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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 25 February 2004
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 25 February 2004
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 25 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 Wednesday 25 February of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Wednesday 25 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, columns 1135-6W, on the Strategy Unit Fisheries Report, what the reasons are for the delay in the publication of this report. | | (156579) | 2
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to raise the Civil Service normal retirement age to 65; and if he will make a statement. | | (156577) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 3
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ensure that (a) financial and (b) fiscal (i) incentives and (ii) disincentives for waste management encourage delivery of the Government's waste hierarchy. | | (156344) | 4
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the environmental benefits that would be derived from a tax on incineration; and if he will make a statement. | | (156345) | 5
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis was for his Department's decision to maintain the £30,000 turnover test for sub-contractors to receive gross payments under the Construction Industry Scheme; and what advice he received from the Inland Revenue on this matter during the recent review of the scheme. | | (156681) | 6
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will amend the regulatory requirements on transfer of mini cash ISAs between account providers to speed up transfer time; and if he will make a statement. | | (156402) | 7
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, under what circumstances a person who pays tax under Pay as you Earn is also required to fill in a self-assessment form. | | (156395) | 8
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what definitions of (a) employed and (b) self-employed are used by the Inland Revenue for the purpose of a self-assessment form for income tax. | | (156396) | 9
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people died from (a) cancer and (b) coronary heart disease in (i) Lancashire and (ii) the North West in the last year for which figures are available; and what this represented for each 1,000 of population. | | (156499) | 10
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 30th January, Official Report, columns 569-70W, what the names were in each case of the individuals forming the Inland Revenue team which met, as part of the market making exercise for Project Aspire, with (a) EDS, (b) IBM, (c) CGEY, (d) CSC, (e) Accenture, (f) Fujitsu Services, (g) CMG Logica and (h) PWC Consulting. | | (156518) | 11
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when (a) Sir Nicholas Montagu KCB, Chairman of Inland Revenue, (b) Mr Timothy Flesher CB, former Commissioner of Inland Revenue, (c) Mr Gabriel Maklouf, former Director of Inland Revenue International Division and (d) Mr Graham Dean, former Inland Revenue employee, was informed that Lord Butler of Brockwell had joined the advisory board of IBM UK; and what action each of them took upon receipt of this information. | | (156519) | 12
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the vacancy taken up by Ms Ann Grinstead as a non-executive Director of the Valuation Office Agency was advertised; where the vacancy was advertised ; how many applications were received by the Valuation Office for the vacancy; how many candidates were shortlisted; and who the Chairman and the members of the interview panel charged with selecting the successful applicant were. | | (156615) | 13
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12th February, Official Report, column 1556W on the Large Business Office, when (a) Sir Nicholas Montagu KCB, (b) Mr David Hartnett CB, (c) Mr Steve Heminsley and (d) Mr John Yard were informed of the audit performed by the Inland Revenue's internal auditors upon the accuracy of the reported compliance data of the Large Business Office for 2001-02. | | (156616) | 14
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26th January, Official Report, column 110W, on compliance performance targets, how much of the £4.25 billion to £4.75 billion compliance forecast for the Inland Revenue for 1998-99 referred to in the Inland Revenue Annual Report for that year was founded upon the anticipated performance of (a) the Large Business Office and (b) International Division; and what the equivalent planning figures were for each year since 1997-98. | | (156617) | 15
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many stress audits were carried out in his Department in each of the last five years; what the cost of each audit was; what assessment of the effects of the audits has been made; and if he will make a statement. | | (156590) | 16
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the five year survival rate for lung cancer was (a) in each year between 1993 and 1996 and (b) in the most recent period for which figures are available. | | (156380) | 17
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many primates were imported illegally and seized by customs in each of the last five years. | | (156552) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 18
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement on the quality of video equipment used in courts. | | (156312) | 19
| Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list documents on Kilmainham Gaol held by the Public Record Office. | | (156299) | 20
| Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list the documents relating to the courts-martial of those indicted following the Easter Uprising in Dublin in 1916 held by the Public Record Office. | | (156300) | 21
| Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, which documents are held by the Public Record Office written by (a) P H Pearse, (b) Thomas J Clarke, (c) Thomas Macdonagh, (d) Edward Daly, (e) William Pearse, (f) Michael O'Hanrahan, (g) Joseph Mary Plunkett, (h) John MacBride, (i) Sean Heuston, (j) Michael Mallin, (k) Eamonn Ceannt, (l) Con Colbert, (m) Thomas Kent, (n) Sean MacDiarmada, (o) James Connolly and (p) Sir Roger Casement. | | (156304) | 22
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the (a) lowest and (b) highest turnout in a local authority election was in the last five years. | | (156445) | 23
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment has been made of participation rates in general elections in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other EU countries in the last five years. | | (156446) | 24
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what research his Department has conducted on the implications of the introduction of compulsory participation in United Kingdom elections. | | (156447) | 25
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what research his Department has conducted on the use of (a) legal and (b) fixed penalties to encourage higher levels of voter registration. | | (156448) | 26
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the lowest turnout in a local authority by-election was in the last five years. | | (156450) | 27
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of (a) incentive schemes and (b) payments to encourage voter participation. | | (156535) | 28
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what research the Department has collated into the propensity to vote of different social-economic groups. | | (156536) | 29
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of a rolling register on levels of voter registration in the UK. | | (156537) | 30
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what research his Department has carried out to ascertain why individuals do not register to vote. | | (156540) | 31
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage people to complete electoral registration forms. | | (156541) | 32
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of people who failed to register to vote in the UK in each of the last five years. | | (156542) | 33
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many registered postal voters there were in each constituency in the UK at the 2001 general election. | | (156548) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 34
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to promote tourism in (a) the Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West. | | (156493) | 35
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what grants that fall outside the revenue support grant were made available to (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley from her Department in each of the last four financial years. | | (156509) | 36
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what grants have been made by her Department to support rugby league in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley in each of the last five years. | | (156510) | 37
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what grants have been made by her Department to support rugby union in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley in each of the last five years. | | (156511) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 38
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he discussed the supply of military and security equipment between Israel and the UK with the Israeli Defence Minister, during his recent visit to the UK. | | (156515) | 39
| Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Gulf War veterans of the 1990-91 campaign are estimated to be suffering from auto-immune induced osteoporosis. | | (156356) | 40
| Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to introduce (a) a compensation scheme and (b) additional pension entitlement for Gulf War veterans of the 1990-91 campaign who are suffering from auto-immune induced osteoporosis. | | (156357) | 41
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will bring forward the building of (a) the Joint Casualty Treatment Ship and (b) the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project to fill the workload gap at Swan Hunter Wallsend. | | (156559) | 42
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what advice is given to troops in Iraq about the dangers of depleted uranium. | | (156560) | 43
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on his plans to raise the normal retirement age for members of the armed forces; what estimate he has made of the savings from raising the pension age to 65; and if he will make a statement. | | (156573) | 44
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his estimate is of the asset value of the Meterological Office; what the cost in 2003-04 to his Department is of this organisation; and if he will make a statement. | | (156603) | 45
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his latest estimate is of the (a) defence procurement budget and (b) military research and development budget for each year from 1996-97 to 2005-06 (planned); and if he will make a statement. | | (156607) | 46
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his latest estimate is of the net asset value of the Hydrographic Office; and if he will make a statement. | | (156608) | 47
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the (a) land and (b) buildings in central London owned by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) the UK armed forces, giving the value in each case. | | (156709) | 48
