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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Thursday 4 November 2004
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 4 November 2004
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Thursday 4 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 Thursday 4 November of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Thursday 4 November see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Advocate General 1
| Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Advocate General, what discussions she has had with Scottish Ministers in relation to potential overlap with reserved matters in the establishment of a Scottish Human Rights Commission. | | (196313) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 2
| Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of those estimated overpayments of the new tax credits as reported in Figure 6 of the Inland Revenue's Annual Report and Accounts (a) written off and (b) remaining to be recouped represents (i) recipients of the family element of the child tax credit alone, (ii) recipients of any additional elements of the child tax credit, beyond the family element, (iii) recipients of the child element of the child tax credit (with or without additional elements), (iv) recipients of the working tax credit and (v) recipients of the child care element of the working tax credit. | | (196315) | 3
N | Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, 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. | | (196050) | 4
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many jobs have been created in the Dagenham constituency since (a) 1997 and (b) 2001. | | (196453) | 5
N | Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many recipients of working tax credit are being paid manually; and if he will make a statement. | | (195916) | 6
N | Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of cases in which errors in the calculation of working tax credit were caused by mistakes by staff in the last period for which figures are available. | | (195917) | 7
| Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East & Mexborough):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the employment rate was in (a) Barnsley East and Mexborough, (b) South Yorkshire, (c) Yorkshire and the Humber and (d) England in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004. | | (196480) | 8
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196607) | 9
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many press officers the Department has employed in each of the past five years. | | (196045) | 10
| Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will assess the case for a windfall tax on profits accruing to UK gas and oil producers as a result of recent and future oil price increases; and if he will make a statement. | | (196494) | 11
| David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what regulatory powers are available to the Financial Services Authority to uphold standards in (a) international accountancy and (b) international financial consultancy. | | (196404) | 12
| David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) KPMG, (c) Ernst & Young and (d) Deloitte regarding compliance with the international accountancy guidelines contained within the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. | | (196422) | 13
| 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 its predecessors and (b) their agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what in aggregate the annual rental value was. | | (196370) | 14
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of the total working age population was aged 16 to 34 years in each year since 1979; and what the rate of inflation was in each year. | | (196507) | 15
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when data will be available for the number of Households Below Average Income in each ward in each constituency. | | (196372) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 16
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196601) | 17
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many press officers the Department and its predecessors have employed in each of the past five years. | | (196046) | 18
N | Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will reform the data protection laws to allow (a) local government and (b) national government to share information between departments. | | (196208) | 19
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many agency temporary staff have been working for the Department or its predecessors in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally. | | (196065) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 20
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to require music companies to provide a copy of each CD or DVD that they produce for the British Library collection. | | (196327) | 21
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with National Lottery distributors on the purchase of the late Mr John Peel's music collection. | | (196342) | 22
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what rationale underlies the policy of not requiring music companies to provide a sample copy of each CD or DVD produced for the British Library collection. | | (196343) | 23
N | Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, 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. | | (196052) | 24
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to ensure that all hospitality within her Department is sourced from fair trade producers wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules. | | (196655) | 25
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many households in Dagenham receive the free television licence for the over-75s. | | (196454) | 26
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by her Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196599) | 27
| Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on which dates the proposals contained within the Gambling Bill were discussed at the Joint Ministerial Committee; and in what format. | | (196310) | 28
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the aggregate annual cost as measured by the Regulatory Impact Assessments is of compliance with regulations introduced by her Department since 1997. | | (196570) | 29
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her latest estimate is of the total cost in a year of compliance with regulations for which her Department is responsible. | | (196571) | 30
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to promote sport in Suffolk schools. | | (196504) | 31
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the properties occupied by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what in aggregate the annual rental value was. | | (196367) | 32
| Claire Ward (Watford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she expects the Licensing Act 2003 to be fully implemented; and if she will make a statement on progress with implementation. | | (196576) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 33
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he expects that the United Kingdom will receive funding from the United States for arrangements provided for the facilitation of its missile defence programme; what the latest estimate is of what it would cost the United Kingdom to have the missile defense programme cover defence of the UK mainland; and if he will make a statement. | | (196401) | 34
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has received a request in connection with the stationing of missiles as part of the United States' Missile Defense Programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (196402) | 35
N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the consultation period on the future locations of air depth maintenance support announced on 16th September expires. | | (196210) | 36
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies, since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196595) | 37
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) civil servants and (b) members of the armed forces are employed within the Nuclear Accident Response Group. | | (196296) | 38
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to expand the membership of the Nuclear Accident Response Group. | | (196303) | 39
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many full, undiluted, tons of the smallpox vaccine his Department holds. | | (196305) | 40
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what rules apply to serving soldiers speaking to the media about deployments and other operational matters; and if he will make a statement. | | (196269) | 41
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions he has consulted retired field marshals about (a) proposed changes to the Army and (b) operational matters. | | (196460) | 42
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will issue posthumous medals to the members of 156 Provost Company, Royal Military Police, killed on active service in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. | | (196299) | 43
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will publish the findings of the report of the investigation into the deaths of members of 156 Provost Company, Royal Military Police, killed on active service in Iraq. | | (196300) | 44
N | Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of civilian casualties in Iraq since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. | | (195954) | 45
N | Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the recent reports in The Lancet concerning the number of civilians killed since the invasion of Iraq. | | (195981) | 46
N | Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what measures are in place to monitor civilian casualties in Iraq. | | (195986) | 47
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average annual operating cost, broken down into direct Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit and indirect Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit was for (a) an armoured regiment, (b) an armoured reconnaissance regiment, (c) a yeomanry regiment and (d) an army air corps regiment in financial year 2002-03. | | (196405) | 48
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average annual operating cost, broken down into direct Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit and indirect Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit was for (a) an armoured infantry battalion, (b) a mechanised battalion, (c) an air assault battalion and (d) a light role battalion in financial year 2002-03. | | (196406) | 49
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average annual operating cost, broken down into direct Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit and indirect Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit was for (a) a Northern Ireland battalion, (b) a Gurkha battalion, (c) a home service battalion, (d) a training centre battalion, (e) a medical regiment and (f) a military hospital in financial year 2002-03. | | (196407) | 50
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average annual operating cost, broken down into direct Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit and indirect Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit was for (a) an artillery field regiment, (b) an air defence regiment, (c) a MLRS regiment, (d) surveillance and target acquisitions and (e) a commando regiment in financial year 2002-03. | | (196408) | 51
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average annual operating cost, broken down into direct Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit and indirect Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit was for (a) an engineer regiment, (b) a signal regiment, (c) an EW regiment, (d) an equipment support battalion and (e) a logistics regiment in financial year 2002-03. | | (196409) | 52
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to paragraph 65 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2003-04, HC 1080, when his Department was first subject to a cash Departmental Expenditure Limit; and what that limit was. | | (196463) | 53
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's cash Departmental Expenditure Limit is for the current financial year. | | (196464) | 54
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the cash demanding activities referred to in paragraph 65 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2003-04, HC 1080, that were constrained in financial year 2003-04. | | (196465) | 55
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to note 20 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2003-04, HC 1080, if he will list the capital commitments that have been contracted but not provided for. | | (196466) | 56
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has an agreement with the Treasury to reimburse his Department for additional wear and tear on equipment bought under Request for Resources 1, owing to exceptional operational use. | | (196467) | 57
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of his Department's 2003-04 Request for Resources 1 underspend has been carried forward to the current financial year in (a) cash terms and (b) resource terms. | | (196468) | 58
