Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2003 - 04
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 19 January 2004

Notes:
* Indicates a Question for Oral Answer.
+ Indicates a Question not included in the random selection process but accepted because the quota for that day had not been filled.
[N] Indicates a Question for Written Answer on a named day, i.e. the Member has indicated under S.O. No. 22(4) the day on which he wishes the Question to be answered.
[R] Indicates that a relevant interest has been declared.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 19 January 2004
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 19 January 2004

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 19 January of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

For other Written Questions for answer on Monday 19 January of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 19 January see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office

1
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether special advisors have access to the Knowledge Network; whether statistics are collected at constituency level by Government departments specifically for use on the Network; and if he will make a statement.

(148781)

2
N Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Cabinet Office paper containing an audit of public services referred to in The Times 14th January.

(148758)

3
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148996)

4
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Answer of 18th December 2003, Official Report, column 1014W, on the Civil Service, to whom the Cabinet Secretary, whilst still a Crown servant was required to report approaches from external commercial employers; whether, the Cabinet Secretary reported an approach to him during 1997 to join the Advisory Board of IBM UK; to whom the newly retired Cabinet Secretary was required to report offers of employment and consultancy in his retirement in 1998; whether the newly retired Cabinet Secretary reported an offer to join the Advisory Board of IBM UK in 1998; and whether permission for him to take up the appointment was granted by the Prime Minister.

(149107)

5
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of regulatory impact assessments fully complied with Government guidelines in terms of new content in 2003.

(149420)

6
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many regulatory impact assessments completed during 2003 resulted in Government departments deciding not to proceed with new regulations.

(149421)

7
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149326)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

8
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the level of charitable donations from the United Kingdom to developing countries in each of the last five years.

(149156)

9
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in the Buckingham constituency (a) have applied for, (b) are eligible for and (c) received the child tax credit in 2003-04.

(149191)

10
N Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Ecofin meeting on 16th December 2003, including the Government's positions on the different issues discussed.

(148614)

11
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the income thresholds were for each decile of the household income distribution in (a) 1997-98 and (b) the most recent available 12-month period.

(149640)

12
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many claims for the working tax credit by (a) single persons and (b) couples without children there are in each region and nation of the UK; and if he will estimate how many will be eligible in each (a) region and (b) country of the UK.

(149641)

13
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Thames Gateway Bridge will be included in the comparator expenditure for the purposes of allocations under the Barnett Formula; and how much additional money will go to the devolved administrations as a result.

(149643)

14
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much local authority housing debt he has written off to date under the special stock transfer arrangements for Scotland.

(149644)

15
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total cross-government spending is on education for consumers on (a) financial services and (b) consumer credit, broken down by department.

(149449)

16
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148995)

17
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue was raised in the last financial year from (a) four star petrol, (b) unleaded petrol and (c) liquid petroleum gas used in vehicles.

(149278)

18
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the tax revenue which would be lost if the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs target for conversion of petrol cars to liquid petroleum gas was achieved.

(149279)

19
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on his plans for the National Savings Ordinary Account as they effect (a) existing and (b) potential new account holders.

(149483)

20
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many National Savings Ordinary Accounts have been (a) opened and (b) closed in each of the last five years for which records are available.

(149484)

21
N Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the proposed early departure payments for members of the Armed Forces which will replace pension payments will attract national insurance contributions.

(147575)

22
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue was derived in 2002-03 by Government departments and agencies by use of the 0870 telephone number which charges callers.

(149599)

23
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on levels of unemployment in Chorley; and what the numbers were in (a) 1990, (b) 1995, (c) 2000 and (d) 2003.

(149166)

24
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Inland Revenue office in Chorley is equipped with equipment to aid those with hearing impediments.

(149168)

25
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research has been commissioned on the impact of recent developments in the life assurance and pension industry on the capital structure of organisations offering such services; and if he will make a statement.

(148759)

26
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the impact that the Basel II accords on capital adequacy will have on mutual financial organisations; and if he will make a statement.

(148760)

27
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the impact of changes in the reporting of the financial position of insurance companies on those that have a mutual structure; and if he will make a statement.

(148855)

28
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what impact he estimates recent changes in the regulatory regime for insurance companies will have on (a) projections of future returns of policy holders and (b) the anticipated benefits of their mutual structure; and if he will make a statement.

(148871)

29
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) percentage rate and (b) actual tax revenue for air passenger duty was in each year since 1994.

(149224)

30
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to amend the VAT rate on tourism services, with particular reference to tourist accommodation.

(149225)

31
Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many economically inactive persons aged 18 to 24 there are; and what the number was in April 1997.

(148851)

32
Mr Andy Reed (Loughborough):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many community and amateur sports clubs are registered for tax relief.

(149366)

33
Mr Andy Reed (Loughborough):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to promote the package of tax concessions available to community and amateur sports clubs.

(149367)

34
Mr Andy Reed (Loughborough):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the number of community and amateur sports clubs eligible for tax concessions.

(149368)

35
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to increase the duty on liquefied petroleum gas; and if he will make a statement.

(149417)

36
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement about the terms and conditions relating to (a) loans made by the International Monetary Fund to third world countries and (b) debt cancellation.

(149471)

37
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal incentives his Department provides to support the maintenance of historic buildings; what plans he has to increase this support and if he will make a statement.

(149490)

38
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the implementation of existing VAT directives relating to the care of listed places of worship.

(149491)

39
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of suicides in the UK in 2003.

(148837)

40
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many drownings there were in the UK in 2003.

(148839)

41
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149335)

42
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the impact of the aggregates levy since its introduction on the quarrying industry in (a) the East Midlands and (b) the United Kingdom.

(148961)

43
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the level of the aggregates levy was last reviewed.

(148962)

44
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact the aggregates levy has had since its introduction on (a) the extraction of virgin aggregates and (b) the use of secondary aggregates in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) the UK.

(148972)

45
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans there are to review the level of the aggregates levy.

(148975)

46
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the impact of the aggregates levy since its introduction in (a) the East Midlands and (b) the UK.

(149143)

47
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what types of expenses accrued by a company campaigning against a trade union recognition ballot would be (a) tax deductible and (b) able to be offset against other tax liabilities; what the total amount of tax not paid in respect of such expenses has been in each of the last five years; and what plans he has to change the tax rules applying to such expenses.

(149577)

48
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met (a) Sir Eddie George and (b) Mr Brian Quinn.

(149497)

49
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which banks have a licence to operate in the UK; and when each received its licence.

(149498)

50
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to improve the level of supervision of banks.

(149499)

51
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer per year of increasing by 100 per cent. the rate of child tax credit in respect of children under five.

(148619)

52
Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent standard mailing issued to all tax credits recipients by the Inland Revenue.

(148967)

53
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last conducted a needs-based review of public expenditure levels in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Nothern Ireland.

(149454)

54
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the figures listed in Table 8.6b and 8.13b of the Corrigendum to Chapter 8 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2003, what assessment he has made of the per capita cost of providing a parity of service provision in each region and nation of the United Kingdom with a view to determining which region/nation is receiving (a) more, (b) less and (c) the correct level of funding in each service programme.

(149455)

55
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what changes he plans to make to determinants of the grant, other than the Barnett Formula, paid to the Scottish Executive in 2004.

(149633)

Questions to the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners

56
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, when he expects the publication of the first report of the McClean Review into clergy terms of service to the Archbishops' Council.

(149477)

Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs

57
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when he expects to write to the honourable Member for Nottingham North to fulfill the undertaking given by his honourable friend, Official Report, 13th January, column 666.

(149582)

58
N Mr Richard Bacon (South Norfolk):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement about the Government's proposals for the judicial review of the decisions of immigration appeal tribunals.

(148336)

59
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the set up costs were of each of the Public Defender Service's pilot offices.

(149439)

60
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment (a) he and (b) the Legal Services Commission has made of the average cost per case arising from the Public Defender Service's handling of criminal defence work in (i) 2001-02 and (ii) 2002-03.

(149440)

61
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment (a) he and (b) the Legal Services Commission has made of the Public Defender Service's performance; and how this has informed decisions regarding the extension of those pilots.

(149441)

62
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment he has made of the average cost per case of (a) defence counsel and (b) solicitors for the defence funded by the Criminal Defence Services in (i) 2001-02 and (ii) 2002-03.

(149442)

63
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will set out the number of employees in the Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148985)

64
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will take steps to standardise divorce court proceedings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

(149616)

65
N Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what proportion of fines levied by the courts were collected in full in the last year for which figures are available.

(148335)

66
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many applications for entry on the electoral register have been found to be fraudulent since 1997.

(148725)

67
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many (a) asylum seekers and (b) illegal immigrants are registered to vote.

(148734)

68
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what steps are taken to ensure that only bona fide constituents are registered on the electoral roll.

(148735)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

69
N Tony Cunningham (Workington):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to discuss with the BBC during the review of its Charter the development of sub-regional television stations.

(148164)

70
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will set out the number of employees in her Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148984)

71
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the expected timetable is for the Draft Gambling Bill after the consultation period ends.

(149482)

72
N Mr David Hinchliffe (Wakefield):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many honours nominations her Department has received for people involved in rugby league football in each of the last five years; how many have been awarded in each of those years; and if she will make a statement.

(148743)

73
N Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the size of fund the proposed Gambling Industry Charitable Trust will need to address problems of gambling addiction over the next 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

(148470)

74
N Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if the Government will bring forward legislation to introduce a levy on the gambling industry if the sector fails to agree voluntary funding of the Gambling Industry Charitable Trust.

(148471)

75
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the balance of payments deficit in tourism was in each year since 1995.

(149223)

76
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support her Department provides for the maintenance of historic buildings; what plans she has to increase this support; and if she will make a statement.

(149493)

77
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on her policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to her Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149327)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

78
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 8th December 2003, Official Report, column 277W, how many and what percentage of contracts issued by his Department since August 2002 which involved the use of wood have not complied with the Defence Contract Condition (DEFCON 691).

(148847)

79
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total value was of the contract awarded to Vosper Thorney Croft to design and construct HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise.

(149617)

80
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the future of the Airfield Support Service Project; when it was put out to tender; how many times bidders have been asked to resubmit their bids; what the projected date for conclusion of the bidding process was; when it will take place; and when the public sector comparator was finalised.

(149056)

81
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated aggregate costs incurred by the three bidding consortia for the Airfield Support Service Project are.

(149057)

82
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what part of his Department's budget the equipment and services to be provided under the Airfield Support Service Project will come from; and what the cost will be.

(149058)

83
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost is of modernising the Defence Fire Service to the standard envisaged by Fire Study 2000.

(149059)

84
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans there are to replace Green Goddesses with more up-to-date firefighting equipment.

(149060)

85
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans there are to co-ordinate tri-service civil emergencies fire training.

(149061)

86
N Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 4th December 2003, Official Report, column 127W, on Iraq, what the latest total is of deaths in British custody; what the status of investigations into them is; and if he will make a statement.

(148435)

87
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Challenger 2 smoothbore tank gun demonstrator project will consider measures to end the use of depleted uranium ammunition.

(149647)

88
Mr John Cummings (Easington):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the Department has been to date in respect of the Iraq conflict; and what the projected costs are for (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006.

(148779)

89
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in relation to the compensation scheme for civilian prisoners of the Japanese, how many claims (a) have been received, (b) have been paid, (c) have been refused and (d) are outstanding; in relation to (b), how many were (i) not resident in the UK and (ii) not UK citizens but citizens of other Commonwealth countries at the time (A) of payment and (B) of retention; and in relation to (c), how many claimed before 25th June 2001; how many were resident in the UK; and how many of each category were rejected on the grounds they could not show a parent or grandparent born in the UK.

(149575)

90
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what change there will be in his Department's funding for conflict resolution projects over the next five years.

(149427)

91
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the amount of money spent by other defence departments in European countries on conflict resolution projects.

(149451)

92
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on conflict resolution projects in the latest year for which figures are available.

(149541)

93
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148989)

94
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how compulsory mobilisation of the Territorial Army in Operation Telic affects the continuity of service calculations for the (a) Territorial Decoration and (b) other longer service awards.

(149280)

95
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how compulsory mobilisation of the Territorial Army affects eligibility for annual training bounty.

(149281)

96
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Territorial Army's annual training bounty is payable in the respect of compulsory mobilisation service.

(149282)

97
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his statement of 13th January, Official Report, column 690, on the National Audit Office Report on Operation Telic, when he gave Mrs Samantha Roberts, a (a) summary of the incident in which her husband died and (b) ballistics report; when he met Mrs Roberts; when the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch report into Sergeant Roberts' death will be published; and when the Army Board of Enquiry into Sergeant Roberts' death will be convened.

(149539)

98
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 15th December 2003, Official Report, column 657W, on vaccination, when he will write to the honourable Member.

