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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 12 January 2004
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 12 January 2004
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 12 January 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 12 January of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 12 January see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office 1
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Answer of 6th January, Official Report, column 221W, on Government Information and Communication Service, if he will break down the total sum quoted by budget head; and what the figures were for each year from 1996. | | (147398) | 2
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate the total savings for small businesses that would accrue from those measures listed in the Regulatory Reform Action Plan which have yet to be implemented. | | (147606) | 3
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make a statement on the work carried out by the strategy and delivery units on the method of funding schools. | | (147148) | 4
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make a statement on the Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether the Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries the Department has outsourced these jobs; how much the Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147577) | 5
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what inquiries his Department has conducted into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and on what occasions the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (147010) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 6
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses employing (a) less than 50 staff and (b) between 50 and 249 staff have filed their employer's end of year returns electronically for each year since 2000. | | (147602) | 7
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on his Department's plan to bring forward regulations for the introduction of mandatory electronic filing of employers' end of year returns. | | (147608) | 8
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact on council tax increases for 2004-05 of the £406 million announced in the Pre-Budget statement for local authorities in Great Britain. | | (147714) | 9
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many babies were born to unmarried mothers for whom no name of the father was entered on the birth certificate in each of the last 30 years, or in those years for which figures are available; what the (a) social class and (b) age of the mother at the birth of her first child was in each case; and how many subsequent births, when the name of the father was not entered on the birth certificate of the child, each mother had. | | (147176) | 10
N | Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many outstanding family tax credit cases were awaiting processing on 31st December 2003. | | (146842) | 11
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Office's strategy and delivery units on changes in the way money may be allocated to schools. | | (147147) | 12
| Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what studies he has undertaken to determine whether small incorporated businesses are paying the wrong amounts of tax on profits extracted from their companies. | | (147055) | 13
| Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on his proposals to ensure that the right amount of tax is paid by owner managers of small incorporated businesses on the profits extracted from their companies. | | (147056) | 14
| Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will define (a) profit extraction and (b) acceptable profit extraction for small incorporated businesses. | | (147057) | 15
| Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many owner managed small incorporated businesses pay tax. | | (147058) | 16
| Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will consult small owner managed incorporated businesses on his proposals to ensure that their tax contributions are correct in the light of the contents of paragraph 5.91 of Command Paper 6042. | | (147082) | 17
| Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his Department's policy to encourage sole traders or partnerships to become small limited companies. | | (147083) | 18
| Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his proposals in paragraph 5.91 of Command Paper 6042 will include measures to help small incorporated businesses to unincorporate. | | (147084) | 19
| Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proposals he has to ensure that small scale enterprises are fully aware of the tax distinctions between their being (a) incorporated and (b) unincorporated. | | (147085) | 20
| Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the right amount of tax referred to in paragraph 5.91 of Command Paper 6042 includes National Insurance. | | (147086) | 21
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147586) | 22
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the investigation by the Inland Revenue and the e-Envoy into the breaches of confidentiality relating to self-assessment tax returns filed via the internet. | | (147634) | 23
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the studies by the Inland Revenue into introducing new methods of payment of self-assessment liabilities. | | (147635) | 24
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on current delays in processing self-assessment tax returns received by the Inland Revenue. | | (147636) | 25
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the current qualification levels for financial advisers; and what assessment he has made of whether these are of a high enough standard to protect the public. | | (147637) | 26
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the badging and level of qualifications for financial advisers; and what assessment he has made as to ways in which this could be simplified. | | (147638) | 27
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the extent to which a simpler form of badging to indicate the qualification and level of competence of a financial adviser would improve consumer confidence. | | (147639) | 28
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact outsourcing of financial services operations to foreign countries will have on the UK economy and its skilled labour market. | | (147640) | 29
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, to what extent the Financial Services Sector Skills Council will duplicate the work of existing examining bodies in the financial services sector. | | (147641) | 30
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the implementation by the Inland Revenue of the scheme whereby taxpayers who no longer need to submit a self-assessment return are informed of this. | | (147642) | 31
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of taxpayers on low incomes have been removed from the self-assessment system since July 2002; and if he will make a statement. | | (147643) | 32
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the simplification of the self-assessment tax return. | | (147644) | 33
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of taxpayers filed their self-assessment tax returns by the due date in 2003; and if he will make a statement. | | (147645) | 34
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will change the enquiry window regarding self-assessment tax returns from running for 12 months from 31st January to 12 months from the date a return is received; and if he will make a statement. | | (147646) | 35
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many self-assessment tax returns have remained outstanding from each year since the system was introduced; and if he will make a statement. | | (147647) | 36
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many taxpayers have filed their self-assessment tax returns via the internet in each year since this service became available; whether he expects that the 50 per cent. target for internet filing of self-assessment tax returns will be met by 2005; and if he will make a statement. | | (147648) | 37
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Financial Services Authority has levied in fines since its foundation; and how much of this has been rebated to regulated firms by way of reduced fees. | | (147756) | 38
| Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list occasions on which his Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if he will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (147194) | 39
N | Mr Alan Reid (Argyll & Bute):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful prosecutions there were for evading duty on spirits in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (147324) | 40
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had (a) as part of the Paris Club, (b) with Gulf states and (c) with other states regarding the cancellation, reduction and rescheduling of Iraq's sovereign debt. | | (147530) | 41
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147295) | 42
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many child and working tax credit recipients have reported changes in circumstances since being informed of their initial award. | | (146763) | 43
N | Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the withdrawal of gift aid from charitable membership. | | (147150) | 44
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what timescale he envisages for the withdrawal of gift aid from charitable membership. | | (147151) | 45
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the cost to charities of the withdrawal of gift aid from charitable membership. | | (147152) | 46
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much he expects to raise from withdrawing gift aid from charitable membership. | | (147153) | 47
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of whether charities are likely to close as a result of the withdrawal of gift aid from charitable membership. | | (147267) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 48
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what effect combining magistrates' courts with criminal jurisdictions and magistrates' courts with civil and family jurisdictions has had, with particular reference to shared waiting room facilities. | | (147665) | 49
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many complaints have been received from (a) judges, (b) barristers and (c) parties to a case about the quality of video equipment and its impact on the quality of evidence in a case. | | (147666) | 50
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what system is in place within the Department to ensure that concerns about practical issues impacting negatively on the business of courts from those judges responsible for modernisation in the courts are brought to the attention of the relevant minister and responded to accordingly. | | (147667) | 51
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what action is taken in the event that a judge raises concerns that the quality of video equipment is impacting on the balance of relative quality of evidence on a recurring basis within courtrooms. | | (147668) | 52
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what system of monitoring is in place to assess the impact of the quality of video facilities on the relative quality of evidence given in a case. | | (147669) | 53
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what system of monitoring is in place for parties in a case to report concerns about the quality of video equipment provided to courts. | | (147670) | 54
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, on what quality criteria video equipment is chosen for use in cases which involve vulnerable and intimidated witnesses. | | (147671) | 55
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how the video equipment selected for pre-trial hearings differs from that selected for criminal trials; and what criteria are used for this selection. | | (147672) | 56
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the extent to which (a) the closure of county magistrate's courts and (b) the pressure on the Courts Service's outlying civil and family estate affecting the distance people are required to travel to have access to justice in each region. | | (147673) | 57
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what evidence the Department has received that poor video links are affecting the quality of prosecution evidence. | | (147674) | 58
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the funding allocation for video equipment in courts was for each of the last seven years; and by what percentage it changed in each of those years relative to the proceeding year. | | (147675) | 59
| Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what proportion of criminal cases were overturned on appeal in each of the last five years; and what proportion involved evidence from expert witnesses. | | (147186) | 60
| Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what proportion of criminal cases involved evidence from expert witnesses in each of the last five years; and what proportion of these witnesses were registered with the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners. | | (147187) | 61
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when the Government plans to implement the boundary changes recommended by the Boundary Commission when it reports its findings. | | (147691) | 62
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 25th November 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Jahangir Shah. | | (147612) | 63
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement on the Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether the Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries the Department has outsourced these jobs; how much the Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147594) | 64
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what discussions the Secretary of State has had with the Legal Services Commission on the funding of (a) human rights cases and (b) cases brought through legal aid against the closures of care homes for elderly people; and whether he was consulted by the Commission on the funding of such cases pursued by Hossacks, Solicitors, of Kettering. | | (147464) | 65
| Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when the Interdepartmental Review on International Human Rights Instruments was due to report to ministers; when ministers received this report; when the outcomes of this review will be made available; and if he will make a statement. | | (147446) | 66
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, in how many speeches during 2003 (a) he and (b) the Secretary of State declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147300) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 67
| Chris Bryant (Rhondda):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department and its executive agencies has provided to the 18 plus organisation since 1997. | | (147352) | 68
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help introduce more viewing of Scottish television in Northern Ireland. | | (147043) | 69
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether a decision has been taken as to whether her Department intends to continue paying Microsoft for licensing fees in future years; and if she will make a statement. | | (147550) | 70
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, why the amount paid by her Department to Microsoft in licensing fees rose from £9,500 in 2001-02 to £234,000 in 2002-03. | | (147551) | 71
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on her Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether her Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries her Department has outsourced these jobs; how much her Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147581) | 72
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to visit domestic tourist attractions (a) in and (b) outside London. | | (147248) | 73
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on the merger between the British Tourism Authority and the English Tourist Council. | | (147249) | 74
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make representations to the Chancellor to undertake a review of value added tax levels on hotel accommodation. | | (147250) | 75
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to attract foreign visitors to UK attractions outside London. | | (147251) | 76
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to increase domestic tourism visits in 2004. | | (147252) | 77
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to increase productivity in the tourism industry in 2004. | | (147253) | 78
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how the tourism satellite accounts will be of assistance to the tourism industry. | | (147254) | 79
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which bodies will be consulted on the implementation of the tourism satellite accounts. | | (147255) | 80
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the estimated cost of implementing the tourism satellite accounts is. | | (147256) | 81
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she expects the tourism satellite accounts to be completed; and if she will make a statement. | | (147257) | 82
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in how many speeches during 2003 she declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147292) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 83
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the countries in which United Kingdom troops are stationed, giving numbers in each case. | | (147400) | 84
| Mr Harry Barnes (North East Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were refused security clearance for entry to (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Army in each of the last five years. | | (147259) | 85