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the basic level budget holders subordinate to the (a) Fleet, (b) General Officer Commanding (Northern Ireland), (c) Commander-in-Chief Land Command, (d) Field Army (Theatre Troops), (e) 1(UK) Armoured Division, (f) 2nd Division, (g) UK Support Command (Germany), (h) 3rd Division, (i) Joint Helicopter Command, (j) 4th Division, (k) Land Support and (l) 5th Division management groups for financial year 2002-03. | | (196469) | 59
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the basic level budget holders subordinate to the (a) 1 Group, (b) 3 Group, (c) 2 Group, (d) Deputy Commander-in-Chief, (e) British Forces Cyprus, (f) British Forces Gibraltar, (g) Permanent Joint Headquarters, (h) Sovereign Base Areas Administration and (i) British Forces Falkland Islands management groups for financial year 2002-03. | | (196470) | 60
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the basic level budget holders subordinate to the (a) Defence Fuels Group, (b) Deputy Chief of Defence Logistics, (c) Defence Communication Services Agency, (d) Defence Logistics Support HQ, (e) Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency, (f) DG Equipment Support (Land), (g) Warship Support Agency, (h) DG Equipment Support (Air), (i) Defence Storage and Distribution Agency, (j) Director Land Service Ammunition, (k) Defence Transport and Movements Agency and (l) British Forces Post Office management groups for financial year 2002-03. | | (196471) | 61
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the basic level budget holders subordinate to the (a) Flag Officer Training and Recruiting, (b) HQ, (c) Naval Secretary, (d) Adjutant General, (e) Army Personnel Centre, (f) Adjutant General, (g) Army Training and Recruiting Agency, (h) Army Programme, (i) Service Children's Education and (j) General Staff management groups for financial year 2002-03. | | (196472) | 62
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the basic level budget holders subordinate to the (a) Personnel Management Agency, (b) Core HQ, (c) Training Group Defence Agency, (d) Internal Costs, (e) Programme Account and (f) Nuclear management groups for financial year 2002-03. | | (196473) | 63
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the basic level budget holders subordinate to the (a) Personnel Director, (b) War Pensions Agency, (c) Pay and Personnel Agency, (d) Surgeon General, (e) Defence Vetting Agency, (f) Dep Chief Defence Staff (Personnel), (g) Defence Export Services Org, (h) Defence Secondary Care Agency, (i) Finance Director, (j) Defence Dental Agency, (k) Defence Analytical Services Agency, (l) Defence Housing Executive and (m) Defence Bills Agency management groups for financial year 2002-03. | | (196474) | 64
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the basic level budget holders subordinate to the (a) Defence Medical Training Organisation, (b) Chief Constable MOD Police, (c) Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency, (d) Chief Scientific Adviser, (e) Defence Estates, (f) Policy Director, (g) Deputy Chief Defence Staff (Commitments), (h) Deputy Chief Defence Staff (Equipment Capability), (i) Director Special Forces, (j) Chief of Defence Intelligence, (k) Defence Geographic and Imaging Intelligence Agency and (l) Defence Intelligence and Security Centre management groups for financial year 2002-03. | | (196475) | 65
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a list of the tables and related fields of (a) his Department's parliamentary questions database, (b) his Department's GODIVA database, (c) the Defence Bills Agency Monthly Journal of Records database, (d) his Department's Departmental Financial Management System database, and (e) the Defence Procurement Agency's ORACLE financial analyser database together with diagrams showing the table relationships. | | (196476) | 66
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a list of the tables and related fields of the (a) Defence Balanced Scorecard Application, (b) RAPID database, (c) CDRT database, (d) the CLIME database, (e) Defence Procurement Agency's OATS database and (f) Defence Procurement Agency's COO database, together with diagrams showing the table relationships. | | (196477) | 67
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library organisational diagrams showing his Department's (a) top level budget holders, (b) intermediate management groups and (c) management groups for financial years 1999-2000 to 2003-04. | | (196578) | 68
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of the service delivery agreements between his Department's top level budget holders and Head Office for financial years 1999-2000 to 2003-04. | | (196579) | 69
| Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22nd July, Official Report, column 483W, on Ministry of Defence administration costs, what estimate he has made of the Ministry of Defence's administration budget for financial years 1997-98 to 2007-08. | | (196580) | 70
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report prepared by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down entitled Skating on Thin Ice, concerning compliance with radiation regulations by Defence establishments. | | (196420) | 71
| Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many 16 and 17 year olds are serving in (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Army and (c) the Royal Air Force. | | (196271) | 72
| Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many under 18 year olds have died while (a) in service and (b) in training in each of the armed forces for the last 10 years; and if he will list the causes of death in each case. | | (196272) | 73
| Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what costs have been incurred by his Department in the employment of private security firms and personnel in Iraq since March 2003. | | (196377) | 74
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reservists have been called up for duty in Iraq; and what percentage of the reserve force this represents. | | (196581) | 75
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what activities his Department's plans to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. | | (196582) | 76
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list UK military engagements overseas, in addition to Iraq; and how many (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF personnel are involved in each. | | (196583) | 77
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of military equipment contracts are held by British companies. | | (196584) | 78
| Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 13th July, Official Report, column 1042W, on Llanbedr Airfield, when the Mirach target service will be taken out of service; and what will replace it. | | (196545) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 79
N | Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, 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. | | (196051) | 80
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to incorporate the information contained in the 2004 Index of Multiple Deprivation into future allocations of regeneration funding; and if he will make a statement. | | (193689) | 81
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196606) | 82
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his latest estimate is of the cost in a year of compliance with the regulations introduced by his Department. | | (196557) | 83
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what is the aggregate annual cost as measured by Regulatory Impact Assessments is of compliance with regulations introduced by his Department since 1997. | | (196558) | 84
N | Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what cross-departmental cooperation his Department is encouraging with (a) police, (b) the fire service, (c) local government, (d) the Benefits Agency and (e) the Inland Revenue in implementing the National Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation. | | (196206) | 85
| Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether he will fund the move of regional brigades to a centralised regional fire control centre; and whether the costs of such a relocation will be taken out of the brigades' existing budget. | | (196489) | 86
| Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what redundancy package will be offered to control staff who lose their jobs as a result of the relocation of fire brigades to a regional control centre. | | (196490) | 87
| Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether he has (a) contracted a company to design a building for a regional fire control centre for the South West and (b) estimated how many people would be working in such a building; what type of equipment will be needed in such a building; and whether outline planning permission has been sought for this building. | | (196491) | 88
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidelines on the definition of rough sleepers used for surveys of their numbers. | | (196517) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 89
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average amount of time allocated for physical activity in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools is; and if he will make a statement. | | (196505) | 90
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many teachers are employed in schools solely to teach physical education, broken down by education authority; and if he will make a statement. | | (196506) | 91
N | Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, 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. | | (196054) | 92
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the average A level points score per pupil for 11 to 18 years schools with sixth forms containing (a) 50 or fewer, (b) 51 to 100, (c) 101 to 150, (d) 151 to 200, (e) 201 to 250 and (f) more than 250 pupils in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. | | (193181) | 93
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the average A level points score for (a) school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges and (c) general further education colleges in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. | | (193182) | 94
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when he will reply to the Question tabled by the honourable Member for Hertsmere, ref 192930, on 18th October, on benchmarks for university admissions. | | (196502) | 95
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many childcare places there have been in the Dagenham constituency in each year since 1997. | | (196449) | 96
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) three and (b) four year olds in Dagenham attended nursery classes in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2003. | | (196450) | 97
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students in the Dagenham constituency are receiving education maintenance allowance. | | (196451) | 98
| John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much public funding has been allocated to schools within the London Borough of Havering under the School Standards Fund since 1998. | | (196708) | 99
| John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the computer to pupil ratio in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools was in Greater London in 1997. | | (196711) | 100
| John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the operation of the National Grid for Learning within the London Borough of Havering. | | (196712) | 101
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children are in public care in the West Midlands. | | (195689) | 102
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people were studying for a degree or other Level 4 qualification in the performing arts in the most recent year for which information is available (a) in England, (b) in England from overseas and (c) in each region of England, broken down by type of Level 4 qualification. | | (196412) | 103
| Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in what circumstances performing arts students are entitled to student loans and fee support; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on support for Level 4 students. | | (196413) | 104
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196598) | 105
N | Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether schools applying to become foundation schools are obliged to consult on their proposal; how long the required period of consultation is; and what guidance the Department issues on how the consultation should be carried out. | | (196089) | 106
N | Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether a school which a local education authority proposes to close can apply to become a foundation school. | | (196090) | 107
N | Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he intends to take to increase accountability (a) in decision-making and (b) in the use of public funds for (i) governors of foundation schools and (ii) governors appointed by charitable foundations. | | (196091) | 108
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many complaints were made about Ofsted inspections in 2003-04. | | (196696) | 109
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether he expects the new school inspection system to be in place nationwide by September 2005. | | (196697) | 110
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what percentage of primary schools offer a foreign language to their pupils. | | (196456) | 111
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to promote foreign language teaching in schools; and if he will make a statement. | | (196457) | 112
