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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 14 January 2004
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 14 January 2004
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 14 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 Wednesday 14 January of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Wednesday 14 January see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office 1
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147985) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 2
| Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to introduce an insurance scheme to cover domestic risks during times of terrorist attack. | | (147886) | 3
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what dates he has met Scottish ministers to discuss the Citizen Information Project and its implications for Scotland. | | (147920) | 4
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many members of staff have been seconded from the Register Office for Scotland to work on the Office of National Statistics' Citizen Information Project. | | (147921) | 5
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Office of National Statistics' Citizen Information Project will cover information held by offices and agencies responsible to the Scottish Executive. | | (147922) | 6
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which parts of the Citizen Information Project's current work programme includes matters of responsibility for the Scottish Executive; and what reporting procedures have been put in place for this work. | | (147923) | 7
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148025) | 8
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value was of adjustments in favour of taxpayers resulting from compliance cases processed by the Large Business Office of Inland Revenue in each year since 1997-98; and in which years these sums were included in the Large Business Office's total compliance performance reported in Inland Revenue annual reports. | | (147949) | 9
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months, including the Inland Revenue and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise. | | (147982) | 10
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the productivity of UK companies with (a) 1-49, (b) 50-99, (c) 100-249, (d) 250-499, (e) 500-999 and (f) more than 1000 employees has been in each quarter since 1997. | | (148178) | 11
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the profitability of UK companies with a turnover of (a) less than £1 million, (b) £1-20 million, (c) £20-50 million, (d) £50-100 million and (e) more than £100 million has been in each quarter since 1997. | | (148180) | 12
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the profitability of UK companies with (a) 1-49 employees, (b) 50-99 employees, (c) 100-249 employees, (d) 250-499 employees, (e) 500-999 employees and (f) more than 1000 employees has been in each quarter since 1997. | | (148181) | 13
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of total UK company turnover has been spent on (a) company taxation, (b) national insurance contributions and (c) corporation tax in each of the last ten years. | | (148182) | 14
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Totnes of 9th December 2003 regarding the overpayment and underpayment of tax credits to constituents in Totnes and Brixham. | | (147782) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 15
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether a case remitted by the Immigration Appeal Tribunal may be returned to the original adjudicator. | | (147852) | 16
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what proportion of appeals remitted back from the Immigration Appeals Tribunal to the adjudicators in 2002-03 were subsequently upheld by adjudicators. | | (147853) | 17
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the possible outcomes of the remittal process are, with respect to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal. | | (147854) | 18
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, in what circumstances appeals are remitted back from the Immigration Appeals Tribunal to the adjudicators; what guidance is given to the tribunal on remittals; and what training tribunal members have had on remittals. | | (147865) | 19
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what proportion of appeals which are (a) successful, (b) dismissed, (c) withdrawn and (d) remitted back to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal are (i) appeals by asylum claimants and (ii) appeals by immigration authorities. | | (148017) | 20
| Mr Eric Forth (Bromley & Chislehurst):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what proportion of fines were not (a) paid and (b) collected in the last five years. | | (147967) | 21
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147987) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 22
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost to her Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148030) | 23
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) her Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147984) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 24
N | Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has chartered the Atlantic Crusader ship. | | (147411) | 25
| Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what protection from radioactive fallout is offered to UK forces in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. | | (148294) | 26
| Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total volume is of depleted uranium-tipped weapons used in Iraq between March and May 2003; and if he will make a statement. | | (148295) | 27
| Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many cluster bombs have been defused in Iraq by bomb disposal squads since 1st May 2003; and if he will make a statement. | | (148296) | 28
| Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the availability is of cluster bombs to United Kingdom forces in Iraq. | | (148297) | 29
| Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total cost is since September 2002 of the deployment of United Kingdom forces in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. | | (148298) | 30
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148018) | 31
| Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Gulf War veterans of 1990 were still serving in the armed forces in 2003. | | (148269) | 32
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many contractors' bid costs have been refunded in full, or in part, as a result of procurement competitions being terminated or substantially altered since 1997; in how many cases compensation has been paid; what the total value of such payments is; and if he will make a statement. | | (147957) | 33
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of his Department's procurement decisions have been the subject of judicial review since 1997. | | (147958) | 34
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 8th January, Official Report, column 453W, on Iraq, when the Iraq Survey Group is to make its final recommendations. | | (148035) | 35
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) service and (b) MoD civilian posts he estimates will be transferred to the private sector over the next three years from the (i) Royal Navy, (ii) Army and (iii) Royal Air Force. | | (148051) | 36
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what strategy he is pursuing to (a) recover and (b) dispose of weaponry contaminated by depleted uranium in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. | | (148054) | 37
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his strategy is for ensuring that children in Iraq do not come into contact with depleted uranium. | | (148055) | 38
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information he has received on the smelting plant near Basra which is melting down tanks and armoured vehicles contaminated by depleted uranium; and what efforts are being made to identify and close down such facilities in the area controlled by British forces. | | (148056) | 39
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are employed in the Iraq Survey Group. | | (148064) | 40
| Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the proposed increase in death-in-service benefit from one and a half to four times salary will be payable to service personnel who opt to remain within the existing Armed Forces Pension Scheme. | | (148063) | 41
| Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which equipment purchased under urgent operational requirements for the Iraq war will be sold; how much it cost to acquire; how much its sale is expected to realise; and to whom it is intended to be sold. | | (148162) | 42
N | Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many claims have been submitted to the UK under section 6 of the Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 17; how many of these claims (a) give rise to and (b) do not give rise to a legal liability to pay compensation under English law; how many (i) compensation payments and (ii) ex-gratia payments have been made; and what the (A) amount and (B) reason for the payments was in each case. | | (146848) | 43
N | Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what impact the reduction in training days will have on the readiness of the Civil Contingency Reaction Force; and if he will make a statement. | | (146849) | 44
N | Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many accidental killings of civilians in Iraq have been reported by British forces since the end of combat operations, in addition to the 17 cases now under investigation; and if he will make a statement. | | (146850) | 45
N | Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what studies have been conducted to ascertain the change in unit cost of Eurofighter Typhoon should the third tranche of the original order not be purchased; what savings could be expected from the cancellation of the third tranche; and if he will make a statement. | | (146851) | 46
N | Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the in-service dates are for each of the Type 45 Destroyers. | | (146852) | 47
| Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to carry out manning control point reviews within the next 15 to 18 months. | | (147889) | 48
| Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to compensate soldiers who were subject to manning control where it is proved that the wrong procedures were applied to their discharge. | | (147890) | 49
| Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has (a) to compensate and (b) to re-instate soldiers who were subject to manning control and then engaged on S-Type contracts where it is proved that the wrong procedures were applied to their discharge. | | (147891) | 50
N | Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Defence Munitions Depot at Dean Hill is still in use; and if he will make a statement. | | (147178) | 51
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it remains his policy to (a) close and (b) dispose of the airfield at RAF Bicester. | | (147963) | 52
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many accidents there were at RAF Bicester in the last five years; how many involved gliders or training aircraft; and if he will make a statement. | | (147964) | 53
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library the evidence on which his decision that the most cost-effective transfer of glider squadrons from RAF Bicester would be to RAF Halton was based. | | (147965) | 54
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the report of the Defence Aviation Safety Centre into the possible impact on public safety of the relocation of glider squadrons to RAF Halton. | | (147968) | 55
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147978) | 56
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the strength against requirement is of each regiment of the British Army. | | (147960) | 57
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many suspected suicides among UK forces in Iraq have been investigated by the Royal Military Police. | | (148285) | 58
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the process is by which the rules of engagement for UK forces in Iraq are (a) agreed and (b) amended. | | (148290) | 59
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the anti-malarial treatment mefloquine hydrochloride has been issued to UK forces serving in Iraq. | | (148291) | 60
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Coalition forces in Iraq have common rules of engagement. | | (148292) | 61
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK troops have been evacuated from Iraq for treatment of medical problems not related to wounds or injuries. | | (148293) | 62
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what statistical data his Department collates on the rate of marital break-up amongst forces personnel. | | (148150) | 63
| Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will review the disabled pension paid to ex-Naval servicemen suffering lung problems resulting from asbestos insulation in ships. | | (147851) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 64
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 149W, on relationship managers, which authorities rated as weak in 2002 are involved in the on-going discussions with his Department over arrangements to accept assistance from his Department on a voluntary basis. | | (148072) | 65
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 149W, on relationship managers, what assessment was made of Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council's corporate capacity to improve; and what the outcome was of that assessment. | | (148073) | 66
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 149W, on relationship managers, what discussions have taken place with Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council following the comprehensive performance assessment; and whether he will appoint a relationship manager to improve Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council services. | | (148074) | 67
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 149W, on relationship managers, what criteria he used to distinguish between councils rated as weak in 2002 when considering the appointment of lead officials to work with councils. | | (148075) | 68
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on progress since the announcement of the (a) Milton Keynes, (b) Ashford and (c) Stansted Corridor Sustainable Communities; how much public money has been spent; how much private sector capital has been committed; how much land has been acquired; how much land will be acquired; and over what timescale. | | (148203) | 69
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many houses have been built under plans for the development of the (a) Milton Keynes, (b) Ashford and (c) Stansted Corridor Sustainable Communities; how many are social housing; how many houses will be built; and how many will be social housing. | | (148204) | 70
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which Government departments are involved in plans for the development of the (a) Milton Keynes, (b) Ashford and (c) Stansted Corridor Sustainable Communities; and what committments they have made. | | (148205) | 71
| Mr Tony Colman (Putney):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the recently announced proposals to free up land for development relate purely to councils blocking applications for housing schemes in conservation areas; and whether they apply to single dwelling developments in the curtilage of other single dwellings in conservation areas. | | (147887) | 72
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many council houses were sold in each year since 1980; and how many houses were left in local authority ownership each year. | | (148279) | 73
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148026) | 74
| Mr Michael Foster (Worcester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what asssessment he has made of the report by Professors Blanchflower and Oswald on Calculating an Appropriate Regional Funding Adjustment for Worcestershire, commissioned by Worcestershire County Council; and if he will make a statement. | | (148037) | 75
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many planning applications for housing in Chorley have been approved in each of the last five years. | | (148223) | 76
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much land has been allocated for the next 10 years for new housing in Chorley. | | (148224) | 77
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what account planning authorities in England are required to take of (a) written departmental guidelines circulated to them and (b) ministerial speeches in Parliament. | | (147970) | 78
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what guidance he has provided to local authorities on the incorporation of estimates for climate change into the definition of floodplain for planning purposes. | | (148281) | 79
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how and by which department housing benefit in respect of tenants whose properties (a) are managed by arm's length management organisations, (b) have been the subject of large-scale voluntary transfers and (c) are council owned is paid; for what reasons they are not all paid on the same basis as the social security fund; and what the effect of the method of funding is on central government housing allocations to each type of operator. | | (148065) | 80
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether his policy of requiring councils to submit proposals for disposing of their housing stock by July 2005 applies to (a) all councils and (b) only those councils unable to meet decent housing targets; how many councils have so far had applications for disposal of their housing stock accepted; what steps he is taking to ensure that the rest apply; how many proposals have been rejected by tenants' ballots; and how local authorities whose tenants reject proposals in ballots are to be helped to reach the decent housing targets. | | (148066) | 81
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he intends to take to ensure that council tenants are given information on the case for and against the large scale voluntary transfer of council housing proposed by North East Lincolnshire Council. | | (148067) | 82
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how he intends to ensure that his undertaking to London council tenants on 27th November 2003 regarding the information to be given to tenants about the implications of stock transfer or the creation of arm's length management organisations is implemented in the light of the decision by Mr Justice Munby in case CO/6212/2003. | | (148068) | 83
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in his Department in the last 12 months. | | (147977) | 84
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many properties are in receipt of council tax disabled band reductions. | | (147973) | 85
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many properties he estimates will be affected by the judgement in the High Court Case R (Sandwell MBC) v Perks and the West Midlands (West) Valuation Tribunal (2003) EWH 1749 Admin; and if he will make a statement. | | (147974) | 86
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make available supplementary funding to local authorities which incur expenditure as a consequence of the judgement in the High Court Case R (Sandwell MBC) v Perks and the West Midlands (West) Valuation Tribunal (2003) EWH 1749 Admin. | | (147975) | 87
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what representations he has received from Leicester City Council concerning the proposed local government settlement for Leicester in 2004-05. | | (148206) | 88
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much additional money Leicester City Council has received from his Department in each year since 1997. | | (148207) | 89
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he last met representatives of the mobile phone industry to discuss siting of phone masts. | | (148208) | 90
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will raise the single person discount on council tax for single pensioners from 25 per cent.; and if he will make a statement. | | (148231) | 91
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to reduce the number of older people receiving court summonses for non-payment of council tax, with particular reference to cases where they were entitled to full council tax benefit and the only reason for the arrears was the delay in processing their claim. | | (148232) | 92
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research his Department has commissioned on the impact upon pensioners of the revaluation of properties in England in 2007; and if he will make a statement. | | (148235) | 93
