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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 15 December 2003
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 15 December 2003
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 15 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 Monday 15 December of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 15 December see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office 1
| Mr Harry Barnes (North East Derbyshire):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he will respond to the correspondence to his Department containing the Tim Parry Jonathan Ball Trust's Legacy Project study. | | (144453) | 2
N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will provide figures for 2002 for Civil Service numbers, in the format of Box 2.6 of the White Paper, Your Region Your Choice, Cm 5511. | | (143766) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 3
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the savings ratio was in each year since 1979. | | (144032) | 4
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will compensate Bury St Edmunds for the loss of funds available to the Haverbury Housing Partnership following the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October. | | (144165) | 5
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will compensate Letchworth for the loss of funds available to North Hertfordshire Homes Limited following the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October. | | (144166) | 6
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will compensate Skipton for the loss of funds available to Craven Housing Limited following the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October. | | (144167) | 7
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will compensate Hereford for the loss of funds available to Herefordshire Housing Limited that will result from the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October. | | (144169) | 8
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how he estimates the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October will affect the welfare of tenants occupying the housing stock of Craven Housing Limited. | | (144634) | 9
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with consumer groups on the prevention of mis-selling of home equity release products; and what impact the new regulatory structure will have on these efforts. | | (144334) | 10
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve the collection of Treasury statistics on the number of equity release products taken out each year. | | (144335) | 11
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps are being taken to ensure that the new structure for the regulation of home equity release products allows for the easier collation of statistics on the number of products bought. | | (144336) | 12
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to regulate the valuation of properties for people taking out a home reversion policy. | | (144339) | 13
| Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what precedent there is for the UK Government purchasing an overseas company; and if he will make a statement. | | (144114) | 14
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rate of (a) unemployment, (b) long-term unemployment and (c) youth unemployment in each borough of London was in each of the last six years; and how many individuals this represented in each case. | | (143995) | 15
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many redundant workers, found employment three months after their Labour Force Survey interview in each of the last six years in London, broken down by age group. | | (144171) | 16
| Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the productivity growth in the United Kingdom economy for each of the last 10 years. | | (144590) | 17
N | Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures are in place to ensure that members of traveller communities are assessed for income tax and capital gains tax; and what estimate he has made of their level of tax avoidance. | | (143924) | 18
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of (a) provision for young, single, working adults on low incomes and (b) incentives for those aged under 25 to move off benefits into employment. | | (144534) | 19
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many textile jobs there were in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002. | | (144234) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 20
| Mr Michael Jabez Foster (Hastings & Rye):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the average time taken is for delivery of decisions by an adjudicator in asylum appeals; what the maximum time that may be taken is; and how many decisions have been reserved for more than three months in the past year. | | (144559) | 21
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for the Department. | | (144341) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 22
| Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what further action she plans to implement the provisions of the World Intellectual Property Organisation Performances and Phonograms Treaty in respect of the rights of performers. | | (144478) | 23
| Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what action she is taking to encourage growth of childrens' broadcasting on radio. | | (144479) | 24
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what sustainable development objectives are taken into account when lottery distributors consider applications for grants for lottery-funded projects in relation to pleasure piers; and if she will make a statement. | | (144248) | 25
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department takes to encourage non-departmental public bodies to take into account principles of sustainable development in allocating funding for pleasure piers; what guidance has been issued; and what reference it contains to timber. | | (144249) | 26
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for her Department. | | (144342) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 27
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on sending Christmas gifts, donated by charities and other organisations, to British troops in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. | | (143803) | 28
| Mr Harry Barnes (North East Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will respond to the correspondence to his Department containing the Tim Parry Jonathan Ball Trust's Legacy Project study. | | (144454) | 29
| Mr Joe Benton (Bootle):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will reopen the investigation into the death of Michael Morgan, an employee of the Ministry of Defence in the sovereign base areas of Cyprus on 17th May 2001. | | (144461) | 30
N | Dr Jack Cunningham (Copeland):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what terms of reference he gave to Lancaster University in connection with their contract to conduct public consultations for Project Isolus; what the basis was for giving three working days notice of the recent public meeting in Whitehaven; and if he will make a statement. | | (143422) | 31
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the percentage of (a) female and (b) male soldiers is in (i) the regular army, (ii) the Territorial Army, (iii) the full-time Royal Irish Regiment and (iv) the part-time Royal Irish Regiment. | | (144019) | 32
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military personnel received treatment at the Priory, Roehampton in the last year; and what the cost was. | | (144151) | 33
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list private mental health establishments used by his Department for treatment of military personnel in each of the last six years; and what the cost was in each year. | | (144152) | 34
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military personnel have been treated for mental health problems at the Duchess of Kent Hospital at Catterick in each of the last six years. | | (144153) | 35
N | Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent representations he has received from member governments of NATO about European Union defence policy. | | (143790) | 36
N | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of (a) independent units and (b) specialist units of the Territorial Army have completed (i) five years, (ii) 10 years, (iii) 15 years and (iv) 20 years of service in each of the last six years in each nation within the UK; and if he will make a statement. | | (143998) | 37
N | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the monthly recruitment numbers for each of the Territorial Army's recruitment posts in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) England since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (143999) | 38
N | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list (a) the reserve units based in Scotland, (b) their headquarters' location and (c) current strength; what the (i) date and (ii) location of their last deployment was; and if he will make a statement. | | (144000) | 39
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made with the award of a medal for service in Iraq. | | (144009) | 40
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the eligibility criteria are for the award of a medal for service in Afghanistan; and what medal that is. | | (144011) | 41
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will reassess the eligibility criteria for the award of gallantry medals in relation to operations in Iraq. | | (144012) | 42
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to introduce a medal for service during the Cold War. | | (144013) | 43
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has for the withdrawal of Sea Harrier fighters over the next five years. | | (144673) | 44
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on (a) the availability and (b) the value for money of spare parts for RAF GR7 and GR9 Harriers compared with Sea Harriers. | | (144674) | 45
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent on (a) repair and (b) upgrading of RAF Sea Harrier fighters within the last 18 months. | | (144680) | 46
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much he estimates it would cost to adapt the planned RAF GR7 and GR9 Harriers to accommodate (a) air-to-air radar and (b) the beyond visual range advanced medium range missile system. | | (144681) | 47
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to provide RAF GR7 and GR9 Harriers with further air defence capabilities in addition to the provision of Sidewinder missiles. | | (144682) | 48
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of members of the Territorial Army have been paid on time in each of the last 12 months. | | (144683) | 49
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the plan to procure future rapid effects systems, with particular reference to (a) costs, (b) efficiency and (c) potential for storage. | | (144684) | 50
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the plan to reduce the size of the two Royal Navy aircraft carriers. | | (144685) | 51
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the level of deployment of (a) armoured Land Rovers, (b) Puma helicopters and (c) Gazelle helicopters to Iraq. | | (144686) | 52
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there will be further (a) investment in and (b) upgrades of (i) SkyNet 5, (ii) Bowman, (iii) Falcon and (iv) Watchkeeper. | | (144687) | 53
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to alter the planned number of Type 45 destroyers to be purchased over the next decade . | | (144688) | 54
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what effect he estimates the proposed change of emphasis from frontline platform strength to network-centric capabilities will have on the number of employees within the United Kingdom armed forces. | | (144689) | 55
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to change the number of Astute-class nuclear attack submarines available to the Royal Navy. | | (144690) | 56
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of how proposed defence spending changes will affect the ability of the United Kingdom to act unilaterally in any future military action. | | (144691) | 57
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British personnel (a) serving and (b) having served in Iraq in 2003 have contracted leishmaniasis. | | (144129) | 58
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current deployed strength is of (a) Queen's Royal Hussars, (b) 1st Battalion, The Light Infantry, (c) 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Wales, (d) 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, (e) 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots, (f) 26 Regiment Royal Artillery and (g) 35 Engineer Regiment. | | (144130) | 59
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the operational availability is of (a) FV430 series, (b) CVR (T) and (c) Saxon, broken down by unit; and what the overall availability targets are for these vehicles. | | (144131) | 60
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the Sea Wolf mid-life update programme; and what slippage there has been in the project. | | (144132) | 61
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether service personnel will be working at the Priory Group's facilities for the treatment of service personnel; and what special provision will be made for military casualties. | | (144133) | 62
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which companies bid for the contract to run in-patient psychiatric services for his Department; and for what reasons the contract was awarded to the Priory Group. | | (144134) | 63
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which units deployed on Operation Telic 1 are to return to Iraq under the current planned roulement. | | (144154) | 64
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost will be of bringing the Armoured Vehicle Fleet to the standard required to meet operational targets; and if he will make a statement. | | (144505) | 65
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Depleted Uranium Oversight Board was first set up. | | (144020) | 66
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what health and safety guidance is given to service men and women in relation to their work where areas may be contaminated with depleted uranium; and if he will make a statement. | | (144105) | 67
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on testing of (a) current and (b) former service men and women for side effects associated with depleted uranium; and if he will make a statement. | | (144106) | 68
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the possible effects of depleted uranium exposure on service men and women; and if he will make a statement. | | (144107) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 69
| Mrs Helen Clark (Peterborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what he estimates will be the delay to the transfer of housing stock to the Peterborough Housing Corporation whilst the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October is considered. | | (144205) | 70
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how the Government will increase the supply of affordable houses as recommended in the Barker Report. | | (144196) | 71
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the Barker Report. | | [R] (144197) | 72
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures he will introduce to increase house building as recommended in the Barker Report. | | [R] (144198) | 73
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans there are to allow building on the green belt. | | [R] (144199) | 74
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how he intends to tackle the rise in planning refusals for residential dwellings identified by the Barker Report. | | [R] (144200) | 75