| Mr Harry Barnes (North East Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement concerning the death in British Army custody in September 2003 of Baha Mousa in Basra; what action has been taken or is pending against the soldiers involved; whether compensation has been (a) offered to and (b) accepted by his family; and whether he will accept an independent inquiry into the circumstances of Mr Mousa's death. | | (147706) | 86
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the results were of the investigation into the accident invoving a military helicopter in Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry on 19th July 2002. | | (147045) | 87
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the future of the (a) Black Watch, (b) King's Own Scottish Borderers and (c) Royal Scots regiments. | | (147680) | 88
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason employment services with the armed service is not considered relevant for pensions entitlement for employees who transfer to the MoD police. | | (147681) | 89
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many persons in receipt of a pension for the MoD police were previously employed in the armed forces without any break in employment service. | | (147684) | 90
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the findings of the Cheshire Coroner, regarding the death of Major Ian Hill; and if he will make a statement. | | (147143) | 91
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of British cluster bombs on (i) Iraqi armed forces during the conflict and (ii) civilians since large-scale hostilities ceased; and if he will make a statement. | | (147326) | 92
| Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what date he expects work on illustrative models for the proposed armed forces pensions early departure scheme to be completed; and when he will publish the models. | | (147131) | 93
| Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye & Inverness West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the reason was for the issuing of stable iodine tablets to members of the public living near the nuclear submarine berths at Loch Ewe and in Broadford Bay; and if he will make a statement. | | (147133) | 94
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the RAF's last Tornado GR4 aircraft are expected to be retired; what aircraft type is earmarked to replace the Tornado GR4 in its role; and if he will make a statement. | | (147548) | 95
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether all the rear weapon suspension points on all the shoulder pylons fitted to RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft fully comply with Military Standard 1760; and if he will make a statement. | | (147549) | 96
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether negotiations between his Department and Microsoft regarding future licensing arrangements have been completed; and if he will make a statement. | | (147552) | 97
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147588) | 98
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what inquiries his Department has conducted into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and on what occasions the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (147007) | 99
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there were breaches of security at RAF Leeming during the evening of 29th November and early morning of 30th November 2003; and whether an unauthorised person was able to approach within about 50 metres of the vehicles of the Nuclear Weapons Convoy whilst parked at RAF Leeming. | | (147075) | 100
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department keeps under review the protection and security arrangements at RAF Leeming; if he will make available the outcome and recommendations of such reviews; and if he will make a statement. | | (147076) | 101
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the convoy of road vehicles used in the transportation of nuclear warheads to and from RNAD Coulport and the Atomic Weapons Establishments in Berkshire stopped overnight at RAF Leeming on the night of 29th and 30th November 2003; and whether it was carrying nuclear warheads. | | (147077) | 102
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether for the transport and storage of fissile materials the United Kingdom adopts the security and protection standards prescribed by IAEA INFCIRC/225 Rev 4. | | (147078) | 103
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether, in addition to IAEA INFCIR/225, his Department applies further safeguards during transit and storage of nuclear warheads that are equivalent to the United States Department of Energy's stored weapons standard. | | (147079) | 104
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has received from members of the Iraqi Governing Council about alleged violations of human rights by coalition forces. | | (147664) | 105
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the soldiers' card issued to forces serving in Iraq. | | (147676) | 106
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether complaints have been received from Iraqi lawyers acting on behalf of the families of the alleged victims of actions by British forces in Iraq with regard to the (a) conclusions and conduct of investigations and (b) alleged incidents. | | (147678) | 107
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the reports of investigations carried out by the Special Investigations Branch into civilian fatalities in Iraq allegedly caused by British forces which have concluded that no further action should be taken. | | (147698) | 108
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many incidents of alleged or possible civilian fatalities involving British forces in Iraq since the end of the conflict have been recorded by the units involved. | | (147700) | 109
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether members of the Royal Military Police were involved in the (a) arrest and (b) detention of the six Iraqis who have died in British custody in Iraq. | | (147707) | 110
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on the use of hoods on Iraqi citizens in the course of their arrest or detention in Iraq. | | (147708) | 111
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who is responsible for responding to reports of the Special Investigations Branch; and what options are available for further action to be taken. | | (147710) | 112
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will name the six Iraqis who have died in British custody in Iraq giving the (a) approximate time, (b) date and (c) place of their deaths; and which regiments were responsible for their detention at the time of their deaths. | | (147713) | 113
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what equipment was purchased under the Urgent Operational Requirement process for Operation TELIC 1 and 2. | | (147273) | 114
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he is making of equipment programmes in relation to their key war fighting capabilities. | | (147274) | 115
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the reliability of secure satellite communications links available to the UK commanders during Operation TELIC; what commercial facilities were utilised; and at what cost. | | (147275) | 116
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what shortcomings were identified in the Oscar strategic communications system procured for use during Operation TELIC; and how much was spent on the system. | | (147276) | 117
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Cormorant system will enter into service; and what delays have occurred in the programme. | | (147277) | 118
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what training was made available for UK forces personnel on the Oscar communications system; and if he will make a statement. | | (147278) | 119
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding is being made available to the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) Deployed programme. | | (147279) | 120
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will meet the March deadline for awarding the full-production contract for the CVF. | | (147280) | 121
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the first Sea Harrier Squadron will be withdrawn from service; and what plans he has for the disposal of the squadron's aircraft. | | (147281) | 122
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to withdraw the RAF's Jaguar aircraft from service. | | (147282) | 123
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recourse is available to armed forces personnel who consider that complaints and problems relating to their accommodation have not been dealt with adequately by the Defence Housing Executive. | | (147283) | 124
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many appeals have been made by employers against compulsory call out notices to their employees in each of the last five years; and how many of those appeals were allowed in each year. | | [R] (147134) | 125
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many compulsory call out notices were issued to serving members of the Territorial Army in 2003; and how many of the recipients were actually mobilised. | | [R] (147135) | 126
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many compulsory call out notices have been issued in each of the last three years; and how many individuals were mobilised in each of those years. | | [R] (147136) | 127
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions have taken place between his Department, the Department for Education and Skills and the Treasury regarding the funding of local education authority schools which have a significant number of pupils from service families. | | (147137) | 128
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many children currently benefit from boarding school allowance; and what the cost of the scheme is in 2003-04. | | (147138) | 129
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to implement recommendation 8.6 of the Quinquennial Review of Service Children Education published in May 2003. | | (147139) | 130
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the funding per pupil by Service Children Education was in each of the last five years. | | (147140) | 131
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the academic and education targets set for Service Children Education schools in each of the last five years, and what assessment he has made of the extent to which these targets have been met or exceeded. | | (147141) | 132
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the number of children from service families being educated in local education authority-maintained schools. | | (147142) | 133
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been paid in (a) reservist standard award and (b) reservist hardship award to mobilised reservists in each of the last five years; and how many individuals were involved in each case. | | [R] (147260) | 134
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes to reservist standard award are planned; and when they will be implemented. | | [R] (147261) | 135
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many individuals have been mobilised after receiving a compulsory call out notice more than once in the last three years. | | [R] (147262) | 136
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Territorial Army mobilised after receiving a compulsory call-out notice have served for (a) up to four months, (b) four to six months, (c) six months to one year and (d) over one year in the last three years. | | [R] (147263) | 137
| Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his written statement of 7th January, Official Report, column 9-10WS, on reserve forces, what his policy is in respect of (a) full-time regular service and (b) compulsory call out when making provision for medium sized operations of low intensity. | | [R] (147471) | 138
| Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will place an order for long lead items for the fourth Astute Class boat; and whether he has assessed the impact on the supply chain of delay in placing such an order. | | (147610) | 139
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many medical flights, involving civilians, were conducted by military aircraft between Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. | | (147521) | 140
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the humanitarian projects that United Kingdom forces have (a) completed and (b) not yet completed in Iraq since 1st May 2003. | | (147156) | 141
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Iraqi arms dumps have been discovered in Iraq since 1st May 2003; and if he will make a statement. | | (147172) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 142
N | Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the proportion of completed tenancies requiring independent adjudication under the pilot voluntary tenancy deposit scheme was; and if he will estimate the proportion of completed tenancies that would require independent adjudication under a statutory tenancy deposit scheme. | | (147052) | 143
N | Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the number of private tenants who have had their tenancy deposit unreasonably withheld in each of the last five years, broken down by Government office region. | | (147053) | 144
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what studies he has commissioned regarding the policies being adopted by other member states of the European Union concerning obligations on owners of larger privately-owned buildings to implement Article 7.3 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. | | (147406) | 145
N | Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average residential density was of housing developments given planning permission since March 2000 in the boroughs that make up the London part of the Thames Gateway, as defined by RPG9a: The Thames Gateway Planning Framework. | | (146844) | 146
N | Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what (a) criteria and (b) milestones have been established for monitoring the implementation of the Government's plans for the Thames Gateway; and who is responsible for carrying out the necessary monitoring. | | (146845) | 147
N | Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, in respect of the new communities that are envisaged in the Thames Gateway, what plans the Government has for the adoption of standards for access to community infrastructure, with particular reference to (a) schools, (b) health care facilities, (c) leisure facilities and (d) open spaces. | | (146846) | 148
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what (a) progress has been made and (b) resources have been allocated to the Supporting People programme in (i) Redbridge and (ii) Waltham Forest; and if he will make a statement. | | (147378) | 149
N | Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many new (a) statutory and (b) regulatory requirements were placed on local authorities in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2003. | | (147238) | 150
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many people (a) over and (b) under 12 have been seriously scalded in baths or showers in each of the last five years. | | (147206) | 151
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many children under 12 who were seriously scalded in showers or baths in each of the past five years were unaccompanied by an adult. | | (147207) | 152
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Office's strategy and delivery units on changes in the way money is allocated to schools and the impact this would have on the system of local government financial support. | | (147149) | 153
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the (a) regional chambers and (b) local authorities which have an office situated outside the United Kingdom; what the annual expenditure of each was since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (147185) | 154
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, by what process the composition of regional chambers is determined. | | (147289) | 155
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of members of regional chambers are local councillors. | | (147290) | 156
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list each member of each regional chamber; and what the (a) political and (b) trade union affiliation of each is. | | (147291) | 157
| Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much of the e-government budget has been (a) allocated to and (b) spent on (i) parish councils and (ii) town councils; and if he will make a statement. | | (147427) | 158
| Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether (a) parish councils and (b) town councils are included in the e-government targets for local authorities to be on line by 2005; and if he will make a statement. | | (147428) | 159
| Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what percentage of parish clerks are paid less than the minimum wage; and if he will make a statement. | | (147430) | 160
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much income has been raised by the Crown Estates from dredging licences issued in respect of (a) all dredging offshore and (b) dredging of sites off the Norfolk coast, broken down by individual dredging licence, in (i) 2002 and (ii) 2003; and if he will make a statement. | | (147546) | 161
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147578) | 162
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent representations he has received on affordable housing in North Yorkshire. | | (147208) | 163
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what advice was last sent to planning authorities about car parking minimum requirements for new housing development; and when it was sent. | | (147735) | 164
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the proportion of rough sleepers who had previously been in local authority care in each of the last five years. | | (147337) | 165
| Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the level of financial provision estimated for the Mayor of London for the financial years (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 is. | | (147160) | 166