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost of the Defence Export Services Organisation was in 2002-03; what his estimate is of the projected cost in each year to 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (156710) | 49
| Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which documents are held by his Department written by (a) P H Pearse, (b) Thomas J Clarke, (c) Thomas Macdonagh, (d) Edward Daly, (e) William Pearse, (f) Michael O'Hanrahan, (g) Joseph Mary Plunkett, (h) John MacBride, (i) Sean Heuston, (j) Michael Mallin, (k) Eamonn Ceannt, (l) Con Colbert, (m) Thomas Kent, (n) Sean MacDiarmada, (o) James Connolly and (p) Sir Roger Casement. | | (156303) | 50
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the planned laser simulation facility at AWE Aldermaston. | | (156642) | 51
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the date of each briefing he has received on the weapons of mass destruction capabilities of Iraq since March 2002; and what the source of the briefing was in each case. | | (156643) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 52
| Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the projected budgets are for each area-based initiative which receives funding from his Department, for (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06, broken down by English region. | | (156471) | 53
| Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what budgets have been allocated for (a) the Community Chest, (b) the Community Learning Chest and (c) the Community Empowerment Fund for each financial year from 2003-04 to 2005-06, broken down by English region. | | (156472) | 54
| Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what budgets have been allocated for (a) each New Deal for Communities partnership and (b) the New Deal for Communities in total for each financial year from 2003-04 to 2005-06, broken down by English region. | | (156473) | 55
| Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what contribution his Department has made, or plans to make, to the regional development agencies' single pot for each financial year from 2003-04 to 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (156474) | 56
| Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what funding was provided (a) by his Department in total and (b) through non-departmental public bodies to each urban regeneration company for 2003-04; and what funding is projected in each case for 2004-05. | | (156475) | 57
| Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the (a) budget or projected budget for the Single Neighbourhood Renewal Unit wardens funding channel and (b) budget or projected budget for all area-based initiatives funded by the Single Neighbourhood Renewal Unit wardens funding channel is for financial years (i) 2002-03, (ii) 2003-04, (iii) 2004-05 and (iv) 2005-06, broken down by English region. | | (156476) | 58
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what representations have been made to (a) him and (b) the Office of National Statistics concerning the accuracy of the 2001 Census by (i) the London Borough of Barnet, (ii) Westminster City Council and (iii) Manchester City Council; and if he will make a statement. | | (156489) | 59
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to set up a separate formula spending settlement for waste; and what discussions he has had on this issue with the Local Government Association. | | (156385) | 60
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Building Research Establishment on land and waste reclamations. | | (156386) | 61
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much English Partnerships plans to invest in the development of Port Clarence in Stockton. | | (156613) | 62
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what grants that fall outside the revenue support grant were awarded to local authorities in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley by his Department in each of the last three years. | | (156512) | 63
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many key workers in (a) England and (b) London the Start Homes Initiative has helped to buy a home since the scheme was launched. | | (156562) | 64
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on his plans to raise the normal retirement age for firefighters; what estimate he has made of the savings from raising the normal retirement age and pension age to 65; and if he will make a statement. | | (156574) | 65
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his latest estimate is of the costs of (a) council tax administration and (b) council tax benefit administration; and if he will make a statement. | | (156595) | 66
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the (a) address and (b) latest valuation of his Department's London-based building assets; and if he will make a statement. | | (156597) | 67
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his latest estimate is of the value of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London; and if he will make a statement. | | (156598) | 68
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the total cost was including staffing, management and support, for the Comprehensive Performance Assessment process in local government in 2003 for (a) the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, (b) the Audit Commission, (c) the Improvement and Development Agency, (d) local authorities and (e) other agencies. | | (156688) | 69
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what research was undertaken on problems created by summertime overheating of lightweight buildings prior to the decision to encourage registered social landlords to use factory-built houses. | | (156640) | 70
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much was spent by each local authority on (a) postal vote registration and (b) advertising postal voting in each of the last five years. | | (156547) | 71
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much each local authority has spent on (a) voter registration and (b) promoting voter registration in each of the last five years. | | (156549) | 72
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on voter registration. | | (156550) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 73
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what resources are available under the Children Act 1989 for local authorities to care for child victims of trafficking; and if he will make a statement. | | (152341) | 74
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list, for each local authority with one or more schools designated under section 104 and section 100 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, how many schools so designated are proposed for (a) new building, (b) major refurbishment or remodelling of existing building, (c) minor repairs and refurbishment to existing buildings and (d) no capital works in the local education authority's response to the Building Schools for the Future initiative. | | (155620) | 75
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) specialist schools and (b) non-specialist schools are designated under section 100 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; and how many and what percentage of pupils they have selected in each of the last six years. | | (155621) | 76
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what information his Department collates on the relationship between an individual's first secondary school attended and the likelihood of attending university by the age of (a) 20, (b) 25 and (c) 30 years of age; and if he will make a statement. | | (155622) | 77
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list each (a) specialist school and (b) non-specialist school designated under section 104 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, together with the number of pupils they have selected in each of the last six years. | | (155623) | 78
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) specialist schools and (b) non-specialist schools are designated under section 102 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; and how many and what percentage of pupils they have selected in each year since their designation. | | (155624) | 79
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when he expects the auditing of Individual Learning Account learning providers to be completed; and if he will make a statement. | | (156404) | 80
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many claims from Individual Learning Account learning providers have (a) been audited with evidence of fraud discovered, (b) been audited without fraud being discovered and received any outstanding payments and (c) not yet been audited; and if he will make a statement. | | (156405) | 81
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average waiting time is in Gloucestershire for a home assessment visit by Ofsted when a person in receipt of child tax credit or working tax credit needs their home to be assessed as this is the place where their children are being looked after rather than the home of the childminder. | | (156391) | 82
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people have been affected by the new rules requiring accreditation by SureStart because their childminder looks after children in the children's home. | | (156392) | 83
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many parents have lost their entitlement to the childcare element of child tax credit or working tax credit because they did not possess accreditation by SureStart of the childminder operating in the parents' home. | | (156393) | 84
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he has held with Her Majesty's Treasury on debt problems faced by parents who have lost child tax credit or working tax credit because of the new SureStart accreditation arrangements; and if he will make a statement. | | (156394) | 85
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much his Department has spent on recruitment advertising in each year since 1997. | | (156452) | 86
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much money has been spent on school buildings in the Ribble Valley and Fulwood, broken down by school, in each year since 1997. | | (156490) | 87
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people in the working age population in the North-West Region with no qualifications. | | (156491) | 88
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to address the problem of unruly behaviour by pupils in (a) primary schools and (b) high schools. | | (156492) | 89
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the value added between Key Stage Three and GCSE/GNVQ for schools in (a) Ribble Valley and Fulwood and (b) Lancashire was excluding the results of specialist schools. | | (156495) | 90
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to change guidance to teachers with respect to restraining unruly and violent pupils. | | (156496) | 91
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the role of trade union learning representatives in improving skill levels in the workplace; and if he will make a statement. | | (156632) | 92
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what progress has been made by learning and skills councils in carrying out strategic area reviews; and if he will make a statement. | | (156633) | 93