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the housing allocation was for each local authority in each of the last five years; and how many houses were built by each authority in each of those years. | | (144201) | 76
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which (a) local authorities and (b) regional assemblies (i) have received and (ii) will receive planning grants in 2003-04; what (A) methodology and (B) consultation is being used by his Department concerning its distribution; what funds will be allocated for planning in 2004-05; and for what reason this grant is not ring fenced. | | (144203) | 77
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the estimated cost is of setting up the new tariff system in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill as the alternative to the section 106 (Town and Country Planning Act 1990); and whether the section 106 procedure will change under the Bill. | | (144204) | 78
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how the Government will ensure that the number of houses provided in each local development plan is built. | | (144207) | 79
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proposals he has to accelerate existing planning permissions for residential dwellings. | | [R] (144265) | 80
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October on the standard of housing in (a) Bromsgrove, (b) Skipton, (c) Letchworth, (d) Maidstone and (e) Hereford, with particular reference to funds available to spend on housing stock. | | (144162) | 81
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how the Government will support (a) Skipton, (b) Hereford, (c) Letchworth and (d) Bury St Edmunds in their bids to achieve the 2010 Decent Homes Standard, following the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October. | | (144163) | 82
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the impact of the delay in the transfer of homes to the (a) Bromsgrove District Housing Trust and (b) Maidstone Housing Trust on the local authority's short to medium term housing policy. | | (144164) | 83
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October on (a) Skipton's, (b) Letchworth's, (c) Bury St Edmunds' and (d) Hereford's ability to achieve the 2010 Decent Homes Standard. | | (144168) | 84
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what he estimates will be the delay to the transfer of housing stock to the (a) Bromsgrove District Housing Trust and (b) Maidstone Housing Trust whilst the Inland Revenue's ruling of 24th October is considered. | | (144194) | 85
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what powers, in addition to existing age specific means-tested concessions on council tax, local or billing authorities have to offer discretionary council tax concessions to those over the age of 75. | | (143992) | 86
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what arrangements he has put in place to ensure that local authorities identify tenants who lack basic budgeting skills. | | (144090) | 87
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what arrangements he has put in place to ensure that local authorities supply those of their tenants who lack basic budgeting skills with the opportunity to develop those skills. | | (144091) | 88
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what funds the Government has made available to organisations providing core literacy and numeracy skills schemes for social housing tenants in each of the last five years; and what funds will be made available in 2004-05. | | (144092) | 89
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what strategy the Government has for the reintegration of prison-leavers into social housing and their surrounding community. | | (144094) | 90
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the housing industry on the relationship between mortgage ineligibility of young people and access to affordable housing. | | (144095) | 91
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what arrangements the Government have put in place to ensure that the special needs of disabled people are provided for within its affordable housing policy. | | (144096) | 92
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans the Government has to encourage shared or part ownership arrangements to make housing more affordable; and if he will make a statement. | | (144097) | 93
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what powers local authorities have to ensure an appropriate social mix in housing development; what guidelines he has issued to local authorities on the exercise of these powers; and if he will take steps to give local authorities additional powers in this regard. | | (144098) | 94
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many people were homeless in (a) London and (b) England in each year since 1997. | | (143993) | 95
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many families have claimed to be homeless in (a) London and (b) England in each year since 1997. | | (143994) | 96
N | Ms Oona King (Bethnal Green & Bow):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much money central government allocated to (a) London and (b) the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to invest in social housing in each of the years from 1992 to 2005. | | (143851) | 97
N | Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures are taken to ensure that members of the traveller community occupying unauthorised sites pay council tax. | | (143923) | 98
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will take steps to allow parity of access to council housing lists between council officials and elected councillors. | | (143850) | 99
| Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to introduce incentives to encourage developers to build on (a) hardcore brownfield sites and (b) polluted sites; and what assessment he has made of the contribution such development could make to increasing housing stock. | | (144539) | 100
| Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many houses have been built outside local plan boundaries in each of the last five years; and how many of these have been built by housing associations. | | (144540) | 101
N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the cost has been so far of the information campaign, Elected Regional Assembly: Your Say; what the total budget is; and what the cost for each of the three regions in which referendums are to be held has been so far. | | (143914) | 102
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much was generated in capital receipts by council house sales for Wakefield Metropolitan District Council in each financial year since 1997; how much of this finance was available to the Council to spend in each year; how much was spent on (a) council housing and (b) items unrelated to council housing by the council in each year; and how much remains unspent. | | (144128) | 103
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the level of grant increase would be to West Sussex County Council in 2004-05 if calculated on the basis of increase in population; and by how much this would differ from the revised level of settlement following the announcement in the Pre-Budget Report. | | (144631) | 104
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average revised level of revenue support grant per head is for (a) West Sussex, (b) inner London boroughs, (c) outer London boroughs, (d) Tyne and Wear and (e) England; and what he estimates extra total grant payable would be if West Sussex were to be funded at the same level of revenue support grant per head as (i) inner London boroughs, (ii) outer London boroughs, (iii) Tyne and Wear and (iv) the average for England. | | (144632) | 105
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will publish the (a) calculations and (b) assumptions used to reach the revised levels he has set for grant floor and ceilings following the Chancellor's announcement in the Pre-Budget Report on 10th December. | | (144633) | 106
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his policy is on Golden Goodbyes for long-serving councillors; and how the scheme is financed. | | (144100) | 107
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much the Government has invested in (a) council housing and (b) social housing schemes in (i) St Helens, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the Northwest in each year since 1992. | | (144075) | 108
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what level of grant from all Government sources St Helens Borough Council has received in each year since 1996. | | (144325) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 109
N | Mr Hilton Dawson (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what powers social services departments will have to assist children and families from whom welfare benefits are withdrawn under clause 7 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Bill. | | (143800) | 110
| Julia Drown (South Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many specialist schools have been in special measures during their time as specialist schools. | | (144605) | 111
| Julia Drown (South Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of students in specialist schools were entitled to free school meals in each of the last three years. | | (144606) | 112
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when he will publish the Government's response to the report Making Contact Work; and if he will make a statement. | | (144491) | 113
| Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much has been budgeted for the advertising campaign on university tuition fees; which media are being used; and when the campaign will finish. | | (144033) | 114
| Mr Eric Forth (Bromley & Chislehurst):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his Answer of 4th December, Official Report, column 194W, on truancy, if he will list the programmes within the Behaviour Improvement Programme 2002 to 2004; and what the (a) purpose and (b) cost of each was. | | [R] (144138) | 115
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many referrals there have been to the Child and Family Mental Health Services of families with children up to the age of five years in England and Wales in each year since 1997; and who initiated the referrals. | | (144135) | 116
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many referrals there have been of children up to the age of five years to social services departments in England and Wales in each year since 1997; and who initiated these referrals. | | (144136) | 117
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the findings in the Ofsted report on National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy on the quality of teaching in the daily literacy and numeracy hours. | | (144375) | 118
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the decrease in the percentage of boys achieving level two and above in writing tests at Key Stage 1 between 2002 and 2003, referred to in the Ofsted report on National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. | | (144376) | 119
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils have taken Key Stage Three tests early as a result of the Express Sets initiative referred to in the Green Paper, Schools: Building on Success; and if he will make a statement. | | (144488) | 120
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils took (a) Japanese and (b) Latin at (i) GCSE and (ii) A level in each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement. | | (144489) | 121
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what revisions to the National Literacy Strategy he is undertaking to ensure primary schools meet the Government's targets for reading; and if he will make a statement on the prevalence of synthetic phonics teaching in schools. | | (144490) | 122
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the progress achieved in securing increases in the extent of setting within subjects as set out in paragraph 4.33 of the Green Paper Schools: Building on Success. | | (144492) | 123
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to produce a White Paper following the publication of the Green Paper, Schools: Building on Success in 2001. | | (144493) | 124
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his assessment is of the likely effects of the teaching methods recommended by the recent Ofsted report National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the Primary Curriculum which encourage collaborative rather than passive learning on the disparity in achievement between boys and girls in the Key Stage Two literacy tests. | | (144578) | 125
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list initiatives launched by his Department in each of the past three years which required (a) higher education institutions, (b) further education institutions and (c) schools to make a formal response to his Department. | | (144279) | 126
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many NHS graduates had their university fees reimbursed by their employers in the last year for which figures are available. | | (144280) | 127
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the (a) higher education and (b) further education courses for which fee costs are paid by public sector employers. | | (144281) | 128
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of teachers working in English schools and colleges were trained in the United Kingdom. | | (144282) | 129
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many teacher training places have been provided in (a) higher education and (b) further education institutions in each of the past five years; and what estimate he has made of the number in each of the next five years. | | (144283) | 130
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether it is his intention to increase the overall total number of students aged 18 to 30 who study for courses in (a) higher education and (b) further education institutions by 2010. | | (144284) | 131
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of teachers who have been recruited by schools from further education colleges in the past three years. | | (144285) | 132
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many qualified further education lecturers were working in further education colleges in England on the last date for which figures are available. | | (144286) | 133
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total cost to public funds of the Food in Schools Programme has been. | | (144562) | 134
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total cost to public funds of the National Healthy school scheme has been. | | (144563) | 135
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the Government of the increase in the income threshold for student loan borrowers after 2005. | | (144570) | 136
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what additional annual provision he plans to make to cover the cost of the income threshold for repaying income-contingent student loans after 2005. | | (144571) | 137
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what provisions have been made to include education programmes in strategies designed to cope with anti-social behaviour. | | (144093) | 138
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of the (a) total expenditure on education and (b) total expenditure on schools in each local education authority was delegated to schools in each of the last five years. | | (144061) | 139
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received concerning the re-organisation of post-16 education in (a) Haringey and (b) Carlisle. | | (144062) | 140
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what criteria are used when the Learning and Skills Council formulate post-16 education reorganisation plans. | | (144063) | 141
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what guidance has been given to the Learning and Skills Council concerning the maintenance of post-16 education in voluntary-aided schools. | | (144064) | 142
