|
Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Tuesday 13 January 2004
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 13 January 2004
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 13 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 Tuesday 13 January of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Tuesday 13 January see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office 1
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made in making the Central Office of Information more responsive to Parliament. | | (147838) | 2
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total value is of Duchy grants that have been disbursed to the North West in the last year. | | (147780) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 3
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when, and on what basis, motorcycle helmets were made subject to VAT. | | (147107) | 4
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the level of pension liabilities in the public sector due to final salary pension schemes. | | (147766) | 5
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the public sector pensions liabilities caused by final salary pension schemes. | | (147767) | 6
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies, including the (a) start date, (b) the planned completion date, (c) the current expected completion date, (d) the planned cost and (e) the current estimated cost; and if he will make a statement. | | (147654) | 7
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff will be employed in each of the two new tax credit contact centres; where they will be located; and when they will become operational. | | (147655) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 8
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what plans he has to impose automatic sentences on those who are overdue in paying fines by a set period. | | (147839) | 9
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what plans he has to impose automatic sentences on those who persistently fail to pay fines imposed by magistrates' courts. | | (147840) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 10
N | Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which contractors tendered for the design, development, build and supply of cartridge RF distraction Mark 216 Model 3; when the winner will be announced; when production will commence; and if he will make a statement. | | (146632) | 11
N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Territorial Army, (b) Royal Naval Reserve and (c) RAF Reserve personnel remain available for mobilisation. | | (147725) | 12
N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the Future Army Structure. | | (147726) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 13
| Mr Martin Caton (Gower):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how the Government will ensure that usable spectrum is available to bidders competing to provide a service wide radio replacement scheme for the fire service. | | (147807) | 14
| Mr Martin Caton (Gower):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the national competition for a service-wide radio replacement scheme for the fire service. | | (147808) | 15
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what powers and additional resources are available to Thurrock Urban Development Corporation (a) to stem the reduction in general practitioner services within Thurrock and (b) to attract additional general practitioners to meet the projected growth planned by the urban development corporation; and if he will make a statement. | | (147011) | 16
N | Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the grant settlement for Newark and Sherwood District Council was for each of the last five financial years, and what the provisional grant settlement for 2004-05 is, in (a) cash and (b) percentage change terms. | | (146847) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 17
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what legislation was implemented between 1997 and 2001 preventing the introduction of university top-up fees. | | (147842) | 18
N | Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his estimate is of the cost of the current phase of expansion of higher education in annual revenue terms. | | (147562) | 19
N | Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the amount the proposed top-up fees would raise annually if (a) all universities charged the maximum and (b) universities on average charged half the maximum. | | (147563) | 20
N | Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in which year he expects his proposal to increase from £10,000 to £15,000 the income threshold for repayment by graduates of tuition fees to take effect; and whether he plans to take account of possible inflation in the intervening period when setting the threshold. | | (147724) | 21
N | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many projects are funded by the Children's Fund; and if he will list them and the responsible parent organisation, where applicable. | | (147729) | 22
N | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, for what reason cuts have been made to Children's Fund grants in the middle of the year of operation. | | (147730) | 23
N | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, for what reason Children's Fund grants to projects signed up for three years will now not be paid in full. | | (147731) | 24
N | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many projects funded by the Children's Fund are likely to face cuts to their funding in the next financial year. | | (147732) | 25
N | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many projects funded by the Children's Fund have closed in the current financial year. | | (147733) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 26
N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons the Department initiated proceedings against the Asda company in respect of the EU horticultural regulations relating to the size and shape of items of fruit; and what the costs involved were. | | (147012) | 27
N | Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the impact on imports of bananas from Commonwealth nations in islands around Jamaica arising from the decision of the Law Lords on the EU regulations relating to the shape of bananas. | | (147013) | 28
N | Mr Paul Tyler (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking following the meeting on 6th January between her Department's ministers and industry and other representatives to ensure compatibility of chemicals used in agriculture and horticulture with the regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH); what consultation has taken place with farming organisations; and if she will make a statement. | | (147177) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 29
N | Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the fairness of the recent parliamentary elections in Turkish Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. | | (147106) | 30
N | Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, from which country the BBC China set sail with the cargo of uranium enrichment equipment seized in Italian territorial waters in October 2003; and in which country the equipment was made. | | (147379) | 31
N | Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what happened to the cargo seized from the BBC China in Italy in October 2003. | | (147380) | 32
N | Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role Mr Nelson Mandela played in the recent change in relations between Libya and the United States and the United Kingdom. | | (147410) | 33
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what evidence has been collated by his Department on whether the Eritrean authorities are arming Sudanese rebels in the Darfur region; and if he will make a statement. | | (147774) | 34
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of human rights abuses in the Cabinda province of Angola; and if he will make a statement. | | (147792) | 35
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Sudan on its treatment of students who support Sudan Organisation Against Torture. | | (147408) | 36
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Sudan on the recent arrests in Nyala, Sudan; and if he will make a statement. | | (147409) | 37
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people visited the United Kingdom from (a) Cameroon, (b) Romania and (c) South Africa in the last year for which figures are available. | | (147781) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 38
| Mr Martin Caton (Gower):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the competition for a new national radio network for the ambulance service. | | (147806) | 39
| Mr Martin Caton (Gower):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Government will ensure that usable spectrum is available to bidders competing to provide a new national radio network for the ambulance service. | | (147811) | 40
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will correct the information on the NHS website relating to bed occupancy in the South and East Dorset Primary Care Trust. | | (147565) | 41
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason his Department refused the request of the South and East Dorset Primary Care Trust that inaccurate information in relation to the trust on the NHS website should be corrected. | | (147566) | 42
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January to questions, reference 145050 and 145051, if he will list those audiology departments in England that do not fit digital hearing aids routinely. | | (147758) | 43
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the variance in criminal offending between patients using the Mapperley Hospital Formula of prescribing and National Treatment Agency for Substance Abuse-recommended methadone dosages and use. | | (147760) | 44
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the Mapperley Hospital Formula for prescribing for drug addiction. | | (147761) | 45
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which constituencies in the UK do not have a needle exchange. | | (147763) | 46
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many visits have been made by his Department's officials or ministers to look at drugs treatment in (a) Sweden, (b) France, (c) Australia, (d) the Netherlands and (e) USA in the last six years. | | (147764) | 47
N | Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Dental Manpower Review will be published. | | (147514) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 48
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many inquests were outstanding in the jurisdiction of the Cleveland Coroner in (a) July, (b) August, (c) September and (d) October 2003. | | (147649) | 49
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many inquests in the jurisdiction of the Cleveland Coroner were heard in (a) August, (b) September and (c) October 2003 by the (i) coroner, (ii) deputy coroner and (iii) assistant deputy coroner. | | (147650) | 50
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the salaries are of (a) the Cleveland Coroner, (b) his deputy and (c) his assistant deputy. | | (147651) | 51
| Mr Martin Caton (Gower):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the Government will ensure that usable spectrum is available to bidders seeking to supply and manage new radio network systems for the emergency services following the award of the contract for a new modern digital radio system for the police service to Airwave/02 in February 2000. | | (147809) | 52
| Mr Martin Caton (Gower):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, why Tetra technology was chosen for the UK police force modern digital radio system, excluding competition from other technologies. | | (147810) | 53
| Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was in each of the last five years of the administration of the National Asylum Support Service. | | (147784) | 54
| Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was in each of the last five years of the support of asylum seekers under the 1999 legislation. | | (147785) | 55
| Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was in each of the last five years of overseas transport for those asylum seekers deported and removed from the United Kingdom. | | (147786) | 56
| Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was in each of the last five years of detention in (a) detention centres and (b) elsewhere. | | (147788) | 57
| Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was in each of the last five years of police involvement in immigration controls. | | (147789) | 58
| Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was in each of the last five years of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. | | (147790) | 59
N | Dr Jack Cunningham (Copeland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received from Cumbria Police Authority on the 2004-05 Provisional Grant Settlement; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement. | | (146946) | 60
N | Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers the Secretary of State has to intervene in matters of international criminal conduct, in relation to imprisonment in the UK of those found guilty of crimes. | | (147122) | 61
N | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements have been made for the UN High Commission for Refugees to work with Home Office training programmes to improve decision making on asylum applications; what the terms of reference are for UNHCR involvement; and when these arrangements will be brought into effect. | | (147728) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 62
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what response his Department will make to the appeal of the World Food Programme for Sudanese refugees in Chad. | | (147773) | 63
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the impact which the decision of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to commence foreign currency auctions will have on the ability of aid agencies to deliver humanitarian assistance in the country. | | (147775) | 64
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance his Department is giving to the Government of Angola for preparations for the general election in 2005; and if he will make a statement. | | (147776) | 65
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance has been offered to the government of Burundi for the improvement of medical facilities for the delivery of new malaria treatments. | | (147822) | 66
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations he has made to the government of Ethiopia regarding acceptance of the Independent Boundary Commission's proposed boundary between Ethiopia and Eritrea; and if he will make a statement. | | (147823) | 67
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on cholera levels in Burundi. | | (147824) | 68
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress is being made towards the rehousing of those left homeless by the storm in the Bubanza province of Burundi. | | (147825) | 69
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the status of the drought affecting the north-western regions of Somalia; and what assessment he has made of the impact which the drought is having on levels of malnutrition in the region. | | (147826) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 70
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on measures to tackle organised crime in Northern Ireland. | | (147837) | 71
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to introduce a Rural White Paper for Northern Ireland. | | (147834) | Questions to the Prime Minister 72
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will place in the Library a copy of memoranda he has submitted to the Hutton Inquiry since the conclusion of the Inquiry's oral evidence sessions. | | (147060) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 73
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will break down how funding for the Spectrum Efficiency Scheme has been allocated since the schemes inception; and what amounts have been allocated in each year since 1997. | | (147793) | 74
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will break down how funding allocated as other support for small business has been awarded in 2003-04; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997. | | (147794) | 75
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the grants to investment projects made under regional selective assistance in 2003-04, stating for each (a) the amount of the award, (b) the region, (c) the type of project and (d) the justification for the award; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997. | | (147795) | 76
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the funding for (a) the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils and (b) the grant-in-aid funding allocated to the (i) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, (ii) Economic and Social Research Council, (iii) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, (iv) Medical Research Council, (v) Natural Environment Research Council and (vi) Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council in 2003-04 as set out in her Departmental Report 2003; and what payments have been made to each council since 1997. | | (147796) | 77
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how the Renewable Energy Capital Modernisation Fund was allocated in 2003-04, as referred to in her Departmental Report 2003; and what amounts were allocated through non-nuclear expenditure directly related to the creation of open markets in each year since 1997. | | (147797) | 78
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will provide a breakdown for each region of how her Department allocated its funding of the regional development agencies in 2003-04; and what amounts have been allocated to each region in each year since 1997. | | (147798) | 79
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how the funding for (a) coal liabilities and (b) coal health liabilities was allocated in 2003-04; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997. | | (147799) | 80
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will break down how funding for knowledge transfer programmes was allocated in 2003-04; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997. | | (147800) | 81
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will break down the Transdepartmental Science and Technology Group administration costs set out in her Departmental Report 2003, for 2003-04; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997. | | (147801) | 82
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the administrative costs were of the Insolvency Service in each year since 1997; and if she will break down these costs for 2003-04 by main budget head. | | (147802) | 83
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will break down how (a) the funding allocated to modernisation of the Post Office network, (b) her Department's financial support to Consignia and (c) the grant-in-aid to the Consumer Council for postal services set out in her Departmental Report 2003 was allocated for 2003-04. | | (147803) | 84
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will break down how innovation funding in the areas of (a) industrial exploitation of science, (b) support for competitiveness, (c) space, (d) technical and design infrastructure, (e) support for construction industry, (f) expert advice and other expenditure and (g) invest to save projects, as set out in her Departmental Report 2003, was allocated in 2003-04; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997. | | (147804) | 85
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the funding of the Aerospace Launch Investment; and if she will break down the costs incurred by main budget head. | | (147805) | 86
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will break down how the funding for (a) miscellaneous consumer protection and (b) investor protection listed in her Departmental Report 2003 was allocated in 2003-04; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997. | | (147812) | 87