N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what role will be played by local authorities in the South East of England in the event of the mass evacuation of London; and what recent discussions he has had with them on contingency plans for the mass evacuation of London. | | (147284) | 167
N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans there are to use towns in the South East of England in the event of the mass evacuation of London. | | (147285) | 168
N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what role the A23 would play in the event of the mass evacuation of London. | | (147286) | 169
N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans are in place for the mass evacuation of London in the event of a major emergency. | | (147287) | 170
N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans are in place for the evacuation of hospitals and prisons in the event of the mass evacuation of London. | | (147288) | 171
| Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many social houses for rent have been built by (a) housing associations and (b) Plymouth City Council in Plymouth in each of the last three financial years. | | (147164) | 172
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of cost of improving the Wakefield Council housing stock to the Government's prescribed standards. | | (147454) | 173
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the impact of measures in the Housing Bill on promoting safety of the student population. | | (147457) | 174
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the number of houses in multiple occupation which are likely to be licensed under measures in the Housing Bill. | | (147459) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 175
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the (a) total cost and (b) cost per issue was of producing and distributing the document, Statutory Guidance on the School Governance (England) Regulation 2003, to schools. | | (147401) | 176
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much was spent on school meals per head by each local education authority in the last year for which figures are available. | | (147247) | 177
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of pupils achieved level 4 or above in Key Stage 2 test results for 11 year-olds in (a) English and (b) mathematics in 2003 in the London boroughs of (i) Redbridge and (ii) Waltham Forest. | | (147393) | 178
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) new places have been created and (b) children have been helped under the National Child Care Strategy in the London boroughs of (i) Redbridge and (ii) Waltham Forest since April 1999; what the current year's Childcare Grant is; what is proposed for the next financial year; and if he will make a statement. | | (147394) | 179
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of whether universities satisfactorily ensure physical, personnel and information security in the performance of biodefence research; what assessment he has made of the case for moving such research from university laboratories to secure national laboratories; and if he will make a statement. | | (147541) | 180
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on equality of opportunity for students of competition between higher education institutions on price. | | (147240) | 181
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the implications of raising the level of maintenance grants above £1,000. | | (147241) | 182
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effects of the increase in teaching assistants covering non-contact time with classes. | | (147544) | 183
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of classroom teaching was covered by classroom assistants without teaching professionals being present in the class in 2002-03. | | (147545) | 184
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils missed, through unauthorised absence, (a) one half-day session, (b) between two and five half-day sessions, (c) between six and 10 half-day sessions, (d) between 11 and 15 half-day sessions, (e) between 16 and 20 half-day sessions and (f) over 20 half-day sessions in each year since 1997. | | (147145) | 185
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Office's strategy and delivery units on changes to the way funding may be allocated to schools; what work he has undertaken to review the basis of distributing funds directly to schools; and if he will place copies of the papers in the Library. | | (147146) | 186
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147592) | 187
N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list occasions on which his Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if he will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (146940) | 188
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total cost to public funds has been of supporting the charity Parentline Plus since its inception. | | (147715) | 189
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the percentage change in the number of telephone calls to Parentline by parents is expected to be once the investment of £763,000 has been made. | | (147716) | 190
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost to public funds is estimated to be per email answered by the charity Parentline. | | (147717) | 191
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the estimated number of service users is for the email service of the charity Parentline. | | (147718) | 192
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many parents are expected to benefit from the recent investments made to the charity Parentline. | | (147719) | 193
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many Children's Fund-funded projects have appealed to the Children's Directorate appeal system against costs to their funding; and how many have been successful. | | (147748) | 194
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, for how long it is intended to run the appeal system set up for projects funded by the Children's Fund to appeal against cuts to their funding. | | (147749) | 195
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what arrangements are in place to replace funds being cut to Children's Fund-funded projects with other public funds. | | (147750) | 196
| Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his Answer of 8th January (145433), if he will list the 60 Behaviour Improvement Programme local education authorities and the precise sum each will receive in the current financial year. | | (147690) | 197
| Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, by when the Government is due to report to the Committee on the Convention on the Rights of the Child on what the UK is doing to fulfil the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; whether the Government has submitted this report; when this report will be made publicly available; and if he will make a statement. | | (147445) | 198
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of children in care went to university in each of the last five years; and how many completed their course in each year. | | (147331) | 199
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the proportion of teenage parents who were in local authority care in each of the last five years. | | (147334) | 200
N | Mr Colin Pickthall (West Lancashire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent advice has been issued to schools and teachers about arrangements for off-site educational visits. | | (145796) | 201
N | Mr Colin Pickthall (West Lancashire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what funding will be made available to the Lancashire Children's Fund for (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. | | (147041) | 202
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people under 22 are enrolled in or started modern apprenticeships in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04. | | (147436) | 203
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of the total population are qualified to apprentice in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France and (c) Germany. | | (147437) | 204
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of the total population left school without basic school leaving qualifications in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France and (c) Germany. | | (147438) | 205
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of GCSE-equivalent qualifications were vocational in each year since 1997. | | (147439) | 206
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people were enrolled on apprenticeships in the United Kingdom in each year since 1995. | | (147440) | 207
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people were enrolled on adult and community learning programmes in each year since 1995. | | (147441) | 208
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people in England and Wales are enrolled on adult and community learning programmes. | | (147442) | 209
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils left school in 2003 with no GCSEs. | | (147443) | 210
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils left school with fewer than five GCSEs at Grade G in each year since 1997. | | (147444) | 211
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the average cost to a student of the decision to undertake higher education, taking into account (a) loss of potential earnings while a full time student and (b) all other costs associated with the decision. | | (147600) | 212
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his estimate is of annual net income to (a) Russell Group and (b) other universities from the proposed tuition fees after all costs and concessions are taken into account. | | (147601) | 213
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to secure universal access for deaf children to Sign Bilingualism; and if he will make a statement. | | (147450) | 214
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what information his Department collects on the level of basic skills. | | (147451) | 215
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to secure match funding for specialist schools in highly deprived former coalfield areas; and if he will make a statement. | | (147452) | 216
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of the population of Hemsworth constituency engaged in (a) vocational education, (b) non-vocational further education and (c) higher education in 2002-03. | | (147453) | 217
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the percentage of the population of Hemsworth constituency who have NVQ levels (a) 1, (b) 2 and (c) 3. | | (147456) | 218
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the resources required to address skills shortages in former coalfield areas. | | (147479) | 219
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147299) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 220
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department is spending on the assessment of possible environmental impacts resulting from the release of nanotechnology products into the environment, with particular reference to ultra-fine particles. | | (147225) | 221
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) environmental and (b) toxicological data is held by her Department in respect of carbon nanotubes present in consumer goods. | | (147227) | 222
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the application of the precautionary principle to the decision on whether to impose a moratorium on the release into the environment of ultra-fine particles generated through nanotechnology processes. | | (147236) | 223
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has carried out into the health implications of allowing the burning of animal fat from cattle at the Teesside power station, Witton. | | (147403) | 224
N | Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government's investigations have produced evidence to indicate that GM technology should now be released commercially. | | (146998) | 225
N | Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with insurance providers for non GM farmers who might be commercially damaged by GM contamination. | | (146999) | 226
N | Dr Jack Cunningham (Copeland):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the recovery of livestock farming in (a) Copeland and (b) Cumbria since January 2002; and if she will make a statement. | | (146503) | 227
| Mr Wayne David (Caerphilly):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to introduce measures to make stunning compulsory before animals are ritually slaughtered; and what assessment she has made of the case for such measures. | | (147175) | 228
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the announcement by the Rural Payments Agency that it is to end export refunds immediately to exporters of processed foods to the new EU entrant states. | | (147050) | 229
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what sums were made available to (a) UK and (b) EU companies for the restitution of funds to assist with exporting costs in each of the last three years. | | (147051) | 230
N | Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of farmers have signed up to the proposed national subscription scheme for the disposal of fallen stock. | | (147000) | 231
N | Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission regarding further derogation from the Animal By-products Regulation 2003. | | (147001) | 232
N | Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the cost of the proposed national subscription scheme for the disposal of fallen stock. | | (147002) | 233
N | Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the national subscription scheme for the disposal of fallen stock. | | (147003) | 234
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the outcome was of the Environmental Council on 22nd December 2003; what the Government's stance was on the discussion on the EU Chemical Regulation; and if she will make a statement. | | (147229) | 235
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which Council of Ministers formation her Department has called on to lead the debate on the forthcoming EU Chemical Regulation. | | (147230) | 236
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on her Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether her Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries her Department has outsourced these jobs; how much her Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147582) | 237
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to publish the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003; and why they are only available in draft form. | | (147080) | 238
N | Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the statement of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, of 10th December 2003, Official Report, column 1173, whether the database of animal byproduct premises will be available on her Department's website early this year. | | (147091) | 239
N | Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the statement of the Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Health, of 10th December 2003, Official Report, column 1172, whether the Cabinet Committee on meat crime will consider issues of coordination between government departments and agencies arising from (a) the meat fraud conspiracy case at Denby Poultry and (b) previous meat fraud cases. | | (147092) | 240
N | Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the statement of the Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Health, of 10th December 2003, Official Report, column 1172, what the remit is of the Cabinet Committee on meat crime. | | (147093) | 241
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many houses in England she estimates are uninsurable owing to flood risk. | | (147736) | 242
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many flood plains in England have been given planning permission for housing in each of the last five years. | | (147737) | 243
| Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow Govan):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has made to introduce legislation to protect and manage the marine environment following the publication of the Marine Stewardship Report. | | (147538) | 244
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will assess the implications for the United Kingdom of the article on climate change impacts in the United Kingdom and other countries over the next half century by Professor Chris Thomas of Leeds University, published in Nature in January. | | (147688) | 245
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the guidance will be issued to licensed premises for the recovery of CFC gases from disused refrigeration equipment. | | (147101) | 246
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether since the amendment made to EU Regulation 2037/2000 of 7th November 2003, the Government has collated the figure for the tonnage of CFCs recovered from the de-manufacture of refrigeration equipment; and what figure was given to the EU Commission by the deadline of 31st December 2003. | | (147102) | 247
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average recovery level achieved by licensed UK plants in respect of CFC from refrigeration equipment was in the last year for which figures are available. | | (147103) | 248
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information she has collated about compliance with the Kyoto agreement targets by EU member states; and what instruments are available to the Commission to ensure that these targets are met. | | (147741) | 249
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in how many speeches during 2003 she declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147303) | 250
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the European Union on the import into the UK of puppies from puppy farms. | | (147455) | 251
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Republic of Ireland concerning the importation of puppies from puppy farms in the Republic of Ireland. | | (147465) | 252
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many puppies have been imported into the United Kingdom from puppy farms in the Republic of Ireland in each of the last five years. | | (147466) | 253
