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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 1 November 2004
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 1 November 2004
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 1 November of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department. For other Written Questions for answer on Monday 1 November of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 1 November see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office 1
| Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the latest figure is for the average length of payment of Civil Service direct benefit pension. | | (195720) | 2
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many agency temporary staff have been working for the Department in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally. | | (195244) | 3
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in the Office earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195332) | 4
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if she will list the properties occupied by (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, stating (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what the aggregate rental value was in each year. | | (195128) | 5
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which senior civil servant has responsibility for each of her Department's public service agreements. | | (195181) | 6
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's definition is of a civil servant. | | (195601) | 7
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195613) | 8
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemental and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195644) | 9
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many press releases have been issued by her Department in each month of 2004; and if she will make a statement. | | (195442) | 10
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much expenditure her Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with press and public relations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195443) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 11
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many IT consultants are currently contracted to work for Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at Alexandra House, Southend-on-Sea; and if he will make a statement. | | (195712) | 12
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the hourly rate of pay is of each IT consultant working on contract to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise; and if he will make a statement. | | (195713) | 13
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which his Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (195395) | 14
N | Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he will take to ensure that advertisements at English Premier League football grounds comply with the Betting and Duties Gaming Act 1981. | | (195187) | 15
N | Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what action he plans to take to ensure that Mansion.com complies with the provisions of the Betting and Duties Gaming Act 1981. | | (195188) | 16
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were unemployed in Haltemprice and Howden in (a) the last month for which figures are available and (b) each of the preceding 12 months. | | (194961) | 17
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people aged 65 years or over died of influenza in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire, (b) Hull and (c) England in each year since 2001. | | (194979) | 18
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the ability of town and parish councils administering funds on behalf of arm's length projects or organisations which are largely funded by Government to reclaim VAT expenditure incurred on behalf of those projects or organisations. | | (195294) | 19
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the occasions on which (a) he and (b) other ministers in his Department have met representatives of (i) US casino operators, (ii) British casino operators and (iii) casino operators from other countries to discuss gambling issues, broken down by date of meeting. | | (195071) | 20
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Somalian nationals are resident in the UK. | | (195301) | 21
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to change the amount of tax-free savings it is possible to deposit in independent savings accounts. | | (195582) | 22
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 27th October, Official Report, columns 1244-5W, on national minimum wage, what the level of underpayment on the national minimum wage was in (a) Birmingham and (b) the West Midlands in each year listed. | | (195725) | 23
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28th October, Official Report, column 1381W, on Equity Release Schemes, what plans he has to change the inheritance tax rules which impact on equity release schemes. | | (195726) | 24
N | Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the overseas visits made by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Department in relation to proposed changes to legislation on gambling; what the itinerary was for each visit; how long each visit lasted; which hotels were used; what the cost was in each case; and how each visit was funded. | | (194543) | 25
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194964) | 26
N | Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many jobs were lost in (a) Manchester Central constituency, (b) the City of Manchester, (c) Greater Manchester and (d) the North West in each of the last 10 years. | | (195168) | 27
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the level of net immigration into (a) England and (b) the United Kingdom over the next 20 years. | | (195125) | 28
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households in England are (a) single occupation with one pensioner, (b) occupied by two pensioners and no other adults and (c) occupied by pensioners only. | | (195251) | 29
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the level of evasion of income tax. | | (195254) | 30
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of increasing income tax on levels of tax avoidance. | | (195263) | 31
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, stating (A) for each and (B) in aggregate, the area; and what the aggregate rental value was in each year. | | (195127) | 32
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) legal and (b) other action his Department has taken against EDS in relation to the introduction of new tax credits; and if he will make a statement. | | (194809) | 33
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department spent in each year since 2002 on employing (a) external management consultants and (b) external human resources consultants; and if he will make a statement. | | (195759) | 34
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195615) | 35
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195668) | 36
| Mr Alan Williams (Swansea West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many properties are on lease from the Crown Estates; how many of these are on lease for (a) 75 years or over, (b) 50 to 74 years and (c) 25 to 49 years; and how many houses are on lease from the Crown Estates for £1 million or more. | | (195133) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 37
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, when he will reply to the Question tabled by the honourable Member for New Forest East for Named Day reply on 25th October, ref. 193672. | | (194856) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 38
| Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, in how many cases since 1991 judges have disclosed to juries the conviction for similar offences of a defendant. | | (195291) | 39
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that all individuals who manage the finances of those who lack capacity to manage their own finances (a) are bound by the first principles of the Mental Capacity Bill and (b) are subject to the safeguards and the new criminal offences that are in the Mental Capacity Bill. | | (194736) | 40
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what checks are undertaken by the Court of Protection if there is a complaint made about a receiver misusing the patient's money. | | (194737) | 41
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what checks are undertaken by (a) the Court of Protection and (b) the Public Guardianship Office to ensure that an individual's monies are being used in his best interests. | | (194814) | 42
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195331) | 43
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on allowing non-UK nationals to vote in (a) general elections and (b) referendums. | | (195260) | 44
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195628) | 45
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195661) | 46
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195458) | 47
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much expenditure his Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195459) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 48
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the contribution that the Lottery has made to combating social exclusion in the Tees Valley. | | (194580) | 49
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which her Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (195399) | 50
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on the British Grand Prix; and whether she expects public money to be made available to secure the future of the British Grand Prix. | | (195610) | 51
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many employees the (a) Export Licensing Unit and (b) Advisory Council on the Export of Works of Art had in each year from 1997; what the cost to public funds of each body was in each year (i) in total, (ii) for staffing costs, (iii) for other administrative costs and (iv) for other costs; and if she will make a statement. | | (195062) | 52
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the occasions on which (a) she, and (b) other ministers in her Department have met representatives of (i) US casino operators, (ii) British casino operators and (iii) casino operators from other countries to discuss gambling issues, broken down by date of meeting. | | (195076) | 53
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what ministerial visits are planned for each minister in her Department in the next six months; and if she will make a statement. | | (195077) | 54
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to review the Football Association; and if she will make a statement. | | (195400) | 55
N | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what contacts Mr Elliot Grant of her Department has had with companies involved in the (a) British and (b) US gaming industry in the past 24 months; and whether he has undertaken fact-finding visits in the United States in the company of employees of the (i) British and (ii) US gaming industry. | | (195316) | 56
N | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what contacts Mr Gideon Hoffman of her Department has had with companies involved in the (a) British and (b) US gaming industry in the past 24 months; what contacts he has had with representatives of (i) Ladbrokes and (ii) the Hilton Group; what contacts he has had with Mr Alan Ross, Managing Director of Ladbrokes; and whether he has undertaken fact-finding visits in the United States in the company of employees of the (A) British and (B) US gaming industry. | | (195317) | 57
N | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what contacts Mr Nicholas Bent in her Department has had with companies involved in the (a) British and (b) US gaming industry in the past 24 months; and whether he has undertaken fact-finding visits in the United States in the company of employees of the British or US gaming industry. | | (195318) | 58
| Mr Boris Johnson (Henley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what contribution her Department has made to the additional £70 million funds allocated to the Creative Partnerships programme until 2006. | | (195402) | 59
| Mr Boris Johnson (Henley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which indices of multiple deprivation were used to select those areas included in (a) phase one, (b) phase two and (c) phase three of the Creative Partnerships programme. | | (195403) | 60
| Mr Boris Johnson (Henley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to extend the Creative Partnerships programme beyond phase three areas. | | (195404) | 61
N | Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the overseas visits made by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Department in relation to proposed changes to legislation on gambling; what the itinerary was for each visit; how long each visit lasted; which hotels were used; what the cost was in each case; and how each visit was funded. | | (194540) | 62
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194972) | 63
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many personnel the Department has recruited under the New Deal in each of the past five years. | | (194853) | 64
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people in her Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195330) | 65
N | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the locations are of the casinos already in existence in the UK. | | (194666) | 66
N | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, where she expects the proposed new casinos to be located, broken down by region. | | (194667) | 67
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many Olympic athletes who have received public funding from the UK have competed for the Republic of Ireland. | | (195178) | 68
N | Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many press officers are employed in her Department; and how many were employed in each year since 1996-97. | | (195361) | 69
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on the views expressed by the London Development Agency regarding the accessibility of London's hotels, shops and attractions to people with disabilities; and if she will assess the impact of such a lack of accessibility on the £100 billion target value for the tourism industry by 2010. | | (195210) | 70
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the growth rates in the tourism industry were in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. | | (195224) | 71
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support is available from her Department to assist (a) small hotels, (b) guest houses and (c) other tourism businesses to enhance the skills of employees. | | (195225) | 72
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department plans to contribute for (a) marketing, (b) e-tourism, (c) improving the quality of tourism products and (d) skills and training towards achieving the £100 billion target value for tourism by 2010. | | (195226) | 73
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what ratio of funding between the Government and the private sector she expects in meeting the £100 billion target value for tourism by 2010. | | (195227) | 74
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has provided for England's Quality Schemes in this financial year; and what expenditure on such schemes is planned for future years. | | (195228) | 75
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what action her Department is taking to improve collection of data about the tourism industry. | | (195229) | 76
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her estimate is of current growth rates in the tourism industry. | | (195250) | 77
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support is available from her Department to assist (a) small hotels, (b) guest houses and (c) other tourism businesses to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. | | (195262) | 78
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her estimate is of the percentage growth per annum required to reach the £100 billion target value for the tourism industry by 2010. | | (195267) | 79
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had on the future of Formula 1 racing. | | (195603) | 80
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of television aerials which will need to be upgraded to allow analogue switch-off to proceed. | | (195605) | 81
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195627) | 82
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195660) | 83
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the likely overall impact of the new London Olympic lottery game on the existing National Lottery. | | (195264) | 84
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her estimate is of the displacement of Lottery funding to Scotland that would be consequent on a successful London bid for the 2012 Olympics. | | (195265) | 85
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much expenditure her Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with press and public relations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195440) | 86
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many press releases have been issued by her Department in each month of 2004; and if she will make a statement. | | (195441) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 87
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many archive files have been destroyed this year. | | (194545) | 88
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date his Department discovered that archive files held in the basement of the old War Office building were contaminated with asbestos; on what date the committee responsible first met to discuss this; and if he will make a statement on the time which elapsed between the two events. | | (194546) | 89
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his policy that the archive files found to be contaminated with asbestos will be rendered safe and made eligible for release in response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. | | (194547) | 90
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of his Department's files are classified as subject to temporary retention. | | (194548) | 91
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many accidents there have been during the service life of the Canberra that have (a) been the direct or indirect result of training for emergency situations and (b) taken place during asymmetric approaches or landing simulating engine failure; and how many civilian casualties have occurred as a result of those training accidents. | | (195173) | 92
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) improved ejection seats and (b) a flight simulator for the (i) operational and (ii) training aircraft used for training in emergency situations for Canberra PR9s. | | (195174) | 93
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) British Army soldiers and (b) Royal Air Force airmen are involved in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit in Iraq. | | (194167) | 94
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on pensions for veterans of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC); and if he will increase pensions for RAOC veterans who retired on or after 1st April 1969. | | (195547) | 95
N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers in 1st Battalion Black Watch have been fined by the Army since July; and on what grounds. | | (195042) | 96
N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the level of pay for soldiers of 1st Battalion Black Watch involved in the redeployment in Iraq will be (a) higher and (b) lower than the level of pay before the redeployment. | | (195043) | 97
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list playing fields and other sites used now or previously for sport and recreation which have been identified for disposal in the period 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2008, broken down by (a) location and (b) county; and what estimate has been made of likely receipts. | | (195595) | 98
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel the Department has recruited under the New Deal in each of the past five years. | | (194852) | 99
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many agency temporary staff have been working for his Department in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally. | | (195245) | 100