(149581)

99
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 13th January, Official Report, column 683W, on unexploded cluster bombs, if he will list each case for which compensation has been paid, to the victims of British cluster bombs in (a) Kosovo, (b) Afghanistan and (c) Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(149619)

100
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements he intends to make in relation to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and compensation to ensure that (a) a beneficiary is guaranteed five years' worth of payments notwithstanding earlier death and (b) lump sum payments to give effect to such guarantee are not taxed at a 35 per cent. rate.

(149152)

101
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) prospective members of the proposed new Armed Forces Pension Scheme and (b) beneficiaries of the associated compensation arrangements he estimates will find the provision for them capped by a £1.4 million limitation on the total value of pension and related arrangements.

(149153)

102
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value of the pension provision through the proposed Armed Forces Pension Scheme, capitalised in accordance with the rules proposed by the Treasury, will be for (a) a senior warrant officer, (b) an officer retiring at normal retirement age at the rank of major or equivalent and (c) a four star officer; and if he will make a statement on the assumptions and calculations underlying the valuations.

(149154)

103
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements he intends to make in relation to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and compensation arrangements to ensure that, as the pay rates of the armed forces are increased over time to protect their real value, the full value of pension and compensation arrangements are not restricted by a cap on capitalised value fixed in cash terms.

(149155)

104
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to announce the name of the company selected to undertake the assessment phase of the Future Rapid Effects System project; how much has been allocated to fund the assessment; and when FRES is due to enter service with the army.

(149564)

105
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on progress on the Army's proposed Dismounted Countermine Capability programme.

(149540)

106
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on progress on the Royal Navy's (a) Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft and (b) Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon projects.

(149542)

107
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the progress of Project Soothsayer.

(149543)

108
N Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many casualties witnessed by UK forces in Iraq have been reported; and if he will make a statement.

(148003)

109
N Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the contracts let to private contractors for the supply and support of UK troops in Iraq, stating in each case the nature and value of the contract; and if he will make a statement.

(148004)

110
N Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what action has been taken in each of the cases where successful claims for compensation have been paid to Iraqis alleging injury by UK forces; and if he will make a statement.

(148005)

111
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he and his officials have had with the Department for Education and Skills on the impact of the introduction of top-up fees on service sponsorships for university places.

(149042)

112
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of top-up fees on the provision of service sponsorships for university places.

(149043)

113
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to change the requirement that members of the Armed Forces take an oath of allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen, her heirs and successors.

(148930)

114
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 8th December 2003, Official Report, column 274W, on departmental land, what the cost of maintaining land owned by his Department was in each of the last five years; and what the value is of the land.

(148965)

115
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 8th December 2003, Official Report, column 278W, if he will make a statement on co-ordination between external security measures taken by the UK and on-board security measures taken by a visiting nation during the docking of non-British naval ships in UK waters.

(148966)

116
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the NATO Secretary General about European defence.

(149470)

117
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the 9100 ISO containers used for operation Telic, how many are missing and unaccounted for by his Department.

(148868)

118
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what financial restrictions have been placed on army recruiting.

(148869)

119
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the budget for army combat arms training was in each month since January 2001.

(148870)

120
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been made of the incidence of osteoporosis in British service personnel and military medical auxiliaries who served in (a) the 1991 Gulf War and (b) the invasion of Iraq in Operation Telic in 2003.

(149606)

121
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will provide a substantive reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Totnes of 24th November 2003 about Mrs Iris Griffiths of Kingsbridge and the Defence Export Services Organisation, which was acknowledged by his Department on 2nd December 2003.

(148721)

122
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149328)

123
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in what circumstances his Department provides legal assistance to reservists to seek redress when they have lost their employment allegedly as a consequence of mobilisation; and if he will make a statement.

(148932)

124
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Territorial Army serving in (a) 2 Signals Brigade and (b) its subordinate units have been mobilized during Operation Telic.

[R] (149422)

125
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what evaluation has been made of the impact of the SaBRE campaign; and if he will make a statement.

[R] (149423)

126
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reservists from volunteer reserve units in (a) each of the three armed services and (b) each of the 11 areas of the country tasked with aiding the civil authorities in handling major incidents have been mobilised for operation Telic.

[R] (149425)

127
N Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons troops in Northern Ireland have been advised to avoid wearing (a) badges and (b) clothing which would indicate their support for the (i) Glasgow Rangers and (ii) Glasgow Celtic football clubs; and what representations have been made to him on this issue.

(148442)

128
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many army musicians were obliged to down-rank on transferring to the Guards regiments from other regiments; and what effect this downranking will have on these soldiers' pensions.

(148963)

129
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made in the last year in respect of the training of aircrew for the WAH-64 Apache.

(148956)

130
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what preference is given to the use of port facilities at Gibraltar over those at other Iberian ports where Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary or other vessels owned or chartered by his Department transit the Straits of Gibraltar or operate in, or transit, nearby waters.

(148958)

131
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list each (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary and (c) other vessels owned or chartered by his Department which has visited (i) Gibraltar and (ii) other Iberian ports in the last year; and what the (A) date, (B) length and (C) location of each visit was.

(148959)

132
N David Winnick (Walsall North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to receive the result of the investigation into the killing of six Iraqis last weekend; who is carrying out the investigation; and if he will make a statement.

(148509)

133
Tony Wright (Cannock Chase):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reservists deployed on Operation Telic have resigned following the operation.

(149349)

134
Tony Wright (Cannock Chase):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what number and percentage of Army Medical Service reserve personnel have left the service following Operation Telic.

(149350)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

135
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Thames Valley Police Authority on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149566)

136
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research relating to Buckinghamshire he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149567)

137
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what community consultation he has held in Buckinghamshire on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149568)

138
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) retained and (b) full-time firefighters in Buckinghamshire on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service; and what their advice was.

(149569)

139
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what change in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Buckinghamshire.

(149570)

140
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with Buckinghamshire County Council on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service in Buckinghamshire.

(149571)

141
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Buckinghamshire without the consent of Buckinghamshire County Council.

(149572)

142
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whom he has consulted on the plans to regionalise Buckinghamshire's Fire and Rescue Service.

(149573)

143
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the change in job numbers in Buckinghamshire's Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149574)

144
N Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many tenants of registered social landlords there are (a) in England, (b) in each housing authority area and (c) in each region.

(148732)

145
N Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what percentage of properties there are in each council tax band in each local authority area.

(148733)

146
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Airfield Support Services Project on Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh.

(149054)

147
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when the newly-appointed Chief Executive of Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh, will be in post.

(149055)

148
N Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the local authorities which have been successful in bidding for the Government's Liveability Fund; and what criteria were used to determine which authorities were successful.

(148727)

149
N Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the registered social landlords under investigation by the Housing Corporation; and if he will make a statement.

(148728)

150
N Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what representations he has received from registered social landlords on allowing them to exceed the cap in relation to the rent increases set down in the Government's rent restructuring policy; and if he will make a statement.

(148729)

151
N Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much has been set aside for the funding of newly constituted arm's length management organisations for (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05.

(148730)

152
N Mr Iain Coleman (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will publish the results of the arm's length management organisation ballots in those local authorities where votes have taken place this year.

(148731)

153
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research relating to Humberside he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149587)

154
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what community consultation he has held in Humberside on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149588)

155
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) retained and (b) full-time fire-fighters in Humberside on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service; and what their advice was.

(149589)

156
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what change in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Humberside.

(149590)

157
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149591)

158
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Humberside without the consent of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

(149592)

159
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the change in job numbers in the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149593)

160
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whom he has consulted on the plans to regionalise the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.

(149594)

161
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Humberside Police Authority on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149600)

162
N Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures he has taken to improve fire safety using fire sprinklers.

(148864)

163
N Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of compulsory installation of fire sprinklers in (a) commercial properties and (b) leisure facilities.

(148865)

164
Mr Stephen Dorrell (Charnwood):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the total value of central government grant paid to each local authority in Leicestershire in each financial year between 1996-97 and 2003-04.

(149464)

165
Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he will publish the results of studies into pressure testing of homes to assess whether requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations are being fully implemented.

(149364)

166
Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what information he has collated on the ways in which other EU governments intend to implement Article 7.3 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

(149365)

167
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of how much will be paid back to telecommunications companies in respect of appeals against business rates in England and Wales made since the conclusion of the administrative period for the 2000 list.

(149195)

168
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many appeals by telecommunications companies in respect of the (a) 1995 and (b) 2000 list valuations remain outstanding.

(149205)

169
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many telecommunication companies have been overcharged in business rates in the last five years; and how much was repaid to them on appeal in each year.

(149210)

170
Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much Government money was distributed by the Government Office for London in each year since 1999-2000; and what is forecast to be distributed in 2003-04.

(149601)

171
Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the running costs of the Government Office for London were in each year since 1999-2000; and what the forecast is for 2003-04.

(149602)

172
Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many staff were employed by the Government Office for London in each year since 1999-2000; and how many are forecast to be employed in 2003-04.

(149603)

173
Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the projects managed by the Government Office for London in 2003-04.

(149604)

174
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the number of job losses in the Somerset Fire Service which will result from the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149269)

175
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whom he has consulted on the plans to regionalise Somerset Fire Service.

(149270)

176
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Somerset without the consent of Somerset Fire Service.

(149271)

177
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with Somerset County Council on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149272)

178
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what reduction in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Somerset.

(149273)

179
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) retained and (b) full-time firefighters in Somerset on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service; and what their advice was.

(149274)

180
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what community consultation he has held in Somerset on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149275)

181
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research relating to Somerset he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149276)

182
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Avon and Somerset Police Authority on plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149277)

183
Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what change in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Kent.

(149299)

184
Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) Kent County Council and (b) the Kent Police Authority on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149300)

185
Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what community consultation he has held in Kent on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149301)

186
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148990)

187
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research relating to Wiltshire he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149283)

188
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what community consultations he has held in Wiltshire on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149284)

189
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) retained and (b) full-time firefighters in Wiltshire on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service; and what their advice was.

(149285)

190
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what change in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Wiltshire.

(149286)

191
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) Wiltshire County Council and (b) Wiltshire Police Authority on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149287)

192
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Wiltshire without the consent of Wiltshire County Council.

(149288)

193
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whom he has consulted on the plans to regionalise Wiltshire's Fire and Rescue Service.

(149289)

194
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the change in job numbers in Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149290)

195
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service without the consent of Surrey County Council.

(149351)

196
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) retained and (b) full-time firefighters in Surrey on his plans to regionalise the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service; and what the conclusions of those discussions were.

(149352)

197
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what community consultation he has held in Surrey on his plans to regionalise the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

(149353)

198
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research relating to Surrey he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

(149354)

199
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Surrey Police Authority on his plans to regionalise the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

(149355)

200
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the job losses in Surrey Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149356)

201
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with Surrey County Council on his plans to regionalise the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

(149357)

202
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whom he has consulted on the plans to regionalise Surrey's Fire and Rescue Service.

(149358)

203
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research has led him to the conclusion that the optimum suprabrigade structure for the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is one based on the existing Government Office South East Region.

(149359)

204
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether his regionalisation agenda for the Fire and Rescue Service envisages a single control room for all Fire Brigades in each region.

(149360)

205
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what reduction in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

(149361)

206
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment of the possible potential savings to health and social care budgets he has made from ensuring that a percentage of all new housing has wheelchair access; and if he will make a statement.

(149609)

207
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures the Department will take to increase the number of new houses suitable for those who are wheelchair users.

(149610)

208
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he expects to report on the review of Part M of the Building Regulations; and if he will make a statement.

(149611)

209
N Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether Pedimore, Sutton Coldfield, has been removed as a major investment site for the West Midlands region in accordance with the independent Inspector's report into the Birmingham Urban Development Plan.

(148011)

210
N Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether Bassetts Pole, Sutton Coldfield, has been removed as a major investment site for the West Midlands region in accordance with the Inspector's report into the Birmingham Urban Development Plan.

(148012)

211
N Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he plans to publish the final version of the West Midlands Regional Planning Guidance.

(148014)

212
Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the difference is between the housing capital allocation for local authorities in (a) Yorkshire and (b) Humberside for 2005-06 and 2004-05; what the basis is of the new allocations; what account they take of (i) the state of the stock, (ii) decent housing targets and (iii) repair backlogs; and how any money still to be allocated is to be made available.

(149220)

213
Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what reduction in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Cambridgeshire.

(149369)

214
Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with Cambridgeshire County Council on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149370)

215
Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Cambridgeshire without the consent of Cambridgeshire County Council.

(149371)

216
Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whom he has consulted on the plans to regionalise Cambridgeshire's Fire and Rescue Service.

(149372)

217
Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the job losses in Cambridgeshire as a result of the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149373)

218
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research relating to Essex he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149291)

219
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what community consultation he has held in Essex on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149292)

220
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) retained and (b) full-time fire-fighters in Essex on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service; and what their advice was.

(149293)

221
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what change in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Essex.

(149294)

222
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) Essex County Council and (b) Essex Police Authority on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149295)

223
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Essex without the consent of Essex County Council.

(149296)

224
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whom he has consulted on the plans to regionalise Essex Fire and Rescue Service.

(149297)

225
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the change in the number of jobs in Essex Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149298)

226
N Mr Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he will make a statement on (a) the local government finance settlement, (b) the supported borrowing allocation for capital spend and (c) the Supporting People grant notification for 2004-05.