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what licensing arrangements are in place in respect of importers of puppies from puppy farms in (a) the Irish Republic and (b) elsewhere. | | (147467) | 254
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations she has received regarding the importation of puppies from puppy farms in (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) elsewhere. | | (147468) | 255
| Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will pay transitional aid to fishing vessels in England adversely affected by effort controls resulting from the Cod Recovery Programme on the same basis as proposed for fishing vessels in Scotland and Northern Ireland. | | (147161) | 256
| Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 90W, on albatrosses and petrels, if the United Kingdom will ratify the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels before the first meeting of the parties on 2004. | | (147162) | 257
| Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 90W, on albatrosses and petrels, what legal and other assistance the Government is giving to the UK overseas territories of (a) South Georgia/South Sandwich Islands, (b) Falkland Islands and (c) Tristan/Gough to enable them to submit their ratifications of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels on time for the first meeting of the parties in 2004. | | (147179) | 258
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the yearly cod quota was, broken down by area, over the last five years; and what amounts of cod were caught in those areas in those years. | | (147087) | 259
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received about the European Union's changes to the status of animal medicines to veterinary prescription only pharmaceuticals. | | (147157) | 260
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the cost of veterinary prescription only pharmaceuticals on (a) farmers' incomes and (b) farm animal health. | | (147158) | 261
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the United Kingdom Government will implement EU changes to the status of animal medicines to veterinary prescription only pharmaceuticals; and if she will make a statement. | | (147159) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 262
N | Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the Egyptian Government since 26th December 2003 regarding Mr Magiid Nawaz. | | (147228) | 263
N | Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his (a) Libyan and (b) German counterparts concerning the seizure of the German-flagged ship BBC China. | | (146839) | 264
N | Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what part was played by British officials in the recent tracking and seizure of the German-flagged ship BBC China. | | (146840) | 265
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the occasions since 1975 when the vote cast by the United Kingdom has been diametrically opposed to that of the United States in the UN Security Council; and what percentage of votes this represents. | | (147399) | 266
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is his policy to seek to persuade Israel to divest itself of all its weapons of mass destruction. | | (147402) | 267
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of South Africa regarding the political situation in Zimbabwe. | | (147338) | 268
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on his Department's policy regarding the return of Pakistan to full membership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. | | (147543) | 269
| 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 October 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr V. Ilyas. | | (147613) | 270
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147585) | 271
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason extra security has been put in place around the British Embassy in Berlin; when it was put in place; what the total cost of these measures has been since they were implemented; and who is meeting the cost of this extra security. | | (147682) | 272
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects to provide a full response to the letter from the honourable Member for North Norfolk of 13th November 2003 on the award of licences for the provision of mobile telecommunications services in Iraq. | | (147683) | 273
N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list occasions on which his Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if he will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (146943) | 274
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on (a) the arrest of Gambia's Information Minister, Yankuba Touray, by President Jammeh's forces and (b) the series of arrests of senior governmental officials, civil servants and businessmen in the last seven weeks. | | (147677) | 275
N | Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which African countries (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have visited since June 2001; and what the (i) dates and (ii) main purposes of the visits were. | | (146937) | 276
N | Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which African (a) heads of state, (b) prime ministers and (c) foreign ministers have made official visits to the United Kingdom since June 2001; what the (i) dates and (ii) main purposes of the visits were; and which United Kingdom ministers met them. | | (146939) | 277
N | Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects that talks will be held with Libya about ending its programme for the development of weapons of mass destruction; which other countries he expects will be involved; and what role the International Atomic Energy Agency will play in the talks. | | (147071) | 278
N | Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions have been held with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea regarding the elimination of its nuclear weapons programme. | | (147144) | 279
N | Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress in destroying poppy production in Afghanistan by use of strimmers; and if he will make a statement. | | (147165) | 280
N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) levels of unemployment and (b) living standards in the nations which will secure membership of the EU in May. | | (146654) | 281
N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what restrictions would be placed on the entitlement of EU member states to pursue national policies on (a) asylum, (b) visas and (c) conditions of entry and residence in the event of the proposed European Constitution being approved by member states. | | (146655) | 282
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the situation in Zimbabwe. | | (147525) | 283
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. | | (147526) | 284
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia. | | (147527) | 285
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the use of Article 308 EC as a sole legal base for European Union measures, its implications for defining the areas of competance of the Union and its implications for the principle of subsidiarity. | | (147531) | 286
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147301) | 287
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security situation in Zimbabwe in respect of British citizens travelling to Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. | | (147209) | 288
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the England and Wales Cricket Board about the England cricket team's proposed tour of Zimbabwe in respect of players' and supporters' safety. | | (147210) | 289
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the situation in Zimbabwe. | | (147211) | 290
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the United Kingdom's Ambassador in Harare about the situation in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. | | (147212) | 291
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next intends to meet the Zimbabwean Ambassador to discuss political reform in Zimbabwe. | | (147213) | 292
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Committee on Zimbabwe about encouraging democratic reform in the country. | | (147214) | 293
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the conditions for the readmission of Zimbabwe to the Commonwealth; and if he will make a statement. | | (147215) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 294
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what studies have been carried out into the incidence of birth defects within the proximity of landfill sites. | | (147233) | 295
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many United Kingdom trained nurses were not registered to practise in the UK in each year since 1996. | | (147245) | 296
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many United Kingdom trained midwives were not practising in the United Kingdom in each year since 1996. | | (147246) | 297
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the estimated cost to the NHS of timesheet fraud by agency staff was in each of the last six years. | | (147258) | 298
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting times for patients to be seen for the first diagnosis at chest pain clinics after referral by a general practitioner were in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. | | (147268) | 299
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average length of waiting times for angiography were in each of the last six years. | | (147269) | 300
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms are in place to monitor progress made by (a) strategic health authorities and (b) primary care trusts in reducing waiting times for diagnostic testing. | | (147270) | 301
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made by the Changing Workforce Programme in redesigning the roles of diagnostic staff to reduce waiting times. | | (147271) | 302
| Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have died in care since 1992; and what proportion of these deaths have been of people from ethnic minorities. | | (147535) | 303
| Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department collects in respect of waiting times for audiology services. | | (147751) | 304
| Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which NHS trusts have entered into partnership agreements with private hearing aid dispensers for (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05. | | (147752) | 305
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department will appoint a Director of Infection Control for the Weston Area Health Trust. | | (147604) | 306
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action his Department is taking to combat the spread of MRSA within nursing and residential homes. | | (147605) | 307
| Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research he has commissioned on the need for more residential care places for people below pensionable age. | | (147216) | 308
| Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many residential care homes cater only for people below pensionable age; and how many places this represents in total. | | (147217) | 309
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on recent research from the Aberdeen Fertility Centre on sperm counts since 1989; what assessment he has made of links between harmful man-made chemicals in the environment and reduced sperm counts; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. | | (147231) | 310
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the forthcoming EU Chemical Regulation; and if he will make a statement. | | (147232) | 311
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people aged 65 years and over have received the influenza vaccine (a) in England and (b) broken down by (i) primary care trust and (ii) strategic health authority in each year since 2001. | | (147183) | 312
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the take-up rates for influenza vaccine were as at 1st December 2003 (a) in England and (b) broken down by (i) primary care trust and (ii) strategic health authority. | | (147184) | 313
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what targets were set for delayed discharge of patients aged 75 years and over for each quarter in each year since 1997. | | (147305) | 314
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many delayed discharges of patients aged 75 years and over there were in each quarter in each year since 1997. | | (147306) | 315
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what targets were set for 28-day emergency readmissions of people aged 75 and over in each quarter since 1997. | | (147307) | 316
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of discharged patients aged 75 years and over were readmitted within one month as emergencies in each quarter since 1997. | | (147308) | 317
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) people and (b) households received domiciliary care in each year since 1997. | | (147309) | 318
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, by what date applications for registration with the National Care Standards Commission are required to be determined. | | (147310) | 319
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications made by domiciliary care providers for registration with the National Care Standards Commission have been (a) rejected and (b) provided with action plans. | | (147311) | 320
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many domiciliary care providers applied for registration with the National Care Standards Commission in each month since March 2003, broken down by region. | | (147312) | 321
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of elderly patients in care and residential homes who are (a) malnourished and (b) assessed as being at risk of becoming malnourished. | | (147313) | 322
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will introduce mandatory screening for malnutrition for people in care homes; and if he will make a statement. | | (147314) | 323
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of elderly households received (a) home care and (b) home help services in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement. | | (147315) | 324
| Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye & Inverness West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what clinical trials have been conducted to establish the effectiveness of potassium iodate tablets in minimising the effects resulting from inhalation of airborne radioactive iodine, with particular reference to prevention of thyroid cancer; and if he will make a statement. | | (147205) | 325
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147584) | 326
N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list occasions on which his Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if he will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (146942) | 327
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 8th December 2003, Official Report, column 310W, on diabetes, what bodies were specifically advised of the 2002 Diabetes Consultation Exercise; what the duration was of the exercise; how it was researched; how many responses the Department received; what its terms of reference were; how the replies were evaluated; and what steps were taken to publish the findings. | | (147743) | 328
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of military personnel serving in Operation Telic who have returned from Iraq have since received treatment for mental health problems. | | (147744) | 329
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many service men and women served in Operation Telic. | | (147745) | 330
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, of those who suffered from mental health problems after participating in Operation Telic, how many suffered from and were treated for (a) depression, (b) post-traumatic stress disorder, (c) Gulf War Syndrome, (d) panic disorder, (e) anxiety disorder and (f) motor neurone disease. | | (147746) | 331
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, of those who suffered from mental illness on returning from Operation Telic, how many were treated (a) by the NHS and (b) privately. | | (147747) | 332
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason the deal to sell NHS Estates surplus properties and inventures to the HBOS/Miller Consortium has not yet been completed; and when he expects completion. | | (147753) | 333
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what revaluations of the sites involved in the NHS Estates surplus property disposals have been carried out in the last six months; and when. | | (147754) | 334
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which sites initially identified in the proposed sale of NHS Estates surplus properties with inventures to the HBOS/Miller consortium are now not to be included. | | (147755) | 335
| Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the NHS Pensions Agency will reply to the letter of the honourable Member for Wrexham of 7th October 2003 relating to Mrs Margaret Bryden (ref SD 40/080674/9387). | | (147088) | 336
| Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many vacant posts for speech therapists there are in the NHS in England. | | (147089) | 337
| Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many speech therapists are employed by the NHS in England. | | (147090) | 338
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will investigate the circumstances relating to the decision of Doctors Leighton, Williams, Khraishi and Ghannam to close their branch surgery in South Road, South Ockendon, Essex; and if he will make a statement on the ability of the Thurrock Primary Care Trust to facilitate a relocation of patients to other doctors within the time frame dictated by the doctors' decision to close their branch practice. | | (146556) | 339
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will investigate the circumstances relating to the decision of Doctors Leighton, Williams, Khraishi and Ghannam to close their branch surgery in South Road, South Ockendon, Essex in relation to the period of notice given to individual patients to find alternative GP practices. | | (146558) | 340
