Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2003 - 04
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Friday 27 February 2004

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

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Friday 27 February 2004
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Friday 27 February 2004

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Friday 27 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 Friday 27 February of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Friday 27 February see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office

1
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157518)

2
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the letter from the Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency referred to in his Answer of 12th February, Official Report, column 1569W, on Government cars, for which Departments the Government Car Service drivers were working at the time of each of the speeding offences identified; and whether any of the offences took place while Ministers were passengers.

(157186)

3
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Cabinet Office is taking to ensure that Government departments purchase computers from firms which ensure that their sub-contractors in developing countries respect workers' rights and provide decent working conditions; and if he will make a statement.

(157355)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

4
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157739)

5
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the countries which have indicated support for the International Finance Facility; and which of these countries he expects to attend the Paris Conference in April.

(157561)

6
Mrs Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the latest census was broken down by (a) ethnic origin, (b) age, (c) gender and (d) religion; how many constituents in the Rochdale constituency fall into each category (i) in absolute terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total population; and what plans he has to revise classification categories.

(157505)

7
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on recent discussions with the trustees of the Thalidomide Trust.

(157687)

8
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent meetings he has had with representatives of independent brewers.

(157688)

9
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the economic activity rate in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley was in (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 1996-97.

(157691)

10
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) public finance initiative and (b) public private partership contracts have been signed for Lancashire projects in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) contract amount and (b) project.

(157693)

11
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) public finance initiative and (b) public private partnership projects have been rejected in each of the last three years, broken down by (c) value and (d) project type.

(157694)

12
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the countries which used the Royal Mint in the last year for which information is available, broken down by value of contract.

(157695)

13
Mrs Joan Humble (Blackpool North & Fleetwood):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the economic activity rate in the Blackpool North & Fleetwood constituency was in (a) 1996-97 and (b) 2002-03.

(157501)

14
Mrs Joan Humble (Blackpool North & Fleetwood):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of those in employment work in small and medium sized businesses.

(157502)

15
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rise in earnings was for each region of the UK for 2002-03, listed in descending order.

(157661)

16
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many unemployed people there are in Wales; and what the percentage change was in the last year in each constituency, listed in descending order of percentage reduction.

(157663)

17
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to public funds would be of making two per cent. the highest rate of stamp duty levied above existing thresholds.

(157570)

18
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to public funds would be of reducing the standard rate of income tax to 21 per cent.

(157571)

19
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to public funds would be of reducing corporation tax to (a) 25 per cent. and (b) 20 per cent.

(157572)

20
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to public funds would be of abolishing capital gains tax, but charging all gains made in less than two years to income tax.

(157573)

21
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to public funds would be of abolishing stamp duty on share transactions.

(157574)

22
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to public funds would be of raising the threshold for inheritance tax to £1 million.

(157575)

23
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on changes he proposes to the Gift Aid scheme.

(157313)

24
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the case for introducing interest-rate limits on credit cards.

(157342)

25
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cancer deaths there were (a) in 2003 and (b) in 1974 from (i) breast cancer, (ii) testicular cancer, (iii) bowel cancer, (iv) Hodgkin's disease and (v) all cancers.

(157383)

26
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the (a) quantity and (b) monetary value of (i) illegel fuel, (ii) cigarettes and (iii) counterfeit goods seized over the last year in Northern Ireland.

(157390)

27
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what evaluation his Department has made of the impact of demutualisation on (a) consumers and (b) the finanical market.

(157488)

28
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the changes in inheritance tax thresholds where the limit had been uplifted by inflation since 1997.

(156795)

29
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the changes in inheritance tax thresholds since 1974.

(156796)

30
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to compensate people who have converted their vehicles to run on liquefied petroleum gas for the removal of taxation support for liquefied petroleum gas.

(157451)

31
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he intends to publish his consultative document on N2 + 2.

(157398)

32
N Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what responsibilities his Department has in relation to the Scottish football industry; and if he will make a statement.

(156824)

Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs

33
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to the Department or its predecessors since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what precentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157520)

34
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will estimate the cost to the Information Commissioner of telephone calls, correspondence and administration arising from the activities of bogus organisations posing as collectors in relation to data protection.

(157587)

35
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, on how many occasions fees forwarded to the Information Commissioner by bogus collectors on behalf of data protection were from organisations which do not need to be registered; and what happens to such fees.

(157588)

36
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what action the Information Commissioner is taking to prevent organisations passing themselves off as the Data Protection Registrar; and if he will make a statement.

(157589)

37
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what estimate he has made of the income received by the Information Commissioner from data protection registration fees under the Data Protection Act 1998 which emanated from bogus agencies in each of the last two years.

(157591)

38
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the impact on victims of crime of repeated adjournments of court proceedings at crown and magistrates' courts.

(157332)

39
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of unnecessary adjournments of court proceedings.

(157333)

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

40
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to her Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157519)

41
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to give grants for the tourism industry in non-assisted areas.

(157684)

42
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people she estimates work in tourism in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley; and how many people are employed in hotels in each case.

(157685)

43
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much money has been given to (a) football and (b) cricket in (i) the North West, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) Chorley in each of the last three years; and for what purposes.

(157686)

44
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will instruct the National Television Licensing Authority to (a) assess the compatibility with data protection legislation of its statement in the current advertising campaign that its database lists every home without a television licence and (b) report that assessment to her.

(157457)

45
Mr Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will instruct the National Television Licensing Authority (a) not to undertake any advertising campaign that could be construed as containing threats or menaces and (b) to abandon forthwith the poster campaign using the statement Get One, or Get Done.

(157458)

46
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on the progress of negotiations regarding the future of Crystal Palace sports facilities; and what role the Government has played in the negotiations.

(157758)

47
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on her Department's plans to encourage people to transfer to digital television.

(157770)

48
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) analogue and (b) digital television sets bought in the last five years in the United Kingdom.

(157772)

49
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the costs to public funds was of parties held for the private offices of Ministers in her Department in the last five years.

(157774)

50
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many departmental mobile phones are used by her Department; and what the total cost of calls was in the last five years.

(157775)

51
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent representations she has received from the Greek Government regarding the ownership of the Parthenon Sculptures.

(157777)

52
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how she will measure her Department's performance against the Public Sector Agreement target to increase the percentage of school children who spend a minimum of two hours per week on high quality physical education and school sport to 75 per cent. by 2006.

(157778)

53
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the (a) budget and (b) aims of the live music task force are; and if she will make a statement.

(157783)

54
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on her Department's policy towards theatres based in the West End of London.

(157784)

55
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on her plans to make the distribution of National Lottery funds more responsive to public opinion.

(157785)

56
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the updated figures for her Department's budget for the next five years will be published.

(157788)

57
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much was spent on travel by officials and Ministers in her Department in each year since 1997.

(157789)

58
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the total cost was of producing her Department's Christmas card last year.

(157790)

59
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many Christmas cards were sent by her Department last Christmas.

(157791)

60
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what budget has been set for the BBC Charter review process.

(157796)

61
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people in her Department are entitled to travel first class by rail when travelling to perform their responsibilities.

(157797)

62
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how she will measure her Department's performance in reaching its Public Sector Agreement target to increase by eight per cent. the number of adult C2DE visitors to national museums and galleries.

(157802)

63
Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with service providers on access to free-to-view, commercial terrestrial channels, via satellite; and if she will make a statement.

(157776)

64
James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to tackle anti-social behaviour near premises with licences to sell alcohol.

(157760)

65
James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with local councils on increasing the responsibility of landlords with alcohol licences for excessive consumption of alcohol and associated public disorder problems.

(157761)

66
James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to attach conditions to licences for (a) public houses and (b) other drinking establishments.

(157762)

67
N Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what responsibilities her Department has in relation to the Scottish football industry; and if she will make a statement.