(148809)

227
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many deaths from house fires there were in the United Kingdom in 2003.

(148841)

228
N Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Stewart report on mobile phone masts in relation to PPG8, with particular reference to the recommendations of the report on main beam transmissions next to sensitive sites.

(149182)

229
N Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what additional water supply infrastructure is likely to be required for the additional homes proposed for the Thames Gateway up to 2016.

(149184)

230
N Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what quantity of land in the Thames Gateway needs to be re-allocated from employment uses to housing or mixed use to meet the Government's aspirations for delivering 120,000 additional houses by 2016.

(149185)

231
N Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the Government will press local authorities reviewing the potential for re-allocating excess employment land to consider the option of withdrawing sites from their development plans, with particular reference to those which are identified as low priority for development according to the sequential approach set out in PPG3.

(149190)

232
N Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the quantity of previously developed land that is (a) available for redevelopment and (b) likely to become available for redevelopment up to 2016.

(149194)

233
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149329)

234
Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the job losses in Dorset Fire and Rescue Service consequent upon the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149456)

235
Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Dorset Police Authority on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149457)

236
Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research relating to Dorset he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149458)

237
Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what public consultation he has held in Dorset on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149459)

238
Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) retained and (b) full-time firefighters in Dorset on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service; and what their advice was.

(149460)

239
Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with local authorities in Dorset on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149461)

240
Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Dorset.

(149462)

241
Mr Robert Syms (Poole):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whom he has consulted on the plans to regionalise Dorset Fire and Rescue Service.

(149463)

242
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the system for ensuring compliance with the building regulations in the construction of new houses.

(148880)

243
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent representations he has received from the Building Control Performance Standards Advisory Group.

(148973)

244
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with the Building Control Performance Standards Advisory Group on the effect competition has had on standards in building control.

(148974)

245
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 142W, on the fenestration self-assessment scheme, how large the sample of work monitored to ensure compliance with building regulations is; and if he will publish the report on compliance.

(148978)

246
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Surrey Police Authority on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149374)

247
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with Surrey County Council on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149375)

248
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) retained and (b) full-time firefighters in Surrey on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service; and what their advice was.

(149376)

249
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what community consultation he has held in Surrey on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149377)

250
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the job losses in Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the proposed regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149408)

251
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whom he has consulted on the plans to regionalise Cheshire's Fire and Rescue Service.

(149409)

252
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what powers he would implement the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Cheshire without the consent of Cheshire County Council.

(149410)

253
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with Cheshire County Council on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149411)

254
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what reduction in the number of managerial jobs he expects to result from the regionalisation of the Fire and Rescue Service in Cheshire.

(149412)

255
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) retained and (b) full-time firefighters in Cheshire on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service; and what their advice was.

(149413)

256
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what community consultation he has held in Cheshire on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149414)

257
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what reseach relating to Cheshire he has commissioned to provide the evidential basis for his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149415)

258
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Cheshire Police Authority on his plans to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service.

(149416)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

259
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list by education authority in England and Wales the proportion of school leavers who have entered higher education in each of the last five years.

(149188)

260
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he intends to have with charitable organisations in respect of the impact of his proposals for higher education funding on gap year activities in 2005-06.

(149026)

261
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the age limit is on eligibility for student loans; and how he proposes to change that in the event of a repayment period capped at 25 years.

(149636)

262
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the amount of rural youth grant given to each local authority in the South West since 1997.

(148874)

263
Mr Eric Forth (Bromley & Chislehurst):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the procedures are for monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of the funding by the Department of schools' e-registration systems.

(148745)

264
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his Answer of 8th January, Official Report, column 473W, on school trips, if he will assess the average annual costs to schools of covering the costs for pupils whose parents are unable to contribute to the costs of school trips; and if he will reimburse such costs to schools whose pupil profile has an above average number of children from families in receipt of state benefit.

(149429)

265
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148992)

266
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures are in place in England and Wales to protect children from back injuries sustained through carrying excessively heavy schoolbags to, in and from school; and if he will make a statement.

(148812)

267
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his Answer of 8th January, Official Report, column 470W, to the honourable Member for Mid Worcestershire, which local education authorities have received funds under the Behaviour Improvement Programme; and how much money they have received in each year since 1997 to enable them to tackle pupil behaviour.

(148322)

268
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the pupil/teacher ratio was for each local education authority for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 1997.

(148429)

269
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding each local education authority has been allocated by the Department to establish pupil referral units.

(148430)

270
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children were excluded from school in each local education authority in each year since 1997.

(148431)

271
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils entered primary and secondary schools in each local education authority for the most recent year for which information is available; how many appeals against admissions there were; and what proportion of appeals were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.

(149183)

272
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people attended university from (a) Chorley and (b) Lancashire in each year since 1997; and what percentage this represents of the number of school leavers.

(149170)

273
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children aged (a) between four and 11, (b) between 12 and 16 and (c) between 16 and 18 have been excluded from school in each London borough in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

(148440)

274
Helen Jackson (Sheffield, Hillsborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which constituencies in Yorkshire and Humberside have one or more Surestart initiatives.

(149344)

275
Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what criteria his Department uses when deciding whether a leaflet which it publishes is to be made available only on its website.

(149556)

276
N Mr David Rendel (Newbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, on what amount of debt he has based his estimate of the length of time it will take the average graduate to complete graduate repayments after 2010; and what the change would be in this time if the annual income threshold for repayment was raised to (a) £18,000 and (b) £20,000.

(147769)

277
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will give parents of three-year-old children flexibility to use the 10 hours per week nursery voucher; and if he will make a statement.

(149501)

278
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the number of children in (a) England and (b) Gloucestershire who attend nursery schools for 10 hours or more per week; and if he will make a statement.

(149502)

279
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which of Mr Justice Nicholas Wall's recommendations regarding the divorce courts system have been implemented.

(148940)

280
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps have been taken to introduce a replacement scheme for individual learning accounts; when the replacement scheme will commence; and if he will make a statement.

(149565)

281
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that the appeals process following mid-year changes to the Children's Fund is available to relevant organisations.

(148911)

282
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when he intends to announce resources for the Children's Fund for 2004-05.

(148912)

283
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when he expects to implement the provisions of the Adoption and Children Act 2002; and if he will publish a timetable for implementation.

(148913)

284
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on changes in the Children's Fund budget made after the mid-year review; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the changes.

(148914)

285
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many bursaries for primary teacher training posts are to be funded from the Sure Start programme in 2004-05.

(148167)

286
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many of the additional initial teacher training places for primary teaching in 2004-05 will be eligible to receive bursaries.

(148168)

287
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to guarantee teaching posts to undergraduates who have received bursaries funded through the Sure Start programme.

(148169)

288
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his statement of 8th January, Official Report, column 418, on higher education (student support), whether the student loan repayment to be written off after 25 years applies to all money owed to the Student Loans Company.

(148267)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

289
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures are in place to assess the effectiveness of the enhanced capital allowances scheme managed by the Carbon Trust; and if she will make a statement.

(148915)

290
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to require companies storing oil to undertake environmental risk assessments.

(148916)

291
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to place the Environment Agency's pollution prevention guidelines on a statutory footing; and if she will make a statement.

(148917)

292
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to extend the Oil Storage Regulations to cover (a) domestic and agricultural waste oil and (b) underground oil storage tanks.

(148918)

293
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to establish a targeted inspection and enforcement regime in connection with the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) 2001 Regulations; and if she will make a statement.

(148919)

294
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will rule out amending to 15 per cent. the Government's 2010 target for reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

(148613)

295
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the purpose was of the meeting held on 7th January, involving the Environment Minister, at which ghost ships were discussed; who requested the meeting; what factors were taken into account before the Minister agreed to meet representatives of Able UK Ltd; what the outcome of the meeting was; and if she will make a statement.

(148616)

296
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Environment Minister will agree to meet a delegation representing groups and individuals opposed to the proposed dismantling of US ghost ships in Hartlepool.

(148617)

297
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what cuts in trade distorting support and export subsidies will result from the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy agreed at the Agriculture Council of the EU in June 2003.

(149108)

298
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the United States since the breakdown of the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Cancún about the likely impact of the United States' Farm Bill on the (a) economies of and (b) living standards in, developing countries.

(149119)

299
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will announce the Government's policy in respect of the ritual and religious slaughter of animals.

(149024)

300
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the present subsidy regime is for maize production; and what the total amount spent on subsidising maize production was in the last three financial years.

(149638)

301
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department is working to ensure that the UK fulfils its obligations under the Montreal Protocol.

(148006)

302
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions there have been of companies that illegally supply CFCs within the UK over the last five years.

(148007)

303
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department is working with (a) other Departments, (b) the EU and (c) governments of developing countries to help them tackle their illegal CFC trade.

(148008)

304
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to (a) conduct and (b) commission further research on how GM plants might invade new habitats.

(148903)

305
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will define the terms very low and unlikely as used in the GM Science Review in July 2003.

(148904)

306
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the evaluation of the costs and benefits of the commercial cultivation of GM crops in the UK over the next 10 to 15 years.

(148905)

307
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government will decide its GM food policy.

(148906)

308
Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with EU ministers in connection with the Common Agricultural Policy since the Agriculture Council in June 2003.

(148861)

309
N Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with colleagues in the Department for International Development in connection with the development implications of reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

(148862)

310
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set out the number of employees in her Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148986)

311
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions her Department has initiated in the last 12 months; how many of them resulted in (a) a conviction and (b) an acquittal; and how many were dismissed by the Court on the grounds of an incompetent prosecution.

(148920)

312
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many lawyers her Department employs.

(148921)

313
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions are pending in the (a) Foot and Mouth Department, (b) Forestry Commission, (c) Environment Agency and (d) IACS Payment Department.

(148922)

314
N Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department's budget for the implementation of the Commission on Food and Farming's recommendations is to be spent in each year of its duration.

(148441)

315
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 9th December 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr A Warrich.

(149551)

316
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of the annual sugar consumption in the United Kingdom she estimates is met by domestic sugar beet production.

(148611)

317
Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department uses when deciding whether a leaflet which it publishes is to be made available only on its website.

(149555)

318
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 were not published until 14th January; and if she will delay their entry into force.

(148980)

319
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of birds of prey eating and preying on other (a) birds, (b) mammals and (c) the food chain.

(149443)

320
Mr Bill O'Brien (Normanton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many states in the EU have applied for the National Plan option under the Large Combustion Plant Directive.

(148754)

321
Mr Bill O'Brien (Normanton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to ensure that local authorities continue to recycle municipal waste after 2005-06 when statutory responsibility ends; and if she will make a statement.

(148755)

322
Mr Bill O'Brien (Normanton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many states in the EU who operate indigenous coal industries have applied for the Emissions Limited Values option within the Large Combustion Plant Directive.

(148756)

323
Mr Bill O'Brien (Normanton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the application by the Department for a derogation for (a) 2006, (b) 2009 and (c) 2016 on the biodegradable municipal waste diversion targets of the Landfill Directive.

(148757)

324
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure that plant and timber imports are free from sudden oak death.

(149113)

325
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure that gardeners are aware of the (a) symptoms and (b) procedures for reporting cases of sudden oak death.

(149114)

326
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what types of fishing gear are used by the Scottish whitefish fleet.

(149116)

327
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the characteristics of the gear used by the Scottish whitefish fleet are in terms of its selectivity in catching cod and haddock.

(149117)

328
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures may be taken, in terms of gear design, to enhance selectivity when fishing in a mixed whitefish fishery to (a) optimise the haddock catch, and (b) minimise the cod by-catch.

(149120)

329
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) standard trawl speed and (b) type of trawl gear is used by her Department's survey vessels in carrying out the International Bottom Trawl Survey in the North Sea.

(149121)

330
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the survey vessels employed in carrying out the International Bottom Trawl Survey are (a) stern trawlers and (b) side trawlers.

(149122)

331
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the gear used by survey vessels carrying out the International Bottom Trawl Survey in the North Sea differs from the gear used by commercial trawlers in the same area.

(149123)

332
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what influence trawl speed has on (a) species caught and (b) size of fish caught.

(149125)

333
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the effect is of catching (a) mature cod and (b) other species on the survival of juvenile and immature stocks, with particular reference to those which have reached sexual maturity and survived two spawning seasons.

(149127)

334
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated mortality is in immature cod entrained by commercial trawl nets which escape through the mesh.

(149129)

335
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what difference there is in mortality rates in round fish escaping through diamond mesh compared with square mesh.

(149131)

336
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the primary foods consumed by (a) haddock and (b) cod in the North Sea are; and what food they consume if their primary foods are not available or in short supply.

(149132)

337
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where the primary (a) sand eel, (b) cod and (c) haddock fisheries in the North Sea are.

(149134)

338
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department's scientists have made of the effect on cod fisheries in the North Sea of heavy exploitation of sand eels.

(149136)

339
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cod by-catch from the industrial fishing fleet in the North Sea was in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) percentage and (b) tonnage.