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she expects to receive the report from the Office of Fair Trading into the code of practice between suppliers and supermarkets. | | [R] (147768) | 88
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 workers who take up flexible working options do not suffer from (a) poor career prospects and (b) poor job security. | | (146947) | 89
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how her Department plans to promote flexible working, with particular reference to amongst male workers. | | (146948) | 90
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many solicitors firms are known to have charged additional fees, above agreed Government fees, for miners' compensation. | | (147762) | 91
| Anne Picking (East Lothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her written statement of 5th January, Official Report, column 1WS, on British Energy, what the current outstanding drawdown on the Government's credit facility by British Energy is. | | (147777) | 92
N | Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will publish the mid-term verification of additionality document on the European Standard Funds submitted by her Department to the European Commission. | | (147727) | 93
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the effects extending the provisions of the Civil Partnerships Bill to heterosexual couples. | | (147061) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 94
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the money raised in fines by the Essex Safety Camera Partnership was spent on traffic-calming measures and other safety projects in Essex, other than the installation and operating of speed cameras, in each of the last six years for (a) Billericay and district, (b) Basildon District and (c) Essex; and what percentage this represented of the total money raised in fines for each year. | | (147564) | 95
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 6th January, Official Report, column 216W, on speed cameras, how much money was raised in fines by the Essex Safety Camera Partnership for each of the five years prior to 2001-02. | | (147572) | 96
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many responses were received to the Future of Air Transport - Scotland consultation document; and of these (a) how many expressed a view in favour of a second runway at Edinburgh airport, (b) how many expressed a view against a second runway at Edinburgh airport and (c) how many did not express a preference. | | (147832) | 97
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment was made of the case for protection of the ancient Catstane site north of the existing Edinburgh airport runway in the formulation of the proposals for a second runway as outlined in the Aviation White Paper; and for what reason no mention was made of the site in the White Paper. | | (147833) | 98
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many speed enforcement cameras have been (a) removed, (b) relocated and (c) disabled as a result of his recent letter to safety camera partnerships; and if he will place a copy of his letter in the Library. | | (147757) | 99
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 22nd December 2003, Official Report, column 52W, if he will set out in respect of each safety camera partnership the last quarter for which monitoring information and data has been received by (a) his Department and (b) its consultants; and if he will place a copy in the Library. | | (147759) | 100
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the foreign airlines that are not banned from UK airspace but are banned from airspace elsewhere in Europe, indicating (a) where, (b) when and (c) for what reason these bans operated; and whether any of these airlines have operated in UK airspace whilst banned elsewhere. | | (147567) | 101
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answers of 8th January to , Official Report, column 429W, on British airspace, whether the standards that have to be met for the issue of a permit to operate a foreign aircraft in UK airspace are above the minimum required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. | | (147568) | 102
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the foreign airlines whose aircraft have been subject to one or more safety assessment of foreign aircraft ramp checks during each of the past five years indicating how many aircraft of each airline were tested. | | (147569) | 103
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answers of 8th January, Official Report, columns 429-30W, on British airspace, if he will list the foreign airlines that would be banned from UK airspace if they were to apply for a permit. | | (147570) | 104
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answers of 8th January, Official Report, column 429-30W, on British airspace, which foreign airlines would have had their applications for a permit turned down had they made one since January 2000. | | (147571) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 105
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer of 15th December 2003, Official Report, column 690W, on disability living allowance, how many claimants are aged under 60 years in each case. | | (147778) | 106
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer of 17th December 2003, Official Report, column 978W, on the exceptions service, whether those individuals who do not opt for a direct payment option will be eligible for the service. | | (147779) | 107
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many departures from child support maintenance have been requested by non-resident parents in each year since 1997; and how many of these were granted. | | (147821) | 108
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to produce United Kingdom estimates of housing benefit fraud and error for 2002-03. | | (147827) | 109
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the programme protection strategy used by the Pension Service to prevent pension credit fraud since October 2003. | | (147828) | 110
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were successfully prosecuted in Scotland for (a) housing benefit, (b) income support, (c) council tax benefit and (d) jobseeker's allowance fraud in each of the last five years. | | (147829) | 111
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the regional variation in (a) housing benefit, (b) income support and (c) jobseeker's allowance fraud; and if he will make a statement. | | (147830) | 112
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are taken by the Child Support Agency to verify the financial status of a resident parent who has a new unmarried partner in cases where the non-resident parent has applied for departures in CSA maintenance. | | (147835) | 113