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Co-ordination Group to promote uniformity of application of the general system for the recognition of higher education diplomas (first general system) 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 he will make a statement. | | (196676) | 113
| Phil Sawford (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many young people have taken part in the Entry to Employment programme since it was introduced in 2003. | | (196345) | 114
| Phil Sawford (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total budget was for the Entry to Employment programme for the year 2003-04; and what funding will be available for the programme for the year 2004-05. | | (196478) | 115
| Phil Sawford (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many young people started on the Entry to Employment programme in 2003-04; and how many places for new starts will be available in 2004-05. | | (196479) | 116
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what in aggregate the annual rental value was. | | (196368) | 117
| Claire Ward (Watford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the availability of nursery places for (a) three year olds and (b) four year olds in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004. | | (196572) | 118
| Claire Ward (Watford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the funding per head for secondary school pupils in Watford constituency (a) was in 1997 and (b) is in 2004. | | (196573) | 119
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) males and (b) females achieved level 5 or above at Key Stage 3 in (i) English, (ii) mathematics and (iii) science in the (A) 10 per cent. most deprived wards and (B) 10 per cent. least deprived wards in 2004. | | (196373) | 120
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) males and (b) females achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE in 2004; and how many (i) males and (ii) females achieved 5 A*-C grades at GCSE in the (A) 10 per cent. most deprived wards and (B) 10 per cent. least deprived wards in 2004. | | (196374) | 121
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) males and (b) females achieved level 4 or above at Key Stage 2 in (i) English, (ii) mathematics and (iii) science in the (A) 10 per cent. most deprived wards and (B) 10 per cent. least deprived wards in 2004. | | (196399) | 122
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) males and (b) females achieved level 2 or above at Key Stage 1 in (i) English, (ii) mathematics and (iii) science in the (A) 10 per cent. most deprived wards and (B) 10 per cent. least deprived wards in 2004. | | (196400) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 123
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average cost of processing (a) a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species import licence, (b) an Article 10 certificate, (c) a licence under the Balai Directive and (d) a Dangerous Wild Animals licence was in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. | | (196414) | 124
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the UK defines a specialist private keeper when processing Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species importation applications for primates; and if she will make a statement. | | (196415) | 125
N | Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many agency temporary staff have been working for the Department or its predecessors in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally. | | (196053) | 126
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ensure that hospitality within her Department is sourced from fair trade producers wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules. | | (196656) | 127
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much Government money has been provided to Barking and Dagenham Council since 1997 to help pay for waste recycling. | | (196455) | 128
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will break down by programme the budget set by her Department for public expenditure on sustainable agriculture and livestock products for financial years (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. | | (196651) | 129
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will break down by programme the budget set by her Department for public expenditure on land management and rural development, including the Entry Level Scheme, other England rural development programme schemes and other schemes for financial years (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. | | (196652) | 130
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the (i) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and (ii) her Department had been informed of the existence of the (A) James Dring Report, (B) Northumberland Trading Standards video and report, (C) scientific test samples sent to Pirbright and (D) results of those test samples, all in respect of the Burnside Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001, (1) prior to and (2) during the period of the Dr Iain Anderson FMD Inquiry in 2001-02. | | (196678) | 131
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the (a) James Dring report, (b) Northumberland Trading Standards video and report, (c) scientific test samples sent to Pirbright and (d) results of those test samples, in respect of the Burnside Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001, were (i) supplied to the Chairman of the Lessons to be Learned Inquiry in 2001 and (ii) the subject of minuted informal meetings in (A) the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and (B) her Department in (1) 2001 and (2) 2002. | | (196679) | 132
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment was made of the suitability of the (a) James Dring report, (b) Northumberland Trading Standards video and report, (c) scientific test samples sent to Pirbright and (d) results of those test samples, in respect of the Burnside Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001, to be forwarded to Dr Iain Anderson for his Inquiry in 2001-02. | | (196680) | 133
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria were used by (a) the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and (b) her Department when deciding which documents and evidence should be made available to Dr Iain Anderson for the inquiry he chaired into the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak. | | (196681) | 134
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department first received (a) a video and (b) other documentary evidence from Northumberland Trading Standards Department in respect of the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak at Heddon-on-the-Wall. | | (196682) | 135
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for (a) the number of jobs, (b) costs and (c) savings of integrating executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies within her Department. | | (196684) | 136
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which livestock auction markets (a) operated in 1997, (b) operated before the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 and (c) operate now. | | (196687) | 137
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) dairy cows and (b) dairy herds there were in the UK in each of the past 10 years for which records are available. | | (196688) | 138
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will break down the budget set by her Department for public expenditure of wildlife, countryside and better regulation for financial years (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 by programme. | | (196689) | 139
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the contracts awarded by her Department to external consultants in each of the last seven years, stating in each case (a) the name of the consulting company, (b) the value of the contract, (c) the purpose for which the contract was awarded and (d) whether the contract was completed. | | (196690) | 140
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will break down the budget set by her Department for public expenditure on (a) the Rural Development Service and (b) Rural Policy programmes and schemes for the financial years (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06 by programme. | | (196691) | 141
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will break down the budget set by her Department for public expenditure by the Rural Payments Agency on (a) the Over-Thirty Month Scheme, (b) direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy and (c) other schemes for the financial years (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06 by scheme. | | (196692) | 142
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will break down the budget set by her Department for public expenditure on the food industry and crops for financial years (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 by programme. | | (196693) | 143
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to publish the study funded by her Department into health improvements for families and individuals whose homes have benefited from energy efficiency improvements under the Warm Front. | | (196403) | 144
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether carcases of horses and donkeys may be buried on the owner's land under the Animal Byproducts Regulations. | | (196270) | 145
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by her Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196610) | 146
| Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Joint Nature Conservation Committee spent on work in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04 in (i) each of the UK overseas territories and (ii) the UK overseas territories collectively. | | (196306) | 147
| Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the sources of the funding is for the work carried out in the UK overseas territories by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. | | (196309) | 148
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people are employed in the UK to protect reservoirs from terrorist attack; and what measures have been taken to protect reservoirs since 2001. | | (196294) | 149
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people are employed in the UK to provide security for dams; and what measures have been taken to ensure dams are protected since 2001. | | (196307) | 150
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to establish the original source of the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic. | | (196521) | 151
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who in her Department has seen the video of Burnside Farm, taken by trading standards officials on 24th February 2001; and if she will make a statement. | | (196530) | 152
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the reports from James Dring that some of the evidence of foot and mouth disease discovered on Burnside Farm constituted old lesions. | | (196531) | 153
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what tests were made on the dead sheep shown in the Burnside Farm video taken by trading standards officials on 24th February 2001 to determine their cause of death; and what the results were of those tests. | | (196532) | 154
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will hold a further public inquiry into the sources and cause of the 2001 foot and mouth disease epidemic. | | (196587) | 155
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the aggregate cost of compliance with her Department's regulations was in the last year for which figures are available. | | (196559) | 156
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the aggregate annual cost measured by the Regulatory Impact Assessments is of compliance with all the regulations introduced by her Department since 1997. | | (196560) | 157
| Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the reasons are for the delay in publishing the Fuel Poverty Implementation Plan; and when it will be published. | | (196492) | 158
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will examine the report, Up In Smoke?, on the impact of global warming on human development, by the Working Group on Climate Change and Development. | | (196495) | 159
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the minority report of two members of the Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters; and if she will make a statement. | | (196497) | 160
| Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her policy on HFC emissions remains as set out in paragraph 19, Section Two, Chapter One of Climate Change - the UK Programme, of November 2000. | | (196256) | 161
N | Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been paid out under the Extensification Payment Scheme in each county in England in 2003-04; and if she will make a statement. | | (195510) | 162
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the properties occupied by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004; and what the (A) area and (B) annual rental value (1) in aggregate and (2) in each case was in each year. | | (196070) | 163
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost of the Common Agricultural Policy was in the United Kingdom to (a) consumers and (ii) taxpayers, broken down by agricultural commodity supported by the Common Agricultural Policy in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (196375) | 164
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost per person per week of the Common Agricultural Policy in the United Kingdom in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (196376) | 165
