Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2004 - 05
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 1 December 2004

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

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 1 December 2004
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 1 December 2004

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 1 December of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

For other Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 1 December of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Wednesday 1 December see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to the Advocate General

1
Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the Advocate General, what the (a) projected cost at the time of tender and (b) actual cost at the time of completion was for each IT contract commissioned by her office in the last five years.

(201618)

Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office

2
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many written questions for the Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201542)

3
Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) projected cost at the time of tender and (b) actual cost at the time of completion was for each IT contract commissioned by the Office in the last five years.

(201617)

4
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether she has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in her Department since its implementation.

(201342)

5
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in her Office between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201369)

6
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if she will list the attributable interviews that the Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201440)

7
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if she will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that the Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201442)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

8
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the change in public spending between 1997 and 2004.

(201290)

9
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the change in personal and retirement saving between 1997 and 2004.

(201291)

10
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the change in the number of people employed in central Government administration between 1997 and 2004.

(201508)

11
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will authorise payment of a grant to the charity Band Aid equivalent to the sum to be paid in VAT by the end of the 2004-05 tax year from the sales of their new song.

(201255)

12
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201561)

13
Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many customers benefited following the ruling by the Financial Ombudsman Service in the lead cases involving dual interest rates by mortgage lenders; what the total amount involved was; and whether this is the largest sum awarded to customers following a ruling on a particular issue.

(201598)

14
Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many TC840 forms for requesting reconsideration of recovery of tax credits have been sent out during the current tax year.

(201574)

15
Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the tax credits computer system can (a) import data from and (b) export data to the income tax computer system.

(201576)

16
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many people in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland are being paid below the minimum wage.

(201496)

17
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what change there will be in Civil Service jobs in Middlesbrough as a result of the merger of Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue.

(201500)

18
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to apportion (a) child tax credits and (b) child benefits to non-resident parents.

(201506)

19
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the lowest living wage in the UK.

(201541)

20
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many requests have been made to the Inland Revenue Overpayments Dispute Team by claimants of tax credit for waiver of recovery due to (a) official error and (b) hardship; and how many such requests were accepted.

(201564)

21
N Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff were employed at the Inland Revenue in (a) April 1997 and (b) April 2004; what the reasons were for the change in staff numbers; and if he will make a statement.

(200249)

22
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201347)

23
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201371)

24
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201419)

25
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201443)

26
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201698)

27
N Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received from golfing organisations in Scotland relating to VAT.

(201189)

28
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria are used by his Department to determine (a) on which satellite television stations advertisements on behalf of his Department or its agencies are screened and (b) the frequency of screenings of advertisements.

(201313)

29
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many television advertisements his Department has commissioned on (a) terrestrial and (b) satellite television channels in the last 12 months; and what the cost was in each case.

(201314)

Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

30
Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the (a) projected cost at the time of tender and (b) actual cost at the time of completion was for each IT contract commissioned by the Duchy over the last five years.

(201616)

Questions to the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners

31
Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what the (a) projected cost at the time of tender and (b) actual cost at the time of completion was for each IT contract commissioned by the Commission over the last five years.

(201615)

Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs

32
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many written questions for the Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201547)

33
Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what plans he has to extend the small claims jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement.

(201599)

34
Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the outcome was of the consultation on Representative Claims: Proposed New Procedures.

(201652)

35
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when a Government report on the conclusions of Sir David Clementi's current review of the regulatory framework of legal services is expected.

(201475)

36
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much the Department has spent on its programme on IT and e-Government in each year since 1997; and how the money has been apportioned between different initiatives.

(201476)

37
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many claims have been issued online in each year since the introduction of the Money Claim Online scheme.

(201477)

38
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much the Money Claim Online scheme has cost the Department to run in each calendar year since its introduction.

(201478)

39
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what plans the Department has to increase the amount for which fixed claims can be made by means of the Money Claim Online scheme.

(201479)

40
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what progress has been made with the LINK project since it started.

(201480)

41
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement on the Department's progress towards meeting each of its targets under the three-year LINK project.

(201481)

42
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many courts are linked as a result of the LINK project.

(201482)

43
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much (a) has been spent to date on implementing the targets set under the LINK project and (b) will need to be spent to complete the LINK project.