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195329) | 101
| The Reverend Ian Paisley (North Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has pressed for a criminal investigation of the circumstances of the death of Ranger Stuart McMaster at Skydive Ranch in Canada in 2002. | | (194984) | 102
| The Reverend Ian Paisley (North Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Department has made of the safety record of parachutes used at Skydive Ranch in Canada; and whether Skydive Ranch complies with all the Department's requirements for (a) safety and (b) instructor training levels. | | (194998) | 103
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether HMCS Chicoutimi was manned by a Canadian crew during its sea trials prior to handover; and if he will make a statement. | | (195215) | 104
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what warranty comes from the manufacturer on submarines commissioned into the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement. | | (195219) | 105
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many submarines commissioned into the Royal Navy since 1974 have had defects affecting their seaworthiness identified and remedied during their sea trials prior to handover. | | (195220) | 106
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many submarines commissioned into the Royal Navy since 1974 developed defects affecting their seaworthiness within six months of handover. | | (195221) | 107
N | Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether members of the armed forces seeking to bring a defamation case against national newspapers in relation to allegations connected with their official duties are obliged to first seek permission from (a) Ministers and (b) officials before proceeding. | | (195302) | 108
N | Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when Ministers were first provided with United States plans for the invasion of Iraq which contained references to P-day, A-day and G-day. | | (195303) | 109
N | Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many press officers are employed in his Department; and how many were employed in each year since 1996-97. | | (195355) | 110
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the information referred to in paragraphs 7.2 to 7.7 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United Kingdom and United States on research, development, tests and evaluation of ballistic missile defense capabilities and systems will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. | | (195385) | 111
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total budget agreed to date for implementation of co-operation with the United States on research, development, tests and evaluation of ballistic missile defense capabilities and systems is; and what proportion will be paid by the United Kingdom. | | (195386) | 112
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the relationship between the 1958 (as amended) US/UK mutual Defense Agreements on Atomic Energy Matters and the US/UK Memorandum of Understanding on research, development, test and evaluation of ballistic missile defense capabilities and systems, dated 12th June 2003. | | (195387) | 113
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date each amendment made in the last 30 years to the General Security of Information Agreement between the United Kingdom and United States, dated 14th April 1961, was made; and through which designated security authorities information under this agreement is channelled. | | (195409) | 114
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 12th October, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on missile defence, when negotiations on the ballistic missile defence agreement began; and when agreement on the final text was reached. | | (195410) | 115
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 12th October, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on missile defence, how many officials and scientists from his Department have been seconded to the US Missile Defense Agency; what plans there are for future secondments to that Agency; how many US Department of Defense officials and scientists have been seconded to the United Kingdom Missile Defence Centre; and what plans there are for future secondments to the Centre. | | (195411) | 116
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 12th October, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on missile defence, what the (a) names and (b) qualifications are of the United Kingdom appointments to the (i) Executive Steering Committee and (ii) Senior Management Committee of the joint US/UK Ballistic Missile Defence programme. | | (195412) | 117
N | Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) actual manning and (b) establishment levels of the (i) Royal Navy (excluding the Royal Marines), (ii) Army, (iii) Royal Airforce and (iv) Royal Marines were on 31st March. | | (194955) | 118
| Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the interval between operational tours since 1999-2000 has been for the (a) Royal Armoured Corps, (b) Royal Artillery, (c) Royal Engineers, (d) Royal Signals and (e) Infantry. | | (195050) | 119
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the properties occupied (a) by his Department and (b) by its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (1) for each and (2) in aggregate (A) the area and (B) the annual rental value. | | (195428) | 120
N | Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British service personnel are registered as service voters on the armed forces personnel registration scheme; and how many were registered in 2000. | | (195222) | 121
N | Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the Armed Forces Personnel Registration Scheme moved to annual re-registration in 2000; and what assessment was made of the implications of the change for the number of servicemen registered to vote. | | (195223) | 122
| Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where the production centres which will produce combat clothing for the armed forces are located. | | (195597) | 123
| Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what measures his Department has taken to ensure that the quality of combat clothing is maintained. | | (195598) | 124
| Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what company has won the contract to supply combat clothing. | | (195599) | 125
| Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where the company who won the contract to supply combat clothing is based. | | (195600) | 126
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195626) | 127
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195659) | 128
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much financial assistance has been granted to British war (a) veterans and (b) widows living in Zimbabwe in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and what plans the Government has to provide further financial assistance. | | (195046) | 129
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much expenditure his Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195464) | 130
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195465) | 131
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what permission military helicopters require when flying over the Isle of Sheppey below 2,000 metres. | | (195140) | 132
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military helicopters have flown over the Isle of Sheppey at a height of (a) less than 1,000 metres, (b) 1,000 metres, (c) 2,000 metres and (d) over 2,000 metres since May. | | (195141) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 133
N | Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures he is taking to assist Reigate and Banstead Borough Council in housing and feeding the exiled Diego Garcians recently arrived from Mauritius; and if he will make a statement. | | (194857) | 134
N | Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what representations he has received, and when, regarding the cost to Reigate and Banstead Borough Council of housing exiled Diego Garcians now resident in Horley; and what action he has taken. | | (194859) | 135
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many neighbourhood wardens are deployed in Cornwall; and in which communities. | | (195104) | 136
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether a building design has been commissioned in relation to a regional fire control centre for the South West. | | (195131) | 137
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what decisions he has taken in relation to a regional fire control centre for the South West. | | (195268) | 138
| Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his Department's latest guidance is on proposed developments on designated greenbelt land, with particular reference to proposals for park and ride schemes. | | (195708) | 139
| Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his Department's latest guidance to local authorities is on the development of park and ride schemes. | | (195709) | 140
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which his Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was of the latest year for which figures are available. | | (195396) | 141
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had on the use of European Structural Funds to create employment in the Greater London area. | | (195375) | 142
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what arrangements are in place to seek the views of the public before planning permission for mobile phone masts is given; and if he will make a statement. | | (195586) | 143
N | Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discount on council tax is applicable for (a) second homes and (b) empty properties in each local authority area. | | (195056) | 144
N | Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will estimate the total council tax revenue (a) raised by local authorities from charging on empty homes in 2004-05 and (b) to be raised by local authorities from charging on empty homes in 2005-06. | | (195057) | 145
N | Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will estimate the total council tax revenue (a) raised by local authorities from charging on second homes in 2004-05 and (b) to be raised by local authorities from charging on second homes in 2005-06. | | (195058) | 146
| Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many hectares of land were reclassified from (a) agricultural and (b) industrial-commercial use to land for residential use in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (195134) | 147
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which local authorities have applied for Article 4 directives with respect to subdivision and sale of (a) agricultural land, (b) woodlands and (c) meadows. | | (195288) | 148
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the occasions on which (a) he and (b) other ministers in his Department have met representatives of (i) US casino operators, (ii) British casino operators and (iii) casino operators from other countries to discuss gambling issues, broken down by date of meeting. | | (195069) | 149
| Matthew Green (Ludlow):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many responses the Government received to the recent Office of the Deputy Prime Minister consultation paper Commercial property leases: options for deterring or outlawing the use of upward only rent review clauses; and if he will break down the number of responses by (a) representative organisations, (b) landlords and (c) property occupiers. | | (195433) | 150
| Matthew Green (Ludlow):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many responses the Department received to its consultation paper on commercial property leases: options for deterring or outlawing the use of upward only rent review clauses, broken down by (a) representative organisations, (b) landlords and (c) property occupiers. | | (195722) | 151
N | Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the total cost was in the financial year 2002-03 of the employers contribution to the Local Government Pension Scheme. | | (194813) | 152
N | Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether his journey to and from the studio for the BBC's Politics Show on 24th October incurred public expenditure. | | (195208) | 153
N | Ms Oona King (Bethnal Green & Bow):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average price of a 25 per cent. stake in a (a) one-bedroom, (b) two-bedroom and (c) three-bedroom shared ownership property in (i) Tower Hamlets, (ii) the East London sub-region, (iii) London and (iv) England was in the latest year for which figures are available; and what the average (A) rent and (B) service charge was on the 75 per cent. stake held by the registered social landlord in each instance. | | (194674) | 154
N | Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the overseas visits made by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Department in relation to proposed changes to legislation on gambling; what the itinerary was for each visit; how long each visit lasted; which hotels were used; what the cost was in each case; and how each visit was funded. | | (194542) | 155
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194971) | 156
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many personnel the Department has recruited under the New Deal in each of the past five years. | | (194854) | 157
| Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the special grants awarded to (a) North Lincolnshire Council and (b) North East Lincolnshire Council in each year since 1997; and what the value was of each grant. | | (195212) | 158
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what (a) funding and (b) grants additional to the rate support grant have been made available to North East Lincolnshire over the last two financial years. | | (195137) | 159
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Barker report on housing supply. | | (195162) | 160
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of net immigration on housing demand in England over the next 20 years. | | (195163) | 161
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many dwellings his Department plans to be constructed in England over the next 20 years. | | (195164) | 162
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to revise chapter 9 of the regional planning guidance in light of the Barker review; and if he will make a statement. | | (195165) | 163
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will estimate the number of houses to be demolished in each of the Pathfinder areas of England. | | (195166) | 164
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders in England; and which local authority area each covers. | | (195167) | 165
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many households were in each council tax band in England in each year since 1997-98. | | (195249) | 166
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans his Department has to revise Planning Policy Guidance Note 8. | | (195253) | 167
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what mechanisms will be put in place to resolve differences between elected local authorities over the content and adoption of a regional spatial strategy by a regional chamber. | | (195256) | 168
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what interim guidance his Department will give to district local authorities on housing numbers up to 2016 if county structure plans are withdrawn before regional spatial strategies are adopted; and if he will make a statement. | | (195257) | 169
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on allowing non-UK nationals to vote in (a) local elections, (b) regional government elections and (c) regional assembly referendums. | | (195261) | 170
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what compensation central government will make to local authorities for the extra costs of (a) the introduction of regional spatial strategies and (b) the consequent revision of existing local strategies. | | (195384) | 171
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the (a) Suffolk County Council and (b) Forest Heath District Council pension funds are in (i) surplus and (ii) deficit; and by how much. | | (195719) | 172
| Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to make payments through the local government settlement to compensate local authorities in growth areas as a result of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme making no allowance for population growth. | | (194946) | 173
N | Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of three-storey houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in England that will not be subject to the mandatory HMO licensing scheme envisaged in the Housing Bill. | | (194808) | 174
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, stating (A) for each and (B) in aggregate, the area; and what the aggregate rental value was in each year. | | (195129) | 175
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps (a) his Office and (b) its agencies are taking to ensure the Sustainable Communities plan meets or exceeds the Government's energy objectives of achieving a low carbon economy. | | (195182) | 176
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195614) | 177
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195667) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 178
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in how many of the family law cases in which it was unclear, at the time of the Association of Directors of Social Services survey in July, whether there was serious disagreement between medical practitioners as to the causes of harm to children, it is now clear that such disagreement is present. | | (195175) | 179
| Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many teaching assistants were employed in schools in Bury in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. | | (195405) | 180
| Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much was spent per pupil in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Bury in each of the last 10 years; what his estimate is for each of the next two years; and if he will make a statement. | | (195406) | 181
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what reports he has received on the milestones presently in existence for universities in respect of their admissions; whether he plans to publish them; by what means they are publicly available; and whether he expects to be informed by universities of changes in their milestones. | | (194950) | 182
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, further to the Answer of 27th October, Official Report, column 1271W, on guidance on access agreements, whether he expects the Director of Fair Access to publish the guidance to institutions on access agreements; and if he will put a copy of such guidance in the Library. | | (195383) | 183
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much money was spent within the Greater London area on drug awareness programmes in each of the last five years. | | (195377) | 184
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children were in residential care in (a) England and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire in each of the last two years. | | (194960) | 185
| Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the retention rate of scientists employed by universities. | | (195633) | 186
| Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average age is of scientists with permanent contracts employed by universities; and what the average age was 10 years ago. | | (195634) | 187
| Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the career paths open to scientists in higher education; and what plans he has to improve the career opportunities for scientists in higher education. | | (195635) | 188
| Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Royal Society of Chemistry concerning the adquacy of A level mathematics for undergraduate chemists. | | (195636) | 189
| Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to review the A level mathematics syllabus to place greater emphasis on the needs of future science undergraduates. | | (195637) | 190
| Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Royal Society regarding the adequacy of the mathematics A level for undergraduate scientists; and if he will make a statement. | | (195638) | 191
| Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the mathematics A level for students undertaking undergraduate chemistry; and if he will make a statement. | | (195639) | 192
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on proposals to review the school standards grant. | | (195548) | 193
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will assess the merits of introducing in England the changes to compulsory testing in schools in Wales made by the Welsh Assembly. | | (195581) | 194
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what support is available for people who take responsibility for grandchildren who would otherwise be in care; and if he will increase this support. | | (195609) | 195
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will assess the merits of (a) increasing the number of bands for the school standards grant and (b) allocating the school standards grant on a per pupil basis. | | (195611) | 196
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received in the past 12 months about the effectiveness of SATs. | | (195612) | 197
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what duties (a) colleges and (b) schools have with respect to access for people with disabilities; and what assessment he has made of the progress of (i) colleges and (ii) schools in complying with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. | | (195280) | 198
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will meet the Children's Commissioner for Wales to discuss the concerns of children in Usk about the transfer of sex offenders to HMP Prescoed. | | (195310) | 199
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will review the payment regime for foster carers. | | (195082) | 200
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will apply the national minimum wage rules to foster carers. | | (195083) | 201
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to introduce a national standard for fostering. | | (195084) | 202
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to assist local authorities in recruiting younger couples into the fostering profession. | | (195085) | 203
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures he plans to take to address the shortage of foster carers. | | (195086) | 204
N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many youth clubs have been run (a) by local authorities and (b) by voluntary organisations in each of the past seven years. | | (194817) | 205
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 26th October, Official Report, column 1156W, on capital funding, if he will list the specific capital programmes and the expenditure on each for (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04, (d) 2004-05 and (e) 2005-06. | | (194953) | 206
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 26th October, Official Report, column 1156W, on capital funding, what capital funding was received in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04, (d) 2004-05 and (e) 2005-06 by local education authorities (LEAs) and schools within LEAs taking part in the pilot and wave 1 projects in Building Schools for the Future. | | (194954) | 207
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much his Department paid to Capita in respect of (a) outsourcing and (b) consultancy work in (i) 2001-02, (ii) 2002-03 (iii) 2003-04 and (iv) 2004-05. | | (195048) | 208
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what criteria are being used in assessing the Building Schools for the Future bid in Lambeth. | | (195138) | 209
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to ensure that future demand for new school places in Lambeth is met. | | (195139) | 210
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proposals there are to improve the existing buildings of Lambeth's secondary schools. | | (195197) | 211
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of extending the free fruit scheme to Key Stage 2 pupils. | | (195746) | 212
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his estimate is of the (a) set up and (b) recurrent annual cost of providing free chilled milk to all children at Key Stages (i) 1 and (ii) 2. | | (195747) | 213
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194970) | 214
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the relationship will be between the proposed Integrated Children's System and the databases proposed in the Children Bill. | | (195290) | 215
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many hours' training each social care practitioner will receive before they can use the Integrated Children's Register. | | (195319) | 216
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what training will be made available to (a) social workers and (b) others expected to use the Integrated Children's Register. | | (195320) | 217
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what provisions are being made to allow children who would not be on the Child Protection Register to be placed on the Integrated Children's System. | | (195321) | 218
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which children will be listed on the Integrated Children's Register. | | (195322) | 219
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in what ways the Integrated Children's Register is different from the Child Protection Register. | | (195323) | 220
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much money each local authority will be given to run the Integrated Children's System in the first year of operation. | | (195324) | 221
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195333) | 222
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much money it will cost to implement the Integrated Children's System. | | (195334) | 223
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what data the Integrated Children's System will hold; and who will have access to it. | | (195335) | 224
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when the Integrated Children's System will be implemented. | | (195336) | 225
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans the Government have to abolish the Child Protection Register; and on what timescale. | | (195337) | 226
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the purpose is of the Integrated Children's System. | | (195338) | 227
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in which year planning for the Integrated Children's System began. | | (195339) | 228
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans there are to pilot the Integrated Children's System. | | (195340) | 229
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, who has been involved in the planning of the Integrated Children's System. | | (195341) | 230
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Gloucestershire Learning and Skills Council about its support for (a) The Prince's Trust and (b) the Connexions programmes; and if he will make a statement. | | (194669) | 231
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the funding he is providing to the Learning & Skills Council in this financial year. | | (194670) | 232
N | Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many press officers are employed in his Department; and how many were employed in each year since 1996-97. | | (195362) | 233
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average (a) middle school and (b) upper school class size in the West Suffolk constituency was in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 2003-04. | | (194988) | 234
N | Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what provisions in the Children Bill in respect of children do not apply to the children of those seeking asylum in the UK; and if he will make a statement. | | (194677) | 235
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when the Higher Education Funding Council will report on its proposals to secure the financial position of the Open University. | | (195607) | 236
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195622) | 237
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195658) | 238
| Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will estimate the impact of stress-related sickness on teacher absences; and if he will make a statement. | | (195142) | 239
| Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils lived more than three miles from the school that they attended on the latest date for which data is available. | | (195143) | 240
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195454) | 241
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much expenditure his Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195455) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 242
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which her Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (195398) | 243
N | Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20th October, Official Report, columns 695-6W, on cormorants, what non-lethal alternatives to culling she is considering to control the population of cormorants. | | (194810) | 244
N | Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20th October, Official Report, columns 695-6W, on cormorants, what action is being taken through the European Union to tackle cormorant numbers at a European level. | | (194811) | 245
N | Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20th October, Official Report, columns 695-6W, on cormorants, what advice her Department has received from the Moran Committee regarding deterrents to predation by cormorants of fish stocks. | | (194812) | 246
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the environmental impact of privately-owned leisure boats; and if she will make a statement. | | (195579) | 247
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many UK households are recycling and composting; and whether the national target is being met. | | (194165) | 248
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost was of producing and distributing the Rural Services Review, including staff time allocated to the project. | | (195277) | 249
| 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 18th to 19th October; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement. | | (195376) | 250
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what examples of best practice are available to (a) local authorities and (b) police authorities on (i) making provision for off-road motorcycles and (ii) tackling irresponsible off-road motorcycling. | | (195779) | 251
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194969) | 252
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much waste in Somerset by (a) tonnage and (b) percentage was disposed of by (i) landfill, (ii) recycling and (iii) incineration since 1997-98. | | (195147) | 253
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people in her Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195328) | 254
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the projected improvement is in emissions from aircraft engines over the next 25 years on which government predictions of emissions are based. | | (195088) | 255
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Department for Transport regarding the reduction of emissions around Heathrow. | | (195089) | 256
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received on the methodology for drawing up a noise map for Heathrow. | | (195090) | 257
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effects on emissions of mixed-mode runway operation at Heathrow. | | (195091) | 258
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what basis noise measurements will be taken to draw up a noise map for Heathrow. | | (195092) | 259
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what work her Department has undertaken to update the 1982 Social Survey on the impact of night flights around Heathrow. | | (195093) | 260
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to conduct a social survey of the impact of night flights around Heathrow. | | (195094) | 261
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action has been taken by the Government to achieve the targets recommended by the WHO Guidelines for Community Noise; and in which year she expects to attain the targets recommended in the Guidelines. | | (195095) | 262
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timetable is for transposing Directive 2002/49/EC into UK law. | | (195203) | 263
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to publish (a) a strategic noise map for Heathrow, (b) an action plan to manage noise issues around Heathrow and (c) a public consultation on plans to manage noise levels at Heathrow. | | (195204) | 264
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department will start the work to produce a strategic noise map for Heathrow. | | (195205) | 265
N | Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many press officers are employed in her Department; and how many were employed in each year since 1996-97. | | (195359) | 266
| Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total milk quota was for (a) 1994-95 and (b) 2003-04 for (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) England. | | (195206) | 267
| Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the rules relating to the transfer of milk quota from one year to the next on farmers who marginally exceed their quota; and if she will make a statement. | | (195207) | 268
N | Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether back-up grazing land belonging to commoners of the New Forest is defined as land used for horses for the purposes of the single farm payment scheme; and if she will make a statement. | | (194672) | 269
N | Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact on (a) commoning in the New Forest and (b) the character and landscape of the New Forest of the single farm payment regime; and if she will make a statement. | | (194673) | 270
N | Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was paid out under (a) the Sheep Annual Premium and (b) the Sheep National Envelope in each county in England in 2003-04; and if she will make a statement. | | (194415) | 271
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received on the new energy efficiency commitment being used to stimulate the market for micro-combined heat and power and domestic heat pumps. | | (195183) | 272
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department will take to stimulate the market for micro-combined heat and power and domestic heat pumps as a result of the recent field trials. | | (195184) | 273
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that energy efficiency measures are implemented in the Government's Sustainable Communities plans. | | (195189) | 274
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the results were of the field trials on micro-combined heat and power that her Department has been supporting. | | (195190) | 275
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195625) | 276
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195657) | 277
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many press releases have been issued by her Department in each month of 2004; and if she will make a statement. | | (195365) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 278
N | Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of exiled Diego Garcians who have been granted British citizenship with the right to reside in the UK; and if he will make a statement. | | (194858) | 279
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many countries in Africa have adopted the Protocol on the Rights of Women; and whether the protocol will by addressed by the Africa Commission. | | (195148) | 280
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals are working with the International Atomic Energy Agency; where they are posted; and how many have recently worked in Iran. | | (195149) | 281
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance the Government is providing to the Ugandan authorities in its efforts to combat the Lords Resistance Army. | | (195150) | 282
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the Government was first informed of the Equatorial Guinea attempted coup plot. | | (195151) | 283
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what talks he had with his Argentine counterpart whilst at the United Nations in September; what was discussed; and what the result was. | | (195152) | 284
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contingency plans his Department has in place in the event of the elections in Iraq not taking place in January 2005; what later date has been considered as a possible election date; and if he will make a statement on the forthcoming elections. | | (195153) | 285
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether, under the terms of the Ottawa Convention on landmines, there is an obligation on the Argentine Government to provide funding for landmine clearance in the Falkland Islands; and what obligation for landmine clearance in the Falklands rests with the (a) United Kingdom Government and (b) Argentinian Government. | | (195588) | 286
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made under the Memorandum of Understanding between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Government on landmine clearance in the Falkland Islands. | | (195589) | 287
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Minister will represent the United Kingdom at the Ottawa Convention Review in Kenya in November. | | (195590) | 288
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding the Government has made available for landmine clearance in the Falkland Islands since the Ottawa Convention came into force. | | (195591) | 289
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many landmines were lifted in the Falkland Islands during the periods (a) 1997 to 2001 and (b) 2001 to 2004. | | (195592) | 290
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in clearing landmines in the Falkland Islands since the Ottawa Convention was signed in 1997. | | (195593) | 291
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Spanish authorities in relation to (a) Mr Peter Devlin and (b) other Cornish divers awaiting trial in Galicia. | | (195132) | 292
| Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what projects are undertaken by (a) British embassies and (b) the British Council to offer members of overseas parliaments free lessons to learn the English language; and if he will make a statement. | | (195707) | 293
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the work of the British Council in Vietnam. | | (195550) | 294
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Gibraltar; and which issues were discussed. | | (195587) | 295
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had witht the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in connection with arrests of Christians in Kaifeng City and Sujiazhuang on 6th August and what representations he has made to the Chinese Government about expanding religious freedom. | | (195545) | 296
N | Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations have been made by the UK Government to the Cuban Government for the release of (a) Jorge Perez (Autunez) and (b) Dr Biscet. | | (195053) | 297
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterparts concerning measures to protect (a) Christian communities and (b) Christian churches from terrorist attacks in Iraq. | | (195064) | 298
N | Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the UN on the statement made by the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that UNRWA employs Hamas members. | | (194816) | 299
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list (a) businesses throughout Scotland and (b) non-governmental agencies with whom the Government is working in advance of the G8 Summit. | | (195119) | 300
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support, including financial support, is to be provided to Perth and Kinross Council to prepare for the G8 Summit. | | (195120) | 301
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what arrangements are in place to ensure that businesses based in Perth and Kinross benefit from the holding of the G8 Summit in Gleneagles. | | (195121) | 302
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what related events the Government intends to hold (a) at and (b) in advance of the G8 Summit; and where. | | (195122) | 303
