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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 10 December 2003
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 10 December 2003
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 10 December 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 Wednesday 10 December of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Wednesday 10 December see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office 1
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether members of the Senior Civil Service are required to report an invitation to take up an external appointment in industry and commerce received whilst serving, and to whom; what restrictions they are subject to; and what obligations there are with regard to appointments in industry and commerce taken up once they have retired from their civil service posts. | | (143688) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 2
N | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of each year since 1997; and if he will list (a) the number of enterprises registering for VAT, (b) the number of businesses deregistering from VAT, (c) the number of closures involving bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings and (d) the net gain or loss in the stock of registered enterprises for (i) each year since 1997 and (ii) each month in 2003 broken down by (A) standard industrial classification and (B) region. | | (143123) | 3
N | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average household (a) debt per quarter and (b) monthly income was in each quarter since 2000, broken down by region. | | (143124) | 4
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of a person's ethnicity on their access to public services. | | (143570) | 5
| Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the (a) names of, (b) positions of and (c) length of pre-release access for Office of National Statistics staff, excluding those who have pre-release access to the retail sales first release and the associated briefing under the (i) pre-release access arrangements and (ii) Macro-Economic Statistic Service Level Agreement. | | (143374) | 6
| Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that for every National Statistics first release, the full list of Ministers and officials having pre-release access to the release or the associated briefing is made available, including (a) an electronic link for electronic versions of the release and (b) the length of pre-release access. | | (143375) | 7
| Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the result was of the Treasury's review of pre-release access to National Statistics First Releases and associated briefing; and what changes to (a) procedures and (b) the list of people having access have resulted from the review. | | (143412) | 8
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many of the Inland Revenue employees transferred from the International Division in 2000-01 had immediately prior to transfer worked as part of the Advisory/Casework Team within the International Division. | | (143603) | 9
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 2nd December, Official Report, column 345W, on Inland Revenue (IT Systems), who the prospective suppliers who engaged in the Inland Revenue's market-making exercise for the EAGLE project prior to the placement by Inland Revenue of the Procurement Notice in the Official Journal of the European Communities were. | | (143604) | 10
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when Customs' records relating to regulatory controls on the importation of firearms at Farnborough Airport in 1999 were destroyed; how many (a) prohibited firearms were controlled arising from a single flight arriving in March 1999 and (b) non-prohibited firearms were controlled at other times in 1999; and whether the date of March 1999 recorded as the month in which prohibited weapons were controlled at Farnborough has been ascertained from (i) a contemporaneous record and (ii) a secondary record. | | (143605) | 11
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the actuarial liability estimated for the future payment of public sector pensions was in each year from 1997-98 to 2002-03; and what the value was of the funds existing in each year to meet this liability. | | (143615) | 12
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the EAGLE Invitation to Tender (ITT) contained a provision that the Inland Revenue might undertake a review of the tax affairs of the companies responding to the ITT and that such reports might be used as a factor in the evaluation of tenders. | | (143671) | 13
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Customs facilities at Farnborough Airport included red and green physical channels in 1999. | | (143672) | 14
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many prohibited firearms were surrendered to Customs by passengers who arrived at United Kingdom airports in 1999 on civilian flights in such a manner that the incidents were deemed by Customs not to be irregular. | | (143673) | 15
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what annual efficiency savings targets were set for Inland Revenue in 2002 to 2003; what Inland Revenue's performance against these targets was in each year; and what the total sum paid in performance related pay as a consequence of Inland Revenue's achievement was in each year. | | (143674) | 16
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Government departments spent in procurement (a) from the private sector and (b) from International Business Machines Corporation and its subsidiaries in each year from 1997-98 to 2002-03. | | (143675) | 17
| Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many research and development tax credit claims for the year ended 31st March 2002 are being investigated. | | (143350) | 18
| Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for research and development tax credit for the year ended 31st March are awaiting a result of inquiries into those or previous applications. | | (143352) | 19
| Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures are being taken to ease the financial burden on firms whose research and development tax credit claims are under retrospective investigation by the Inland Revenue. | | (143353) | 20
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Government has spent on (a) the conflict in Iraq and (b) rebuilding the infrastructure in Iraq to date. | | (143544) | 21
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Government has budgeted to spend on (a) the reconstruction of Iraq and (b) education in the United Kingdom in 2004. | | (143545) | 22
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the Government of increasing pensions in line with average wage increases. | | (143546) | 23
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effects on the UK economy of (a) budget deficits in (i) Germany and (ii) France and (b) an average euro zone deficit of 3 per cent. | | (143551) | 24
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were employed in the agriculture sector in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex and (e) England in each year since 1997. | | (143530) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 25
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time immigration adjudicators were in post on 1st October in each of the last four years. | | (143356) | 26
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many asylum appeals were considered by (a) the Court of Appeal and (b) the House of Lords in each of the past two years; and how many such appeals succeeded. | | (143359) | 27
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many house sales there were at more than (a) £20,001, (b) £50,001, (c) £75,001, (d) £100,001, (e) £150,001, (f) £200,001, (g) £250,001 and (h) £500,001 in Torbay in each of the last six years for which figures are available. | | (143593) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 28
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her Answer of 4th December, Official Report, column 165W, on digital television, what estimate has been made of the number of households expected to purchase the new viewing card announced last month which replaces the Solus viewing card. | | (143497) | 29
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to use the proposed Gambling Bill to improve the statutory protection for the welfare of racing greyhounds. | | (143371) | 30
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will contribute to the partnership of the Prince's Trust Football Initiative, FA Premier League, Football Foundation and Professional Footballers Association in helping disadvantaged young people; and if she will make a statement. | | (143447) | 31
N | Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to liaise with the owners of the Dome about its possible use as an Olympic venue to assist the bid to host the Olymics in 2012. | | (143278) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 32
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 4th December, Official Report, column 130W, on Northern Ireland, how many soldiers from Scottish battalions are stationed in Northern Ireland. | | (143501) | 33
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of the Army is deployed. | | (143344) | 34
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Territorial Army personnel are serving in the Balkans. | | (143345) | 35
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recruits have joined the trained strength of the armed services in each of the last two years. | | (143346) | 36