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much expenditure her Department has incurred in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004 to date on employing external consultants; and if she will make a statement. | | (196386) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 166
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) his European Union counterparts and (b) the European Commission on securing compensation from Israel for the cost of damage to EU-funded projects in the Palestinian Territories resulting from Israeli military action. | | (196574) | 167
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment has been made by the European Union of the cost of damage to EU-funded projects in the Palestinian Territories resulting from Israeli military action. | | (196575) | 168
N | Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the withdrawal of Mr Craig Murray, former ambassador to Uzbekistan. | | (195508) | 169
N | Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the US State Department's conclusions in relation to Uzbekistan regarding (a) its absence of democracy and a free press and (b) its use of torture as a routine investigation technique; and if he will make a statement. | | (195509) | 170
N | Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will set up an inquiry into the leaking of a confidential report from former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, to The Financial Times. | | (195938) | 171
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196608) | 172
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo's statement on 1st November concerning the International Criminal Court's decision not to prosecute child soldiers in northern Uganda; and if he will make a statement. | | (196668) | 173
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of reports of the World Food Programme on 2nd November of the Sudanese army and police surrounding internally displaced people camps near Nyala in Darfur; and if he will make a statement. | | (196669) | 174
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has sought an explanation from the Sudanese Government with regard to reports by the World Food Programme of moves by the Sudanese army and police to surround internally displaced people camps near Nyala in Darfur; and if he will make a statement. | | (196670) | 175
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of Sudanese army movements in the Darfur region in Western Sudan since May; and if he will make a statement. | | (196671) | 176
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) movements, (b) activities and (c) impact of the Sudanese army in Darfur, Western Sudan; and if he will make a statement. | | (196672) | 177
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what channels of communication (a) his Department and (b) UK representatives in Sudan have established with (i) the Justice and Equality Movement and (ii) the Sudan Liberation Army and Movement; and if he will make a statement. | | (196673) | 178
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the International Criminal Court's decision to investigate the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda; and if he will make a statement. | | (196674) | 179
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance his Department has (a) offered and (b) provided to the International Criminal Court in its investigation of northern Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army; and if he will make a statement. | | (196675) | 180
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions have taken place between US and UK counter-narcotics officials in Afghanistan regarding the prioritisation of resources for (a) eradicating poppy cultivation and (b) providing alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers. | | (196262) | 181
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government are taking to facilitate the admission of Afghanistan to the World Trade Organisation; and if he will make a statement. | | (196263) | 182
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many successful counter-narcotics operations there have been in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban; and if he will make a statement. | | (196424) | 183
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment has been made of the viability of aerial crop spraying on areas of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan; and what impact this is likely to have on (a) the environment, (b) human health and (c) animal health. | | (196425) | 184
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many poppy fields have been (a) identified and (b) destroyed by UK forces in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban. | | (196426) | 185
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the United States military forces have established a store for radioactive waste on Diego Garcia. | | (196496) | 186
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what in aggregate the annual rental value was. | | (196369) | 187
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 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. | | (196063) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 188
| Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to encourage social services departments to provide low vision aids, free of charge to any person requiring them. | | (196428) | 189
| Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what pay band he anticipates the majority of (a) radiographers and (b) physiotherapists will be placed in under Agenda for Change. | | (196429) | 190
| Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what effect Agenda for Change is likely to have on the hourly rate of pay of radiographers. | | (196430) | 191
| Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase the number of sign language interpreters for profoundly deaf people attending for NHS treatment. | | (196280) | 192
| Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on recruitment and retention in domiciliary care services. | | (196295) | 193
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many pensioners in the Dagenham constituency have had free eye tests since they were introduced. | | (196452) | 194
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost will be of the new community pharmacy contract to pharmacists looking to expand their practices. | | (195474) | 195
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people living in the West Midlands area are HIV positive. | | (195690) | 196
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what duties community matrons will undertake that are not already carried out by other health professionals. | | (196297) | 197
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies, since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196593) | 198
N | Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that guidelines on priorities for fitting digital hearing aids (a) take into account situations where a patient has mental health problems as well as hearing loss and (b) ensure that trusts carry out a holistic assessment of patients waiting for digital hearing aids. | | (196066) | 199
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 1st November to Question 194032, what the average waiting time for a first appointment with a consultant in (a) psychiatry, (b) urology and (c) endocrinology were in the last period for which figures are available. | | (196604) | 200
| Mr Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether Brazil nuts are being withheld from sale due to health concerns; and if he will make a statement. | | (196488) | 201
| Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much money was given to community transport schemes by each primary care trust in the last year for which figures are available. | | (196379) | 202
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many press officers the Department has employed in each of the past five years. | | (196049) | 203
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full, undiluted, tons of the smallpox vaccine his Department holds. | | (196304) | 204
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dental suites there will be in the Yarnspinners Wharf Medical Centre in Nelson; and if he will make a statement. | | (196461) | 205
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the financial cost resulting from bullying in the NHS in the last year for which figures are available. | | (196257) | 206
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the location of specialist cancer services in the Mid-Anglia Cancer Network area. | | (196298) | 207
| Helen Southworth (Warrington South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 26th October, to questions 193629, 193630 and 193631, Official Report, column 1202W, on the North Cheshire Hospitals Trust, if he will provide the information for the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (196378) | 208
| Helen Southworth (Warrington South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 26th October to questions 193632 and 193645, Official Report, column 1202W, on NHS services in Warrington and North Cheshire, if he will (a) obtain the information and (b) publish it. | | (196380) | 209
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will meet manufacturers of radio-diagnostic equipment to discuss increasing the weight limit of 21 to 22 stones for use of such equipment. | | (195914) | 210
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the NHS Student Grants Unit will be able to receive e-mail correspondence. | | (196538) | 211
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many claims were handled by the NHS Student Grants Unit in Blackpool in each of the last three years. | | (196539) | 212
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what targets have been set for payments of NHS bursaries. | | (196540) | 213
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average grant for a final year medical student from the NHS Bursaries Unit was in the last year for which figures are available. | | (196541) | 214
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff are employed in the NHS Student Grants Unit in Blackpool; and if he will make a statement. | | (196542) | 215
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether there is a dedicated helpline for honourable Members to contact the NHS Bursary Unit in Blackpool; and if he will make a statement. | | (196543) | 216
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004; and what the (A) area and (B) annual rental value (1) in aggregate and (2) in each case was in each year. | | (196073) | 217
| Richard Younger-Ross (Teignbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what dietary guidance his Department gives to the section of the population who are (a) overweight and (b) clinically obese; and whether he plans to publish a consumer reference resource identifying different weight loss strategies and products. | | (196277) | 218
| Richard Younger-Ross (Teignbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department gives on carbohydrate controlled diets; what plans he has to review that guidance in the light of recent research on the effectiveness of carbohydrate controlled diets; and if he will make a statement. | | (196278) | 219
| Richard Younger-Ross (Teignbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of carbohydrate controlled diets; what studies his Department has conducted into the effects of carbohydrate controlled diets; and if he will make a statement. | | (196279) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 220
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) police officers and (b) community support officers have been employed by Nottinghamshire Constabulary in each year since 1997 for which figures are available. | | (196503) | 221
| Janet Anderson (Rossendale & Darwen):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effects of the development of automatic number plate recognition on the level of enforcement of the ban on the use of hand-held mobile telephones whilst driving. | | (196416) | 222
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will arrange for the payment of fixed penalty notices issued in Great Britain to holders of driving licences issued in Northern Ireland to be payable by cheque without the necessity of appearance at court in Great Britain. | | (196419) | 223
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date the UK Central Authority received a request from the (a) US authorities, (b) French authorities and (c) Nigerian authorities for assistance with their investigation into allegations of bribery relating to a Nigerian LNG plant. | | (196427) | 224
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the arrangements for long serving prisoners to receive escorted visits to terminally ill relatives; and what plans he has to review the criteria for such visits. | | (193688) | 225
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2nd November to Question 191515, how many of the persons given a custodial sentence for breach of an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) (a) received a custodial sentence for other offences on the same appearance, (b) received a consecutive sentence of custody for breach of an ASBO when being dealt with for other offences on the same court appearance and (c) were being dealt with for breach of an ASBO alone. | | (196603) | 226
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has determined the date for the commencement for sections 145 and 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to come into force; and if he will make a statement. | | (196384) | 227