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to compensate businesses and individuals in Perth and Kinross who suffer loss as a direct result of the holding of the G8 Summit in Gleneagles. | | (195123) | 304
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment has been made of the environmental impact of the 2005 G8 Summit on Perth and Kinross. | | (195258) | 305
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance is being provided by the Scottish Executive to his Department in connection with the (a) identification and (b) facilitation of access to local businesses and organisations for the sourcing of local products and services (i) in preparation for and (ii) during the G8 Summit in Gleneagles. | | (195259) | 306
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total cost in each of the last three financial years was of his Department's internal disciplinary procedures; and how much was spent on (a) external lawyers and (b) commissioning independent experts and adjudications. | | (195794) | 307
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the disciplinary complaints procedure used in relation to senior officials in his Department. | | (195795) | 308
| Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 26th October, reference 191784, if he will break down the development of Iraq's national economy, referred to in paragraph 3, page 3 of the ISG, Regime Finance and Procurement, by (a) industry, (b) banking and (c) services; what the value was of each category; and who the financial partners were of such activities. | | (195194) | 309
| Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 26th October, reference 191784, if he will list those import items, prohibited under UN sanctions, referred to in paragraph 2, page 3 of the ISG Regime Finance and Procurement, by (a) type, (b) quantity and (c) value; and if he will list those trade intermediaries involved in these activities. | | (195195) | 310
| Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 26th October, reference 191784, whether he was informed in July 2000 of claims by the Iraqi Ba'athist paper, Al Thawrah, of victory over UN sanctions; and when he urged the UN to take steps to restore sanctions. | | (195196) | 311
| Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 26th October, reference 191798, if he will list the UN sanctions that had collapsed by August 2001, referred to in paragraph 3, page 3 of ISG Regime Finance and Procurement. | | (195198) | 312
| Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 26th October, reference 191798, whether he was informed in August 2001 of the statement by Iraqi Foreign Minister Sabri that UN sanctions efforts had collapsed; and when he urged the UN to take steps to restore sanctions. | | (195199) | 313
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26th October, Official Report, column 1177W, on Iraq, what factors obstructed verification of the 45 minute claim between the start of the US-led administration in Iraq and the publication of (a) the Hutton Report and (b) the Butler Report. | | (195793) | 314
| Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 1st September from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Pastor D. Lindsay. | | (195515) | 315
| Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 23rd August from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Ms Saira Ash. | | (195516) | 316
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195327) | 317
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps will be taken to protect polling stations in Iraq from suicide bombers. | | (195216) | 318
N | Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what changes have been made to the text of the Annual Report on Human Rights since the decision to delay publication. | | (195243) | 319
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure independent monitoring of the forthcoming elections in Iraq. | | (195179) | 320
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role the Government plans for the UN in ensuring independent monitoring of the forthcoming elections in Iraq. | | (195180) | 321
N | Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many press officers are employed in his Department; and how many were employed in each year since 1996-97. | | (195358) | 322
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps have been taken to facilitate the implementation of the 2002 world court ruling on Badme in the context of the Eritrea - Ethiopia border dispute. | | (195437) | 323
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many visas were granted to Gabonese students through the British High Commission in Yaoundé in Cameroon in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on these arrangements. | | (195438) | 324
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has for the establishment of a British (a) Consulate and (b) Embassy in Gabon; and if he will make a statement. | | (195439) | 325
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the EU Savings Directive will be implemented in Bermuda. | | (195480) | 326
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list for each British overseas territory the population and the number of elected representatives at the highest local level of responsible government. | | (195429) | 327
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list for each British overseas territory, the responsibilities which in England would be those of a central government department but which in that territory are exercised by (a) him and (b) the Crown's representative. | | (195430) | 328
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195624) | 329
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195656) | 330
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will estimate the number of British war (a) veterans and (b) widows living in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. | | (195044) | 331
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) financial and (b) physical wellbeing of British war (i) veterans and (ii) widows living in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. | | (195045) | 332
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans Her Majesty's Government has to organise the emergency repatriation of British war (a) veterans and (b) widows living in Zimbabwe who express a wish to return to the UK; and if he will make a statement. | | (195047) | 333
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195460) | 334
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much expenditure his Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195461) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 335
| Mr Harold Best (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to reduce cholesterol levels in the adult population. | | (195481) | 336
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many inpatients in the Primary Care Trust covering the Sedgefield constituency had to wait more than (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) 12 months for treatment in each year since 1997; and what the percentage change was in each case. | | (195101) | 337
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what changes there have been to NHS waiting list times for residents of the Sedgefield constituency in the past seven years. | | (195102) | 338
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what changes there have been to NHS waiting list times for residents of South West Surrey in the past seven years. | | (195087) | 339
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many inpatients in the primary health trust covering South West Surrey had to wait more than (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) 12 months for treatment in each year since 1997; and what the percentage change was in each case. | | (195100) | 340
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what safeguards have been put in place by his Department to ensure that specialist services not paid for under Payment by Results will be protected in the eventuality of overspends on services which are covered by the national tariff. | | (195401) | 341
| Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children aged (a) up to five, (b) five to 10 and (c) 10 to 14 years are currently being treated with ritalin within (a) North East Bedfordshire, (b) Bedford Primary Care Trust area and (c) Bedfordshire Heartlands Primary Care Trust; what percentage of children within each cohort these figures represent; and if he will make a statement. | | (195766) | 342
| Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of studies of the relationships between diet and hyperactivity or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children; whether he has plans for further studies in this area; and if he will make a statement. | | (195767) | 343
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS dentists operate in West Oxfordshire; and how many were operating in West Oxfordshire in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001. | | (195432) | 344
| Derek Conway (Old Bexley & Sidcup):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the withdrawal of B144 blood-testing strips from NHS prescription supply. | | (195521) | 345
| Derek Conway (Old Bexley & Sidcup):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing blood-testing meters to those qualifying for financial assistance with NHS prescriptions in each of the last five years. | | (195522) | 346
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent measures his Department has taken to increase the awareness in schools in the Greater London area of the dangers of smoking. | | (195366) | 347
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people living in Greater London have dementia; and how many of them are over the age of 65. | | (195367) | 348
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) men and (b) women living in the Greater London area suffer from Alzheimer's disease. | | (195368) | 349
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people living in the Greater London area have been treated under the NHS in European hospitals; and if he will make a statement. | | (195369) | 350
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many members of staff working in accident and emergency departments in hospitals in the Greater London area have been assaulted by members of the general public during the last 12 months. | | (195370) | 351
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) men and (b) women living in the Greater London area are HIV positive. | | (195371) | 352
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on provision for residential drug treatment centres in England. | | (195789) | 353
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients are waiting for (a) hearing aids and (b) other audiology treatment at St George's Hospital, Tooting. | | (195790) | 354
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women have been treated with IVF treatment at St George's Hospital, Tooting in each of the last three years. | | (195791) | 355
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the use of agency nurses within NHS hospitals within the Greater London area. | | (195792) | 356
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions with which (a) organisations and (b) individuals his Department has held discussions on the practice of sexual mutilation of young women. | | (195796) | 357
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he has issued on improving patient care through reducing hospital-aquired infections. | | (195486) | 358
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the work of Directors of Infection Control. | | (195487) | 359
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the role of the newly established Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Agency. | | (195488) | 360
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding Southport Primary Care Trust and Halton Primary Care Trust will receive to establish new walk-in centres. | | (195489) | 361
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether all NHS organisations in Cheshire and Merseyside have updated their winter plans. | | (195491) | 362
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many trusts have maintained maximum 9-months wait for in-patient/daycase admissions in (a) England and (b) Crosby since July 2003. | | (195492) | 363
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average change in the total inpatient/daycase waiting list has been in (a) England and (b) Crosby since July 2003. | | (195493) | 364
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many trusts have maintained the maximum 17-week wait for general practitioner referrals to see a consultant in (a) the UK and (b) Crosby since July 2003. | | (195494) | 365
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of patients' deaths occurred within 30 days of surgery in Hull and the East Riding in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. | | (194956) | 366
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in Hull and the East Riding waited 13 weeks or more for an out-patient appointment in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. | | (194957) | 367
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients admitted to Accident and Emergency in Hull and the East Riding in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004 waited for more than 12 hours before being treated or transferred to a ward. | | (194958) | 368
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were waiting for a referral to a specialist from their general practitioner at the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by (a) clinical area and (b) length of wait. | | (194959) | 369
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff were employed in the accident and emergency departments in Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust on 1st October (a) 2004 and (b) 2003, broken down by grade. | | (194973) | 370
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many beds were available in the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in the last two quarters for which figures are available. | | (194974) | 371
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004 in Hull and the East Riding waited longer than eight weeks after being referred to a cancer specialist. | | (194975) | 372
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children in Hull and East Riding were registered with an NHS dentist on (a) 1st September 2003 and (b) 1st September 2004. | | (194976) | 373
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what call statistics have been collated for the East Riding NHS Direct call centre in Willerby for the last 12 months. | | (194977) | 374
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many operations in Hull and the East Riding in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004 were cancelled for non-clinical reasons; and what proportion of admissions these figures represent in each case. | | (194978) | 375
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients in Hull and the East Riding had smear tests in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. | | (195136) | 376
| Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Regulator of NHS foundation trusts completed the vetting of the finances of each successful applicant for foundation status. | | (195080) | 377
| Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that the requirements set out in guidance to Ministers on answering parliamentary questions apply equally to answers given by chairs of NHS foundation trusts, with particular reference to the requirement that answers should not be misleading. | | (195130) | 378
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information is provided by the NHS to women on treatment options for (a) menorrhagia and (b) uterine fibroids; and what alternatives to hysterectomy are available through the NHS for the treatment of each condition. | | (195029) | 379
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many adverse incidents have been recorded from (a) uterine fibroid embolisation, (b) endometrial ablation and (c) hysterectomy, in each year since 1999. | | (195030) | 380
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of post-hysterectomy treatment, including drug therapy, in the last year for which figures are available. | | (195031) | 381
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase the number of clinicians performing interventional radiology. | | (195032) | 382
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of British citizens in possession of E111 forms issued (a) before and (b) after August; and if he will make a statement. | | (195073) | 383
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens who required medical treatment while on holiday in the EU in each year from 1997, broken down by those (a) in possession and (b) not in possession of an E111 form; and if he will make a statement. | | (195074) | 384
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens who may travel after 31st December without a valid E111 form; and if he will make a statement. | | (195075) | 385
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dental technicians had the necessary skills to construct dentures in England in each year since 1997. | | (195523) | 386
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is on access to dentures on the NHS. | | (195524) | 387
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of dentists' training dealt with dentures in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (195525) | 388
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to ensure that older people can obtain dentures on the NHS; and if he will make a statement. | | (195527) | 389
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which staff are permitted to take impressions to make and fit dentures; which regulations apply to this; and if he will make a statement. | | (195532) | 390
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of dentures provided illegally in each year since 1997. | | (195533) | 391
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what fees patients are charged on the NHS for dentures. | | (195594) | 392
N | Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the 11 individuals appointed to the post of National Clinical Director or its equivalent. | | (194738) | 393
N | Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) salaries and (b) payments have been made to the 11 individuals appointed to the post of National Clinical Director or its equivalent since their appointments; and if he will make a statement. | | (194740) | 394
N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the vacancy rate is for midwives for each hospital trust. | | (195272) | 395
N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time is for radiotherapy treatment for people diagnosed with breast cancer for each strategic health authority. | | (195274) | 396
N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the ratio is of radiotherapy machines to population in each strategic health authority area; and what the average waiting time is for radiotherapy treatment in each of those areas. | | (195275) | 397
N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) paediatric beds and (b) paediatric wards there were in each strategic health authority area for each of the past five years. | | (195276) | 398
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure that health and social care professionals carry out a full assessment of capacity about the matter in question when planning or providing health and social care to someone whose capacity is in doubt. | | (194735) | 399
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support will be given to an individual to enable them to express their wishes when an assessment of individual capacity is carried out by health and social care professionals. | | (194807) | 400
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the health expenditure per head of the population in Chesterfield constituency has been in each year since 1997. | | (195577) | 401
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the patient choice agenda extends to mental health patients. | | (195783) | 402
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients with severe mental health problems have access to (a) useful information and (b) the highest quality treatments. | | (195784) | 403
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implementation of current guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in relation to atypical antipsychotics. | | (195785) | 404
