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 23 February 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 23 February 2004
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 23 February 2004

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 23 February 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 23 February of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 23 February see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office

1
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1136W, on the Strategy Unit Fisheries Report, when he will announce the date on which the report will be made public.

(155951)

2
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Answer of 5th February, Official Report, column 1048W and 26th January, Official Report, column 72W, on public services audit, whether he knows who gave the unauthorised briefing to Rosemary Bennett of the Times newspaper.

(155294)

3
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list executive board members appointed to promote better regulation, broken down by department; and what their respective private sector experience is in each case.

(155277)

4
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the timetable is for the full implementation of the revised regulatory reform action plan.

(155291)

5
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Regulatory Impact Unit business regulation team end of year report for 2003.

(155318)

Questions to the Chairman of the Catering Committee

6
Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee, if he will recommend to the Refreshment Department that it stocks Fairtrade fruit and chocolate bars in all catering outlets on the parliamentary estate.

(155813)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

7
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

(155915)

8
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a decision on the introduction of strip stamps on bottles of spirits before the Comptroller and Auditor General completes his review of the level of spirit duty fraud.

(155913)

9
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the review of Annex H of the Sixth VAT Directive will be concluded.

(156018)

10
N Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is regarding whether a taxpayer's contribution towards the cost of private health care should be taxable.

(155106)

11
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on the impact of corporation tax rates on business in Northern Ireland.

(155483)

12
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are employed by the Inland Revenue in Northern Ireland.

(155484)

13
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were employed in the oil and gas sector in Scotland in each of the last five years.

(155472)

14
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department has received from (a) the museum and (b) the heritage sector in relation to introducing gift aid tax relief in (i) writing, (ii) meetings and (iii) other forms since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(155988)

15
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to museums of (a) computer equipment, (b) staff, (c) administration and (d) other costs in relation to claiming gift aid; and if he will make a statement.

(155989)

16
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15th January to the honourable Member for Leominster, Official Report, columns 865-6W, on gift aid, what research his Department has conducted into the impact of lost gift aid revenue on (a) national museums, (b) independent museums, (c) country houses and (d) royal buildings; and if he will make a statement.

(155990)

17
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Customs strike force set up to tackle illegal meat imports.

(155389)

18
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the customs strike force and the level of protection provided in Welsh ports of entry.

(155390)

19
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of Her Majesty's Customs & Excise illegal meat enforcement strategy, with particular regard to the number of prosecutions that have been pursued.

(155685)

20
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many prosecutions there have been as a result of illegal meat seizures by Her Majesty's Customs & Excise in the last 12 months.

(155686)

21
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Her Majesty's Customs & Excise's policy is on prosecuting people caught in possession of illegal meat at United Kingdom ports of entry.

(155689)

22
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what trials Her Majesty's Customs & Excise has undertaken of x-ray equipment to detect illegal meat imports; and when they took place.

(155690)

23
N Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the size of population in the Chorley constituency was in each of the last five years; and what projections have been made for each of the next five years.

(155307)

24
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many people domiciled in the UK are paid wages into overseas accounts.

(155541)

25
Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Inland Revenue will prioritise the delivery of land transaction (a) forms and (b) certificates to Scottish solicitors to ensure that they meet the time limits to secure title to land imposed by Scottish law.

(155814)

26
Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what has been the reasons for delay in the Inland Revenue's distribution of land transaction (a) returns and (b) certificates to Scottish solicitors.

(155815)

27
Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from Scottish solicitors about the effect of changes in stamp duty land tax on their work.

(155816)

28
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the London City Bond bonded warehouse cases.

(155354)

29
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the registered customs informants used since 1994 in the London City Bond cases.

(155355)

30
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research has been undertaken to estimate the impact of Basel 2 on (a) the UK lending industry and (b) those lenders with assets of less than £1 billion; and if he will make a statement.

(155861)

31
N Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list each bonded warehouse licensed by Customs and Excise which stocks spirits, including (a) geographic location and (b) gross volume turnover of spirits for each financial year since 1994.

(155841)

32
N Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the remit is of the National Audit Office investigation into Customs and Excise estimates of duty diversion on spirits; what the timescale of the inquiry to report is; and whether the Treasury will implement its plans on strip stamps before the NAO conclusions are published.

(155842)

33
N Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the unemployment rate was in England and Wales on the latest date for which figures are available; what the unemployment rate was in each ward in each principal seaside town of England and Wales on the latest date for which figures are available, listed in descending order, with figures for Welsh seaside town clusters disaggregated; and if he will make a statement.

(154962)

34
N Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the economic inactivity rate in the UK was in the latest month for which figures are available; what percentage of the population of each ward in each principal seaside town in England and Wales was economically inactive in the latest month for which figures are available, listed in descending order, with figures for Welsh seaside town clusters disaggregated; and if he will make a statement.

(154965)

35
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been received from East Devon in respect of (a) inheritance tax, (b) capital gains tax and (c) stamp duty in each of the past seven years.

(155296)

36
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people (a) have taken up and (b) are entitled to tax credit in East Devon.

(155325)

37
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to sell more of the Bank of England's gold reserves.

(155676)

38
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost in (a) financial and (b) other terms was in (i) each financial year since 1997 and (ii) 2003-04 until the latest date for which figures are available of (A) developing and (B) maintaining (1) his Department's website and (2) each website for which his Department is responsible; and how many (C) unique hosts and (D) hits there were in each month for each website in (iii) each financial year since 1997 and (iv) 2003-04 until the latest date for which numbers are available.

(155854)

39
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on its use of derivatives and related financial instruments.

(155560)

40
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) financial and (b) taxation systems of the UK Overseas Territories.

(155567)

41
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department's policy is on developing business skills in young people; and if he will make a statement.

(155586)

42
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155533)

Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs

43
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, in how many small claims track cases the power to remit or waive court fees was exercised in 2002-03.

(155376)

44
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how the existence of the judicial power to waive or remit fees in the small claims track is publicised.

(155377)

45
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many times the power under article 6 of the county court rules to excuse payment of fees for exceptional financial hardship was used in 2002-03.

(155378)

46
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how the power in article 6 of the county court rules to waive fees for exceptional circumstances involving exceptional financial hardship is publicised.

(155379)

47
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, in what percentage of cases in the small claims track (a) the complainant and (b) the defendant was legally represented in 2002-03.

(155380)

48
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what guidance is given to district judges about how to manage cases in the small claims track in which one party is represented and the other not.

(155381)

49
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when the fee bands for cases in the small claims track were fixed; and what plans there are to change them.

(155382)

50
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what percentage of the cost of running the small claims track was recovered from the payment of court fees by litigants in the last period for which figures are available.

(155383)

51
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what percentage of the costs of the small claims track in Middlesbrough court was recovered from court fees paid by litigants in the last year for which figures are available.

(155384)

52
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what guidance is given to the management of the small claims track about the availability of free legal advice to litigants in the court building.

(155385)

53
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

(155916)

54
N Mr Alan Duncan (Rutland & Melton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if his Department will agree to the early release of the 1911 Census data.

(155844)

55
Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much outstanding debt is held in the Preston courts.

(155403)

56
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what training (a) has been and (b) is intended to be provided for magistrates and judges on issues of food crime, with particular reference to cases involving illegally imported meat.

(155687)

57
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what advice and guidance his Department has issued to magistrates and judges concerning cases of food crime, with particular reference to cases involving illegally imported meat.

(155688)

58
N Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement on his plans to terminate the current judicial appointment contracts for immigration adjudicators and issue new terms of contract equivalent to Civil Service terms and conditions.

(154886)

59
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much was collected in fines at magistrates' courts in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion was allocated to (a) central Treasury funds and (b) local crime prevention schemes.

(155953)

60
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list each magistrates' court that has closed in the last two years, broken down by (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) date of closure.

(155954)

61
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what representations he has received concerning the regulation of those businesses which collect damages claims for processing by solicitors.

(155574)

62
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what representations he has received concerning delays in confirming probate on settlements relating to the estates of deceased mineworkers; and if he will make a statement.

(155594)

63
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155521)

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

64
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many of the detailed recommendations made by the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education in the Report, All Our Futures, have been implemented; and if she will make a statement.

(154964)

65
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she received concerning the campaign to retain Wagon-Lits railway carriage 2757 in the UK prior to its purchase by Dutch interests; and when, and how, the matter was first raised with her Department.

(155992)

66
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many days on average her Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

(155918)

67
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimates her Department has made of the sale value of the National Stud; and if she will make a statement.

(155912)

68
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much has been spent from public funds on the National Stud in each year from 1990; and if she will make a statement.

(155938)

69
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations her Department has received from (a) the museum and (b) the heritage sectors in relation to introducing Gift Aid tax relief (i) in writing, (ii) in meetings and (iii) in any forms since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

(156009)

70
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she expects the Advisory Panel on Illicit Trade to (a) report next and (b) be wound up.

(155802)

71
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she expects the Tobacco Task Force to (a) report next and (b) be wound up.

(155803)

72
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list projects in East Devon which have received funding from the National Lottery; and what amount was received in each case.

(155295)

73
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to whom she was referring when she referred to testosterone-charged men in her interview with the Daily Telegraph on 7th February.

(155032)

74
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155518)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

75
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the US National (Reserve) Guard are deployed on RAF bases occupied and controlled by the US Visiting Forces, (a) in total and (b) broken down by base.

(155413)

76
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155920)

77
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1178W, on foreign ships, whether European Union guidelines prevent his Department from having a bias in favour of chartering ships flying the shipping flags of European Union member states rather than those of non-EU countries; and what changes were made to the process for chartering freight-carrying commercial ships following his Department's review in 2003.

(155512)

78
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil servants have been employed at (a) RAF Wyton and (b) the MoD premises at Abbeywood in each of the last five years.

(155551)

79
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, why the Defence Logistics Organisation Equipment Support (AIR) is changing its name to Domain 2*; and on what date the change will take place.

(155552)

80
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in relation to the announcement made to staff at RAF Wyton on 26th January regarding the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) re-structuring, on what date the consultation ends; what the likely costs of this re-organisation are; what options other than a move to Abbeywood have been considered; and whether it is an option for other MoD centres for DLO to be moved to RAF Wyton.

(155553)

81
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full costs will be of moving the Equipment Support (Air) Group from RAF Wyton to (a) Abbeywood and (b) the other possible locations being considered.

(155554)

82
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) RAF Brampton and (b) RAF Wyton have been designated as core sites within the Defence Estates Core Sites Report of March 2003.

(155555)

83
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Defence Estates Core Sites Report of March 2003 will be published.

(155558)

84
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to change the MoD Police manpower in North Wiltshire; and if he will make a statement on the MoD Police in North Wiltshire.

(155792)

85
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many MoD Police are stationed at (a) Corsham, (b) Colerne, (c) Hullavington and (d) Lyneham.

(155793)

86
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many arrests the MoD Police in North Wiltshire made in the last 12 months of (a) civilians and (b) servicemen.

(155794)

87
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes have recently been made with regard to patrolling and other procedures by the MoD Police in North Wiltshire as a result of the heightened security state.