(149138)

340
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what escape strategy is adopted by (a) cod and (b) haddock in the North Sea grounds when confronted by a trawl net.

(149139)

341
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department spent on fishing research in each of the last five financial years.

(149140)

342
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many salt water fisheries survey vessels, operating in home waters, carry out work for or on behalf of her Department.

(149141)

343
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was spent on fisheries survey vessels carrying out work for or on behalf of her Department in each of the last five financial years.

(149142)

344
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, under what circumstances badgers may be removed from setts; and what regulations govern such removals.

(149221)

345
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many checks were carried out at ports of entry in order to prevent the import of plants infected with sudden oak death in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003.

(149235)

346
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what instructions she gave to port authorities to prevent the import of plants infected with sudden oak death in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003.

(149236)

347
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice she has issued for (a) gardeners and (b) foresters to prevent the spread of sudden oak death.

(149237)

348
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) trees and (b) plants recover from infection with sudden oak death; and which species are most likely to recover.

(149238)

349
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has consulted the national authorities of other countries on the treatment of sudden oak death; and if she will make a statement.

(149239)

350
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the results of research that her Department has commissioned into sudden oak death; what other research into sudden oak death her Department has assessed; and what research projects commissioned by her Department are ongoing.

(149248)

351
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what treatments are available for sudden oak death.

(149250)

352
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what organisations in the UK she has consulted on the treatment of sudden oak death; and if she will make a statement.

(149251)

353
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which species are vulnerable to sudden oak death.

(149252)

354
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information she has received from other countries about the treatment of sudden oak death.

(149253)

355
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's budget is for the prevention of the spread of sudden oak death in 2003-04.

(149254)

356
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many individual sites have reported incidents of sudden oak death in the recent outbreak.

(149255)

357
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases of sudden oak death have been reported in each of the last five years.

(149256)

358
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she intends to increase the amount of money spent by her Department on research into sudden oak death.

(149257)

359
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in which soil types sudden oak death has been found to flourish.

(149258)

360
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much money has been spent by her Department on reseach into sudden oak death.

(149259)

361
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many plants have been imported without passports in each year since passports were introduced.

(149260)

362
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plant types are most susceptible to sudden oak death.

(149261)

363
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the risk to (a) nurseries, (b) gardens and (c) the countryside from sudden oak death.

(149262)

364
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research she has evaluated on whether spores of sudden oak death are carried by (a) the air, (b) water and (c) human movement.

(149263)

365
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) of her Department's staff and (b) sub-contractors employed by her Department are researching sudden oak death.

(149264)

366
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures she has taken to encourage research into the (a) effect and (b) spread of sudden oak death.

(149265)

367
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department operates a compensation scheme for those affected by sudden oak death.

(149266)

368
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the Department handles plants or trees affected with sudden oak death.

(149618)

369
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to improve the welfare of racing greyhounds; and if she will make a statement.

(149418)

370
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent farmers from dumping effluent in rivers.

(148830)

371
N Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the benefits of Bayer GM rice approved by her Department as animal feed on 7th January.

(148610)

372
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on her policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to her Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149330)

373
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Answer of 14th January, Official Report, column 737W, on lead content, what assessment she has made of the implications for the (a) treatment of cathode ray tubes as hazardous waste and (b) the cost of their disposal of the readiness with which the lead content leaches.

(149452)

374
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Answer of 14th January, Official Report, column 737W, on lead content, what studies she has commissioned concerning lead in glass crystal; and if she will make a statement.

(149453)

375
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to remove the special landscape area designation for the North Kent Marshes, with particular reference to Elmley; and if she will make a statement.

(148726)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

376
N Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department has received from Saudi Arabian officials concerning plans to attack British Airways flights (a) over Saudi Arabia and (b) with light aircraft registered in that country; and if he will make a statement.

(148433)

377
John Austin (Erith & Thamesmead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Israel about its plans to expand illegal settlements in the occupied Golan Heights.

(149480)

378
John Austin (Erith & Thamesmead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government plans to provide a written statement to the International Court of Justice on the case, Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

(149481)

379
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many bilateral treaties have been signed since 1st May 1997 between the UK and the United States, giving in each case (a) the date of signature, (b) the title and (c) information on whether the Treaty is available for public inspection.

(148867)

380
Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Home Office about reducing the time taken by the Home Office to respond to requests for information made by the Visa Section of the British High Commission in Harare about visa applicants.

(149487)

381
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library full statements of income and expenditure by the Coalition Provisional Authority.

(149086)

382
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has received from Zimbabwean journalists on issues surrounding freedom of the press in that country.

(149159)

383
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department's approach to the human rights issue in Chechnya includes representations to the Chechen Government.

(149160)

384
Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he is making to the Israeli authorities regarding the nature of charges being brought against the soldier arrested for the killing of Mr Tom Hurndall.

(148936)

385
Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he is making to the Israeli authorities to ensure that the family of Mr Tom Hurndall will have access to all evidence relevant to the case.

(148937)

386
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is the Government's policy to support defence research and development expenditure by the European Commission.

(149639)

387
N Mr Hilton Dawson (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what measures the Government is taking to re-establish and support the Chadian-led peace negotiations following the breakdown of peace talks on Darfur, Western Sudan.

(148015)

388
N Mr Hilton Dawson (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to encourage the Government of Sudan to agree to (a) the presence of international observers at peace talks on the conflict in Darfur, Western Sudan and (b) the inclusion of the Justice Equality Movement and militias at the negotiations.

(148016)

389
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 11th December, Official Report, column 587W, on Mr Jafar Dhia Jafar, when he will write to the honourable Member.

(149479)

390
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 15th December 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Muhammed Hussain Ahmed.

(149544)

391
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 15th December 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr A. Faqi.

(149545)

392
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 15th December 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr R. ul Haque Malik.

(149546)

393
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 16th December 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Ammar Harfani.

(149552)

394
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 15th December, Official Report, column 733W, on Iraq, if he will make a statement on the extent of the involvement of Mr Nadhmi Auchi in the company which has been awarded the licence for the provision of mobile telecommunications services in the central region of Iraq including Baghdad.

(149424)

395
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of investigations by the Pentagon Inspector General into the awarding of contracts for the provision of mobile telecommunications services in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(149438)

396
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what efforts are being made to assist (a) Rwanda and (b) Burundi to bring those guilty of crimes against humanity to justice; and if he will make a statement.

(148856)

397
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance is being provided to (a) Rwanda and (b) Burundi to fight terrorism; and if he will make a statement.

(148857)

398
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support is being provided to efforts to initiate the peace process in Burundi; and if he will make a statement.

(148859)

399
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what correspondence he has received since 1st July 2003 on the coming into force of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; and what steps remain to be taken before UK ratification of the Treaty.

(149249)

400
N Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Brazil about nuclear proliferation issues.

(148466)

401
N Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress in the implementation of the Middle East roadmap proposals.

(148467)

402
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of collaboration and sharing of expertise between terrorist organisations internationally.

(148948)

403
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of recent developments in the terrorist tactics employed by Colombia's revolutionary armed forces, with particular reference to urban terrorism.

(148950)

404
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in which nations his Department deems that political parties which remain linked to terrorist groups are participating in Government.

(149614)

405
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government takes to monitor sales of nuclear-related technology by (a) Canada and (b) France.

(148964)

406
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether Sir Jeremy Greenstock will attend the planned meeting between the Iraqi Government Council and United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, on 19th January.

(149607)

407
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149331)

408
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Israeli Government concerning the welfare of animals denied access to Palestinian pasture lands since the construction of the security wall.

(148902)

409
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next plans to visit Ghana.

(149494)

410
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve relations with the Organisation of African Unity.

(149495)

411
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the night goggles provided by the EU to Ghana are used in accordance with the country's undertakings.

(149496)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

412
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the value is of bids that have been submitted by NHS hospital trusts for extra resources to respond to the EU Working Time Directive.

(149340)

413
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many new medical posts NHS hospital trusts have bid for to help respond to the EU Working Time Directive.

(149341)

414
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what request in respect of the EU Working Time Directive he has received from the Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust for (a) extra medical staff and (b) extra resources.

(149342)

415
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the action being taken by the Government to help smaller general hospitals respond to the EU Working Time Directive.

(149343)

416
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how he will ensure that private contractors in the NHS will not be able to recruit NHS staff indirectly through private agencies.

(148462)

417
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, where the staff required by private contractors are expected to come from if they cannot be recruited from the NHS; and what proportion of recruitment is expected to be from abroad.

(148463)

418
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of whether, over the long-term, Netcare will employ staff that would otherwise have been employed by the NHS.

(148464)

419
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the change in the number of health professionals from South Africa working in the UK as a result of the award of contracts to run fast-track surgery centres to Netcare; and what assessment he has made of the effect of this change on the South African health service.

(148465)

420
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 8th January, Official Report, column 467W, how many public health nurses there were in the NHS in each of the last 10 years.

(148910)

421
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of mothers have access to a midwifery-led maternity unit.

(148933)

422
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average wait was between diagnosis of macular degeneration and first follow-up appointment with a health professional in the last period for which figures are available.

(148934)

423
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support those suffering from age-related macular degeneration currently receive after diagnosis.

(148935)

424
Mr John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) male and (b) female NHS employees in Leeds are paid (i) below £5,000, (ii) £5,001-£10,000, (iii) £10,001-£12,500, (iv) £12,501-£15,000, (v) £15,001-£17,500, (vi) £17,501-£20,000, (vii) £20,001-£22,500, (viii) £22,501-£25,000, (ix) £25,001-£27,500, (x) £27,501-£30,000, (xi) £30,001-£35,000, (xii) £35,001-£40,000, (xiii) £40,001-£45,000, (xiv) £45,001-£50,000, (xv) £50,001-£60,000, (xvi) £60,001-£70,000, (xvii) £70,001-£80,000, (xviii) £80,001-£90,000, (xix) £90,001-£100,000, (xx) £100,001-£150,000, (xxi) £150,001-£200,000 and (xxii) above £200,000.

(149033)

425
N Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for a first appointment at a memory clinic from the time of recommendation by a consultant was in (a) England and (b) Dorset in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

(148461)

426
N Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what rights of access to (a) people, (b) papers and (c) premises (i) overview and scrutiny committees and (ii) primary care trust patient forums will have in respect of independent diagnostic and treatment centres operating within their area.

(148679)

427
N Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which inspectorate (a) has responsibility and (b) will have responsibility after 1st April for (i) registering and (ii) inspecting independent diagnostic and treatment centres.

(148681)

428
N Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how public-patient involvement will be delivered for independent diagnostic and treatment centres.

(148682)

429
N Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how clinical governance in independent diagnostic and treatment centres will be (a) inspected and (b) audited.

(148683)

430
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action he is taking to reduce the costs of NHS cataract services to a level equivalent to that being achieved by Netcare.

(149028)

431
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons that Netcare delivers cataract services on behalf of the NHS at a price less than NHS costs.

(149029)

432
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to monitor the fee levels offered by local authorities to finance care.

(148013)

433
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether South Sefton's Primary Care Organisation has appointed a clinical champion for diabetes.

(148997)

434
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether South Sefton Primary Care Organisation has a local diabetes implementation and planning group to lead service commissioning.

(148998)

435
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the South Sefton Primary Care Trust provided training in the management of diabetes in the last two years for (a) general practitioners and (b) diabetes clinics.

(148999)

436
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the percentage is of general practitioners providing (a) diabetes clinics and (b) other forms of structured diabetes care for South Sefton Primary Care Trust.

(149000)

437
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether South Sefton Primary Care Organisation (a) has a population-based register and (b) uses general practitioners' practice-based registers.

(149001)

438
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether South Sefton Primary Care Organisation has a strategy for early identification of people with diabetes.

(149002)

439
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how often people are routinely recalled for retinopathy screening by South Sefton Primary Care Trust; and whether digital cameras are used.

(149003)

440
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of people with diabetes were screened in the period April 2002 to March 2003 by South Sefton Primary Care Trust.

(149004)

441
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether people with diabetes in the South Sefton Primary Care Trust area are invited to diabetes education sessions with a healthcare professional.

(149005)

442
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what written information is available on (a) diabetes, (b) self-management of diabetes, (c) personal diabetes record and care plans, (d) local diabetes services, (e) outcomes of care and (f) Diabetes UK to people diagnosed with diabetes by South Sefton Primary Care Trust; and in what languages this material is available.

(149015)

443
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether South Sefton Primary Care Trust's register enables the call and recall of invitations for people with diabetes to attend services.

(149016)

444
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether people with diabetes in the South Sefton Primary Care Trust area are able to access (a) routine diabetes care and (b) risk factor monitoring in a single visit.

(149017)

445
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether people with diabetes are able to have (a) blood glucose tests with results on the same day, (b) urine tests with results on the same day, (c) access on the same day to specialist expertise within primary care and (d) access to equipment for retinopathy screening with interpretation on the same day, under South Sefton Primary Care Trust.