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many community safety officers (a) are operating and (b) are expected to operate under the auspices of the British Transport Police; what their role will be; what funding has been applied for their function; for what purposes; when he expects a decision to be made on the application; and if he will make a statement. | | (196486) | 228
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects the (a) Metropolitan Police and (b) British Transport Police to take delivery of high standard chemical and biological suits for counter-terrorism duties; when he expects each force to have similar standard suits available for joint operations; and if he will make a statement. | | (196487) | 229
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in North Somerset since their introduction. | | (196694) | 230
| John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what technical qualifications were held by the fire safety specialists who carried out the in-house review of the Prison Service fire safety advisers. | | (196707) | 231
| John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost in the Prison Service of staff sickness due to smoke inhalation caused by fires in Prison Service buildings in each of the past five years. | | (196709) | 232
| John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost of compensation paid to inmates who have become ill due to smoke inhalation caused by fires in Prison Service buildings in each of the past five years. | | (196710) | 233
| John Cryer (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the (a) policy on and (b) levels of automatic fire suppression systems in prisons in England and Wales. | | (196713) | 234
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many ethnic minority police officers there are in the West Midlands region. | | (195688) | 235
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much council tax revenue will be spent on police services in the West Midlands in 2004-05. | | (195691) | 236
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the basis was for the budget allocation for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in 2004-05. | | (196588) | 237
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department's spending plans are based on a continuing reduction in the number of asylum applications. | | (196589) | 238
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he will take to ensure that efficiency saving plans do not have a detrimental effect on service provision. | | (196590) | 239
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reasons are for the change in the number of civil servants in his Department between 1998-99 and 2003-04. | | (196591) | 240
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he will introduce to fulfil Public Service Agreement 3 which aims to increase the number of crimes for which an offender is brought to justice by 1.25 million by 2007-08. | | (196592) | 241
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures (a) are in place and (b) will be introduced to encourage sentencers to make more use of fines. | | (196618) | 242
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the conditional cautioning pilots. | | (196619) | 243
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on steps to encourage the rehabilitation of prisoners. | | (196620) | 244
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what change there has been in the rate of removals of failed asylum seekers in each of the last five years. | | (196621) | 245
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what circumstances asylum seekers are required to attend in person their appeal decision. | | (196622) | 246
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent assessment of the current threat to the UK from terrorists is; and whether an assessment has been made of the impact on the terrorism threat to the UK of involvement in Iraq. | | (196623) | 247
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are used to scrutinise the effectiveness of spending on counter-terrorism. | | (196624) | 248
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on co-operation of EU states against terrorism. | | (196625) | 249
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the change in the rate of stop and searches of people of Asian origin since 2001. | | (196626) | 250
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the impact of the threat of terrorism on (a) community relations and (b) social cohesion. | | (196627) | 251
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate has been made of the cost of the identity card to the holder. | | (196628) | 252
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the results from the UK Passport Service trial of biometrics will be published. | | (196629) | 253
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the likely impact of the provisions of the Gambling Bill on criminal activity. | | (196630) | 254
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the proposal to convert the Forensic Science Service into a public private partnership. | | (196631) | 255
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made in the reform of the coroner and death certification services. | | (196632) | 256
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the New Deal for Witnesses and Victims has improved services for victims and witnesses in sex abuse cases. | | (196633) | 257
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of sex offence cases brought to court resulted in a conviction in each of the last five years. | | (196634) | 258
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of sex abuse victims' satisfaction with their contact with the police. | | (196635) | 259
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what special measures are available to support children who give evidence in court. | | (196636) | 260
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of children were offered the choice of giving evidence outside court in each year year since 1997; and how many and what percentage accepted this offer. | | (196637) | 261
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many intermediaries whose job is to rephrase the court's questions to child-friendly language are employed within the criminal jusitice system. | | (196638) | 262
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether an assessment has been made of how suggestive interviewing, or the use of the recovered memories can lead to false allegations of sex offences against individuals. | | (196640) | 263
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidelines have been issued on best practice in interviewing techniques for sex offence victims; what checks are in place to ensure that these techniques are used; and what estimate has been made of the percentage of interviews which deviate from this standard. | | (196641) | 264
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people reported being the victim of a sex offence in each of the past five years. | | (196642) | 265
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures in the New Deal for Victims and Witnesses reduce the adverse effects of crime on victims and witnesses in sex offence cases. | | (196643) | 266
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to encourage sex offence victims to (a) report their abuse and (b) act as a witness in court. | | (196644) | 267
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what alternatives to court attendance are available for witnesses in sex offence cases. | | (196645) | 268
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of (a) interviewing and (b) therapeutic techniques used with sex offence victims. | | (196646) | 269
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research has been conducted on the effects sex offences have on victims; and what the findings were. | | (196647) | 270
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate has been made of the number of unreported sex offences. | | (196648) | 271
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) support and (b) treatment is available for prisoners who disclose information to the police about historical sex abuse against them. | | (196649) | 272
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of prisons offer a 24 hour counselling service; and what the most common reasons are for prisoners using counselling services. | | (196650) | 273
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures (a) are in place and (b) he plans to introduce to reduce the level of violent crime. | | (196699) | 274
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the differences are in the data collected for the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime. | | (196700) | 275
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the (a) usefulness and (b) accuracy of the British Crime Survey. | | (196701) | 276
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research he has evaluated on whether persistent offenders are responsible for the majority of crime. | | (196702) | 277
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a business plan has been drawn up for the National Offender Management Service. | | (196703) | 278
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on future funding of the Probation Service. | | (196704) | 279
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what targets have been set for reducing reoffending. | | (196705) | 280
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms will be put in place to measure the effectiveness of the National Offender Management Service. | | (196706) | 281
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure the police service enforces the new regulations on fireworks. | | (196344) | 282
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the ratio of crimes committed to police officer numbers is in Barnet; what the ratio in (a) outer London boroughs and (b) England and Wales is; and if he will make a statement. | | (196410) | 283
N | Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria were used to determine whether HMP Littlehey should be granted a local pay allowance. | | (195856) | 284
N | Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Department's target is for the timescale from issue of draft guidelines by the Sentencing Guidelines Council to issue of the final guidelines to be taken into consideration by the courts. | | (195857) | 285
N | Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for the consultation period on the draft guidelines issued by the Sentencing Guidelines Council in September 2004. | | (195858) | 286
N | Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what factors will be taken into consideration during scrutiny of (a) draft guidelines issued by the Sentencing Guidelines Council in September 2004 and (b) future draft guidelines. | | (195859) | 287
N | Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what process of parliamentary scrutiny will occur prior to the issue of final guidelines by the Sentencing Guidelines Council. | | (195913) | 288
N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed review on the law of murder announced on 28th October will apply to Scots criminal law. | | (196248) | 289
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of thefts from farms in each of the past 10 years for which records are available. | | (196686) | 290
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196609) | 291
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many press officers the Department has employed in each of the past five years. | | (196048) | 292
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent research his Department has commissioned on the health issues surrounding the Tetra system. | | (196067) | 293
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation he has had with the Police Federation on the use of radios linked to the Tetra system by police officers. | | (196068) | 294
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many category (a) A, (b) B and (c) C prisoners there were in England (i) in 1990, (ii) in 1995, (iii) in 2000 and (iv) at the latest date for which figures are available. | | (196462) | 295
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to improve literacy and numeracy amongst offenders; and if he will make a statement. | | (196698) | 296
| Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners who began intensive drug treatment programmes in 2003-04 (a) completed and (b) dropped out of the programme. | | (196273) | 297
| Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the prisons which run internal drug treatment programmes, broken down by type of programme. | | (196274) | 298
| Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Prison Service's review of the Counselling, Assessment, Referal, Advice and Throughcare Services (CARATS) for prisoners with drug misuse problems has been completed; and if he will make a statement. | | (196275) | 299
N | Mr John Taylor (Solihull):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities are fully reimbursed by the Government for (a) costs arising from the discharge of their responsibilities towards the children of asylum seekers and (b) consequent resource costs borne by local authorities; and if he will make a statement. | | (196095) | 300
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004; and what the (A) area and (B) annual rental value (1) in aggregate and (2) in each case was in each year. | | (196069) | 301