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assistance is available for repairing structurally unfit houses owned by the (a) elderly and (b) disabled; and if he will make a statement. | | (148236) | 94
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on how older people are involved in planning for housing strategies; and if he will make a statement. | | (148237) | 95
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what progress has been made on national coverage of home improvement agencies (HIAs); how this progress measures against the Government's targets for HIAs; and if he will make a statement. | | (148238) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 96
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans his Department has to assist in making broadband available to an educational institution available to the wider community. | | (147916) | 97
N | Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much his Department has spent on the recent research conducted by Jigsaw Research into what customers think of the quality of the Department's replies to letters. | | (147413) | 98
N | Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the budget for the teaching of A-Levels and equivalent academic courses in sixth-form colleges was in each year since 1996-97; and what the budget is for 2005-06. | | (147414) | 99
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148019) | 100
| Linda Gilroy (Plymouth, Sutton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the (a) Plymouth, Sutton constituency, (b) Plymouth, Devonport constituency and (c) South West Devon constituency, the effects on (i) Plymouth Travel to Work area and (ii) Plymouth Unitary Authority area of his Department's policies and actions in (A) 2001, (B) 2002 and (C) 2003. | | (147924) | 101
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the annual budget is for the Sure Start Childcare and Early Years magazine. | | (147929) | 102
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the provision of school meals by Lancashire County Council; and how many meals are served each day in (a) high schools and (b) primary schools (i) in Lancashire and (ii) in each Lancashire district. | | (148225) | 103
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many Lancashire schools have applied for specialist status; and how many were succesful. | | (148226) | 104
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the income levels will be at which students will qualify for the receipt of university bursaries. | | (148209) | 105
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his policy is on the indexation of family income levels at which students will qualify to receive (a) grants and fee remission and (b) university bursaries. | | (148210) | 106
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many classroom assistants were employed in schools in Warrington North (a) in 1997 and (b) at the last date for which figures are available. | | (148255) | 107
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147904) | 108
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children aged (a) three to six months and (b) six months to one year entered local authority care in the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (147911) | 109
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much of the total sum of new funding that the Government believes universities in England require is required by universities in (a) the South East region and (b) London. | | (148033) | 110
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much of the total sum of new funding that the Government believes universities in England require is required by universities in the North West region. | | (148034) | 111
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many exclusions from English primary schools there were in the last three years. | | (148045) | 112
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students in England attended further education classes in (a) plumbing and (b) plumbing-related crafts in each of the last three years. | | (148046) | 113
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much of the total sum of new funding that the Government believes universities in England require is required for (a) physical science, (b) arts and (c) social science courses. | | (148047) | 114
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which local education authorities have made representations to ministers in his Department about school funding since October 2003. | | (148048) | 115
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what records the Government keeps on the causes for school exclusions; and whether it lists them by category. | | (148095) | 116
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research his Department has commissioned on bullying in schools. | | (148102) | 117
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what data his Department collates on bullying in schools. | | (148103) | 118
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) short-term, (b) long- term and (c) permanent exclusions there were from English secondary schools for the last three years. | | (148104) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 119
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to her Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148032) | 120
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a veterinary inspection and certification is necessary prior to the issue of a horse passport. | | (147945) | 121
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when it will become an offence not to have a passport for all equines. | | (147946) | 122
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the horse passport regulations apply to the wild horses on Bodmin Moor. | | (147947) | 123
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to change the requirement for veterinary certification on horse passports. | | (147948) | 124
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the flood defence works in the Chorley constituency; how many contracts have been let in connection with it; and what the value of the contracts is. | | (148227) | 125
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):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) Chorley and (b) Lancashire; and if she will make a statement. | | (148228) | 126
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to change the minimum one in 75 year flood standard issued by the Government. | | (148280) | 127
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Environment Agency will publish maps showing the climate change zone in relation to the one in 100 year floodplain. | | (148282) | 128
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Environment Agency will publish policies on the incorporation of climate change calculation into the determination of floodplain. | | (148283) | 129
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the results of the work commissioned by the Environment Agency to model the impact of a one in 100 + 20 per cent. flood on the River Thames will be available. | | (148284) | 130
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) her Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147908) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 131
| Mr Michael Connarty (Falkirk East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made on the need for sunset clauses on legislative proposals brought forward by the European Commission. | | (147918) | 132
| Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions have been held with representatives of (a) the UN, (b) the Government of Morocco and (c) the Polisario concerning the future government of the Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement. | | (148299) | 133
| Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what monitoring of the upholding of human rights in the conflict zones of the Congo is undertaken by United Kingdom representatives; and if he will make a statement. | | (148300) | 134
| Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what involvement the Government's representative had in promoting acceptance of the Boundary Commission Report on the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea; and if he will make a statement. | | (148301) | 135
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148023) | 136
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on Hong Kong. | | (148229) | 137
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on (a) St Helena and (b) Tristan da Cunha. | | (148230) | 138
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the estimated (a) number and (b) percentage is of the populations of (i) Bosnia Herzegovina and (ii) Kosovo who have visa-free access to European Union countries by virtue of their Croatian passports or citizenship is; and if he will make a statement. | | (147734) | 139
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the US Administration about the introduction of visa charges for British citizens who visit the United States of America. | | (148154) | 140
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to introduce visa charges for US citizens who wish to visit the United Kingdom. | | (148155) | 141
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to visit Ghana. | | (148156) | 142
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that Ghana adheres to international standards on human rights. | | (148157) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 143
| Mr Harry Barnes (North East Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many complaints the Health Service Ombudsman has received about general practitioners removing patients from their practice lists in each of the past five years; how many of these complaints led to investigations; how many investigations led to criticisms of the general practitioners' decisions; and how many patients have then been reinstated onto the lists of the general practitioners concerned. | | (148152) | 144
| Mr Harry Barnes (North East Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will review Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 9 of the NHS (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1994 to assess whether the terms of service for doctors need to be revised to give patients better safeguards over having their names removed from general practitioners' lists; and if he will make a statement. | | (148153) | 145
| Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of the South East Surrey and North West Sussex Health Services Review (Bagnall Review) which began in February 2001. | | (147971) | 146