(156855)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

68
Mr James Arbuthnot (North East Hampshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department gives to the Humanitarian Operations Centre in Kuwait; and if he will make a statement.

(157452)

69
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157738)

70
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the (a) artillery and (b) missile launcher capacity of North Korea.

(157546)

71
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the numerical strength of the special forces of North Korea.

(157547)

72
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the biological weapons capacity of North Korea.

(157548)

73
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of ballistic missiles (a) owned and (b) exported by North Korea.

(157549)

74
Peter Bradley (Wrekin, The):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will make a decision on the Future Rapid Effects System; and if he will make a statement.

(157443)

75
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK military personnel are deployed in Colombia; and how many Colombian military personnel are being trained in the UK.

(157712)

76
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the assessment of whether there are alternative defence uses for (a) RAF Brampton and (b) RAF Wyton to be concluded.

(157311)

77
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the assessment of the feasibility of co-locating additional parts of the Defence Logistics Organisation alongside or close to the existing Ministry of Defence site at Abbey Wood in Bristol to be completed.

(157312)

78
N Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the dates on which (a) 40 Commando Brigade, (b) 42 Commando Brigade and (c) 45 Commando Brigade carried out winter weather training in Norway since 1990.

(156785)

79
N Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade were in Norway on cold weather exercise in January and February, broken down by commando unit.

(156786)

80
N Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade have been sent home early from Norway due to lack of medical fitness owing to cold weather illnesses; and what the attributable cause of the illnesses was in each case.

(156787)

81
N Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether cold weather sleeping bags are issued to Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade on winter weather training in Norway.

(156788)

82
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Suez Canal Zone medals have been awarded to date in each Lancashire constituency.

(157563)

83
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the A400M will be delivered; and how many aircraft have been procured.

(157564)

84
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) regular service and (b) Territorial Army personnel are serving overseas.

(157851)

85
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) HMS Roebuck, (b) HMS Whirlwind and (c) HMS Wakeful served in the Suez Canal Zone for four months in each year from 1953 to 1955; whether veterans who served on those ships have an entitlement to the Suez Canal Zone Clasp; and how many veterans of the three ships have received the Canal Zone Clasps.

(157477)

86
Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many drivers of private civilian (a) motorcycles and (b) four-by-four vehicles have been (i) intercepted, (ii) cautioned and (iii) prosecuted for unauthorised use of Salisbury Plain Training Estate in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

(157298)

87
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department classifies the Future Rapid Effects System programme as (a) a system and (b) a vehicle.

(157596)

88
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the winner of the Future Rapid Effects System Systems House competition will be disqualified from playing a major role on the industrial side of the programme.

(157597)

89
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the proposed Systems House approach is the preferred way forward for the Future Rapid Effects System programme.

(157598)

90
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 5th February, Official Report, column 1045W, on work strands, what the aspects of (a) military capability and (b) associated overheads in each of the 16 work strands are; and what the overall financial saving targets for the 16 work strands are.

(156792)

91
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements he will put in place for providing the necessary enabling personnel for the Anglo-French Battle groups.

(156793)

92
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his letter of 21st February, on the formation readiness cycle, whether the formation readiness cycle has met the delivery aims set out in the Strategic Defence Review.

(156794)

93
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to grant pardons to the soldiers in the British Army who were executed in the First World War to mark the 90th anniversary of the outbreak of the war.

(157442)

94
N Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) civilians and (b) service personnel are based in RM Condor in Angus.

(157072)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

95
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157742)

96
N Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 23rd February, Official Report, columns 27-8W, on local government finance, what the total gross English local authority expenditure was for each year since 1992-93, including that sourced from council tax, central grant and any other source, as well as those services funded by other bodies since 1992-93.

(156726)

97
N Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the number of local authority dwellings in North Tyneside which do not meet the decent homes standard; and what estimate he has made of the cost of raising them all to this standard.

(157184)

98
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average waiting time was in each of the last four years for a person to be rehoused in the London Borough of Havering.

(157322)

99
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the waiting list figures in the London Borough of Havering for old age pensioner housing were in each of the last four years.

(157323)

100
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement about his powers to overturn decisions by the Planning Inspectorate to grant permission for mobile phone telephone masts.

(157324)

101
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions officials at his Department have had with (a) councillors and (b) officers at the London Borough of Havering regarding the continuation of neighbourhood warden schemes; and if he will make a statement on their outcome.

(157325)

102
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what guidance he has issued to local authorities to assist them in mainstreaming funding for neighbourhood wardens schemes; and what the estimated cost to local authorities is of mainstreaming funding of neighbourhood warden schemes.

(157326)

103
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much brownfield land is available for building in the London Borough of Havering.

(157327)

104
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations in England (i) are and (ii) are not mainstreaming funding for neighbourhood warden schemes.

(157329)

105
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much funding was allocated for regeneration in the London Borough of Havering in the last six years.

(157330)

106
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sprinkler systems in tackling fires in residential properties.

(157368)

107
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much money was collected in 2003-04 from businesses in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in non-domestic rates; and how much was passed on to (i) Lancashire County Council and (ii) Chorley Council.

(157733)

108
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on funding for the Supporting People programme in Lancashire for 2004-05.

(157734)

109
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his response is to the Country Landowners and Business Association report on affordable housing in rural areas.

(157531)

110
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on affordable housing in rural areas.

(157533)

111
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the level of affordable housing stock in the Vale of York was on (a) 1st January 1997 and (b) 1st January 2004.

(157534)

112
Mr Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 12th February, Official Report, columns 1650-1W, on housing stock transfer, what proportion of the (a) interest on and (b) capital of the £8 billion private investment he has planned will be repaid directly from public funds.

(157291)

113
Mr Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 12th February, Official Report, columns 1650-1W, on housing stock transfer, what proportion of the extra £8 billion private investment has been invested in arm's length management organisation stock (a) directly and (b) indirectly.

(157292)

114
Mr Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 12th February, Official Report, columns 1650-1W, on housing stock transfer, what proportion of the nearly £900 million of public funding to bring homes up to the Decent Homes standard is additional to what would have been available had the housing stock remained under local authority management control.

(157293)

115
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will amend the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 to allow co-opted councillors to claim allowances; and if he will make a statement.

(157315)

116
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what progress has been made towards the implementation of the provisions of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 that will protect leaseholders from bogus ground rent charges.

(157490)

117
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the (a) maintenance and (b) management costs for the Millennium Dome (i) up to the date when it passes to the private sector and (ii) for the next financial year.

(157829)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

118
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received supporting the drugs testing of school children; and if he will make a statement.

(157356)

119
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many undergraduate dentists started university degrees in each year since 2001, broken down by university.

(157357)

120
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received concerning the proposed formation of a children's department within local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

(157358)

121
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157517)

122
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to promote academic links between the United Kingdom and North Korea.

(157540)

123
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his Answer of 17th December 2003, Official Report, column 954W, on enterprise advisers, when the chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council will supply the information required.

(157482)

124
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, to whom responsibility for the on-costs falls when a child has a statement and the child has quantified support of a given number of hours from a learning support assistant.

(157359)

125
Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate the Government has made of how many EU accession country citizens will make use of the education system in the UK at each level.

(157348)

126
Mrs Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what capital funding has been received by Rochdale Council Education Department since 1996; which schools benefited from additional capital investment in each year; how much funding each school received; and how the funding has been spent.

(157504)

127
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what safety advice is given to schools in relation to field trips; and if he will make a statement.

(157786)

128
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many serious accidents have been reported to the Health and Safety Executive over the last five years which have taken place on (a) school trips and (b) school premises.

(157787)

129
N Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many graduates are not making repayments on their income contingent student loans; and what proportion of the total number of such loans outstanding this represents.

(155452)

130
N Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, with how many graduates who were in receipt of income contingent loans the Student Loans Company has lost contact since graduation; and what proportion of the total this represents.