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many persons were refused naturalisation in 2003 on the good character grounds. | | (196357) | 302
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance has been issued on what good character means in the context of the naturalisation process. | | (196358) | 303
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the guidance given in respect of naturalisation of citizens states that a motoring offence may affect the question of character. | | (196359) | 304
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for citizenship were rejected in 2003. | | (196360) | 305
| Claire Ward (Watford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when funding for community support officers in Watford will end; and what discussions he has had with (a) the police and (b) local authorities on (i) the requirement and (ii) the funding for these officers. | | (196577) | 306
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fixed penalty notices have been issued under section 72 of the Highways Act 1835, in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) police and (b) local authority area. | | (196411) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 307
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196600) | 308
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many internally displaced people are (a) known and (b) estimated to be hosted by camps near Nyala in Darfur; and if he will make a statement. | | (196663) | 309
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate his Department has made of the number of internally displaced people in (a) Sudan and (b) Darfur; how many there are estimated to have been in each month since September 2003; and if he will make a statement. | | (196664) | 310
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the number of internally displaced people displaced by the conflict in (a) southern Sudan and (b) Darfur; and if he will make a statement. | | (196665) | 311
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian impact of the Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda; and if he will make a statement. | | (196666) | 312
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the current drought in the Horn of Africa; and if he will make a statement. | | (196667) | 313
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004; and what the (A) area and (B) annual rental value (1) in aggregate and (2) in each case was in each year. | | (196071) | 314
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the Department spent on support for people in sub-Saharan Africa with AIDS and their families (a) directly and (b) through the EU in the last year for which figures are available. | | (196371) | 315
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, 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. | | (196062) | 316
| Pete Wishart (North Tayside):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much expenditure his Department has incurred in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004 to date on employing external consultants; and if he will make a statement. | | (196385) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 317
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of Civil Service jobs which will be lost in East Antrim as a result of efficiency savings announced on 12th July; and what assistance will be provided to redundant Civil Service employees to help them find alternative employment. | | (196519) | 318
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he will take to ensure that services will not be adversely affected by the proposed cuts in Civil Service jobs announced on 12th July. | | (196520) | 319
N | David Burnside (South Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been made of the environmental impact on the Crumlin River from its source to Lough Neagh of the proximity of asbestos storage and destruction at Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin. | | (196084) | 320
N | David Burnside (South Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions have taken place with Belfast International Airport on the impact on its business of the proximity of asbestos storage and destruction at Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin. | | (196085) | 321
N | David Burnside (South Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, under what authority and regulatory provision, railway carriages containing blue asbestos were crushed and buried at Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin by Eastwood Environment Waste Company. | | (196086) | 322
N | David Burnside (South Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what environmental impact assessment has been made of (a) the storage and (b) the destruction of asbestos at Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin in the last five years. | | (196087) | 323
N | David Burnside (South Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what tourism impact assessment has been made of the effect of the storage and destruction of asbestos at Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin on the local area. | | (196088) | 324
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans the Northern Ireland Tourist Board has to assist in the upgrading of facilities for tourist traffic using the Greencastle-Magilligan Ferry. | | (196510) | 325
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many journeys on (a) Ulsterbus, (b) Citybus and (c) Northern Ireland Railways were undertaken by senior citizens using the free transport scheme in the year ending 31st December 2003. | | (196511) | 326
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) primary and (b) post primary schools will need to be replaced in the East Londonderry constituency within the next five years; and what the planned timetable is for each school. | | (196512) | 327
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many persons have been convicted of charges relating to the production, possession or distribution of material connected with child pornography in Northern Ireland in the past two years. | | (196513) | 328
| Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of those in full-time employment in Northern Ireland during 2004 are self employed. | | (196514) | 329
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies, since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196594) | 330
N | Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 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. | | (196056) | 331
N | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the recent suspension of officials from the (a) Belfast Education and Library Board and (b) South Eastern Education and Library Board following the discovery of budget deficits. | | (195915) | 332
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in the Province. | | (196249) | 333
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether there is an upper age limit for treatment with anti-TNF medications in the Province. | | (196250) | 334
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many recent representations he has received from groups and individuals seeking a ban on smoking in public places; who they were from; and in what form they were received. | | (196251) | 335
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what dental provision is available to the public outside normal working hours and at weekends in Northern Ireland. | | (196252) | 336
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what research he has evaluated into a putative link between passive smoking and cot death. | | (196253) | 337
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the prevalence of foetal alcohol syndrome in the Province. | | (196254) | 338
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the products used within the Province's health service to try to eradicate MRSA. | | (196255) | 339
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) burglaries, (b) armed robberies and (c) car thefts have occured in each of the Province's Westminster constituencies in each of the last six years. | | (196258) | 340
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of deaths in the Province in which alcohol was a contributory factor in the last year for which figures are available. | | (196259) | 341
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the financial cost resulting from bullying in Northern Ireland's (a) schools and (b) workplaces in the last year for which figures are available. | | (196260) | 342
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) people living in the Province who are medical graduates and (b) whole-time equivalent doctors working within the NHS in the Province. | | (196261) | 343
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 20th October, Official Report, column 811W, on the Magilligan-Greencastle Ferry, what information he has collated on the sums provided by (a) Limavady Borough Council and (b) Donegal County Council towards operating the Magilligan-Greencastle Ferry Service since its introduction. | | (196281) | 344
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 25th October, Official Report, column 1072W, on psychiatric beds, in what periods, since the number of child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient beds has been increased to its present level, it was not possible to operate on full bed occupancy as the result of insufficient staff being available. | | (196282) | 345
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 18th October, Official Report, column 510W, on general practitioner contract/services, from whom, and in what form he has receved representations regarding the implementation of the new general practitioner contract in the Province. | | (196283) | 346
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many full-time planning service employees there have been in each of the last 15 years. | | (196284) | 347
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to improve nursery school provision in the Strabane area. | | (196285) | 348
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the most common reasons for attending general practitioner surgeries in the Province. | | (196314) | 349
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing screening for bowel cancer in the Province. | | (196346) | 350
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, during which periods in the last 10 years there have been vacancies for consultant radiologist posts in the Northern Board Area. | | (196347) | 351
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on provision of MRI scanning in the Province; and what improvements are planned to such provision. | | (196348) | 352
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to increase the number of breast radiologists (a) in the Northern Board Area and (b) elsewhere in the Province. | | (196349) | 353
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the prevalence of glycogen storage disease is in the Province; and if he will make a statement. | | (196350) | 354
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of health and personal social services funding was spent on mental health services in each of the last five years. | | (196351) | 355
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his most recent estimate is of the number of days lost from work in a year in the Province as a result of back pain. | | (196352) | 356
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans there are to increase the number of medical school places in the Province. | | (196353) | 357
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many regular consultant pain sessions took place at each hospital in the Province in the last period for which figures are available. | | (196354) | 358
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on recruitment to non-consultant grade posts in genito-urinary medicine. | | (196355) | 359
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department has spent on external consultants in each of the last 10 years. | | (196417) | Questions to the Prime Minister 360
N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will create an Arctic Medal for those who sailed in the Russian convoys. | | (196209) | 361
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196605) | 362
| Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Prime Minister, when he last discussed with Coalition allies ways of minimising civilian casualties in the course of military operations in Iraq. | | (196292) | 363
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what in aggregate the annual rental value was. | | (196365) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 364
N | Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many press officers the Department has employed in each of the past five years. | | (196059) | 365
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196612) | 366
| Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has been informed that the Scottish Executive plans to bring forward a sewel motion in respect of the proposals contained in the Gambling Bill; and if he will make a statement. | | (196311) | 367
N | Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, 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. | | (196055) | Questions to the Solicitor General 368
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Solicitor General, how many press officers her Department has employed in each of the past five years. | | (196047) | 369