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the status of the Learning and Skills Council re-organisation plans in (a) Carlisle and (b) Haringey. | | (144065) | 143
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the areas where the Learning and Skills Council is reviewing the provision of post-16 education. | | (144066) | 144
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he has had with the bodies representing voluntary aided schools about their contribution to capital expenditure arising from departmental initiatives. | | (144067) | 145
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the contribution that the sponsors of voluntary aided schools have to make to capital projects when (a) the project is initiated by the school and (b) the project is initiated by the Department. | | (144073) | 146
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of parents appealed against decisions concerning which school their child should attend for (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in each local education authority in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of these appeals was successful. | | (144351) | 147
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much has been spent in 2003 on advertising campaigns regarding student tuition fees; and what media have been used. | | (144146) | 148
N | Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures are in place to ensure that girls aged under 16 are properly supervised when taking emergency contraception. | | (141893) | 149
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of children taken into care in each of the past 10 years had mothers in prison service custody at the time at which they were taken into care. | | (144068) | 150
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he has taken to encourage awareness of environmental issues in schools. | | (144212) | 151
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he has taken to inform (a) schools, (b) colleges and (c) universities of the Altran Foundation for Innovation's award for 2004 on the theme of Discovery, Understanding and Enjoying Science through innovation. | | (144501) | 152
| Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many staff have been made redundant at the Learning and Skills Council since its inception in 2001. | | (144622) | 153
| Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the proposed target for workforce reduction is at the Learning and Skills Council; and what criteria are used to formulate the redundancy programme. | | (144623) | 154
| Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the interest rate on student loans has been in each year since they were introduced; for what reasons the rates have fluctuated; and if he will make a statement. | | (144624) | 155
| Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost, including setting of examinations, printing, postage, marking and publishing SATs at Key Stage II was in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (144625) | 156
| Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what instructions he has given to (a) Learning and Skills Councils and (b) local education authorities regarding the provision of non-vocational community education; and if he will make a statement. | | (144626) | 157
| Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the resources allocated by central government to non-vocational community education in the years 1997-98 to 2003-04. | | (144627) | 158
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans the Government has to expand the Aimhigher programme in Merseyside. | | (144324) | 159
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children aged (a) between four and 11, (b) between 12 and 16 and (c) between 16 and 18 have been excluded from school in (i) St Helens and (ii) Merseyside in (A) 2001, (B) 2002 and (C) 2003. | | (144588) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 160
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) Christmas cards and (b) Christmas trees that were recycled in 2003; what support she provides to local authorities with regard to the recycling of Christmas cards; and if she will make a statement. | | (144119) | 161
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what historical data (a) her Department and (b) other publicly-funded bodies collate on snowfall; and what the predicted future annual number of days when there is snowfall are for (i) London and (ii) Edinburgh in (A) 2010, (B) 2020, (C) 2030 and (D) 2050. | | (144120) | 162
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the predicted changes in the frequency of the number of days when there is snowfall in the United Kingdom under future scenarios of climate change; and what regional variations were identified in that assessment. | | (144121) | 163
N | Mr Tony Banks (West Ham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many primates, broken down by species, were imported from Israel into the UK in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 to date; and if she will make a statement. | | (143915) | 164
| Barbara Follett (Stevenage):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the firm concentration ratios, adjusted for buying groups, are for grocery retailers in the European Union. | | (144027) | 165
| Barbara Follett (Stevenage):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of UK farmers sold direct to retailers in the last month for which figures are available. | | (144028) | 166
N | Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average (a) farmgate and (b) retail price was of (i) one kilogram of (A) beef, (B) lamb, (C) pork, (D) chicken, (E) turkey, (F) bacon, (G) dessert apples, (H) potatoes, (I) carrots, (J) cauliflower, (K) peas, (L) runner beans, (ii) one pint of (x) milk, (y) cream and (z) yoghurt, (iii) one dozen eggs and (iv) one litre of (X) English wine and (Y) brandy in each year since 2000 for which figures are available, broken down by (1) organic and (2) conventionally produced foodstuffs. | | (144206) | 167
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what studies herDepartment has funded since 1997 into food miles; and what the conclusions and recommendations were. | | (144558) | 168
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will reply to the letter to her dated 10th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Darren Pennington. | | (144640) | 169
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) running costs of and (b) number of staff in the Department and its predecessors were in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2002. | | (144176) | 170
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will introduce vaccination as a means of preventing the spread of foot and mouth disease as part of the Foot and Mouth Contingency Plan. | | (144177) | 171
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the reactive cull component of the Government's randomised badger culling trials on the incidence of TB in dairy cattle. | | (144403) | 172
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will impose penalties on her Department's staff responsible for supplying incorrect details of the wheat area for this year's harvest. | | (144404) | 173
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for post movement testing of cattle for exposure to m.bovis; and what assessment she has made of the implications of such testing (a) within four months of movement and (b) by the date of the next due test of the herd from which the animal came. | | (144436) | 174
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the recognised minimum time required is from exposure of cattle to m. bovis to an immune response which will show in the skin test used by her Department. | | (144437) | 175
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for pre-movement testing of cattle for exposure to m. bovis. | | (144438) | 176
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what significant variations in incubation period have been observed in herd breakdowns involving several cattle reactors resulting from infection with m. bovis. | | (144439) | 177
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many strains of m.bovis have been found in (a) cattle and (b) badgers in the UK; and what assessment has been made of the virulence of each strain. | | (144440) | 178
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether development of lesions in cattle following exposure to m. bovis is the result of (a) a more virulent strain, (b) the level of infective dose and (c) the frequency of the infective dose. | | (144441) | 179
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average length of herd breakdown was in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 1988; how many 60 day tests were needed to clear (i) suspect and (ii) infected herds in each year; and what the cost of the tests were. | | (144442) | 180
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of badgers which appeared TB free in post-mortem examination were culture positive to m. bovis, in the last year for which figures are available. | | (144443) | 181
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of cattle showed no visible lesions in post mortem examination but were culture positive for m. bovis, in the last year for which figures are available. | | (144444) | 182
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of whether badgers infected by TB may excrete urine from which viable m. bovis bacilli may be isolated; what the typical quantities per millilitre are; and whether such levels are capable of causing infection in cattle through (a) contamination of feed and (b) other mechanisms. | | (144445) | 183
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what controls there are on the movement of wild badgers, for relocation elsewhere, with particular reference to Krebs trapping areas. | | (144446) | 184
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether there is scope within the new Animal Welfare Bill to cull out contiguous pockets of m. bovis infection in species other than badgers. | | (144589) | 185
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to speed up approvals for biopesticides. | | (143918) | 186
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the results were of the Orchard Fruit Survey, in hectares of fruit trees, for each of the six years to July 2003. | | (143919) | 187
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many UK nationals were employed in (a) horticulture and (b) fruit farming in each year since 1997. | | (143920) | 188
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will hold a Public Inquiry into the explosion at Cleansing Services Group, Sandhurst, Gloucestershire, in October 2000; and if she will make a statement. | | (143925) | 189
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Cop 9 conference of parties to the United Nations framework convention on climate change held in Milan this month; if she will place in the Library copies of all papers (a) submitted by the United Kingdom and (b) submitted by other parties which include information relevant to the United Kingdom; and if she will publish details of website addresses which give information on the conference. | | (144509) | 190
N | Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on whether printer cartridges are included in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. | | (143954) | 191
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to change the responsibilities of the Joint Environmental Markets Unit. | | (144574) | 192
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost to public funds was of the Joint Environmental Markets Unit in each of the past 10 years; and what the total value is of waste management contracts which British companies have secured overseas as a direct result of the activity of the Joint Environmental Markets Unit in each of these years. | | (144575) | 193
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the 47th Report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union, on European Union Waste Management Policy, and on its recommendations. | | (144576) | 194
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list services offered by Envirowise that are not available from the private sector; what steps she has taken, to invite the private sector to undertake services offered by Envirowise; and when they were taken. | | (144577) | 195
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce provisions on the use of bits and specs for gamebirds in the Animal Welfare Bill. | | (144529) | 196
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to address mistreatment of gamebirds. | | (144530) | 197
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of companies which use bits on gamebirds. | | (144531) | 198
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the (a) costs and (b) benefits of employing specs on gamebirds to minimise bird-on-bird aggression and egg-eating. | | (144532) | 199
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the Government's plans to regulate farm animal welfare through Codes of Practice that have been recommended by the Farm Animal Welfare Council. | | (144533) | 200
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the implications of the public consultation held in 2002 on the Animal Welfare Bill on progress of the Bill. | | (144537) | 201
| Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who are exposed to nitrogen dioxide in the Heathrow area; and how many people she estimates will be exposed in (a) 2005 and (b) 2010. | | (144099) | 202
| Mrs Betty Williams (Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to introduce spot fines at all ports of entry against people who smuggle illegal food products into the country. | | (144585) | 203
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers in the United Kingdom received subsidies with a value of (a) £0 to £5,000, (b) £5 to £50,000 and (c) more than £50,000 in (i) 2002-03, (ii) 2001-02, (iii) 2000-01 and (iv) 1999-2000. | | (144456) | 204
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total amount paid under the Common Agricultural Policy was in the United Kingdom to (a) limited companies and (b) to individuals in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (144457) | 205
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the schemes under which payments are made to farmers in England; and what the total amounts paid under each scheme to (a) limited companies and (b) individuals were in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (144458) | 206
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost of the Common Agricultural Policy in the United Kingdom was to (a) consumers and (b) taxpayers; and what the costs were to (i) United Kingdom taxpayers and (ii) consumers, broken down by agricultural commodity supported by the Common Agricultural Policy in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (144459) | 207
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost per person per week of the Common Agricultural Policy in the United Kingdom in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (144460) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 208
| Hugh Bayley (York, City of):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many reports of possible cases of bribery or corruption abroad by UK (a) nationals and (b) companies have been referred to him by his Department's posts overseas since November 2001. | | (144014) | 209
| Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what international action he will propose to bring about democracy and human rights in Burma. | | (144326) | 210
| Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) numbers and (b) origins of non-Iraqi fighters opposed to coalition forces in Iraq. | | (144327) | 211
| Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. | | (144328) | 212
| Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what further discussions he plans to have with African Commonwealth countries about the future of Zimbabwe. | | (144329) | 213
| Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he is planning further combined initiatives with the foreign ministers of France and Germany. | | (144330) | 214
| Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on progress in the cases of the British prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay. | | (144331) | 215
| Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects discussions on the European Constitution to reach a conclusion. | | (144332) | 216
| Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what influence the United Kingdom is exerting on the US Administration to urge it to make representations to the Israeli Government on the subject of the security wall. | | (144382) | 217
N | Mr Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what criteria will determine whether the results of investigations by (a) the Iraq Survey Group and (b) any other agency will be published; and if he will make a statement. | | (142637) | 218
N | Mr William Cash (Stone):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 8th December, Official Report, column 245W, on the draft European Constitution, how his statement that Article 1-10 (1) should be interpreted accordingly applies to interpretation by the United Kingdom courts in respect of any future enactment of the United Kingdom Parliament which UK courts had determined was unambiguously inconsistent with European Union law. | | (143765) | 219
N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what extra consular, medical and other support he proposes to offer to UK citizens attending the Hajj at Mecca in 2004. | | (144001) | 220
| Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the Iraq Survey Group is expected to make its (a) next report and (b) final report. | | (144031) | 221
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 9th December, Official Report, column 421W, on the Central Asian Drugs Action Plan, what effect the implementation of the Central Asian Drugs Action Plan has had on the importation of heroin from Afghanistan into the UK. | | (144497) | 222
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 6th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to A. K. Akhand and Nuzmol Mahmud. | | (144333) | 223
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 10th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs M. Sam. | | (144639) | 224
N | Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list those countries he deems in contravention of the Biological Weapons Convention. | | (143493) | 225
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what targets have been set for (a) processing entry clearance applications at British posts overseas for (i) permanent settlement and (ii) temporary purposes, (b) the dispatch of explanatory statements where an appeal against refusal is lodged and (c) the retention of explanatory statements by the Home Office before dispatch to the Immigration Appellate Authority; and how those targets have been met over the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (144621) | 226
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in the award of the Russian Arctic Convoy medal to UK nationals. | | (144010) | 227
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Estonian Government concerning prospects for a referendum in Estonia on the European Constitution; and if he will make a statement. | | (144676) | 228
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met the honourable Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston to discuss the European consititution. | | (144226) | 229
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met Mrs Heather Saunders. | | (144227) | 230
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on the readmission of Yemen to the Commonwealth. | | (144228) | 231
N | David Winnick (Walsall North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the Visa and Correspondence section of UK Visas will reply to the letter of 18th November from the honourable Member for Walsall North concerning a constituent case, ref. 659979. | | (143959) | 232
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on reforming UN structures; and if he will make a statement. | | (144322) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 233
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether student midwives will continue to have their liability for tuition fees met on their behalf by the NHS, without means testing, regardless of any increase in the level of fee. | | (144127) | 234
| Mr Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential role of physicians' assistants in the UK. | | (144603) | 235
| Mr Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of general practitioners who will retire in the next five years. | | (144604) | 236
| Mr Harry Barnes (North East Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will respond to the correspondence to his Department containing the Tim Parry Jonathan Ball Trust's Legacy Project study. | | (144455) | 237
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list all the National Health statistics which the Government has decided no longer to (a) collect and (b) publish during the last three years. | | (143795) | 238
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish, for each of the last six years for which figures were available, each set of national statistics which the Government has decided not to collect during the last three years. | | (143796) | 239
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish, for each of the last six years for which figures are available, each set of statistics which the Government is considering no longer collecting. | | (143797) | 240
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the National Health statistics which the Government is considering no longer collecting or publishing; and which of these are undergoing a consultation process at present to assess the value of continuing to collect them. | | (143798) | 241
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list departmental targets relating to midwives and midwifery. | | (143799) | 242
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many midwives (a) left and (b) entered the profession in each of the last six years in (a) London and (b) each region; what the turnover rate was in each case; and what the average age of a practising midwife was in each case. | | (144202) | 243
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average period was that a midwife had worked in the profession before leaving in each of the last six years, (a) in London and (b) in each region. | | (144210) | 244
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average overtime worked by a midwife was in each of the last six years, broken down by region. | | (144211) | 245
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the three-month midwifery vacancy rates were in each of the last six years in each (a) strategic health authority and (b) Government region area; and how many staff were in post in each case, broken down by (i) whole-time equivalent and (ii) headcount. | | (144246) | 246
| Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what percentage of midwives working in the NHS were (a) full-time and (b) part-time in each of the last six years. | | (144287) | 247
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications to train as (a) general practitioners, (b) social workers and (c) physiotherapists have been received in each of the last six years. | | (144290) | 248
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the (a) rate and (b) number of vacancies for consultant psychiatrists in (i) England and (ii) each strategic health authority in each of the last six years. | | (144291) | 249
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many self-funding residents were in (a) residential care homes and (b) nursing homes on the last date for which figures are available. | | (144292) | 250
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average weekly cost to self-funding residents in residential care and nursing homes was in the last period for which figures are available. | | (144293) | 251
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the total charges collected from local authorities for personal care in each of the last six years. | | (144294) | 252
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many adverse drug reactions have been reported by (a) nurses and (b) all health professionals to the electronic yellow card scheme since it was launched. | | (144313) | 253
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many international nurse recruitment agencies have failed to adhere to the code of practice on ethical recruitment; and how many such agencies NHS organisations have been instructed not to deal with. | | (144314) | 254
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish a list of nursing agencies which comply with the code of practice on ethical nursing recruitment. | | (144315) | 255
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) salary and (b) support costs of his Department's Director of International Recruitment for Health Services are in 2003-04. | | (144316) | 256
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which countries have made written representations to his Department regarding recruitment of nurses; and if he will make a statement. | | (144317) | 257
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) general practitioners' surgeries and (b) single-handed general practitioners' surgeries there were in each of the last five years for which figures are available in (i) England, (ii) each region and (iii) each strategic health authority. | | (144318) | 258
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) general practitioner partnerships and (b) single-handed practices have closed in (i) England and (ii) each strategic health authority in each of the last six years. | | (144319) | 259
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dental practices in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority there were in each of the last six years; and how many (i) registered adults exempt from charges and (ii) registered children from nought to 18 years there were in each of the last six years. | | (144320) | 260
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the amount of fraud in the NHS; and what research his Department has commissioned to estimate the level of unidentified fraud in the NHS. | | (144591) | 261
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from primary care trusts about the effect of high property prices on general practitioners setting up new premises; what his Department's policy is on the issue; and if he will make a statement. | | (144592) | 262
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in his Department in the last 12 months. | | (144593) | 263
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether a patient's wishes in the form of an advance directive will be included on the health space of an electronic patient record following legislation in the Mental Incapacity Bill. | | (144594) | 264
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what work the NHS counter-fraud unit is undertaking on the use of agency staff in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. | | (144595) | 265
| Denzil Davies (Llanelli):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish guidelines setting out the circumstances in which general practitioners can record MRSA as a secondary cause of death. | | (144021) | 266
| Barbara Follett (Stevenage):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times in each of the last five years representatives of (a) the farming sector, (b) the food manufacturing sector, (c) the food retail sector, (d) consumer organisations, (e) academia and (f) other sectors have made presentations to the Food Standards Agency Board that are not recorded in the agency's board papers. | | (144025) | 267
| Barbara Follett (Stevenage):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many briefing sessions not included in the agency's board papers have been held before the board of the Food Standards Agency. | | (144026) | 268
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many referrals of children up to the age of five years there were to the Community Paediatric Service in England and Wales in each year since 1997; and who initiated the referrals. | | (144137) | 269
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish advice given to the Nursing and Midwifery Council regarding (a) the title of Registered Health Visitor, (b) the Register of Health Visitors and (c) the Third Register. | | (144340) | 270
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the findings of the investigation into the implementation of National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance being undertaken will be published. | | (144122) | 271
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which organisations have been formally consulted as part of the investigation into the implementation of National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance. | | (144123) | 272
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the scope of the investigation
into the implementation of National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance is. | | (144124) | 273
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, who is leading the investigation into the implementation of National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance. | | (144125) | 274
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will put in place tracking mechanisms to monitor the
implementation of NICE guidance. | | (144126) | 275
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the projected budget for the Healthy Start Programme is for each of the next three years. | | (144560) | 276
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the participants are being selected for the FACET; and what its projected total cost is. | | (144561) | 277
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total funding being made available for Healthy Living centres is. | | (144564) | 278
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the projects being funded by his Department to tackle obesity. | | (144565) | 279
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much he has spent on the Welfare Foods scheme in each of the past three years. | | (144566) | 280
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding is being made available for Healthy Living centres with a focus on tackling obesity. | | (144567) | 281
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department monitors the usage of Healthy Living centres. | | (144568) | 282
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much he has spent distributing pedometers to primary care trusts in areas of high deprivation. | | (144569) | 283
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on the (a) logo development and (b) communications programme for the National a Five-Day Programme. | | (144572) | 284
| Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of providing the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to (a) all children between two months and two years of age and (b) only those children at risk between two months and two years of age; and if he will make a statement. | | (144108) | 285
| Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many at risk children are entitled to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine; what proportion of those children have been given the vaccine; and if he will make a statement. | | (144109) | 286
| Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the Government's objective was in purchasing an American blood bank; and if he will make a statement. | | (144110) | 287
| Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what factors led to the Government's decision to purchase an American blood bank; and if he will make a statement. | | (144111) | 288
| Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what comparisons he has made between the safety of blood available from the American blood bank it has purchased and blood available in the UK; and if he will make a statement. | | (144112) | 289