(155453)

131
N Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the Student Loan Company's latest estimate is of the likely future level of bad debt from income contingent student loans.

(155454)

132
N Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will provide a breakdown by expenditure category of the £2 billion annual Government spending on student loans referred to in Note 82 on Page 16 of the Explanatory Notes for the Higher Education Bill.

(155455)

133
N Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate the Student Loan Company has made of the number of graduates who were in receipt of income contingent loans who are currently overseas; and what proportion of these have continued to make loan repayments.

(155456)

134
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what guidance his Department has issued to Connexions area partnerships concerning their running costs for 2004-05.

(157479)

135
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what framework is in place to assess the quality of local education authorities in areas other than those covered by Ofsted.

(157069)

136
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the ability of local education authorities to assist schools in improving their financial management skills.

(157070)

137
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment the Government has made of the cost of education of children with special education needs (a) with and (b) without statements.

(157071)

138
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the consultants being used in the current financial year to assist in the implementation of his schools strategy.

(157289)

139
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the consultants used by his Department in 2002-03 where the expenditure exceeded £1,000,000.

(157290)

140
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what procedures are in place to assess progress made in improving the attainment of children with a statement of special educational needs.

(157823)

141
Mrs Joan Humble (Blackpool North & Fleetwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much money was spent on school buildings in the Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency in each year since 1997, broken down by school.

(157503)

142
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether all schools are subject to random drug testing.

(157803)

143
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether parental permission for random drug testing will be a requirement before a child can obtain a place in a (a) junior and (b) secondary school.

(157808)

144
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the costs incurred by schools in obtaining parental permission for random drug testing.

(157811)

145
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether a child can be expelled if parental permission for random drug testing is not granted.

(157813)

146
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether random drug testing will take place in (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) breakfast school clubs and (d) after-school clubs.

(157815)

147
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether random drug testing in schools includes (a) pupils, (b) teachers, (c) classroom assistants, (d) supply teachers, (e) school grounds staff, (f) maintenance staff and (g) kitchen staff.

(157816)

148
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, who will carry out the random drug tests in schools.

(157817)

149
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what future roles he expects the UK's National Recognition Information Centres to play in (a) labour mobility and (b) the recruitment of international students; and what plans he has for the continuation of their work.

(157360)

150
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the contribution he expects the UK's National Recognition Information Centres to make in the reform of European higher education through the Bologna process.

(157361)

151
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the use he makes of the UK National Recognition Information Centres' knowledge and experience of international education and training standards in the policy-making process; and what use was made of it in assessing UK education and training standards by global comparison, with particular reference to (a) teaching and (b) early years education.

(157373)

152
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what joint projects he has undertaken with the Estonian Government to (a) support the education systems in Estonia and (b) share best practice from the UK education sector; and if he will make a statement.

(157438)

153
James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to ensure that schools open their sports facilities to the wider community out-of-hours.

(157763)

154
James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schools have specialist sports status; and how they are being monitored to ensure they open their sports facilities to the wider community out-of-hours.

(157764)

155
James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schools in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each Parliamentary constituency open their sports facilities for community use out-of-hours.

(157766)

156
James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with universities on the opening of their sports facilities for out-of-hours community use.

(157767)

157
James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which universities allow use of their sports facilities by the wider community.

(157768)

158
James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which specialist schools open their sports facilities to the wider community out-of-hours.

(157769)

159
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the drop out rate was for each (a) higher education and (b) further education institution in the latest year for which figures are available.

(157565)

160
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children there are under the age of eight in Kirklees; and how many registered childcare places there are for children under the age of eight in Kirklees.

(157491)

161
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the ratio of childcare places to children under eight is in (a) Kirklees and (b) England.

(157492)

162
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people (a) applied for places on Post Graduate Certificate in Education courses, (b) were offered a place on a course and (c) successfully completed the course; in each year since 1990.

(157493)

163
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students participated in postgraduate education in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) social class and (b) age.

(157494)

164
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to widen participation in postgraduate education.

(157495)

165
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the proposals for higher education on the number of students choosing to continue in postgraduate education.

(157496)

166
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students there were in the most recent academic year for which statistics are available whose home prior to commencing their higher education course was in the South Derbyshire constituency.

(157399)

167
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of students leaving school or college at 18 whose home was in the South Derbyshire constituency commenced a higher education course in the most recent academic year for which statistics are available.

(157400)

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

168
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to her Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what precentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157516)

169
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the percentage change in charges to householders for water charges in the last five years, broken down by region; and what advice has been given to water providers with respect to such charges.

(157372)

170
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23rd February, Official Report, column 127W, on the Carbon Trust, how much money the Trust has loaned in total to small and medium enterprises for energy efficiency projects in each of the last five years.

(157824)

171
N Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what instructions her Department issued to Warm Front scheme managers on the publication on their websites of monthly statistical data relating to works carried out under the scheme.

(154679)

172
N Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to publish the conclusions of the Review of Marine Consents.

(157185)

173
Mr Jimmy Hood (Clydesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the outcome was of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 24th February; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

(157673)

174
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for how long after use of a landfill site has been discontinued low-level radioactive waste monitoring is carried out.

(157296)

175
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the impact of single farm payments on (a) farms that are rented, (b) owner farms, (c) upland farms, (d) middlehill farms, (e) lowland farms, (f) dairy farms, (g) beef farms, (h) sheep farms, (i) arable farms and (j) mixed farms, in Chorley.

(157704)

176
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will assess the benefits for English farmers of an English brand to compete with the Welsh and Scottish brands for beef and lamb.

(157705)

177
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding was given to the Meat and Livestock Commission in each of the last five years.

(157706)

178
Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made in developing an effective treatment against highly resistant varroa mites.

(157781)

179
Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases of highly resistant varroa mites have been reported in the last 12 months in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

(157782)

180
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government is making with the European Landscape Convention; and when it will be (a) signed and (b) ratified.

(157480)

181
N Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made with the renegotiation of the December Fisheries Council; and whether the issue of the impact of force majeure on days at sea has been addressed.

(157068)

182
N Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, under what powers, and for what reasons, the North-West and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee may close cockle beds.

(156858)

183
N Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to regulate public fisheries.

(156859)

184
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the forthcoming EU legislation on the disposal and recycling of batteries to be introduced in the United Kingdom.

(157526)

185
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will hold a consultation exercise on the forthcoming EU directive on the disposal and recycling of batteries.

(157527)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

186
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157744)

187
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Burmese Government about the country's procedure for trial.

(157462)

188
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the UN Commission on Human Rights regarding the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in respect of human rights in Burma.

(157463)

189
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Burmese Government to review the sentences of those political prisoners who have been sentenced in trials which did not meet international standards of fairness.

(157464)

190
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Burmese Government about ensuring that the National Convention incorporates extensive human rights safeguards in a new constitution for the country.

(157465)

191
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on elections in Afghanistan.

(157466)

192
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the UN Special Envoy to Burma.

(157467)

193
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the International Confederation of Trade Unions about the used of forced labour in Burma.

(157468)

194
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the treatment of Rohingya Muslims under Burma's 1982 Citizenship Law.

(157469)

195
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State in Western Burma.

(157470)

196
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the conditions for the people living in relocation or concentration camps in areas of Burma controlled by the State Peace and Development Council.

(157471)

197
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of access of the Rohingya people in Burma to (a) markets, (b) employment, (c) education and (d) medical care.

(157472)

198
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of the confiscation of Rohingya land for (a) use as Burmese army camps and (b) the settlement of other people.

(157473)

199
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the regulations on presidential powers issued this month by the Zimbabwe Government; and what representations he has made about them.

(157535)

200
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the value of Radio Free Asia in (a) communicating news and (b) stimulating political debate.

(157536)

201
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the UNHCR in Geneva and (b) his counterparts in the European Union about possible visits by international inspection teams to assess prison conditions in North Korea.