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Solicitor General, if she will list the properties occupied by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what in aggregate the annual rental value was. | | (196366) | 370
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Solicitor General, how many agency temporary staff have been working for the Law Officers' Departments in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally. | | (196061) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 371
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will review the correspondance from the honourable Member for Nottingham North regarding the case of Mr Frederick Jones of Neston Drive, Bulwell, Nottingham, following the judgement in Meadows v North London Securities. | | (196286) | 372
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make it her policy to ensure that all hospitality within her Department is sourced from fair trade producers wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules. | | (196657) | 373
| Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of the construction of offshore wind farms. | | (196276) | 374
N | Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much oil was used in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; how much was imported and from where; how much was burned in power stations; how much was used for domestic and industrial heating; and how much was used by industry for purposes other than heating. | | (195699) | 375
N | Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much natural gas was used in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; how much was burned in power stations; how much was used for domestic and industrial heating; and what the effect of the latest price increase was on the cost of gas fired electricity generation in pence per kilowatt hour. | | (195700) | 376
N | Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much liquid gas was used in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; how much was imported and from where; how much was used for domestic and industrial heating; and what her latest estimate is of the number of vehicles running on liquid gas. | | (195701) | 377
N | Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much coal was used in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; how much was for metallurgical use; how much was used for power generation; how much metallurgical coal was imported and from where; what volume of coal for power generation was imported and from where; and how much was used for domestic and industrial heating. | | (195702) | 378
N | Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much solid fuel was provided to beneficiaries under the National Concessionary Fuel Agreement in the last year for which figures are available; what the cost was; how many beneficiaries were in receipt of cash in lieu of solid fuel under the Agreement; and what the cost was. | | (195703) | 379
N | Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she will take to provide alternative services following the closure of Crown post offices in city centres. | | (195932) | 380
N | Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the closure of Crown post offices by Royal Mail. | | (195933) | 381
N | Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what grants are available from (a) her Department and its agencies and (b) other Government Departments to help with business start-ups in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Stoke-on-Trent. | | (195698) | 382
N | Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what rules apply to (a) eligibility for and (b) payment of the Seed Corn Grant scheme; and whether the scheme is available to start-up businesses in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Stoke-on-Trent. | | (195704) | 383
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by her Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies, since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196597) | 384
N | Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to allocate further funding to support the development of renewable energy. | | (195935) | 385
N | Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, 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. | | (196058) | 386
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the aggregate annual cost to business is of regulations imposed by her Department, using the figures in the relevant Regulatory Impact Assessments, since 1997. | | (196566) | 387
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her latest estimate is of the costs to business in a year of compliance with all the regulations imposed by her Department. | | (196567) | 388
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which regulations have to be complied with to set up a small company running a restaurant, where the buildings need to be adapted. | | (196568) | 389
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which regulations need to be satisfied by a small business setting up new premises to trade as a financial adviser. | | (196569) | 390
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU (a) the Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of Directives on the removal of technical barriers to trade in the sector of cosmetics, (b) the Committee on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and (c) the Group on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data 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 each Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (1) the EU and (2) the UK Government as a result of each Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (196658) | 391
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU (a) the Advisory Committee on public contracts, (b) the Banking Advisory Committee and (c) the Contact Committee on combating money laundering 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 each Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (1) the EU and (2) the UK Government as a result of each Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (196659) | 392
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU (a) the Insurance Committee, (b) the Committee on checks for conformity with the rules on product safety in the case of products imported from third countries and (c) the Committee for the development of the internal market in postal services and the improvement of the quality service 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 each Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (1) the EU and (2) the UK Government as a result of each Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (196660) | 393
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU (a) the Committee on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products, (b) the Committee on statistics relating to the trading of goods between member states and (c) the EC- Republic of South Africa Joint Committee on scientific and technological cooperation 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 each committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (1) the EU and (2) the UK Government as a result of each committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (196661) | 394
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU (a) the Advisory Committee for coordination in the internal market field, (b) the Advisory Committee on opening up public contracts and (c) the Consumer Committee 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 each committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (1) the EU and (2) the UK Government as a result of each committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. | | (196662) | 395
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of the revenues accrued to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in its first operational year are earmarked to come from income generated from (a) Thorp and (b) the Sellafield Mox Plant. | | (196421) | 396
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will ask the Chairman of the new Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to provide an estimate of the additional volumes of (a) low, (b) intermediate, (c) high level and (d) plutonium contaminated nuclear wastes that will be added to the current stockpiles of each of the radioactive waste categories as a result of the continued operation of (i) Thorp and (ii) the Sellafield Mox Plant. | | (196423) | 397
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Answer to the honourable Member for Portsmouth South of 14th September, Official Report, columns 1536-7W, on Mox Plant (Sellafield), for what reasons the details of (a) the Sellafield Mox Plant annual revenues and (b) SMP profits are classified as commercially confidential. | | (196459) | 398
| Helen Southworth (Warrington South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will set an upper limit on interest rates for consumers taking out credit contracts. | | (196390) | 399
| Helen Southworth (Warrington South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she is taking to ensure that customers taking out credit agreements have clear, comprehensive and understandable information on (a) interest charges, (b) other charges and (c) penalties. | | (196391) | 400
| Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the properties occupied by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what in aggregate the annual rental value was. | | (196364) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 401
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to make a decision on the capital funding for the British Transport Police for 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (196493) | 402
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with the British Transport Police on combating vandalism and anti-social behaviour at railway stations covering the Greater London area. | | (196533) | 403
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria are used to made decisions on changing airport flight paths into London Heathrow Airport. | | (196534) | 404
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Greater London local authorities on the provision of disabled parking bays. | | (196535) | 405
| Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police to reduce the number of uninsured drivers on the roads of Greater London. | | (196536) | 406
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196611) | 407
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures have been taken to protect the security of railway tunnels and bridges since 2001. | | (196308) | 408
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which UK ports are fully operational as far as the Container Security Initiative is concerned; which other ports will become part of the Initiative; and for ports that are to become part of the Initiative, how long their procedural development (testing) phase will last before they become operational. | | (196312) | 409
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has (a) contacted and (b) been contacted by (i) the European Aviation Safety Agency and (ii) other European certification agencies regarding failures in the winch manufactured by Hydrotechnics and used by the Aerophile Aerostat in the past five years. | | (196546) | 410
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers he has to revoke licences for airworthiness certificates for aerostats currently in operation in the UK whose certification came through Grandfather rights. | | (196547) | 411
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has (a) made to and (b) had from (i) the European Aviation Safety Agency and (ii) other European certification agencies concerning failures in any part of the Aerophile Aerostat in the past five years. | | (196548) | 412
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what reports he has received from certification agencies (a) in the UK and (b) elsewhere in the world concerning failures with the HiFlyer Aerostat manufactured by Lindstrand Technologies Ltd of Oswestry, Shropshire. | | (196549) | 413
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account the certifying authority takes of a track record of a proven aerostat system when considering applications for certification. | | (196550) | 414
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which organisation is responsible for administering the process of aircraft type certification for applications made in respect of UK manufactured products; and which organisation makes the final decision on whether specific type certification should be granted in respect of an application from a UK manufacturer. | | (196551) | 415
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what applications for type certifications (a) have been made, (b) are pending and (c) have been granted in respect of tethered gas balloons manufactured in the UK. | | (196552) | 416
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the organisation responsible for processing the aircraft type certification is required to carry out technical studies of (a) the winch apparatus and (b) other components of the Aerostat system; and whether it is (i) entitled and (ii) otherwise permitted to accept third party attestations regarding such components from responsible bodies for the purposes of processing such certifications. | | (196553) | 417
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has ascertained from the European Aviation Safety Agency whether the Health and Safety Executive is deemed to be a responsible body for the purposes of safety accreditation such that its certification of winch apparatus may be deemed sufficient for the purposes of aircraft type certification. | | (196554) | 418