(201483)

44
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many witnesses have provided evidence by video link from suites in courts for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses introduced under the LINK scheme since the introduction of such suites; and if he will make a statement.

(201484)

45
Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the (a) projected cost at the time of tender and (b) actual cost at the time of completion was for each IT contract commissioned by the Department or its predecessors in the last five years.

(201614)

46
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether the Secretary of State has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in the Department since its implementation.

(201296)

47
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged.

(201379)

48
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list the attributable interviews that the Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201426)

49
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that the Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201451)

50
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201697)

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

51
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many written questions for her Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201546)

52
Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many applications for off-licences have been objected to by local residents in each of the last 10 years; what the main reasons given for such objections were; and what proportion of licences objected to were rejected.

(201653)

53
Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the (a) projected cost at the time of tender and (b) actual cost at the time of completion was for each IT contract commissioned by her Department over the last five years.

(201613)

54
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much was spent on Lottery tickets in Pendle constituency in the latest 12-month period for which figures are available; and what the total for Lottery awards in Pendle was during the same period.

(201711)

55
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in her Department since its implementation.

(201292)

56
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in her Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201366)

57
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the attributable interviews that her Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201400)

58
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that her Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201461)

59
N Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect the implementation of the EU Directive on Age Discrimination will have on the free TV licence for those aged over 75 years.

(200187)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

60
Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) officers and (b) soldiers are serving in the Ministry of Defence, broken down by (i) location and (ii) rank; and if he will make a statement.

(201536)

61
Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which headquarters of Scottish Infantry Regiments (a) he and (b) his Ministers have visited since 1st January.

(201537)

62
Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the regimental recruiting area is of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.

(201538)

63
Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the operational deployments of the King's Own Scottish Borderers have been since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(201539)

64
Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to merge the regiments of the Brigade of Guards; and if he will make a statement.

(201540)

65
Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on which dates since 1st January (a) he and (b) his ministers have visited (i) Headquarters 2nd Division in Craigiehall, Edinburgh and (ii) 52 (Infantry) Brigade; and if he will make a statement.

(201689)

66
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the expenditure was by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which his Department is responsible on research and development work by organisations other than university departments, Government-funded research establishments or private sector companies in each year since 2001-02.

(201278)

67
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many research and development procurement opportunities were disseminated by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises registered through the Small Business Research Initiative web portal in each year since 2001-02, including figures for 2004-05 to date; and what the total value of the opportunities was in each case.

(201283)

68
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many contracts were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in each year since 2001-02 by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which his Department is responsible; and what the total value of the contracts was in each case.

(201284)

69
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what expenditure on research and development was made by each agency sponsored by his Department in each year since 2001-02; and what percentage this represented of that agency's total expenditure in each year.

(201323)

70
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent by his Department on research and development in each year since 2001-02; and what percentage of total Departmental expenditure this represented in each year.

(201324)

71
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what expenditure has been made by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which his Department is responsible for research and development projects undertaken by overseas Government laboratories or research establishments, including collaborative Government-funded laboratories and research establishments in each year since 2001-02.

(201326)

72
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what expenditure was made by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which his Department is responsible for research and development projects undertaken by university departments and research centres in the UK in each year since 2001-02.

(201331)

73
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what expenditure was made by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which his Department is responsible for research and development projects undertaken by private sector companies in each year since 2001-02.

(201334)

74
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what expenditure was made by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which his Department is responsible for research and development projects by companies with headquarters (i) in the UK, (ii) in other EU Member States and (iii) outside the EU in each year since 2001-02.

(201336)

75
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201545)

76
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which representatives of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment he met on the morning of 29th November.

(201573)

77
Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) projected cost at the time of tender and (b) actual cost at the time of completion was for each IT contract commissioned by his Department in the last five years.

(201612)

78
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on which (a) frigates and (b) type-45 destroyers it is proposed to deploy the Merlin helicopter.

(201630)

79
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to ensure Royal Navy (a) frigates and (b) destroyers are equipped with embarked helicopters prior to the in-service date for the Surface Combatant Maritime Rotacraft; and if he will make a statement.