(155795)

88
Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to make a decision on whether to proceed with a public private partnership solution for the Airfield Support Services Project.

(155790)

89
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government is committed to proceeding with the second tranche of Typhoons for the RAF; and if he will make a statement.

(155243)

90
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many medical evacuations there have been of British military personnel in Iraq since 1st May 2003; and if he will give the reasons for each evacuation.

(155783)

91
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the Depleted Uranium Oversight board (a) to report and (b) to be wound up; and when it last met.

(155801)

92
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the conduct of, and lessons learned from, the Dark Winter anti-terrorist exercise.

(155863)

93
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the latest version of the Mutual Defence Agreement on Atomic Energy Matters, as amended in 1994.

(155864)

94
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the United Kingdom (a) is involved and (b) plans to be involved, under the US-UK Mutual Defense Agreement on Atomic Energy matters, in the Hafnium-178 research at the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland in New Mexico; and what research Atomic Weapons Establishment is conducting into military uses of Hafnium-178.

(155884)

95
N Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to make changes to boarding school allowances; and if he will make a statement.

(155183)

96
N Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons a number of commanding officers have been told that individuals who have given notice to terminate their engagement may be given the option to leave sooner.

(155269)

97
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many citizens of the Republic of Ireland are serving in Her Majesty's armed forces.

(155649)

98
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to relocate 45 Commando from RM Condor.

(155875)

99
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will publish his review into Ministry of Defence property.

(155876)

100
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155524)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

101
N Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the total English local authority expenditure was for each year since 1992-93.

(155443)

102
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

(155914)

103
N Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which metropolitan authorities have developed a medium term financial strategy for the next three to five years.

(155993)

104
N Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the budget overspend was for each metropolitan authority in each of the last three financial years; and what estimate he has made of budget overspends for the 2003-04 financial year.

(155994)

105
N Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which metropolitan authorities have been warned by his Department that he may apply a council tax cap for the next financial year.

(155995)

106
N Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which metropolitan authorities have been identified by the Audit Commission in the last 10 years as having serious shortcomings in their financial controls; and what action his Department has taken in each case.

(155996)

107
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what action his Department has taken to ensure that the changes in locations of fire service control rooms do not impact on response times.

(155441)

108
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he takes to ensure that the staff in fire service control rooms in Coventry have adequate levels of local knowledge.

(155442)

109
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the guidance provided to the committees of regional fire authorities regarding the regionalisation of Fire Service control rooms.

(155812)

110
N Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the councils which indicated that they did not want the fourth option of continuing council management of the homes to be improved during the course of the Government's Decent Homes consultation.

(155499)

111
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what timetable has been set for (a) printing and (b) delivery of information for the referendums on elected regional assemblies.

(155458)

112
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions have taken place, and with whom, on which constituencies are being considered as sites for headquarters of a regional assembly for the North West; and which constituencies are being considered.

(155459)

113
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many regional assembly members there will be for the (a) North East, (b) Yorkshire and Humberside and (c) Lancashire; and what percentage of the population each will represent.

(155681)

114
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much money central government allocated to each London borough to invest in social housing in each year since 1999.

(155094)

115
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what action the Government is taking (a) to eliminate non-decent social housing by 2010 and (b) to reduce the number of vulnerable people living in non-decent homes by 70 per cent. by 2010.

(155095)

116
Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what (a) estimate and (b) provision he has made for expenditure by local authorities on opening sites for temporary accommodation by travellers in the coming financial year.

(155549)

117
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to amend planning laws relating to siting of TETRA masts.

(155651)

118
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many copies of the leaflet entitled How you can shape the future of local government in your area have been distributed in (a) Cheshire, (b) Lancashire, (c) Cumbria, (d) Greater Manchester, (e) Merseyside and (f) the North West Region; and what verification has been carried out to establish how many leaflets have been received by (i) households in each of those areas listed and by what date they were delivered and (ii) electors on the electoral register in the areas listed in (a) to (f), with reference to (A) date of the register and (B) date of receipt.

(155626)

119
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many responses have been received to date in response to the consultation on the future configuration of local government in the North West Region from residents of (a) Cheshire, (b) Lancashire, (c) Cumbria, (d) Greater Manchester, (e) Merseyside and (f) the North West Region; what the cost has been of the consultations; what costs have been incurred by (i) Vale Royal Borough Council, (ii) Chester City Council, (iii) Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council and (iv) Cheshire County Council in relation to this issue and the consultation exercise; and what rights of recovery of these costs councils have in the event of a no vote in a referendum on an elected North West regional government.

(155627)

120
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when the Community Housing Task Force last met.

(155799)

121
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when the Advisory Group on Home Buying Taskforce (a) last met and (b) produced its last report; and when he expects it to be wound up.

(155800)

122
N Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he will issue (a) regulations and (b) guidance to local authorities with regard to retrospective membership of pension schemes by part-time employees; and if he will make a statement.

(155004)

123
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much the South West Regional Assembly has cost since its creation.

(155302)

124
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the budget of the South West Regional Assembly has been in each year since its creation.

(155303)

125
N Sir Teddy Taylor (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the total sum in local authority accounts derived from selling council houses is; how much the Southend on Sea local authority has its account; and if he will review the purposes for which these funds can be used.

(155309)

126
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list each project on the Isle of Wight funded by South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) in the last 12 months for which information is available, showing the (a) funding from SEEDA for each project and (b) intended outcomes of each project.

(155257)

127
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155516)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

128
Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the paper from the National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education on the implementation of lifelong learning.

(155691)

129
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155929)

130
N Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what projections he has made of (a) the size of official student loan debt, (b) the likely annual interest accruing on that debt, (c) the likely total repayments of (i) debt and (ii) interest on that debt and (d) the likely subsidy required from his Department to support the official student loan debt in (A) 2007 and (B) 2009; and on what assumptions his calculations are based.

(155538)

131
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the roll-out of the Employer Training Pilot.

(155808)

132
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much was spent from central government funds per pupil on (a) primary and (b) secondary education in (i) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (ii) the UK in each of the last five years.

(155329)

133
Mr Stephen Dorrell (Charnwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total (a) schools funding spending share, (b) school pupil numbers and (c) schools funding spending share per pupil was in (i) Leicestershire, (ii) Leicester City, (iii) Lincolnshire, (iv) Nottinghamshire, (v) Derbyshire and (vi) Northamptonshire for (A) 2003-04 and (B) 2004-05.

(155400)

134
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received since 27th January from (a) the Scottish Executive and (b) Scottish universities on the effects of the Higher Education Bill on Scotland.

(155476)

135
Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what submissions have been made by his Department to the Activity Co-ordination Team regarding making school sports facilities accessible to the community during school holidays.

(155350)

136
Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to encourage schools to extend access to their sports facilities through the extended schools programme.

(155351)

137
N Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when the Department will announce which organisations will deliver the Millennium Volunteers programme.

(155980)

138
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of graduates in receipt of income contingent student loans who will take career breaks to bring up children; and what assumptions about the consequent subsidy costs have been included in the Government's overall estimates for student loan subsidy provisions.

(155374)

139
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what financial assumptions were made in calculating the provision of £25 million to cover the cost of writing off outstanding student loans after 25 years.

(155375)

140
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the comparative employment prospects of pupils with special needs educated in (a) mainstream schools and (b) special schools.

(155999)

141
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of total expenditure on the education of pupils with special needs in (a) mainstream schools and (b) special schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

(156000)

142
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what arrangements are made for the continuation of social services support for a young person who has been refused a home by his or her family and has not been made ward of court, once he or she becomes 16 years old.

(155640)

143
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what (a) financial and (b) other support services are available to a young person between 16 and 18 years old who has been refused a home by his or her family but has not been made ward of court.

(155642)

144
N Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many Connexions Partnerships have established their working arrangements with voluntary youth services by way of a partnership agreement.

(155646)

145
N Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether parents can be required to make a contribution to the care costs of a child under the age of 18 years, where they refuse to provide a home for that child.

(155982)

146
N Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what funding his Department provides for projects to train people with learning difficulties.

(156021)

147
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schools in each London borough make use of temporary mobile classroom accommodation; and what the timetable for replacement of this accommodation is in each borough.

(155091)

148
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, by what amount the Children's Fund was over-committed in financial year 2003-04.

(155634)

149
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much he estimates the Children's Fund will be over-committed in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06.

(155635)

150
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much money has been saved by reductions to the (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 allocations to the Children's Fund.

(155636)

151
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, for which funding schemes the Minister for Children is responsible.

(155933)

152
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which schools in (a) North Lincolnshire and (b) North East Lincolnshire which ran a deficit budget in 2001-02; and how much each deficit is.

(155575)

153
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what instruction he gives learning and skills councils on the extent of their written communications with honourable Members.

(155240)

154
Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what terrorist contingency planning advice is available to schools and headteachers via the recently updated Teacher Net website.

(155677)

155
Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much funding was provided for (a) the recent updates to the Teacher Net website and (b) educating schools and headteachers on contingency planning for terrorist attacks.

(155678)

156
Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what terrorist contingency planning advice is available for schools.

(155679)

157
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what departmental initiatives there are in relation to emotional intelligence; what difficulties have been reported in implementing such initiatives; and how the success of these initiatives is evaluated.

(155290)

158
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what funding his Department provides to (a) schools and (b) local education authorities to develop (i) emotional intelligence and (ii) literacy initiatives.

(155292)

159
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which (a) schools, (b) academics and (c) university education departments his Department has assessed as the best practitioners in the field of emotional intelligence; and what his Department regards as best practice in this field.

(155293)

160
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of pupils left school with no qualifications in each of the last five years.

(155424)

161
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of pupils achieved three grade As or above at A level in each of the last five years.

(155425)

162
N Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the rate of participation in (a) higher and (b) further education was in each ward in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales in the latest month for which figures are available, listed in descending order, with figures for Welsh seaside towns disaggregated; and if he will make a statement on measures the Government is taking to increase participation in each case.

(154961)

163
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average annual fee is for a student studying to be a medical practitioner from (a) the UK, (b) another country in the European Union and (c) a country outside the European Union.

(155877)

164
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many applications were made in the last academic year by students wishing to train as a medical practitioner from (a) the UK, (b) other countries in the European Union and (c) outside the European Union.

(155878)

165
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the universities, colleges and medical schools which provide places for the training of medical practitioners.

(155879)

166
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many places for the training of medical practitioners at each university, college and medical school were available in 1997; and how many will be available this September.

(155880)

167
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students who entered medical training in the current academic year were from (a) the UK, (b) other countries in the European Union and (c) outside the European Union; and what the corresponding figures were for each of the past 10 years for which figures are available.

(155881)

168
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to provide additional places for UK students wishing to train as a medical practitioner; and if he will make a statement.

(155882)

169
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he has had with local authorities on meeting the statutory requirement to provide free early education for each three and four year old by April and the role of private day nursery providers in this; and if he will make a statement.

(155823)

170
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received from Essex County Council regarding the payment per term passed on by them to private sector providers under the nursery education grant scheme; and if he will take powers to force county council's to pass on to private providers the grant level made available by the Government.

