are taken by the Highways Agency to evaluate the potential effects of road building schemes on (a) SSSIs, (b) AONBs and (c) national parks before Ministerial approval.

(98054)

249   Mrs Helen Clark (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the cumulative investment by the private sector in automotive liquified petroleum gas refuelling infrastructure; how many automotive liquified petroleum gas refuelling outlets there are in the United Kingdom; and how many car manufacturers offer liquified petroleum gas models in the United Kingdom.

(98182)

250   Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, whether the Circular which will explain the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 will provide guidance to highway authorities on avoiding sign clutter in the countryside; and when it will be published.

(98027)

251   Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many of the schemes in the Government's targeted programme of improvements have been through all their statutory processes.

(98021)

252   Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech given by the Transport Minister to the Lunar Society on 8th February.

(98022)

253   Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what security measures have been put in place along the route of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link; what discussions he has had with (a) the rail industry and (b) Home Office ministers on security on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link route; and if he will make a statement.

(98023)

254   Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the highway authorities which have a policy of adopting a 30 mph speed limit as the norm through villages; and what action the Government is taking in respect of highway authorities which have not adopted a policy of 30 mph speed limits as the norm through villages.

(98026)

255   Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, when the Government will implement a new rural road hierarchy.

(98025)

256   Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the roads schemes where a full Environmental Statement under Directive 97/11/EC was produced before inclusion in the Government's targeted programme of improvements.

(98024)

257
N   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what plans he has to review the criteria for awarding Blue Parking Badges to disabled people; what assessment he has made of the exclusion of Thalidomide sufferers from the awarding of Blue Parking Badges; and if he will make a statement.

(97922)

258
N   Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what his Department's policy and practice is on the use of electronic information signs on motorways.

(95551)

259
N   Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will display alternative route information on electronic information signs on motorways, whenever a motorway closure occurs.

(95552)

260   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what measures he is taking to encourage the British Airports Authority in England to introduce low emission vehicles.

(97980)

261   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to introduce traffic lights based on light emitting diodes.

(98028)

262
N   Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many working days have been lost in his Department and its predecessors due to (a) industrial action and (b) illness in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99, (iii) 1999-2000, (iv) 2000-01, (v) 2001-02 and (vi) 2002-03.

(97845)

263   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

(98091)

264
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent research has been conducted into benefit uprating methods; and what conclusions were drawn from recent reviews of uprating methods.

(97684)

265
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason benefits are uprated by (a) RPI and (b) the Rossi index.

(97681)

266
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of RPI uprated benefits were awarded HC2 and HC3 certificates in each year since 1992; and what percentage of recipients they represent.

(97682)

267   Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applicants for disability living allowance were (a) granted on first application and (b) successful on review in the Orkney and Shetland constituency in each of the last five years.

(96759)

268   Mr Vernon Coaker (Gedling): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has given to the Benefits Agency regarding the payment of benefits from April in cash from post offices.

(98080)

269   Mr Vernon Coaker (Gedling): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to publicise the availability of Post Office card accounts to those who wish their benefits to be paid in cash at post offices; and if he will make a statement.

(98081)

270
N   Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many investigations of (a) incidents and (b) complaints were carried out by local offices of the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(97948)

271
N   Annabelle Ewing (Perth): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for injury benefits have been received pursuant to the NHS (Scotland) (Injury Benefits) Regulations 1998 (as amended) in each full year of their entry into force; and of those, what percentage have been successful upon (a) first application, (b) review and (c) appeal.

(97914)

272   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners draw their retirement pensions at (a) post offices, (b) banks and (c) building societies in the Portsmouth South constituency; and if he will make a statement.

(98099)

273   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects a new Jobcentre Plus office to be opened in Portsmouth; where it will be; how many staff it will employ; what its hours of operation will be; and if he will make a statement.

(98095)

274   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the guidance which he gives on funding for personal pension plans.

(98061)

275   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel, on an annual basis, over each of the past three years, in renewal of his Department's and agencies' vehicle fleet on a lower emission basis.

(97969)

276   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the annual rate is at which his Department and its agencies renew their vehicle fleets, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each (i) category of vehicle, (ii) type of power unit, and (iii) type of fuel.

(97970)

277
N   Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the financial support available to women with children under 3 years.

(97611)

278   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what specialist training is given to those working in Pension Service call centres.

(98107)

279   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the targets for each of the Pension Service call centres; and what the performance against those targets has been.

(98108)

280   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which computer systems within his Department use XML.

(98110)

281   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer of 10th February, Official Report, column 522W, on the Direct Credit Scheme (Pensions), what methods of payment will be available under the exceptions service.

(98115)

282   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his oral Answer of 10th February, Official Report, column 636, on the Child Support Agency, what the latest estimates he has made of the numbers of (a) gainers and (b) losers under the new maintenance calculation formula; and what the average amount (i) gained and (ii) lost is for (A) non-resident parents and (B) parents with care.

(98116)

283   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what IT qualifications each of the senior civil servants within his Department possesses.

(98109)

284
N   Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many working days have been lost in his Department and its predecessors due to (a) industrial action and (b) illness in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99, (iii) 1999-2000, (iv) 2000-01, (v) 2001-02 and (vi) 2002-03.

(97844)

285   Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

(98090)

286   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Minister for Women, what measures she intends to take to encourage the promotion of women into (a) the board of FTSE 100 companies and (b) senior positions in trade unions; and if she will make a statement.

(98059)

287   Kate Hoey (Vauxhall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what implications the introduction of the Navigation By Law 1992 for Lake Windermere has for (a) other national parks and (b) access for sport and recreation.

[Transferred] (98076)

288   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the policy of the Government towards the chemical weapons and biological weapons conventions.

[Transferred] (98069)

289   Mr Jonathan Sayeed (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, whether she has issued guidelines to local authorities on the installation of facilities for the provision of (a) liquefied petroleum gas and (b) compressed natural gas.

[Transferred] (97971)

290   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the European Commission regarding the use of EU funds on advertising food products.

[Transferred] (98202)

291   Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many embryos the Medical Research Council envisages requiring per year for its embryo stem cell bank; and what their planned budget is for the bank.

[Transferred] (97989)

292   Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many IVF embryos have been destroyed in Medical Research Council sponsored research in each of the past 20 years.

[Transferred] (97991)

293   Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much the MRC has spent on research using human embryos in each the past 20 years.

[Transferred] (97990)

294   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what definition the Government uses of zero sulphur road transport fuel; what the present plans are for the introduction of zero sulphur motor transport fuels in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (98045)