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will investigate the circumstances relating to the decision of Doctors Leighton, Williams, Khraishi and Ghannam to close their branch surgery in South Road, South Ockendon, Essex in relation to the method of selecting patients no longer to be served by the practice. | | (146559) | 341
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what national guidelines or constraints apply to general practitioners in relation to the ratio of doctors to patients; whether these were exceeded by the practice of Drs Leighton, Williams, Khraishi and Ghannam prior to their decision to close their branch surgery in South Road, South Ockendon, Essex; and if he will list those alternative general practitioners within the vicinity who have vacancies on their patients' list, stating in each case the number of new patients he or she is permitted to admit to his or her list. | | (146628) | 342
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients the general practice of Drs Leighton, Williams, Khraishi and Ghannam had in November 2003; and how many it is proposed they will have in February 2004 following the planned closure of their branch surgery. | | (146629) | 343
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many consultant microbiologist vacancies there were in the NHS in England on the last date for which figures are available, broken down by region. | | (147495) | 344
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many new posts in medical microbiology have been created in the NHS in the past 10 years, broken down by region. | | (147496) | 345
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many medical microbiology training posts there were in the NHS in England in each year since 1990. | | (147497) | 346
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) consultants and (b) trainees in infectious diseases there were in the NHS in England in each year since 1990. | | (147498) | 347
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of patients with MRSA bacteraemia in NHS hospitals in England died of their infection in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what comparable figures his Department has collated regarding mortality in other countries. | | (147499) | 348
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many English NHS hospitals have dedicated infection control wards. | | (147500) | 349
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the change in full-time equivalents in post in the dental workforce as a result of early retirement was in each year since 1990. | | (147501) | 350
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the impact of an increased proportion of women in the dental workforce has had on the availability of full-time equivalent practising dentists. | | (147502) | 351
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the progress primary care trusts have made towards assuming responsibility for NHS dentistry in April 2005. | | (147503) | 352
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the impact of the 2001 restrictions on non-EU-trained dentists practising in the United Kingdom on the availability of dentistry. | | (147504) | 353
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many foreign-trained dentists were practising in the United Kingdom in each year since 1990, broken down by (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalents. | | (147505) | 354
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether published figures for deaths from hospital acquired infection are approximate; what the margin of error is for these figures; and what measures have been taken to improve the data. | | (147506) | 355
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what English acute NHS hospitals do not have antibiotic pharmacists in post. | | (147508) | 356
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what antibiotic usage was for each NHS hospital in England in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by specialty; and if he will make a statement. | | (147509) | 357
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average wait was for patients to be seen by their own general practitioner in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion were seen within 48 hours. | | (147511) | 358
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of cases seen in NHS walk-in centres resulted in referral to the general practitioner with whom the patient is registered in the last year for which figures are available. | | (147512) | 359
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the funding for the Public Health Laboratory Service was in each year from its establishment until 1996-97. | | (147658) | 360
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the funding of equipment and clothing for children with myoclonic epilepsy and cerebal palsy; and if he will make a statement. | | (147244) | 361
| Phil Sawford (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action he has taken following the Griffiths report into the research framework at North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust. | | (147507) | 362
| Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to set up a public inquiry into the health effects of G3 technology telephone masts. | | (147054) | 363
| Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the health effects of G3 technology telephone masts. | | (147059) | 364
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is appropriate for an independent review panel to take into account, in making their decisions on health care funding for people living in care homes, (a) the job status of the carers and (b) the classification of the home in which the care is received. | | (147555) | 365
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will review the eligability criteria of Essex Strategic Health Authority for health care funding for people living in residential care homes. | | (147556) | 366
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average starting salary of a dentist leaving training and going into (a) an NHS practice and (b) private practice was in 2003. | | (147595) | 367
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many requests for an independent review against Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust's decisions relating to Health Care Funding have been received in the last 12 months; and how many were upheld. | | (147597) | 368
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dentists left training in England in each of the last five years. | | (147598) | 369
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of dentists, after training, went into (a) an NHS practice and (b) private practice in 2003. | | (147599) | 370
| Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Offical Report, Column 187W, on EU health insurance cards, what the timescale for the scoping study is. | | (147557) | 371
| Dr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many acute hospital trusts suspend out-patient waiting lists at less than 21 weeks. | | (147188) | 372
| Dr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the rules relating to the time of cancellation for acute hospital trusts to record operations as cancelled for non-clinical reasons. | | (147189) | 373
| Dr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cardiologists in the West Midlands specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of complex disorders of heart rhythm requiring ablation of parts of the conducting system; and how long the waiting list is for this treatment. | | (147679) | 374
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to improve the understanding among health professionals of the symptoms and effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. | | (147460) | 375
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures his Department is taking with (a) the NHS and (b) voluntary organisations to tackle prostate cancer. | | (147461) | 376
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147297) | 377
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the proportion of nurses per head of population was in (a) St Helens, (b) Merseyside, (c) the North West and (d) England in each year since 1992. | | (147169) | 378
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) district nurses, (b) community nurses and (c) midwives there were in (i) St Helens, (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the North West and (iv) England in each year since 1992. | | (147171) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 379
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces use (a) the Early Evidence Kit produced by the Forensic Science Service and (b) the Tetra modules for the early securing of samples in complaints of rape and drug rape; and which use neither. | | (146778) | 380
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of licence applications under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were (a) accepted without alteration, (b) returned for redrafting before resubmission and (c) rejected in the last year for which figures are available; and how many and what percentage were referred for consideration to the Animals Procedures Committee. | | (147407) | 381
N | Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many under 18 year olds have been released under the early release of short term prisoners; and how many were assigned a mentor on release. | | (146997) | 382
| Chris Bryant (Rhondda):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding his Department and its executive agencies have provided to the 18 Plus organisation since 1997. | | (147351) | 383
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions for people trafficking there have been in the UK in the last 30 years; and whether in each case the victims were (a) illegal immigrants intended for the sex trade or (b) babies or children to be sold on for adoption. | | (147316) | 384
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been convicted under section 145 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and what sentences those convicted under this law have received. | | (147317) | 385
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people traffickers have been convicted in the UK under laws other than the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 in the last decade. | | (147318) | 386
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the harmonisation of legislation and penalties for people trafficking. | | (147319) | 387
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has for an information campaign to encourage the victims of people trafficking to come forward. | | (147320) | 388
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he is taking to protect victims of people trafficking who come forward to the relevant authorities; and what measures are available to allow the grant of an appropriate legal status to such people to enable their rehabilitation and integration into UK society. | | (147321) | 389
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about tackling the cause of people trafficking through (a) socio-economic co-operation and (b) training packages for police and government officials in (i) transit countries and (ii) the countries of origin of those trafficked. | | (147322) | 390
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps, over what timescale, are being taken to have barcodes in place in UK passports; what information the barcode would represent; and if he will make a statement. | | (147540) | 391
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to encourage people to take part in community action for the purposes of civic renewal. | | (147239) | 392
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people visited the United Kingdom from (a) Poland, (b) Australia and (c) New Zealand in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (147174) | 393
| Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether consultative committees with local magistrates will be introduced within the structure of the National Offenders Management Service. | | (147720) | 394
| Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who will act as the employer for (a) probation and (b) prison staff within the structure of the National Offenders Managment Services. | | (147721) | 395
| Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there will be a single employer under existing National Negotiating Committee arrangements for the purposes of collective bargaining within the structure of the National Offenders Management Service. | | (147722) | 396
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statement of 6th January, Official Report, columns 170-187, on Correctional Services, what definition he uses of contestability. | | (147353) | 397
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many imprisonable offences have been created since 1997. | | (147354) | 398
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been held in prisons in each year since 1997. | | (147355) | 399
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total prison capacity has been in each year since 1997. | | (147356) | 400
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners have been held in police cells in each year since 1997 because of overcrowding in the Prison Service. | | (147357) | 401
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners in prisons in each of the next 10 years. | | (147358) | 402
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the total prison capacity in each of the next 10 years. | | (147359) | 403
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to reduce prison overcrowding in the next two years. | | (147360) | 404
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offenders serving (a) a custodial sentence and (b) a community service sentence in each year since 1997 reoffended within (i) one year, (ii) two years, (iii) three years, (iv) four years and (v) five years of their release. | | (147361) | 405
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many young offenders serving (a) a custodial sentence and (b) a community service sentence in each year since 1997 reoffended within (i) one year, (ii) two years, (iii) three years, (iv) four years and (v) five years of their release. | | (147362) | 406
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women were in jail on the latest date for which figures are available. | | (147363) | 407
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of those who have undertaken the Intensive Change and Control Programmes in each year since 1997 reoffended within (a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three years, (d) four years and (e) five years. | | (147364) | 408
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of sentences that (a) are poorly targeted and (b) do not bear down sufficiently on dangerous offenders. | | (147365) | 409
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of burglars who are convicted in each of the areas of England and Wales are sentenced to prison. | | (147366) | 410
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) magistrates and (b) judges have sufficient information to make the most effective use of prison and probation services. | | (147367) | 411
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he is taking to deal with (a) overcrowding and (b) poor conditions in prisons. | | (147368) | 412
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce competition into prisons through the use of private and voluntary providers. | | (147369) | 413
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list all (a) private and (b) voluntary providers of services to the Prison Service, together with the services they provide to each prison. | | (147370) | 414
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when Bromsfield prison will be ready to receive prisoners. | | (147371) | 415
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the new remand unit at Winchester will be ready to receive the first prisoners. | | (147372) | 416
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many young offenders have been sent to Holloway prison in each year since 1997. | | (147373) | 417
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what budget has been allocated to Holloway prison for young offenders in each year since 1997. | | (147374) | 418
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officers were serving at each (a) prison and (b) remand centre, disaggregated by sex, in each year since since 1997. | | (147375) | 419
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) convicted prisoners and (b) remand prisoners who should have been in a prison establishment have been held in police cells in each year since 1997. | | (147376) | 420
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) annual cost and (b) original budget figure for running each prison was in each year since 1997. | | (147418) | 421
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of service at any one prison is of current prison governors. | | (147419) | 422
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the smaller prisons that are being considered for closure to redirect resources into community punishments. | | (147431) | 423
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the sites that are being considered to erect the new generation of larger prisons. | | (147432) | 424
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the detailed investment case that the Department is making to the Treasury to close smaller prisons and erect larger prisons. | | (147433) | 425
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish all the responses his Department receives to Reducing Crime-Changing Lives. | | (147434) | 426
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where the National Offender Management Service will be based. | | (147435) | 427
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the proposed register of violent partners will be administered; and if he will make a statement. | | (147325) | 428
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the progress his Department is making in dealing with (a) passport fraud and (b) duplicate or false national insurance numbers. | | (147327) | 429