| Mr Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has drawn up a list of stakeholders for the technology appraisal of erythropoietin in chemotherapy-induced anaemia; and if he will publish this list. | | (144472) | 290
| Mr Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the scope of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence technology appraisal of erythropoietin for chemotherapy-induced anaemia will be; and when consultation will begin. | | (144473) | 291
| Mr Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that NHS trusts and primary care trusts do not limit funding for erythropoietin as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced anaemia during the National Institute for Clinical Excellence technology appraisal into its greater use. | | (144474) | 292
| Mr Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients received blood transfusions for chemotherapy-induced anaemia in each year since 1997. | | (144494) | 293
| Mr Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to inform cancer patients about the alternatives to blood transfusion for chemotherapy-induced anaemia. | | (144495) | 294
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many operations were cancelled at London hospitals in each of the last 16 quarters for which figures are available; what percentage of the cancelled operations were consequently carried out within four weeks; and if he will make a statement. | | (143997) | 295
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Alan Ryan, forwarded to him by the Department Work and Pensions. | | (144641) | 296
| Andy King (Rugby & Kenilworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for an initial referral to a consultant rheumatologist is in each strategic health authority. | | (144547) | 297
| Andy King (Rugby & Kenilworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many primary care trust, collaborative commissioning groups are providing funding for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. | | (144548) | 298
| Andy King (Rugby & Kenilworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is towards new treatments which allow patients to self-administer at home. | | (144549) | 299
| Andy King (Rugby & Kenilworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to help patients access new treatments which allow them to self-administer their treatment at home when recommended by their clinician. | | (144550) | 300
N | Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether virally inactivated fresh frozen plasma is available to the NHS for transfusions in respect of babies and young children born since 1st January 1996. | | (143749) | 301
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which members of staff and at what level of seniority will be filling the new posts of directors of infection control. | | (144139) | 302
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the performance of the newly created directors of infection control will be managed; and by whom. | | (144140) | 303
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy that existing consultant microbiologists or infection control nurses will be redeployed to the new posts of directors of infection control. | | (144141) | 304
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what improvements in (a) fighting infection and (b) dealing with chemical and radiological health issues have resulted from the replacement of the Public Health Laboratory Service with the Health Protection Agency. | | (144142) | 305
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average cost of NHS prescriptions has been in each of the last six years; and how much of this was recouped by prescription charges. | | (144143) | 306
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what figure has been used by his Department in calculating drug price inflation in each of the last six years. | | (144144) | 307
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate of drug price inflation his Department is using in budgets for financial year 2004-05. | | (144145) | 308
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the extra bed days caused by extended stays in UK hospitals due to hospital acquired infections in each of the last six years, broken down by hospital trust. | | (144147) | 309
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the additional cost to the NHS of hospital acquired infections in each of the last six years; and what methodology he used to calculate that figure. | | (144148) | 310
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total NHS drugs bill was in each of the last six years. | | (144149) | 311
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) free and (b) chargeable NHS prescriptions have been given in each of the last six years. | | (144150) | 312
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the funding levels were for the Public Health Laboratory Service in each of the six years before its abolition; and if he will make a statement. | | (144370) | 313
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the regional networks of microbiology laboratories were disbanded. | | (144371) | 314
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many consultant microbiologist posts are vacant in the NHS, broken down by region. | | (144372) | 315
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many new consultant microbiologist posts have been created in England in each of the last six years. | | (144373) | 316
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many training posts in microbiology (a) have been filled and (b) were available in each of the last six years. | | (144374) | 317
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on delayed discharges in the Vale of York. | | (144482) | 318
N | Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much money the NHS is spending in 2003-04 on hospice provision for (a) children and (b) adults. | | (141890) | 319
N | Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total current bed capacity is in hospices. | | (141891) | 320
N | Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many places in hospices are specifically designated for children. | | (141892) | 321
| Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff were made redundant as a result of the closure of community health councils. | | (144448) | 322
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the 2002-03 budget for mental health in-reach work in prisons is dedicated specifically to women prisoners. | | (144069) | 323
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what responsibility the Commission for Health Improvement has for (a) prisoners' and (b) ex-offenders' healthcare. | | (144070) | 324
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure a consistent structure of oversight for prisoners' healthcare during the transfer of responsibility from HM Prison Service to the NHS. | | (144071) | 325
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action the Government is taking to promote effective inter-agency arrangements for dealing with mentally disordered offenders. | | (144072) | 326
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are taken to ensure that the use of medication for women in prison complies with the best practice guidance of the NHS. | | (144520) | 327
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the NHS primary care and hospital treatments complaints procedure extends to healthcare provided in prison. | | (144521) | 328
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what responsibility the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection has for (a) prisoners' and (b) ex-offenders' mental health care. | | (144522) | 329
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether targets for follow-up treatment for mental health patients extend to women with histories of self-harm leaving custody. | | (144538) | 330
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the level of general practitioner involvement in community hospitals over the past three years; and what assessment he has made of how such involvement is likely to change in the next five years. | | (144400) | 331
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the need for general practitioner pay adjustments in areas not covered by the new General Medical Services contract. | | (144447) | 332
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects electronic magnifiers to be made available on the NHS. | | [R] (144189) | 333
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimates he has made of the number of orthopists needed in the Health Service by 2006. | | [R] (144190) | 334
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the pathfinder project in orthotic services. | | [R] (144191) | 335
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the revenue recovered by the NHS for charging contractors for receiving tender documents in each of the last three years. | | [R] (144192) | 336
N | Mrs Marion Roe (Broxbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish the Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 2003-04 delayed discharge statistics for England. | | (142066) | 337
N | Mrs Marion Roe (Broxbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish statistics on the number of emergency readmissions to NHS hospitals of patients aged 75 and over in England, for each quarter, since January for which figures are available. | | (142067) | 338
N | Mrs Marion Roe (Broxbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many graduate primary care mental health workers were employed by the NHS on the latest date for which figures are available. | | (142068) | 339
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the funding of treatment for temporomandibular joint dysfunction; and if he will make a statement. | | (144275) | 340
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many trainee paramedics were employed by (a) Lincolnshire Ambulance Service and (b) each ambulance service in England and Wales on 1st December. | | (144608) | 341
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, How many full-time paramedics were employed by (a) Lincolnshire Ambulance Service and (b) each ambulance service in England and Wales on 1st December. | | (144609) | 342
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the per capita expenditure was in each health authority in England and Wales in each year since 2000. | | (144630) | 343
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy that no doctor or nurse will be employed in the NHS without first being screened for (a) hepatitis B, (b) hepatitis C, (c) tuberculosis and (d) HIV/AIDS; and if he will ensure that checks are made on existing medical and nursing staff in the NHS. | | (144005) | 344
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that all (a) economic migrants, (b) asylum seekers and (c) those with work permits receive a health screen for (i) hepatitis B, (ii) hepatitis C, (iii) tuberculosis and (iv) HIV/AIDS before they are admitted to the United Kingdom; and what the current policy is. | | (144006) | 345
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to develop and produce accurate measures of aphasia. | | (144525) | 346
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to improve the quality of services available to people with aphasia. | | (144526) | 347
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to support services development for people with aphasia based on accurate measures of need and performance. | | (144527) | 348
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to improve access to speech and language therapy for aphasic people. | | (144535) | 349
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether speech and language therapy undergraduates will be charged top-up fees from 2006. | | (144536) | 350
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the ratio of speech and language therapists to the population was in England in each year since 1993. | | (144542) | 351
| Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list research projects on tinnitus funded by his Department in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. | | (144029) | 352
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time is for an MRI scan for a patient in (a) England and (b) North Staffordshire; and if he will make a statement. | | (144104) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 353
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the estimated cost was of the police operation to provide security for the visit of President Bush. | | (143761) | 354
| Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the development of the programme for (a) welcoming new UK citizens and (b) improving their competence in the English language. | | (144074) | 355
| Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the impact of UK immigration policies on the health services of developing countries, with particular reference to Malawi; and if he will make a statement. | | (144103) | 356
N | Mr Hilton Dawson (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many families are detained under asylum and immigration legislation; and for how long each has been detained. | | (143801) | 357
N | Mr Hilton Dawson (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many failed asylum seekers with children are facing removal from the United Kingdom. | | (143802) | 358
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to ensure that there is a new timetable for an improvement in the quality of police files in Gloucestershire by means of Crown Prosecution Service participation in police training. | | (144015) | 359
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to allow the Crown Prosecution Service to have early access to police files to assist case preparation. | | (144016) | 360
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the membership of the local Criminal Justice Board in Gloucestershire and indicate the bodies represented. | | (144017) | 361
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support his Department gives to (a) victim support and (b) witness support in (i) England and Wales and (ii) Gloucestershire. | | (144018) | 362
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many special constables have been in post, in each half year, since September 2001. | | (144498) | 363
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been in drug rehabilitation schemes in the area covered by the Portsmouth Drug Action Team, in each year since 2001-02. | | (144499) | 364
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drug arrests have been made in the Hampshire police force area in each year since 2000-01. | | (144500) | 365
| Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the basis was of his refusal to grant asylum to Shahir Patrolli, port reference number Man/02/176; and if he will make a statement. | | (144475) | 366
| Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what evidential basis he stated in his refusal to grant asylum to Shahir Patrolli port reference number Man/02/176 that he was aware that no one from the Roma ethnic group lived at Suhodol; and if he will make a statement. | | (144476) | 367
| Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the honourable Member for Bolton South East will receive a response to his letters of (a) 8th April, (b) 20th May, (c) 28th August, (d) 1st October and (e) 11th November regarding Mr Mahmood Khan (ref BI/KS/L30129). | | (144586) | 368
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 7th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Shamus-un-Nissa Kayani. | | (144635) | 369
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M Atem. | | (144636) | 370
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr John Alosine Bangura. | | (144637) | 371
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 10th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr George Marneris. | | (144638) | 372