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his estimate is of the number of civilians killed (a) directly and (b) indirectly by UK forces during military operations in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq. | | (143594) | 37
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to identify the number of civilians killed as a consequence of UK military action in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq; and what measures it adopts to address the needs of dependants. | | (143595) | 38
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government will pay compensation to the dependants of civilians killed by UK military action in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq. | | (143596) | 39
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. | | (143366) | 40
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on why (a) HMS Echo and (b) HMS Enterprise are not in service; for how long they will be laid up; and what the annual cost of their (i) repairs and (ii) crew is. | | (143367) | 41
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on his policy with regard to bringing the delivery, cost and quality records of potential sub-contractors to the notice of a defence prime contractor. | | (143368) | 42
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what procedures are in place to monitor secondments from his Department to other governments; and if he will make a statement. | | (143443) | 43
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the timescale for construction of two landing ship dock (auxiliary) ships at Govan has changed; and if he will make a statement. | | (143446) | 44
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in what circumstances he would direct the attention of a defence prime contractor to the delivery, cost and quality records of a potential sub-contractor. | | (143448) | 45
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding has been allocated by his Department for celebrations to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 2005; what form he expects the celebrations to take; which countries have been invited to take part; and if he will make a statement. | | (143567) | 46
N | Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the amount spent by the Government on research into missile defence technology in each year since 1988; and if he will make a statement. | | (142196) | 47
N | Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance has been issued to (a) civilian staff, (b) military staff and (c) outside organisations regarding the transport of effects to service personnel in Iraq over Christmas; and if he will make a statement. | | (142449) | 48
| Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to date is of legal expenses incurred by his Department in (a) defending Guardsmen Fisher and Wright against the charge of murder and (b) appealing against conviction. | | (143687) | 49
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the Defence Fire Service stations located in Scotland; how many (a) civilian personnel and (b) service personnel are employed at each; how many have been employed at each in each year since 1997; what the personnel costs were for (i) each of the stations, (ii) the DFS in Scotland and (iii) the DFS in total in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (143564) | 50
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF Trade Group 8 firefighters (a) are based in Scotland and (b) there are in total; what the annual personnel costs were for (i) firefighters based in Scotland and (ii) all RAF fire-fighters in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (143565) | 51
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average satisfaction levels of respondents to the last assessed Army Continuous Attitude Survey were with regard to (a) Question 26b, (b) Question 28, (c) Question 29e, (d) Question 37a, (e) Question 37c, (f) Question 37f, (g) Question 18aa, (h) Question 18ab and (i) Question 18ac; what this number represents as a percentage of total responses received; and how many respondents were in the (A) top and (B) bottom categories of satisfaction. | | (143616) | 52
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the top 10 answers in the last assessed Army Continuous Attitude Survey to (a) Question 27, (b) Question 35, (c) Question 39d, (d) Question 47 and (e) Question 48; how many respondents' answers agreed with each of the top 10; and if he will make a statement. | | (143617) | 53
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Army Continuous Attitude Survey last included questions on (a) overstretch and (b) privatisation and contractualisation; for what reason those questions are not included in the latest edition of the Army Continuous Attitude Survey; and if he will make a statement. | | (143618) | 54
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of respondents to the last assessed Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey responded (a) A great deal, (b) Quite a lot, (c) Partly, (d) Not very much and (e) Not at all to Question 21; and if he will make a statement. | | (143619) | 55
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of respondents to the last assessed Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey responded Yes to Question 25.4; and if he will make a statement. | | (143620) | 56
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of respondents to the last assessed Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey responded (a) Yes and (b) No to (i) Question 26 and (ii) Question 27; and if he will make a statement. | | (143621) | 57
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many respondents to the last assessed Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey who responded Yes to Question 25.4 then responded (a) I do not think people would believe me, (b) I was worried that there would be recriminations from the perpetrator(s), (c) I was worried that if I reported it the problem would get worse, (d) I did not believe anything would be done about it, (e) I was worried that reporting it might affect my career and (f) I considered the incident(s) to be too minor to report to Question 28; how many respondents identified (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four and (v) five of the possible options; and if he will make a statement. | | (143622) | 58
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of respondents to the last assessed Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey mentioned (a) privatisation and contractualisation and (b) privatisation in their answers to Question 32; and if he will make a statement. | | (143623) | 59
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of respondents to the last assessed Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey responded (a) Very satisfied, (b) Satisfied, (c) Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, (d) Dissatisfied and (e) Very dissatisfied, to (i) Question 4, (ii) Question 7, (iii) Question 10, (iv) Question 11, (v) Question 12, (vi) Question 38, (vii) Question 39, (viii) Question 40 and (ix) Question 42; and if he will make a statement. | | (143624) | 60
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of respondents to the last assessed Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey responded (a) I am leaving and I have already given notice, (b) I am planning to leave but I have not yet given notice and (c) I am considering giving notice to Question 17; and if he will make a statement. | | (143625) | 61
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of respondents to the last assessed Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey responded (a) 70, (b) 77 and (c) 82 to Question 18; what the five reasons most often cited under Other were; how many respondents ticked (i) two and (ii) all three of the above answers; and if he will make a statement. | | (143626) | 62
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the 10 most cited reasons for leaving or considering leaving the Royal Navy/Royal Marines given by respondents to the last assessed Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey; and if he will make a statement. | | (143627) | 63
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army personnel answered Scottish to Question Q6a in the last assessed Continuous Attitude Survey, broken down by rank; and if he will make a statement. | | (143629) | 64
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF personnel answered Scottish to Question A16a in the last assessed Continuous Attitude Survey, broken down by rank; and if he will make a statement. | | (143630) | 65
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel are not asked about nationality in the current edition of the Continuous Attitude Survey; whether nationality was listed as a question in previous editions; and if he will make a statement. | | (143631) | 66
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of respondents to the last assessed RAF Continuous Attitude Survey responded (a) Strongly agree, (b) Agree, (c) Neither agree nor disagree, (d) Disagree and (e) Don't know/not applicable to questions (i) B12.1 and (ii) B12.2; and if he will make a statement. | | (143632) | 67
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of respondents to the last assessed RAF Continuous Attitude Survey responded (a) Strongly agree, (b) Agree, (c) Neither agree nor disagree, (d) Disagree and (e) Don't know/not applicable to questions (i) B12.5, (ii) B12.6, (iii) B12.7 and (iv) B12.8; and if he will make a statement. | | (143633) | 68
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey last included questions on (a) overstretch and (b) privatisation and contractualisation; for what reason those questions are not included in the latest edition of the Royal Navy/Royal Marine Continuous Attitude Survey; and if he will make a statement. | | (143636) | 69