[R] (155824)

171
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if the nursery education grant scheme payment per term will be index-linked to inflation.

[R] (155825)

172
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether it is his policy to phase out private providers for the nursery education grant scheme; and if he will make a statement.

[R] (155826)

173
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the change in the number of private day nurseries in the nursery education grant scheme as a result of the removal of the ring-fencing of the grants to local authorities.

[R] (155827)

174
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what action he will take to ensure the continuity of provision of private sector nursery education for three and four year olds, under the nursery education grant scheme in relatively isolated communities which currently have a single private provider, where that provider withdraws as a result of the withdrawal of the ring-fencing of funds to local authorities.

[R] (155828)

175
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make it his policy to reinstate ring-fencing of nursery education grants funds for local authorities.

[R] (155829)

176
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research he has conducted into the funding of private providers for the nursery education grant scheme for three and four year olds following removal of the ring-fencing of funds for local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

[R] (155830)

177
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received from the National Day Nurseries Association on the financial viability of the operation by private providers of the nursery education grant scheme for three and four year olds; and if he will make a statement.

[R] (155831)

178
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the financial viability of the Government's nursery education grant scheme for three and four year olds.

[R] (155832)

179
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost in (a) financial and (b) other terms was in (i) each financial year since 1997 and (ii) 2003-04 until the latest date for which figures are available of (A) developing and (B) maintaining (1) his Department's website and (2) each website for which his Department is responsible; and how many (C) unique hosts and (D) hits there were in each month for each website in (iii) each financial year since 1997 and (iv) 2003-04 until the latest date for which numbers are available.

(155850)

180
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in which year each (a) language college and (b) specialist school achieved specialist status; how many and what percentage of pupils at each obtained five A*-C GCSEs in each year since two years before it achieved specialist status; and how many language (i) GCSEs at A*-C grade and (ii) A-levels were obtained at each in each year since two years before it achieved specialist status.

(155270)

181
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in which year since 1992 each specialist school was established as such; in which year each of those schools which ceased to have specialist status did so; and what the value is of (a) capital grants and (b) revenue funding to each school consequent upon its specialist status since its establishment.

(155276)

182
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his Department's policy is on teaching business and entrepreneurial skills to primary school children; and if he will make a statement.

(155587)

183
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what funding his Department is giving to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Staffordshire and (ii) Stoke-on-Trent to improve the business skills of school pupils; and if he will make a statement.

(155588)

184
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his Department's funding for business and entrepreneurial skllls has been for each of the last 10 years in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

(155589)

185
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his Department's budget is in 2003-04 for the funding of business skills education in primary education; and if he will make a statement.

(155590)

186
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his Department's future programmes are for improving business and entrepreneurial skills in (a) primary school children and (b) secondary school children; and if he will make a statement.

(155592)

187
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research his Department has carried out, in addition to the three-year assessments, to assess the impact of educational maintenance allowances on participating in the Government-supported training; and if he will make a statement.

(155439)

188
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils were eligible for free school meals in 2002-03, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement.

(155457)

189
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155517)

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

190
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to establish specialist environmental prosecutors to deal with environmental crime; and if she will make a statement.

(154966)

191
Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will provide financial assistance for owners of mobile homes in flood risk areas who are required by their insurance company to raise their homes above flood level; and if she will make a statement.

(155866)

192
Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether residents of flood risk areas are required to contribute towards the cost of evacuation, including temporary accommodation; and if she will make a statement.

(155867)

193
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of (a) the levels and (b) the environmental implications of emissions from diesel trains.

(155414)

194
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many days on average her Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155923)

195
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the business recovery scheme to which the unspent funds from the pig industry restructuring scheme was re-allocated.

(155497)

196
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will break down by (a) year and (b) scheme how the £66 million allocated to the pig industry restructuring scheme was spent; and if she will list unspent funds.

(155593)

197
N Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total Government expenditure on agriculture was in each of the last five years; and what proportion of each total required payments under the Common Agricultural Policy.

(155889)

198
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department offers on the use of asbestos cement pipes to carry drinking water.

(155786)

199
N Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which sites, broken down by region, are licensable for disposal of toxic waste; what the most recent return of annual disposal of toxic waste is; and whether each site will be licensable after the EU directives on toxic waste disposal have been fully implemented.

(155105)

200
Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on the proposed new EU regulation on animal transport.

(155663)

201
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action she is taking in conjunction with other governments to aid the protection of endangered species.

(155255)

202
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 Government's policy on trophy-hunting.

(155256)

203
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will report to Parliament on the progress of the illegal meat strategy.

(155391)

204
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for the establishment of a single agency to address legal and illegal imports of food.

(155392)

205
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of local authorities in the detection of illegal meat imports that have evaded customs and border inspections.

(155394)

206
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Ad Hoc Ministerial Group 23 will consult organisations outside Government when undertaking the review of Step Change.

(155396)

207
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will ask Ad Hoc Ministerial Group 23 to broaden the scope of the review into Step Change to include a review into the effectiveness of the Government's illegal meat strategy.

(155397)

208
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when Ad Hoc Ministerial Group 23 has met; and if she will publish the minutes and agenda.

(155398)

209
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the members of Ad Hoc Ministerial Group 23; and what its remit is.

(155399)

210
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with (a) the European Commission and (b) other EU member states regarding proposals to reduce cetacean by-catch in the past year.

(155945)

211
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for funding under the Market Towns Initiative her Department has received; and what proportion has been successful.

(155946)

212
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to place observers on UK fishing vessels to examine the causes of the cetacean by-catch.

(155947)

213
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding her Department has (a) allocated and (b) spent on scientific research into preventing ceatacean strandings in UK waters in each of the past five years for which records are available.

(155948)

214
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Market Towns Initiative.

(155949)

215
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which towns have been awarded grant funding under the Market Towns Initiative; and how much has been spent through the scheme, broken down by (a) town and (b) region in each year for which records are available.

(155950)

216
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her Answer of 5th February, Official Report, column 1012W, on avian influenza, what varieties of poultry have been imported from (a) Thailand, (b) Pakistan, (c) Indonesia, (d) Vietnam and (e) other countries in South East Asia in each of the last 24 months for which records are available.

(155974)

217
Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will respond to the Farm Animal Welfare Council report of June 2003 on welfare at slaughter; and if she will make a statement.

(155936)

218
N Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10th February, Official Report, column 1301W on poultry imports, which EU countries ban the import of chickens infected with salmonella; and for what reasons the United Kingdom does not ban salmonella infected chickens.

(155184)

219
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much milk was imported in the last three years, broken down by country of origin; and what percentage of the total milk processed in the UK this was in each case.

(155332)

220
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much beef was imported in each of the last five years, broken down by country of origin.

(155333)

221
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much beef was not allowed into the country on health grounds in the last year for which figures are available.

(155349)

222
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to reduce the amount of waste generated by (a) households and (b) businesses in London.

(155273)

223
Mr David Kidney (Stafford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the recommendations of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group in its second annual report to increase resources for energy efficiency programmes by 50 per cent.

(155873)

224
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 environmental benefits accruing from the ability of (a) sugar beet and (b) other crops to act as carbon sinks.

(155664)

225
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to allow the carbon sink capacities of agricultural crops to be incorporated into emissions trading schemes.

(155665)

226
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her reply to the honourable Member for Pendle of 6th November on the dedication of land under section 16 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, how she followed up correspondence to Government departments; what has been the response; what further steps will be taken to promote dedication to public and private landowners; and whether incentives will be made available.

(155557)

227
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether there is a central register of those convicted of cruelty to animals in the United Kingdom.

(155570)

228
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether there is a central register of those banned from keeping animals in the United Kingdom.

(155571)

229
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which of the recommendations of the Warren Committee on Fresh Water Fisheries she plans to implement; and when.

[R] (154881)

230
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much (a) beef and (b) lamb was imported into the United Kingdom from countries outside the EU in each of the last three years.

(155096)

231
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which countries no longer export chickens to the UK following the outbreak of bird influenza.

(155097)

232
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the first Single Farm Payments to be made.

(155098)

233
Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the reports her Department has published in each of the last five years; and what the cost has been to public funds of producing each one.

(155406)

234
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the proposal that veterinary surgeons complete silhouettes for equine passports on the practice of commoning in the New Forest; and if she will make a statement.

(155267)

235
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which organisations were consulted on proposals that veterinary surgeons complete silhouettes for equine passports; and for what reasons the New Forest Commoners Defence Association was not included in the consultation.

(155268)

236
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on her reasons for grant-aiding the proposed development of a Victorian Theme Park at Holliers Farm, Branstone, Newchurch, Isle of Wight; and what account she took of the proximity of the Isle of Wight Observatory.

(155666)

237
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155529)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

238
N Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, at which EU General Affairs Council meetings in the last six months he has called for the toughening of EU sanctions against the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe; and what specific measures he called for.

(155437)

239
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155925)

240
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library all minutes in English of the Coalition Provisional Authority Program Review Board to date.

(155287)

241
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the organisation of regional caucuses in the British-controlled areas of Iraq.

(155858)

242
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the proposed deadline for transfer of power to a transitional government in Iraq.

(155859)

243
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the mandate of a transitional government in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(155860)

244
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many European Union regulations relating specifically to Northern Ireland have been published in each year since 1997.

(155579)

245
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Colombian Government regarding human rights issues, with particular reference to (a) press, (b) trade union and (c) religious freedoms.

(155352)

246
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on recent arrests of church leaders in Colombia.

(155353)

247
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what evaluation he has made of recent evidence from North Korea of continuing human rights abuses, with specific reference to use of political prisoners to test chemical weapons.

(155572)

248
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with human rights situation in (a) North Korea and (b) China.

(155573)

249
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of China on its policy of sending back North Korean refugees.

(155613)

250
Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what schemes are available for UK citizens injured in (a) an EU member state and (b) an EU accession state to have access to criminal injuries compensation.

(155804)

251
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) independence and (b) integrity of the Mozambican judicial system.

(155310)

252
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library the list lodged with his Department of United Kingdom claimants for property appropriated without compensation by the Mozambique Government since 1975.

(155311)

253
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the occasions in the last 12 months in which the issue of claims for compensation for confiscated property have been raised with the Mozambican authorities.

(155312)

254
N Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what advice he provided to tourists enquiring about the safety of travel to Cyprus in mid to late March 2003.

(155515)

255
Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Ukraine on the importance of free and fair elections there; and if he will make a statement.

(155937)

256
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to EU partners on (a) the situation in Serbia and (b) Serbian co-operation with international institutions.

(155670)

257
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the co-operation of the Serbian government with (a) UN authorities and (b) the War Crimes Tribunal.

(155671)

258
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of UN reports that Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic are in Belgrade; and what representations he has made to the Serbian authorities on this matter.

(155672)

259
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Small Arms Global Pool.

(155673)

260
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will seek the consent of the Turkish Government for British officials to monitor the Turkish local elections on 28th March.

(155581)

261
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will seek the consent of the Turkish Government for British officials to monitor the Kurdish New Year Newroz celebrations on 21st March.