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Health and Safety Executive is deemed by the Civil Aviation Authority to be a responsible body for the purposes of safety accreditation of the winch apparatus forming part of an Aerostat system such that its certification may be deemed sufficient for the purposes of aircraft type certification. | | (196555) | 419
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps Lindstrand Technologies Limited of Oswestry, Shropshire, should take in order to acquire the necessary certification allowing the sale of their HiFlyer Aerostat in (a) the UK and (b) the EU. | | (196556) | 420
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what formal certification of specification has been promulgated for tethered gas balloons (aerostats); on what date it was promulgated; and by which organisation. | | (196654) | 421
N | Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many agency temporary staff have been working for the Department or its predecessors in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data is kept centrally. | | (196057) | 422
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the aggregate annual cost obtained by adding the costs in each Regulatory Impact Assessment is of regulations imposed by his Department since 1997. | | (196561) | 423
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his latest estimate is of the costs to (a) Government and (b) regulators of transport regulation in a year. | | (196562) | 424
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his latest estimate is of the compliance cost to business of transport regulation in a year. | | (196563) | 425
N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the national bus fleet which is subject to annual random inspections by the Traffic Commissioners. | | (196092) | 426
N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many buses were inspected by Vehicle and Operator Services Agency officials in each of the last five years; and how many were subject to (a) immediate prohibition notices and (b) delayed prohibition notices. | | (196093) | 427
N | Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Vehicle and Operator Services Agency officials in each of the English regions are responsible for (a) checking the safety of bus vehicles and (b) surveying the reliability and punctuality of bus services. | | (196094) | 428
| Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will publish the new regulatory impact assessment for the Traffic Management Act 2004. | | (196387) | 429
| Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how he will measure the impact on congestion of the congestion-reducing measures in the Traffic Management Act 2004. | | (196388) | 430
| Mr Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what targets he has set for improvement in performance for (a) utility companies and (b) highway authorities over the next three years under the Traffic Management Act 2004. | | (196389) | 431
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004; and what the (A) area and (B) annual rental value (1) in aggregate and (2) in each case was in each year. | | (196072) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 432
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196602) | 433
N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, 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. | | (196064) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 434
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recommendations by parliamentary select committees have been adopted by his Department since June 2001. | | (196293) | 435
N | Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many press officers the Department has employed in each of the past five years. | | (196060) | 436
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the independent evaluation he has commissioned of (a) the impact of the Permitted Work Regulations relating to incapacity benefit and (b) the impact on those who have not made the transition to work for more than 16 hours. | | (196356) | 437
| Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people living in the Weston-super-Mare constituency are (a) eligible for and (b) in receipt of pension credit. | | (196695) | 438
| Tony Cunningham (Workington):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for the proposed reduction in the Child Support Agency service in Workington. | | (196381) | 439
| Tony Cunningham (Workington):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the proposed changes to the Child Support Agency service in Workington have been subject to rural proofing. | | (196382) | 440
| Tony Cunningham (Workington):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the proposals for the ending of processing benefit claims in Workington have been subject to rural proofing. | | (196383) | 441
N | Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19th October, Official Report, column 639W, on SERPS, what rating was applied to the (a) basic state pension and (b) additional state pension in each of the past 10 years. | | (195934) | 442
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 28th October, Official Report, columns 55-57W, on the new child support scheme progress report, upon what date the contract between EDS and the Government with respect to the new child support scheme entered into force; if he will list the sums retained by way of payments due to EDS in each year of operation of the contract; what percentage of the sums retained prior to the period 3rd March 2003 to 19th September 2004 have since been paid to EDS; what the total estimated value of the contract between EDS and the Government with respect to the new child support scheme is; and what actions or omission on the part of EDS would amount to material breach of the contract between EDS and the Government. | | (196265) | 443
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 28th October, Official Report, columns 55-57WS, on the new child support scheme progress report, what time has been invested in extra training following the Child Support Agency (CSA) decision to prioritise activity on compliance; in how many cases payments are being made under the new child support scheme; what percentage this represents of the estimated cases eligible for treatment under the new child support scheme; on how many occasions EDS has been in breach of its contractual obligations to the Government with respect to the CSA contract; on how many occasions EDS has triggered contractual penalty clauses; and what total amount is due in terms of the same. | | (196266) | 444
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 28th October, Official Report, columns 55-57WS, on the new child support scheme progress report, what the average weekly child support maintenance payment to parents with care for the month of October is; how many new scheme cases were not able to be progressed under the new system with respect to Quarter 4 2003-04 onwards and schemes to date; if he will list the reasons for the closure of applications; when the Child Support Agency (CSA) will start properly to manage performance in the area of compliance; and what the fundamentals of the special exercise to be employed to determine the CSA's achievement of its accuracy target at the end of March 2005 are. | | (196267) | 445
| Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 28th October, Official Report, columns 55-57WS, on the new child support scheme progress report, what percentage the sum of £12.1 million retained by the Child Support Agency (CSA) represents with respect to the total payments (a) due to and (b) paid to EDS between 3rd March 2003 and 19th September 2004; what percentage of the total number of clearances, calculations and closures the current achievement rate of over 238,000 for the new child support scheme represents; upon what criteria reasonable assessments of compliance are to be based; what the definition of (i) cash compliance and (ii) case compliance is; and upon what criteria the estimate of the number of parents who receive child maintenance premium payments by way of a disregard to their income support/ income-based jobseeker's allowance is based. | | (196268) | 446
| Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) publications, (c) initiatives, (d) projects and (e) receptions organised by his Department which have received funding from outside commercial bodies, since May 1997, broken down by (i) funding body and (ii) amount paid. | | (196596) | 447
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children under 16 were injured in accidents involving (a) tractors and (b) farm machinery in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (196458) | 448
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the aggregate annual cost to (a) business and (b) others obtained by adding up costs recorded in Regulatory Impact Assessments is of the regulations introduced by his Department since 1997. | | (196564) | 449
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his latest estimate is of the cost in a year of compliance with regulations imposed by his Department. | | (196565) | 450
| Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU (a) the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Community action programme to combat social exclusion, (b) the Advisory Committee on the free movement of workers and (c) the Technical Committee for the implementation of regulations concerning the free movement and employment of workers 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 each Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (1) the EU and (2) the UK Government as a result of each Committee's recommendations; and if he will make a statement. | | (196677) | 451
N | Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many clients attended each Jobcentre not due for closure in North Wales in each of the last 10 years. | | (196207) | 452
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many letters of invitation were sent by the Pension Service to people coming up to pensionable age during the last financial year. | | (196537) | 453
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of data sharing practices between executive bodies of his Department. | | (196544) | 454
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) median and (b) mean pension income was in each year since 1997, broken down between (i) state benefits, (ii) occupational pension, (iii) personal pension, (iv) earnings and (v) other sources. | | (196418) | 455
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for North Down of 27th October, Official Report, column 1289W, on pension credit, what the absolute figures for the male and female population aged 60 used for the Answer were; and how many (a) men and (b) women are receiving pension credit. | | (196448) | 456
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance on activities that may be undertaken by staff in redeployment units. | | (196508) | 457
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library copies of the contracts given to four debt collection companies to collect benefit debts from people no longer in receipt of benefit. | | (196509) | 458
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government expects to receive in repayments of overpaid benefits as a result of the exercise launched with four debt collection agencies in March. | | (196515) | 459
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many lone parents have been in receipt of income support in each year since 2001; and how many of these have attended work-focused interviews in each year. | | (196516) | 460
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department and its agencies were in redeployment units during 2003; and how many have been in such units in 2004. | | (196518) | 461
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22nd July, Official Report, columns 452-4W, on public awareness campaigns, on what evidence his assessment is based in each case; and if he will place the relevant research in the Library. | | (196653) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 462
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) level and (b) length of delays in court cases involving a child witness since 1997. | | [Transferred] (196639) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 463
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of household income was spent on mortgages by first time buyers in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in England and Wales in each of the past 10 years for which records are available. | | [Transferred] (196685) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 464
| Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which (a) abattoirs and (b) low throughput abattoirs (i) operated in 1997, (ii) operated in 2001 and (iii) operate now. | | [Transferred] (196683) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 465
| Mr Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment has been made of viable crop alternatives to poppy cultivation in Afghanistan; and whether alternative crops would be predominantly (a) supplied to domestic markets and (b) exported. | | [Transferred] (196264) | Questions to the Minister for Women 466
N | Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Minister for Women, what plans she has to encourage women to go into non-traditional areas of work. | | [Question Unstarred] (195882) |
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