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the security situation in Kosovo. | | (143440) | 70
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the A400M project. | | (143547) | 71
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the Joint Strike Fighter. | | (143548) | 72
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the United States Administration has provided the United Kingdom with information, with particular reference to information on experiments, on the development of low-yield earth-penetrating nuclear weapons under the provisions of the 1959 Amendment to the 1958 United States - United Kingdom Mutual Defence Agreement on atomic energy matters. | | (143508) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 73
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans his Department has to take into account levels of pupil mobility between schools when measuring education, skills and training deprivation in revised indices of deprivation. | | (143571) | 74
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans his Department has to include a measure of the effect of ethnicity in indices of deprivation; and what assessment he has made of relevant methodologies. | | (143575) | 75
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the effect of a person's ethnicity on their access to public services within the responsibilities of his Department. | | (143578) | 76
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on council tax bands for properties built after 1991. | | (143637) | 77
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what advice his Department gives to local councils on the banding for council tax purposes of homes built after 1991. | | (143638) | 78
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what guidance he has issued to English Partnerships in respect of the criteria used in determining allocations to assist housing-led regeneration schemes outside housing market pathfinder renewal areas; and if he will make a statement. | | (140941) | 79
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much each fire authority is expected to contribute towards Audit Commission costs for its evaluation of the recent pay agreement. | | (143658) | 80
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made on the implications for Tri-Service Emergency operations of a move towards regional fire authorities. | | (143659) | 81
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he will respond to the Select Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's recommendation that a tenancy deposit scheme should be introduced; and if he will make a statement. | | (142866) | 82
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will establish a fast track procedure to enable tenants' deposits withheld by private landlords after the termination of their contract to be speedily returned. | | (142867) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 83
| Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, by what date all schools in (a) England and (b) the Eastern Region will have access to an enterprise adviser. | | (143505) | 84
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of a person's ethnicity on their access to public services within the responsibilities of his Department. | | (143572) | 85
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time childcare places in nursery and childminding settings Ofsted has (i) registered and (ii) inspected for children under the age of three over the last 12 months. | | (143576) | 86
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils in London lacked fluency in English on their entry to (a) primary and (b) secondary schooling in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (i) constituency and (ii) local education authority. | | (143579) | 87
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of adoption placements were terminated within the first year in the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (143349) | 88
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average time taken to complete an adoption placement was, broken down by local authority area, for the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (143362) | 89
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps are being taken to reduce administrative delays in the system for placing children for adoption. | | (143363) | 90
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many adoption placements have been completed in each local authority during each of the last five years. | | (143364) | 91
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children are awaiting adoption in each local authority area. | | (143365) | 92
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what liability for tuition fees those who choose to drop out of a degree course incur; and how this money is required to be repaid. | | (143646) | 93
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of places in (a) further and (b) higher education provided to (i) asylum seekers and (ii) their children in the last year for which figures were available. | | (143647) | 94
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much of the money loaned to students by the Student Loans Company has been written off in each of the past 10 financial years. | | (143648) | 95
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the average cost of each place on a foundation degree course in the current academic year. | | (143652) | 96
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many places for students taking foundation degrees the Government is planning to fund in 2004-05. | | (143657) | 97
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the total cost of funding the increased student loan book after the introduction of top-up fees in 2006. | | (143692) | 98
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on the development of the North West regional economy of the revised distribution mechanisms for university research funding; and if he will make a statement. | | (143452) | 99
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time students are enrolled on courses at higher education institutions in the North West. | | (143453) | 100
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which higher education institutions in the North West operate Knowledge Transfer Partnerships; and what steps he is taking to encourage other institutions to participate in this scheme. | | (143454) | 101
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time nursery places were available in Warrington North in each year since 1997. | | (143456) | 102
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children aged between five and seven in Warrington North (a) were taught in classes of more than 30 in 1997 and (b) are currently in classes of more than 30. | | (143457) | 103
| Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his Answer of 4th December, Official Report, column 185W, if he will provide the information requested in questions 141460, 141424 and 141425 in the form used to answer 141426. | | (143373) | 104
| Mr Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research his Department has carried out on the ability of (a) individuals and (b) employers to pay increased fees for further education courses. | | (143639) | 105
| Mr Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposals contained in the White Paper, The Future of Higher Education, on further education colleges which provide higher education courses; and if he will make a statement. | | (143640) | 106
| Mr Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) is planning to conduct regarding the proportion of students from (i) further education colleges and (ii) schools who receive offers from research-intensive universities; and if he will make a statement. | | (143641) | 107
| Mr Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of (a) applicants and (b) entrants to each university in England were from (i) further education colleges, (ii) sixth-form colleges, (iii) school sixth-forms and (iv) independent schools in (A) 2001 and (B) 2002. | | (143642) | 108
| Mr Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the National Learner Satisfaction Survey published by the Learning and Skills Council in November; and if he will make a statement. | | (143643) | 109
| Mr Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of average additional lifetime earnings accruing to those leaving full-time education at age 19 compared to age 16. | | (143566) | 110
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for his Department. | | (143354) | 111
N | Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students studied (a) part-time and (b) full-time in further education in each of the last five years; and how many (i) full and (ii) part-time lecturing staff there were in each of those years; what figures for student/lecturer ratios for further education over this period he uses. | | (143276) | 112
N | Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what expenditure his Department proposes to allocate to (a) advertising campaigns and (b) publicity campaigns relating to higher education in each year from 2002-03 to the end of the current expenditure plan. | | (143277) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 113
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance she has issued to local authorities in respect of (a) the circumstances in which permission may be given to and (b) the procedures to be followed by landowners wishing to drain mill lodges; and if she will make a statement. | | (141212) | 114
N | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how she plans to reduce spending pressures on local government in respect of waste next year, as announced in the statement by the Right honourable Member for Greenwich and Woolwich, Official Report, 19th November, column 786. | | (143316) | 115
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the help available to dairy farmers to increase innovation. | | (143654) | 116
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Office of Fair Trading to seek clarification of competition rules regarding the production, processing and retailing of milk. | | (143655) | 117
N | Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much genetically-modified maize has been imported to the United Kingdom to be used for (a) livestock feed, (b) poultry feed and (c) other purposes in each of the past five years for which records are available. | | (143211) | 118
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice her Department has (a) given and (b) received from the Food Standards Agency on a decision regarding the application for use of Bt 11 GM maize in food considered at the EC Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health meeting on 8th December. | | (143476) | 119
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Food Standards Agency regarding the application for use of Bt 11 GM maize in food considered by the EC Standing Committee for Food Chain and Animal Health meeting on 8th December. | | (143477) | 120
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has made to her counterparts in EU member states about the recent UK outbreak of sudden oak death. | | (143606) | 121
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Plant Health Laboratory concerning the recent UK outbreak of sudden oak death. | | (143607) | 122
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the origins of the recent UK outbreak of sudden oak death. | | (143608) | 123
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received concerning the Common Agricultural Policy reform options of (a) individual historic payments and (b) regional average payments. | | (143609) | 124
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to lift the market restrictions on beef from cattle over 30 months old. | | (143610) | 125
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the likely impact of the EC proposal to recommend that set aside rates be reduced. | | (143611) | 126
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any cases of the liver disease blackhead have been detected in commercial turkey farms in the UK this year. | | (143612) | 127
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much public money has been paid to Regional Producers (Wiltshire) Ltd; and who the payees were. | | (143597) | 128
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the public objectives of Regional Producers (Wiltshire) Ltd as reported to the South West Regional Development Agency. | | (143598) | 129
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers were participants in Regional Producers (Wiltshire) Ltd; and if she will make a statement. | | (143599) | 130
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to use the proposed Animal Welfare Bill to improve the statutory protection for the welfare of racing greyhounds. | | (143370) | 131
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy reform package of 26th June on tenant farmers in the UK. | | (143553) | 132
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will implement the Single Farm Payment Scheme; and if she will make a statement. | | (143562) | 133
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether compensation will be paid by her Department to farmers affected by the over-estimation of the wheat area for this year's harvest; and if she will issue a formal apology to farmers. | | (143587) | 134
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures are being taken by the Department to ensure that the estimation of crop areas is accurate; and what assessment has been made of the causes of the error in estimation this year. | | (143588) | 135
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures are in place to ensure that errors in estimation of the wheat area harvest are detected. | | (143589) | 136
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost to farmers arising from the over-estimation of the wheat area for this year's harvest. | | (143590) | 137
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what penalties apply to farmers who supply incorrect details on their application forms for the Integrated Administration and Control System. | | (143591) | 138
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will establish an independent inquiry into errors made by the Department in respect of the wheat area for this year's harvest. | | (143592) | 139
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the veterinary resources required to administer the pet pig walking licence scheme. | | (143634) | 140
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the provisions in the Hunting Bill of Session 2002-03 on disposal by farmers of dead animals. | | (143554) | 141
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether active acoustic deterrents will be made compulsory in all static net fisheries; and if she will make a statement. | | (143539) | 142
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the progress of trials of active acoustic deterrents; when the trials will be completed; and when she expects to make an assessment of their effectiveness. | | (143540) | 143
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what type of fisheries will be covered by active acoustic deterrents deployment trials; over what timescale the trials will be conducted; and if she will make a statement. | | (143541) | 144
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will undertake to assist fishing businesses with the costs of purchasing and maintaining compulsory active acoustic deterrents on their gear; and if she will make a statement. | | (143581) | 145
| Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Able UK on how it proposes to dispose of the polychlorinated biphenyls in the US ghost ships. | | (143441) | 146
| Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the polychlorinated biphenyls in the US ships intended for decommissioning by Able UK have been analysed to determine whether the waste meets the necessary standards for (a) incineration and (b) landfill. | | (143442) | 147
| Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in what circumstances solid polychlorinated biphenyls can be (a) landfilled and (b) incinerated. | | (143506) | 148
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures are being taken to prevent the destruction of Britain's oak trees from indigenous fungal diseases. | | (143512) | 149
N | Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it was known by Ministers in her Department that Katherine Bryan had applied for the post of Chief Executive of Water Services at the Northern Ireland Department for Regional Development at the time when she was appointed to chair the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM); on what date she tendered her resignation as CoRWM chair; what considerations was given to the other shortlisted candidates for the Chair of CoRWM in the appointment of her replacement; and who has been chosen as a replacement for Katherine Bryan on the Committee. | | (143513) | 150
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what initiatives her Department is promoting to minimise unnecessary packaging and use of wrapping paper during the Christmas period. | | (143514) | 151
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what mechanisms regulate garden centres and horticultural activities in respect of the control of the phytophthora ramorum fungus and the protection of keystone tree species; and what emergency measures are being taken to prevent the import of diseases affecting trees. | | (143515) | 152
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on licences for walking pet pigs; and what plans she has to bring forward legislation on such licences. | | (143223) | 153
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of pet pig walking licences issued; what the cost has been of issuing licences; and what plans she has to require the issue of licences for walking pet sheep. | | (143224) | 154
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for her Department. | | (143355) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 155
N | Mr Richard Allan (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reasons were given by the Colombian Government for the rates of voter abstention in (a) the Colombian referendum and (b) the municipal and departmental elections of 25th and 26th October. | | (143186) | 156
N | Mr Richard Allan (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on recent statements by ministers in the Colombian government that (a) the London Declaration of July 2003 is not binding and (b) the Colombian government will not be complying with all the UN recommendations on human rights because national sovereignty is more important than international commitments; and how the British Government will work with the EU to monitor full implementation of the UN recommendations. | | (143187) | 157
N | Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote an international arms trade treaty; and if he will make a statement. | | (142969) | 158
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the situation in Northern Uganda. | | (143649) | 159
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will press the Government of Sudan to accept international monitoring of the situation in Darfur, Sudan. | | (143650) | 160
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Chad with regard to the Sudanese peace talks. | | (143651) | 161
N | Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his calculation is of the total opium crop in Afghanistan in each year from 1999 to the present; and what changes have taken place in the amount of land devoted to poppy cultivation since the end of hostilities in 2001. | | (142865) | 162
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the safety of asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo who are returned to their homeland after being refused asylum in the UK. | | (143661) | 163
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the treatment of members of political parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with particular reference to the UDPS. | | (143662) | 164
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo. | | (143691) | 165
| Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps have been taken to secure the release of Mr Simon Chapman, arrested on 21st June in Thessaloniki, Greece; whether Her Majesty's representatives in Greece viewed the video evidence purporting to demonstrate Mr Chapman's innocence of the charges made against him; how many days Mr Chapman was on hunger strike; what the most recent assessment is of Mr Chapman's medical condition; if he will make representations to the Greek authorities to lift the remaining barriers that prevent Mr Chapman from returning to the UK; and what publicly funded (a) legal advice and (b) financial support is available to Mr Chapman to pursue a civil action against the Greek authorities. | | (143378) | 166
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the action taken by his Department to address human rights violations in Middle Eastern states with particular reference to (a) Saudi Arabia, (b) Syria and (c) Iran. | | (143549) | 167
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of steps taken by Saudi Arabia to combat al-Qa'eda operations. | | (143550) | 168
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the Government's position on the proposal for British/Spanish joint sovereignty for Gibraltar. | | (143555) | 169
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings have been (a) planned, (b) held and (c) cancelled with Mr Azmat Begg in respect of the detention by the United States authorities of Mr Moazzam Begg at Guantánamo Bay; and if he will provide the reasons for cancellation in each case. | | (143510) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 170
| Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the targets for service improvements for adults with learning disabilities set out in the White Paper, Valuing People, to be achieved. | | (143502) | 171
| Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he will fund the service improvements for adults with learning disabilities set out in the White Paper, Valuing People. | | (143503) | 172
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures he has put in place to ensure adequate provision of hospital beds over the Christmas period in Waverley and Guildford. | | (143543) | 173
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the two-year-old cohort received the MMR vaccine in (a) the last 12 months, (b) 1997 and (c) 1990. | | (143601) | 174
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of a person's ethnicity on their access to public services within the responsibilities of his Department. | | (143577) | 175
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his estimate is of the additional cost of implementing in full the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Long-term Care. | | (143376) | 176
| Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when blood testing for contaminated blood product-induced infections was started (a) with consent and (b) without consent; and if he will make a statement. | | (143396) | 177
| Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many haemophiliacs were diagnosed in each year since 1975. | | (143397) | 178
| Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many haemophiliacs died from blood product acquired infections in each year since 1975. | | (143398) | 179
| Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many haemophiliacs in the UK have been treated in each year since 1975 for (a) HIV, (b) hepatitis C and (c) CJD acquired from contaminated blood products. | | (143399) | 180
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on pharmaceutical companies offering financial inducements to women to donate eggs for use in fertility experiments; and if he will make a statement. | | (143445) | 181
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the decision of the Food Standards Agency to vote to approve a licence for GM sweetcorn at the recent EU committee meeting. | | (143656) | 182
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with the Food Standards Agency regarding the application for use of Bt 11 GM maize in food considered by the EC Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health meeting on 8th December. | | (143474) | 183
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice his Department has (a) given and (b) received from the Food Standards Agency on a decision regarding the application for use of Bt 11 GM maize in food considered at the EC Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health meeting on 8th December. | | (143475) | 184
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was (a) in total, (b) per school and (c) per pupil of implementing the Government's National School Fruit Scheme for each year of its operation. | | (143613) | 185
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of eligible (a) schools and (b) local education authorities have taken part in the Government's National School Fruit scheme since it began. | | (143614) | 186
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children have been conceived in licensed assisted conception units using donated gametes; how many children have been unable to receive information on their genetic origins since July when donor anonymity was to have been lifted; how many children were made the subject of an adoption order and a Section 30 parental order since July; and when the Government will announce its conclusions on donor anonymity. | | (143358) | 187
| Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent meetings he has had with the Business Services Association to discuss Agenda for Change; and if he will make a statement. | | (143523) | 188
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of products currently on the market which will require a full marketing authorisation under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive. | | (143660) | 189
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will publish his response to the Report of the Neonatal Intensive Care Services Review Group; and if he will make a statement. | | (143678) | 190
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many premature babies were born in each region of the UK in each of the last five years. | | (143679) | 191
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he gives to NHS trusts on the funding of treatments which will not be appraised by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. | | (143680) | 192
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he gives to NHS trusts concerning Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommendations. | | (143681) | 193
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether premature babies discharged from Guys and St Thomas' Hospital in the last three months who were given the first course of their preventative treatment for respiratory syncytial virus will continue to receive that treatment by the hospital until their course is completed. | | (143682) | 194
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what preventative measures are being taken by NHS trusts to prevent respiratory syncytial virus. | | (143683) | 195
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many paediatric wards have been closed due to respiratory syncytial virus infection in the last 12 months, broken down by NHS trust. | | (143684) | 196
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many babies contracted respiratory syncytial virus whilst in each NHS hospital trust in the last 12 months. | | (143685) | 197
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of respiratory syncytial virus have been admitted to each NHS trust in 2003. | | (143686) | 198
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation are endorsed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. | | (143689) | 199
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research he has commissioned on the extent to which patients suffer deterioration in their disease prior to having an operation in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Europe and (c) the United States. | | (143438) | 200
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of delayed discharge patients awaiting a domiciliary care package in Suffolk on the latest date for which figures are available. | | (143526) | 201
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many council-owned care home places have been transferred out of council ownership in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Essex, (d) Cambridgeshire and (e) England in each year since 2000. | | (143531) | 202
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average number of nurses per 100 beds was in (a) England and (b) the West Suffolk NHS Trust in each year since 1997. | | (143532) | 203
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of delayed discharge patients in (a) England and (b) Suffolk West had been waiting over 28 days for a transfer of care on (i) 1st September and (ii) 1st September 2002. | | (143644) | 204
| Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the introduction of EU health insurance cards in the UK. | | (143518) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 205
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what use has been made by chief officers of police of accreditations under community safety accreditation schemes under section 41 of the Police Reform Act 2002. | | (143569) | 206
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers have been granted permission to work due to exceptional circumstances; and what criteria are used to determine whether an application will succeed. | | (143461) | 207
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date he expects implementation of the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England to begin. | | (143462) | 208
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions Merseyside Police have (a) closed premises that are being used for drug dealing or use causing disorder or serious nuisance, (b) issued penalty notices for truancy, (c) designated an area with a history of anti-social behaviour, allowing them to disperse groups causing intimidation and take home children who are out on streets late at night, (d) used the new controls to tackle the misuse of air weapons and replica guns, (e) used their new powers for dealing with public assemblies and trespassers, (f) used their new power to move on trespassing encampments where a relevant site is available, (g) used their new powers to intervene in neighbourly disputes regarding high hedges, (h) issued penalty notices to 16 and 17 year olds for disorder and (i) used their extended stop and search powers where reasonable suspicion is held that articles made, adapted or intended for use in offences of criminal damage are being carried. | | (143463) | 209
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether amendments made by the Association of Chief Police Officers to their media and disciplinary guidelines are publicly available. | | (143464) | 210
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where, in his proposals for a new asylum and immigration appeals system, the burden of proof will lie for establishing that a person has destroyed their documents. | | (143472) | 211
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what definition he will use of the term reasonable explanation for failing to produce documents; and whether he intends to include a definition in relevant legislation. | | (143473) | 212
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on (a) offences for which sexual activity in public lavatories may be prosecuted and (b) the suitablity of those offences for dealing with such behaviour. | | (143478) | 213
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what requirements need to be satisfied in order to issue a risk of sexual harm order. | | (143479) | 214
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what amendments have been made, following agreement with the Association of Chief Police Officers, to the media and disciplinary guidelines issued to police forces. | | (143480) | 215
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether anonymity will be granted to those accused of sexual offences if they have learning difficulties. | | (143481) | 216
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which unit in his Department dealt with reviewing alleged miscarriages of justice before the establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission; how many applications the unit received in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many cases were referred to the appropriate court of appeal; and how many sentences were (a) reduced and (b) quashed as a result of referral in each of the last 10 years for which the unit operated. | | (143482) | 217
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many letters the Home Office has received regarding Imutran xeno-transplantation research. | | (143690) | 218
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the latest findings of investigations into Imutran xeno-transplantation research. | | (143700) | 219
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which organisations were involved in the consultations on (a) licensing street collections and (b) the setting up of the Experience Corps; what criteria were used to select the consultees; and if he will make a statement. | | (143369) | 220
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will invite Volunteers in Action to take part in consultations on (a) licensing charity street collections and (b) in setting up of the Experience Corps; and if he will make a statement. | | (143449) | 221
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of asylum applicants granted (a) asylum, (b) exceptional leave to remain, (c) humanitarian protection and (d) discretionary leave arrived in the United Kingdom without travel documents or other identity documentation in the last year for which figures are available. | | (143600) | 222
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many instances there have been of asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo being deported to their homeland and refused entry in the last five years. | | (143676) | 223
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many presenting officers were in post on 1st October in each of the last four years. | | (143357) | 224
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what percentage of immigration and asylum appeals before adjudicators his Department was (a) represented by Home Office presenting officers, (b) represented by Counsel and (c) not represented in the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (143360) | 225
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings have been held since 25th June of the pilot group tasked with taking forward the recommendation adopted at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels on 28th and 29th November 2002 in relation to terrorist profiling; and what was discussed at those meetings. | | (143380) | 226
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have been (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted as a result of the actions taken by the Immigration Crime Team against suspected identity hijackers on 8th October 2002; what the sentence was in each case; and how many passports were recovered in the operation. | | (143381) | 227
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent research he has commissioned into the effectiveness of mandatory drug testing in prisons. | | (143382) | 228
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list those police forces in which authorisations under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 are in place; and which of these areas have been subject to rolling monthly authorisations during 2003. | | (143383) | 229
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many added days were awarded as punishment for (a) drug offences and (b) other disciplinary offences in prisons in England and Wales in each year since 1997; and at what cost. | | (143384) | 230
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of identity theft have been reported to the police in each of the last 12 months. | | (143385) | 231
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the extent to which identity documents are stolen in domestic burglaries; and if he will make a statement. | | (143386) | 232
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what statistics are gathered by his Department on identity fraud. | | (143387) | 233
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offenders are subject to sex offender orders; and how many sex offender orders have been granted in each year since 1999. | | (143388) | 234
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many restraining orders have been issued by the courts in each of the last five years. | | (143389) | 235
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offenders are covered by the multi-agency public protection arrangements; what proportion of these are (a) registered sex offenders, (b) other sexual offenders or (c) violent offenders; and how many are considered to pose a high risk to the public. | | (143390) | 236
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offenders have been referred to a multi-agency public protection panel in the last 12 months. | | (143391) | 237
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offenders subject to the multi-agency public protection arrangements are under covert surveillance; and what estimate he has made of the cost per day of such surveillance. | | (143392) | 238
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) police officers and (b) probation officers are employed in monitoring high-risk offenders under the multi-agency public protection arrangements; and how many are engaged (i) full-time and (ii) part-time in these duties. | | (143393) | 239
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passports were recorded as (a) lost and (b) stolen in the London area in the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (143394) | 240
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hours of community punishment were awarded by the courts in the London area in each of the last three years. | | (143395) | 241
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the computer games on (a) his Department's website and (b) websites of bodies sponsored by his Department; on what date each was placed on the relevant website; how many times each has been played; and what the cost of producing each game was. | | (143400) | 242
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) men and (b) women were imprisoned for shoplifting offences in (i) 2001 and (ii) 2002. | | (143401) | 243