(155582)

262
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what response Her Majesty's Government has made to the global non-proliferation and counter-proliferation initiative President Bush announced on 11th February.

(155862)

263
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he had while in Iran on the treatment of (a) different ethnic groups and (b) women within that country; and if he will make a statement.

(155833)

264
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he had while in Iran on the development of democracy in that country; and if he will make a statement.

(155834)

265
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he (a) received and (b) made while on his recent visit to Iran on religious freedoms.

(155835)

266
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he (a) received and (b) made while on his recent visit to Iran, on the recent mass resignation of Iranian MPs; and if he will make a statement.

(155836)

267
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Libyan authorities regarding that country's relationship with the IRA.

(155650)

268
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to secure a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems as envisaged in UN Security Council Resolution 1284, in respect of (a) Israel and (b) Syria.

(155562)

269
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the acquisition of ballistic missiles and associated technology by Nigeria from North Korea.

(155563)

270
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) financial and (b) other support the Government is giving to promote inter-religious dialogue in Iraq.

(155564)

271
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155530)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

272
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms exist to assess (a) the health benefits and (b) the potential savings for the NHS in the regulatory impact assessments undertaken by (i) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (ii) Department of Trade and Industry on proposed environmental protection measures.

(155429)

273
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the mechanisms his Department uses to ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account at each stage of the policy formation process.

(155430)

274
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 2nd February, Official Report, column 1129W, on medical research (animals), how much the Government contributed to the 2002 MORI poll.

(155550)

275
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18th December, Official Report, columns 1128-30W, on National Health statistics, whether decisions have now been made on NHS statistical collections which will be discontinued.

(155030)

276
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18th December, Official Report, columns 1128-30W, on National Health statistics, if he will publish, for each set of statistics which the Department has not collected since 1999, the figures for each of the five years prior to collection being discontinued.

(155031)

277
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in what ways eligibility criteria for chiropody waiting lists have changed in the last two years; and how many patients have been removed from waiting lists as a result of changes in eligibility criteria.

(155869)

278
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will collect a sample of the discharge rates, whether complete or not, of NHS podiatry services, to enable the Government to estimate how many patients could reasonably be accepted into NHS footcare services.

(155985)

279
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155922)

280
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate referrals by general practitioners to the Spinal Foundation.

(155997)

281
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for future funding of (a) services and (b) research provided by the Spinal Foundation.

(155998)

282
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Private Finance Initiative projects in progress have (a) delayed timetables and (b) cost overruns; and if he will list the time delays and cost implications in each case.

(155460)

283
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 20th January, Official Report, column 1110W, on long-term care, whether the methodology used to arrive at this figure is the same as that used to cost the Government's own policies; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the terms of reference given to the civil servants costing the policy.

(155461)

284
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what provison is made for ambulance drivers to receive (a) initial and (b) refresher training; and if he will make a statement.

(155462)

285
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has published on the vision levels that ambulance drivers need to achieve and on how frequently they should receive eye checks.

(155463)

286
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what standards of driving test ambulance drivers are required to meet; and what the failure rate was in each year since 1997.

(155464)

287
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the guidelines published by his Department on the disciplinary code for ambulance drivers.

(155465)

288
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what disciplinary measures are taken against ambulance drivers who are involved in road accidents.

(155466)

289
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the cost of implementing a policy for free (a) eye and (b) dental check-ups for all NHS patients.

(155965)

290
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 30th January, Official Report, column 559W, on long-term care, which specific benefits are referred to in point seven of the explanatory note; how the savings of under £200 million were calculated; and whether any of the 58,000 privately funded residents of residential care homes mentioned in the explanatory note were in homes with dual registration, and therefore entitled to free nursing care.

(155966)

291
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 30th January, Official Report, column 559W, on long-term care, what the basis is of the assumption in the explanatory note that there are 58,000 privately funded residents of residential care homes in England.

(155967)

292
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 20th January, Official Report, column 1110W, on long-term care, whether the Department's proposals in response to the Royal Commission, including free nursing care and changes to the residential charging rules, will have changed these costs.

(155968)

293
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many accidents involving ambulances there were (a) in total and (b) involving fatalities, in each year since 1997 in (i) England and (ii) each ambulance trust; and if he will make a statement.

(156001)

294
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many ambulance drivers in the NHS have not received additional driver training; and if he will make a statement.

(156002)

295
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what date specialist ambulance driver training became mandatory.

(156003)

296
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the total expenditure on respiratory disease in terms of (a) hospital expenditure, (b) primary care expenditure and (c) pharmaceutical expenditure for each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(156004)

297
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) headcount and (b) whole-time equivalent general practitioners there were in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) strategic health authority and (ii) primary care trust.

(156005)

298
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the health impact of asbestos in drinking water.

(155787)

299
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1209W, on Saxon Square Health Centre (Christchurch), what estimate he has made of the current value of his Department's interest in the accommodation.

(155493)

300
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1209W, on Saxon Square Health Centre (Christchurch), if he will make a statement on the work which is ongoing to secure an assignee or subtenant.

(155494)

301
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1209W, on Saxon Square Health Centre (Christchurch), what has been the cost since 1999 of efforts to dispose of the accommodation; and how much has been spent in the last year.

(155495)

302
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1209W, on Saxon Square Health Centre (Christchurch), whether the NHS will enter discussions with the head leaseholder to surrender the leasehold interest.

(155496)

303
N Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will publish the Children's National Service Framework; and if he will make a statement.

(155539)

304
N Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) nurses, (b) midwives, (c) nursing assistants and (d) professionals ancillary to medicine were employed in the area of each primary care trust in the North East in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(155964)

305
Mr John Cummings (Easington):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budget for the Centrally Funded Initiative and Services Special Allocation was for 2003-04; whether this budget has been committed; and whether reserves from the budget will be used to meet overspends in existing primary care trust budgets in 2003-04.

(155591)

306
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the dangers to young people's health of regularly drinking carbonated soft drinks.

(155440)

307
Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of differences in fee levels for care home places in different parts of the country.

(155806)

308
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has made to the United Kingdom soft drinks industry about distribution of soft drinks in schools.

(155811)

309
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how he intends to increase the profile of (a) the issue of skin cancer and (b) methods of effective sun protection through the Sunsmart scheme.

(155280)

310
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding will be provided for the Sunsmart campaign for summer 2004.

(155281)

311
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what account the Sunsmart campaign will take of of tanning shops.

(155282)

312
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent from central government funds per capita on health in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (b) the UK for each of the last five years.

(155328)

313
N Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 11th February, ref 153001, if he will place in the Library the guidance he issued to first wave NHS foundation trusts.

(155601)

314
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to restrict the prescription of unlicensed drugs to children.

(155331)

315
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice has been issued to ethnic minority communities by the Food Standards Agency about the risk posed to human health through the consumption of (a) illegal meat imports and (b) bushmeat.

(155388)

316
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the review of Step Change will occur; and how long the review will take.

(155393)

317
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the review of Step Change will be made public; and who will consider its findings.

(155395)

318
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prisoners have been (a) diagnosed with and (b) treated for mental health disorders in each year since 1997, broken down by prison establishment.

(155900)

319
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on incidence of mental health disorders amongst ethnic minority prisoners.

(155901)

320
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of mental health service (a) provision and (b) interventions in prisons.

(155902)

321
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what programmes are in place to ensure swift identification of prisoners with mental health disorders upon arrival at prison establishments; and which prison establishments operate such programmes.

(155903)

322
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which prisons operate permanent community mental health teams.

(155904)

323
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people are employed to treat mental health disorders in each prison establishment.

(155905)

324
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost of mental health programmes in UK prisons was in each year since 1997, broken down by prison establishment.

(155906)

325
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mental health programmes are available to prisoners upon release from prison.

(155907)

326
Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on his policy on the prescription of benzodiazepines.

(155788)

327
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on prison mental health services.

(156019)

328
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what checks are carried out by (a) general practitioners and (b) hospitals to establish that patients from abroad are entitled to health care free at the point of delivery.

(155796)

329
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the original franchise appointments made by trusts with no stars and the current status of those appointments.

(155785)

330
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the proportion of nurses per head of population was in each borough of London in each year since 1992.

(155092)

331
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many new cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in London in each year since 1995.

(155093)

332
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many general practitioners there were per head of population in (a) England and (b) each London primary care trust in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

(155274)

333
Mr Alan Hurst (Braintree):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many operations were performed in NHS hospitals to correct mistakes made in previous operations through (a) error and (b) misdiagnosis in each year from 1990 to 2002.

(155991)

334
Mr Alan Hurst (Braintree):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of payments to retiring or resigning NHS trust chief executives in each year since 1990 to 2003.

(156012)

335
Mr Alan Hurst (Braintree):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the salary was of the chief executive of each NHS trust in 2003.

(156013)

336
Mr Alan Hurst (Braintree):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were treated in the accident and emergency departments of NHS hospitals in each year from 1990 to 2002.

(156014)

337
Mr Alan Hurst (Braintree):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many formal complaints were made by members of the public to the National Health Service in each year from 1990 to 2002.

(156015)

338
Mr Alan Hurst (Braintree):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the National Health Service resulting from clinical negligence was in each year from 1990 to 2002.

(156016)

339
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures he has taken in the context of the NHS contract with pharmacists to support security measures on their premises.

(155583)

340
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many pharmacists on contract to the NHS were victims of crime on their premises in 2003.

(155584)

341
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance has been issued by his Department to mental health trusts regarding control and restraint policies towards patients; and which mental health trusts have adopted these new procedures.

(155629)

342
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance on recommended procedures for control and restraint of mental health patients.

(155630)

343
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have died under restraint in mental health institutions in each of the last six years; and how many of these were from ethnic minorities.

(155631)

344
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children aged between 11 and 15 years were admitted to hospital owing to alcohol-related problems in each of the last six years.

(155637)

345
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he has issued to local authorities regarding health implications of TETRA masts.

(155653)

346
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the findings were of the latest research commissioned by his Department is into health and safety aspects of TETRA masts; and what plans he has to update this.

(155654)

347
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the top-up sum available to primary care trusts to pay individual general practitioners for out of hours service will reach at least the current investment level.

(155682)

348
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 4th February, Official Report, column 967W, on medical students, what assessment he has made of the numbers of female doctors working (a) in general practice and (b) in hospitals wishing to (i) work part-time and (ii) take career breaks; and what impact this is having on the NHS.

(155683)

349
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the operation of out-of-hours work for general practitioners from 1st April in North Yorkshire.

(155970)

350
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much he (a) has spent in each of the last five years and (b) plans to spend in each of the next five years on raising Hepatitis C awareness.

(155535)

351
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the rationale was for the decision to disallow compensation from the Hepatitis C Ex Gratia scheme for the dependants of those who died of the disease prior to 29th August 2003.

(155536)

352
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dependants will not receive compensation from the Hepatitis C Ex Gratia scheme as a result of the 29th August 2003 cut-off.

(155537)

353
N Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in nursing homes receive (a) higher, (b) medium and (c) lower level band funding in (i) England and (ii) Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement.