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the feasibility of implementing the recommendations in the House of Lords report on the use of animals in scientific procedures; and if he will make a statement. | | (147328) | 430
| Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research has been carried out by his Department into the dispersal of crime from areas targeted by the street crime initiative into outlying areas not covered. | | (147625) | 431
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has for the reform of laws relating to prostitution; and if he will make a statement. | | (147074) | 432
| 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 23rd November 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to E. Elbasani. | | (147611) | 433
| 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 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miriam Adebeshin. | | (147614) | 434
| 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 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Winston Frank Tracey. | | (147615) | 435
| 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 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr John Alosine Bangura. | | (147616) | 436
| 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 2002 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Goha Ali Khan. | | (147617) | 437
| 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 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M. Atem. | | (147618) | 438
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147587) | 439
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what inquiries his Department has conducted into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and on what occasions the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (147008) | 440
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the mentally disordered offenders listed in the 2003 Statistics published by the Home Office on 27th November 2003 were deaf; and what proportion were from a black and ethnic minority background. | | (147694) | 441
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what incentives he is giving trusts to stay within the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 not to discriminate against deaf people in terms of equitable access. | | (147695) | 442
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many transsexuals are serving prison sentences. | | (147697) | 443
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff are employed by (a) the Prison Service at Head Office and (b) the National Probation Directorate; and how many at each are (i) consultants and (ii) contractual staff. | | (147659) | 444
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff employed by the 42 probation areas in England and Wales will be transferred to the National Offenders Management Service Regional Structure; and what their duties will be. | | (147660) | 445
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the 42 probation areas under the National Offenders Management Service arrangements. | | (147661) | 446
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has for regional police forces in England and Wales. | | (147662) | 447
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many vacancies there are in the 42 probation areas in England and Wales, broken down by grade; and how many probation officers have left the service in each financial year since 2000-01. | | (147663) | 448
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations he has received regarding section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and if he will make a statement. | | (147073) | 449
N | Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects to give a substantive reply to the question, reference 143845, concerning asylum and immigration cases heard in the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords, tabled by the honourable Member for Woking on 9th December 2003. | | (146843) | 450
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the arrangements for collective bargaining will be within the structure of the National Offenders Management Service. | | (147626) | 451
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of establishing and running probation boards was in (a) 2000-01, (b) 2001-02 and (c) 2002-03. | | (147627) | 452
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether individual probation areas will continue to function and have day-to-day operational freedom within the structure of the National Offenders Management Service. | | (147628) | 453
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the lines of accountability of probation staff will differ under the structure of the National Offenders Management Service. | | (147629) | 454
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what role probation areas will continue to have within Multi-Agency public protection panels within the National Offenders Management Service structure; and what steps will be taken to ensure that the work is adequately funded. | | (147630) | 455
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether inter-agency public protection work within the structure of the National Offenders Management Service will be the subject of competitive tendering in future. | | (147631) | 456
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is envisaged that the Sentencing Guidelines Council will examine the case for reducing sentence lengths for less serious offences. | | (147632) | 457
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people, broken down by grade, were employed (a) at the National Probation Directorate and (b) at the headquarters of the Prison Service on the latest date available; and how many of these are (i) consultants and (ii) contractual staff. | | (147633) | 458
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the proportion of those convicted of drug misuse offences who had previously been in local authority care in each of the last five years. | | (147335) | 459
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of (a) the prison population and (b) young offenders
had previously been in local authority care in each of the last five years. | | (147336) | 460
N | Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegally owned or carried (a) handguns, (b) rifles, (c) military weapons, (d) automatic weapons and (e) semi-automatic weapons have been recovered by (i) police forces in England and Wales and (ii) Customs and Excise at ports of entry in the UK in each of the last five years. | | (147384) | 461
N | Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been prosecuted for conversion of (a) air and (b) imitation weapons to fire live ammunition in each of the last five years. | | (147395) | 462
N | Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) air weapons, (b) rifles, (c) shotguns, (d) imitation firearms and (e) handguns have been stolen in each of the last five years. | | (147396) | 463
N | Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) cautioned and (b) prosecuted for possession of (i) unlicensed firearms and (ii) shotguns in each of the last five years; in how many instances in each case the offence was limited to possession and not connected with the weapon's use in other crimes; and how many cases related to failure to renew the appropriate certificate. | | (147397) | 464
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking in response to the decison by prison officers across the United Kingdom to take industrial action in support of their Northern Ireland colleagues. | | (147196) | 465
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many recorded cases of (a) assault and (b) murder have occurred in the UK over the past five years of members of the Islamic faith who have converted to Christianity. | | (147424) | 466
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will encourage leaders of the Islamic faith in the United Kingdom to support the reform of Islamic law which calls for the death penalty for apostates. | | (147425) | 467
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures the Government is taking to protect members of the Islamic faith who convert to Christianity. | | (147426) | 468
| Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow Govan):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications were made in 2003; what the countries of origin were; and if he will make a statement. | | (147100) | 469
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential costs and benefits of identity cards in reducing automated fraud within Government departments; if he will make a statement on current levels of effectiveness in dealing with automated fraud within Government departments; and how his Department plans to ensure personal privacy once identity cards are introduced. | | (147447) | 470
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a British passport with biometric data and bar coding will be available; and at what cost. | | (147553) | 471
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how an applicant for a new British passport will be able to provide biometric information for the passport; and how system security will be guaranteed. | | (147554) | 472
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the forms of biometric and bar code data that will be encompassed within the new British passport. | | (147596) | 473
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18th December, Official Report, column 1057W, on Miss Eulisa de Freitas, and following receipt of new information provided to her by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Saint Helena and disclosure that Miss de Freitas' father, holds a British passport, if the Minister of State (Citizenship, Immigration and counter-terrorism) will now meet the honourable Member for Totnes to discuss the renewal of Miss Eulisa de Freitas' British passport for a further period. | | (146656) | 474
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will respond to the letter from the honourable Member for Totnes of 5th November 2003 about the Totnes European School, acknowledged by his Department on 19th November 2003 (ref: M7244/3). | | (147070) | 475
N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the residents of the nations securing membership of the EU in May will have automatic right of access to the United Kingdom on that date; and whether they will have access to social security and housing benefits. | | (146651) | 476
N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which member states of the EU have placed restrictions for seven years on the entitlement of new EU citizens to gain access and to secure benefits in their nations; and whether the UK is able to seek similar restrictions. | | (146652) | 477
N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Romanies from East Europe have sought access to the UK in the past three years; and how many have been admitted. | | (146653) | 478
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were arrested by police forces in Scotland in respect of offences committed in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last five years. | | (147522) | 479
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were arrested by police forces in (a) England and (b) Wales in respect of offences committed in Scotland in each of the last five years. | | (147523) | 480
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Scottish police officers are seconded to or are serving in a permanent capacity with UK-wide police bodies. | | (147524) | 481
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147298) | 482
N | Miss Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone & The Weald):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the findings of the Review on Immigration Law in relation to Gurkhas will be published. | | (147006) | 483
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of (a) theft and (b) robbery of school property there were in (i) St Helens, (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the North West region and (iv) England in each year since 1997. | | (147168) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 484
N | Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions the British Government has had with the South African Government regarding proposals for land reform in South Africa; and what advice his Government has given President Mbeki and his government on this matter. | | (146841) | 485
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on Ethiopia's debt burden. | | (147339) | 486
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the joint departmental scoping mission scheduled for April 2004 to consider reform of Ethiopia's security sector. | | (147340) | 487
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his latest assessment is of the number of people facing food shortages in Zimbabwe. | | (147341) | 488
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of South Africa on food imports to Zimbabwe. | | (147342) | 489
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many meetings of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of the EU have taken place since his appointment; and how many he has attended. | | (147343) | 490
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when he last met representatives of opposition parties in Zimbabwe; and when he next expects to meet representatives. | | (147344) | 491
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what financial support his Department has provided to the African Union since the expiry of the agreement in August 2003. | | (147345) | 492
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how financial support from his Department to Ethiopia has been tailored to tackle the increase in global acute malnutrition that has occurred in some of the drought affected areas of Ethiopia. | | (147346) | 493
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much his Department has given to Malawi in 2003-04 to deal with food shortages; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of its use. | | (147347) | 494
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the level of cross-border humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people in Burma. | | (147348) | 495
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many sniffer dogs in the United Kingdom were ineligible to accompany search and rescue teams to Iran on account of quarantine regulations. | | (147349) | 496
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many sniffer dogs accompanied the search and rescue specialists who went from the United Kingdom to Iran on 27th December 2003. | | (147350) | 497
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what briefing he has received from the heads of the UK search and rescue teams in Iran since their return to this country. | | (147385) | 498
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many of the people described in his written ministerial statement of 5th January, Official Report, columns 1-4WS, as having been evacuated to receive tertiary care in Iran have now received that care. | | (147386) | 499
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his latest estimate is of the number of city officials in Bam who were killed during the recent earthquake. | | (147387) | 500
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made of the number of unsolicited items provided by UK nationals to assist with shelter for people made homeless by the earthquake in Iran. | | (147388) | 501
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many of the people who suffered injuries in the earthquake in Iran have been (a) hospitalised and (b) treated. | | (147389) | 502
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government of Zimbabwe has reduced its arrears to the World Bank since December 2002. | | (147390) | 503
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries taking part in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative have reached completion point within the timescale established at their decision point. | | (147391) | 504
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the level of ethnic violence in Ethiopia. | | (147392) | 505
N | Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what work his Department has commissioned from the Adam Smith Institute in the last five years; and how much each of these projects cost. | | (146938) | 506
| Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether he has made formal representations to the United Nations about his proposal for global intervention in countries whose governments abuse their populations, made in his speech on 30th October 2003 at the UN High Level Dialogue on Financing for Development; and what criteria would be used for such global interventions. | | (147449) | 507
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 16th January, Official Report, column 237W, on the Indigenous People's Demonstration Project, by how much the expenditure on the Indigenous People's Demonstration Project in Brazil will be reduced over the next two years; and what representations he has received on behalf of the Indigenous People's Demonstration Project in response to the reduction in United Kingdom funding. | | (147742) | 508
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147593) | 509
N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list occasions on which his Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if he will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (146941) | 510
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support he is providing to tackle the spread of HIV/AIDS in (a) India and (b) China. | | (147529) | 511
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147293) | 512
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the humanitarian projects that the UK has (a) completed and (b) not yet completed in Iraq since 1st May 2003. | | (147166) | 513
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the Government's estimate is of the average (a) level of supply and (b) number of hours per day of supply of water to the population of (i) Baghdad and (ii) Basra (A) before the start of the recent conflict and (B) since the conclusion of the recent conflict. | | (147170) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 514