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the vacancy (a) rates and (b) numbers for histopathology in (i) England and (ii) each region in each year since 1997. | | (147932) | 147
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library copies of the preparatory materials submitted by the National Health Service trusts seeking the Secretary of State's support for an application for NHS foundation trust status. | | (147933) | 148
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the vacancy (a) rates and (b) numbers for NHS ambulance staff, broken down by grade, in (i) England and (ii) each ambulance service in each of the last six years. | | (147934) | 149
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many ambulance staff have been employed in the NHS in (a) England and (b) each ambulance service for each of the last six years, broken down by grade. | | (147935) | 150
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, columns 203-4W, on patients' forums, how many applications were made for membership of each patients' forum; and how many members each has. | | (147951) | 151
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 203W, on nurse recruitment, if he will list the countries from which his Department has received written representations regarding the recruitment of nurses; and if he will make a statement. | | (148050) | 152
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library a copy of the scoping study on less invasive approaches to post mortem examination referred to on the Chief Medical Officer's webpage. | | (148245) | 153
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects his Department to undertake a follow-up survey on NHS bereavement services as outlined on the Chief Medical Officer's webpage. | | (148246) | 154
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of the Department's survey of the scale and scope of NHS bereavement services. | | (148247) | 155
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of the computer contract signed between his Department and BT; what the contract covers; what time period is covered by the contract; whether this technology will be available to help the roll-out of broadband in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. | | (147917) | 156
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many incidents of skin cancer there have been in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made (a) to determine the causes of skin cancer and (b) to determine the action needed to reduce the incidence of skin cancer. | | (147936) | 157
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many incidents of lung and cervical cancer there were in the North West in each of the last five years; and what action has been taken in the North West (a) to prevent cancer, (b) to inform the public about the causes of cancer, (c) to provide equipment and services to treat cancer and (d) to provide palliative care for patients who are terminally ill. | | (147937) | 158
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the projects and their associated funding arising from the Merseyside Health Action Zone (MHAZ) since 1997; what the total amount allocated to MHAZ is; and how many administrative posts are required to administer the funding. | | (147938) | 159
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether contact lens wearers are at risk, when washing their face with tap water, of developing a serious eye infection caused by the water borne amoeba acanthamoeba keratitis; and what is being done to reduce the incidence of acanthamoeba keratitis in tap water. | | (147939) | 160
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress is being made towards the introduction of a meningitis B vaccine. | | (148274) | 161
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has commissioned into cannabis use and schizophrenia. | | (148275) | 162
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will clarify the National Institute for Clinical Excellence advice on the provision of medicines to those patients diagnosed with osteoporosis. | | (148276) | 163
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148020) | 164
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Food in Schools programme announced by his Department on 30th December 2003 is linked to the Food in Schools programme announced by his Department in April 2001; and what the differences are between the programmes announced on those dates. | | (147928) | 165
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding he has provided for (a) the Weight Wise website and (b) Weight Concern's toolkit on obesity. | | (147931) | 166
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has reviewed his policy in the light of the Health Service Ombudsman's report on long-term care. | | (147962) | 167
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 18th December 2003, Official Report, column 1124W, on healthy living centres, what funding he is providing for centres (a) providing activities covering diet and nutrition and (b) offering physical and sporting activities. | | (148039) | 168
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much ear marked funding has been provided to (a) Lancashire County Council and (b) district councils in Lancashire for (i) older people's services and (ii) adults with learning disabilities in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (147855) | 169
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with dementia were in residential care in Lancashire in the last year for which figures are available; and how many people were funded by the NHS. | | (147856) | 170
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses work in the (i) Preston and (ii) Chorley hospitals; and what the pay costs were for each of the last three years. | | (147857) | 171
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of (a) doctors and (b) nurses were agency staff in (i) Preston and (ii) Chorley hospitals in each of the last three years. | | (147858) | 172
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the impact population growth will have on Chorley and South Ribble primary care trust; and what extra monies will be made available. | | (148214) | 173
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what extra staff and funding at Chorley Hospital he plans to make available to meet population growth in Chorley. | | (148215) | 174
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the impact that population growth in Chorley will have on Chorley Hospital. | | (148216) | 175
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions have taken place between the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service and the Greater Manchester Ambulance Service on improving (a) the handling of 999 calls and (b) other matters relating to ambulance services. | | (148252) | 176
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times in the past six months ambulance services have had 999 calls passed to them by BT operators who were unable to connect calls to the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service. | | (148253) | 177
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions have taken place between BT and the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service since November on improving the handling of 999 calls. | | (148254) | 178
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what basis the Department decided during the joint Department of Health and Medical Research Council's review in 2002 of current and future research on diabetes not to make a comparison of clinical outcomes, mortality and complications between the use of animal insulin and human insulin. | | (148049) | 179
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147906) | 180
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason there is no centre for information, screening and support on haemoglobinopathy in Havering. | | (147892) | 181
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason Havering Council does not provide services for sickle cell and thalassaemia support groups. | | (147893) | 182
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Government plans to increase awareness of sickle cell and thalassaemia. | | (147894) | 183
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Government plans to increase community support networks and facilities for sickle cell and thalassaemia sufferers and their families. | | (147895) | 184
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what preparations are being made for the Government's health plan on the Haemoglobinopathy Screening Programme for pregnant women and neonates. | | (147896) | 185
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Government plans to address the change in the numbers of sickle cell and thalassaemia sufferers travelling to inner London hospitals to seek medical attention. | | (147897) | 186
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason there is no integrated comprehensive network care for sickle cell and thalassaemia sufferers in Havering. | | (147898) | 187
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, where the special designated team to implement the Haemoglobinopathy Screening Programme is based. | | (147899) | 188
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will reply to the letter of 28th August from the honourable Member for Northavon (his reference PO1035359) regarding vitamin B17. | | (147956) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 189
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department issued a passport to a Mr Boris Berezovsky, in the name of Mr Platon Yelenin; and if he will make a statement. | | (147919) | 190
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) men and (b) women who had entered the United Kingdom from Somalia and who were refused the right to remain were removed from the United Kingdom during 2003. | | (148069) | 191
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many young people up to 16 years were allowed to enter the United Kingdom from Somalia during 2003. | | (148070) | 192
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) men and (b) women were allowed to enter the United Kingdom as political or religious refugees from Somalia during 2003. | | (148071) | 193
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many induction centres for asylum seekers there are in the UK; and how many asylum seekers have been processed by induction centres since they opened. | | (147861) | 194
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many induction centres for asylum seekers the Government plans to open; when they will open; and where. | | (147862) | 195