(157537)

202
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the size of the prison population in North Korea.

(157538)

203
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the nature and extent of the United Kingdom's diplomatic ties with North Korea are.

(157542)

204
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his estimate is of per capita income in (a) North Korea and (b) South Korea in 2004.

(157544)

205
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of trade sanctions by the United States on the economy of North Korea.

(157556)

206
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the incidence of (a) infanticide and (b) torture in prisons in North Korea.

(157568)

207
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Burmese Government about the level of political detentions in the country since May 2003.

(157615)

208
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of political detentions in Burma (a) between May 2002 and May 2003 and (b) since May 2003.

(157616)

209
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Burmese Government about the timetable for reconvening the National Convention to draft a new constitution and conduct the transition to democracy.

(157623)

210
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what inquiries he has made about the (a) fate and (b) whereabouts of the 500 villagers from Kolay and two nearby villages who were in hiding following clashes between forces from the State Peace and Development Council and the Karen National Union on 17th and 18th January.

(157624)

211
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about the action of the State Peace and Development Council in forcibly relocating all Karenni villagers north and south of the Mawchi-Taungoo road to Mahutahlayu near Pasaungi in December 2003.

(157626)

212
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the State Peace and Development Council in Burma about the release of all prisoners of conscience from prison.

(157627)

213
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the State Peace and Development Council in Burma about the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.

(157628)

214
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the extent of the use of human minesweepers in Burma.

(157629)

215
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of rapes committed by members of the Burmese Army in 2003.

(157630)

216
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects that the Burmese Army will complete the withdrawal of troops from (a) Karen, (b) Karenni and (c) other ethnic areas.

(157631)

217
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the State Peace and Development Council in Burma about lifting all restrictions on the activities of the National League for Democracy and other political parties in Burma.

(157632)

218
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the extent of the destruction of crops and food supplies by the State Peace and Development Council in Burma.

(157633)

219
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of the use of child soldiers in Burma by the State Peace and Development Council.

(157634)

220
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the ceasefire agreement between the State Peace and Development Council in Burma and the Karen National Union.

(157635)

221
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of (a) looting, (b) burning and (c) extortion by the State Peace and Development Council in Burma.

(157636)

222
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Israeli separation fence on health service provision in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

(157637)

223
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Karenni state who remain in need of (a) food, (b) shelter and (c) protection.

(157639)

224
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the numbers of Burmese State Peace and Development Council soldiers brought into Karenni state from Karen areas since 1st December 2003.

(157640)

225
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of deaths from the use of landmines in Burma in each of the last five years.

(157641)

226
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of internally displaced people in Burma who have died of starvation in each of the last five years.

(157642)

227
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the extent of forced labour in Burma.

(157643)

228
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last had contact with the Karenni National Progressive Party; and what was discussed at that meeting.

(157644)

229
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last had contact with the Karen National Union; and what was discussed.

(157645)

230
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last communicated with representatives of the State Peace and Development Council in Burma; and what the content of the exchange was.

(157646)

231
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) Karen and (b) Karenni people who have been displaced by the Burmese Army in each of the last three years.

(157647)

232
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what communication there has been between (a) his Department, (b) the European Union and (c) the United Nations and Aung San Suu Kyi since May 2003.

(157721)

233
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Burmese Government about the establishment of a process for monitoring infringements of the ceasefire between State Peace and Development Council troops and those of the Karen National Union.

(157722)

234
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Burma; and what representations he has made to the Burmese Government about the matter.

(157723)

235
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about the continued detention of 23 people arrested on 30th May 2003.

(157724)

236
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Burma about the Emergency Provisions Act 1950.

(157725)

237
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Burmese Government about the need for an independent investigation into the violence perpetrated in Depayin on 30th May 2003.

(157726)

238
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Burmese Government about the fate of the 11 people sentenced to death for high treason under Article 122(1) of the Penal Code.

(157727)

239
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of (a) extra-judicial killings and (b) forced labour in the ethnic minority states of Burma since January.

(157728)

240
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of land confiscation by the Burmese Government; and what representations he has made about it.

(157729)

241
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to seek to end the conflict in Northern Uganda.

(157667)

242
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action he is taking to obtain the support of international organisations to address the conflict in Northern Uganda.

(157669)

243
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings his Department has had with the Ugandan Government regarding the conflict in the north of the country.

(157670)

244
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the abduction of children in Northern Uganda by the Lord's Resistance Army.

(157672)

245
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many of the current population of Diego Garcia are (a) US military personnel, (b) UK military personnel, (c) civilian workers and (d) detainees; and if he will make a statement.

(157690)

246
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has held with the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat concerning (a) increased surface level transport activities in Antarctica and (b) the construction of a seasonal road to the South Pole; and if he will make a statement.

(157707)

247
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions have been held with (a) the Chagos Refugee Association and (b) other groups on the possibility of return to Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands of the original inhabitants and their descendants; and if he will make a statement.

(157708)

248
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings United Kingdom representatives in Colombia have had recently with (a) trade unions, (b) human rights groups, (c) universities and (d) opposition parties; and if he will make a statement.

(157709)

249
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what visits have been made to the areas of conflict in Colombia by UK diplomatic representatives in the past year.

(157710)

250
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many visitors there were to Antarctica in each year since 1995; and what projections are available for future years.

(157730)

251
N Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on progress towards a settlement in Cyprus.

(157147)

252
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the current situation in Haiti.

(157648)

253
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the recent elections in Iran.

(157649)

254
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps are being taken to safeguard Iraq's electricity infrastructure from vandalism; and if he will make a statement.

(157651)

255
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the earliest possible date for the holding of elections in Iraq; and what steps he is taking to expedite such an election.

(157652)

256
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the future of democracy in Hong Kong; and what recent discussions have taken place with China on Hong Kong.

(157566)

257
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK passport holders live in Hong Kong.

(157567)

258
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether China has informed him of plans to change the legal system in Hong Kong.

(157820)

259
N Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action the Government is taking to encourage the Sri Lankan authorities to give full protection to religious minorities in Sri Lanka.

(154625)

260
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what sanctions against Russia are planned by EU member states if Russia does not accept the terms of the partnership and trade agreements within the European Union.

(157396)

261
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Russian Foreign Minister about EU enlargement.

(157397)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

262
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether planning permission has been granted for the proposed treatment centre at Fossetts Farm, Southend-on-Sea.

(157528)

263
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more applicants for dentistry degrees.

(157697)

264
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157747)

265
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate has been made of the number of (a) nurses and (b) midwives from accession countries who will seek to work in the United Kingdom following accession.

(156861)

266
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether (a) nurses and (b) midwives from EU accession countries would currently be able to work in the United Kingdom using qualifications from their home country if they were given permission to seek work in the UK.

(156863)

267
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects all the cases of people suspected of wrongly paying for their long-term care following the Health Ombudsman's report on the subject will be (a) reviewed and (b) resolved; and if he will make a statement.

(156337)

268
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases have been reviewed so far following the Health Ombudsman's report suggesting that a number of elderly and disabled people may have wrongly paid for their long-term care; of these, how many wrong assessments have been discovered; what action (a) has been and (b) is to be taken to rectify the wrong assessment cases; and if he will make a statement.

(156338)

269
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what deadlines have been set for the review of long-term care following the Health Ombudsman's report suggesting that a number of elderly and disabled people may have wrongly paid for their long-term care; and if he will make a statement on the progress of the review.

(156339)

270
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the additional funding announced in January 2001 for infection control has been spent.

(157569)

271
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent on administration by (a) strategic health authorities, (b) primary care trusts and (c) NHS trusts in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(157580)

272
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will undertake to reduce the administration costs of (a) strategic health authorities, (b) primary care trusts and (c) NHS trusts by setting up shared administration and human resources systems.