(149018)

446
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether South Sefton Primary Care Organisation has a protocol for the transfer of young people with diabetes from paediatric services to adult services.

(149019)

447
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether South Sefton Primary Care Trust provides joint specialist diabetes and obstetric clinics for people in the area.

(149020)

448
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the South Sefton Primary Care Trust provides joint specialist renal and diabetes clinics for people with diabetes who have renal complications.

(149021)

449
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the South Sefton Primary Care Trust provides foot care clinics for those at high risk of developing lower limb complications.

(149022)

450
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 12th January, Official Report, columns 602-3W, on foundation hospitals, whether guidance and best practice will be automatically sent to foundation hospital trusts without the need for a specific request.

(149505)

451
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 12th January, Official Report, columns 602-3W, on foundation hospitals, whether the Department will set minimum standards on (a) ethical and (b) environmental investments.

(149506)

452
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) consultant geriatricians and (b) geriatricians below the level of consultant were employed by the NHS in each year since 1997.

(148827)

453
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason figures are not available for the number of people who received intermediate care in 2000-01.

(148872)

454
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason figures are not available for the number of intermediate care beds there were in 2000-01.

(148873)

455
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost per operation is for (a) hip and (b) knee replacements in each hospital trust; and if he will make a statement.

(149007)

456
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason his Department no longer collects information for patients aged 75 and over on emergency readmissions to hospital within 28 days of discharge.

(149008)

457
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148991)

458
Jane Griffiths (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will publish guidance on managing problems in early pregnancy; and if he will make a statement.

(149302)

459
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what date the Retained Organs Commission will be wound up; on what date he proposes that a shadow Human Tissue Authority will be created; and what transitional arrangements he will put in place to bridge any gap between these two dates.

(149379)

460
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients are waiting for cataract operations.

(149473)

461
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cataract operations were carried out in each of the last five years.

(149474)

462
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients joined the waiting list for cataract operations in each of the last five years.

(149475)

463
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 12th January, Official Report, column 616W, on NHS Trusts (Chief Executive Misconduct), what advice was given by the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority to the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service concerning the investigation of a possible case of gross misconduct by the Chief Executive; by whom such advice was given, and when; and what action was taken following such advice by the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service to investigate the matter, and by whom.

(149347)

464
Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the maximum number of local government overview scrutiny committees is that a national service within the NHS could have to report to under the terms of the Health and Social Care Act 2001.

(148811)

465
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many recorded incidences of pure red cell aplasia there were in England and Wales between 1999 and 2002 following treatment using erythropoietic products.

(149173)

466
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the incidences of pure red cell aplasia occurring after treatment with (a) Epogen, (b) Aranesp, (c) Neorecormon and (d) Eprex since 1999.

(149174)

467
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many fatalities have been linked to the use of erythropoietic treatments for anaemia.

(149175)

468
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will commission studies into the incidence of pure red cell aplasia after erythropoietic treatments for anaemia; and what studies he has assessed into the potentially adverse effects of erythropoietic treatments for anaemia.

(149176)

469
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will now respond substantively to recommendations 192 to 197 of the Report of the Public Inquiry into Children's Heart Surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

(149268)

470
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to know how many staff were employed by strategic health authorities in September 2003.

(149563)

471
Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria his Department uses when deciding whether a leaflet which it publishes is to be made available only on its website.

(149557)

472
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what further plans he has for the use of e-auction as a method of purchasing clinically prescribed equipment in the NHS.

[R] (149051)

473
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to regulate the use of e-auction by NHS bodies.

[R] (149052)

474
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) funding and (b) other support there is for parents with children with Downs Syndrome; what plans he has to increase (i) funding and (ii) other support; and if he will make a statement.

(149419)

475
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) stroke units and (b) acute beds there are in the NHS in Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement.

(149465)

476
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of whether the stroke units in the NHS in Gloucestershire are large enough to accommodate all stroke victims in Gloucestershire needing hospitalisation; and if he will make a statement.

(149466)

477
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many stroke consultants are employed in the NHS in Gloucestershire; what plans there are to increase this number; and if he will make a statement.

(149467)

478
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what facilities there are in the NHS in Gloucestershire to identify those most at risk from strokes; and if he will make a statement.

(149468)

479
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what NHS services are offered to stroke victims in their homes; and if he will make a statement.

(149469)

480
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of births were by caesarean section in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the percentage was (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years ago.

(148776)

481
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of the Commission for Health Improvement (a) in the last 12 months and (b) since its inception.

(148825)

482
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to limit the public's regular intake of salt.

(148833)

483
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average annual cost of prescription fraud has been in the last five years.

(148834)

484
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS employees were expelled in each of the last five years.

(148945)

485
N Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is on the provision of smallpox vaccinations for medical personnel.

(148762)

486
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance was available in the (a) 1970s and (b) 1980s in respect of routine recording of myodil injections on medical records; and if he will make a statement.

(148778)

487
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the categories of treatment for which health trusts in the Avon area are refusing to accept referrals from general practitioners; what estimate he has made of the number of patients who have been refused in each case; and if he will make a statement.

(149171)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

488
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the minister responsible for animal experimentation takes to secure advice on these matters from sources independent of officials.

(148849)

489
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of people making asylum applications over the next three years.

(149338)

490
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of those seeking asylum he expects to be housed in accommodation centres pending their applications being determined.

(149339)

491
Mr John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to introduce an exit centre in HM Prison Leeds for people leaving prison, to link addiction, mental health, rehabilitation, education and training procedures inside prison with programmes available outside.

(149034)

492
Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken by his Department to respond to requests for information made by the Visa Section of the British High Commission in Harare about visa applicants.

(149486)

493
N Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Offenders Management Service will work on a regional level closely with complementary services, including the police.

(147765)

494
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action he is taking to ensure that speed cameras do not take pictures of a vehicle's reflection rather than the vehicle itself to calculate speed; and how many drivers he estimates have been wrongly penalised by reason of such errors.

(149006)

495
Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much benefit was paid to asylum seekers living in the United Kingdom in 2003.

(148953)

496
Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the longest outstanding asylum case still awaiting a final decision is; and if he will make a statement.

(148954)

497
Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people sought (a) political and (b) religious asylum in the United Kingdom in 2003; how many were granted the right to remain; and how many failed in their applications and were removed.

(148955)

498
Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his Answer of 13th January, Official Report, column 669W, with which offences under the Terrorism Act 2001 the 94 individuals have been charged.

(148923)

499
Mr John Cummings (Easington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the strength of the Durham police force was in each year since 2000, broken down by rank; and how many civilian personnel there were in each year.

(148780)

500
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the updated guidelines on anonymity for those accused of historical sex abuse were sent to police forces.

(148881)

501
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the terms of guidelines on anonymity for those accused of historical sex abuse (a) were before and (b) are since recent amendments were put into effect.

(148882)

502
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the terms are of the code of practice on unhelpful or intrusive reporting of cases of historical sex abuse.

(148883)

503
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has held with media representatives to assess how unhelpful or intrusive reporting of historical sex abuse cases can be avoided; and what the outcome of these meetings was.

(148884)

504
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings he plans to hold with media representatives to assess how unhelpful or intrusive reporting of historical sex abuse cases can be avoided; and when these discussions will take place.

(148885)

505
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost is of keeping someone in prison per day.

(148886)

506
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the size of the United Kingdom's prison population as compared to other European countries.

(148887)

507
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, why prison is becoming a more common form of punishment.

(148888)

508
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the number of prisoners serving short sentences has increased.

(148889)

509
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Home Detention Curfew.

(148890)

510
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to ease the problem of prison overcrowding.

(148891)

511
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the findings of the Halliday report regarding the link between prison population increases and crime levels.

(148892)

512
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on changes in (a) custody rates and (b) sentence lengths.

(148893)

513
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the connection between prison and homelessness; and what steps he is taking to ensure that prisoners have help finding accommodation on their release.

(148894)

514
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will extend the length of time in which released prisoners can apply for housing benefit.

(148895)

515
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the work of the Penal Affairs consortium.

(148896)

516
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research he has collated on the use of the satellite global positioning system for monitoring those on Home Detention Curfew programmes.

(148897)

517
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which rehabilitation programmes have been the most effective in reducing the reconviction rate; and what plans he has to extend these programmes to all prisons.

(148907)

518
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what number and what percentage of short-term prisoners completed a fast track rehabilitation programme during their time in prison in each of the last five years; and what plans he has to increase this percentage over the next two years.

(148908)

519
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to extend the FOR rehabilitation programme which ran in South Wales to other areas.

(148909)

520
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to tackle bullying of prisoners by other inmates.

(149101)

521
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 will be brought into force on (a) 20th January and (b) 27th February.

(149104)

522
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to ensure that Chief Constables and the Crown Prosecution Service are fully aware of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 provisions that come into force on (a) 20th January and (b) 27th February.

(149105)

523
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the timetable giving the dates for commencement of the sections of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 that are not yet in force will be published; and which sections of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 have not yet been subject to commencement orders.

(149106)

524
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the compulsory phase for the holding of an identity card will commence.

(149206)

525
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions his Department has had with representatives from other countries on the (a) benefits and (b) best practice in the introduction of identity cards; and what the outcome of those meetings was.

(149207)

526
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost per card of introducing identity cards; and what percentage of this each card-holding citizen will be expected to pay.

(149208)

527
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) private and (b) public companies will collect the biometric information necessary for the proposed identity card scheme.

(149209)

528
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time taken to settle applications for criminal injuries compensation was in 2003.

(149553)

529
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for criminal injuries compensation were received in each of the past four years; and what the average award was for each of those years.

(149554)

530
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148994)

531
N Mr David Heyes (Ashton under Lyne):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action he is taking to increase the opportunities for prisoners to find employment once released back into the community.

(148314)

532
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK immigration officials were in post at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick, (c) Stansted, (d) Luton and (e) City Airport on 1st January in each of the last six years.

(148436)

533
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal entrants have been detected at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick, (c) Stansted, (d) Luton and (e) City Airport in each of the last six years.

(148439)

534
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 1st December 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Abdul Hussain Talash.

(149547)

535
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 10th November 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Gohal Ali Khan.

(149548)

536
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 13th November 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr E Elbasani.

(149549)

537
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 8th December 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Dr Louis Sterling.

(149550)

538
N Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many press officers were employed in his Department in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04; and what estimate he has made of the cost in each year.

(148507)

539
N Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many press releases were issued by his Department in 2003.

(148508)

540
Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria his Department uses when deciding whether a leaflet which it publishes is to be made available only on its website.

(149559)

541
N Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letters from the honourable Member for Manchester Central dated (a) 19th August 2003 re Mr N, reference 0/985393 and (b) 28th August 2003 re Mr AA, reference PO 13028/3.

(148510)

542
N Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps will be taken to ensure that there will not be an increase in the administrative demands on front line staff following the creation of the National Offenders Management Service; and if he will make a statement.

(148165)

543
N Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is his intention that local probation areas will become an integral arm of the National Offenders Management Service and retain operational freedom; and if he will make a statement.

(148166)

544
Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the prisoners held in (a) Sudbury open prison and (b) other open prisons in (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 2003-04 were originally classified as (A) Category A, (B) Category B, (C) Category C and (D) Category D prisoners.

(148876)

545
Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days prisoners who absconded served at (a) Sudbury open prison and (B) other open prisons before they absconded in (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 2003-04.

(148877)

546
Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what targets have been set for the transfer of prisoners from closed prisons to open prisons; and how many (a) Category A prisoners, (b) Category B prisoners and (c) Category C prisoners were reclassified as Category D prisoners in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2002.

(148878)

547
Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the prisoners who absconded from (a) Sudbury open prison and (b) other open prisons in 2003-04 and who are still unlawfully at large are serving sentences for (i) murder, (ii) grievous bodily harm and (iii) sex offences.

(148879)

548
N Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the continuing responsibilities will be of (a) the National Probation Service and (b) the National Probation Directorate within the structures of the National Offender Management Service.

(148000)

549
N Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the relationship will be between local probation areas, regional offender managers, national offender managers and the chief executive within the arrangements of the National Offender Management Service.

(148001)

550
N Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the role of offender managers at the area level will be within the structure of the National Offender Management Service.

(148002)

551
N Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes were committed in each year since 1996-97 involving (a) handguns, (b) rifles, (c) shotguns, (d) air weapons and (e) imitation firearms; and how many gun crimes for each year were drug-related.

(148312)

552
N Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list for each police force in England and Wales (a) in rank order and (b) in alphabetical order the ratio of full-time equivalent police officers to population (i) in 1996-97 and (ii) on the latest available date.

(148313)

553
N Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was provided by the Government to police authorities (a) from national non-domestic rates, (b) from revenue support grant, (c) from Home Office police principal grant, (d) from all other Home Office and other special grants excluding capital and (e) as capital grants were in each year since 1996-97.

(148612)

554
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the most recent annual cost of credit card fraud.

(148836)

555
N Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his assessment of the current risk to British security posed by cyber-terrorism.