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers he expects will be processed by each induction centre; and what the expected cost is of each centre. | | (147863) | 196
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the difference is between an induction centre and a detention centre; and if he will list those centres which are both induction and detention centres. | | (147864) | 197
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of drivers failed a breath test during December in each year since 1997. | | (147925) | 198
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many breath tests were taken by drivers in each year since 1997; and how many accidents were caused by drunk drivers in each year since 1997. | | (147926) | 199
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the details held on an asylum seeker include the region of the country from which they arise. | | (148021) | 200
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were removed from the UK in each month since January 2002; how many of these were part of the voluntary assisted return programme; to what countries individuals were returned; and how long they had been present in the UK before their repatriation. | | (148040) | 201
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what further research has been conducted since July 2002 on why asylum seekers seek asylum in Britain rather than elsewhere; on what size of sample such research was based; and from which countries the participants originated. | | (148041) | 202
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of asylum seekers reached the UK in 2003 (a) as a result of illegal people-smuggling operations conducted by criminal gangs and (b) because they held false documentation. | | (148042) | 203
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what evidence he has collated of links between the change in the number of asylum seekers and people traffickers. | | (148043) | 204
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where the individuals who participated in the International Organisation for Migration voluntary assisted return programme returned to. | | (148044) | 205
N | Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the weekly cost of keeping a prisoner in prison was in the last year for which figures are available. | | (147412) | 206
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148024) | 207
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many murders were (a) committed and (b) solved in Lancashire in each of the last five years. | | (148211) | 208
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the Forensic Science Service is contracted out to private operators in (a) Lancashire, (b) Cumbria, (c) Cheshire, (d) Greater Manchester, (e) Merseyside and (f) North Wales in 2003-04. | | (148212) | 209
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the case for private finance initiative for the Forensic Science Service to upgrade its laboratories. | | (148213) | 210
N | Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the reasons why the Somerset Drugs Service has stopped providing drug rehabilitation support for drug addicts in the Yeovil constituency other than for pregnant women and suicide risks; and what assessment he has made of the effects of this decision on levels of crime. | | (147416) | 211
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147976) | 212
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what amnesties in the form of permission to stay have been offered to people who entered the country illegally during the last 15 years; and when. | | (148148) | 213
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data the Government collates on the average annual number of crimes committed as a result of road rage incidents. | | (148149) | 214
| Mr Simon Thomas (Ceredigion):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the visiting hours and days were for each prison in April in each year since 1997; and what the visiting hours and days will be for each prison in April 2004. | | (147950) | 215
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason he is planning to levy a surcharge on those coming to the UK (a) for higher education and (b) to take up employment; what windfall gain this charge is intended to engender; and what his Department means by the term over cost. | | (148161) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 216
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs about the effectiveness of humanitarian intervention in Ituri. | | (148076) | 217
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the United Nations about the planned joint assessment of the humanitarian situation in Ituri, referred to in his written Answer of 22nd May 2003 to the honourable Member for Meriden. | | (148077) | 218
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the most recent discussions he has had with the governments of (a) Rwanda and (b) Uganda concerning their involvement in the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo. | | (148078) | 219
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of workers distributing aid funded by his Department in (a) Baghdad, (b) Basra and (c) elsewhere in Iraq, with particular reference to women aid workers. | | (148079) | 220
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many monitors and overseers the United Kingdom will send to witness and report on whether the forthcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are (a) free and (b) fair. | | (148081) | 221
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what action he will (a) take unilaterally and (b) propose at multilateral level in response to the publication of the UN Commission report on the misuse of the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. | | (148082) | 222
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to meet the Millennium Development goals to reduce the level of maternal mortality in developing countries. | | (148083) | 223
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the working paper from the International Monetary Fund on the effect of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative upon Africa's poorest nations. | | (148084) | 224
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the number of people suffering from learning disabilities in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. | | (148085) | 225
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the level was of the UK contribution to the UN Oil for Food programme in Iraq. | | (148086) | 226
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures are being taken by (a) the UK and (b) the UK with others to prevent food shortages in Iraq. | | (148087) | 227
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much money has been given by his Department in each of the last six years (a) for medicines to fight malaria and (b) to research into affordable anti-malaria medicines. | | (148088) | 228
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Sierra Leone and its impact on the provision of humanitarian aid. | | (148089) | 229
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the extent of the food shortage in Ethiopia (a) in absolute terms and (b) by comparison with December 2002; and what measures are being taken to improve the situation. | | (148090) | 230
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the level of political stability in Sudan. | | (148091) | 231
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of (a) the level and (b) the geographical distribution of food shortages in Zimbabwe. | | (148092) | 232
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the extent of political abuse by the Zimbabwe Government of food aid provided by his Department. | | (148093) | 233
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment has been made of the availability of medical supplies in Iraq. | | (148094) | 234
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the levels of equipment at (a) the teaching hospital in Basra and (b) the Nuclear Medicines Hospital. | | (148096) | 235
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the security situation in Iraq. | | (148097) | 236
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the level of food shortages in Iraq. | | (148098) | 237
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the security situation in Afghanistan and its effect on (a) the provision of humanitarian aid and (b) national reconstruction. | | (148100) | 238
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much money has been allocated by his Department to Afghanistan in each of the last three years; and how much has been pledged for (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. | | (148101) | 239
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment has been made of the supply of (a) clean water, (b) sanitation and (c) electricity in Iraq. | | (148105) | 240
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of (a) the supply of clean water, (b) sanitation and (c) electricity supply in Liberia. | | (148106) | 241
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the security situation in Liberia and its impact on humanitarian relief. | | (148107) | 242
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the levels of (a) food, (b) shelter and (c) medicine for the people of Liberia. | | (148108) | 243
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with non-governmental organisations which have withdrawn from Iraq about the prospects of a safe return to the country to continue with humanitarian work. | | (148109) | 244
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans he has to visit Burundi. | | (148110) | 245
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many of the international secondments to Afghanistan from his Department in each of the last two years have been of women. | | (148111) | 246
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many international secondments of officials from his Department have been made to Afghanistan in each of the last two years; and if he will list their responsibilities. | | (148112) | 247
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made of the breakdown between public sector finance and private sector finance towards the costs of delivering the millennium development goals in sub-Saharan Africa. | | (148113) | 248
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made of the number of people in the world living on (a) less than one dollar a day, (b) between one and two dollars a day and (c) between two and five dollars a day. | | (148114) | 249