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the remaining amounts of weaponry and ammunition held by the Provisional IRA. | | (147042) | 515
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many cases involving the theft of (a) vehicles and (b) property from vehicles were reported during December 2003 in each of the Park and Ride car parks operated under the auspices of the Department of Regional Development in the Belfast area. | | (147044) | 516
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he will reply to the Question from the honourable Member for East Londonderry, tabled on 10th December 2003, ref 144181, on the Saville Inquiry. | | (147046) | 517
N | Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) police officers, (b) prison officers, (c) independent District Policing Partnership members and (d) civilians have been provided with protective measures at their homes under the Key Persons Protection Scheme in the past 12 months. | | (147180) | 518
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the work of Life Education Centres in prevention of drug use through education in Northern Ireland; and if he will make further funding available to enable the expansion of this work throughout Northern Ireland. | | (147381) | 519
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he expects the examination of the future delivery of primary care dental services in Northern Ireland to commence; what form he expects the examination will take; and when he expects to be able to report the findings. | | (147382) | 520
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many dental practices in each Northern Ireland health authority area have ceased providing general dental services in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (147383) | 521
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147589) | 522
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what inquiries his Department has conducted into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and on what occasions the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (147009) | 523
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on bed shortages in Northern Ireland hospitals. | | (147195) | 524
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent representations he has made to the owners of Belfast International Airport on maintaining adequate police security at the airport. | | (147197) | 525
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the implications for security of the reduction in the number of police officers patrolling Belfast International Airport. | | (147198) | 526
| Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost to public funds has been of providing accommodation in the Stormont Estate for the Director General and Director of Operations of the Northern Ireland Prison Service. | | (147219) | 527
| Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many industrial tribunal applications were lodged against the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the outcome was in each case. | | (147220) | 528
| Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many contested applications in industrial tribunals resulted in awards against the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and how many of these were appealed to the Court of Appeal. | | (147221) | 529
| Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what criteria the Police Service of Northern Ireland uses when determining whether or not to appeal an award made by the industrial tribunal. | | (147222) | 530
| Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what costs were incurred by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland in defending the industrial tribunal application by Chief Inspector Shamoon at (a) the industrial tribunal, (b) the Court of Appeal and (c) the House of Lords. | | (147223) | 531
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of levels of voter turnout at the recent Assembly elections; what research he intends to commission to study the reasons for this; and what measures he is considering adopting to improve turnout. | | (147532) | 532
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the current funding level of the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Fund. | | (147533) | 533
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the estimated additional cost of a rise in the current employer contribution rate to 11.9 per cent. for the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Fund would be to his Department's annual budget; and whether the spending plans for 2005-06 reflect such a possible increase. | | (147534) | Questions to the Prime Minister 534
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 57W, on Chechnya, how many (a) meetings, (b) telephone calls and (c) letters he has exchanged with President Putin since 18th June 2003. | | (147081) | 535
| Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Prime Minister, which departments of Government besides the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have responsibilities for e-government at (a) parish council and (b) town council levels; and if he will make a statement. | | (147429) | 536
| Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Prime Minister, on what date after 9th September 2002 he was informed that the weapons of mass destruction referred to in the September 2002 dossier which could be deployed in 45 minutes were battlefield mortar shells or small calibre weaponry. | | (147190) | 537
| Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the task forces he has set up since 1997; when each last reported; and when he expects each to have completed its task. | | (147237) | 538
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter to the honourable Member for Blaenau Gwent, of 28th October 2003, if he will list (a) the titles of each of the UK-owned documents in respect of Iraqi procurement of uranium from Niger to which he refers and (b) the dates on which each document respectively was provided to (i) the International Atomic Energy Agency and (ii) the UN Special Commission on Iraq; and how the Government sought to ensure that the owners of other intelligence of which it had been informed about the Niger uranium procurement by Iraq made the IAEA aware of its contents. | | (147621) | 539
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Prime Minister, in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147302) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 540
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147579) | 541
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many pensioner households in Scotland are in receipt of means-tested benefits. | | (147711) | Questions to the Solicitor General 542
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Solicitor General, what advice the Attorney General plans to issue to deal with the issues raised in the European Court of Human Rights case of Edwards and Lewis. | | (146760) | 543
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Solicitor General, if the Attorney General will advise that special counsel should be available where there are issues of disclosure and public interest immunity involved in applications to try someone without a jury because of fear of intimidation under section 43 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. | | (146779) | 544
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Solicitor General, if the Attorney General will advise that special counsel ought to be instructed in cases where there are issues of public interest immunity and disclosure in criminal trials. | | (146780) | 545
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Solicitor General, if she will make a statement on the Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether the Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries the Department has outsourced these jobs; how much the Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147576) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 546
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her policy is on the patenting of carbon molecules as part of nanotechnology development. | | (147226) | 547
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much energy was consumed per person in (a) the UK and (b) other EU countries in 2001. | | (147404) | 548
| Mr John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many firms in Leeds West have benefited from the small firms loan guarantee; and in which sectors. | | (147218) | 549
N | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many sub-postmasters of (a) rural and (b) urban post offices in each constituency have applied for compensation to close their business; how many have been successful in their application; and how much has been paid to them to date. | | (147066) | 550
N | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) urban and (b) rural post offices there are in each constituency; and how many post offices in each (i) constituency and (ii) region (A) have closed and (B) are expected to close as part of the Government's modernisation of the post office network. | | (147067) | 551
| David Cairns (Greenock & Inverclyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what happens to the money raised in fines levied by OFGEM from power companies found guilty of erroneously transferring customers. | | (147422) | 552
| Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) new jobs were created and (b) jobs were safeguarded following allocation of Regional Selective Assistance applications in each of the last five years, broken down by region. | | (147163) | 553
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action she is taking to encourage co-defendants to sign up to the Coal Health Handling Agreement; and if she will make a statement. | | (147199) | 554
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate she has made of the number of claims that could be lodged for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and if she will make a statement. | | (147200) | 555
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many firms of solicitors are handling coal health claims in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland; and how many are involved with the Claimants Solicitors Group. | | (147201) | 556
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many training days the insurers handling the coal health claims have held for solicitors to date; and how many firms have attended. | | (147202) | 557
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much money has been paid to date by the Department to solicitors for handling coal health claims, broken down by region. | | (147203) | 558
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much money has been paid to date by the Department to (a) the insurers handling the coal health claims and (b) the company carrying out the medical assessments. | | (147204) | 559
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average full and final settlement paid to former miners and their families is for (a) vibration white finger and (b) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and how many settlements were less than (i) £1,000, (ii) £500 and (iii) £200. | | (147264) | 560
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many of the full and final settlements for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were reduced because of a smoking history; what percentage of the total number of such settlements this represents; and what the average value was of the reductions made. | | (147265) | 561
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the ratio is of live to posthumous claims for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and how many new claims were received in each of the last 10 weeks, broken down by area. | | (147266) | 562
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the total amount of full and final settlements and interim payments paid to former miners and their families to date is in South Yorkshire. | | (147405) | 563
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions her Department has had with the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the EU Emissions Trading Directive. | | (147603) | 564
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many small businesses have (a) opened and (b) closed in disadvantaged areas in each year since 1997. | | (147607) | 565
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment her Department has made of the impact that the EU Emissions Trading Directive will have on the United Kingdom glass industry. | | (147609) | 566
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions her Department has had with the Pakistan Government on the export of Pakistan-produced textiles into the European Union. | | (147542) | 567
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the volunteering sector will be covered by the Employment Directive. | | (146425) | 568
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether it will be possible to claim discrimination on more than one ground under the Employment Directive. | | (146426) | 569
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how her Department will define the legitimate aims an employer may use to justify age discrimination. | | (146428) | 570
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Employment Directive improves the work opportunities of older people from disadvantaged groups. | | (146429) | 571
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the work of the Manufacturing Advisory Service within Coventry and the West Midlands since it was established; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure more manufacturers engage with their local MAS centres. | | (147242) | 572
N | Tony Cunningham (Workington):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what progress is being made in implementing measures to tackle nuisance caused by fireworks. | | (146944) | 573
N | Tony Cunningham (Workington):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether new measures to tackle firework nuisance will provide specific protection for vulnerable premises, with particular reference to stables. | | (146945) | 574
N | Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how long it took on average in each year since 1999 for employment tribunals to issue a decision after a hearing has finished. | | (147004) | 575
N | Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many employment tribunal cases in each year since 1999 took (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) nine months and (d) 12 months to issue a decision. | | (147005) | 576
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many power cuts there have been in (a) the area for which Yorkshire Electricity provides power and (b) Haltemprice and Howden in each of the last five years; and what estimate she has made the cost to local businesses in each case. | | (147243) | 577
N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the six-week public consultation period for closure proposals under the urban network reinvention programme includes (a) public holidays, (b) Saturdays and (c) Sundays. | | (147272) | 578
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she will reply to the letter to her dated 27th November 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Angela Bottomley. | | (147619) | 579
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on her Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether her Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries her Department has outsourced these jobs; how much her Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147583) | 580
| Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate she has made of the number of photovoltaic cells (a) currently in use in the UK and (b) which will be in use in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007. | | (147048) | 581
| Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what grants are available to promote the use of photovoltaic cells by (a) industry and commerce and (b) domestic consumers; and how much has been paid in grants in each case in each of the last three years for which figures are available. | | (147049) | 582
| Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list occasions on which her Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if she will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from her Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (147193) | 583
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer to question reference 145352 of 7th January, if she will list the 13 animals to which patents have been granted; and in each case, to which part of the animal the patent applies. | | (147738) | 584
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her policy is on the Royal Mail donating money to London's Olympic bid. | | (147709) | 585
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people were placed on a bad creditor register as a result of incorrect information in each of the last 10 years; and what right of appeal those wrongly placed on such registers have. | | (147699) | 586
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the confidentiality clauses at pages 88 to 90, paragraph 38 of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund Agreement covering British Energy Generation Ltd and Newco2 dated 1st October 2003 will preclude providing honourable Members with details of British Energy contracts with British Nuclear Fuels plc. | | (147620) | 587
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the basis is for the value of British Energy's spent fuel stockpile under paragraph 10.2, page 27 of the Historic Liabilities Funding Agreement between the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, British Energy Generation (UK) Limited, British Energy Generation Ltd, Newco1 and Newco2, dated 1st October 2003. | | (147622) | 588
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the Operation of Euratom Safeguards in 2002, Com (2003) 764 Final, in respect of its application to United Kingdom nuclear facilities and materials. | | (147623) | 589