(157581)

273
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the total cost of chronic disease to (a) the NHS and (b) the economy as a whole.

(157582)

274
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the cost of administration of the foundation hospital governance system.

(157593)

275
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has commissioned into the level of consumption of processed meals; and if he will make a statement.

(157594)

276
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many MRSA reports have been (a) voluntarily and (b) mandatorily received in (i) England and (ii) each NHS region since 1996 (A) in total and (B) as a proportion of the population.

(157595)

277
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many members each foundation trust applicant has recruited.

(157759)

278
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to publish information on waiting times for treatment of cancers not covered by NHS Cancer Plan targets before 2005.

(157771)

279
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made towards meeting the targets for cancer treatment in the NHS Cancer Plan.

(157773)

280
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the incidence of melanoma by (a) age group and (b) strategic health authority.

(157800)

281
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice his Department has given to schools relating to the effects of sun exposure; and what assessment has been made of the take-up of such guidance.

(157801)

282
Mr Tony Clarke (Northampton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many smoking clinics are run by the NHS in England, broken down by health authority; and how many have been guaranteed funding for the next three years.

(157440)

283
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many additional nurses have been employed in the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals Trust since (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

(157328)

284
Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East & Mexborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) adult and (b) children's hospices are operating in England.

(157731)

285
Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East & Mexborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) adult and (b) children's hospices in England receive no financial assistance from the NHS.

(157732)

286
Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate the Government has made of how many EU accession country citizens will make use of the NHS.

(157352)

287
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is on seeking to prevent alcohol-related harm among older people.

(157366)

288
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the extent of alcohol abuse among older people.

(157367)

289
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many fires have occurred in care homes for the elderly (a) in total in England and (b) broken down by local authority in each year since 1997.

(157369)

290
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the rate of inappropriate prescribing among those (a) under 65 years and (b) 65 years and over, broken down by gender, in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(157376)

291
Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how he has satisfied himself that lumbar punctures carried out on children at the Royal Free Hospital by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group since 1996 have had valid and explicit ethical approval from a properly constituted research ethics committee on the issues of full disclosure of the research's relevant interests and of the full clinical context.

(157459)

292
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many acute mental illness beds were available for (a) the elderly, (b) children and (c) other age groups in Lancashire Mental Health Trust in each of the last three years; and how many were in secure units.

(157674)

293
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make additional funding available to areas of continued population growth.

(157675)

294
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list new health services available at Chorley Hospital since 2000; and how much money has been spent on Chorley Hospital since 2000.

(157676)

295
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of drugs used for treating patients who are HIV positive; and if he will make a statement.

(157483)

296
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of (a) testing for HIV/AIDS and (b) treating HIV/AIDS patients in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

(157484)

297
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many new HIV positive cases were recorded in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; how many deaths from HIV/AIDS there were in each year; how many HIV positive cases have been reported in total; and if he will make an assessment of likely future trends of the disease.

(157485)

298
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support the Department is providing for research into developing vaccines to prevent HIV/AIDS.

(157486)

299
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of field trials of vaccines to prevent HIV/AIDS carried out in (a) Kenya, (b) Uganda, (c) South Africa and (d) Botswana.

(157487)

300
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has referred the issue of possible transmission of variant CJD via (a) blood transfusion and (b) urine-derived products to the Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee for advice.

(157592)

301
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost of building the children's assesment and treatment area at York District Hospital was.

(157521)

302
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when building work on the children's assessment and treatment area at York District Hospital was completed.

(157522)

303
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the children's assessment and treatment area at York District Hospital will be opened.

(157523)

304
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the area set aside for the children's assessment and treatment area at York District Hospital is currently being used for.

(157524)

305
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the observation beds in the accident and emergency unit at York District Hospital to be used; for what reason they were built; and at what cost.

(157525)

306
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on research into Alefacept use for treating psoriasis; and what plans he has to introduce this in Northern Ireland.

(157337)

307
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS dentists are accepting new NHS patients; and if he will make a statement.

(157830)

308
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment has been made of the cost to NHS trusts of changes to (a) maternity leave, (b) paid paternity and adoption leave and (c) the right of parents of young children to apply to work flexibly which took effect in April 2003.

(156061)

309
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS patient treatments were undertaken by dentists (a) in England, (b) in each NHS region and (c) in each strategic health authority area in each year since 1997.

(156062)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

310
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157741)

311
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) midwives and (b) nurses from (i) Poland and (ii) other EU accession states will be able to work in the United Kingdom after accession.

(156862)

312
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the incident of alleged police brutality in Greater Manchester shown on television news in the week beginning on 16th February.

(157303)

313
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer to Question reference 154635 on 24th February, what guidance on crime pattern analysis his Department issued to police forces prior to 2003.

(157696)

314
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the duties performed by police support staff; and if he will make a statement on their effectiveness in supporting the work of the Metropolitan Police.

(157331)

315
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is possible to combine data from the national identity database with other databases or information systems under the current identity card proposals.

(157299)

316
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether personal data stored on a national identity database will be exported or made available abroad.

(157300)

317
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how his Department measures the amount of public support for the identity card proposal.

(157301)

318
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reasons were for discarding 5000 responses to the Entitlement Card consultation.

(157302)

319
Denzil Davies (Llanelli):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who the Chairperson and members of the Executive Board of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia are.

(157297)

320
N Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of applications for (a) naturalisation and (b) citizenship that will be made between January and the implementation of the sections of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 that require knowledge of life in the UK and language.

(156163)

321
Jim Dowd (Lewisham West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured in road traffic accidents involving police vehicles in each of the past five years.

(157779)

322
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to remove from the UK citizens of EU accession states working within the UK when they cease employment, from 1st May onwards.

(156790)

323
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether annual reports of independent monitoring boards of detention and removal centres are published.

(157444)

324
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what access people detained in detention and removal centres have to independent monitoring boards.

(157445)

325
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who is responsible for dealing with complaints made by immigration and asylum detainees about incidents occurring while they are under escort or transit outside detention or removal centres.

(157446)

326
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when an annual report was prepared by the independent monitoring board for Yarl's Wood.

(157447)

327
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures are in place for the investigation of allegations of assault made by immigration and asylum detainees against (a) members of staff of removal and detention centres, (b) escorts and (c) other detainees.

(157448)

328
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are in place for medical examinations of immigration and asylum detainees who allege assault by members of staff of detention and removal centres, escorts, or other detainees.

(157449)

329
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the new prison wing for elderly prisoners in HMP Norwich will open; and what facilities will be provided in this wing that are unique to the care of the elderly.

(157374)

330
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the most recent average cost per year is of (a) keeping a prisoner in a general prison and (b) keeping a prisoner aged 65 years or over in HMP Kingston's specialised wing.

(157375)

331
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the prisoner rehabilitation programmes; and at whom each is aimed.

(157377)

332
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners aged 65 years and over re-offended once released from prison in each of the last three years.

(157378)

333
N Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which prisons have sprinklers fitted in their residential areas.

(157067)

334
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of young offenders has been diagnosed as suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the last five years.

(157478)

335
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful asylum applications there have been from Ethiopian citizens in the last five years; and how many of the unsuccessful applicants have been deported.

(157650)

336
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his assessment of the benefit to the UK of work permits.

(157295)

337
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests were made in the Chorley constituency in each year since 1997.

(157677)

338
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of the cost of policing in Lancashire was paid for by (a) central government and (b) local council tax in each of the last four years.

(157678)

339
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers Lancashire Police Force had in each year since 2000; and how many (a) were on the front line and (b) had desk jobs in each year.

(157679)

340
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drugs testing and treatment orders have been issued in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley since 2000.

(157680)

341
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful criminal prosecutions were brought for crimes perpetrated in each Lancashire constituency in each of the last three years.

(157681)

342
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many criminal charges were pressed for crimes perpetrated in Chorley in each of the last three years.