(148761)

556
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149332)

557
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will introduce a visa requirement for all non-EEA nationals entering the UK in the course of business, where the prime purpose of that entry is to engage in anti-trade union activities.

(149578)

558
N Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current level is of police civilian support staff.

(148315)

559
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will ensure that coroner's court hearings affecting residents of South Gloucestershire will take place at locations convenient for residents of South Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement.

(148620)

560
Mrs Betty Williams (Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether health warnings on alcoholic drinks are being considered in the development of the National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy; and when the strategy will be published.

(149348)

561
N Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Minister for Citizenship and Immigration will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Spelthorne of 10th November 2003, about a constituent, Mr J. A. Hernandez.

(149030)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

562
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made by each country in meeting the millennium development goal to halve the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day by 2015.

(149062)

563
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the percentage change between 1990 and 2003 was in the numbers of people below the minimum level of dietary energy consumption in each country covered by the millennium development goals.

(149063)

564
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made by each country in meeting the millennium development goals to halve between 1990 and 2015 the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

(149064)

565
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the percentage change was between 1990 and 2003 in the numbers of underweight children under five years of age in each country covered by the millennium development goals.

(149065)

566
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the change was between 1990 and 2003 in the share of the poorest quintile in national consumption in each country covered by the millennium development goals.

(149066)

567
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress each country has made in meeting the millennium development goal that, by 2015, all children will be able to commence a full course of primary schooling.

(149067)

568
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of his Department's bilateral programme has gone to low income countries in each of the last six years.

(149068)

569
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with the Director General of the World Trade Organisation since 15th December 2003.

(149069)

570
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the countries which have benefited from the Government's funding for trade-related capacity building and technical assistance since 1998; and how the money has been used.

(149071)

571
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the countries that will benefit from the £50 million support announced by his predecessor in September 2003 for trade-related capacity building and technical assistance.

(149072)

572
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the impact over the last 12 months of the Global Health Fund in tackling (a) HIV/AIDS, (b) tuberculosis and (c) malaria.

(149074)

573
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what input his Department has made into the (a) design and (b) implementation of the initiative by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to help developing countries to overcome problems in adjusting to a more liberal trading environment.

(149102)

574
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what input his Department has made into the (a) design and (b) implementation of the initiative by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to help developing countries to overcome problems in adjusting to a more liberal trading environment.

(149103)

575
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people made up the UK delegation to the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Cancún in September; and what the cost to public funds was of its attendance.

(149112)

576
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the United States since the breakdown of the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Cancún about the likely impact of the United States Farm Bill on the (a) economies of and (b) living standards in, developing countries.

(149118)

577
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people made up the delegations of the developing countries at the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Cancún.

(149126)

578
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries receive (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral aid from the UK Government; and how much each received from his Department in (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 2003-04.

(149158)

579
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of eligible heavily indebted poor countries committed to poverty reduction have received irrevocable debt relief.

(149161)

580
N Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with (a) his counterparts in EU member states and (b) representatives of the United Nations about the report of the UN Panel of Experts on illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

(149186)

581
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the (a) resources available to and (b) effectiveness of the African Union presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

(149187)

582
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if his Department will (a) arrange and (b) fund a delegation of senior former Members of Parliament to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to advise on democracy building.

(149192)

583
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the Department's bilateral aid projects which have been evaluated as successful; and if he will publish the most recent criteria.

(149193)

584
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects his Department is involved in in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank, aimed at improving public access to water for (i) consumption and (ii) agriculture.

(148929)

585
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the Department's role is in the allocation of Coalition Provisional Authority funds.

(149035)

586
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how often meetings take place between representatives of his Department and the Coalition Provisional Authority to review progress of CPA projects funded by the Department.

(149036)

587
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what percentage of his Department's aid to Swaziland went directly into development projects in the last year for which figures are available; and what percentage was allocated to the national government.

(149157)

588
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what efforts his Department has made to employ Iraqis in development work in that country.

(149162)

589
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions his Department has had with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees regarding Sudanese refugees in Chad.

(149163)

590
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether his Department is involved in development work in the Indian state of Jharkand.

(149164)

591
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the five largest major or national transport infrastructure projects which his Department is funding are.

(149169)

592
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how his Department will respond to the appeal for $11 million by the World Food Organisation for the Sudanese refugees in Chad.

(149178)

593
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much his Department has spent on (a) secondments, (b) consultants and (c) security as part of its expenditure on humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in Iraq.

(149212)

594
Mr David Chidgey (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of Chad's ability to cope with the influx of refugees fleeing war in Sudan and the Central African Republic.

(149217)

595
Mr David Chidgey (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the rise in the reported cases of malaria in Africa.

(149218)

596
Mr David Chidgey (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support the United Kingdom will give developing countries to enact the World Health Organisation's recommendation that artemisinin-based combination therapy should be used in malaria outbreaks to prevent the disease developing further resistance to treatment.

(149219)

597
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what consideration is given to levels of HIV infection when approving a country for Heavily Indebted Poor Country debt relief.

(149426)

598
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what preparations his Department is making for the UN Microcredit Year in 2005.

(149428)

599
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148988)

600
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what aid is being provided to (a) Rwanda and (b) Burundi (i) for development and (ii) to re-establish its justice system; and if he will make a statement.

(148858)

601
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149333)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

602
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his policy is on compensation for victims of crime where the perpetrator of the crime is a member of the same household as the victim.

(149204)

603
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148983)

604
N Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what action the Government is taking to deal with the problem of high hedges in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(148719)

605
N Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many responses he received to his Department's The Reform of Water and Sewerage Services in Northern Ireland consultation document; and how many of these responses were (a) in favour and (b) against the introduction of water charging.

(148720)

606
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures are in place in Northern Ireland to protect children from sustaining back injuries from carrying excessively heavy schoolbags to, in and from school; and if he will make a statement.

(148813)

607
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment the Government has made of the implications of extending human rights legislation to protect people in Northern Ireland from human rights abuses carried out by loyalist and republican paramilitaries.

(148981)

608
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in prosecuting (a) loyalist and (b) republican paramilitaries who have carried out punishment beatings and shootings.

(148982)

609
Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many Northern Ireland firms have been assisted by the International Tendering Fund; and what the effect has been on winning overseas contracts.

(149211)

610
Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many civil servants have applied under new Working Time Regulations to work from home, broken down by gender; and how many requests have been successful in each case.

(149214)

611
Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the timescale is for the issuing of industrial tribunal decisions to the appellant.

(149215)

612
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his estimate is of the size of (a) each minority ethnic group and (b) travellers, in Northern Ireland.

(149226)

613
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his estimate is of the number of speakers of (a) each European lesser-used language and (b) other languages used in Northern Ireland.

(149227)

614
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many racist incidents were recorded by the police in Northern Ireland in (a) January and (b) each month in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2002, broken down by constituency.

(149228)

615
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the under-reporting of racist incidents.

(149229)

616
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how the police categorise different types of racist incident; and how many of each type of incident there has been so far this year.

(149230)

617
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many minority liaison officers working with victims of crime are employed by the police and other institutions and agencies in the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland.

(149231)

618
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures have been taken by the police to address race hate crime in Northern Ireland; and what instructions have been given to officers on patrol.

(149232)

619
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures have been taken by the (a) Human Rights Commission, (b) Equality Commission and (c) Civic Forum to address race hate crime in Northern Ireland.

(149233)

620
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures have been taken by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to address race hate crime in Northern Ireland.

(149234)

621
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many requests for assistance from victims of race hate crime were received in the last 12 months by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; how many victims were rehoused; and what instructions have been circulated to local offices.

(149240)

622
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his estimate is of the number of racist incidents involving (a) nurses, (b) other hospital staff and (c) workers in health and social services in the past 12 months; and what measures are being taken by hospital management and health authorities to address this issue.

(149241)

623
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of links between race hate organisations and paramilitary groups.

(149242)

624
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will proscribe race hate political parties in Northern Ireland.

(149243)

625
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assistance is available to escort and assist vulnerable members of minority ethnic groups in South Belfast to leave their homes to visit shops and obtain access to services without fear of racist violence and threats.

(149244)

626
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment the Community Relations Council has made of the level of race hate crime in Northern Ireland; what remedies they recommend; and what action he has taken as a result.

(149245)

627
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what reports he has received of bullying and harassment experienced by members of minority ethnic groups who are pupils, students and staff at schools and educational establishments in Northern Ireland; and what actions have been taken as a result.

(149246)

628
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with (a) trade union representatives and (b) employers on the level of racist violence in the workplace in Northern Ireland; what proposals and recommendations have been made; and what action he has taken as a result.

(149247)

629
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the overall cost was of free travel to schools in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

(148763)

630
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he has taken to promote healthy eating in schools in Northern Ireland.

(148764)

631
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what (a) benefits and (b) grants are available when building (i) guest houses and (ii) other forms of tourist accommodation in Northern Ireland.

(148765)

632
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of pupils in education in Northern Ireland are being educated at integrated schools; and what the percentage was in each of the last five academic years.

(148766)

633
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to improve the identification of sheep in Northern Ireland.

(148767)

634
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what criteria will be applied when choosing a university for the teaching of agriculture in Northern Ireland in place of Newforge; and when a decision is expected.

(148768)

635
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much funding (a) integrated and (b) Irish language schools have received in each of the last five years.

(148769)

636
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to tackle truancy from schools in Northern Ireland.

(148770)

637
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made in identifying a new location for the Moylinn GP Co-operative.

(148771)

638
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on plans to make fruit available to school pupils.

(148772)

639
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of HIV sufferers in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

(148773)

640
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of sufferers of (a) chlamydia, (b) gonorrhoea and (c) syphilis in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

(148774)

641
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on his plans to review dementia services in Northern Ireland.

(148775)

642
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what he recommends as a reasonable period of time before an applicant can expect to be informed whether his or her planning application is successful.

(148814)

643
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when a decision will be made in relation to the proposed development plan for Gocean, Killyleath; and if he will make a statement.

(148815)

644
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much funding was provided to ethnic minorities in each of the last five years, broken down by project.

(148816)

645
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding has been provided to promote cricket in the Province in each of the last five years.

(148817)

646
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding has been provided to assist the promotion of (a) hockey, (b) rugby, (c) soccer, (d) gaelic football, (e) hurling and (f) other Gaelic Athletic Association sports in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

(148818)

647
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much funding the Parades Commission has received in each year since its inception, broken down by budget head.

(148819)

648
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to ensure that greater numbers of individuals will be available to staff polling stations at future elections.

(148820)

649
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what action is being taken to encourage road users in Northern Ireland to report dangerous driving by others.

(148824)

650
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the need for the provision of heart defibrillators in (a) leisure facilities, (b) entertainment complexes, (c) shopping centres, (d) other public places used by large numbers of individuals and (e) public places where large numbers of individuals are likely to congregate.

(148826)

651
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to review practice on the performing of caesarean sections in hospitals in Northern Ireland.

(148828)

652
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of losses from credit card fraud in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

(148829)

653
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to prevent the discharge of harmful materials into rivers.

(148831)

654
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many convictions there have been for pollution of waterways in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

(148832)

655
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of births in Northern Ireland were by caesarean section in the last 12 months for which figures were available; and what the figures were (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years ago.

(148835)

656
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many drownings there were in Northern Ireland in 2003.

(148838)

657
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many house fires there were in Northern Ireland in 2003; and how many deaths arose from them.

(148840)

658
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many paramilitary attacks on individuals in Northern Ireland there have been in each of the last five years.

(148842)

659
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers in Northern Ireland who will commence (a) enbrel and (b) remicade treatment in 2004; and what the figures were in 2003.

(148843)

660
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of multiple sclerosis sufferers who will commence (a) beta interferon and (b) glatiramer treatment in Northern Ireland in 2004; and what the figures were in 2003.

(148844)

661
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patients were awaiting neurosurgery (a) inpatient admission and (b) outpatient assessment in Northern Ireland on the most recent date for which figures are available.

(148845)

662
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on progress on the Northern Ireland regional cancer centre, with particular reference to staffing.

(148846)

663
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his Answer of 7th January, Official Report, column 406W, on hospital trolley waits, whether the December statistics represent (a) an estimate for the full month and (b) a total number collected on weekdays only.

(148860)

664
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the sum spent in Northern Ireland on private health care in each of the last five years.

(148942)

665
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many employees of the NHS in Northern Ireland are suspended from work.

(148943)

666
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost to the NHS in Northern Ireland was in the last 12 months of the suspension from work of employees.

(148944)

667
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many NHS employees in Northern Ireland were dismissed in each of the last five years.

(148946)

668
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost was of gritting roads during the winter of each year since 2000-01.

(148947)

669
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how and by whom decisions are taken regarding when roads in Northern Ireland are gritted; and what flexibility there is in terms of the number treated on any particular occasion.

(148951)

670
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of suicides which took place in Northern Ireland in 2003.

(148952)

671
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on what basis SEELB provides a greater number of funded pre-school places to the statutory nursery school sector than to the private/voluntary sector in Newtownards; and for what reason the playschool at Londonderry Primary School has not attracted any funded places.