(201631)

80
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date he expects HMS Astute to become fully operational.

(201632)

81
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which submarines are to be replaced by the three Astute class submarines on order; and what their planned dates for decommissioning are.

(201633)

82
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what modifications will be required to the Future Joint Combat Aircraft to enable it to carry the Department's preferred mix of missiles.

(201634)

83
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what missile systems the Future Joint Combat Aircraft will carry; whether such missiles will be carried internally; how many missiles the aircraft will be capable of carrying; and if he will make a statement.

(201635)

84
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which type-23 frigates will be fitted with Sonar 2087; and what the expected date of installation is in each case.

(201636)

85
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the planned eight type-45 destroyers will replace the eight remaining type-42s on a one-for-one basis; and whether any of the remaining type-42s will be decommissioned before its successor type-45 enters service.

(201637)

86
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the expected in-service date is for HMS Daring; and when he expects it to be fully operational.

(201638)

87
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expect the type-45-08 to become fully operational.

(201639)

88
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has been carried out of the implications for the Royal Navy of the gap between the in-service date for HMS Daring and the phasing out of the Sea Harrier in 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(201640)

89
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many type-45s wil be capable of deploying simultaneously when they are all in-service.

(201641)

90
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) estimated cost and (b) forecast in-service date was at the time the CVF was commissioned; and what the current forecasts are.

(201642)

91
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to deploy the Merlin ASW helicopter on the CVF; and if he will make a statement.

(201643)

92
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the future of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

(201485)

93
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when recruits to the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers will begin their basic training.

(201486)

94
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions (a) the King's Own Scottish Borderers, (b) The Royal Scots, (c) The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, (d) The Black Watch, (e) the Parachute Regiment, (f) The Green Howards, (g) The Royal Irish Regiment, (h) The Royal Green Jackets, (i) The Queen's Own Hussars, (j) The Royal Signals and (k) The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers have received lists of names for manning control point reviews in the last 18 months.

(201487)

95
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when and how each soldier whose name is included on lists sent to units for the purpose of manning control point reviews is informed that they are under career review.

(201488)

96
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) private soldiers and (b) non-commissioned officers have voluntarily signed off from the Army at the 11 year point in their Army career in each six-month period of the last four years.

(201489)

97
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many administrative discharges have taken place under Queen's Regulation paragraph (a) 9.398, (b) 9.403 9, (c) 9.404, (d) 9.405, (e) 9.411, (f) 9.412, (g) 9.413 and (h) 9.414 since 1997.

(201490)

98
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints have been made under service redress procedures with respect to Queen's Regulation paragraph (a) 9.398, (b) 9.403 9, (c) 9.404, (d) 9.405, (e) 9.411, (f) 9.412, (g) 9.413 and (h) 9.414 since 1997; and how many of these complaints were (i) successful and (ii) partially successful.

(201491)

99
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated administration cost was of producing manning control point reviews for (a) The Black Watch, (b) The Parachute Regiment and (c) The Royal Signals in the last 18 months.

(201492)

100
Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date each of the two applications for export licences for plastic baton rounds/cartridges refused since 1999 were rejected; and what the proposed destination countries were in each case.

(201507)

101
Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what roles Iraqi troops are undertaking in Iraq.

(201285)

102
Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions he has visited (a) The Black Watch, (b) The Royal Scots, (c) The Highlanders, (d) The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, (e) The King's Own Scottish Borderers and (f) The Royal Highland Fusiliers regiments; and where each visit took place.

(201569)

103
Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list UK personnel serving on the EU military staff; and what the role of each is.

(201570)

104
Mr Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the transcript will be available of the court martial proceedings against Lance Corporal Ian Blaymire; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

(201571)

105
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201302)

106
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201365)

107
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201431)

108
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201456)

109
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201693)

110
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK has given (a) individual and (b) joint commitment to an EU battlegroup; and if he will make a statement on the rotation cycle dates.

(201626)

111
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date the UK joined the European Defence Agency.

(201665)

112
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, to whom the UK's representative to the EU Political and Security Committee is responsible.