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the impact of educational maintenance allowances in improving participation rates in post-16 education. | | (156634) | 94
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the (a) cost and (b) likely effect on participation rates of extending educational maintenance allowances to those engaged in part-time study. | | (156635) | 95
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to raise the normal retirement age for teachers to 65; what estimate he has made of the cost savings from raising the pension age to 65; and if he will make a statement. | | (156575) | 96
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much has been spent on the Excellence in Cities programme in each year since 1998-99; what his estimate is of annual expenditure up to 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (156585) | 97
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the annual cost to public funds is of the (a) Construction Industry Training Board and (b) Engineering Construction Industry Training Board; and if he will make a statement. | | (156586) | 98
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the running costs of his Department were for each year since 2000-01; what his estimate is of annual expenditure up to 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (156587) | 99
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the (a) cost in the last financial year and (b) purpose is of the Sector Skills Agency; and if he will make a statement. | | (156588) | 100
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost of the Teacher Training Agency was in the last financial year; and if he will make a statement. | | (156589) | 101
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the (a) standards funds and (b) special grants in operation; and if he will make a statement. | | (156591) | 102
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what buildings are owned by the Learning and Skills Council; what the estimated value is of each; and if he will make a statement. | | (156592) | 103
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost of Ofsted was in each year from 1997-98 to 2005-06 (estimate); how many staff were employed in each year; and if he will make a statement. | | (156611) | 104
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the cost of the Fasttrack Teacher Recruiting programme for each year from 2001-02 to 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (156696) | 105
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the running costs of the (a) Learning and Skills Council, (b) the Higher Education Funding Council and (c) the Sector Skills Agency were in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (156697) | 106
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his latest estimate is of the number of pre-schools in England; and if he will make a statement. | | (156698) | 107
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average class size in English primary schools is; what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing a maximum average class size of 25; and if he will make a statement. | | (156699) | 108
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what letters of concern his Department has received from the Home Office on the issue of personal advisers on drugs education. | | (156026) | 109
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the provision of drugs education in schools in 2004 following the abolition of the standards fund. | | (156027) | 110
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what meetings on drugs education Ministers in his Department have held with ministerial colleagues from the Department of Health and the Home Department since September 2003. | | (156028) | 111
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many personal advisers working on drugs education in secondary and primary schools are to be made redundant owing to the removal of the standards fund; and what plans there are to replace their specialist input. | | (156029) | 112
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many personal advisers work in the classroom on drugs education; and what the figures were in 2002. | | (156030) | 113
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research his Department has commissioned into (a) student drop-out rates in the poorest communities and (b) the impact of benefit rules on students dropping out of access courses. | | (156308) | 114
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the estimated cost to public funds was of students dropping out of higher and further education courses in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (156309) | 115
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the percentage drop-out rate for students from higher education institutions whose home residence is in the (a) 100 poorest wards in England and Wales and (b) 100 richest wards in England and Wales was in the last academic year. | | (156311) | 116
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures his Department is taking to reduce student drop-out rates. | | (156523) | 117
| Mr Chris Smith (Islington South & Finsbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, for what reasons the London Borough of Islington was unsuccessful in its recent bid for support from the Building Schools for the Future Fund. | | (156594) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 118
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the annual level of carbon emissions resulting from electrical appliances being left in standby mode. | | (156342) | 119
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what position her Department is taking in discussions within the European Union on maximum journey times for animals destined for slaughter. | | (156343) | 120
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase the percentage of batteries other than vehicle batteries that are recovered from the waste stream. | | (156346) | 121
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the environmental consequences of disposing of spent batteries to landfill. | | (156347) | 122
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of batteries were recycled in each European Union country in the last year for which figures are available. | | (156348) | 123
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many spent batteries, other than vehicle batteries, are generated each year in the United Kingdom; what quantity of each heavy metal is involved; and what percentage of these batteries are recycled. | | (156349) | 124
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to ban crop-spraying within a set distance of residential properties. | | (156359) | 125
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make prior notification to nearby domestic properties of the intention to crop spray a requirement. | | (156360) | 126
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will announce her intentions in respect of the consultation exercise on crop-spraying. | | (156361) | 127
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the preparedness of (a) her Department and (b) the UK to meet the targets in the draft EU Directive on batteries and accumulators and spent batteries and accumulators. | | (156362) | 128
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to require the Environment Agency to maintain more precise data on (a) inert, (b) non-hazardous and (c) hazardous waste arisings. | | (156406) | 129
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the meetings she has held with the Deputy Prime Minister since 1st June 2001 to determine how the United Kingdom will provide the new waste management capacity that the Environment Agency has indicated is necessary to achieve compliance with the Landfill Directive; and what achievements have resulted from these meetings. | | (156407) | 130
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the National Interim Waste Acceptance Procedures will be published. | | (156408) | 131
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department will publish the (a) interim Hazardous Waste Regulations and (b) draft Hazardous Waste Regulations. | | (156409) | 132
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to alert producers of hazardous waste to their obligations under the Landfill Directive. | | (156410) | 133
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much hazardous waste can be (a) delivered and (b) deposited in each month from 16th July at landfill sites that have applied to take only hazardous waste from 16th July. | | (156411) | 134
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure that hazardous waste is not transported between England and other parts of the UK to evade regulatory requirements; and if she will make a statement. | | (156412) | 135
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department will lay before Parliament the amendments to the Landfill (Amendment) Regulations 2002. | | (156413) | 136
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the waste streams to be banned from landfill from 16th July. | | (156414) | 137
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what high temperature incineration capacity exists in (a) France, (b) Germany and (c) the UK for treatment of hazardous waste. | | (156415) | 138
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether advice has been given to Government departments on how to dispose of (a) end of life fluorescent light bulbs and (b) other waste that will be classified as hazardous when the Hazardous Waste Regulations come into force. | | (156416) | 139
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency has made of the total capacity using separate cells at non-hazardous landfill sites that will be able to accept stable non-reactive waste in each year from 2004 to 2010. | | (156417) | 140
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the extent to which the Environment Agency's Regulatory Guidance Note 6 will prohibit the development of a separate cell at a non-hazardous landfill site able to take stable non-reactive waste. | | (156418) | 141
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what methods were used to treat hazardous liquid waste in 2003; and how much hazardous liquid waste was sent to each of these methods. | | (156419) | 142
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much hazardous liquid waste was sent for treatment by landfill in each year from 2000 to 2002. | | (156420) | 143
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many businesses produced hazardous waste in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003; and what estimate she has made of the number of businesses producing hazardous waste in each year from 2004 to 2008. | | (156421) | 144
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) tonnage and (b) proportion of hazardous waste will require treatment from 16th July; and what the capacity of existing waste treatment infrastructure is. | | (156422) | 145
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is her policy that there should be no stockpiles of hazardous waste from 16th July. | | (156424) | 146
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what penalties the European Commission could apply if the United Kingdom were to defer the ban on co-disposal of hazardous wastes with non-hazardous waste resulting from the Landfill Directive; and whether her Department has discussed such deferral with the European Commission. | | (156425) | 147