(149612)

672
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the difficulties experienced in ensuring that enough staff were available at polling stations during the Assembly elections in November 2003.

(149613)

673
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to attract more tourists in 2004 to (a) the Ards Peninsula and (b) the North Down area.

(149615)

674
N The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what reports he has received regarding the treatment of General John de Chastelain during the decommissioning act in Northern Ireland on 20th October 2003; and if he will make a statement.

(148469)

Questions to the Prime Minister

675
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Prime Minister, what (a) representations he has received from and (b) discussions he has had with Chechen President Akhmad Kadryov.

(148931)

676
Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):To ask the Prime Minister, what representations he has made to President Bush about assistance for families of British victims of events on 11th September 2001 in pursuing inquiries into those events.

(149500)

677
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Prime Minister, when he was informed that the USA was intending to wage war on Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(149053)

678
N Mr Michael Jack (Fylde):To ask the Prime Minister, whether a copy of the audit report on the performance of his Government, to be published on 16th January, will be placed in the Library.

(148808)

679
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Prime Minister, whether the United Kingdom has shared with the United States Administration and US intelligence services the information on alleged Iraqi attempts to procure uranium from Niger, to which he referred in his letters of 1st September 2003 and 28th October 2003 to the honourable Member for Blaenau Gwent.

(149538)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

680
John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the population of Scotland is, broken down by postcode district.

(149363)

681
Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament since 26th June 2003 that apply to his Department's responsibilities and legislation he has sponsored.

(148749)

682
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations he has made to the Scottish clearing banks about their participation in the Post Office Universal Bank.

(148751)

683
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on prospects for employment in Scottish call centres.

(148752)

684
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to encourage Scottish banks to make their services available through the Post Office branch network.

(148957)

685
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he last made a needs-based assessment of public expenditure levels in Scotland.

(149630)

686
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he next plans to conduct a needs-based assessment of public expenditure levels in Scotland; and whether he anticipates that such an assessment would conclude that current levels are (a) higher, (b) lower or (c) the same as current needs.

(149631)

687
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the annual change in the block grant paid to the Scottish Executive was in each year since 1999; what percentage of the change for each year resulted from the application of the Barnett Formula; and what percentage of the change for each year resulted from other monies added to or subtracted from the block grant.

(149632)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

688
N Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much has been spent on the Dark Matter Project at Boulby Mine, Loftus, Saltburn-by-the-Sea since its inception.

(149216)

689
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with the Director General of the World Trade Organisation since 15th December 2003.

(149070)

690
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what evidence she has collated on the use of national and regional labelling schemes as a protectionist barrier to trade.

(149073)

691
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate she has made of the annual economic cost to developing countries of the breakdown of the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Cancún.

(149075)

692
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what formal meetings she held at the ministerial conference in Cancún with representatives of developing countries.

(149076)

693
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what general tariff reduction formula is supported by her Department.

(149077)

694
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will identify technical barriers to trade which harm (a) the United Kingdom and (b) developing countries.

(149078)

695
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which members of the World Trade Organisation have yet to (a) ratify and (b) implement the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Financial Services.

(149079)

696
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which members of the World Trade Organisation have still to implement fully the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Basic Telecommunications.

(149080)

697
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the EU export subsidies whose removal would be of benefit to developing countries.

(149109)

698
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts since the breakdown of the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Cancun about (a) improving processes for decision-making and (b) taking account of the views of developing countries.

(149110)

699
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what quantitative assessment her Department has made of the effect of EU and US agriculture subsidies on (a) gross national product and (b) per capita income in developing countries.

(149111)

700
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the United States since the breakdown of the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Cancún about the likely impact of the United States Farm Bill on the (a) economies of, and (b) living standards in, developing countries.

(149115)

701
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will identify the ways in which representatives of developing countries at the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference at Cancún judged that the transparency of the negotiating process was better than at Seattle and Doha.

(149124)

702
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what quantitative assessment she has made of the effect of the opening 10 years ago of the market in Honduras to subsidised rice imports from the United States on (a) the economy and (b) living standards in Honduras.

(149128)

703
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she had with Commissioners Lamy and Fischer before the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference in Cancun about the advisability of introducing new issues for which the developing countries would be unprepared to the conference agenda.

(149130)

704
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what quantitative assessment she has made of the likely financial benefit to the least developed countries of the admission by Europe of non-armament imports free of tariffs and quotes.

(149133)

705
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the EU's stance at the Geneva trade talks on (a) industrial market access and (b) special and differential treatment.

(149135)

706
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether she has received proposals from the European Commission on reform of the sugar regime; and if she will make a statement.

(149137)

707
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the progress achieved by World Trade Organisation members in meeting the terms of the Cancún Declaration by 15th December 2003.

(149144)

708
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether it is her policy to seek greater use of (a) mediation and (b) resolution of trade disputes prior to formal recourse to the World Trade Organisation dispute settlement understanding procedures.

(149145)

709
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether it is her objective to achieve a total elimination of all tariff barriers by all World Trade Organisation members.

(149146)

710
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether it is her policy in trade negotiations to pursue a comprehensive approach across the board for all products and all sectors without a priori exceptions.

(149148)

711
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether it is her policy to seek bound reduction of high tariffs, particularly tariff plans, with a view to securing greater tariff harmonisation between countries.

(149149)

712
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether it is her policy to seek the binding of unbound tariffs at commercially acceptable levels.

(149150)

713
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether it is her policy to seek improved geographical coverage of (a) zero-duty sectoral agreements and (b) sectoral tariff harmonisation agreements.

(149151)

714
N Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Answer given on 8th January, Official Report, column 445W, on post offices, what changes there have been to (a) the number of post offices in each constituency and (b) the number which transact more than 40 per cent. of their work volumes on behalf of the Benefits Agency since 9th January 2003.

(148782)

715
N Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which post office branches in the 20 per cent. most deprived wards in England have (a) been the subject of a closure consultation, (b) had their proposal (i) modified and (ii) withdrawn after public consultation and (c) closed as a result of the Urban Reinvention Programme.

(149179)

716
N Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which subpostmasters of branches in the 20 per cent. most deprived wards in England have (a) applied for compensation to close their business and (b) been successful in their application; and how much has been paid to them to date.

(149180)

717
Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what approvals have been given since the period covered by the last Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls for the export to Israel of categories of equipment covering (a) leg irons, (b) electric shock belts, (c) tear gas, (d) mortars, (e) rocket launchers, (f) anti-tank weapons, (g) military explosives, (h) infra-red and radar sensors and (i) chemical and biological agents.

(149337)

718
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what definition of contiguous population is used by the Post Office for classification of post offices as urban for the purposes of closure; and if she will make a statement.

(149213)

719
Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what funding has been provided by her Department to help finance (a) the Passport to Export Success scheme, (b) the Overseas Project Fund, (c) the British Overseas Industrial Placement, (d) the Outward Missions Support Unit, (e) inward trade missions, (f) the Export Promoter Initiatives, (g) the Export Marketing Research Initiative, (h) the Export Communications Review, (i) the Framework Programme 6 and (j) the Link Collaborative Research Initiative for each financial year since the inception of each; what funding has been allocated to finance each in future financial years; and if she will estimate the extent to which businesses have benefited from each initiative to date.

(149446)

720
Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what funding has been provided by her Department to help finance (a) the Rethinking Construction Initiative, (b) the Sustainable Technologies Initiative, (c) the UK Online for Business Initiative, (d) the Waste and Resource Action Programme, (e) the Euroim II Initiative, (f) the Feasibility Studies Initiative for SMES, (g) the Local Partnership Fund and (h) the Technology Partnership Initiative in each financial year since the inception of each; what funding has been allocated to finance each in future financial years; and if she will estimate the extent to which businesses have benefited from each initiative to date.

(149447)

721
Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what funding has been provided by her Department to finance (a) the UK High Technology Fund, (b) the Quality Mark Scheme, (c) the Inside UK Enterprise Scheme, (d) the Construction Line Programme, (e) the Basic Technologies Programme, (f) the Construction Best Practice Programme and (g) the Foresight Programme in each financial year since the inception of each; what funding has been allocated to finance each scheme in future financial years; and if she will estimate the extent to which businesses have benefited from each initiative to date.

(149448)

722
Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what money her Department has allocated for business support schemes; and how much of this money has gone unclaimed in each of the last five years.

(149478)

723
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which inter-ministerial group is responsible for the English equivalent of the Scottish Business Birthrate Strategy; and which ministers are members of that group.

(149634)

724
Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether she plans to carry out a further fireworks monitoring exercise between October 2004 and January 2005 to assess the effectiveness of the Fireworks Act 2003; and if she will make a statement.

(149012)

725
Mr John Cummings (Easington):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many claims there have been for (a) chronic pulmonary emphysema and (b) vibration white finger in the Easington constituency; how many have been settled; and what amount of compensation has been paid to date.

(148852)

726
Mr John Cummings (Easington):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of the county of Durham has broadband coverage; and what action she intends to take to encourage greater coverage.

(148854)

727
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what powers were introduced by the Enterprise Act 2002.

(148898)

728
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on her Department's work with the Office of Fair Trading on consumer credit law reform.

(148899)

729
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how the Office of Fair Trading intends to improve the fitness checking of consumer credit licence applicants through access to criminal records.

(148900)

730
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how the Office of Fair Trading intends to encourage new code sponsors to apply for OFT approval.

(148901)

731
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations she has made to the Scottish clearing banks about their participation in the Post Office Universal Bank.

(148750)

732
N Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when sub-post offices in Taunton will learn whether they will be considered for closure under the network re-invention programme.

(148506)

733
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 13th January, Official Report, column 703W, on Iraq, what support the (a) UK, (b) US and (c) EU are giving to facilitate Iraq's ability to take responsibility for the necessary administration.

(149450)

734
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of capping annual percentage rates on credit cards but not on short-term loans.

(149503)

735
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she expects the research which her Department has commissioned into the way interest ceilings work in other EU countries will be completed.

(149504)

736
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will set out the number of employees in her Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type.

(148987)

737
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will place in the Library a copy of the research document commissioned by her Department on The use and necessity of Article 18(b)(1) of the Working Time Directive in the United Kingdom.

(149013)

738
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Anwer of 13th January, Official Report, column 694W, on debarred directors, and 706W, on Strikes (dismissal), if she will disqualify Mr J. Davies of Friction Dynamex as a company director.

(149608)

739
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley have benefited from the minimum wage since its introduction.

(149165)

740
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she is taking to prevent companies installing home security systems from falsely claiming that their systems are approved by the police or that their work is being carried out in conjunction with the police or the local authority.

(149345)

741
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she is taking to prevent companies selling alarm systems from gaining access to homes by claiming to be carrying out a security check.

(149346)

742
Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether her Department has made an analysis of the impact of withdrawing paper copies of its leaflets on employment rights on the availability of free-of-charge, printed information at public libraries.

(149488)

743
Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether her Department has made an analysis of the impact of withdrawing paper copies of its leaflets on employment rights on voluntary sector organisations providing free advice to the public in this area.

(149489)

744
Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what criteria her Department uses when deciding whether a leaflet which it publishes is to be made available only on its website.

(149560)

745
Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of withdrawing paper copies of its leaflets on employment rights on sections of the public who have difficulties either accessing or using the internet.

(149561)

746
N Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether she was in the United Kingdom for the whole of Tuesday 13th January.

(148722)

747
N Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list her engagements for Tuesday 13th January.

(148723)

748
N Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the reasons for her decision not to respond to the debate on the future of the Post Office in Her Majesty's Official Opposition time initiated by the Shadow Secretary of State for Industry, the honourable Member for Eddisbury.

(148724)

749
N Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the additionality requirements under the European Structural Funds regulations have been met by the UK Objective 1 programmes at their mid-term stage.

(148434)

750
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much the Government intend to charge the (a) Miners Pension Scheme and (b) British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in April for their role as guarantors.

(148938)

751
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much the Government have charged the (a) Miners Pension Scheme and (b) British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme for their role as guarantors in each of the last six years.

(148939)

752
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many vibration white finger cases the Government has referred to the Vibration Reference Panel; and on what date the Vibration Reference Panel was set up.

(149027)

753
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many disputed Group 3 employment cases there are.

(149085)

754
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what actions she has taken to limit unsolicited telephone calls for the purpose of selling goods and services.

(148822)

755
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on her policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to her Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149334)

756
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether debt accrued by the Beagle 2 programme will be met from existing departmental budget allocations for space programmes and research.

(148976)

757
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Written Statement of 11th December 2003, Official Report, columns 93-5WS, on BNFL strategy review, if she will make a statement on the future of BNFL's US subsidiaries.

[R] (148979)

758
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Written Statement of 8th January, Official Report, columns 13-14WS, on gas quality, what assessment she has made of the number of domestic appliances that would require (a) replacement and (b) modification as a consequence of change to the upper Wobbe Index limit for domestic gas supplies; and what assessment has been made of the cost of (i) processing and (ii) blending.