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of seasonal variations in the seizure of illegal drugs (a) within prisons and (b) from individuals visiting prisons. | | (143402) | 244
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of links between an increase in the number of police officers and a reduction in crime. | | (143403) | 245
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the numbers likely to be imprisoned under Clause 2 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill. | | (143405) | 246
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of families likely to be affected by Clause 7 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill. | | (143406) | 247
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his timetable is for the establishment of the pilot community justice centre announced on 10th September. | | (143407) | 248
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women are in prison for (a) drug offences, (b) drug trafficking offences and (c) supply offences; and of these groups of women, what percentage (i) have dependent children, (ii) are UK nationals and (iii) are non-UK nationals, giving countries of nationality in each case. | | (143408) | 249
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the 2002 police pay settlement in reducing rates of police overtime. | | (143409) | 250
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which decisions by his Department were challenged by judicial review in each session since 1997; and in how many cases the (a) Department's decision was upheld by the court, (b) court found for the applicant, (c) Department submitted to the judgement and (d) Department appealed successfully against the decision. | | (143410) | 251
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length was of (a) an electronically monitored curfew order and (b) a home detention curfew in financial year 2002-03. | | (143411) | 252
| Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment was made of the impact of introducing a rise in fees for passport applications a month before the expiry of the original listed price. | | (143563) | 253
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his latest estimate is of the number of asylum-seekers in the United Kingdom; and how many of them are illegal asylum seekers. | | (143516) | 254
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in Suffolk in each year since their inception. | | (143529) | 255
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have retired from (a) Suffolk Constabulary, (b) Norfolk Constabulary, (c) Essex Police Force and (d) Cambridgeshire Constabulary in each of the last five years; and what the national average age of retirement was in each year. | | (143533) | 256
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received from victim and witness services since the announcement of the transfer of funding to local criminal justice boards. | | (143645) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 257
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on International Monetary Fund opposition to the increase in rice and poultry tariffs in Ghana. | | (143635) | Questions to the Leader of the House 258
N | Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Leader of the House, whether honourable and Right honourable Members will be allowed to remain remotely connected to the Parliamentary Network during a dissolution of Parliament. | | (142800) | 259
| Mr Dennis Turner (Wolverhampton South East):To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for North East Hertfordshire on 27th November, Official Report, column 129, what the change in demand for the Members' Dining Room has been since the change in sitting hours of the House. | | (143580) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 260
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when the cannabis reclassification awareness raising campaign will begin; how long it will last; what format it will take; and if he will make a statement. | | (143568) | 261
| Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what electoral wards will receive grants from the Local Community Fund; and what projects will be supported in each. | | (143451) | Questions to the Prime Minister 262
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Prime Minister, what initiatives he took at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Nigeria to raise with his (a) Indian and (b) Pakistani counterparts the prospects of their respective states joining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as non-nuclear weapon states. | | (143511) | 263
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the costs of special advisers for 2002-03 indicating the cost of administrative and secretarial staff. | | (143379) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 264
N | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what progress has been made towards her Department's target of the UK obtaining 5 per cent. of its electricity from renewable sources by 2003; what her assessment is of whether the target will be met within the stipulated time; what percentage of electricity has been produced from renewable sources in each year since the target was introduced; and which renewable sources have contributed in each year. | | (143125) | 265
N | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many self-employed individuals were declared bankrupt (a) in the third quarter of 2003 and (b) since 1st October, broken down by industrial sector; and how many (i) employees, (ii) unemployed people and those with no occupation, (iii) directors and promoters of companies and (iv) people whose occupation is unknown were declared bankrupt (A) in the third quarter of 2003 and (B) since 1st October. | | (143256) | 266
| Colin Burgon (Elmet):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many call centre jobs have been lost in the UK in the last six months. | | (143372) | 267
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the comparative costs of (a) each renewable form of electricity generation and (b) energy efficiency measures in reducing carbon dioxide emissions; and if she will make a statement. | | (140942) | 268
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had within the last year with representatives of the insurance industry on the limitations of insurability in respect of (a) nuclear issues and (b) climate change issues; and if she will make a statement. | | (141213) | 269
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the (a) composition, (b) budget and (c) activities of the Science and Society Directorate. | | (143542) | 270
| Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will estimate the number of people over 60 years of age who are connected to the internet. | | (143524) | 271
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Answer of 4th December, Official Report, column 168W, on Learning and Skills Councils, if she will discuss with the Deputy Prime Minister contacts which have taken place between officials of her Office and the North West Regional Development Agency concerning that RDA's aspirations to assume control of the responsibilities and funding of Learning and Skills Councils in that region. | | (143455) | 272
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the acquisition of the printing ink manufacturers Gibbons and Coates and Lovilleux by Sun Chemicals has been referred to the Competition Commission; and if she will make a statement. | | (143000) | 273
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if her Department will examine the cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and vibration white finger claimants who entered into conditional fee agreements with solicitors prior to the April 2000 law change and have recently been charged success fees that reflect 25 per cent. of their awards; and what steps she is taking to ensure that solicitors do not double-charge by claiming success fees from both the defendant and the claimant. | | (143628) | 274
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what investments have been made using the Miners' Pension Fund surplus; and if she will make a statement. | | (143677) | 275
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures are contained in the pre-budget report to encourage investment in the (a) manufacturing and (b) service sector. | | (143424) | 276
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the change in manufacturing sector investment over the last five years; and if she will make a statement. | | (143425) | 277
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, to what she attributes the percentage change in business investment during 2002. | | (143426) | 278
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, to what she attributes the change in the 2003 business investment forecast between Budget 2002 and Budget 2003. | | (143427) | 279
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the impact that changes in manufacturing investment will have on the competitiveness of UK businesses. | | (143428) | 280
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of GDP was comprised of net (a) private and (b) public investment in each of the last six years. | | (143429) | 281
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the impact that falling business investment has on economic growth. | | (143430) | 282
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of GDP was comprised of (a) manufacturing sector and (b) service sector net investment in each of the last six years. | | (143431) | 283
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of GDP was comprised of net investment in each of the last six years. | | (143432) | 284