(157682)

343
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) burglaries, (b) car thefts, (c) acts of vandalism, (d) muggings, (e) rapes and (f) violent attacks were reported in Chorley constituency in each of the last three years.

(157683)

344
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the change in de-toxification and rehabilitation places which random drug testing in schools will require.

(157818)

345
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether random drug testing in schools requires the agreement of (a) local and (b) community police officers.

(157819)

346
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of how enlargement of the EU will affect the skills shortage in the United Kingdom.

(157362)

347
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which UK agencies are best able to (a) assist with recognising educational backgrounds and skills of migrant workers and (b) help the UK employment sector to take advantage of the enlargement of the EU.

(157363)

348
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what has been done to recognise the educational background of the 1,000 refugees from the Sangatte camp in 2003 in order to integrate them into the UK workplace.

(157364)

349
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on how he makes use of the assistance provided by the (a) UK National Recognition Information Centre and (b) UK National Reference Point for Vocational Qualifications in the support of Managed Migration programmes.

(157365)

350
Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the meeting on 16th September 2003 between the Minister of State for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community Safety and representatives of Naturewatch; and when he expects to hold a follow-up meeting with the Chief Constable of North Wales.

(157436)

351
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what has been the cost of policing arising from (a) the activity at, and (b) escapes from the immigration centre at Oakington, Cambridgeshire.

(157353)

352
Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers from Zimbabwe were refused asylum in the UK (a) in 2002-03 and (b) since April 2003; and how many failed asylum seekers have been deported to Zimbabwe in each period.

(157437)

353
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days were lost through sickness in (a) the Lancashire constabulary and (b) police forces of a similar size and displaying similar characteristics in England since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

(157798)

354
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to prevent the circulation of offensive material through the internet; and if he will make a statement.

(157314)

355
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the case for using electronic tagging for sex offenders; and if he will make a statement.

(157347)

356
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information he has collated regarding altered levels of ATM fraud where the chip and PIN credit card system is used exclusively.

(157380)

357
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many on-the-spot fines were issued in each police authority area (a) in total and (b) per 10,000 population since their introduction, listed in descending order of number per 10,000 population.

(157703)

358
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) police training for recruits and (b) in-service training for police officers includes awareness of how to respond to members of the public with acquired brain injuries.

(157560)

359
Phil Sawford (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions his Department has made available additional funding for police authorities to cover the cost of large scale and expensive investigations in each of the last five years.

(157371)

360
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions have taken place between his Department and its counterparts in the new EU accession states regarding the security of peripheral EU borders.

(157576)

361
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the activities of gangmasters employing illegal workers.

(157578)

362
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many work visas were issued to foreign nationals in each year since 1997.

(157814)

363
N Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what immigration service operations had been carried out regarding cockle picking in (a) Morecambe Bay and (b) elsewhere prior to the operation on Pilling Sands on 19th June 2003.

(156857)

364
N Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) police and (b) immigration service operations have been carried out at the sandbanks close to Morecambe Town.

(156970)

365
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the procedure will be for a citizen coming from one of the accession countries to work in the UK on 1st May; and when and how he or she would register with the workers' registration scheme.

(157349)

366
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when and how citizens of EU accession countries currently resident in the UK should register on the workers' registration scheme.

(157350)

367
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many accession countries nationals he expects to arrive in the UK between 1st May and 31st December.

(157351)

368
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures have been taken to correct the errors made by the Metropolitan Police identified in the MacPherson Report; and what measures have been taken to achieve change needed to prevent similar incidents from occurring.

(157529)

369
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for how long and where photographic images of travellers using (a) Dover Docks and (b) other ports are stored; and to what purpose they are put.

(157698)

370
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the use of cameras to photograph travellers using (a) Dover Docks and (b) other ports.

(157699)

371
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are employed in taking, processing, reviewing and storing photographic images stored of travellers using (a) Dover Docks and (b) other ports; and by whom they are employed.

(157700)

372
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects to reply to the letter of 15th January from the honourable Member for Spelthorne, (Home Office reference: PO2079/4) regarding the use of cameras to photograph travellers at Dover Docks.

(157701)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

373
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157749)

374
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the airline travel policy for the directors of (a) CDC and (b) Actis is in respect of (i) European and (ii) inter-continental flights.

(157826)

375
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total cost of new office space procured for (a) CDC and (b) Actis is; and what price per square foot has been paid for each of their new London offices.

(157827)

376
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made of the total cost of the re-organisation of CDC and Actis.

(157828)

377
Mr John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations he has made to the Agricultural Reconstruction and Development Programme for Iraq to ensure that poorer farmers do not suffer from higher prices for irrigation water; and if he will make a statement.

(157435)

378
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much money his Department has provided to the Burma Border Consortium in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04.

(157474)

379
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much money his Department has provided in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 to tackle HIV/AIDS in Burma.

(157475)

380
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made of the scale of the movement of refugees from North Korea to China since 1995.

(157545)

381
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on his policy on development aid to North Korea.

(157553)

382
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of energy supplies in North Korea; and what steps his Department is taking to improve them.

(157554)

383
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much emergency (a) medical and (b) food aid was provided by the United Kingdom to North Korea in each of the last 10 years.

(157555)

384
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of food supplies in North Korea; and what steps his Department is taking to improve them.

(157557)

385
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's contribution to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee's protection role on the Burma-Thailand border.

(157617)

386
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department has taken to meet the food needs of refugees in camps on the Thai-Burmese border in 2003-04.

(157618)

387
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will break down by programme his Department's £4 million allocation for the bilateral programme for Burma.

(157619)

388
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much money has been provided by his Department in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 to assist internally displaced people in Burma and to provide education for Burmese refugees in refugee camps on the Burma-Thailand border.

(157620)

389
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the projected level is of expenditure by his Department in 2004-05 on wildlife projects in Burma; and how the money will be allocated.

(157621)

390
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding has been provided by his Department in 2003-04 for wildlife projects in Burma; and how the money was allocated.

(157622)

391
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance with the supply of medicines his Department is providing for the 995 Karenni and 678 Karen internally displaced persons in the Muthraw district of Burma.

(157625)

392
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department has made available in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 for Burmese refugees outside the country.

(157638)

393
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the humanitarian crisis in Northern Uganda; and what action he is taking to address it.

(157614)

394
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to encourage IT firms to ensure that all their sub-contractors in developing countries provided decent working conditions for their employees; and if he will make a statement.

(157354)

395
Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the forthcoming Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific population and development meetings in (a) Santiago in March and (b) Puerto Rico in June.

(157780)

396
Mr Peter Pike (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with countries affected by malaria on the economic impact on (a) public services and (b) the stability of their societies.

(157792)

397
Mr Peter Pike (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the (a) economic and (b) social impact of malaria on developing countries.

(157793)

398
Mr Andy Reed (Loughborough):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether his Department provides support to governments actively to develop employee ownership of business units programmes.

(157794)

399
Mr Andy Reed (Loughborough):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department provides to governments undertaking privatisation programmes to enable employees to buy and run businesses.

(157795)

Questions to the Leader of the House

400
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Leader of the House, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to him since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157743)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

401
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157740)

402
Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what research he has collated regarding the impact of speed cameras on the number of road traffic accidents; and if he will make a statement.

(157453)

403
Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when the Common Funding Formula will be introduced; what the reasons are for the delay in introducing it; and if he will make a statement.

(157454)

404
Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what schools are experiencing a financial deficit as a result of the payment of threshold payments, broken down by area board; and if he will make a statement.

(157455)

405
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the composition of the monitored full-time workforce (11+ employees) was, broken down by religious designation in (a) 1992 and (b) 2002; and if he will publish this information.

(157613)

406
Mr Tony Clarke (Northampton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what consultations have been held on the location for the new acute hospital in the South West of Northern Ireland; what discussions he has had on this with (a) his predecessor and (b) members of the suspended Executive; and what views they held.