(155500)

354
N Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in nursing homes receive continual help funding; what the criteria are for determining eligibility for such funding; and if he will make a statement.

(155501)

355
N Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what rights exist for NHS employees to transfer their pensions from schemes run by previous employers to the NHS pension scheme; what restrictions exist, with particular regard to length of remaining service with the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

(155502)

356
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the performance indicators for the 2003-04 star ratings exercise for hospitals.

(155871)

357
The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the link between induced abortion and breast cancer.

(155817)

358
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidelines, other than International Commission Non-ionising Radiation Protection emission levels, are used by (a) the Health and Safety Executive and (b) OFCOM for the practical implementation of a precautionary approach to mast installations around sensitive sites.

(155872)

359
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Totnes dated 16th December 2003 concerning the interpretation of what constitutes a severe abnormality in relation to abortion laws.

(155101)

360
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ringfence the expenditure of primary care trusts for dental treatment.

(155436)

361
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the population had access to an NHS dentist in (a) 1997, (b) 2000 and (c) 2003.

(155543)

362
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the NHS budget has been spent on providing dental care in each of the last five years.

(155544)

363
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dentists providing treatment on the NHS were registered in East Devon in each of the past seven years.

(155304)

364
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dental practices providing dental care in the NHS there were in East Devon in each of the past seven years.

(155305)

365
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the scale of charges to patients using NHS dentists is.

(155306)

366
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost in (a) financial and (b) other terms was in (i) each financial year since 1997 and (ii) 2003-04 until the latest date for which figures are available of (A) developing and (B) maintaining (1) his Department's website and (2) each website for which his Department is responsible; and how many (C) unique hosts and (D) hits there were in each month for each website in (iii) each financial year since 1997 and (iv) 2003-04 until the latest date for which numbers are available.

(155853)

367
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether staff working in mental institutions in NHS hospitals (a) complete diversity training before they start their employment and (b) undergo regular diversity training.

(155602)

368
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure fair treatment of ethnic minorities in NHS mental institutions.

(155603)

369
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS mental health services have a written policy banning racial abuse.

(155604)

370
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of staff in NHS mental health services are from an ethnic minority.

(155605)

371
Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase the availability of NHS dentistry.

(155373)

372
N Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10th February to Question reference 153276, whether Mercury Healthcare (a) are still involved in the negotiations and (b) are still the selected contractor.

(155185)

373
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155526)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

374
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the events which led to the escape of Mr Roddy Maclean from Leyhill Prison.

(154968)

375
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155924)

376
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 12th January, Official Report, column 502W and 10th February, Official Report, column 1423W, on Cheadle Royal Hospital, what assessment he has made of the full market value at the time of its transfer to AMEC in 1994 of charity land at Cheadle Royal Hospital which has become a 67 acre business park.

(155606)

377
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 12th January, Official Report, column 502W and 10th February, Official Report, column 1423W, on Cheadle Royal Hospital, what assessment he has made of the full market value of Cheadle Royal Hospital grounds and associated buildings at the time of its management buy-out in 1997.

(155607)

378
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 12th January, Official Report, column 502W and 10th February, Official Report, column 1423W, on Cheadle Royal Hospital, what assessment he has made of the scrutiny arrangements with respect to the work of the Charity Commission.

(155608)

379
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 12th January, Official Report, column 502W and 10th February, Official Report, column 1423W, on Cheadle Royal Hospital, which documents he has assessed to reach his conclusions.

(155609)

380
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what lessons have been learnt from the internal inquiries into serious incidents of self-harm by prisoners on the prevention of recurrences.

(155245)

381
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to increase the availability of (a) therapeutic, (b) counselling and (c) support provision for prisoners identified as being vulnerable or at risk.

(155246)

382
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action he has taken to ensure that overcrowding in prisons does not negatively affect the healthcare available to prisoners.

(155247)

383
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the prison health care centre in Liverpool has entered into a commercial cleaning contract.

(155248)

384
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Prison Service has to introduce (a) a policy, (b) a programme and (c) a target for alcohol reduction.

(155249)

385
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to help foreign national prisoners maintain links with their families.

(155250)

386
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how he monitors the number of foreign national prisoners who are liable to deportation.

(155251)

387
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many racial incidents were reported by prisoners during (a) 2002 and (b) 2003; and what assessment he has made of the thoroughness and effectiveness of the subsequent investigations.

(155252)

388
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what strategies are in place to deal with (a) accommodation, (b) healthcare and (c) activity for elderly prisoners.

(155253)

389
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether resources available for young offenders institutes will be increased during 2004.

(155254)

390
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to stop businesses employing illegal immigrants.

(155283)

391
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research he has conducted into the (a) effectiveness and (b) viability of restorative justice.

(155337)

392
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether restorative justice is used within the justice system.

(155338)

393
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what programmes are in place to rehabilitate high risk sexual offenders; and what the reconviction rate is of offenders who have completed the programmes.

(155339)

394
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how he will ensure that (a) human rights and (b) civil liberties will not be violated under the proposed identity card scheme.

(155340)

395
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect that identity cards have had on the level of identity fraud in other European countries.

(155341)

396
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how he will ensure that the central register used in the identity card scheme will be more (a) accurate and (b) transparent than existing databases.

(155342)

397
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what problems have been experienced with home detention curfew; and what adjustments will be made to the programme to combat them.

(155343)

398
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Prison Service will be meeting the Correctional Service Accreditation Panel to obtain advice on the extension of the FOR resettlement programme.

(155344)

399
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the work of prison anti-bullying co-ordinators is monitored.

(155345)

400
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the extent of inter-prisoner violence.

(155346)

401
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the suitability of trusts as a means for victims to retain their eligibility for benefits after a compensation pay-out.

(155347)

402
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent from central government funds per capita on policing in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire, (b) Humberside and (c) the UK for each of the last five years.

(155330)

403
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much (a) has been spent in the last 12 months and (b) will be spent in the next 12 months on public information advertising relating to cannabis.

(155475)

404
N Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will introduce legislation to enable the Criminal Records Bureau to access information from Customs and Excise and Immigration authorities.

(155667)

405
N Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will commission research to assess the effectiveness of the Criminal Records Bureau in protecting children.

(155978)

406
Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the Venezuelan nationals admitted to the United Kingdom during 2002 returned to their country of origin within the period of their visa requirements.

(155404)

407
N Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the audit of Kent County Council's claim relating to asylum seeker costs will be completed; and if he will make a statement on its delay.

(155027)

408
N Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department will publish the grant rules for asylum costs for the current year.

(155028)

409
N Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what asylum costs were paid by (a) his Department and (b) Kent County Council; and if he will make a statement.

(155029)

410
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who the employer for qualified probation officers will be under the National Offender Management Service.

(155837)

411
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which staff organisations and trade unions were consulted by Patrick Carter during his inquiry into the connexions services.

(155838)

412
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what role chief officers will have under the National Offender Management Service.

(155839)

413
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation took place, and for what period, on the plans contained in, Reducing Crime, Changing Lives.

(155840)

414
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on levels of re-offending amongst prisoners with mental illness.

(155908)

415
Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 19th January, column 1073, on the Forensic Science Service, what extra resources the Forensic Science Service requires in (a) one-off capital investment and (b) additional annual revenue.

(155935)

416
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 20th January, Official Report, column 1205W, on animal welfare, ref 147328, with reference to recommendation 14, when the Inspectorate will be reviewed; and by whom.

(155934)

417
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 20th January, Official Report, column 1205W, on animal welfare, ref 147328, with reference to recommendation 11, which Government department is taking the lead on the systematic and visible search for 3Rs methods in toxicology; where that Department's progress can be viewed; and if he will make a statement.

(155971)

418
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 20th January, Official Report, column 1205W, on animal welfare, ref 147328, with reference to recommendation 12, what steps the Government has taken to urge EU member states to make replacements a priority.

(155972)

419
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 20th January, Official Report, column 1205W, on animal welfare, what factors underlay the decision not to invite expert scientific opinion opposed to primate experimentation to take part in the forum, with particular reference to (a) Animal Aid and (b) Europeans For Medical Advancement.

(156017)

420
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children he estimates arrived in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years from outside the EU.

(155797)

421
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) financial and (b) other support services are available to an asylum seeker aged between 16 and 18 years old who is in the UK without family.

(155641)

422
N Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to make it compulsory for prisoners to take part in educational activities; and if he will make a statement.

(155643)

423
N Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to use secure online examinations to assist prisoners in gaining qualifications.

(155644)

424
N Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the prison population has access to the internet; and what proportion of the prison population regularly uses it.

(155645)

425
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his officials will make a decision on the application of a constituent of the honourable Member for Vauxhall (HO Ref: T1129612).

(155580)

426
Mr George Howarth (Knowsley North & Sefton East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications the UK has received for each of the last five years; and what the comparable figures are for each country in the European Union.

(155508)

427
Mr George Howarth (Knowsley North & Sefton East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his forecasts are for asylum applications for each of the next five years; and what the comparable figures are for each EU member state.

(155509)

428
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultations he had prior to the publication of his response to the Carter Report.

(155611)

429
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to give the Probation Service a new name following the publication of the Carter Report.

(155612)

430
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he last met representatives of Napo to discuss the implications of the Carter Report; and when he next plans to meet Napo representatives on this subject.

(155614)

431
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he received from Napo following the publication of the Carter Report.

(155615)

432
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what reasons underlay his decision not to consult with Napo prior to publication of his response to the Carter Report.

(155616)

433
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to publicise the role of the (a) voluntary and (b) private sector in the delivery of justice following the publication of the Carter Report; and if he will make a statement.

(155617)

434
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the (a) future training needs, (b) career development and (c) qualifications for members of the Probation Service following the publication of the Carter Report.

(155618)

435
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the implications for future (a) employment status, (b) job security, (c) pay and conditions and (d) collective bargaining arrangements for the Probation Service following the publication of the Carter Report.

(155619)

436
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 15th December 2003 from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Shaikh Ijaz Ahmed.

(155843)

437
Mr David Kidney (Stafford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the displacement of crime from areas subject to intensive policing initiatives to neighbouring areas.

(155874)

438
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners have mental health problems; and what proportion of these are from ethnic minorities.

(155632)

439
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners are being prescribed more than one type of psychotropic drug for treatment of mental illness; and what proportion of those being prescribed one or more psychotropic drug are from ethnic minorities.

(155633)

440
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken is to arrange a coroner's inquiry into a death.

(155684)

441
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to monitor differences in the sentencing of offenders from different ethnic groups in (a) England and Wales and (b) London.

(155955)

442
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the availability of residential treatment for sex offenders in the community.

(155956)

443
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the proposals set out in, Reducing Crime, Changing Lives, on 6th January, were not subject to the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations in relation to (a) prior consultation with stakeholders and (b) the minimum 12-week consultation period.

(155957)

444
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was imposed in fines on (a) airlines and (b) other carriers for transporting illegal immigrants in the last year for which figures are available.

(155958)

445
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of those who apply for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority was refused on the grounds that they have a criminal conviction, in the last year for which figures are available.