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which hazardous waste streams she has identified as the most problematic to treat and manage after 16th July; and what steps she has taken to ensure the safe management of these waste streams. | | (156426) | 148
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency have taken to liaise with (i) the Home Office, (ii) police forces and (iii) local authorities to (A) assess levels of risk associated with the unlawful disposal of hazardous waste and (B) implement a strategy to minimise the risk to the environment and human health. | | (156427) | 149
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency has spent in the last year for which figures are available on the (a) detection and (b) prosecution of illegal disposal of hazardous waste; and how much it proposes to spend on these activities in (i) 2003-04 and (ii) 2004-05. | | (156428) | 150
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what resources she has provided to the Environment Agency to (a) detect and (b) prosecute the illegal disposal of hazardous waste. | | (156429) | 151
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to alert small and medium enterprises to their obligations as producers of hazardous waste. | | (156430) | 152
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what limitations on (a) volume and (b) duration apply to on-site storage by producers of hazardous materials before such materials are classified as waste. | | (156431) | 153
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she asked the Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Development in the French Government at meetings of the EU Environment Council why France already requires pre-treatment of hazardous waste; and what response that Minister made. | | (156432) | 154
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what volume of hazardous liquid waste was disposed directly to public sewers in 2003; and if she will make a statement on the implications for (a) human health and (b) the environment of such disposal. | | (156433) | 155
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding she has allocated for 2004-05 for a campaign to inform waste producers of their obligations under the Landfill Directive. | | (156434) | 156
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings she has had with representatives of the (a) Confederation of British Industry and (b) Chemical Industries Association on developing a strategy to inform waste producers of their obligations under the Landfill Directive. | | (156435) | 157
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the rate of utilisation of high temperature incineration capacity within the United Kingdom was in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (156436) | 158
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has spent on recruitment advertising in each year since 1997. | | (156453) | 159
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what value of payments (a) have been made and (b) remain unpaid by the Rural Payments Agency to farmers in the North West, broken down by county. | | (156494) | 160
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much money from the Common Agricultural Policy has gone into the North-West Region in each of the last five years. | | (156504) | 161
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) total budget and (b) budget for administration were for the Integrated Administration and Control System panel for financial year 2002-03. | | (156508) | 162
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many horses there were in the UK in each year since 2000. | | (156563) | 163
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many wild ponies there were on moors in each year since 2000. | | (156564) | 164
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many equines were slaughtered for human consumption in England in each year since 2000, broken down by type. | | (156566) | 165
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of horsemeat were (a) produced in England and (b) exported from England in each year since 2000. | | (156567) | 166
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of horsemeat were imported into the UK in each year since 2000. | | (156568) | 167
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many horses were exported from the UK to the EU in each year since 2000. | | (156569) | 168
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12th February, Official Report, column 1558W, on Animal By-products Regulations, what assessment has been made of whether adequate protection from rodents and birds might be achieved using suitable netting instead of solid walls in intermediate reception centres. | | (156614) | 169
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in what circumstances the Little Red Tractor mark could be awarded to chicken produced in Thailand. | | (156651) | 170
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) grants and (b) other public funding she has made available to defray the start-up costs of the National Equine Database. | | (156652) | 171
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who will administer the National Equine Database. | | (156653) | 172
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) start-up budget and the (b) running costs of the National Equine Database are; and from which budget it will be funded. | | (156654) | 173
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which EU Directive or Regulation requires horse traceability for disease surveillance purposes. | | (156655) | 174
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the EU about disease surveillance in horses. | | (156656) | 175
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many horses, intended for slaughter, were exported from the UK to the EU in each year since 2000; and how many horses were exported to countries outside the EU. | | (156659) | 176
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many horses that were not intended for human consumption were slaughtered in the UK in each year since 2000. | | (156660) | 177
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many knackeries were licensed in the UK in each year since 2000. | | (156661) | 178
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hunt kennels were licensed in the UK in each year since 2000. | | (156662) | 179
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to the Department of implementing the minimum values legislation was in each of the last three years. | | (156663) | 180
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to revoke the minimum values legislation. | | (156664) | 181
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will amend the minimum values legislation to prevent the export of live horses for slaughter. | | (156665) | 182
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role her Department has played in tackling the import of illegal meat. | | (156488) | 183
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will introduce historic payments under the Common Agricultural Policy in place of single farm payments. | | (156505) | 184
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on gold-plating of the standard form for single tax payments. | | (156506) | 185
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set up a meeting with milk producers, representatives of supermarkets, dairy farmers and members of her Department to discuss farm gate prices of milk. | | (156507) | 186
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the concentration was of (a) nitrogen dioxide, (b) sulphur dioxide and (c) benzene in each (i) London borough and (ii) London ward in each of the last five years. | | (156666) | 187
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list London buildings leased by her Department; what the total cost of such leases was in the latest year for which information is available; how many staff work in each building; and what the nature of their employment is. | | (156599) | 188
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her latest estimate is of the costs of the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative in each year from 2000-01 to 2005-06 (planned); and if she will make a statement. | | (156600) | 189
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the budget of the (a) Environment Agency and (b) Countryside Agency were in each year from 1998-99 to 2005-06 (planned); and if she will make a statement. | | (156601) | 190
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost of UK agricultural subsidies and price support in areas which are not dependent on the Common Agricultural Policy in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. | | (156602) | 191
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will reply to the questions on her Department's combined heat and power unit of 5th February from the honourable Member for Vale of York, reference 154208, 154209, 154210, 154211 and 154212. | | (156341) | 192
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent information she has received from the Environment Agency on the management of Technetium-99 radioactive wastes at Sellafield. | | (156639) | 193
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency spent in each year from 1999 to 2003 on staff costs to (a) detect and (b) prosecute flytippers. | | (156521) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 194
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the stance of the Government at the International Court of Justice with regard to the reference of the Israeli security fence. | | (156390) | 195
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost of Foreign Office scholarships for each year from 1996-97 to 2005-06 (planned); what value for money assessment has been made of the scheme; and if he will make a statement. | | (156605) | 196
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his latest estimate is of expenditure on the (a) Drugs Assistance Fund, (b) Human Rights Fund and (c) Environment Fund for each year from 1996-97 to 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (156606) | 197
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his latest estimate is of the cost to his Department of (a) the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, (b) the British Council and (c) British Trade International for each year from 1996-97 to 2005-06 (planned); and if he will make a statement. | | (156610) | 198
| Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the initiative by Spain to challenge the extension of the European franchise to people of Gibraltar, to limit the franchise to European Union citizens in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar and to exclude Commonwealth citizens. | | (156455) | 199
| Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which documents are held by his Department written by (a) P H Pearse, (b) Thomas J Clarke, (c) Thomas Macdonagh, (d) Edward Daly, (e) William Pearse, (f) Michael O'Hanrahan, (g) Joseph Mary Plunkett, (h) John MacBride, (i) Sean Heuston, (j) Michael Mallin, (k) Eamonn Ceannt, (l) Con Colbert, (m) Thomas Kent, (n) Sean MacDiarmada, (o) James Connolly and (p) Sir Roger Casement. | | (156306) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 200
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he intends to reply to the honourable Member for Southend West's letter of 13th November 2003. | | (156355) | 201