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 16th October from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miriam Adebeshin. | | (144642) | 373
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to K. Akhtar. | | (144643) | 374
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 30th October from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs J. Ferns. | | (144644) | 375
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Winston Frank Tracey. | | (144645) | 376
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Jamie Sanderson. | | (144646) | 377
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs R. Amjad. | | (144647) | 378
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4th November from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Riaz Amer. | | (144648) | 379
| Mrs Jackie Lawrence (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support his Department offers to (a) women and (b) children who have been victims of human trafficking; and what funding has been allocated to this work. | | (144610) | 380
| Mrs Jackie Lawrence (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of human trafficking were detected in 2002. | | (144611) | 381
| Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) services and (b) support the Government is providing to young female asylum seekers who are pregnant through (i) rape and (ii) sexual assault to (A) prevent their isolation and (B) aid their participation in community life. | | (144503) | 382
| Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) services and (b) assistance the Government is providing for young female asylum seekers arriving in the United Kingdom who are pregnant as a result of (i) rape and (ii) sexual assault in their country of origin. | | (144504) | 383
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations he has received on anti-social behaviour in the Vale of York. | | (144483) | 384
N | Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) asylum cases and (b) immigration cases were heard by (i) the Court of Appeal and (ii) the House of Lords in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (143845) | 385
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings of the pilot group of experts on terrorism from EU states and Europol have taken place since 25th June. | | (144250) | 386
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the individuals arrested in operations against identity theft of British passports have been (a) charged and (b) convicted; what the sentence was in each case; and how many passports were recovered. | | (144252) | 387
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will publish the findings of the research into the effectiveness of mandatory drug testing in prisons. | | (144261) | 388
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many security passes have been reported lost or stolen by staff in his Department in the last 12 months. | | (144268) | 389
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of seasonal variations in the rate of positive mandatory drug tests in prisons. | | (144269) | 390
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many seizures of alcohol were made in prisons in the last two years, broken down by month; and what estimate his Department has made of the quantity of alcohol produced illicitly within prisons in that period. | | (144270) | 391
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many information and technology projects have been initiated by his Department since 1994. | | (144271) | 392
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the information technology projects that have been (a) terminated and (b) abandoned by his Department since 1994. | | (144272) | 393
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of (a) men and (b) women received into prisons in the last 12 months have been sentenced to immediate custody following breach of a community order. | | (144273) | 394
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the costs of the identity card scheme in the first three years of operation; and what proportion of set-up costs will be met from (a) charging and (b) existing departmental budgets. | | (144274) | 395
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many juvenile prisoners in each prison are foreign nationals. | | (144352) | 396
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many juvenile prisoners have been refused early release on home detention curfew because they had no suitable accommodation in each of the last 12 months. | | (144353) | 397
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children have been transferred out of secure training centres to prisons for reasons of bad behaviour in each of the last 12 months. | | (144354) | 398
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times control and restraint have been used on children in (a) Stoke Heath, (b) Huntercombe and (b) Castington Young Offender Institutions in each of the last 12 months. | | (144355) | 399
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children were held on the basic level of incentives and earned privileges scheme in (a) Stoke Heath, (b) Huntercombe and (b) Castington Young Offender Institutions in September. | | (144356) | 400
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of self-injury have been recorded at each of the prisons in the juvenile estate since 1st December 2001. | | (144357) | 401
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to ensure that juvenile prisoners are fed adequately while being transported from court to prison. | | (144358) | 402
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times unfurnished cells have been used in each of the prisons holding juveniles in each month since 1st January 2002. | | (144359) | 403
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children in (a) Stoke Heath and (b) Onley Young Offender Institutions have been placed in the segregation units of those Institutions since January; and for how long in each case. | | (144360) | 404
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often children have been held in special cells in Young Offender Institutions since January, broken down by institution; and for how long in each case. | | (144361) | 405
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received on the use of special cells in young offender institutions; and if he will place copies in the Library. | | (144362) | 406
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received from Independent Monitoring Boards concerning the treatment of children in young offender institutions. | | (144363) | 407
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many child protection referrals have been made to local area child protection committees by each young offender institution since January. | | (144364) | 408
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions members of Independent Monitoring Boards have refused to sign off a child being held in a segregation unit in each young offender institution. | | (144365) | 409
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are made to provide juvenile female prisoners with clothing. | | (144366) | 410
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are made by youth offending teams to escort juvenile prisoners home on release from prison. | | (144367) | 411
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to review the admissability of intercept evidence in criminal trials. | | (144579) | 412
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offences of shoplifting were recorded in each criminal justice area in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (144580) | 413
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the geographical distribution of burglaries in which documents are taken for the purposes of identity theft. | | (144581) | 414
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many community support officers there were on the latest available date; and if he will provide a breakdown of their location by (a) police force area and (b) local authority area. | | (144582) | 415
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total cost to date has been of detaining suspects held under Part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. | | (144583) | 416
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) the total number and (b) the total value of compensation orders awarded by (i) magistrates' courts and (ii) Crown courts was in each criminal justice area in 2002. | | (144584) | 417
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what factors underlay the decision to grant non-British citizens longer stays in the UK than their children. | | (144613) | 418
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to make provision for children who are not offered temporary residence but whose parents are. | | (144614) | 419
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the case of Professor and Mrs Kim. | | (144615) | 420
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total cost to public funds of the imprisonment of Sally Clarke, Angela Cannings and Trupti Patel was | | (144523) | 421
N | Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) handguns, (b) rifles, (c) shotguns and (d) air weapons which have been used in crime have been recovered in each of the last five years; and how many of each had been previously or were at the time legally owned. | | (143921) | 422
N | Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many gas cartridge air weapons have been handed in under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003; and how many applications have been made for firearm certificates by owners of such weapons under the provisions of the Act. | | (143922) | 423
| Phil Sawford (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional financial assistance is available from the Home Office to police authorities to cover the cost of large scale and expensive investigations. | | (144350) | 424
| Phil Sawford (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average cost is of recruiting and training a police officer. | | (144515) | 425
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) crimes were committed by, and (b) cautions were issued to, juvenile offenders in (i) St Helens, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the North West in each year since 1992. | | (144323) | 426
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Passport Office will return to Vivien and Ambrose Cofie their passports. | | (144102) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 427
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the subject of fraud in EU aid programmes. | | (144675) | 428
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the aid programmes in middle income countries whose funding from the Department will be reduced as a result of the recent announcement on the diversion of aid. | | (144677) | 429
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the impact of the breakdown of the world trade talks in Cancun on developing countries. | | (144678) | 430
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with officials from the (a) EU and (b) UN regarding human rights in Zimbabwe. | | (144679) | Questions to the Leader of the House 431
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for North East Hertfordshire of 9th December, Official Report, column 355W, what estimate he has made of the amount of time spent by (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers on the Big Conservation; and what costs are associated with that time. | | (144118) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 432
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the proposed runway extension at City of Derry Airport. | | (144215) | 433
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many tonnes of rail freight were carried from Northern Ireland to (a) Great Britain, (b) the Republic of Ireland and (c) other European destinations in each of the last five years. | | (144216) | 434
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the (a) financial and (b) operating (i) deficits and (ii) surpluses for each Northern Ireland further education college in each of the last five years. | | (144217) | 435
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the financial recovery plans of Northern Ireland's further education colleges. | | (144218) | 436
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when the review of Northern Ireland's further education colleges will be published; and if he will make a statement. | | (144219) | 437
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many pupils aged 16 and over with moderate learning disabilities are enrolled in Northern Ireland schools, broken down by (a) age, (b) school and (c) education and library board area. | | (144220) | 438
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many tonnes of freight were transported by road within Northern Ireland by goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes in each of the last five years. | | (144221) | 439
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) nationally and (b) internationally licensed freight operators were based in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. | | (144222) | 440
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many licensed bus and coach operators there were in each of the last five years. | | (144223) | 441
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many vehicles in the (a) Ulsterbus fleet and (b) Citybus fleet are (i) in operation and (ii) undergoing repair and maintenance. | | (144224) | 442
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average age is of (a) Ulsterbus and (b) Citybus vehicle stock. | | (144225) | 443
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures he is taking to address anti-social behaviour on public transport in Northern Ireland. | | (144229) | 444
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to improve facilities for cyclists; and what measures he is taking to encourage greater usage of Northern Ireland's cycling network. | | (144230) | 445
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to (a) improve access to public transport and (b) encourage the use of public transport by older people. | | (144231) | 446
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to introduce a public transport service to serve (a) isolated communities and (b) mobility impaired residents in rural areas. | | (144232) | 447
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the total tonnage of cargo brought into (a) Larne and (b) Belfast ports was, including both bulk and unit loads, in each of the last five years. | | (144237) | 448
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the weight of cargo leaving (a) Larne and (b) Belfast ports was in each of the last five years; and what the percentage change was in each year. | | (144238) | 449
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of (a) inward and (b) outward traffic at Northern Ireland's ports comprised foreign unit load cargo in each of the last five years. | | (144239) | 450
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to amend the criteria used to determine the need for road dualling on major trunk roads; and if he will make a statement. | | (144240) | 451
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many tourists (a) in vehicles and (b) as foot passengers passed through (i) Larne and (ii) Belfast ports in each of the last five years. | | (144267) | 452
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures are in place to support the provision of park and ride facilities outside Greater Belfast; what plans he has to develop secure interchange sites at Trooperslane and Corrs Corner; and if he will make a statement. | | (144276) | 453
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to develop bus lanes and quality bus corridors outside Greater Belfast. | | (144277) | 454
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will assess the feasibility of constructing (a) a rail link to Belfast International Airport and (b) a new railway station at Belfast City Airport. | | (144278) | 455