(155959)

446
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases were dealt with on average per probation officer in the last year for which figures are available; and what the projected caseload is in the next three years.

(155960)

447
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offenders have undergone an OASys assessment in the last 12 months; and what the average cost per assessment was.

(155961)

448
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the cash seizures that have been effected by the Assets Recovery Agency since its inception; what the value seized in each case was; and whether the order was enforced.

(155962)

449
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) confiscation and (b) restraint orders have been made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; and what the recoverable amount was in each case.

(155963)

450
N Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will ensure, following his decision not to renew the Firearms Consultative Committee, that account will be taken of the interests of legal owners of firearms for sporting purposes in his review of firearms legislation; and what measures he proposes to ensure that these interests will be represented on a future firearms advisory body.

(155308)

451
N Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the illegal Chinese immigrants arrested in King's Lynn have been deported.

(155545)

452
N Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the illegal Chinese immigrants arrested in the Wirral in November 2002 have been deported.

(155546)

453
N Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the illegal Chinese immigrants arrested at Morecambe in August 2003 have been deported.

(155547)

454
N Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what prosecutions have taken place in connection with (a) the arrest of Chinese immigrants in King's Lynn, (b) the arrest of Chinese immigrants in the Wirral in November 2002 and (c) the arrest of Chinese immigrants at Morecambe Bay in August 2003.

(155548)

455
N Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contacts have been allowed between Maxine Carr and representatives of the media whilst he is in prison.

(155865)

456
N Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department estimates would be the necessary increase in funding to Leicestershire Police Authority to rectify the current budget deficit.

(155485)

457
N Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the current financial position of the Leicestershire Police Authority; and if he will make a statement.

(155486)

458
N Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by how much in (a) percentage and (b) cash terms Leicestershire Police grant has increased in each year from 1997-98 to 2004-05.

(155487)

459
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the funding shortfalls to police authorities in England and Wales.

(155488)

460
N Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the overall crime and disorder rates were for each ward in each principal seaside town of England and Wales in the latest month for which figures are available, listed in descending order according to level of crime and with figures for Welsh seaside towns disaggregated; and if he will make a statement.

(154963)

461
Jonathan Shaw (Chatham & Aylesford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how he intends to track the outcomes of unaccompanied children returned under the new pilots to ensure that the return is in the best interests of the child; and what he will do if the assessment of the child's circumstances suggests that removal places him or her at risk.

(155401)

462
Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals committed suicide whilst in custody in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

(155386)

463
Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners committed suicide in England and Wales before (a) having their mental health assessed and (b) receiving treatment for mental health problems, for each of the last five years.

(155402)

464
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many on the run terrorists have been apprehended and released back into the community in the last five years.

(155647)

465
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost in (a) financial and (b) other terms was in (i) each financial year since 1997 and (ii) 2003-04 until the latest date for which figures are available of (A) developing and (B) maintaining (1) his Department's website and (2) each website for which his Department is responsible; and how many (C) unique hosts and (D) hits there were in each month for each website in (iii) each financial year since 1997 and (iv) 2003-04 until the latest date for which numbers are available.

(155855)

466
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the benchmark street price for cannabis used when calculating the value of seizures by his Department was in each of the last five years; what changes have been made to this figure in the last six months; and what the reasons for those changes were.

(155559)

467
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27th January, Official Report, column 269W, on visa requirements, whether anti-trade union activity is regarded as not being conducive to the public good.

(155561)

468
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what compensation is given to schools that incur costs to cover classes whilst new teachers were awaiting Criminal Records Bureau clearance.

(155610)

469
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155531)

Questions to the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission

470
N Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether he has consulted UNESCO regarding building a reception room for visitors to the Palace of Westminister.

(155510)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

471
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of (a) employment, (b) exports and (c) gross national income in (a) Nigeria, (b) Ghana, (c) Tanzania and (d) Kenya is accounted for by agriculture.

(155405)

472
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of (a) employment, (b) exports and (c) gross national income in (i) Mozambique, (ii) Malawi and (iii) Lesotho is accounted for by agriculture.

(155407)

473
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when independent external audits of the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project will be undertaken.

(155408)

474
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when the mandatory fiscal accountability and transparency measures for the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project will be in place.

(155409)

475
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the level of compliance of the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project with statutory international requirements for safety and environmental protection.

(155410)

476
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when the area special oil spill response plan for the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project (a) was due to be in place and (b) is expected to be in place.

(155411)

477
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

(155917)

478
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what payments have been made by his Department into the Development Fund for Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(155334)

479
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, into which bank account the assistance for the Recovery Infrastructure Group is paid; who controls the account; and if he will make a statement.

(155335)

480
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list direct payments from his Department to the Coalition Provisional Authority; what the payments were for in each case; and if he will make a statement.

(155336)

481
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the national level workshop in Nicaragua supported by his Department in 2003.

(155244)

482
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures are in place to deal with Central American garment factories that are found not to comply with the relevant codes of conduct.

(155279)

483
N Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the UK Government is taking to ensure that the agreement on sustainable development reached at the World Summit is fully implemented in respect of the halving by 2015 of the number of people without access to an adequate water supply and proper sanitation.

(155491)

484
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the implications for UK aid assistance to Nigeria are of the Nigerian Government's attempts to procure ballistic missiles and associated weapons technology; and what representations he has made to Nigerian representatives on the issue.

(155489)

485
N Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the impact of Serbian co-operation with (a) international institutions and (b) the War Crimes Tribunal on development assistance to Serbia; and what representations he has made to (i) EU partners and (ii) the Serbian government about this.

(155669)

486
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the countries in which activities are taking place under the Small Arms Global Pool; and what the (a) targets and (b) achievements of those initiatives were in each case.

(155675)

487
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funds his Department has committed to conflict resolution in 2003-04; and what percentage of the Department's budget this represents.

(155565)

488
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the situation in Plateau State, Nigeria; and what action the Government is taking to support peace and conflict resolution initiatives there.

(155566)

489
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155520)

Questions to the Leader of the House

490
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Leader of the House, how many days on average his Office took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155926)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

491
Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 2nd February, Official report, column 720W, on pension credit, by what date he expects the current backlog of pension credit applications to be cleared; and how long he estimates it will take to process a new application for a pension credit.

(155628)

492
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155921)

493
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which paramilitary organisations are formally engaged with the International Independent Commission on Decommissioning.

(155576)

494
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to introduce legislation requiring full transparency in the decommissioning process.

(155577)

495
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the total amount of arms and ammunition so far decommissioned is under the supervision of the International Independent Decommissioning Commission.

(155578)

496
N Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what representations he has received from home economics teachers about the proposal to teach this subject as a non-examinable component of the curriculum at Key Stage Three; and if he will make a statement.

(155492)

497
N Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applications were received for recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the recruitment campaigns held in 2003.

(155503)

498
N Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applications were received from (a) Protestants, (b) Roman Catholics and (c) others in each recruitment campaign for the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2003.

(155504)

499
N Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) Protestants, (b) Roman Catholics and (c) others were successful in entering the merit pool for each of the campaigns for recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2003; and how many applicants in each category were subsequently offered a place on the training course following completion of each recruitment campaign.

(155505)

500
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the liquid-based cytology cervical screening technique will be introduced within the NHS in Northern Ireland at the same time as in the rest of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

(156020)

501
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has for introducing human papilloma virus testing for screening against cervical cancer; and if he will make a statement.

(155418)

502
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating obesity in Northern Ireland for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(155419)

503
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what action is being taken to combat increases in obesity; and if he will make a statement.

(155420)

504
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many operations were performed at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children by surgeons from (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) Great Britain in each of the last five years.

(155421)

505
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what chiropody service is available within the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust Area, with particular reference to Ards and Bangor Community Hospitals.

(155422)

506
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of pupils in Northern Ireland achieved three grade As or above at A level in each of the last five years.

(155426)

507
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of Northern Ireland pupils left school with no qualifications in each of the last five years.

(155427)

508
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether there is a maximum age for nurses within the NHS in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(155428)

509
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the dangers to the environment from batteries containing mercury and other toxic metals, being dumped in local waste dumps in Northern Ireland.

(155506)

510
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) hospital and (b) community nursing vacancies there are within North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust.

(155805)

511
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what support he has given to the Victims of Omagh Fund.

(155313)

512
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the latest estimate is of the cost of the Saville Inquiry.

(155314)

513
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which Departments will meet the costs of the Saville Inquiry; and in what proportion.

(155315)

514
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many lawyers have been employed during the course of the Saville Inquiry; and what the latest estimate of the costs of employing lawyers during the Inquiry is.

(155316)

515
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much has been paid by each Government department towards the cost of the Saville Inquiry.

(155317)

516
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people there are on the mainland UK exiled from Northern Ireland because of threats from terrorist organisations; and what the cost is to public funds in 2003-04 of such people.

(155648)

517
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155525)

Questions to the Prime Minister

518
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the honourable Members who are not Cabinet Ministers who have (a) security clearance for and (b) passes to Number 10 Downing Street.

(155431)

519
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Prime Minister, whether it is his policy that Israel should cease building settlements and the security wall on Palestinian territory unconditionally; and if he will make a statement.

(155284)

520
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the principal barriers to peace in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement.

(155285)

521
Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will discuss with President Musharraf of Pakistan the case of Abdul Qadeer Khan.

(155911)

522
Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Prime Minister, what his policy is on the serving of beer at official receptions held at Number 10 Downing Street.

(155789)

523
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of whether Iraq could launch a chemical, biological or nuclear attack against the UK mainland before publication of the September 2002 dossier; and if he will make a statement.

(155975)

524
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of whether Iraq had considered using chemical or biological agents in terrorist attacks before military action was taken against Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(155976)

525
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Prime Minister, what assessment he made before military action was taken against Iraq, of Iraq's ability to produce chemical and biological weapons whilst the UN inspection team was in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(155977)

526
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Prime Minister, what assessment he made of whether Iraq (a) had provided chemical and biological weapons to al-Qa'eda and (b) intended to conduct chemical and biological terrorist attacks before military action was taken against Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(156006)

527
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Prime Minister, what assessment he made of the effect of regime collapse in Iraq on the risk of transfer of chemical and biological weapons materials to terrorists; and if he will make a statement.

(156007)

528
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Prime Minister, what assessment he made of the effect of military action against Iraq on the threat posed by al-Qa'eda before taking such action; and if he will make a statement.

(156008)

529
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Prime Minister, for what reason the words `if he believes his regime is under threat' were excised from the final version of the September 2002 dossier; and if he will make a statement.

(156010)

530
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will add interests in parental contact to the responsibilities of the Minister for Women.

(155108)

531
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Prime Minister, what authority members of the Prime Minister's staff have to use 10 Downing Street headed paper subsequent to employment in his Office.

(154888)

532
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the presidents of (i) Austria, (ii) Finland, (iii) France, (iv) Italy and (v) Spain, (b) the Prime Ministers of (A) Belgium, (B) Denmark, (C) Greece, (D) Ireland, (E) Luxembourg, (F) Portugal, (G) Sweden and (H) the Netherlands and (c) the Chancellor of Germany about the expected number of migrants coming to their respective countries after enlargement of the European Union.