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the (a) number and (b) cost of regulations imposed on business by her Department since 1997. | | (143439) | 285
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of closing local post offices on the Government's programme to reduce social exclusion and poverty. | | (143507) | 286
| Mr Clive Soley (Ealing, Acton & Shepherd's Bush):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether a local authority trading standards officer is permitted to inform members of the public that a complaint has been made against a company. | | (143450) | 287
| Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she will reply to the letter of 7th October from the Right honourable Member for West Worcestershire. | | (143433) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 288
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when work will begin on the Hindhead Tunnel; and what the timescale for the project is. | | (143602) | 289
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 4th December, Official Report, column 158W, on lifeboats, when the International Maritime Organisation's Design and Equipment Sub-Committee will conclude its review of the standards and guidelines which currently apply to the launching and operation of lifeboats; and what the main objectives of the UK delegation on this committee are. | | (143498) | 290
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 4th December, Official Report, column 162W, on shipping, how the Government determines that ships which do not fly the red ensign but qualify for the tonnage tax regime are strategically and commercially managed in the UK. | | (143499) | 291
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 4th December, Official Report, column 162W, on shipping, how many people have been employed in the UK in each of the last 10 years as inspectors to carry out monitoring and compliance inspections of ships to ensure that security measures are properly implemented. | | (143500) | 292
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to include all test centres run by the Driving Standards Agency among the places at which driving assessments recommended by the Medical Adviser to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency can be carried out. | | (143274) | 293
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the places where driving assessments recommended by the Medical Adviser to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency can be carried out. | | (143275) | 294
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of those booking overseas holidays from the United Kingdom were protected by the ATOL scheme in (a) 1995 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | [R] (143552) | 295
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, under what powers private operators of local authority car parks may pursue (a) civil action and (b) criminal action for unpaid fines levied on late and non-payers of car park charges. | | (143460) | 296
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the provision of rail services in the East of England. | | (143527) | 297
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received about safety on the (a) A14, (b) A134 and (c) A140 in Suffolk; and if he will make a statement. | | (143528) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 298
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of a person's ethnicity on their access to public services within the responsibilities of his Department. | | (143573) | 299
| Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many inquiries his Department has received from pensioners by e-mail in each of the last three years. | | (143525) | 300
| Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people paying child support under the new scheme who will be overpaying for (a) a year, (b) two years, (c) three years, (d) four years and (e) five years as a result of phasing in. | | (143519) | 301
| Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the loss incurred by each parent each month whose Child Support Agency case is not transferred from the old to the new scheme. | | (143520) | 302
| Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether parents who are incurring losses as a result of Child Support Agency cases not being transferred to the new scheme are entitled to compensation; and if he will make a statement. | | (143521) | 303
| Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average amount per year which people paying child support under the new scheme will be overpaying as a result of phasing in. | | (143522) | 304
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of individuals who are eligible for pension credit; how many individuals receive pension credit in each region; and if he will make a statement. | | (143377) | 305
| Mr Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases lodged before the Medical Appeals Tribunal in 2002-03 concerned occupational deafness; and how many were successful. | | (143458) | 306
| Mr Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to amend the criteria for entitlement to state benefit on the grounds of occupational deafness. | | (143459) | 307
| Sir Robert Smith (West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of those in receipt of pension credit were not formerly receiving pensioners minimum income guarantee. | | (143361) | 308
N | Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has for the development of a Jobcentre Plus office in Gosport. | | (141827) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 309
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the size of the ethnic minority population in England and Wales as a proportion of the general population in 2009. | | [Transferred] (143404) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 310
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what plans he has to ensure consistency in decision making at adjudicator level if the Immigration Appeals Tribunal is abolished. | | [Transferred] (143465) | 311
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will set out the hierarchy within the proposed new asylum and immigration appeals system. | | [Transferred] (143466) | 312
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether his proposals for a new asylum and immigration appeals system will provide for (a) a review of and (b) an appeal from decisions that can be shown to be incorrect because of an administrative error by the Immigration Appeals Tribunal; and whether his proposals will provide an opportunity to challenge decisions if the conduct of the Immigration and Appeals Tribunal judge is questioned. | | [Transferred] (143467) | 313
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the ratio of senior immigration judges to immigration judges will be in his proposed hierarchy for asylum and immigration appeals. | | [Transferred] (143468) | 314
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the criteria for selecting senior immigration judges will be; and in what respect their role will differ from that of immigration judges. | | [Transferred] (143469) | 315
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement on the role of senior immigration judges. | | [Transferred] (143470) | 316
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether the term judicial oversight in the context of the designated senior judge means (a) active oversight of substantive decisions and (b) purely administrative oversight. | | [Transferred] (143471) | 317
| Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many cases of change of name by deed poll were recorded in each of the last five years. | | [Transferred] (143517) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 318
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessments she has made of the contribution made by the Prince's Trust Football Initiative to tackling social exclusion of young people. | | [Transferred] (143444) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 319
| Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any of the US military bases in (a) the UK and (b) British Sovereign territory are being used for detaining people other than members of the US armed forces. | | [Transferred] (143351) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 320
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what representations he has received from the Association for Environment Conscious Building in respect of changes to the building regulations. | | [Transferred] (143509) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 321
| Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many enterprise advisers for schools will be publicly funded in (a) England and (b) the Eastern Region. | | [Transferred] (143504) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 322
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of a person's ethnicity on their access to public services. | | [Transferred] (143574) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 323
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what progress has been made on the Supermarket Code of Practice. | | [Transferred] (143653) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 324
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, (a) how many speed cameras there were and (b) what amount of revenue was raised, in each region in each year since 1997. | | [Transferred] (143347) | 325
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many speed cameras there were in (a) Suffolk, (b) Cambridgeshire, (c) Norfolk and (d) Essex, in each year since 1997; and what amount of revenue was raised in each of those counties. | | [Transferred] (143348) |
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