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what monitoring he undertakes of the extent to which patients with newly diagnosed schizophrenia are being offered a clear choice of treatment, in line with guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and what assessment he has made of the barriers to implement that guidance. | | (195786) | 405
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the proposed five-yearly review of the national service framework for mental health will examine issues relating to patient choice, with particular reference to (a) the availability of cognitive behaviour therapy and (b) implementation of guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence for atypical antipsychotics where choice is central to that guidance. | | (195787) | 406
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what objectives he has set the National Director for Mental Health in relation to patient choice. | | (195788) | 407
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194968) | 408
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost of the cleanyourhands campaign has been since June 2003; and what the estimated cost of the campaign is for each of the next two years. | | (195037) | 409
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research he (a) has commissioned and (b) intends to commission on the cleanyourhands campaign. | | (195038) | 410
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the research projects he (a) has commissioned and (b) plans to commission on reducing hospital acquired infections which will be funded from the Winning Ways programme; how much funding will be allocated to each project; what completion date he will set for each project; and what projects have been commissioned with funding from other sources. | | (195039) | 411
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list (a) the research initiatives he has commissioned into hospital acquired infections in the last year and (b) the funding source for each initiative. | | (195040) | 412
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what sources of funding are available for research into hospital acquired infections. | | (195041) | 413
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evidence he used as the basis for introducing the cleanyourhands campaign. | | (195146) | 414
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many agency temporary staff have been working for his Department in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally. | | (195248) | 415
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in (a) the NHS and (b) his Department earn a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 or more. | | (195326) | 416
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures he will take to improve the retention of junior doctors wishing to train part-time. | | (194986) | 417
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase post-graduate deanery budgets to accommodate (a) part-time training and (b) increasing numbers of junior doctors. | | (194987) | 418
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 1st September, Official Report, columns 886-7W, on dentistry, how many enquiries the returning to dentistry response line received; how many application forms were sent out; and how many have been returned indicating a willingness to return to work in NHS dentistry. | | (195033) | 419
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer to the honourable Member for Altrincham and Sale West, of 1st September, Official Report, column 888W, on dentistry, when the chief dental officer expects to report back on the findings of the working group on extra training places; who the members of the working group will be; and whether the remit will include assessment of the requirement for a new dental school. | | (195034) | 420
N | Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria are used to determine whether patients may (a) opt out of and (b) anonymise entries in the National Programme for IT in the NHS. | | (195078) | 421
N | Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of funding charges necessary to support the medical training requirements of the European Working Time Directive. | | (195079) | 422
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer to the honourable Member for Pendle, of 14th September, Official Report, columns 1122-3, on dental schools, what system of commissioning is in place to report the dental workforce figures. | | (195118) | 423
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information is provided by his Department to (a) primary care trusts, (b) general practitioners and (c) hospital staff to inform patients about the risk of hospital-acquired infections. | | (195281) | 424
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of unemployment levels among non-UK trained junior doctors living in England. | | (195580) | 425
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much central funding was given to postgraduate deaneries in each year since 1997. | | (195724) | 426
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether patients awaiting neck surgery will be affected by the investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Service into the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust as a result of the appointment of the head of neck surgery as the acting chief executive. | | (195305) | 427
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which hospitals will be affected by the NHS Counter-Fraud Service inquiry into the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. | | (195306) | 428
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that any financial shortfall discovered by the NHS Counter Fraud Service inquiry into the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust arising from financial misconduct or other irregularities will be made good from public funds. | | (195307) | 429
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the findings of the inquiry by the NHS Counter Fraud Service into the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust will be made public. | | (195308) | 430
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the inquiry by the NHS Counter Fraud Service into the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust will report. | | (195309) | 431
| Mr Peter Pike (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what provision his Department has made to provide help to those who want to quit smoking to access services where they work, where this is different from where they are registered as a health patient; and if he will make a statement. | | (195731) | 432
| Mr Peter Pike (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people attended the smoking cessation clinic held on the Parliamentary Estate on 2nd March; what plans there are to run a quit clinic within the Parliamentary Estate in the near future; and if he will make a statement. | | (195732) | 433
| Mr Peter Pike (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received regarding barriers to accessing smoking cessation clinics; and if he will make a statement. | | (195733) | 434
| Mr Peter Pike (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received regarding difficulties in accessing smoking cessation clinics for those who travel to work or work irregular hours; what proposals he has to enable more people to access one-to-one or group support who wish to stop smoking; and if he will make a statement. | | (195734) | 435
| Mr Peter Pike (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has received representations from those within the Parliamentary Estate to provide smoking cessation services within the Estate for staff of the House, Members of both Houses and their staff; and if he will make a statement. | | (195735) | 436
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have required hospital treatment for whiplash arising from a car accident in each year since 2000. | | (195214) | 437
N | Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many press officers are employed in his Department; and how many were employed in each year since 1996-97. | | (195357) | 438
| Phil Sawford (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his estimate is of the total cost of implementing Agenda for Change; and if he will ensure that these costs are fully funded by central government. | | (195144) | 439
| Phil Sawford (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that sufficient supplies of vaccine are available for the different types of influenza that may reach the British Isles in the coming winter; and if he will make a statement. | | (195145) | 440
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to take up recommendation 9 from chapter 4 of the final report of the Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters concerning the availability of data sets from Russia, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine on worker exposure to radiation. | | (195392) | 441
| David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the findings of the Health Development Agency's study into the number of smoking-attributable deaths in the UK each year will be published. | | (195059) | 442
| Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research has been done into the effects of Aimspro on MS sufferers. | | (195648) | 443
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people are employed by the NHS Logistics Authority in (a) the Hemsworth constituency, (b) the Yorkshire and Humber region and (c) England. | | (195024) | 444
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 22nd July, Official Report, columns 73-77WS, on reducing bureaucracy, what assessment he has made of the future role of private contractors in NHS procurement. | | (195025) | 445
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total budget of the NHS Logistics Authority was in each of the last five years. | | (195026) | 446
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with trade unions in relation to the proposed abolition of the NHS Logistics Authority. | | (195027) | 447
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the future of the NHS Logistics Authority. | | (195028) | 448
| Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent in each year since 1990 by Leeds Primary Care Trust and its predecessor health care commissioning bodies. | | (195379) | 449
| Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding has been received in each year since 1990 by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and its predecessor bodies. | | (195380) | 450
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department records and collates alcohol-related deaths that fall outside the scope of the World Health Organisation ICD 10 codings for death directly attributable to alcohol. | | (195781) | 451
| Mr Bill Tynan (Hamilton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many alcohol-related deaths were recorded in England and Wales in each of the last five years. | | (195782) | 452
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195623) | 453
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195655) | 454
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195444) | 455
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195445) | 456
| Tony Wright (Cannock Chase):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to compensate the voluntary sector if statutory agencies do not meet the full cost of their public service provision by the 2006 deadline set by the Treasury's Crosscutting Review. | | (195287) | 457
| Tony Wright (Cannock Chase):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his response to the Report of the Health Select Committee on Palliative Care, if he will implement a strategy to test the cost-benefits arising from a shift towards more patients dying in their homes as recommended by the Committee. | | (195289) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 458
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers were deployed in the Falmouth and Camborne constituency in each year from 1997 to 2004. | | (195081) | 459
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many community safety officers are deployed in Cornwall. | | (195103) | 460
| Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on UK citizenship for the Gurkhas. | | (195535) | 461
| Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many occurrences of each category of crime there have been in Bournemouth in each year since 1997. | | (195536) | 462
| Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in Bournemouth since their introduction. | | (195710) | 463
| Mr David Atkinson (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many alcohol-related crimes have been reported in Bournemouth in each year since 1997. | | (195711) | 464
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers regarding efforts to raise the public awareness of the new laws on firework misuse. | | (195158) | 465
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which his Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (195393) | 466
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many full-time equivalent consultants from PA Consulting are advising his Department on the design of the National Identity Card Programme; what the average annual cost per consultant is; what the total cost of the consultants is; and if he will make a statement. | | (195696) | 467
| Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects to publish the report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman on the incident at Yarls Wood Detention centre in February 2003; and if he will make a statement. | | (195706) | 468
| Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions there have been against restaurants for failing to display their policy on GM foods in each year since August 1999. | | (195716) | 469
| Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions have been brought against restaurants for failing to display their policy on GM foods in each year since August 1999. | | (195717) | 470
| Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans further studies into the relationship between diet and behaviour in prisons and young offender institutions; and if he will make a statement. | | (195721) | 471
| Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is his policy to apply for full planning permission from local authorities in relation to the location of new sex offender treatment centres; and if he will make a statement. | | (195748) | 472
| Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to change diets in (a) prisons and (b) young offender institutions, following recent studies on the effects of diet on behaviour. | | (195768) | 473
| Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what analysis he has made of the study at Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution Aylesbury of connections between diet and behaviour; and if he will make a statement. | | (195769) | 474
| Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects to make a substantive response to the Question tabled by the honourable Member for Cambridge for named day answer on 22nd July, reference 184736. | | (195544) | 475
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions for the (a) production and (b) distribution of child pornography there have been during the last 12 months. | | (195378) | 476
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) men and (b) women hold the rank of prison governor in prisons in England and Wales. | | (195583) | 477
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to introduce reforms of police disciplinary procedures for the Metropolitan Police; and if he will make a statement. | | (195584) | 478
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what initiatives his Department have implemented to reduce the number of car thefts. | | (194168) | 479
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the integration of community support officers into a long-term policing strategy. | | (195475) | 480
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the future funding of (a) community support officers and (b) regular officers. | | (195476) | 481
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the implementation of Airwave technology to the police force. | | (195477) | 482
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he will take to ensure that funding is available for moves to new technology in the police force. | | (195478) | 483
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how cost implications of new technology for the police force are assessed and monitored by the Department. | | (195479) | 484
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the proportion of (a) sex offenders and (b) the general population who have been victims of sexual or physical abuse as children. | | (195482) | 485
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is available for victims in sex abuse cases after they give their testimony; and what percentage of victims make use of this support. | | (195483) | 486
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what types of support and therapy are available to victims in sex abuse cases as their case advances through the criminal justice system. | | (195484) | 487
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there are victim advocates to support victims in sex abuse cases. | | (195485) | 488
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the legal definition is of a sex offender. | | (195495) | 489
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether policing trends have been identified as problematic by the Criminal Cases Review Commission in their review of historical sex abuse cases. | | (195496) | 490
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the police received in funding from the Government in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003. | | (195551) | 491
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of known child sex abuse victims received help from (a) sexual assault referral centres, (b) the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, (c) Family Matters, (d) Lifeline and (e) other victim support groups in each of the last seven years. | | (195727) | 492
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what treatment and support is available for child victims of physical abuse; and what percentage of known victims made use of this help, in each of the last five years. | | (195728) | 493
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many British police officers have visited Iraq in an official capacity since the fall of Saddam Hussein; and what the purposes of the visits were. | | (194962) | 494
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes were committed by juvenile offenders in (a) Haltemprice and Howden, (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (c) the Humberside police authority area in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available; and how many cautions were issued. | | (194980) | 495
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrestees in (a) Haltemprice and Howden, (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (c) the Humberside police authority area tested positive for category A and B drugs in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available. | | (194981) | 496
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will provide figures relating as closely as possible to the Gloucester constituency for changes in (a) crime and (b) police numbers since 1997. | | (195546) | 497
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional funding is available to police authorities from central funds to implement (a) the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and (b) the Freedom of Information Act 2000. | | (195295) | 498
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons Gloucestershire Constabulary was not fully re-funded for the cost of policing RAF Fairfield during the recent Iraqi conflict. | | (195296) | 499
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of police funding in each local police authority area was provided by (a) the Government and (b) council tax in each of the last four years. | | (195297) | 500
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much central Government grant was given to each police authority to counter terrorism in 2003-04. | | (195298) | 501
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the estimated cost to police authorities is in this financial year of increased British Medical Association recommended charges for police surgeons. | | (195299) | 502
| Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what advice was sought from the Children's Commissioner for Wales about the decision to transfer sex offenders to open conditions at HMP Prescoed; and if he will request an assessment of the risk to children from the Children's Commissioner. | | (195311) | 503
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the occasions on which (a) he, and (b) other ministers in his Department have met representatives of (a) US casino operators, (b) British casino operators and (c) casino operators from other countries to discuss gambling issues, broken down by date of meeting. | | (195070) | 504
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been made under the domestic violence rule; and how many have involved children. | | (195629) | 505
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications under the domestic violence rule have been subject to judicial review. | | (195630) | 506
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications under the domestic violence rule were accepted when the initial decision was made; and how many were refused. | | (195631) | 507
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applicants who were refused permission to stay, under the domestic violence rule, appealed; and how many of those appeals were successful. | | (195632) | 508
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the outcome of his Department's research and monitoring into the number of cases of women applying under the domestic violence rule. | | (195640) | 509
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce a general fund for victims of domestic violence. | | (195641) | 510
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will change the immigration and benefits rules to exempt victims of domestic violence subject to immigration control from the no recourse to public funds requirement. | | (195642) | 511
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the reasons for refusal of applications under the domestic violence rule. | | (195643) | 512
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long it has taken, on average, to reach the first positive decision for applications under the domestic violence rule. | | (195649) | 513
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to extend the types of evidence required to prove domestic violence under the immigration rules. | | (195650) | 514
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to extend the domestic violence rule to protect all women subjected to domestic violence and immigration control. | | (195651) | 515
| Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Thailand regarding the prisoner transfer agreement concluded in 1992. | | (195715) | 516
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what examples of best practice are available to (a) local authorities and (b) police authorities on (i) making provision for off-road motorcycles and (ii) tackling irresponsible off-road motorcycling. | | (195780) | 517
| Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to classify wildlife crime as recordable. | | (195342) | 518
| Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the number of badgers killed illegally by badger baiters in each of the last five years. | | (195349) | 519
| Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many successful prosecutions against badger baiters there have been in each of the last five years. | | (195350) | 520
| Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will publish detailed proposals to reduce the level of wildlife crime. | | (195351) | 521
| Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the link between wildlife crime and organised crime. | | (195352) | 522
| Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to ensure the employment of at least one full-time wildlife crime officer by each police force. | | (195353) | 523
| Mr Nigel Jones (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces have a full time wildlife crime officer. | | (195354) | 524
| Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 14th September from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Hanaf Attita. | | (195517) | 525
| Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 22nd September from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mrs R. Faiz. | | (195518) | 526
| Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 9th September from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Dr Yousef Daabaj. | | (195519) | 527
| Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 14th September from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr A. Hussain, transferred to him by the Attorney General. | | (195520) | 528
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194967) | 529
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many agency temporary staff have been working for his Department in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally. | | (195247) | 530
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195325) | 531
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the problem of unregistered polygamous marriages; and if he will make a statement. | | (195466) | 532
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what new measures his Department has taken to tackle the problem of sham marriages which are entered into by individuals in order to obtain the right to remain in the UK. | | (195467) | 533
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions have been brought in the last 12 months against people who were suspected of destroying their travel documents. | | (195468) | 534
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have arrived at UK (a) airports and (b) ports without any or any proper documentation and subsequently claimed asylum in each of the last 12 months. | | (195469) | 535
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff are currently processing the exceptional indefinite leave to remain exercise applications; whether there is a backlog; and if he will make a statement. | | (195470) | 536
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of initial decisions on asylum applications have been successfully appealed in the last 12 months. | | (195471) | 537
| Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department has taken in the last 12 months to improve its ability to deter people who attempt to acquire refugee status by giving a false nationality or country or region of origin. | | (195472) | 538
| Mr Stephen Pound (Ealing North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been charged within the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Police Service with the use of a mobile telephone while driving, at the latest date for which records are available. | | (195185) | 539
| Mr Stephen Pound (Ealing North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will require the Metropolitan Police Service to publish details of convictions for driving while using a mobile telephone on a borough basis. | | (195186) | 540
N | Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many press officers are employed in his Department; and how many were employed in each year since 1996-97. | | (195356) | 541
| Mr Malcolm Savidge (Aberdeen North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to change the law on murder, with particular reference to the partial defence of provocation in domestic homicide. | | (195300) | 542
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which local authority wards comprise each police authority basic command unit in England and Wales. | | (195176) | 543
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much his Department spent in each year since 2002 on employing (a) external management consultants and (b) external human resources consultants; and if he will make a statement. | | (195763) | 544
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what classification of drugs has taken place in Thames Valley Police area during the last 12 months. | | (195606) | 545
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been employed by Thames Valley Police in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) basic command unit. | | (195608) | 546
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195621) | 547
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195654) | 548
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the current time taken for British passport holders to pass through passport control at Heathrow Terminal One. | | (195534) | 549
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are taken to ensure that British passport holders returning to the UK are dealt with (a) effectively and (b) efficiently at passport control points. | | (195537) | 550
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will encourage police forces to have cheaper alternatives to alloy wheels fitted to police vehicles. | | (195770) | 551
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195381) | 552
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much expenditure his Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195382) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 553
N | Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the budget is of the Government's Africa Commission; which Department oversees the budget; and what the criteria are governing expenditure. | | (195135) | 554
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when the IPPD2 Ghana payroll system project started; what the initial contract value of the project was; what the projected total contract value is; what the (a) original and (b) current estimated completion date is; and what assessment has been made of the value for money represented by the project. | | (194942) | 555
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy services, if he will list the contracts awarded to Options Consultancy Services Ltd in 1999-2000, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195739) | 556
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to Arcadis BMB in 2001-02 listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195740) | 557
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to ATOS KPMG Consulting Ltd in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2002-03; what was conducted under the contract; what the value of the contracts was; and in which country the work was conducted. | | (195741) | 558
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the new contracts awarded to each consultancy during 2003-04; what work was conducted under each contract; and in which country. | | (195742) | 559
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to Oxford Policy management Ltd in each year from 2000-01 to 2002-03, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract, (b ) the value of the contract and (c) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195743) | 560
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to the British Council in each year from 1999-2000 to 2002-03, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract and (b) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195744) | 561
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to Deloitte & Touche South Africa in 2002-03, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract and (b) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195745) | 562
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to Maxwell Stamp plc in 2002-03, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract and (b) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195749) | 563
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to WSP International Ltd in each year from 1999-2000 to 2001-02, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract and (b) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195750) | 564
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to Question 190907, if he will list the contracts awarded to Futures Group Europe Ltd, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract and (b) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195751) | 565
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to IHSD Ltd/HLSP in each year from 1999-2000 to 2002-03, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195752) | 566
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to Question 190907, if he will list the contracts awarded to GRM International Ltd, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195753) | 567
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to Question 190907, if he will list the contracts awarded to Roughton International, listing the type of work conducted under the contract, the value of the contract and the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195754) | 568
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to Question 190907, if he will list the contracts awarded to Enterprise plc, listing the type of work conducted under the contract, the value of the contract and the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195755) | 569
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to Adam Smith International Ltd in each year from 1999-2000 to 2002-03, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195756) | 570
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy services, if he will list the contracts awarded to The Crown Agents for Overseas Governments and Administrations Ltd in each year from 1999-2000 to 2002-03, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195757) | 571
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 19th October, Official Report, columns 562-4W, on consultancy firms, if he will list the contracts awarded to PricewaterhouseCoopers in1999-2000, listing (a) the type of work conducted under the contract, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the country in which the work was conducted. | | (195758) | 572
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the work of his Department in Vietnam; and what relationship his Department has with the Government of Vietnam. | | (195549) | 573
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of St Helena on the improvement of transport facilities to and from the island. | | (195373) | 574
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what payments were made to Turkey in each of the last three years; for what purpose this money was paid; and if he will make a statement. | | (195585) | 575
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan on the possibility of helping with their funding. | | (195279) | 576
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many personnel the Department has recruited under the New Deal in each of the past five years. | | (194855) | 577
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195283) | 578
N | Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many press officers are employed in his Department; and how many were employed in each year since 1996-97. | | (195360) | 579
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195620) | 580
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195653) | 581
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195364) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 582
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether a review of out-of-school play care provision within Northern Ireland has been conducted; and if he will make a statement. | | (195778) | 583
N | Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many press officers the Department has employed in each of the past five years. | | (195269) | 584
N | Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) contractors, (b) sub contractors and (c) their employees have (i) been refused and (ii) had withdrawn security clearance to work in prison and security force establishments in each year since 2000, to date. | | (195051) | 585
N | Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many of the fire tenders manufactured by Sidhean Teo of Galway and delivered to the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade in July are now in full operational service. | | (195052) | 586
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patients and what proportion of relevant patients had to wait (a) up to six months, (b) six to 12 months, (c) 12 to 18 months and (d) more than 18 months for hospital inpatient or day treatment in each of the last four years in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) each health and social services board area and (iii) each health and social services trust. | | (195363) | 587
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many delayed discharge days there were in each of the last four years in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) each health and social services board area and (c) each health and social services trust. | | (195413) | 588
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what percentage of patients had to wait more than two hours in accident and emergency departments in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) each health and social services board area and (c) each health and social services trust between a clinician's decision to admit and admission to a ward in each year since 2000-01; and if he will make a statement. | | (195414) | 589
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of three to five year olds in Northern Ireland are registered with a general dental practitioner. | | (195415) | 590
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of two year olds in Northern Ireland are registered with a general dental practitioner. | | (195416) | 591
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the rate of uptake of primary immunisations is for children aged 12 months in Northern Ireland. | | (195417) | 592
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the rate of uptake of the MMR vaccination is among children aged 24 months in Northern Ireland. | | (195418) | 593
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the coverage is of the cervical screening programme in Northern Ireland. | | (195419) | 594
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the uptake rate is for breast cancer screening in Northern Ireland. | | (195420) | 595
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patients in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) each health and social services board area and (c) each health and social services trust were waiting more than 18 months for hospital inpatient or day treatment in (i) June 2002 and (ii) June of each year since; and if he will make a statement. | | (195421) | 596
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people waiting for hospital inpatient or day treatment (a) in Northern Ireland, (b) in each health and social services board area and (c) each health and social services trust in (i) June 2002 and (ii) June of each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement. | | (195422) | 597
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the estimated level of patient exemption fraud was in the family practitioners service in each financial year from 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. | | (195423) | 598
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average waiting time is for each speciality in elective surgery in each (a) health and social services board and (b) health and social services trust; what the equivalent figures for the last three financial years were; and if he will make a statement. | | (195424) | 599
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) days and (b) days per full-time equivalent employee were lost through staff sickness in each of the last four financial years in each (i) health and social services board and (ii) health and social services trust; and if he will make a statement. | | (195425) | 600
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many temporary classrooms there are in schools in Northern Ireland; how many there were at the end of each financial year since 2000-01; and if he will make a statement. | | (195435) | 601
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the backlog was of (a) high priority and (b) other maintenance work in the schools estate in Northern Ireland at (i) 31st March 2001, (ii) 31st March 2002, (iii) 31st March 2003, (iv) 31st March 2004; what the backlog is now; and if he will make a statement. | | (195436) | 602
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether it is his policy to introduce (a) regional and (b) local pay for the public sector in Northern Ireland. | | (195530) | 603