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many national training numbers have been issued in paediatrics in the last 12 months; and how many he expects to issue in the next 12 months. | | (156456) | 202
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of national training numbers needed in paediatrics to comply with the EU Working Time directive; what advice he has received from the Royal College of Paediatrics on this; and if he will make a statement. | | (156457) | 203
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff grade posts within the NHS he expects will be made consultant posts in the next 12 months. | | (156458) | 204
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the projected financial outturn for the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority for this financial year, broken down by county. | | (156459) | 205
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action he is taking with respect to those suffering from allergies; and if he will make a statement. | | (155848) | 206
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to publish the first annual review of registered nursing care contributions' fees; and for what reason the review has not yet been published. | | (156318) | 207
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding has been allocated to support the national roll-out of Agenda for Change; and how this funding has been allocated. | | (156279) | 208
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nursing students qualified but did not join the Nursing Register in each year since 1996. | | (156280) | 209
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what flexibilities exist within Agenda for Change to provide high cost of living supplements to wage payments. | | (156281) | 210
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many finished consultant episodes there were for (a) paediatric and (b) adolescent obesity treatment in (i) England and (ii) each strategic health authority in each year since 1996. | | (156282) | 211
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on his proposed review of the first wave of NHS foundation trusts; when the review will (a) begin and (b) end; what its terms of reference will be; what resources will be allocated to the review; whether the (i) terms of reference and (ii) report produced will be made public; whether parliamentary time will be set aside to debate the review and its outcome; and whether the review will include a consultation process. | | (156283) | 212
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the incidence of hospital-acquired infection amongst women using maternity services; and if he will make a statement. | | (156284) | 213
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he list the average body mass index in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each strategic health authority in 2002. | | (156285) | 214
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the administration costs to (a) primary care trusts and (b) local authorities were of operating systems for (a) establishing eligibility for free nursing care and (b) means testing for personal care in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will estimate what savings could be made in these costs if personal care was made free for the elderly. | | (156290) | 215
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made in meeting the target of reducing the number of drug-related deaths since 1999. | | (156291) | 216
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many appointments have been made to the New Consultant Entry Scheme; and how many appointments are expected to be made in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006. | | (156292) | 217
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many overseas doctors passed their Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board examination in 2002. | | (156293) | 218
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of NHS dentists were (a) male and (b) female in (i) each NHS region, (ii) each strategic health authority and (iii) England in each year since 1990. | | (156294) | 219
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the National Care Standards Commission will publish its findings on the medicines management standard in care homes. | | (156295) | 220
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which conditions have been relaxed for domiciliary care agencies registered with conditions by the National Care Standards Commission; and for what length of time they have been relaxed. | | (156296) | 221
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of whether medical training in the accession states conforms to the minimum EU requirements. | | (156297) | 222
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many operations were cancelled but rescheduled within 24 hours, in the NHS in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each strategic health authority in each year since 1996. | | (156298) | 223
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the waiting time statistics for (a) inpatient, (b) outpatient, (c) community and (d) treatment centre dental treatment in (i) England and (ii) each region in each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement. | | (156327) | 224
| 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, how the estimates for (a) income from user charges for personal care at home, (b) savings of disability benefits and (c) publicly funded residents with incomes high enough to meet some care costs were derived. | | (156350) | 225
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 5th January, Official Report, column 201W, on NHS contracts, what (a) total value and (b) duration was originally set for the contract; and what the total expected (i) value and (ii) duration is. | | (156351) | 226
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 11th February, Official Report, column 1548W, on the Working Time Directive, if he will list the concerns which have been raised over the implementation of the Directive in the context of NHS compliance for doctors in training from 1st August. | | (156352) | 227
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 11th February, Official Report, column 1548W, on the Working Time Directive, whether his Department expects the NHS to be compliant with the Directive for doctors in training from 1st August; and if he will make a statement. | | (156353) | 228
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 11th February, Official Report, columns 1546/7W, on NHS Professionals, what proportion of temporary vacancies in NHS trusts he estimates are filled from NHS Professionals' own bank; what proportion are filled via NHS Professionals passing on the details to approved private agencies; and if he will make a statement. | | (156354) | 229
| 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, whether there would be offsetting savings to the Department for Work and Pensions' expenditure on disability benefits for older people receiving care at home, if the personal care were to be provided free. | | (156466) | 230
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answers on 29th January, Official Report, column 472W and 5th February, Official Report, column 1065W on drug-related deaths, what the reasons are for the difference in the figures for the number of drug-related deaths since 1999. | | (156469) | 231
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people over 75 were admitted to long-term care following a fall in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (156644) | 232
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) attendances at accident and emergency and (b) admissions to hospital for fall-related injuries in people aged 60 years and over there have been in each year since 1997. | | (156645) | 233
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost of falls in people aged over 60 was to (a) the NHS and (b) personal social services in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (156646) | 234
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many deaths in people over 60 since 1997 were due to (a) cancer, (b) coronary heart disease and (c) falls; and if he will make a statement. | | (156647) | 235
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the population was registered with an NHS dentist in each primary care trust in each year since PCTs were established. | | (156648) | 236
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 10th February, Official Report, column 1410W, on free personal care, what the basis is for the statement that the impact of the Health Service Ombudsman decision in the case of Malcolm Pointon is included in the estimates of the cost of free personal care which were calculated in advance of the Ombudsman's decision. | | (156693) | 237
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate the Government has made of the proportion of people who (a) carried organ donor cards and (b) were on the organ donor register in each of the last five years. | | (156619) | 238
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to encourage voluntary organ donation; and how much the Government has spent promoting on (a) organ donor cards and (b) the organ donor register in each year since 1997. | | (156621) | 239
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people are on the organ donor register; and how many people joined the register in each of the last five years. | | (156622) | 240
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria were used in appointing members of the Independent Advisory Group on sexual health and HIV. | | (156477) | 241
| Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the recommendation of the Independent Advisory Group on sexual health and HIV that the right of parents to opt their child out of sex and relationship education and personal, social and health education on any grounds including those of faith or religion should be explicitly ended. | | (156478) | 242
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the recommendation in the Chief Medical Officer's consultation paper Making Amends that support and compensation should be available to neurologically impaired babies, but that children with genetic or chromosomal abnormality would be excluded; and whether the recommendation would result in a difference in the support available to neurologically impaired children and their carers dependent on the cause of their neurological impairment. | | (156403) | 243
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on recruitment advertising in each year since 1997. | | (156451) | 244
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will appoint an appeal panel under the Family Health Services Appeal Authority to consider the case of Dr Barney Williams of the Marshfield Road Surgery, Chippenham. | | (156650) | 245
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how honourable Members can make representations to an appeal panel set up under the Family Health Services Appeal Authority. | | (156679) | 246
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when testing using enriched culture media will be available in the NHS for diagnosing group B streptococcus colonisation in pregnant women. | | (156556) | 247