(157439)

407
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what criteria are used in the allocation of residential disabled car parking spaces in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(157562)

408
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Community Care (Delayed Discharges Etc.) Act 2003 in addressing delayed discharges from hospitals; and what plans he has to introduce similar provisions in Northern Ireland.

(157653)

409
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent representations he has received from the Government of the Irish Republic in relation to Sellafield nuclear reprocessing facility.

(157654)

410
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in relation to the London 2012 Olympic Bid; and what steps he has taken to promote Northern Ireland as a venue for events within that bid.

(157655)

411
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many unexpected power cuts there were in Northern Ireland in the last three years for which figures are available; what the cause was in each case; and what steps he is taking to secure the continuity of the power supply in Northern Ireland.

(157656)

412
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent progress has been made in the development of alternative power sources in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(157657)

413
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many anaesthetists were working in the NHS in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000, broken down by health board area.

(157658)

414
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made in the development of an integrated transport system for Northern Ireland.

(157659)

415
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many district councils in Northern Ireland offer a household waste recycling service.

(157660)

416
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many Housing Executive properties there were in each Northern Ireland housing district in each year since 2000; what steps he is taking to increase the number; and if he will make a statement.

(157666)

417
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many motorists in Northern Ireland were convicted of speed-related offences in each police district in the last five years for which figures are available as a result of being caught by a speed camera.

(157668)

418
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average age of rolling stock in service with Translink is; and what progress has been made with the introduction of new rolling stock to the railway network in Northern Ireland.

(157671)

419
N Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the disclosure of uncollated retentions on 23rd January by the Royal Group of Hospitals and Queens University.

(154622)

420
N Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on progress towards setting up an inquiry into coroners' matters; and when he expects the inquiry to commence.

(154623)

421
N Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the (a) Organs Inquiry Line and (b) Relatives Reference Group will close in November 2004.

(154624)

422
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will allocate the Newpin charitable organisation £30,000 to cover core services for the coming year; and if he will make a statement.

(157335)

423
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to introduce interpreter training in Northern Ireland for those seeking to learn sign language.

(157338)

424
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what benefits derive from local hospitals providing nurse-led cardiac care services.

(157339)

425
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the cost of local hospitals providing a mobile coronary care service involving (a) a senior house officer and (b) nurses only.

(157340)

426
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the cost of unused medications in the last 12 months.

(157343)

427
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the case for providing signing to accommodate deaf people in any new Northern Ireland assembly.

(157344)

428
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many individuals have been penalised for slow driving in each of the last five years.

(157346)

429
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding was provided to the Newpin charitable organisation in each year since 1996.

(157379)

430
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what actions doctors can take as part of a mobile coronary care service that cardiology nurses are unable to offer.

(157381)

431
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what action is being taken to address suicide amongst male teenagers; and if he will make a statement.

(157382)

432
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many nursing vacancies there are in North and West Belfast Trust.

(157384)

433
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many nurses from North and West Belfast Health Trust (a) were forced to retire on account of age within the last year and (b) have been informed that they will have to retire because they are 65 years old.

(157385)

434
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many midwifery vacancies there are in Northern Ireland.

(157386)

435
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the longest time is for which a person has waited for child and adolescent psychiatry assessment in each board or trust area where the information is available.

(157387)

436
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many individuals are waiting for assessment by child and adolescent psychiatry services.

(157388)

437
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to improve child and adolescent psychiatry services before the report from the review of mental health.

(157389)

438
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what evidence he has collated on road traffic accidents caused by slow driving.

(157391)

439
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which NHS health trusts have a policy of compulsory retirement at 65 years; and if he will make a statement.

(157392)

440
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many medical negligence cases are pending within each health trust.

(157393)

441
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what costs to public funds resulted from medical negligence in each of the last 10 years.

(157394)

442
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many hours on average were worked weekly by (a) consultants, (b) registrars, (c) senior house officers and (d) junior house officers at each of the Province's health trusts in the most recent period for which figures were available.

(157395)

443
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 9th February, Official Report, column 1163W, what evidence he has collated on the involvement of Sinn Fein in criminal activity.

(157757)

444
N The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to revise the formula for funding Local Management of Schools.

(156968)

445
N The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many students have been sent down from (a) the current intake and (b) each of the preceding three intakes to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

(156969)

446
Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost of administering the Statutory Registration Scheme in Northern Ireland was in the last year for which figures are available.

(157720)

Questions to the Prime Minister

447
Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Prime Minister, what reports he has received that Iraq assembled and tested a long range artillery shell packed with irradiated zirconium.

(157577)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

448
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157735)

449
N Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what responsibilities his Department has in relation to the Scottish football industry; and if he will make a statement.

(156856)

Questions to the Solicitor General

450
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Solicitor General, for what reasons the prosecution against Katharine Gun, in respect of alleged actions she took while employed at GCHQ, was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

(157497)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

451
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to her Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157746)

452
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she is taking to promote trade between the United Kingdom and North Korea.

(157541)

453
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with the Government of North Korea about its plans to install (a) broadband, (b) internet technology and (c) mobile phone networks.

(157550)

454
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the benefits to UK firms of North Korea's legislation to exempt foreigners from dual taxation.

(157551)

455
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the benefits to UK firms of North Korea's legislation to give foreigners investment protection guarantees.

(157552)

456
N Mr John Burnett (Torridge & West Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps (a) she and (b) the South West Regional Development Agency have taken to satisfy themselves that the advanced gasification and turbine technology for the proposed Biomass Electricity project at Winkleigh, Devon is proven and will not fail; and what their findings were.

(157143)

457
N Mr John Burnett (Torridge & West Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what financial and other inquiries were made by (a) her Department and (b) the South West Regional Development Agency before it announced the conditional grant made to Peninsula Power in respect of the proposed Biomass Electricity project at Winkleigh, Devon; and what inquiries are being made now.

(157144)

458
N Mr John Burnett (Torridge & West Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the requests for payment from (a) her Department and (b) the South West Regional Development Agency in respect of the proposed Biomass Electricity Generation project at Winkleigh, Devon.

(157145)

459
N Mr John Burnett (Torridge & West Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the payments (a) authorised and (b) paid by (i) her Department and (ii) the South West Regional Development Agency towards the proposed Biomass Electricity Generation project at Winkleigh, Devon.

(157146)

460
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the honourable Member for Christchurch will receive a substantive response to his letter of 18th December 2003 about the employment of non-UK labour in the construction industry and the Posting of Workers Directive.

(157590)

461
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what support her Department has offered to BP for its exploration activities in Colombia; and what meetings have been held with company representatives in the last six months.

(157711)

462
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to allow citizens of EU accession states to claim, from 1st May onwards, the national minimum wage whilst (i) living and (ii) working in the United Kingdom.

(156971)

463
Mrs Lorna Fitzsimons (Rochdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what central government support the small business sector has received in the constituency of Rochdale in each year since 1996.

(157506)

464
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the future of aerospace manufacturing and its supply chain in Lancashire.

(157713)

465
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on defence knowledge transfer to civil manufacturing.

(157714)

466
Mrs Joan Humble (Blackpool North & Fleetwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people are receiving the minimum wage in the Blackpool North & Fleetwood constituency.

(157499)

467
Mrs Joan Humble (Blackpool North & Fleetwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on her policy on the development of gas storage facilities in underground caverns formed within deep rock salt deposits.

(157500)

468
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she next expects the Office of Fair Trading to examine the BBC's undertakings on the on-air promotions of BBC published magazines.

(157481)

469
N Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the cost was of the advertisement for a policy adviser (non-executive chairman designate) for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

(156973)

470
N Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what fee is being paid to Whitehead Mann in connection with the recruitment of a policy adviser (non-executive chairman designate) for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; when this fee will be paid; and if she will make a statement.