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many cells in prisons in Northern Ireland are occupied by more prisoners than those cells were designed to hold. | | (195531) | 604
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many Civil Service posts there are in each department, agency and non-departmental public body in Northern Ireland; what the planned number of posts in each is for (a) 31st March 2005, (b) 31st March 2006, (c) 31st March 2007 and (d) 31st March 2008; and if he will make a statement. | | (195538) | 605
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on progress in the re-tendering exercise to put in place electronic document and record management systems throughout the Northern Ireland Civil Service. | | (195539) | 606
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost has been to date of the tendering and re-tendering exercises by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to put in place electronic document and record management systems throughout the Northern Ireland Civil Service. | | (195540) | 607
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether slopping-out is still required in any prisons in Northern Ireland. | | (195541) | 608
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the (a) baseline certified normal accommodation, (b) in-use certified normal accommodation, (c) operational capacity, (d) useable operational capacity and (e) current population is of each prison and young offenders institution in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. | | (195542) | 609
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what criteria he has used to assess the value for money of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment's Explorers Programme; what assessment he has made of that programme's performance; and if he will make a statement. | | (195543) | 610
| Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assumptions he has made for the purposes of financial planning about the expected revenue of each of the next three years from (a) business rates and (b) domestic rates. | | (195736) | 611
| Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what overlap there is between the work of the district policing partnerships and that of the community safety partnerships. | | (194947) | 612
| Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what amounts of the regional rate for 2003-04 were allocated to each Government Department in Northern Ireland. | | (194948) | 613
| Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will take steps to allow those over 65 (a) to claim exemption from Vehicle Excise Duty and (b) access to the Motability Scheme. | | (194949) | 614
| Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his Oral Answer of 1st April, Official Report, columns 1760-1, on the Cory Collusion Inquiry, what the terms of reference will be for the public inquiry into the Finucane case. | | (194951) | 615
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assistance (a) his Department and (b) Government agencies are providing to aid preparations for hosting the ICC trophy cricket tournament in the Province in July 2005. | | (194982) | 616
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost was in 2003-04 of prescribing mediboxes on a weekly basis, broken down by general practitioner surgery in the Province. | | (194985) | 617
| The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) Republic of Ireland citizens, (b) other EU nationals and (c) non-EU nationals have received free healthcare in private healthcare units and residential homes in Northern Ireland in the last five years, broken down by health board. | | (195192) | 618
| The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the estimated cost to the Exchequer is of (a) Republic of Ireland citizens, (b) other EU nationals and (c) non-EU nationals receiving free healthcare in Northern Ireland's private healthcare units and residential homes in the last five years, broken down by health board. | | (195193) | 619
| The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans the Government has to introduce a non-means tested payment for carers who stay at home to look after elderly parents and relatives; and if he will make a statement. | | (195217) | 620
| The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much of the money raised by the introduction of water charges is planned to be spent on the Health Service. | | (195218) | 621
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the properties occupied (a) by his Department and (b) by its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) each and (B) in aggregate (1) the area and (2) the annual rental value. | | (195427) | 622
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department spent in each year since 2002 on employing (a) external management consultants and (b) external human resources consultants; and if he will make a statement. | | (195765) | 623
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195619) | 624
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195652) | 625
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement | | (195446) | 626
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department has spent in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195447) | Questions to the Prime Minister 627
| Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Prime Minister, what steps he has taken since the publication of the Butler Report to improve the machinery and operating procedures of government. | | (195695) | 628
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the occasions on which he has met representatives of (a) US casino operators, (b) British casino operators and (c) casino operators from other countries to discuss gambling issues, broken down by date of meeting. | | (195072) | 629
N | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Prime Minister, what contacts Mr William Perrin of the Number 10 Policy Unit has had with companies involved in the (a) British and (b) US gaming industry in the past 24 months; and whether he has undertaken fact-finding visits in the United States in the company of employees of the (i) British and (ii) US gaming industry. | | (195391) | 630
N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to ensure there are no costs to the taxpayer for visits abroad by his wife for (a) personal and (b) business purposes. | | (195270) | 631
N | Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the overseas visits made by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his office in relation to proposed changes to legislation on gambling; what the itinerary was for each visit; how long each visit lasted; which hotels were used; what the cost was in each case; and how each visit was funded. | | (194544) | 632
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Prime Minister, whether he has (a) adopted and (b) implemented all the recommendations of the Butler report. | | (195282) | 633
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Prime Minister, what the basis is for the statement he made at his monthly press conference at Downing Street on 25th October that the granting of additional powers to local authorities to give planning permission for large leisure complexes and casinos will aid regeneration in these areas. | | (195389) | 634
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Prime Minister, how much his office spent in each year since 2002 on employing (a) external management consultants and (b) external human resources consultants; and if he will make a statement. | | (195762) | 635
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Prime Minister, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195452) | 636
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Prime Minister, how much expenditure his Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195453) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 637
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent in each year since 2002 on employing (a) external management consultants and (b) external human resources consultants; and if he will make a statement. | | (195761) | 638
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195664) | 639
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195456) | 640
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much expenditure his Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195457) | Questions to the Solicitor General 641
N | Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 26th October, Official Report, column 1105W, whether the Attorney General has sought the Prime Minister's view on the veracity of Iraqi declarations on weapons of mass destruction in the light of the evidence now available. | | (195390) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 642
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment the Government has made of the judgement at Liverpool County Court in the case of Meadows v London North Securities; and if she will make a statement. | | (195771) | 643
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her policy is on loan sharks; and if she will make a statement. | | (195772) | 644
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps her Department has taken since 1997 to restrict unscrupulous lending. | | (195773) | 645
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many post offices in Scotland have closed as part of the Urban Network Reinvention Programme. | | (195159) | 646
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many post offices proposed for closure under the Urban Reinvention Programme and not opposed by Postwatch have since been kept open as a result of the public consultation. | | (195160) | 647
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many responses Post Office Ltd received to the public consultations on the proposed closure of (a) Clermiston, (b) East Craigs, (c) Strachan Road, (d) South Gyle, (e) Saughtonhall, (f) Stenhouse Cross, (g) Murrayfield, (h) Fairmilehead, (i) Mayfield, (j) Joppa and (k) Newhaven post offices in Edinburgh. | | (195161) | 648
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many business angel deals have been concluded through the National Business Angel Network in each year since 1998; and what the total value of the deals was. | | (195169) | 649
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to promote the business angel concept. | | (195170) | 650
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much has been spent on promoting the business angel concept in each year since 1998 through (a) grants and (b) business angel networks. | | (195171) | 651
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the performance of the National Business Angels Network in providing matching services between start-up and growing enterprises and those who wish to invest in them. | | (195172) | 652
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which her Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (195397) | 653
N | Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many press officers the Department has employed in each year since 2003. | | (195408) | 654
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the role of ICTSIS; and when she last met ICTSIS to discuss strengthening their role in consumer protection. | | (195567) | 655
N | Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average cost paid by the Department under the Coal Health Scheme to each of its contractors was when a living claimant (a) agreed an expedited settlement and (b) settled after going through the Medical Assessment Process in the last period for which figures are available. | | (194412) | 656
N | Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average cost paid by the Department under the Coal Health Scheme to each of its contractors was (a) when a living widow accepted an expedited settlement and (b) when the settlement followed the appraisal of the deceased's documentation by the Medical Assessment Process in the last period for which figures are available. | | (194413) | 657
N | Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average cost paid by the Department under the Coal Health Scheme to each of its contractors was (a) when a claim on behalf of the estate agreed an expedited settlement and (b) when the settlement followed the appraisal of the deceased's documents by the Medical Assessment Process in the last period for which figures are available. | | (194414) | 658
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many citizens advice bureaux are operating. | | (194166) | 659
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what public funding will be available to the Marine Leisure Group through the British Marine Federation after 1st January 2006. | | (195278) | 660
N | Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the budget is for the Working Lives Institute's research project on migrant workers commissioned by the East of England Development Agency; what demand there has been for such research; and for what purpose the research results will be used. | | (195209) | 661
| Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of businesslink services in Northampton. | | (195434) | 662
N | Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the overseas visits made by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Department in relation to proposed changes to legislation on gambling; what the itinerary was for each visit; how long each visit lasted; which hotels were used; what the cost was in each case; and how each visit was funded. | | (194541) | 663
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194966) | 664
| Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 25th October, Official Report, column 996W, on civil partnerships, whether the estimated costs given refer only to those aged over 30 years who have been living for 12 years with a close family member; and whether they assume 100 per cent. take-up rate. | | (195191) | 665
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people in her Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195284) | 666
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what investigation has been undertaken into the closure of the Accident Group; and if she will institute an inquiry by her Department into the affairs of that company. | | (195115) | 667
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what investigation has been carried out on the British arms and subsidiaries of Enron; and what action has been taken as a result. | | (195124) | 668
| Mr Bill O'Brien (Normanton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she last met Postwatch to discuss (a) the protection of Post Office customers and (b) its action in ensuring that over 95 per cent. of people live within one mile of the nearest Post Office; and if she will make a statement. | | (194952) | 669
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Answer of 26th October, Official Report, column 1148W, on business regulation, which of the reviews were conducted by her Department; and what changes to legislation were proposed as a result of each review. | | (195578) | 670
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate she has made of the amount paid into court pursuant to the provision of section 430 (11) of the Companies Act 1985 in the last year; and what use the Government has made of these funds. | | (195645) | 671
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate she has made of the financial sum that has been paid into court pursuant to the provision of section 431 (11) of the Companies Act 1985 in the last year; and what use the Government has made of these funds. | | (195646) | 672
| Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the reasons are for the removal of the Register of Employment Tribunal Applications from the public domain via the Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2004; and what representations she has received from (a) trade unions and (b) legal professionals on the subject. | | (195647) | 673
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee for the Adaptation to Technical Progress of Directives on the Removal of Technical Barriers to Trade in the sector of (a) electromedical equipment used in human or veterinary medicine, (b) measuring instruments and methods of meteorological control and (c) construction plant and equipment met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (i) technical and (ii) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (x) the EU and (y) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195568) | 674
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee for the Adaptation to Technical Progress of Directives on the Removal of Technical Barriers to Trade in the sector of (a) agricultural and forestry tractors and (b) motor vehicles and their trailers met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (i) technical and (ii) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (x) the EU and (y) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195569) | 675
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee for the Adaptation to Technical Progress of Directives on the Removal of Technical Barriers to Trade in the sector of (a) explosives for civilian uses, (b) aerosol dispensers and (c) dangerous substances and preparations met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (i) technical and (ii) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (x) the EU and (y) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195570) | 676
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Standing Committee on the Approximation of the Laws relating to Construction Products met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (A) the EU and (B) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195572) | 677
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the EC-Malta Joint Research Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (A) the EU and (B) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195573) | 678
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the EC-Cyprus Joint Research Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (A) the EU and (B) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195574) | 679
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Co-ordinating Committee on Fusion Energy EC-USA met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (A) the EU and (B) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195575) | 680
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee for the adaptation to Technical Progress of Directives on the Removal of Technical Barriers to Trade in the sector of (a) pressure vessels and (b) colouring matters which may be added to medicinal products met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (i) technical and (ii) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (x) the EU and (y) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (195576) | 681
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the future of the reprocessing plant at Sellafield. | | (194671) | 682
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the small business sector. | | (194945) | 683
N | Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the Car Wise scheme; and if she will make a statement. | | (194678) | 684
N | Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) government and (b) non-government schemes have been introduced to monitor the motor car repair industry in the past 30 years; and if she will make a statement. | | (194679) | 685
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what information she has received from the International Atomic Energy Agency in respect of its evaluation of the adequacy of computer systems installed at nuclear plants in support of safety and security requirements. | | (195388) | 686
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will estimate the volume of radioactively contaminated soil within the perimeter fence at the Hunterston A Nuclear Power Plant; what the identity of the contamination is and what its average activity is per cubic meter; what the source of the contamination was; when (a) the operator and (b) her Department first learned about the contamination; whether details about and volumes of the contaminated soil are to be included in the 2004 edition of the National Radioactive Waste Inventory; what plans have been made for the removal of the contaminated material; and what the estimated cost is for dealing with the contamination. | | (195737) | 687
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on her (a) plans and (b) timetable for bringing gas interconnectors on-stream. | | (195049) | 688