(201666)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

113
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many written questions for his Office were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201544)

114
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the effect of the transfer of Fidlers Ferry power station from the national list to the local list on the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme; and how much money was lost to Warrington Borough Council as a result.

(201514)

115
Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the number of self-employed electricians who will be required to register as a competent person by 1st January 2005 under the requirements of Part P of the Building Regulations; and if he will make a statement.

(201565)

116
Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of certification bodies to process the likely number of applicants to become competent persons under Part P of the Building Regulations; and whether compensation will be made available to applicants whose certification is delayed and who lose work as a result.

(201566)

117
Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to permit self-employed electricians who have applied for competent person accreditation in accordance with Part P of the Building Regulations (a) to continue working on jobs which were already underway before 1st January 2005 and (b) to continue their trade pending the availability of the certification inspector to examine and process their application.

(201567)

118
Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps his Department has taken, and over what period, to ensure that self-employed electricians have (a) been made aware of and (b) been granted adequate time to apply for accreditation in accordance with Part P of the Building Regulations due to come into force on 1st January 2005.

(201568)

119
Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to license caravans used by gypsies and travellers to facilitate identification of the owner when this is needed to enforce planning law and policy.

(201594)

120
Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the registered social landlords involved in providing and managing sites for gypsies and travellers.

(201667)

121
Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what ethnic status gypsies and travellers are classified in relation to planning law.

(201668)

122
Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether regional spatial strategies are required to take account of provisions for gypsies and travellers; and whether they will specify pitch numbers that must be provided by each local authority in the region.

(201670)

123
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the running costs of each of the existing regional assemblies were in the last year for which figures are available.

(201355)

124
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much his Department contributed to the regional assemblies in the last year for which figures are available.

(201356)

125
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether legislation is required to disband the existing regional assemblies.

(201357)

126
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with officials concerning the dismantling of the regional assemblies.

(201358)

127
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Office since its implementation.

(201273)

128
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Office between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201367)

129
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201396)

130
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Office's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201457)

131
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201708)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

132
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether the 14-16 Increased Flexibility Programme will be continued.

(201265)

133
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to expand vocational education and training for adults in Cambridge.

(201266)

134
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many extra 16 to 18 year olds he expects to stay in education as a result of the education maintenance allowance in Cambridge.

(201267)

135
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research his Department has undertaken to ascertain the willingness of employers to pay for training.

(201268)

136
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what action he is taking to eliminate the funding gap between schools and further education colleges in Cambridge.

(201271)

137
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201543)

138
Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many school playing fields have been sold in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

(201649)

139
Mr Jimmy Hood (Clydesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the outcome was of the Education, Youth and Culture Council held on 15th and 16th November; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement.

(201337)

140
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many primary schools in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland are planned to be closed due to falling rolls.

(201502)

141
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether the Government supports maximum contact for non-resident parents in shared parenting cases.

(201505)

142
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201301)

143
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201364)

144
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201430)

145
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201455)

146
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201690)

147
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many television advertisements his Department has commissioned on (a) terrestrial and (b) satellite television channels in the last 12 months; and what the cost was in each case.

(201311)

148
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what criteria are used by his Department to determine (a) on which satellite television channels advertisements on behalf of his Department and its agencies are screened and (b) the frequency of screenings of advertisements.

(201312)

149
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he has held with the devolved administrations relating to the content, frequency and timing of television advertising placed by his Department on UK-wide satellite television channels.

(201321)

150
Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many primary school teachers there are in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each local education authority, broken down by (i) race and (ii) gender.

(201678)

151
Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost to his Department was of contracted professional services in each of the last five years.

(201679)

152
Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost to his Department was of advertising and publicity services in each of the last five years.

(201680)

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

153
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many written questions for her Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201550)

154
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase the reuse of waste wood.

(200470)

155
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department gives to local authorities on encouraging recycling of wood.

(200471)

156
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount of waste wood produced by households in the UK in the last year.

(200472)

157
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what projects local authorities are undertaking to reuse household wood.

(200473)

158
Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials were (i) consulted about and (ii) shown the article written by the honourable Member for the Wrekin, the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Rural Affairs, published in the Sunday Telegraph on 21st November, prior to its publication.

(201671)

159
Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the policy of her Department is on land reform.