(155625)

533
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Prime Minister, what his Office's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155532)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

534
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

(155931)

535
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on energy policy in Scotland.

(155909)

536
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what measures have been introduced to encourage use of public transport by the disabled.

(155423)

537
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155527)

Questions to the Solicitor General

538
N Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):To ask the Solicitor General, if the Attorney General will release his full opinion on the legality of the war in Iraq to Parliament before the Butler Committee has reported.

(155100)

539
Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Solicitor General, what information the Attorney General had received on weapons of mass destruction when he prepared his opinion on the legality of war against Iraq; whether this included information on weapons capable of being launched in 45 minutes; and whether it was indicated to him whether there were battlefield weapons or weapons deliverable to targets outside Iraq.

(155417)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

540
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what account she will take of the potential impact on endangered grey whales in considering requests for export credit guarantees in connection with oil and gas extraction in the Sakhalin Island area; and if she will make a statement.

(154967)

541
Janet Anderson (Rossendale & Darwen):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the Government's policy is on Article 10 of the draft EU Enforcement Directive.

(155941)

542
Janet Anderson (Rossendale & Darwen):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the protection of intellectual property rights afforded by the draft EU Enforcement Directive to UK businesses.

(155942)

543
Janet Anderson (Rossendale & Darwen):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what reasons underlie the Government's decision to seek amendments to Articles 10 and 15 of the draft EU Enforcement Directive.

(155943)

544
Janet Anderson (Rossendale & Darwen):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations the Government is making to other EU member states to ensure that the draft EU Enforcement Directive offers the best possible degree of protection to UK businesses.

(155944)

545
N Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations Postwatch South East has received on Post Office Ltd's proposal to close the Fetcham Sub Post Office; and if she will make a statement.

(155432)

546
N Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will undertake to take the final decision if Post Office Ltd intends to fufil its proposal to close Fetcham Sub Post Office.

(155433)

547
N Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent changes there have been to the rural to urban classification of post offices and sub post offices in Mole Valley.

(155434)

548
N Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she expects to be able to make a decision on Post Office Ltd's proposal for closure of the Fetcham Sub Post Office.

(155435)

549
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many days on average her Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155928)

550
N Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to initiate further consultation on the Office of Fair Trading report on The Regulation of Licensed Taxi and PHV Services in the UK; when she intends to make her final response to the report; and if she will make a statement.

(153334)

551
Mr Tony Colman (Putney):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many consultations on Post Office branch closures have been carried out in the 12 months to 31st January; and how many such consultations have resulted in a branch remaining open.

(155883)

552
Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action she is taking to ensure equality between men and women in the workplace.

(155807)

553
Tony Cunningham (Workington):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the progress of arrangements for opening post office card accounts.

(156011)

554
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the estimated number of customer minutes lost of electricity was in (a) Dumfries and Galloway, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in 2003.

(155470)

555
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on plans to invest in infrastructure to reduce instability of power in rural areas.

(155471)

556
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to facilitate the (a) decommissioning, (b) upkeep and (c) removal of (i) turbines and (ii) transmission facilities from wind farms; and if she will make a statement.

(155478)

557
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on Government financial support to firms looking to establish wind farms.

(155479)

558
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on planning policies for wind farms.

(155480)

559
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the number of wind turbines which will be required to meet Government targets on renewable energy in the United Kingdom.

(155481)

560
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what regulations are in place to ensure a reliable electricity supply to consumers.

(155482)

561
N Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what criteria the Post Office will use in deciding the future of post offices in Liverpool, Riverside which is recommended for closure.

(155668)

562
N Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many illegal fireworks were seized in (a) 2003 and (b) the past five years.

(154887)

563
Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department's policy is on the serving of beer at official functions.

(155784)

564
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people in London have access to (a) broadband internet via satellite service and (b) average variable cost broadband; and if she will make a statement.

(155272)

565
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) personal and (b) company bankruptcies in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough there were in each of the last three years for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of recent trends; and if she will make a statement.

(155275)

566
N Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many businesses in (a) London and (b) England applied for regional selective assistance in each year since it came into existence.

(155514)

567
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many TETRA masts in England are (a) in place and (b) planned in total for complete roll-out in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) Sussex.

(155652)

568
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment the Office of Fair Trading has made of the potential impact of encroachment by multiple stores into the convenience sector of the grocery market on (a) sustainability of the industry and (b) the independent retailers and small groups within it.

(155241)

569
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on levels of productivity amongst scientists in the UK.

(155258)

570
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether regulatory impact assessments undertaken in relation to EU legislation are full assessments.

(155259)

571
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures she is taking to improve the effectiveness of the Smart scheme in increasing the profitability of award-winners businesses.

(155260)

572
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on (a) current and (b) future funding levels for university scientists in the UK.

(155261)

573
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the reasons are for (a) regional and sub-regional differences in the change of annual expenditure of Business Link operators since 2001-02 and (b) the fall in annual expenditure in over half of Business Link operators since 2001-02.

(155262)

574
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps her Department is taking to increase the proportion of businesses with internet access greater than 2 Mbps.

(155263)

575
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of the work force has less than three weeks' annual paid leave.

(155265)

576
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the margin of electricity capacity to meet winter peaks was for each year since 1993.

(155266)

577
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the balance between the supply of (a) high, (b) intermediate and (c) lower level qualifications in the workforce and employers' requirements for qualifications across the UK.

(155288)

578
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the (a) costs and (b) benefits of long hours working for (i) non-manual and (ii) manual workers in the UK.

(155289)

579
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which regulatory reform orders have been used to amend burdensome primary legislation since 2001.

(155319)

580
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 6th February, Official Report, column 1090W, on business link operators, which are the five business link operators referred to as seriously underperforming; and if she will give their (a) performance results and (b) budget for each year since their establishment.

(155320)

581
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many recommendations were made by the recent Better Regulation Task Force report on employment regulation; how many have been implemented by her Department; and by what methods.

(155321)

582
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to extend the common commencement pilot for employment regulations to other areas of regulation.

(155322)

583
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list (a) executive non-departmental public bodies and (b) advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department; and what budget was set for each year between 1998 and 2008.

(155323)

584
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what work is being done to improve the quality of regulatory impact assessments carried out in her Department.

(155324)

585
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 2nd February, Official Report, column 642W, on Business Link, when her Department will publish the gross value-added measure for Business Link operators.

(155356)

586
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 5th February, Official Report, column 998W, on business support schemes, if she will list the (a) service costs to run and (b) cost of the programme delivered by (i) the Small Firms Loan Guarantee, (ii) Grant for Research and Development, (iii) Grant for Investigating an Innovative idea and (iv) Knowledge Transfer Partnerships between 2003 and 2007.

(155357)

587
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 2nd February, Official Report, column 647W, on the National Business Angel Network, if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of the National Angel Business Network.

(155358)

588
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 2nd February, Official Report, column 642W, on Business Link, how many studies have been commissioned; what their titles are; and when they were published.

(155359)

589
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 2nd February, Official Report, column 650W, on the Small Business Service, what the cost was of the programmes delivered by the Small Business Service for each year between 2000 and 2003.

(155364)

590
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 2nd February, Official Report, column 650W, on the Small Business Service, what the running costs of the Small Business Service were for 2000, including agency staff and secondments.

(155365)

591
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 2nd February, Official Report, column 649W, on regulatory impact assessments, what assessment she has made of the frequency with which the costs and benefits of regulations to consumers are considered in the course of regulatory impact assessments.

(155490)

592
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the Government's contribution to the European Space Agency's planned near earth object mission study.

(155360)

593
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the Government's contribution to the funding of the Minor Planet Centre.

(155361)

594
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on steps the Government has taken to promote multi-disciplinary studies of the consequences of impacts from near earth objects on the earth.

(155362)

595
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on steps the Government has taken to establish studies to look into the practical possibilities of mitigating the results of impact and deflecting incoming objects.

(155363)

596
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the hazard from near earth objects.

(155366)

597
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to establish a British centre for near earth objects; and if she will make a statement.

(155367)

598
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will maintain the level of service provided by the (a) National Near Earth Object Information Centre and (b) the Spaceguard Centre.

(155368)

599
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on progress in seeking partners to build in the southern hemisphere an advanced new three metre-class survey telescope for surveying substantially smaller objects than those now systematically observed by other telescopes.

(155369)

600
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on arrangements that have been made for observational data obtained for other purposes by wide-field facilities to be searched for near earth objects on a nightly basis.

(155370)

601
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on progress in dedicating the one metre Johannes Kapteyn Telescope on La Palma to follow-up observations of near earth objects.

(155371)

602
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on negotiations to establish an arrangement for small amounts of time to be provided under appropriate financial terms for spectroscopic follow-up of near earth objects; and what financial support she has provided.

(155372)

603
N Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what (a) capital and (b) revenue expenditure was provided through (i) EU structural funds and (ii) by regional development agencies in each of the past seven years for each principal town in England and Wales, with figures for Welsh Seaside Town clusters disaggregated; and if she will make a statement.

(155003)

604
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Totnes of 9th December 2003 concerning Mr Trevor Sams of Totnes and business practices on the Internet.

(155099)

605
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) personal and (b) corporate bankruptcies there were in East Devon in each of the past seven years.

(155297)

606
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) urban and (b) rural post offices have closed in East Devon since 1997.

(155298)

607
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she (a) has taken and (b) is taking to assess the impact of globalisation on UK (i) manufacturing and (ii) services.

(155973)

608
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the cost in (a) financial and (b) other terms was in (i) each financial year since 1997 and (ii) 2003-04 until the latest date for which figures are available of (A) developing and (B) maintaining (1) her Department's website and (2) each website for which her Department is responsible; and how many (C) unique hosts and (D) hits there were in each month for each website in (iii) each financial year since 1997 and (iv) 2003-04 until the latest date for which numbers are available.

(155856)

609
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether those whose mining compensation claims have been concluded based on erroneous pension calculations will receive payment of any balance due on a correct recalculation.

(155595)

610
Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Answer of 19th January, Official Report, column 1037W, on gas quality, whether research has been commissioned as part of the consultation process into the number of domestic appliances that would require (a) replacement and (b) modification.

(155556)

611
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many small and medium-sized enterprises she estimates have started business in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

(155585)

612
Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent discussions she has had with electricity generators regarding the supply of electricity.

(155387)

613
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what research her Department has commissioned since 1998-99 to assess the impact of the National Minimum Wage on 16 to 17 year olds participating in Government-supported training; and if she will make a statement.

(155438)

614
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155522)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

615
Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will investigate the disclosure to the Sunday Telegraph of the Strategic Rail Authority's latest study of the Central Railway proposal; and if he will make a statement.

(155242)

616
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage the use in diesel trains of low-sulphur diesel; what percentage of diesel trains use low-sulphur diesel; and if he will make a statement.

(155415)

617
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) actual and (b) percentage increase in power supply is required to operate an 8-car new third-rail train compared with its slam-door predecessor, assuming no change in average speed; and if he will make a statement.