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has for gas storage over the next decade. | | (195065) | 689
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many new (a) gas and (b) oil reserves have been identified from the fallow field initiative. | | (195066) | 690
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what procedures are used to assess the risk of terrorist attack to the (a) Bacton to Zeebrugge and (b) St Fergus to Frigg gas interconnectors. | | (195067) | 691
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the implications for gas storage requirements to meet peak winter gas demand when the UK becomes a net importer of gas. | | (195068) | 692
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many full-time staff have been responsible for the enforcement of minimum wage legislation in each year since 1999. | | (195110) | 693
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many prosecutions there have been for offences in breach of minimum wage legislation in each year since 1999. | | (195111) | 694
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations she has received from (a) employers and (b) employees about the operation and enforcement of minimum wage legislation with respect to security guards. | | (195112) | 695
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on her plans to improve enforcement of minimum wage legislation. | | (195113) | 696
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the gas reserves in the UK Continental Shelf. | | (195114) | 697
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on her plans to ensure the security of supply of gas. | | (195116) | 698
| Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of when the UK will cease to be self-sufficient in gas supply. | | (195117) | 699
| Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the frequency of Health and Safety inspection in the construction industry and the (a) choice and (b) sanctions against enforcement of breaches reported; and if she will make a statement. | | (195718) | 700
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had to ensure that the high technological manufacturing associated with the motorsport industry remains in the UK. | | (195602) | 701
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195618) | 702
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195666) | 703
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much expenditure her Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of her Department; and if she will make a statement. | | (195462) | 704
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many press releases have been issued by her Department in each month of 2004; and if she will make a statement. | | (195463) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 705
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to make an announcement on the dualling of the A30 Goss Moors in Cornwall. | | (195099) | 706
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which his Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (195394) | 707
N | Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many press officers the Department has employed in each of the past five years. | | (195273) | 708
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on measures taken by the EU to encourage cheaper flights between EU countries. | | (195292) | 709
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 11th October, Official Report, column 6W, on ship inspections, whether inspections take place to enforce compliance with the International Ship and Port Facilities Code. | | (195692) | 710
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 11th October, Official Report, column 6W, on ship inspections, whether the Marine Coastguard Agency is targeting ships for inspection in accordance with the criteria set by the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control; and whether ships are being targeted on security grounds. | | (195693) | 711
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 11th October, Official Report, column 6W, on ship inspections, what follow-up action is being taken in respect of those ships issued with non-compliance letters. | | (195694) | 712
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will report on (a) discussions in and (b) outcomes of the recent meeting of the Working Party on Lighting and Light-signalling of the United Nations Economic Committee for Europe in respect to the German proposal to make Regulation UN/ECE 104 mandatory in UN/ECE 48; and if he will make a statement. | | (194675) | 713
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16th July, Official Report, column 1391W, on heavy goods vehicles, who has been awarded the contract to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of making ECE 104 mandatory; when he expects the report to be completed; when he expects to publish the final report; what the earliest date is that action could be taken to implement measures recommended by the report; and if he will make a statement. | | (194676) | 714
N | Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he intends to publish the research into the independent mobility needs of people with colitis and Crohn's disease to determine whether eligibility to the blue badge scheme should be extended; and if he will make a statement. | | (195213) | 715
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194965) | 716
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will investigate the level of unregulated train fares; and what measures are in place to control such fares. | | (195035) | 717
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by how much (a) regulated and (b) unregulated rail fares have changed in each year since 1997, (i) in total and (ii) broken down by train operating company. | | (195036) | 718
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will invite open tenders for the Kent route high speed trains on the revised business plan and delivery timescale. | | (195528) | 719
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department first published as part of the initial tendering process details of the original (a) business case and (b) delivery timescale for the Kent route high speed trains; and how many (i) expressions of interest and (ii) actual bids they received. | | (195529) | 720
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department decided to alter the business case and delivery timescale for the Kent route high speed trains; whether they subsequently approached companies that had expressed an interest in the initial bid; and how many (a) expressions of interests and (b) bids they finally received for this revised proposal. | | (195596) | 721
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195286) | 722
| Mr Stephen McCabe (Birmingham, Hall Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicle identity checks under the Vehicle (Crimes) Act 2001 have been recorded in each month since April 2003. | | (195054) | 723
| Mr Stephen McCabe (Birmingham, Hall Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles have been presented to each test station for vehicle identity checks since April 2003; and what the pass rate is at each test centre. | | (195055) | 724
| Mr Stephen McCabe (Birmingham, Hall Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicle salvage operators have been registered in each month since October 2002; and how many have been registered in total in each police authority area. | | (195060) | 725
| Mr Stephen McCabe (Birmingham, Hall Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many search warrants under the provisions of the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 have been implemented in each police authority area; and what action has resulted from such police investigations. | | (195061) | 726
| Mr Stephen McCabe (Birmingham, Hall Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many suppliers of car registration plates have been registered since January 2003; how many have been subject to investigation due to concerns about their probity; and what action has resulted from such investigations. | | (195063) | 727
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many transfer passengers passed through UK airports last year. | | (195096) | 728
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what studies have been undertaken to determine the noise effects of mixed mode runway operation at Heathrow. | | (195097) | 729
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effects on air pollution of widening the M4 around Heathrow. | | (195098) | 730
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance the Government has given to the British Airports Authority on the membership of the BAA Consultative Committee on night flights; and if he will make a statement. | | (195200) | 731
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has undertaken into the effects of sleep deprivation in the context of night flights. | | (195201) | 732
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work has been undertaken to reduce emissions around Heathrow airport. | | (195202) | 733
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost is of producing regional transport plans. | | (195126) | 734
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate the Government has made of the number of Network Rail telecommunications masts that Network Rail are planning to erect. | | (195255) | 735
N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to change the basis for charging airlines for air navigation services; and if he will make a statement. | | (194537) | 736
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which agencies are responsible for monitoring noise and environmental pollution at motorway service stations. | | (195604) | 737
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195617) | 738
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195665) | 739
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has spent in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195450) | 740
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195451) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 741
N | Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many press officers the Department has employed in each of the past five years. | | (195271) | 742
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when he last discussed the implementation of TAN8 with his colleagues in the National Assembly for Wales. | | (195729) | 743
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on equine passports and the effect of the regulation on the population of wild Welsh cob ponies; and if he will make a statement. | | (195730) | 744
| Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent in each year since 2002 on employing (a) external management consultants and (b) external human resources consultants; and if he will make a statement. | | (195764) | 745
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195663) | 746
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (195448) | 747
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much expenditure his Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with the press and public relations of his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (195449) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 748
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have gained work through the New Deal for Lone Parents in (a) the Edinburgh West constituency, (b) the City of Edinburgh local authority area, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK. | | (194989) | 749
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are participating in the New Deal for Lone Parents in (a) the Edinburgh West constituency, (b) the City of Edinburgh local authority area, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK. | | (194990) | 750
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what targets have been set for the numbers of lone parents taking advantage of the (a) Lone Parent Work Premium and (b) In Work Credit (i) in each of the pilot areas and (ii) as a whole. | | (194991) | 751
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for how long the proposed pilots of (a) lone parent work premium and (b) in work credit will last. | | (194992) | 752
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of lone parents who will benefit from the (a) lone parent work premium and (b) in work credit in each of the pilot areas. | | (194993) | 753
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he will be taking to make those lone parents living in selected pilot areas aware of the (a) lone parent work premium and (b) in work credit. | | (194994) | 754
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in which districts the (a) lone parent work premium and (b) in work credit will be piloted. | | (194995) | 755
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in receipt of pension credit in (a) Scotland and (b) the City of Edinburgh local authority area. | | (195154) | 756
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit recipients have been contacted about conversion to direct payment; what percentage have chosen to open a Post Office Card Account; and what percentage have so far failed to select a direct payment option. | | (195155) | 757
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in receipt of the state pension in the City of Edinburgh local authority area. | | (195156) | 758
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pension and benefit recipients receive their money by way of a Post Office Card Account in (a) Scotland and (b) the City of Edinburgh local authority area. | | (195157) | 759
N | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18th October, Official Report, column 478W, on telephone inquiries, what the terms are of the contract with ATOS Origin; and whether incentive schemes are in operation for ATOS Origin operatives. | | (195293) | 760
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had, and with whom, on the possibility of changes to the present television licence fee for people who are in receipt of state retirement pension. | | (195372) | 761
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioner households in the London Borough of Wandsworth are in receipt of a free television licence. | | (195374) | 762
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what publicly-funded English language courses aimed at providing the language skills needed to gain employment in the UK are available to Somalian nationals. | | (195304) | 763
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what action he has taken to raise awareness among Somalian residents of training opportunities provided by his Department. | | (195312) | 764
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to increase employment opportunities for resident Somalian nationals. | | (195313) | 765
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what grants are available to local authorities to promote training, employment and housing for ethnic minorities. | | (195314) | 766
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet representatives of Somalian nationals to discuss integration into the UK employment market. | | (195315) | 767
N | Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which medical services that receive referrals from JobCentre Plus with reference to incapacity benefit have since appointment (a) hit and (b) missed their 32 working-day target by which they aim to complete their part of the examination process. | | (194739) | 768
| Jim Knight (South Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Dorset constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the South Dorset constituency. | | (194963) | 769
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many agency temporary staff have been working for his Department in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally. | | (195246) | 770
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. | | (195285) | 771
| Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mothers in Cleethorpes constituency have received Sure Start maternity grants in each year since 1997. | | (195211) | 772
N | Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the net administration costs of the Child Support Agency increased by 9.75 per cent. from 2002-03 to 2003-04. | | (190708) | 773
N | Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the non-staff administration costs of the Child Support Agency increased by 27 per cent. from 2002-03 to 2003-04. | | (190709) | 774
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken to process housing benefit claims was in each local authority in each of the last two years. | | (194538) | 775
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of housing benefit claims were refused in the last period for which figures are available. | | (194539) | 776
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Technical Adaptation Committee on (a) the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work, (b) the minimum safety and health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels and (c) the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents at work met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (i) technical and (ii) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (x) the EU and (y) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if he will make a statement. | | (195571) | 777
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will disregard war disablement pension payments when calculating pension credit; and if he will make a statement. | | (194668) | 778
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was in 2003-04 of benefits payable because the beneficiary had a medical condition or disability; and how much of that sum constituted payments for which the beneficiary qualified because of chronic pain. | | (194983) | 779
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of pensioners receive an income from their own investments or savings. | | (195252) | 780
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners received council tax benefit in 1997-98; what the council tax benefit take-up rate was; and what the figures are for 2004-05. | | (195266) | 781
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons were for the delay in rolling out the new Child Support Agency assessment rules to all absent parents; and what steps he is taking to resolve the problems in rolling out the new scheme. | | (195738) | 782
| Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) deaths and (b) notified injuries there have been in the construction industry in each year since 1996. | | (195407) | 783
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the properties occupied (a) by his Department and (b) by its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (1) for each and (2) in aggregate (A) the area and (B) the annual rental value. | | (195431) | 784
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households were in receipt of the guarantee credit at the end of each of the past 12 months. | | (195526) | 785
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment. | | (195616) | 786
| Brian White (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level. | | (195662) | 787
N | David Winnick (Walsall North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the honourable Member for Walsall North will receive a reply to his letter of 9th August sent to the Department for Education and Skills, transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions on 17th August, and passed to Jobcentre Plus, Ref POS(7)10644/0039; and what the reasons are for the delay in replying. | | (194944) | 788
| David Wright (Telford):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Telford have secured work through the New Deal for lone parents. | | (195426) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 789
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the responsibilities are of Directors of Children's services. | | [Transferred] (195490) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 790
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much money the Sports Council distributed to Northern Ireland sports boards in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003. | | [Transferred] (195177) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 791
| Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the automatic qualifying criteria for the Blue Badge scheme to include recipients of attendance allowance. | | [Transferred] (195714) |
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