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Green Top Guidelines, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (a) reach all parts of maternity care services and (b) will be used to inform each hospital's protocol for preventing group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies; what resources have been allocated to dissemination and education; and if he will make a statement. | | (156557) | 248
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures he uses to ensure that high quality information about group B streptococcus is given to all pregnant women as a routine part of their antenatal care. | | (156558) | 249
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many new cases of hepatitis C have been diagnosed among drug users in (a) London and (b) England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (156561) | 250
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to raise the normal retirement age for NHS staff; what estimate he has made of the cost savings from raising the pension age to 65; and if he will make a statement. | | (156576) | 251
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the buildings owned by his Department; what the latest estimated value of each building is; and if he will make a statement. | | (156700) | 252
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on agency nurses in each year from 1997-98 to 2003-04; and if he will make a statement. | | (156701) | 253
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total revenue was from (a) eye test charges, (b) dental check charges, (c) all other dental charges and (d) prescription charges in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (156708) | 254
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of dementia sufferers were diagnosed before the age of 65. | | (156378) | 255
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what scientific assessment he has made of the paper published in The Lancet in 1998 by Dr Andrew Wakefield on the possible links between the MMR vaccine and autism; what research has been commissioned by his Department on the subject since the publication of Dr Wakefield's paper; and if he will place in the Library copies of scientific critiques of Dr Wakefield's paper commissioned or endorsed by his Department. | | (156637) | 256
| Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will change the guidelines on free influenza vaccinations to include carers. | | (156687) | 257
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many serious accidents involving cyclists there were in the UK in each of the last five years. | | (156551) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 258
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what resources are available under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to promote best practice in service provision for child victims of trafficking. | | (152342) | 259
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what resources will be made available under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to provide centrally funded care for child victims of trafficking in the UK; and if he will make a statement. | | (152343) | 260
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much his Department has spent on recruitment advertising in each year since 1997. | | (156454) | 261
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests were made, (b) people were charged, (c) cautions were issued and (d) convictions there were in the North West, broken down by (i) police force, (ii) constituency and (iii) local authority area in each year since 1997. | | (156497) | 262
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money was raised in fines from speed cameras in each year since their inception in the Lancashire Police Force area. | | (156498) | 263
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many home curfew orders have been made in (a) Ribble Valley and Fulwood and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years. | | (156501) | 264
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to reduce persistent offending through targeting prolific offenders in (a) Ribble Valley and Fulwood and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years; and whether such schemes are being trialled. | | (156636) | 265
| Mr Tom Harris (Glasgow Cathcart):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many representations he has received from Members of the Scottish Parliament in relation to residents of Glasgow, Cathcart in the last year for which figures are available. | | (156649) | 266
| Stephen Hesford (Wirral West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he is taking to prevent offences being committed by individuals released on bail. | | (156340) | 267
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what grants that fall outside the revenue support grant were awarded by his Department to local authorities in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each of the last three financial years. | | (156513) | 268
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes have been recorded in each constituency in Lancashire in each of the last five years, broken down by type of crime. | | (156514) | 269
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been prosecuted for vandalism on buses in London in the last two years; in how many cases on board CCTV footage was used in the prosecution; and how many convictions resulted. | | (156570) | 270
| Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the delay in the release to Mrs Tero of the report on the investigation by Dr Blackburn into the treatment in prison of the late Mr John Tero; and when the report will be made available to Mrs Tero. | | (156286) | 271
| Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the findings are of Dr Blackburn's investigation into the treatment of the late Mr John Tero. | | (156287) | 272
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the police retirement age is; what plans he has to increase this; what estimate he has made of the cost savings that would accrue if the retirement age was lifted to 65; and if he will make a statement. | | (156593) | 273
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners there are in English prisons; and how many of these are in privately run prisons. | | (156704) | 274
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the the value of prison buildings in central (a) London, (b) Liverpool, (c) Leeds, (d) Manchester, (e) Sheffield and (f) Birmingham; and if he will make a statement. | | (156705) | 275
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff the Communications Directorate of the Home Office had in each year from 1997-98 to 2005-06 (planned); what the running costs were in each year; and if he will make a statement. | | (156706) | 276
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) minimum and (b) maximum penalties are for the offences of (i) driving with no insurance, (ii) driving with no licence and (iii) driving without a valid MoT vehicle test certificate; and what plans he has to change the penalties for each of these offences. | | (156316) | 277
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the laws governing the sentencing of unlicensed drivers whose driving results in a fatality; and what plans he has to change the present laws. | | (156317) | 278
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the staff complement of the security services is; what the range of payment for serving security officers is; and what proportion of security officers speak Arabic. | | (156638) | 279
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what requirements are placed on local authorities and the police to liaise on and co-ordinate (a) their response to and (b) regulation of anti-social behaviour orders. | | (156449) | 280
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders were granted in each local authority in each of the last two years in (a) England and (b) Wales. | | (156538) | 281
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were prosecuted for failing to comply with electoral registration requirements in each of the last five years. | | (156543) | 282
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research his Department has carried out into the propensity of individuals who have been served with anti-social behaviour orders to re-offend. | | (156545) | 283
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions for abuse of postal votes in United Kingdom elections there were in each of the last five years. | | (156546) | 284
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cyclists were prosecuted for failure to comply with legal requirements in respect of road use in the UK in each of the last five years. | | (156553) | 285
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the statement made by the honourable Member for Stretford and Urmston in Standing Committee on 27th January, Standing Committee Official Report columns 446-47, how many failed asylum-seekers have left the UK in each year since 1999; what the evidential basis was for the Minister's assertion that Migration Watch UK's assumptions are spurious; what steps are being taken to ensure recent increases in work permit numbers are short-term; what proportion of the estimated population increase between (a) 2001 to 2026, (b) 2003 to 2026 and (c) 2002 to 2031 is attributable to net immigration; and to what less than 0.3 per cent. refers. | | (156086) | 286
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many work permits were issued in each year since 1997; and what (a) forecasts he has made and (b) evidence of need he has collected for each year to 2010. | | (156087) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 287
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what research his Department (a) has commissioned and (b) plans to commission into differences between data based on population-based surveys and on ante-natal clinic-based surveys in giving reliable estimates of the level of HIV/AIDS infection in sub-Saharan Africa. | | (156397) | 288
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in HIV/AIDS rates in countries identified by UNAIDS as the worst affected countries. | | (156398) | 289
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations his Department (a) has made and (b) plans to make to UNAIDS to include population-based HIV survey data in UNAIDS' next report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. | | (156400) | 290
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations his Department has received from (a) the UN, (b) the EU and (c) NGO sources on channelling more aid money towards fighting malaria in sub-Saharan Africa on the basis that HIV/AIDS rates in sub-Saharan Africa were stabilising. | | (156423) | 291
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations his Department has received from (a) the UN, (b) the EU and (c) NGO sources that HIV/AIDS rates are stabilising in Africa. | | (156437) | 292
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations his Department has made to UNAIDS about changes to future exercises estimating HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in sub-Saharan Africa, to include population-based surveys as opposed to surveys which indicate trends in HIV prevalence. | | (156438) | 293
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will support the recommendations of the World Bank commissioned Extractive Industries Review. | | (156465) | 294
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral aid his Department plans to offer Swaziland in 2004-05 and 2005-06, broken down by (i) programme type and (ii) amount. | | (156517) | 295