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will conduct a full public consultation before a decision is made on the proposed runway extension at City of Derry Airport. | | (144401) | 456
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to promote the development of park and ride facilities; and if he will make a statement. | | (144402) | 457
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost of the Saville Inquiry has been so far; and what payments have been made to each of the legal firms involved in the Inquiry. | | (144181) | 458
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what percentage of voters in each constituency used each of the alternative forms of identification in the recent Northern Ireland Assembly elections. | | (144182) | 459
N | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he will make the necessary funding available to Ballyvester Primary School in North Down to facilitate the replacement of mobile classrooms. | | (143584) | 460
N | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he expects to announce the results of the research undertaken into the proportion of disabled passengers carried on the Easibus network in Northern Ireland. | | (143585) | 461
N | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal road accidents there were on the A2 Bangor to Belfast road in each of the past five years; and what steps he is taking to reduce such accidents. | | (143586) | 462
N | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to the arrest of two members of staff of the Police Fund on 5th December; and if he will make a statement. | | (143945) | 463
N | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of possible breaches of confidentiality of the names and addresses of Royal Ulster Constabulary widows following the arrest of two members of staff of the Police Fund; and if he will make a statement. | | (143946) | 464
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when the Eating Disorders Group was established; what its remit is; and what the (a) names and (b) positions of its members are. | | (144343) | 465
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when the Promoting Social Inclusion Review Group was established; what its remit is; and what the (a) names and (b) positions of the members are. | | (144344) | 466
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people were convicted of joyriding offences in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; how many of these incidents resulted in (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal injuries; and what steps he is taking to reduce these figures. | | (144345) | 467
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people are on the Sex Offenders Register in Northern Ireland; and how many have been on it for (a) less than one year, (b) between one and five years, (c) between five and 10 years and (d) over 10 years. | | (144346) | 468
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential demand for new homes in Northern Ireland in the next five years; whether he expects this demand to be met; and if he will make a statement. | | (144347) | 469
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding has been made available for the maintenance and renovation of police stations in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; and what steps he is taking to improve (a) security and (b) working conditions in police stations. | | (144348) | 470
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when each police station in Northern Ireland was last substantially refurbished. | | (144349) | 471
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost has been of the Saville Inquiry so far; and what his estimate is of the eventual overall cost. | | (144450) | 472
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what action he is taking to increase the number of palliative care beds in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. | | (144451) | 473
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who attended polling stations but were unable to vote in the Assembly election on 26th November; and if he will make a statement. | | (144452) | 474
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to complete the Strategic Review of the Fishing Industry. | | (144616) | 475
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on what dates in the last five years the Minister with responsibility for Agriculture and Rural Affairs visited (a) Kilkeel, (b) Ardglass and (c) Portavogie to meet the fishing industry and its representatives. | | (144617) | 476
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when and where the Head of the Family Policy Unit of the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety has agreed to meet representatives of Ballybeen Women's Centre. | | (144618) | 477
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what evidence he has collated on the change in the Irish hare population since 1995 in Northern Ireland. | | (144619) | 478
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will place in the Library, the scientific evidence he is using as the basis for his proposal for a temporary ban on hare hunting in Northern Ireland from 1st January 2004. | | (144620) | 479
N | The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to help small businesses in Northern Ireland cope with rises in public liability insurance. | | (143849) | 480
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for his Department. | | (144556) | Questions to the Prime Minister 481
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 8th December, Official Report, column 374W, on ministerial duties, on how many occasions appropriate arrangements have been put in place as a result of the Prime Minister being absent for any reason since May 1997; and what the arrangements were in each case. | | (144241) | 482
| Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Prime Minister, how members of the public are being informed they can take part in the Big Conversation; and how Big Conversation events are being publicised. | | (144242) | 483
| Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Prime Minister, how many members of the public he estimates will respond to the Big Conversation. | | (144243) | 484
| Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Prime Minister, what proportion of the findings of the Big Conversation will be made public; and in what format. | | (144244) | 485
| Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Prime Minister, who will be responsible for replying to those who take part in the Big Conversation. | | (144245) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 486
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for his Department. | | (144557) | Questions to the Solicitor General 487
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Solicitor General, what recent (a) democratic and (b) human rights issues the Law Officers have considered. | | (144484) | 488
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Solicitor General, if she will make a statement on the implications of the Angela Cannings case for the Crown Prosecution Service. | | (144510) | 489
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Solicitor General, what guidance she has issued to Chief Crown prosecutors about cases involving mothers accused of killing their infant children; and whether she expects to issue new guidance. | | (144511) | 490
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Solicitor General, how many mothers were charged with infanticide in each of the last 20 years; and how many mothers were charged with murder of their own children in each of the last 20 years. | | (144512) | 491
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Solicitor General, if the Crown Prosecution Service will review family court cases in which evidence was given by Professor Meadow. | | (144516) | 492
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Solicitor General, when the inter-departmental group she established to consider the implications of the Sally Clarke case will decide whether to review cases involving Professor Meadow. | | (144517) | 493
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Solicitor General, in how many family court cases evidence was given by Professor Meadow. | | (144518) | 494
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Solicitor General, when she expects the Crown Prosecution Service to conclude its review of the cases in which Dr Alan Williams conducted a post mortem. | | (144519) | 495
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Solicitor General, what the total cost to public funds of the prosecution of Sally Clarke, Angela Cannings and Trupti Patel has been. | | (144524) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 496
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the effects of the European Water Framework Directive and European habitat regulations on section 36 consents under the Electricity Act 1989. | | (144188) | 497
| Mr David Borrow (South Ribble):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which agency (a) an employee and (b) an employer should approach for (i) legal advice and (ii) advocacy on discrimination and harassment on the grounds of (A) sexual orientation and (B) religion and belief in advance of the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. | | (144405) | 498
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the impact that the proposed environmental liability directive will have on small businesses in the UK. | | (144208) | 499
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many small business schemes have been (a) launched and (b) proposed by (i) her Department and (ii) other Government departments since November 2002. | | (144209) | 500
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what advice her Department has given to small firms about unfair dismissal rules introduced under the Employment Act 2002. | | (144235) | 501
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what has happened to those business support schemes in existence in November 2002 which have not been closed to new business, have not been devolved elsewhere and do not remain open to new business. | | (144236) | 502
N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the total expenditure and share of GDP on (a) civil and (b) defence research and development was in (i) 2000-01, (ii) 2001-02 and (iii) 2002-03; and what the Government share of expenditure was in each year. | | (144004) | 503
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with consumer groups about whether second charge life mortgages should continue to be regulated via the Consumer Credit Act 1974. | | (144337) | 504
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to regulate the sale of second charge life mortgages over £25,000. | | (144338) | 505
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment the Government has made of the demand for flexible working practices. | | (144513) | 506
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what information she has collected on (a) the number of requests which have been received by businesses for flexible working and (b) the number of such requests which have been granted. | | (144514) | 507
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the start up rate was for small businesses in (a) each London borough, (b) London and (c) England in each year since 1997. | | (144172) | 508
| Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the Royal Mail is required to conduct environmental impact studies when considering the closure of a large number of post office outlets in urban areas, with particular reference to the effects on the use of private cars to access post offices. | | (144174) | 509
| Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department's policy is on the Fibrecycle waste processing method. | | (144368) | 510
| Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions her Department has had with Estech Europe Limited on the Fibrecycle waste processing method. | | (144369) | 511
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Network Reinvention Programme on the post office network in North Yorkshire. | | (144607) | 512
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many companies were required to restate their annual earnings in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003. | | (144183) | 513
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what information her Department has supplied to the US authorities in connection with investigations into accountancy firms' tax avoidance schemes in the last 12 months. | | (144184) | 514
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department's policy is on companies with a trading presence in the UK who restate their earnings in the US. | | (144185) | 515
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the Transtec inspectors were appointed; when they submitted their report; when the report was published; what it cost; and what the remuneration was of each inspector. | | (144186) | 516
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will appoint independent investigators to examine fees charged by receivers at The Accident Group. | | (144187) | 517
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she has taken to inform (a) schools, (b) colleges and (c) universities of the Altran Foundation for Innovation's award for 2004 on the theme of Discovery, Understanding and Enjoying Science through innovation. | | (144502) | 518
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on (a) difficulties encountered and (b) strategies adopted in the decommissioning of the Windscale pile number 1 at Sellafield; and what the cost of this exercise has been so far. | | (144506) | 519
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what information she has received on progress made by BNFL to resolve problems with the superheater penetration welds in the Wylfa Magnox reactor. | | (144507) | 520
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the section of the Triennial Report of the nuclear safety advisory committee, issued on 9th December, on the environmental hazards posed by the high level radioactive waste tanks at Sellafield. | | (144508) | 521
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, for what reasons (a) THORP and (b) the Sellafield MOX plutonium fuels plant were excluded from consideration in the strategy review of BNFL on which she made her announcement on 11th December. | | (144573) | 522
N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the purpose is of the free-fall height regulations proposed by the EU; whether they are being considered by majority vote; and what assessment she has made of their impact on manufacturers of (a) rocking horses, (b) trampolines and (c) climbing frames. | | (143846) | 523
N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the free-fall height regulations to reduce the falling length for indoor activity toys will apply to (a) items located in domestic premises and (b) new sales of products. | | (143853) | 524
N | John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) 1st and (b) 2nd class stamps have been sold in (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland in each year since 1999. | | (144078) | 525
N | John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) 1st and (b) 2nd class Scottish definitive stamps have been sold in Scotland in each year since 1999. | | (144079) | 526
N | John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) post offices and (b) retail outlets sell stamps in Scotland. | | (144080) | 527
N | John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate she has made of the cost of making the (a) 1st and (b) 2nd class Scottish definitive stamps available in book format for sale at (i) post offices and (ii) retail outlets in Scotland. | | (144083) | 528
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she last met the Chairman of British Midland; and if she will make a statement. | | (144233) | 529
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to visit India. | | (144266) | 530