(149222)

759
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with her German counterpart regarding the labour practices of the UK subsidiaries of (a) Deutsche Telekom AG and (b) other companies where the German government retains controlling or significant shareholdings.

(149576)

760
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she will reply to the request from the honourable Member for Leicester East for a meeting on the way the Insolvency Service has dealt with BCCI.

(149267)

761
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the head of the Insolvency Service last met the liquidators of BCCI.

(149583)

762
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the Secretary of State last met the liquidators of BCCI.

(149584)

763
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many representations she has received from honourable Members about the liquidation of BCCI.

(149585)

764
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she expects to receive the annual report of the liquidators of BCCI.

(149586)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

765
N Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what precautions his Department has advised British Airways to take concerning threats posed to its aircraft over the Middle East and Arabian sub-continents; and if he will make a statement.

(148432)

766
N Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department has received concerning a threat to British Airways flights from light aircraft in flight over Saudi Arabian airspace; and what representations he has made to his Saudi Arabian counterpart.

(148468)

767
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 56W on US Ships (Decommissioning), who carried out the routing plans and initial risk assessment for the return of the US ships under tow; what the earliest date the risk assessment determined the ships could safely make a return journey was; and if he will place the (a) risk assessment and (b) routing plans in the Library.

(148618)

768
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions, in each year since 1990, powers to direct a ship to leave UK waters have been used, giving in each case the reason for the direction.

(148848)

769
John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact which increased use of the crosswind runway, as outlined in the Aviation White Paper will have on (a) noise and (b) pollution levels in (i) North Gyle, (ii) Gogarloch, (iii) Wester Broom and (iv) Broomhall areas.

(149362)

770
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research referred to in paragraph 4 of the Government's response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Report (CM6063).

(149023)

771
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason representations in respect of the proposed compulsory purchase order at Barrack Road/Stour Road junction in Christchurch are being considered by the Government Office of the North East.

(149025)

772
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money Sefton Council received on transference of ownership of the A565 from the Highways Agency; and how much it will receive on an annual basis.

(148928)

773
Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local authorities in the West Midlands made bids in the Urban Bus Challenge competition.

(149430)

774
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reasons were for the change in the level of funding by his Department for Transport for London in 2005-06 compared with 2004-05.

(149579)

775
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he made, when allocating funds to Transport for London for (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07, of the investment required in London Underground to maintain services at their current level.

(149580)

776
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will set out the number of employees in his Department who have a disabilit, broken down by disability type.

(148993)

777
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made representations to Transport for London regarding (a) reliability and (b) comfort, under each of the PPP contracts for the London Underground.

(149014)

778
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to argue, in his discussions with the Government of Kazahkstan, that a charter service from Uralsk to Amsterdam cannot be considered as a replacement for a service from Uralsk to London; what recent discussions he has had on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

(149485)

779
N Mr David Hinchliffe (Wakefield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what historical basis road signs on the M1 motorway describe Nottinghamshire as Robin Hood country.

(148744)

780
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will reduce the charges levied on users of British airspace as a result of the transfer of responsibility for aviation safety regulation from the UK CAA to the European Aviation Safety Agency.

(149596)

781
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, why he has initiated a regulatory impact assessment on the funding of his Lower Airspace Radar Service; and if he will make a statement.

(149597)

782
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to charge general aviation users for the Lower Air Space Radar Service.

(149598)

783
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many speed cameras were in place on (a) 1st January and (b) 1st January in each of the previous eight years in each of the local authorities in Greater London.

(148437)

784
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to fund the extension of CCTV cameras in London's tube and train stations.

(148438)

785
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the percentage of waterborne freight on UK flagged ships.

(149445)

786
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority on publication of its annual strategic plan.

(149037)

787
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many drafts of the Strategic Rail Authority's strategic plan for 2004 have been (a) received and (b) commented on by his Department.

(149038)

788
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers he has to determine the date of publications issued by the Strategic Rail Authority.

(149039)

789
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, under what authority he is able to determine the date of publication by the Strategic Rail Authority of its strategic plan.

(149040)

790
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when (a) he and (b) his officials first received a draft of the Strategic Rail Authority's strategic plan for 2004.

(149041)

791
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what advice he received from the National Air Traffic Service on the feasibility of the proposals contained in the White Paper on The Future of Air Transport (a) prior to publication of the White Paper and (b) subsequently.

(149044)

792
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from the National Air Traffic Service on the need for them to validate capacity forecasts contained in the White Paper on The Future of Air Transport.

(149045)

793
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has commissioned the National Air Traffic Service to validate the capacity forecasts contained in the White Paper on The Future of Air Transport.

(149046)

794
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the proposals in the White Paper on The Future of Air Transport on the design of UK airspace.

(149047)

795
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has held with the National Air Traffic Service on the impact of increased airport capacity at (a) Heathrow and (b) Stansted on the design of London Terminal Area airspace.

(149048)

796
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what simulations have been undertaken by the National Air Traffic Service of the impact of increased airport capacity in the South East on the design of London Terminal Area airspace.

(149049)

797
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of how long it will take the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) to (a) design and (b) implement changes necessary to the London Terminal Area airspace as a result of the proposed increases in airport capacity in the South East; and when NATS expects to begin this work.

(149050)

798
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce minimum speed limits on (a) motorways and (b) dual carriageways.

(148821)

799
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to outlaw smoking while in control of a moving vehicle.

(148823)

800
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many challenges there have been to speed camera fines in the last 12 months.

(148941)

801
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether an individual can receive penalty points in respect of more than one driving offence committed on the same day.

(148949)

802
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what liaison his Department has had with the United States Department of Homeland Security over the Computer-Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System, Version 2 (CAPPS-11).

(149605)

803
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what major improvements are planned to the trunk road network.

(148927)

804
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the Highways Agency's budget was spent on road maintenance projects in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

(149147)

805
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further sanctions are available to his Department to recover fines where an airline has been banned from United Kingdom airspace due to non-payment of fines.

(148960)

806
N Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether safety standards that have to be met by an airline for a permit to be granted to operate in the airspace of each of the other EU and EEA member states are identical to those which have to be met before his Department will grant a British permit to operate in UK airspace.

(149031)

807
N Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a permit issued to an airline by another member state of the EU or EEA to operate in its airspace is sufficient authorisation to operate in UK airspace.

(149032)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

808
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary on funding to implement in Wales the provisions of the Civil Contingencies Bill.

(149444)

Questions to the Minister for Women

809
Stephen Hesford (Wirral West):To ask the Minister for Women, what plans she has to bring forward amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act to introduce a public duty to promote gender equality.

(149562)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

810
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has received from Able UK Ltd reports on the condition of the visible asbestos on board the ships from the US Naval Reserve docked at Hartlepool; and if he will make a statement.

(148615)

811
Hugh Bayley (York, City of):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children (a) in England and (b) in each English region there were in households with income below half of the national average (i) before housing costs and (ii) after housing costs in each year since 1994-95.

(148810)

812
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Buckingham constituency (a) have applied for, (b) are eligible for and (c) have received the pension credit in 2003.

(149189)

813
Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to how many pension and benefit claimants his Department will write to invite them to move to direct payment.

(149181)

814
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims are outstanding or not fully resolved relating to (a) the retirement pension assessment of widows and widowers, (b) the retirement pension assessment of those who have experienced divorce and (c) change of circumstances in retirement pension assessments for those already of pensionable age for (i) the most recently available month and (ii) each same month in the three previous years.

(149635)

815
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what targets exist for backdated awards of retirement pension; and how many such backdated pension awards there were in each month of the 12 months before the most recently available monthly figures.

(149642)

816
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to what extent, and for what reason he has agreed to delegate decisions over the level of housing benefit or council tax benefit to the Scottish Executive.

(149645)

817
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the local flat rate housing allowances agreed to date for each of the pilot areas for such allowances.

(149646)

818
Mr John Cummings (Easington):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many retired pensioners are using (a) post offices, (b) banks and (c) building societies to receive their pension in the Easington constituency.

(148853)

819
N Dr Jack Cunningham (Copeland):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland are receiving pension credit; what percentage this represents of those entitled to pension credit in each case; and if he will make a statement.

(148009)

820
N Dr Jack Cunningham (Copeland):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his latest estimate is of the number of young people in (a) West Cumbria and (b) Copeland who have benefited from the New Deal; and if he will make a statement.

(148010)

821
N Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how often his Department revises the standard interest rate used to calculate the mortgage element included in the pension credit.

(148863)

822
N Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will provide individuals claiming income support which is paid into their bank account with documentary proof of their receipt of benefit so that they can apply for discounts and reduced rates for leisure and other services.

(148866)

823
Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many appeal tribunal decisions on incapacity benefit appeals have been challenged by social security offices in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the United Kingdom in each of the last two years; and how many challenges were successful in each case.

(148746)

824
Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many incapacity benefit appeal cases processed by the social security office in Dundee in the last year it has taken more than two months to reach a decision on whether to challenge appeal tribunal decisions; and what percentage of the total cases dealt with in that period this represents.

(148747)

825
Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many incapacity benefit appeal cases processed by the social security office in Dundee in the last year it has taken more than three weeks to obtain a full statement of reasons from the Appeals Service, Glasgow; and what percentage of the total cases dealt with in that period this represents.

(148748)

826
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many maternity allowance claims were (a) processed and (b) awarded in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(149009)

827
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what reasons are given for refusing maternity allowance claims.

(149010)

828
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women were eligible for maternity allowance in each year since 1997.

(149011)

829
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have benefited from the New Deal in Chorley since 1998.

(149167)

830
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the projected date is for moving all existing child support cases to the new computer system.

(149472)

831
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects the Child Support Agency computer system to be working at its planned level; and if he will make a statement.

(149476)

832
Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department uses when deciding whether a leaflet which it publishes is to be made available only on its website.

(149558)

833
Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) total number of days lost due to staff sickness and (b) average number of days off sick per member of staff in his Department and each of its executive agencies was in each of the last five years.

(148850)

834
N Mr Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will reply to the question tabled by the honourable Member for Wolverhampton North East on 16th December 2003, reference 145191, which was transferred to his Department by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

(148472)

835
Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997.

(149336)

836
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has issued to (a) the trustees and (b) the administrators of occupational pension schemes where, on winding-up, the remaining assets of the scheme are insufficient to cover SERPS liabilities for some members.

(148977)

837
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners whose pension is paid by order book receive their pension on (a) Monday, (b) Tuesday, (c) Wednesday, (d) Thursday and (e) Friday.

(148968)

838
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many whole-time equivalent staff were employed by the pension credit helpline in the most recent month for which figures are available.

(148969)

839
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements were made for pensioners with order books whose pension fell due on Christmas Day 2003; and when they were able to receive that payment.

(148970)

840
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls were received by the pension credit helpline in the most recent month for which figures are available.

(148971)

841
Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications of recent and proposed EU directives on funding levels in occupational pension schemes for pension provision in the United Kingdom.

(149172)

842
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether former Soviet citizens resident in this country qualify for the UK state pension; and if he will make a statement.

(148718)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

843
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in poor health in England have been located in residential care in each of the last six years.

[Transferred] (148924)

844
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in poor health in England contributed to the cost of their healthcare on the last date for which figures are available.

[Transferred] (148925)

845
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) total and (b) average amount contributed by people in poor health in England located in residential care was in the last period for which figures are available.

[Transferred] (148926)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

846
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, to whom expenditure on research and development is distributed; how many staff are directly employed as a result; and how many research establishments of the Department and its agencies there are in each region and nation of the United Kingdom .

[Transferred] (149637)

847
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 14th January, Official Report, column 796W, on benefit payments (pensioners), if she will publish the figures used by the Post Office to justify the proposed closure of (a) Belgrave Branch, 326 Wilnecote Lane, Belgrave, Tamworth, (b) Dosthill Branch, 49 High Street, Dosthill, Tamworth, (c) Kerria Road Branch, Kerria Centre, 34 Kerria Road, Tamworth, (d) Hockley Branch, 158 Hockley Road, Wilnecote, Tamworth, (e) Kettlebrook Branch, 134 Kettlebrook Road, Tamworth, (f) Silver Link Branch, 66 Caledonian, Tamworth, (g) Two Gates Branch, 1 Springfield Road, Two Gates, Tamworth and (i) Wilnecote Branch, 80 Watling Street, Wilnecote, Tamworth.

[Transferred] (149492)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

848
Mr David Curry (Skipton & Ripon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the yield from vehicle excise duty was for each local authority area in England, based on the address of the licence holder, for the most recent year for which figures are available.

[Transferred] (149378)

849
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he made, in determining his Department's funding for Transport for London in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07, of the effect upon inward investment of (i) increasing, (ii) maintaining the existing level and (iii) decreasing the level of funding for the transport infrastructure in London.

[Transferred] (149595)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

850
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Scotland are (a) eligible for the £300 winter fuel payment for the over eighties and (b) have received it this winter.

[Transferred] (148753)

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Revised 19 January 2004