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many self employed non-resident parents have failed to meet the required Child Support Agency calculated maintenance payments in the last 12 months; and how many of these cases remain unresolved. | | (147836) | 114
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the uptake of council tax benefit in Wirral South. | | (147841) | 115
N | Tony Cunningham (Workington):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how long an individual must be unemployed before becoming eligible for training courses offered by his Department and its agencies. | | (147513) | 116
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what forums he is advertising the availability of winter fuel payments. | | (147770) | 117
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent on advertising the availability of winter fuel payments. | | (147771) | 118
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what studies his Department undertook to find the most effective way of informing people about their eligibility for winter fuel payments. | | (147772) | 119
N | Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, further to the letter to the honourable Member for Wycombe of 18th December 2003, from Doug Smith, Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency, for what reason it is not possible to provide information concerning anomalies, inaccuracies and incomplete data contained in records held by the Child Support Agency before the CSA's data migration strategy is finalised. | | (147062) | 120
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many appeals against decisions made at personal capability assessments were (a) heard and (b) decided in the appellant's favour in the last 12 months, broken down by benefit; what the average length of time between lodging an appeal against a personal capability assessment decision and having that appeal heard was in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. | | (147813) | 121
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many appeals against benefit decisions were (a) heard and (b) decided in the appellant's favour in the last 12 months, broken down by benefit; and if he will make a statement. | | (147814) | 122
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have entered the employer option under the New Deal for Young People in each year since 1997, broken down by ethnicity; how many people have entered the full-time education and training option under the New Deal for Young People in each year since 1997, broken down by ethnicity; and if he will make a statement. | | (147815) | 123
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees have been employed on 13-week casual appointments in his Department in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (147816) | 124
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff responsible for detection of benefit fraud have been employed by his Department in each year since 1997, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. | | (147817) | 125
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average cost per place on each of the four options in the New Deal for Young People was in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. | | (147818) | 126
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many participants on New Deal for Young People in the Chesterfield constituency have been placed on training courses for (a) up to one year and (b) over one year in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. | | (147819) | 127
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many participants have joined the New Deal for Young People (a) once, (b) twice, (c) three times and (d) more than three times, broken down by ethnicity; and if he will make a statement. | | (147820) | 128
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies, including the (a) start date, (b) the planned completion date, (c) the current expected completion date, (d) the planned cost and (e) the current estimated cost; and if he will make a statement. | | (147652) | 129
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many hours of system downtime relating to the computer dealing with direct payment there have been in each month since it was introduced. | | (147653) | 130
N | Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many absent parents have subsequently been assessed for a change in circumstances by the Child Support Agency after failing to respond to a request for details of change of circumstances by post. | | (147472) | 131
N | Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what procedure is followed by the Child Support Agency to determine the accuracy of address information on absent parents when they receive no response to postal requests for information on change of circumstances. | | (147473) | 132
N | Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with the Child Support Agency on procedures for contacting absent parents to ascertain changes in circumstances. | | (147474) | 133
N | Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many requests to absent parents by the Child Support Agency for details of change of circumstances were sent by post in 2003; and how many were returned undelivered by the post office. | | (147475) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 134
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the case for changes in the basis of air passenger duty from payment per passenger to payment per flight, and for relating it to the amount of carbon dioxide and other pollutants produced during the flight; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (147831) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 135
| Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the cost was in each of the last five years of the administration of the immigration appellate system. | | [Transferred] (147783) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 136
| Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost was in each of the last five years of the visa sections of (a) embassies and (b) high commissions and consuls, including the cost of entry clearance officers. | | [Transferred] (147787) | Questions to the Leader of the House 137
N | Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Leader of the House, what plans he has to review the sitting hours of the House. | | [Question Unstarred] (147110) | 138
N | Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Leader of the House, what assessment he has made of the impact of the new sitting hours of the House on the times of committee meetings. | | [Question Unstarred] (147114) |
|