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the implications for security of nuclear materials at Sellafield of the report released on 18th December 2003 of nuclear material unaccounted for at UKAEA, BNFL and URENCO nuclear sites. | | (147624) | 590
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what meterological studies her Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned on average percentage levels of availability at different points during the year of (i) onshore wind farms, (ii) offshore wind farms and (iii) wave power installations. | | [R] (147516) | 591
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the effect of ghost capacity in the importation of gas and electricity. | | [R] (147517) | 592
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average percentage level of availability was for each (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind farm in the UK in the last year for which figures are available. | | [R] (147518) | 593
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps her Department has taken in the last six months to ensure that the nuclear energy option remains open. | | [R] (147519) | 594
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment her Department has made of the report, An Essential Programme to Underpin Government Policy on Nuclear Power, published by the Nuclear Task Force in July 2003. | | [R] (147520) | 595
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent assessment she has made of the opportunities for (a) United Kingdom and (b) Iraqi companies to win contracts and sub-contracts from the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq; and if she will make a statement. | | (147528) | 596
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in how many speeches during 2003 she declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147304) | 597
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many sub-post offices in Scotland have been scheduled for closure by the Post Office under the Network Reinvention Scheme in each of the last four months, broken down by parliamentary constituency. | | (147469) | 598
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which sub-post offices in Scotland scheduled for closure under the Network Reinvention Scheme remained open following public consultation on the proposal. | | (147470) | 599
| Mr Shaun Woodward (St Helens South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much EU regional funding has been invested in (a) the North West region and (b) Merseyside in each of the last five years. | | (147167) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 600
N | Dr Jack Cunningham (Copeland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made in the preparation and design of the Lillyhall to Parton improvement on the A595 in West Cumbria; when he expects the scheme to commence; and if he will make a statement. | | (146504) | 601
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected investment in rail infrastructure is in Scotland over the next five years. | | (147685) | 602
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Government funding is provided to Scotrail in 2003-04 in respect of its sleeper services to London. | | (147686) | 603
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received from environmental groups on the proposed expansion of Scottish airports. | | (147687) | 604
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the timescale for the construction of rail links to (a) Glasgow and (b) Edinburgh airports. | | (147689) | 605
| Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to ensure that the powers contained in section 74 of the Traffic Management Bill are universally adopted by local authorities. | | (147094) | 606
| Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the Government intends to consult interested parties on next steps when the lane rental trials in Camden and Middlesbrough end. | | (147095) | 607
| Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to develop an England-wide system for the notification of street works owned by utilities and road departments similar to the Susiephone system in Scotland. | | (147096) | 608
| Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what sources were used to produce the figures for the costs to business of utility streetworks in the Regulatory Impact Assessment of the Traffic Management Bill. | | (147097) | 609
| Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his latest estimate is of the cost to business of highway authority streetworks. | | (147098) | 610
| Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what economic model the Government has used in working out the figures for the Regulatory Impact Assessment of the Traffic Management Bill; and if he will place a copy in the Library. | | (147099) | 611
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to reduce the costs of (a) administration and (b) consultants within the railway industry. | | (147329) | 612
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the availability of overnight parking facilities for commercial vehicles in each region of the UK. | | (147330) | 613
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when determining where to site a speed camera, how far from the proposed site of a camera an accident can have occurred for it to justify that siting. | | (147154) | 614
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the criteria for the installation of speed cameras, with particular reference to the cameras sited at (a) Highlands Road, Fareham and (b) Gosport Road, Fareham. | | (147155) | 615
| Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the railway schemes being evaluated by his Department which involve (a) the laying of additional miles of track and (b) the re-opening of disused rail routes; and if he will make a statement. | | (147173) | 616
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147590) | 617
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers local authorities have to erect 30 mile-per-hour repeater signs on single carriageway roads with street lights. | | (147072) | 618
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has made to the Kazakhstan Government regarding the prevention of UK charter flights from landing in Uralsk and Atyrau. | | (147537) | 619
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 4th December 2003, Official Report, column 161W, on road safety, when he expects the studies he has commissioned to report. | | (147510) | 620
| Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list occasions on which his Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if he will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (147192) | 621
| Joyce Quin (Gateshead East & Washington West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list, at constant prices, the spending on public transport support for buses for each year since 1985 in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales, (d) English metropolitan areas outside London, (e) shire counties and (f) London. | | (147420) | 622
| Joyce Quin (Gateshead East & Washington West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information he has collated on the change in the number of passenger journeys by bus for each year since 1985 in each English metropolitan area outside London. | | (147421) | 623
| Mr John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of the United States Transport Security Administration Directive issued on 24th December 2003 on the Government's advice to air travellers on how to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis during long haul flights. | | (147723) | 624
N | John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which airlines are banned from the airspace of (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each EU country for which information is available. | | (147181) | 625
N | John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the availability of information to passengers travelling to and from the United Kingdom relating to airlines which are banned from the airspace of (a) the United Kingdom, (b) other European countries and (c) other countries. | | (147182) | 626
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147294) | 627
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes have been made to the enforcement of penalties for failure to display an up-to-date vehicle excise duty disc; and if he will make a statement. | | (146761) | 628
| Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which airlines were subject during 2003 to safety assessment of foreign aircraft ramp checks by the Civil Aviation Authority acting on their own initiative rather than at the direction of his Department. | | (147558) | 629
| Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the UK airports at which safety assessment of foreign aircraft ramp checks were carried out during 2003, indicating the number of aircraft checked at each airport. | | (147559) | 630
| Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria are used by his Department when deciding which foreign airlines and aircraft should be subject to safety assessment of foreign aircraft ramp checks. | | (147560) | 631
| Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many safety assessment of foreign aircraft ramp checks have been carried out at UK airports on behalf of his Department in each of the last five years. | | (147561) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 632
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147580) | 633
| Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what functions have been transferred to the National Assembly for Wales pursuant to section 22 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 since 1998. | | (147047) | Questions to the Minister for Women 634
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Minister for Women, what efforts are being made to prevent suicides among the female prison population. | | (147104) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 635
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to promote the use of positive action within the public sector to combat age discrimination. | | (146427) | 636
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many telephone enquiries on pension credit have been received in each of the last 12 months. | | (147692) | 637
| Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the advertising budget is for the pension credit. | | (147693) | 638
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost of transfer payments, including social security benefits and tax credits directed at children and at people of working age, was in each year since 1991-92; and what projections have been made for the cost in (a) 2003-04 and (b) future years. | | (147377) | 639
| Andy King (Rugby & Kenilworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the equivalent thresholds to the absolute low income threshold of £210 per week for a couple with one child under 16 published in Measuring Child Poverty, of December 2003 are for (a) a couple with two children, (b) a couple with three children, (c) a couple with four children, (d) a lone parent with two children, (e) a lone parent with three children and (f) a lone parent with four children. | | (147423) | 640
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department's main IT service provider paid Microsoft on the Department's behalf in licensing fees in each of the last three years; how much has been budgeted for (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05; and if he will make a statement. | | (147547) | 641
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. | | (147591) | 642
N | Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what initiatives his Department is taking to provide access to employment for asylum seekers who have been granted leave to remain. | | (146783) | 643
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional expenditure resulting from large scale voluntary transfers and the formation of arm's length management organisations for council housing has been incurred on housing benefit previously paid out of housing revenue accounts on a cumulative basis in each year since 1997. | | (147224) | 644
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of children who had been in local authority care were unemployed in the September after leaving school in each of the last five years. | | (147332) | 645
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claimed disability living allowance for the financial years (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03, broken down by disability living allowance band. | | (147333) | 646
| Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list occasions on which his Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if he will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. | | (147191) | 647
N | Mr Alan Reid (Argyll & Bute):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what procedures his Department will put in place to pay benefits and pensions from 2005 to clients who by that time have not nominated a bank or Post Office Card Account to receive their payments and whose order books have expired. | | (147323) | 648
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what perentage of those registered disabled (a) adult and (b) children received (i) incapacity benefit, (ii) disability living allowance and (iii) attendance allowance in each local authority ward, listed in descending order in the counties of (A) Denbighshire and (b) Conwy for the latest year in which figures are available. | | (147701) | 649
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many properties were inspected by the Health and Safety Executive in connection with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in the last 12 months; what steps his Department has taken to promote awareness of the problem; and if he will make a statement. | | (147458) | 650
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. | | (147296) | 651
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements were made for early payment of pensions over the Christmas and New Year period 2003-04 for holders of Post Office card accounts; and if he will make a statement. | | (146762) | 652
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many cases retirement pensions have not been paid into Post Office card accounts on their due date because of computer problems; and if he will make it his policy to put in place emergency payments in such cases. | | (147068) | 653
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether non-respondents to his Department's letters about direct payment will be required to have payments made into a nominated account when order books are withdrawn in April 2005. | | (147069) | 654
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in the Angus constituency have changed their method of receiving payment of their retirement pension from pension book to direct payment into bank account in each of the last six months. | | (147462) | 655
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in the Angus constituency received their retirement pension by means of (a) pension book and (b) direct payment into a bank account as at 1st January. | | (147463) | 656
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, under which provisions of the European Union Accession Treaty people from Poland will be permitted from 1st May to reside and work freely in the United Kingdom and be in receipt of social security benefits and state pensions when required; and if he will make a statement. | | (147702) | 657
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the United Kingdom public funds of those people from Poland who elect to travel to the UK from 1st May who will be eligible for social security benefits and state pensions. | | (147704) | 658
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to prevent Polish citizens arriving in Britain after 1st May from being eligible for social security benefits and state pensions; and what discussions he has had on the matter with his European Union counterparts. | | (147705) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 659
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will estimate the number of people expected to travel from Poland to reside and work in the United Kingdom following Poland's accession to the European Union on 1st May. | | [Transferred] (147703) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 660
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what lessons have been learned from Operation Global Mercury; whether identified failings have been addressed; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (147539) | 661
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what improvements he expects choice in the NHS will have for deaf people (a) in arranging an appointment and (b) in communicating with their doctor. | | [Transferred] (147696) | 662
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are in place to ensure that there is no new outbreak of CJD in Britain. | | [Transferred] (147712) | 663
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, by what means the Government will ensure implementation of the forthcoming National Institute for Clinical Excellence clinical guidance on the treatment and management of infertility. | | [Transferred] (147739) | 664
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is the Government's policy that infertility services should be made available on the NHS to all those with a clinical need. | | [Transferred] (147740) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 665
| Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye & Inverness West):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the proposed construction and finance costs were of the two alternative bids to construct the Skye Bridge brought forward in 1990 by the construction firms Morrison and Trafalgar House. | | [Transferred] (147132) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 666
| Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road traffic speed cameras there are in the area covered by the Lancashire Constabulary; and what the estimated revenue from them is in the current financial year. | | [Transferred] (147536) |
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