(201672)

160
Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on establishing coexistence measures for the growing of GM crops.

(201269)

161
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings (a) she, (b) her ministers and (c) her officials have had in the past 12 months with representatives of (i) the International Fund for Animal Welfare, (i) the League Against Cruel Sports and (iii) the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

(201352)

162
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial measures she plans to provide to assist householders to comply with regulations from the Environment Agency on relocating oil tanks.

(201353)

163
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in her Department since its implementation.

(201300)

164
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in her Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged.

(201382)

165
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the attributable interviews that her Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201398)

166
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that her Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201459)

167
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201709)

168
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria are used by her Department to determine (a) on which satellite television stations advertisements on behalf of her Department or its agencies are screened and (b) the frequency of screenings of advertisements.

(201308)

169
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many television advertisements her Department has commissioned on (a) terrestrial and (b) satellite television channels in the last 12 months; and what the cost was in each case.

(201309)

170
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the devolved administrations concerning the content, frequency and timing of television advertisements placed by her Department on UK-wide satellite television channels.

(201322)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

171
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the prospect for reinstatement of discussions on the Annan Plan for Cyprus.

(201335)

172
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201551)

173
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Government in Sudan on the situation there.

(200474)

174
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Palestinian authorities to establish the whereabouts and fate of missing Israeli service personnel; and if he will make a statement.

(201493)

175
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what ministerial visits are planned for each Minister in his Department in the next six months; and if he will make a statement.

(201276)

176
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons the requirement that information received from allied intelligence and security agencies should not be disseminated further without the consent of the originator was not applied to the Butler Review with regard to the sharing of the intelligence on the claim that Iraq sought to procure uranium from Africa.

(201259)

177
Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow Govan):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government regarding Mr Mordechai Vanunu.

(201279)

178
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether Ukraine retains (a) operational nuclear weapons, (b) decommissioned nuclear weapons in storage and (c) a physical infrastructure and expert personnel to enable nuclear weapons to be manufactured.

(201624)

179
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how the agreement made between the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany and Iran over the Iranian nuclear programme will be verified; what additional resources have been committed to verifying the agreement; and if he will make a statement.

(201625)

180
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with officials in Harare concerning the imprisonment of Mr Simon Mann and other British nationals.

(201351)

181
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201299)

182
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201429)

183
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201454)

184
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201699)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

185
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to fund the establishment and maintenance of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber.

(201260)

186
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the refurbishment projects that (a) are in progress and (b) will start in the next six months in (i) his Department and (ii) the NHS; what action is being taken to ensure that these will procure timber from legal and sustainable sources; and whether guidance will be issued to contractors on each of these projects to ensure that the timber used on-site during refurbishment also comes from legal and sustainable sources.

(201262)

187
Mrs Patsy Calton (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many video conferencing units are installed in (a) the Department, (b) the NHS and (c) each non-departmental public body for which his Department has oversight; what percentage of offices have these facilities in each case; and what plans there are to increase the number.

(201263)

188
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on progress in the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of cancer in the North West.

(201340)

189
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201552)

190
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy to support rights for patients (a) to refuse to accept medicines from pharmacies if they are packaged in a way that the patient believes is substandard and (b) to accept medicine only in the packaging intended by the manufacturer for the UK.

(201681)

191
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for wholesale distribution licences have been declined following a criminal records inquiry by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in each year since 2000.

(201682)

192
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many parallel traders have (a) been prosecuted, (b) been reprimanded and (c) had their licences revoked by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in each year since 2000.

(201683)

193
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with parallel trade associations about possible risks to patient safety from re-packaged medicines.

(201684)

194
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with patient organisations regarding (a) parallel traded medicines and (b) substandard and poorly repackaged medicines.

(201685)

195
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has discussed the counterfeiting of cialis and its discovery in the legitimate supply chain with relevant authorities in (a) the Netherlands and (b) other EU member states.

(201686)

196
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the route of access for the counterfeit supplies of the drug cialis that were recently discovered in the legitimate wholesale medicines supply chain has been identified; what action his Department has taken to prevent the circulation of counterfeit cialis; and if he will make a statement.