(156974)

471
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimates her Department has made of (a) the number of spam e-mails sent to UK companies and (b) the cost to business associated with tackling spam e-mails in 2002-03.

(157804)

472
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures her Department have taken to ensure that Government departments are adequately protected from internet hackers and fraudsters.

(157806)

473
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions her Department has had with the banking sector to combat internet hackers and fraudsters from obtaining customers' online banking details through deception and other means.

(157807)

474
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures her Department is taking to ensure that small businesses are adequately protected from internet hackers and fraudsters.

(157809)

475
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority was involved under the G8 Global Partnership Programme or its predecessor bilateral nuclear co-operation agreements with Russia in the towing of the Russian nuclear submarine K159 (November Class SSN) to the breaker's yard.

(157498)

476
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to reduce the eight per cent. interest rate charged on debts determined by the Judgment Act 1838 which is levied on bankruptcy debts under Rule 6.113 of the Insolvency Act 1986; and if she will make a statement.

(157831)

477
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to allow discretion on the charge of an interest rate of eight per cent. on bankruptcy debts; and if she will make a statement.

(157832)

478
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to vary the percentage of debt recovered fee she charges for performance of her general duties under insolvency legislation; and if she will make a statement.

(157833)

479
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which body is responsible for (a) responding to complaints about and (b) reviewing trustees' remuneration under bankruptcy legislation.

(157834)

480
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what procedures govern the categorisation of rural and urban post offices.

(157810)

481
Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the Office of Fair Trading will report on its investigation into the complaint from the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux regarding cold calling.

(157476)

482
N Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what responsibilities her Department has in relation to the Scottish football industry; and if she will make a statement.

(156854)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

483
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157737)

484
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Oral Answer of 3rd February, Official Report, column 616, if he will list the sites where there are cameras in the Christchurch constituency to which he referred; and on what evidential basis he states that there had been an 18 per cent. reduction in people being killed or seriously injured at those sites.

(157765)

485
John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the importance of Crossrail (a) to those who work in London and (b) to London businesses.

(157321)

486
N Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the levels of train overcrowding on (a) the Liverpool to London route, (b) Transpennine routes and (c) the Liverpool to Manchester route; and if he will make a statement.

(156797)

487
N Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many seats for (a) standard class and (b) first class passengers (i) are available in Pendolino trains running between London and Liverpool and (ii) were available in the trains which operated previously.

(156798)

488
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) villages and (b) towns in Lancashire have been served by rural bus services in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

(157294)

489
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Government funding was provided for the building of the Chorley Transport Interchange.

(157715)

490
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Government is contributing towards improving Chorley Railway Station.

(157716)

491
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the purpose of the planned four lane M6.

(157717)

492
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many overseas hauliers paid to use UK roads in each of the last three years; and how much the Government received in each year.

(157718)

493
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the post offices in Chorley which deal with motor vehicle licences.

(157719)

494
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department is making on establishing a link between existing DVLA and motor insurance databases.

(157530)

495
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what action his Department is taking to tackle the problem of uninsured driving.

(157532)

496
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will allow cars which are free of road fund licences to travel free on the M6 toll road; and if he will make a statement.

(157316)

497
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the case for introducing minimum speed limits.

(157341)

498
Mr Simon Thomas (Ceredigion):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the (a) procedures and (b) priorities followed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency when issuing a reminder notice in the case of Statutory Off Road Notifications.

(157805)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

499
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157745)

500
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will give a forecast for growth for the Welsh economy for the next three years.

(157664)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

501
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1st January 2003, broken down by (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

(157748)

502
Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate the Government has made of how many EU accession country citizens will make use of the benefits system in the UK.

(157345)

503
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to provide support to citizens of EU accession states working within the UK when they cease employment, from 1st May onwards.

(156789)

504
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to provide support for families of citizens of EU accession states working within the UK when they cease employment, from 1st May onwards.

(156791)

505
N Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to allow citizens of EU accession states to claim, from 1st May onwards, (a) working tax credit, (b) child tax credit, (c) child benefit, (d) disability living allowance, (e) incapacity benefit, (f) income support, (g) carer's allowance, (h) jobseeker's allowance, (i) housing benefit, (j) council tax benefit and (k) minimum income guarantee whilst (i) living and (ii) working in the United Kingdom.

(156972)

506
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money has been allocated in care grants in each year since 1999 (a) in total for England and (b) broken down by local authority.

(157370)

507
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Wales have benefited from the (a) New Deal for Young People, (b) New Deal for Long Term Unemployed and (c) New Deal for Lone Parents by (i) constituency and (ii) county.

(157662)

508
Sir Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when elements of the Regulated Social Fund have been increased and by how much in (a) cash and (b) real terms; what research he has conducted on the cost of a simple, respectful and low cost funeral in each of the last six years; how many people have received funeral payments since 1997; and what the average award was in each year.

(157821)

509
Sir Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether funeral payments have been made to help with costs incurred of funerals arranged overseas since 1997.

(157822)

510
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to amend Child Support Agency regulations to disregard from maintenance calculations the service overseas allowances paid to members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces.

(157558)

511
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made since the formal consultation about ground rents and the referral of rent to local rent officers under the proposed changes to housing benefit.

(157489)

512
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many skilled migrants were working in (a) the NHS and (b) the education sector on the last date for which figures are available.

(157584)

513
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobcentre plus vacancies were filled during 2002-03 by (a) skilled and (b) unskilled migrants.

(157585)

514
N Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive has powers to prevent working after dark on cockle beds if this activity presents a risk of serious personal injury.

(156860)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

515
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the five-year survival rates from the first diagnosis of melanoma, broken down by strategic health authority.

[Transferred] (157799)

516
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the change has been in the net size of the workforce in the UK since 1997.

[Transferred] (157812)

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

517
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will fund free television licences for pensioners.

[Transferred] (157689)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

518
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to allow old war graves to be relocated; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (157317)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

519
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the funding levels for Supporting People are in Lancashire in 2003-04.

[Transferred] (157692)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

520
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the supply of skilled workers in key areas, with particular reference to (a) the construction industry, (b) plumbing, (c) the NHS and (d) the education system.

[Transferred] (157586)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

521
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote cultural and sporting exchanges between the United Kingdom and North Korea.

[Transferred] (157539)

522
Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the (a) size and (b) value of heroin exports from North Korea in each of the last five years.

[Transferred] (157543)

523
Mr John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the flow of Shia Muslims from Iran into Southern Iraq.

[Transferred] (157579)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

524
Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals entered the UK in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (157583)

525
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many work permits were issued in each of the last five years.

[Transferred] (157456)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

526
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether citizenship ceremonies will take place in Northern Ireland.

[Transferred] (157825)

527
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people have died from cancer in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

[Transferred] (157336)

Questions to the Solicitor General

528
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Solicitor General, what the costs have been to date to the Government of the prosecution of the Katherine Gun case.

[Transferred] (156197)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

529
Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what research her Department has conducted on the potential (a) environmental and (b) economic benefits that could be derived from dirigibles in meeting future aviation needs.

[Transferred] (157702)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

530
Mr Tony Clarke (Northampton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further developments are planned to improve the (a) safety and (b) capacity of (i) junctions and (ii) carriageways on the M1 between junctions 15 and 16 to cope with the increase in traffic use arising from the Milton Keynes/Northampton sustainable communities plan.

[Transferred] (157441)

531
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will require (a) the privatised former public utilities and (b) other companies providing similar services to pay a site rent to local authorities for permanent equipment located on the public highway.

[Transferred] (157559)

532
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage continued use of liquefied petroleum gas following removal of road fuel tax support for liquid petroleum gas.

[Transferred] (157450)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

533
Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the level of Welsh business output was for each month of 2003.

[Transferred] (157665)

© Parliamentary copyright 2004
Revised 27 February 2004