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the extent of the clearing of landmines in Afghanistan in each of the last two years; and what the contribution of the United Kingdom has been. | | (148115) | 250
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Burundi. | | (148116) | 251
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people have been prosecuted for breaches of human rights in Burundi since January 1994. | | (148117) | 252
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the quality of the auditing of the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project. | | (148118) | 253
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total financial contribution made by the United Kingdom is for the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project. | | (148119) | 254
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent estimate he has made of the number of displaced Burmese people; and how many of them are in refugee camps. | | (148120) | 255
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much money is being provided by his Department to tackle the problem of street children in Russia in 2003-04. | | (148121) | 256
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the millennium development goals in Liberia. | | (148122) | 257
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent estimate he has made of the (a) level and (b) geographical distribution of food shortages in Tanzania. | | (148123) | 258
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of (a) the level and (b) the effectiveness of humanitarian aid in Southern Sudan. | | (148124) | 259
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many international secondments have been made by his Department to Sudan in each of the last three years; and if he will list their responsibilities. | | (148125) | 260
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with representatives of Amnesty International about the level and nature of human rights abuses in (a) Sudan and (b) Burma. | | (148126) | 261
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with Amnesty International about (a) the level and (b) the nature of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. | | (148127) | 262
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of how much food aid is reaching the people of Zimbabwe. | | (148128) | 263
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many street children there are in (a) Asia, (b) Africa, (c) Latin America, the Caribbean and the overseas territories and (d) the Middle East. | | (148129) | 264
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many street children he estimates there are in each country of Asia. | | (148130) | 265
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much money has been provided by his Department in each of the last six years to tackle the problem of street children in Asia; what proportion of the money has been spent by whom; and with what results. | | (148131) | 266
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on progress towards the target of an increase in the proportion of births assisted by skilled birth attendants from 39 per cent. to 57 per cent. in key countries in Asia, with particular reference to Bangladesh and Pakistan. | | (148132) | 267
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on progress towards the target of a reduction in under five mortality rates for girls and boys from 92 per 1,000 live births to 68 per 1,000 in four key countries in Asia, with particular reference to India. | | (148133) | 268
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on progress towards the target of an increase in the ratio of girls to boys enrolled in primary school from 87 per cent. to 94 per cent. in four key countries in Asia, with particular reference to (a) Pakistan and (b) India. | | (148134) | 269
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on progress towards the target of an increase in gross primary school enrolment from 95 per cent. to 100 per cent. in four key countries in Asia. | | (148135) | 270
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on progress in Africa towards a reduction in the proportion of 15 to 24 year old pregnant women with HIV from 16 per cent. | | (148136) | 271
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what further action he proposes to take to help to achieve an increase in the proportion of births assisted by skilled birth attendants from 49 per cent. to 67 per cent. | | (148137) | 272
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what further action he proposes to take to help to achieve the goal in Africa of a reduction in under 5 mortality rates for girls and boys from 158 per 1,000 live births to 139. | | (148138) | 273
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what further action he proposes to take to secure a sustainable reduction in the proportion of people living in poverty in Africa. | | (148139) | 274
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on progress towards the target of a sustainable reduction in the proportion of people living in poverty from 15 per cent. to 10 per cent. in East Asia and the Pacific. | | (148140) | 275
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on progress towards the target of a sustainable reduction in the proportion of people living in poverty from 40 per cent. to 32 per cent. in South Asia. | | (148141) | 276
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many countries he expects to reach completion point for the purposes of debt relief by the end of 2004. | | (148142) | 277
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the cost will be to public funds of the UK achieving the agreed EU target of aid amounting to 0.39 per cent. of GNI. | | (148143) | 278
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to advance the target of an increase in the proportion of the Department's low-risk bilateral projects evaluated as successful. | | (148144) | 279
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the extent of the use of child soldiers in (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo, (b) Burundi, (c) Rwanda and (d) Uganda. | | (148163) | 280
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will arrange for discussions with the Iraqi Provisional Authority about the supply in that country of safe, legal abortion services; whether his Department is prepared to contribute funding specifically for this purpose; and if he will make a statement. | | (147909) | 281
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much development aid has been provided to Ethiopia in each of the last three years. | | (148278) | 282
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148027) | 283
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in his Department in the last 12 months. | | (147980) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 284
N | David Burnside (South Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he will publish the Costello report on the future selection and transfer procedure between primary and secondary education in Northern Ireland. | | (147234) | 285
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148029) | 286
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147988) | Questions to the Prime Minister 287
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Prime Minister, when the guidance on the use of Government buildings for party political purposes was last updated. | | (148058) | 288
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Prime Minister, what measures are taken by his officials to enforce the rules regulating the party political use of Government buildings; and how many times they have been breached since 1997. | | (148059) | 289
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the rules regarding the use of party political advertising material in Government buildings. | | (148160) | 290
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions he has had in connection with the Thames Gateway Communities plans regarding (a) the Crossrail Project and (b) a new Thames road crossing. | | (148200) | 291
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Prime Minister, which Government departments are involved in plans for the development of the Thames Gateway communities; and what commitments have been made. | | (148202) | 292
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Prime Minister, when he last met the Chair of the House of Lords Appointment Commission to discuss its work. | | (147959) | 293
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 18th December, Official Report, column 1076W, on People's Peers, whether he is now in a position to invite the House of Lords Appointments Commission to recommend names for the second round of People's Peers. | | (147961) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 294
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in his Department in the last 12 months. | | (147981) | Questions to the Solicitor General 295
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Solicitor General, what youth matters she has considered recently. | | (148038) | 296
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Solicitor General, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) the Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147986) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 297
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent discussions she has had with BT on reducing the trigger numbers required to roll out broadband in smaller market towns. | | (147914) | 298
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action the Department is taking to ensure that broadband is made available more widely to the rural community. | | (147915) | 299
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action her Department is taking to ensure that the national electricity grid is able to cope in the winter months. | | (148268) | 300
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the cost to her Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148028) | 301
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 7th January, Official Report, column 380W, on Posting of Workers Directive, what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the wages and conditions enjoyed by migrant workers in the UK under the Posting of Workers Directive compared to permanent British workers. | | (148036) | 302