(155416)

618
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes to (a) emission levels, (b) fuel consumption, (c) accident rates and (d) severity of accidents he estimates would result from an increase in the motorway speed limit to 80mph.

(155498)

619
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

(155932)

620
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1235W, on the Crew Relief Costs Scheme, if he will introduce primary legislation to revise the eligibility criteria for the scheme; and what discussions his Department has had with representatives of seafarer trade unions concerning alterations to the Crew Relief Costs Scheme.

(155511)

621
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1242W, on the Shipping Strategy Paper, if he will make a statement on the progress made towards implementing the actions contained in British Shipping: Charting a New Course; whether it is his policy to implement all the actions in the paper; and when his Department will conclude the implementation of these actions.

(155513)

622
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Oral Answer of 3rd February, Official Report, column 616, how many people were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured in the three years prior to the establishment of camera sites in the Christchurch constituency, and how many have been (i) killed and (ii) seriously injured since, in respect of each of the camera sites.

(155507)

623
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library the responses received from safety camera partnership project managers in England and Wales to his Department's letter of 19th December 2003 about the safety camera programme.

(155540)

624
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents resulting in death or serious injury have occurred on the hard shoulders of motorways in England in each of the last five years.

(155542)

625
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to commission a review of speed limits according to levels of risk on each category of road.

(155809)

626
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money has been spent on roadbuilding projects in each of the last five years; and if he will use funds allocated to future schemes to encourage rail travel instead.

(155887)

627
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures he plans to take to reduce the number of uninsured drivers.

(155888)

628
Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures his Department is taking to reduce the number of motor vehicles on the roads (a) without insurance and (b) without road taxation.

(155791)

629
Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list for each local authority the financial support given by the Department to support cycling proficiency tests in 2003-04.

(155868)

630
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what budget was set for noise mitigation measures on roads in each financial year since 2001-02; and what percentage of this budget was used for noise mitigation measures in each year, including 2003-04 to date.

(155102)

631
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the written statement of 10th February, what supporting documentation he intends to publish in relation to increased airport capacity at Stansted.

(155238)

632
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work (a) the Strategic Rail Authority and (b) Network Rail has been engaged in in the Eddisbury constituency in the last 18 months, broken down by location; what the costs are of such works, broken down by project; what surveys were commissioned prior to such works being carried out into the extent of damage caused by badgers at or near in-use railway lines; what consultations were undertaken in each relevant local community prior to works being commissioned and carried out on alternative methods of removing badgers from current setts; and what the timescale is for (i) post-audit and (ii) value for money exercises to be carried out on these projects.

(155278)

633
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidelines his Department issues for local authorities in respect of measures to deal with snowfall.

(155798)

634
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the latest criteria for prioritisation of resurfacing of roads are.

(155979)

635
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the criteria for categorisation of sites for each level of noise reduction road resurfacing programmes; and what the effect of each categorisation is.

(155983)

636
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what change there has been in estimated costs of resurfacing the M1 between junctions 20 and 21 since the initial announcement; and if he will make a statement.

(155987)

637
N Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce a requirement for drivers to display proof of insurance on their vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

(155006)

638
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to upgrade the A35 between Dorchester and Honiton.

(155299)

639
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve (a) traffic flow and (b) road safety at Raymond's Hill on the A35.

(155300)

640
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to reinstate railwaytrack between Salisbury and Exeter on the Waterloo Line.

(155301)

641
N Mr John Taylor (Solihull):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what compensation arrangements are available to Solihull constituents whose properties are blighted by the possibility of a second runway at Birmingham airport.

(155534)

642
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost in (a) financial and (b) other terms was in (i) each financial year since 1997 and (ii) 2003-04 until the latest date for which figures are available of (A) developing and (B) maintaining (1) his Department's website and (2) each website for which his Department is responsible; and how many (C) unique hosts and (D) hits there were in each month for each website in (iii) each financial year since 1997 and (iv) 2003-04 until the latest date for which numbers are available.

(155852)

643
N Mr Paul Tyler (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1241W, on Ryanair Decision, when he expects to receive the full text of the European Commission's decision on the case of Ryanair at Charleroi Airport; and if he will make a statement on its implications for regional airports in the UK.

(155237)

644
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155528)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

645
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was.

(155927)

646
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has held with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales on flooding in Wales.

(155969)

647
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155519)

Questions to the Minister for Women

648
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Minister for Women, how many days on average her Office took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

(155930)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

649
Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what would be the additional cost in the next financial year to public funds (a) in benefits and (b) in administrative costs of providing entitlement to winter fuel payment to all persons on reaching their 60th birthday if it falls during the months of October to March inclusive, on the assumption that those with birthdays in other months would continue to receive payment in the winter after attaining age 60.

(155327)

650
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002-03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

(155919)

651
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Department for Health to ensure fair treatment for older people from ethnic minority groups and their needs in terms of (a) income and (b) quality of life.

(155810)

652
Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints the agency Access to Work has received over delays in processing applications in the latest three years for which data is available.

(155598)

653
Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what targets the agency Access for Work has for the processing of applications for grants for equipment needed by disabled people in their places of work; and what has been its measured performance against this target in the last three years for which data is available.

(155599)

654
Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the performance targets are for the agency Access to Work; and what its measured performance has been against these targets in the last three years for which data is available.

(155600)

655
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were on each of the Child Support Agency schemes in each month since the inception of the new scheme.

(155412)

656
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to promote the use of Post Office Card Accounts in Scotland.

(155473)

657
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been spent in marketing the Post Office Card Account in the last year in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK.

(155474)

658
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he last met pensioner groups in Scotland.

(155477)

659
Mr Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of successful applicants for the pension credit have elected to receive payments to Post Office Card Accounts to date.

(155597)

660
N Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of extending the entitlement to disability allowance and attendance allowance to 52 weeks for those claimants who are hospitalised.

(155986)

661
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many inspectors have been employed by the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 1997; and what the forecast number is for the current year.

(155818)

662
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce legislation to provide for greater (a) recognition and (b) powers for safety representatives in workplaces.

(155819)

663
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place an obligation on companies to publish, within their annual report, a statement containing (a) their health and safety policy and (b) initiatives that have been taken to implement these policies.

(155820)

664
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to lift Crown immunity with regards to health and safety legislation.

(155821)

665
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the budget was in (a) cash and (b) real terms of the Health and Safety Executive for each year since 1997; and what the forecast budgets for the next three years are.

(155822)

666
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to increase penalties for breaches of health and safety legislation.

(155940)

667
Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average pension credit payment is to pensioners in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the North East and (e) the UK.

(155845)

668
Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average minimum income guarantee payment is to pensioners in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the North East and (e) the UK.

(155846)

669
Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners are (a) eligible for and (b) in receipt of pension credit in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) Tyne and Wear, (iv) the North East and (v) the UK.

(155890)

670
Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners were in receipt of the minimum income guarantee in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the North East and (e) the UK at the last date on which it was paid.

(155952)

671
Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners are eligible for the minimum income guarantee in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the North East and (e) the United Kingdom.

(156022)

672
Mr George Howarth (Knowsley North & Sefton East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the average wage the state pension is in the UK; and what the figure is for each member state of the European Union.

(155467)

673
Mr George Howarth (Knowsley North & Sefton East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the proportion of the value of means-tested benefits unclaimed by pensioners.

(155468)

674
Mr George Howarth (Knowsley North & Sefton East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the the total cost of administering means-testing for pensioners in 2003-04; and by how much pensions could be increased if the proceeds of abolishing means tests were transferred to pensions.

(155469)

675
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has issued to local authorities about undertaking joint prosecutions with the Department of Work and Pensions for benefit fraud.

(155103)

676
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many joint prosecutions with local authorities for benefit fraud have been suspended in the last three months.

(155104)

677
N Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the office of the Deputy Prime Minister about the implications of the Howell Opinion on joint prosecutions for benefit fraud.

(155271)

678
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in East Devon are dependent on benefits; and what percentage of entitled pensioners in East Devon have taken up their benefits.

(155326)

679
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on reform of the Child Support Agency.

(155348)

680
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the pensioner population is in (a) the East Midlands and (b) England.

(155638)

681
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the status of Dupuytren's contracture is under the assessment criteria for industrial injuries disablement benefit.

(155639)

682
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost in (a) financial and (b) other terms was in (i) each financial year since 1997 and (ii) 2003-04 until the latest date for which figures are available of (A) developing and (B) maintaining (1) his Department's website and (2) each website for which his Department is responsible; and how many (C) unique hosts and (D) hits there were in each month for each website in (iii) each financial year since 1997 and (iv) 2003-04 until the latest date for which numbers are available.

(155851)

683
Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the performance of the Child Support Agency's new reforms IT system.

(155885)

684
Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he estimates the Department's Child Support Agency new reforms IT system recovery programme will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

(155886)

685
Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when existing Child Support Agency cases assessed under the old rules will be transferred to the new assessment system.

(155910)

686
Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

(155523)

Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office

687
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what is being done to raise levels of internet usage amongst those sectors of the population whose usage is under the national average, with particular reference to the (a) 55 to 64 and (b) 65 and over age groups.

[Transferred] (155264)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

688
Julia Drown (South Swindon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to (a) employees and (b) others in (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 40 years of reducing the lower earnings limit for National Insurance (A) by £17 and (B) altogether.

[Transferred] (155939)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

689
Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what evaluation has taken place of the successes of street warden schemes in tackling anti-social behaviour in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Coventry.

[Transferred] (155660)

690
Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the impact of the withdrawal of funding for the Street Warden schemes on (a) the levels of anti-social behaviour in Coventry and (b) the perceptions of safety amongst people in Coventry.

[Transferred] (155661)

691
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on street warden funding in Coventry in 2004-05.

[Question Unstarred][Transferred] (155747)

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

692
Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the sufficiency of resources allocated to HM Customs and Excise to address illegal meat imports and of how they compare with those of its equivalent in other European countries.

[Transferred] (155847)

693
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether animal welfare agencies and charities have access to lists of (a) convicted animal rights abusers and (b) those banned from animal ownership.

[Transferred] (155680)

694
N Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how she will implement the Large Combustion Plant Directive; and if she will make a statement.

[Transferred] (155005)

695
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many animals will be tested as a result of the proposed EU REACH legislation on chemicals; and if she will set out the basis for her estimate.

[Transferred] (155857)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

696
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many work permits were issued to health workers for each of the top 10 medical specialties in each of the last 10 years.

[Transferred] (155984)

697
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers about the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Bill.

[Question Unstarred] (155765)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

698
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the weapons destroyed so far as a result of the Small Arms Global Pool, broken down by type.

[Transferred] (155674)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

699
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the contracts let by the Coalition Provisional Authority for selling Iraqi oil and gas.

[Transferred] (155286)

700
Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what regulations exist for debt collection agencies regarding the amount of evidence that must be represented to them before they take up a claim.

[Transferred] (155662)

701
N Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether regional development agencies only fund organisations located within the regions they serve; and if she will make a statement.

[Transferred] (155981)

© Parliamentary copyright 2004
Revised 23 February 2004