(201687)

197
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evidence he has received that supplies of counterfeit cialis and reductil have been discovered in the legitimate medicines supply chain; and whether he has received evidence that such supplies have passed through the licensed parallel trade supply chain in (a) the UK and (b) other EU member states.

(201688)

198
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the (a) information and (b) support provided to the families of deaf children identified through newborn hearing screening.

(201673)

199
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what monitoring he conducts of local authority provision of support for families of deaf children identified through newborn hearing screening.

(201674)

200
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what entitlement deaf children identified through newborn hearing screening and under the age of two years have to support from qualified teachers of the deaf.

(201675)

201
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the meetings with manufacturers, retailers and consumers of food supplements recently arranged by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health have resulted in further additions of nutrients and nutrient sources to the lists of permitted ingredients set out in the Annexes to the Food Supplements Directive and the appendices to the Food Supplements (England) Regulations; and whether he intends further to extend those lists prior to their coming into force in July 2005.

(201280)

202
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting on 15th October with officials of the European Commission initiated by the Food Standards Agency to discuss the Food Supplements Directive; and whether that meeting led to (a) the addition of nutrients or nutrient sources to the Annexes of the Food Supplements Directive and (b) assurances from the Commission about how it intends to interpret Article 5 of the Directive in relation to the setting of maximum permitted levels for nutrients permitted in food supplements.

(201281)

203
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the purpose is of the Food Standards Agency review led by Baroness Dean; what estimate he has made of the cost of the review; what account the review will take of the recent report of the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee on the performance of the Agency; and whether the Dean Review will include an assessment of the performance of that Agency in its handling of negotiations on the Food Supplements Directive.

(201282)

204
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the asthma indicators in the Quality and Outcomes Framework for general practitioners; and if he will make a statement.

(201509)

205
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will include criteria on self-management and inhaler technique in the asthma indicators in the Quality and Outcomes Framework; and if he will make a statement.

(201510)

206
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had on the five year limitation for lodging a complaint with the General Medical Council.

(201511)

207
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that complaints submitted to the General Medical Council outside the five year limitation period are investigated if it might have a bearing on a doctor's fitness to practise.

(201512)

208
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions took place between his Department and the General Medical Council prior to the introduction of recent changes in the time limit for lodging complaints.

(201513)

209
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the percentage of pubs in the (a) Northern region and (b) Tees Valley area which serve food which will cease to do so when the smoking ban is implemented.

(201503)

210
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether those who pay membership of private health clubs will qualify for a fitness trainer on the National Health Service.

(201354)

211
N Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of children under 15 years of age who (a) died and (b) suffered from leukaemia in each of the last three years who lived (i) within 100 metres of and (ii) over 100 metres away from high voltage power lines.

(199609)

212
Mr Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the Strategic Health authorities which did not achieve full compliance with the European Working Time Directive for junior doctors in each month since August.

(201261)

213
Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budgets for this financial year are for the five primary care trusts in Suffolk; and what budget has been set for managerial and administrative costs of each.

(201325)

214
N Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans the Government has to extend the policy objectives set out in the Public Health White Paper through EU-wide action.

(199852)

215
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201298)

216
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201381)

217
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201428)

218
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201453)

219
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201700)

220
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many television advertisements his Department has commissioned on (a) terrestrial and (b) satellite television channels in the last 12 months; and what the cost was in each case.

(201305)

221
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria are used by his Department to determine (a) on which satellite television channels advertisements on behalf of his Department or its agencies are screened and (b) the frequency of screenings of advertisements.

(201310)

222
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has held with the devolved administrations in relation to the content, frequency and timing of television advertising placed by his Department on UK-wide satellite broadcasting channels.

(201315)

223
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library the two most recent Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service risk assessments of Walnut Tree Hospital in Sudbury.

(201605)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

224
Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is between notification of British citizenship being conferred and the confirmation of citizenship ceremony in (a) England and (b) Dorset.

(201339)

225
Mrs Helen Clark (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate has been made of the effect on the number of Civil Service posts of the introduction of the National Offender Management Service.

(201676)

226
Mrs Helen Clark (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects the results of the research on rehabilitation regimes to be published; and if he will make a statement.