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on breaches of the Working Time Directive in the UK, with particular reference to (i) compulsory signing of opt-outs, (ii) pressure on staff to sign opt-outs, (iii) workplaces where the law is ignored, (iv) staff illegally asked to opt-out of their rights to rest breaks and night work limits and (v) sending new staff opt-in and opt-out forms; and if she will make a statement. | | (148052) | 303
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the value to UK (a) employers and (b) employees of the UK allowing an opt-out to the Working Time Directive. | | (148053) | 304
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many state aid applications were received in each of the last five years, broken down by region; how many were allowed in each case; and how many are awaiting decisions. | | (147859) | 305
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on technology transfer agreements. | | (147860) | 306
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent discussions she has had with the United States on steel tariffs on United Kingdom steel exports. | | (148217) | 307
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the volume of United Kingdom trade has been with (a) Singapore, (b) Thailand, (c) Malaysia, (d) Vietnam, (e) Cambodia and (f) Laos in each of the last five years. | | (148218) | 308
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many manufacturing jobs have been created in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each of the last three years. | | (148219) | 309
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) her Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147907) | 310
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the total budget of her Department was in each year since 1992, broken down by department. | | (148170) | 311
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people were employed by her Department in each year since 1992, broken down by department. | | (148171) | 312
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of business link organisations; and what plans she has to change these schemes. | | (148172) | 313
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much money has been spent investigating companies suspected of broken the rules on the minimum wage in each year since its introduction. | | (148173) | 314
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of (a) total employees, (b) female employees and (c) male employees in the UK worked an average of more than 48 hours per week in the last year for which figures are available. | | (148174) | 315
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with representatives of the cheese industry about the impact of the weakening dollar on the exports of UK-produced cheese; and if she will make a statement. | | (148175) | 316
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the productivity of UK companies has been, broken down by sector, in each quarter since 1997. | | (148176) | 317
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the productivity of UK companies with a turnover of (a) less than £1 million, (b) £1-20 million, (c) £20-50 million, (d) £50-100 million and (e) more than £100 million has been in each quarter since 1997. | | (148177) | 318
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the profitability of UK companies has been, broken down by sector, in each quarter since 1997. | | (148179) | 319
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what new (a) products, (b) services and (c) processes have been developed by firms benefiting from the introduction of research and development tax credits in each year since their introduction. | | (148183) | 320
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much money has been spent on research and development tax credits in each quarter since their introduction. | | (148184) | 321
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many companies have benefited from research and development tax credits in each quarter since their introduction. | | (148185) | 322
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what effect Business Link has had on (a) the overall productivity of UK businesses, (b) reducing disparities in regional productivity, (c) the overall profitability of UK businesses, (d) UK business investment and (e) levels of private sector employment in the UK. | | (148186) | 323
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people were in (a) public and (b) private sector employment, broken down by (i) salary and (ii) employment type for each of the last ten years. | | (148187) | 324
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people have been employed in (a) the public and (b) the private sector in each quarter over the last ten years. | | (148188) | 325
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many businesses have been helped by each regional development agency; what the average sum of money received by these businesses is; how many of the businesses helped are still operating; and how many of these businesses have increased their profitability. | | (148189) | 326
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many businesses have been helped by each of the UK business link organisations; what the average sum of money received by these businesses is; how many of the businesses helped are still operating; and how many of those businesses have increased their profitability. | | (148190) | 327
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much has been spent by each of the regional development agencies in each year since their formation. | | (148191) | 328
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what criteria are used to measure the (a) success and (b) effectiveness of regional development agencies. | | (148192) | 329
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the business support schemes being operated by the Government. | | (148193) | 330
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many days have been lost to strike action in each month since January 1997. | | (148194) | 331
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what procedures are in place to ensure the accountability of business link organisations. | | (148195) | 332
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many staff have been employed by each business link organisation in each year since their formation; and if she will break the figures down by salary band. | | (148196) | 333
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many business link organisations are in operation; and how much money was spent by each of them in each year since their formation. | | (148197) | 334
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what criteria are used to measure the (a) success and (b) effectiveness of business link organisations. | | (148198) | 335
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what amounts were paid to (a) firms of solicitors and (b) the Union of Democratic Mineworkers for cases undertaken under the miners' compensation schemes in 2003. | | (148286) | 336
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the terms of the arrangements agreed are between her Department and the Union of Democratic Mineworkers with regard to the union's subsidiary company established to process claims under the miners' compensation scheme. | | (148287) | 337
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether her Department has made representations to the Union of Democratic Mineworkers about the union's policy on charging legal fees for processing miners' compensation claims. | | (148288) | 338
| Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, to which organisations her Department wrote in December 2003 in relation to legal fees in the Miners' Compensation Scheme; and if she will publish the texts of the letters. | | (148289) | 339
| John Robertson (Glasgow Anniesland):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps her Department is taking to encourage more employers to frame a formal policy on bullying and harassment in the workplace. | | (147901) | 340
| John Robertson (Glasgow Anniesland):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to improve the support available for employees who face bullying or harassment at work. | | (147902) | 341
| John Robertson (Glasgow Anniesland):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of current Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service guidance relating to bullying and harassment in the workplace. | | (147903) | 342
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she last met the chief executives of (a) O2 and (b) Orange. | | (148159) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 343
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) households and (b) electors live within the possible new Edinburgh airport boundary as outlined in the Aviation White Paper. | | (147900) | 344
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on his plans to work with the Office of Fair Trading to clarify the position on the ability of bus companies and local authorities to offer through ticketing arrangements permitting cross-boundary travel by encouraging reciprocal arrangements. | | (148277) | 345
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148031) | 346
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what tax advantages are available for liquid natural gas vehicles. | | (147940) | 347
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles using liquid natural gas benefited from tax advantages in the last year for which figures are available; and how many were (a) cars and (b) vans. | | (147941) | 348
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what Government grants are available to convert petrol cars to liquid natural gas; what the take-up has been in the current financial year; and how much is available for the remainder of the financial year. | | (147942) | 349
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement about the Central Railway project. | | (148146) | 350
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much investment there was in transport in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each of the last five years. | | (148220) | 351
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the merits of introduction of insurance discs. | | (148221) | 352
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money will be spent on the M6 (a) maintenance and (b) upgrading in (i) Lancashire, (ii) Cheshire and (iii) Staffordshire in each of the next five years; and how many miles of the M6 motorway will be affected in each of the counties. | | (148222) | 353
N | Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles have been stopped for roadside checks by the Vehicles Inspectorate in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many (a) were found to have vehicle faults and (b) were motor cars or other non-commercial vehicles. | | (147235) | 354
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147979) | 355
| Anne Picking (East Lothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what action the Strategic Rail Authority is taking with regard to the withdrawal of rolling stock from the North Berwick-Edinburgh commuter line when the current refurbished units are returned to WAGN at the end of March. | | (147992) | 356
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what routes passengers will be able to travel from Manchester to Waterloo to connect with the Eurostar following the withdrawal of existing services; and whether the Newport to Waterloo service will be withdrawn in May. | | (147969) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 357
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in his Department in the last 12 months. | | (147905) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 358
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice he is offering to local authority social services departments on direct payments with a view to encouraging each authority to adopt a clear strategy on take-up. | | (148272) | 359
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to re-consider the upper limit on the Independent Living Fund; and what implications this has for clients in need of highly complex care packages. | | (148273) | 360
N | Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the reasons for differences between the figures in table 5 of his Department's Benefit Expenditure Tables and the estimates for social security benefit expenditure provided in table B13 of the Pre-Budget Report. | | (147415) | 361
| Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. | | (148022) | 362
N | Mike Gapes (Ilford South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of people eligible for winter fuel payments for 2003 received their payments by (a) 1st December 2003 and (b) 1st January; and if he will make a statement. | | (147476) | 363
N | Mike Gapes (Ilford South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of people eligible for winter fuel payments for 2003 have received their payments; and if he will make a statement. | | (147477) | 364
N | Mike Gapes (Ilford South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps have been taken to ensure that all people eligible for winter fuel payments for 2003 have received their payments; and if he will make a statement. | | (147478) | 365
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, why there is a separate form for declaring an industrial injury from that for claiming industrial injury disablement benefit. | | (147943) | 366
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the procedures are for claiming industrial injury disablement benefit; and if he will list the claim forms required. | | (147944) | 367
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been convicted of benefit fraud twice within three years since 1997; how many of these have had their benefit (a) reduced and (b) withdrawn; and if he will make a statement. | | (148242) | 368
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have gained sustained, unsubsidised employment on (a) their first time, (b) their second time and (c) their third or more time on the New Deal for Young People programme; what these figures represent as a proportion of the total number gaining sustained unsubsidised employment on the programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (148243) | 369
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have gained sustained, unsubsidised employment on (a) their first time, (b) their second time and (c) their third or more time on the New Deal 25plus programme; what these figures represent as a proportion of the total number gaining sustained unsubsidised employment on the programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (148244) | 370
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average increase in income has been for pensioners in Warrington North since the introduction of the minimum income guarantee. | | (148249) | 371
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Warrington North have (a) applied for and (b) been awarded the pension credit; and what the average increase in income is per pensioner. | | (148250) | 372
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount spent on pension credit in Warrington North constituency has been since its introduction. | | (148251) | 373
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) departmental agencies in the last 12 months. | | (147983) | 374
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the £40 million allocated to Progress2Work has been spent. | | (147910) | 375
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average cost is of each Progress2Work participant who has been found sustained employment. | | (147912) | 376
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of participants in Progress2Work have been placed in sustained employment. | | (147913) | 377
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when Jobcentre Plus expects to complete its New Deal for Young People unit cost model. | | (147930) | 378
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have taken part in the New Deal for Musicians in each year of the programme's existence. | | (147952) | 379
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) his Department and (b) JobCentrePlus are employed in administering the New Deal for Musicians. | | (147953) | 380
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been placed in sustainable employment by the New Deal for Musicians; and what percentage that represents of the total number of people taking part in the programme. | | (147954) | 381
| Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the annual cost is of the New Deal for Musicians (a) this year and (b) for each year of the programme's existence. | | (147955) | 382
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many serious accidents have been recorded on construction sites in the last 10 years. | | (148147) | 383
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to give the Pension Service overall responsibility for raising the take-up of council tax benefit in partnership with organisations working directly with pensioners; and if he will make a statement. | | (148240) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 384
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the change in the level of unemployment in the Warrington North constituency has been since 1997. | | [Transferred] (148248) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 385
| Mr Eric Forth (Bromley & Chislehurst):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what his estimate is of the revenue cost as a result of (a) unpaid and (b) uncollected fines in the last five years. | | [Transferred] (147966) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 386
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on progress since the announcement of the Thames Gateway Communities plan; how much public money has been spent; how much private sector capital has been committed; how much land has been acquired; how much land will be acquired; and over what timescale. | | [Transferred] (148199) | 387
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many houses have been built under plans for the development of the Thames Gateway communities; how many are social housing; how many houses are planned to be built; and how many will be social housing. | | [Transferred] (148201) | 388
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the impact of changes to the disabled band council tax reduction on current recipients; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (147972) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 389
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support and advice are being given to the interim government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in respect of (a) respect for human rights and (b) the nurture of democratic institutions. | | [Transferred] (148080) | 390
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Bush Administration regarding the role of the United Nations in Iraq. | | [Transferred] (148099) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 391
| Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what studies have been made of cancer rates in Iraq (a) from 1991 to 2002 and (b) since the end of hostilities on 1st May 2003. | | [Transferred] (148270) | 392
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funds have been provided to the International Action Network on Small Arms in the past five years; and for what purpose. | | [Transferred] (147888) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 393
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has undertaken of the impact on drink-related accidents of lowering the legal limit of alcohol for drivers from 80 milligrammes to 50 milligrammes; and for what reasons he has not introduced a lower alcohol in blood limit. | | [Transferred] (147927) | 394
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research he has undertaken into the provision of a temporary disability scheme for car drivers to supplement the Orange Disk scheme. | | [Transferred] (148271) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 395
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to reduce delays in processing council tax benefit claims. | | [Transferred] (148233) | 396
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take (a) to make council tax benefit more accessible for pensioners through (i) a simpler benefit and (ii) simpler claim forms and (b) to ensure effective administration of the benefit; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (148234) | 397
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to relax restrictions on council tax benefit eligibility for pensioners who have modest savings; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (148239) | 398
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to introduce within the public service agreements set by central government a commitment to raise council tax benefit take-up rates for pensioners from the current level of 65 per cent. to 90 per cent. within three years; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (148241) |
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