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list locations in the UK where (a) depleted uranium and (b) its components are used in the assembly of manufactured products. | | (144030) | 531
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many businesses, and of what type, have received assistance in starting-up from government schemes and initiatives in (a) St Helens, (b) Merseyside and (c) the North West in each year from 1992. | | (144321) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 532
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what inspections (a) have been carried out and (b) are planned into the sea-worthiness of the US Navy ships moored in Hartlepool to assess their safety for returning to the United States; and if he will place copies of the completed assessments in the Library. | | (143762) | 533
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the earliest date is on which the Government expects the return to the United States of the US Navy ships moored in Hartlepool could safely begin, assuming normal weather conditions. | | (143763) | 534
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of the (a) safety and (b) speed with which the US Navy ships moored in Hartlepool could be returned to the US with the use of a heavy lift vessel; and if he will place a copy of such assessments in the Library. | | (143764) | 535
| Mr John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effects of encouraging pay-as-you-drive car insurance. | | (144612) | 536
| Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further developments are planned to improve the safety and capacity of junctions on the stretch of the A43 between junction 15A of the M1 and junction 10 of the M40. | | (144480) | 537
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list for each of the last five years for which data are available the number of (a) fatal, (b) serious and (c) slight casualties in (i) road and (ii) other transport accidents involving illegal alcohol levels; and what the percentage change was for each category between each year. | | (144551) | 538
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of drivers killed in traffic accidents were over the legal blood alcohol limit, in the last five years for which data are available. | | (144552) | 539
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research he (a) has commissioned and (b) plans to commission on the reasons for the number of drink drive fatalities. | | (144553) | 540
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the key characteristics of drink drive casualties are, broken down by (a) age, (b) gender, (c) time of day, (d) month of year and (e) mode of travel; and if he will list the measures he has put in place to combat drinking and driving. | | (144554) | 541
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the issues on which views were invited in Combating Drink Driving: Next Steps, published in February 1998; and what action has been taken with regard to each of them. | | (144555) | 542
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on how funding for transport in London will take account of the projected increase in London's population between 2001 and 2016. | | (144034) | 543
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) infrastructure and (b) revenue investment in London transport required to meet London's projected population increase over the next 15 years. | | (144035) | 544
| Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the case put forward for extra funding for Transport for London in the next spending review. | | (144247) | 545
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which areas he expects would be affected by aircraft noise following the possible construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport. | | (144084) | 546
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the level of increase in noise that residents living under and around the flight path would experience following the possible construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport. | | (144085) | 547
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparison he has made of the noise impact upon local residents of (a) the proposal to construct a third runway at Heathrow Airport and (b) other proposals for airport expansion in the South East. | | (144086) | 548
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what action he would take to mitigate the effects of aircraft noise on residents living under or around the flight path if a third runway at Heathrow Airport were constructed. | | (144087) | 549
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the expected noise impact of a third runway at Heathrow Airport would breach the limitations on noise set out in the package of measures imposed by the Inspector for the Terminal Five Inquiry as a condition for construction of a fifth terminal. | | (144088) | 550
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether aircraft using the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport would be permitted to take off and land during the night. | | (144089) | 551
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what budget is available to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for (a) ship inspections and (b) related activity, with particular reference to enforcement, in each of the last five years. | | (144496) | 552
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total (a) area and (b) population affected by aircraft noise was within (i) 57 Leq Contour, (ii) 63 Leq Contour and (iii) 69 Leq Contour and above at (A) Gatwick, (B) Stansted and (C) City airports in each of the last five years. | | (144170) | 553
N | Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the timetable for improving the safety of the A449 between Claines Roundabout and Ombersley. | | (143926) | 554
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional resources have been made available to the British Transport Police to take on anti-terrorist responsibilities since 2001. | | (144178) | 555
| Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an announcement on the route for the A21 South of Pembury to Flimwell before Parliament rises on 18th December. | | (144449) | 556
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Strategic Rail Authority has to develop train services to and from Faversham. | | (143916) | 557
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made with respect to phase 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link as it affects Faversham. | | (143917) | 558
| Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what action his Department is taking to reduce the level of noise pollution caused by (a) aircraft flying into and out of Heathrow Airport (b) surface access routes into and out of Heathrow Airport; and whether these measures would be affected by a further runway. | | (144115) | 559
| Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the need for further terminals at Heathrow Airport, if a third runway is approved. | | (144173) | 560
| Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether the (a) M4 and the (b) M25 would need to expand to accommodate further traffic if a third runway was constructed at Heathrow airport. | | (144179) | 561
| Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the number of new areas in London which will be affected by noise pollution if the decision to create a third runway at Heathrow Airport goes ahead. | | (144180) | 562
| Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of technological improvements in aircraft which will be available to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide by 2010. | | (144193) | 563
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans there are to provide disabled access to Leominster station. | | (144101) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 564
| Gareth Thomas (Clwyd West):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what requests he has received from the Welsh Assembly Government for Wales only legislation to be included in (a) the current legislative programme and (b) the legislative programme for each of the last three years. | | (144399) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 565
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Government will issue the new regulations for payment and associated operations for (a) council tax benefit and (b) housing benefit by local authorities; and whether local authorities will be fully reimbursed by his Department for payments made under these benefits. | | (144195) | 566
N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to issue guidance that small gifts of cash to relatives under the age of 18 will be exempted from the pension credit and income support deprivation of capital requirements. | | (144002) | 567
N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will disregard the proposed Child Trust Fund in housing benefit and council tax benefit assessments for claimants over the age of 16. | | (144003) | 568
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners have decided not to change over to payment of their pensions into bank accounts or Post Office Card Accounts. | | (144288) | 569
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice he has offered to those using Jobcentres in the use of bank accounts and Post Office Card Accounts for their payments. | | (144289) | 570
N | Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Wycombe constituency have (a) been registered and (b) found work under the New Deal for Disabled People this year. | | (143847) | 571
N | Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what organisations have helped to (a) register and (b) find work for people in the Wycombe constituency under the terms of the New Deal for Disabled People; and how many people each organisation has helped in each category. | | (143848) | 572
| Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements he will put in place to pay benefits in urban areas where the Royal Mail has closed post office outlets and no services are available within two miles of claimants' homes. | | (144175) | 573
| Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications were made by lone parents to the Social Fund in England in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what proportion of those applications were successful. | | (144485) | 574
| Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assistance the Government is providing to lone parents who are living below benefit levels as a result of loan repayments to the Social Fund. | | (144486) | 575
| Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to replace the system of Social Fund loans with a grant system. | | (144487) | 576
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much Progress2Work has cost to date. | | (143751) | 577
| Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether claimants who have failed to respond to the Government's Direct Payment invitation letter before 2005 will be automatically transferred to the exceptions service; and what criteria will need to be met to qualify for the exceptions service. | | (144113) | 578
| Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals are estimated to be eligible for pension credit in Wales in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06 and (d) 2006-07. | | (144628) | 579
| Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's target is for the number of individuals who will be receiving pension credit in Wales in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06 and (d) 2006-07. | | (144629) | 580
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for how long participants of the New Deal programme are tracked following completion of the programmes; and what independent assessment of the effectiveness of the timescale for tracking participants has been undertaken. | | (144596) | 581
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average cost per place was in the last 12 months of participants on (a) the New Deal for Young People, (b) the New Deal for Lone Parents and (c) the New Deal for Disabled People. | | (144597) | 582
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) percentage and (b) value of New Deal contracts are delivered by (i) Jobcentre Plus, (ii) private companies and (iii) voluntary organisations. | | (144598) | 583
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the (a) private companies and (b) voluntary organisations that have contracts to deliver New Deal support. | | (144599) | 584
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the terms are of the Jobcentre Plus Programme Procurement Review; what the timetable is for the completion of the Review; and what independent assessment of Jobcentre Plus procurement processes are being undertaken as part of the review. | | (144600) | 585
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer to the Right honourable Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, of 1st December, Official Report, column 14W, what plans he has to invite (a) private companies and (b) voluntary organisations to pilot incapacity benefit programmes. | | (144602) | 586
N | David Winnick (Walsall North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will give a substantive reply to the letter of 23rd October from the honourable Member for Walsall North, ref. PQ/03/400456. | | (143958) | 587
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to re-instate the full guaranteed minimum pension for members of final salary schemes where the assets of the scheme are insufficient to buy the full amount of guaranteed minimum pension when the scheme is wound-up. | | (144076) | 588
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate the Government has made of the (a) proportion and (b) number of people who are entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension from their contracted-out final salary pension schemes who will not receive their full entitlement due to the winding up of their employer's final salary pension scheme. | | (144077) | 589
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate the Government has made of the number of people who are entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension from final salary pension schemes that (a) have been wound up and (b) are being wound up by (i) solvent and (ii) insolvent employers. | | (144081) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 590
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people receive child benefit in Scotland, broken down by (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area. | | [Transferred] (144528) | 591
| Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the UK Government treats the 1991 Census of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a reliable source of statistical information; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (144477) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 592
| Mr Martin Caton (Gower):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the consultation process required by the Government when a fire service is drawing up a new integrated management document. | | [Transferred] (144587) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 593
| Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to ensure that gender specific suicide and self-harm figures are (a) reported to Parliament and (b) monitored by the Women's Estate Policy Unit. | | [Transferred] (144541) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 594
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions disciplinary action has been taken against airlines for (a) breach of aircraft noise arrival and departure regulations and (b) failure to follow preferred routes into and from Belfast City Airport in each of the last three years. | | [Transferred] (144601) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 595
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women pensioners were means-tested in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002. | | [Transferred] (144481) |
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