(201677)

227
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether an applicant for British citizenship serving abroad in the United Kingdom's armed forces may be disqualified in their application on the grounds of absence from the United Kingdom.

(201515)

228
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which British shipping ports have the use of (a) stationary lorry scanning equipment and (b) mobile scanning equipment.

(201516)

229
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201553)

230
Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been stopped from entering the UK by British customs officials working at the Eurostar rail terminus at the Gare du Nord, Paris, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(201627)

231
Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in which European Union member states British immigration officers inspect the passports of passengers seeking to travel to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

(201628)

232
Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions there have been for off-licence alcohol sales to people (a) already under the influence of alcohol and (b) under the age of 18 years in each of the last 10 years.

(201595)

233
Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the impact of this summer's campaign on alcohol-related anti-social behaviour on public services, with particular reference to (a) police and (b) ambulances.

(201596)

234
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what issues his Department has conducted opinion polling in the last three years.

(201710)

235
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions have taken place under section 2 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004; how many of these are being dealt with in magistrates' courts; and how many have been referred to Crown Courts.

(201611)

236
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average number of days sick leave for prison officers was in each prison region in England and Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available.

(201620)

237
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he expects the Prison Service to meet its racial employment targets for the current year.

(201621)

238
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total number of (a) staff, (b) probation officers, (c) Probation Service officers and (d) local support staff working in the Probation Service in England and Wales was on (i) 1st April 2001, (ii) 1st April 2002, (iii) 1st April 2003, (iv) 1st April 2004 and (v) 30th September 2004.

(201622)

239
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many vacancies there were in the Probation Service on (a) 1st April 2001, (b) 1st April 2002, (c) 1st April 2003, (d) 1st April 2004 and (e) 30th September 2004.

(201623)

240
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when regional offender managers will assume responsibility for budgets in the prison and probation services.

(201714)

241
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when regional offender managers will (a) assume their roles on a full-time basis and (b) cease to operate in their current posts within the prison and probation services.

(201715)

242
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings representatives of the law enforcement agencies have had with representatives from the Confederation of British Industry and other industry groups to discuss enforcement of overseas bribery offences in the last year; and on what dates.

(201629)

243
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings officials from his Department have had since October 2003 with the Confederation of British Industry at which legislation on overseas bribery was discussed; and on what dates.

(201647)

244
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library the minutes of the meeting that took place on 27th October between his officials and the Confederation of British Industry at which legislation on overseas bribery was discussed.

(201648)

245
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the seizure of servers belonging to Indymedia, what statutes govern the seizure of private property in the UK by foreign law enforcement agencies without authorisation from UK law enforcement agencies.

(201718)

246
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 11th October from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Kamal Mohammed.

(201349)

247
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him dated 11th October from the Right honourable Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Pauline Clear.

(201350)

248
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has in the forthcoming review of the law of murder to implement the recomendations of the recent Law Commission Report to distinguish between sentencing for different types of murder.

(201495)

249
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where the Circles programme has been introduced; what assessment he has made of its effects; and what plans there are to introduce it elsewhere.

(201498)

250
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will reduce the drink-drive blood alcohol limit to 50mg.

(201499)

251
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the rate of conviction in cases where the defendant was charged with child sex offences was in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what the rate of conviction in cases where the defendant is charged with child sex offences where similar fact evidence was introduced was in that period.

(201501)

252
N Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff were employed by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in each year from April 1997 to April 2004; what the reasons are for the change in staff numbers; and if he will make a statement.

(200248)

253
Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what ethnic status gypsies and travellers are classified in relation to anti-discrimination legislation.

(201669)

254
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which agency is responsible, where an offender is a danger to himself, his immediate family and the wider public, for ensuring that the offender (a) does not reoffend, (b) receives the requested medical treatment and (c) has stable and permanent accommodation; and what the role of his Department is.

(201563)

255
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made in rolling out the OASys offender assessment tool in (a) prisons and (b) probation; how many prisons have access to the system; when roll-out will be complete; and if he will make a statement.

(201383)

256
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of prisoners who were given detoxification in the last 12 months for which figures are available entered one of the Prison Service's drug rehabilitation programmes.