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the management agreement and associated fees between Actis and CDC. | | (156399) | 296
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the (a) valuation and (b) organisational arrangements of Actis. | | (156401) | 297
| Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the UK's contribution to the Humanitarian Operations Centre in Kuwait is; and if he will make a statement. | | (156358) | Questions to the Leader of the House 298
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Leader of the House, if he will take steps to ensure that the text of ministerial letters sent to honourable Members in respect of will write answers are printed in the Official Report. | | (156641) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 299
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of people resident in Northern Ireland who hold nationality from countries other than the UK. | | (156555) | 300
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what regulations apply to building contractors when asbestos is discovered in (a) schools and (b) school premises during building work; and how they are enforced. | | (156554) | 301
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he will publish the Community Safety Strategy for Older People. | | (156580) | 302
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patients were waiting for more than two hours on trolleys in accident and emergency departments of hospitals in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997. | | (156581) | 303
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the implementation of automated credit transfer for benefit and pension payments in Northern Ireland. | | (156582) | 304
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what criteria are applied in relation to access by children with special needs to after school clubs in Northern Ireland. | | (156584) | 305
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures are in place to monitor the operation of the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland. | | (156604) | 306
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much has been recovered by the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland from people associated with (a) loyalist paramilitaries and (b) republican paramilitaries since its creation. | | (156609) | 307
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what wards are in the top (a) 15 per cent., (b) 20 per cent. and (c) 25 per cent. of wards in Northern Ireland ranked by social deprivation according to the Noble Index. | | (156623) | 308
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the total value of the black economy in Northern Ireland. | | (156624) | 309
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the (a) cost and (b) number of staff was in the (i) North-South Ministerial Council, (ii) British Irish Council and (iii) Inter-Governmental Conference in each year since they were created. | | (156625) | 310
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many meetings of the (a) North-South Ministerial Council, (b) British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference and (c) British Irish Council took place in each year since they were created. | | (156626) | 311
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many police vehicles were assigned for patrol in North Belfast in each year since 1996. | | (156627) | 312
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the police budget was for North Belfast in each year since 1996. | | (156628) | 313
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) regular, (b) full-time reserve and (c) part-time reserve police officers were (i) in the establishment plan and (ii) in place in North Belfast in each year since 1996. | | (156629) | 314
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the budget of the Assets Recovery Agency has been in each year since its creation. | | (156630) | 315
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his assessment is of the involvement of the (a) Provisional IRA, (b) INLA, (c) Real IRA, (d) UDA, (e) UVF and (f) LVF in (i) punishment beatings, (ii) drug trafficking and dealing, (iii) intelligence gathering and (iv) violence. | | (156631) | 316
| Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the sums are which are referred to under the reference Consultants and Other Fees in the Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 in schedule 1 under the heading Department of Regional Development, broken down by contract. | | (156470) | 317
| Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of vehicles being used on roads in Northern Ireland do not have a valid test certificate; and if he will make a statement. | | (156524) | 318
| Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which documents are held by his office written by (a) P H Pearse, (b) Thomas J Clarke, (c) Thomas Macdonagh, (d) Edward Daly, (e) William Pearse, (f) Michael O'Hanrahan, (g) Joseph Mary Plunkett, (h) John MacBride, (i) Sean Heuston, (j) Michael Mallin, (k) Eamonn Ceannt, (l) Con Colbert, (m) Thomas Kent, (n) Sean MacDiarmada, (o) James Connolly and (p) Sir Roger Casement. | | (156302) | 319
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the cost of maintaining prisons in the Province in 2003-04. | | (156319) | 320
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost of procedures contracted out by the NHS to the private sector was in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. | | (156320) | 321
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many complaints were received in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months by each health trust regarding (a) hospital, (b) community and (c) other care. | | (156321) | 322
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many MRI scans were performed in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. | | (156322) | 323
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what statistics his Department collects regarding requests for (a) radiological and (b) radiography investigations in Northern Ireland. | | (156323) | 324
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many nurses are employed in Northern Ireland, broken down by age group. | | (156325) | 325
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the cost of medical negligence in Northern Ireland in 2003-04. | | (156326) | 326
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many car thefts there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. | | (156379) | 327
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many vacancies there are for speech therapists in Northern Ireland. | | (156381) | 328
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of sufferers of autistic spectrum disorders in Northern Ireland are deemed to have a learning disability. | | (156382) | 329
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding was provided in each of the last three years for people in Northern Ireland with (a) severe and (b) moderate learning disabilities. | | (156383) | 330
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much funding was provided in each of the last three years for people in Northern Ireland with autistic spectrum disorders. | | (156384) | 331
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 4th February, Official Report, column 946W, on physiotherapy, if he will provide six monthly totals for each of the last five years of patients who waited between three and six months for an initial physiotherapy assessment. | | (156439) | 332
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 4th February, Official Report, column 944W, on the new maternity hospital, what factors underlie the slippage in the expected dates for (a) presentation of a business case and (b) commencement of building of the new regional maternity hospital. | | (156440) | 333
| Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what powers of arrest officers from the Police Ombudsman's Office of Northern Ireland have over civilians. | | (156689) | 334
| Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many civilians officers from the Police Ombudsman's Office have arrested since the Office was set up. | | (156690) | 335
| Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has received complaints from police officers regarding (a) actions by officers from the Ombudsman's Office and (b) investigations carried out by the Police Ombudsman. | | (156691) | 336
| Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what powers he has to require explanations from the Police Ombudsman on (a) the actions of her officers and (b) investigations carried out by her office. | | (156692) | 337
| Mr David Trimble (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what research has been conducted into the impact the removal of rates relief on manufacturing premises will have on manufacturing industries; and if he will make a statement. | | (156460) | 338
| Mr David Trimble (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what research has been conducted into the impact levying rates on vacant buildings will have on investment in deprived areas; what proposals there are for exemptions; and if he will make a statement. | | (156461) | Questions to the Prime Minister 339
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 11th February, Official Report, column 1471W, on the Civil Service, whether he had been informed that IBM were subject to investigation by the Special Compliance Office of Inland Revenue in 1997; whether the then Cabinet Secretary's application declared that IBM UK were subject to Special Compliance Office investigation in 1997; when enquiries were made on IBM's standing of (a) Inland Revenue and (b) Customs and Excise as part of the approval process for the Cabinet Secretary's application to join IBM's UK advisory board; when the Prime Minister was informed that IBM were subject to Inland Revenue investigation; and when the former Cabinet Secretary advised the Prime Minister that he had resigned from IBM's UK advisory board. | | (156522) | 340
| Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Prime Minister, which documents are held by his office written by (a) P H Pearse, (b) Thomas J Clarke, (c) Thomas Macdonagh, (d) Edward Daly, (e) William Pearse, (f) Michael O'Hanrahan, (g) Joseph Mary Plunkett, (h) John MacBride, (i) Sean Heuston, (j) Michael Mallin, (k) Eamonn Ceannt, (l) Con Colbert, (m) Thomas Kent, (n) Sean MacDiarmada, (o) James Connolly and (p) Sir Roger Casement. | | (156301) | Questions to the Solicitor General 341
N | Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Solicitor General, if she will publish the factual evidence on which the Attorney General's view on the legal basis for the use of force in Iraq, expressed in his Answer of 17th March 2003, Official Report [Lords], columns WA2-3, was based; and if she will make a statement. | | (156108) | 342
N | Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Solicitor General, if she will list the occasions on which the Attorney General formally submitted an opinion on the legality of the use of force against Iraq prior to 18th March 2003; and if she will make a statement. | | (156250) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 343
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when Ofgem will publish the outcome of its consultation on transmission investment and renewable generation. | | (156618) | 344
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the small business representatives on each of the Department's group boards. | | (156680) | 345
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the cost of the Rover Task Force Modernisation and Diversification programme has been to the Small Business Service in each of the last five years. | | (156682) | 346
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the inclusion of the Singapore issues in trade negotiations. | | (156328) | 347
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will remove at least two of the Singapore issues from the remaining trade negotiations in the interest of multilateral trade. | | (156329) | 348
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) rural and (b) urban post offices have closed in Lancashire since 1997, broken down by constituency. | | (156500) | 349
| Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what position she plans to take in the Council of Ministers on the European Parliament's proposal to end the freedom of employees to work more than 48 hours a week; and if she will make a statement. | | (156462) | 350
| Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who will be responsible for providing the European Commission with information on the UK's national strategy on growth in the broadband and third-generation mobile sectors prior to the next meeting of the Inter-Governmental Conference; and if she will make a statement. | | (156463) | 351
| Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the likelihood of achieving 100 per cent. broadband coverage by non-wireless connection by the end of 2005; and if she will make a statement. | | (156464) | 352
| Mr George Foulkes (Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she is taking to deal with claims for compensation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease received after the deadline. | | (156516) | 353
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much One NorthEast plans to invest in the development of Port Clarence in Stockton. | | (156612) | 354
| Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans her Department has to reprint its advisory leaflets on employment rights. | | (156288) | 355
| Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment her Department has made of the use by advice agencies of its leaflets on employment rights. | | (156289) | 356
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many employees work for the Royal Mail; and if she will make a statement. | | (156707) | 357
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the contribution of renewable energy to the energy policy. | | (156467) | 358
N | Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to work with industry to extend the gas network system. | | (155893) | 359
N | Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the use made of European structural funds in the extension of the gas network across the UK. | | (155894) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 360
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road traffic accidents which occured in Essex during 2003 were primarily caused by speed; and if he will make a statement. | | (156314) | 361
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the accident records for each speed camera site in Essex. | | (156315) | 362
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidelines he issues regarding the positioning of speed cameras, with particular reference to mobile speed cameras. | | (156502) | 363
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to remove speed cameras from non-hazardous sections of road. | | (156503) | 364
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of public expenditure on new trunk roads in each year from 1990-91 to 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. | | (156694) | 365
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value is of the Government stake in the ownership of motorway service stations; and if he will make a statement. | | (156695) | 366
| Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the cost of bad weather disruption to transport in London in each of the last five years. | | (156520) | Questions to the Minister for Women 367
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Minister for Women, how many reported incidents of domestic violence there were in the Vale of York on 1st January; and if she will make a statement. | | (156468) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 368
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money has been allocated to promote pension credit; what proportion of these funds will be spent on regional and local media sources; and how much money has been spent advertising the new payment in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland. | | (156620) | 369
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10th February to the honourable Member for Tatton, Official Report, column 1342W, on the New Deal for Young People, what the projected cost is for the unit costing system to be operational in April; and if he will make a statement. | | (156657) | 370
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10th February to the honourable Member for Tatton, Official Report, column 1342W, on the New Deal for Young People, what the original projected date of completion was for the Resource Management System; what the current projected completion date is for the system; what the original projected cost of the system was; what the current projected cost of the system is; what the reasons are for the delays in introducing the system on time; and if he will make a statement. | | (156658) | 371
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost of the New Deal for Employment was in each year from 2001-02 to 2005-06 (planned); and if he will make a statement. | | (156702) | 372
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost of the Employment Development Fund was for each year from 1997-98 to 2005-06 (planned); what its purpose is; and if he will make a statement. | | (156703) | 373
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of abolishing the overlapping benefits rule in respect of carers' allowance for (a) all carers and (b) carers aged under 75. | | (155891) | 374
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of likely reasons for the increase in income support and jobseekers's allowance overpayments to non-pensioners owing to official error; and if he will make a statement. | | (155892) | 375
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the liquidation of Ballast plc, Salford Quays, on the value of the final salary occupational pensions of its former employees. | | (156683) | 376
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make representations to the authorities in the Netherlands about the protection of the assets of the occupational pension schemes of former employees of the Dutch construction group Ballast Nedam NV and its liquidated UK subsidiary Ballast plc. | | (156684) | 377
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will establish an occupational pension rescue package for the former employees of Ballast plc following the company's liquidation; and if he will make a statement. | | (156685) | 378
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to protect the final salary pension schemes of employees; what assistance is provided to those people who are denied access to their pensions following company bankruptcy; and if he will make a statement. | | (156686) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 379
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost savings to public funds from increasing the normal retirement age to 65 for all recipients of public sector pensions; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (156578) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 380
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what projects his Department is piloting to increase the number of part-time students from the poorest communities taking up and completing access courses. | | [Transferred] (156305) | 381
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations his Department has received on the impact of the benefits system on the take up of part-time access courses. | | [Transferred] (156307) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 382
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to increase the total for private finance initiative credits for waste disposal plans. | | [Transferred] (156387) | 383
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support she plans to give to Challenge Fund proposals with regard to waste disposal; and if she will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (156388) | 384
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, at what level she intends to fix penalties for local waste authorities which do not meet waste targets. | | [Transferred] (156389) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 385
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many slaughterhouses are licensed for the slaughter of equines. | | [Transferred] (156565) | 386
| Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which schools in the Manchester, Gorton constituency will benefit from the free fruit scheme. | | [Transferred] (156310) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 387
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Court of Appeal has powers to reduce a sentence if the sentence is not considered to be wrong in principle. | | [Transferred] (156313) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 388
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the cost of maintaining suicide watch observations in prisons in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. | | [Transferred] (156324) | 389
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of the population of Northern Ireland is over (a) 50, (b) 55, (c) 60, (d) 65, (e) 75, (f) 85 and (g) 100 years. | | [Transferred] (156377) | Questions to the honourable Member for Gosport representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 390
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the honourable Member for Gosport representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to increase levels of voter registration. | | [Transferred] (156539) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 391
| Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether interest will be paid on Post Office accounts opened for the purpose of benefit payments under the automated credit transfer system. | | [Transferred] (156583) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 392
| Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidelines his Department issues to local authorities on the use of double yellow lines outside school premises. | | [Transferred] (156544) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 393
N | Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Home Office on the use of legislation to tackle anti-social behaviour in Wales. | | [Question Unstarred] (155779) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 394
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his latest estimate is of the annual cost of (a) administering housing benefit and (b) housing benefit fraud; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (156596) |
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