(201384)

257
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of prisoners who entered a drug rehabilitation programme in the last 12 months for which figures are available went on to complete those programmes; and what proportion failed to complete such programmes.

(201385)

258
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to collect data on the ethnicity of those who are (a) stopped and (b) arrested under joint multi-agency street crime operations.

(201386)

259
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to collect data on the ethnicity of individuals whose vehicles are searched under section 44(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000.

(201387)

260
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) juveniles, (b) young offenders and (c) adults in England and Wales were sentenced to immediate custody for breach of an anti-social behaviour order in 2003.

(201388)

261
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police basic command units (BCUs) there were in each of the last seven years; and how many BCUs he estimates there will be in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07.

(201389)

262
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have been (a) arrested and (b) convicted under section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

(201390)

263
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the pay rates for (a) work and (b) education are in each prison in England and Wales.

(201391)

264
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many failed asylum seekers have had their benefits withdrawn under section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004.

(201392)

265
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the progress made towards the Government's 2001 manifesto pledge to improve the standard of custodial accommodation and offending behaviour programmes for 18 to 20 year old offenders.

(201393)

266
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces have established Community Safety Accreditation schemes; what assessment he has made of these schemes; how many private sector employees have been accredited; and if he will make a statement.

(201394)

267
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance the Home Office has received from the Cabinet Office on the timing of business case assessments in respect of major projects.

(201401)

268
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Regional Offender Manager job descriptions will be published.

(201402)

269
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the duties of regional offender managers in the National Offender Management Service for each region in England and Wales.

(201403)

270
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which stages of the Office for Government Commerce Gateway process the identity cards project has passed through.

(201404)

271
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the likely unit cost of a biometric identity card reader.

(201405)

272
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the potential savings in reduced identity fraud costs as a result of the identity cards scheme.

(201406)

273
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what costs are associated with the issue of (a) a free-standing identity card and (b) a combined passport and identity card.

(201407)

274
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research he has commissioned into the benefits of identity cards in reducing terrorism.

(201408)

275
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total cost has been of enforcing section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 in each year since 1997.

(201409)

276
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the (a) employers and (b) other interested groups being consulted about the design of the identity cards verification service.

(201410)

277
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals were (a) arrested and (b) removed from the country as a result of enforcement operations conducted by the Immigration Service in 2003-04.

(201411)

278
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the five most common nationalities were of individuals found to be working illegally in the UK in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(201412)

279
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the conclusions of the Home Office Science and Technology Reference Group's examination of the identity cards programme.

(201413)

280
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the annual £85m cost of the identity cards scheme announced on 2nd November includes the cost of adding visual verification features to the face of the card; and what visual verification options are under consideration.

(201414)

281
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the progress made in securing voluntary contributions towards the cost of policing disorder from the alcohol industry as set out in the Government's Alcohol Strategy.

(201415)

282
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money has been spent on policing per head of population in each police force in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

(201416)

283
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been allocated under his Department's budget for central services for (a) private offices, (b) the central Secretariat providing support to Ministers and the Permanent Secretary, (c) Corporate Resources Directorate, (d) Planning and Finance Directorate, (e) Communications Directorate, (f) Legal Advisers Branch, (g) the Prisons Ombudsman's office and (h) HM Inspectorate of Prisons in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05 and (iii) 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

(201417)

284
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will carry out a risk assessment of (a) possible overlap of the National Offender Management Service with other Home Office programmes and (b) how such an overlap might affect programme effectiveness.

(201432)

285
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crack houses have been closed under the provisions of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, broken down by local authority.

(201433)

286
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of (a) the level of risk that his Department will fail to deliver the National Offender Management Service change programme and (b) the consequences of such failure.

(201434)

287
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of (a) fixed penalties and (b) fines imposed by the courts in England and Wales were collected in full in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04.

(201435)

288
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many places are available in probation hostels in England and Wales; and how many were occupied by high risk offenders on the latest date for which figures are available.

(201436)

289
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to target probation hostel resources at very high risk and high risk offenders.

(201437)

290
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Gateway Zero inquiry into the National Offender Management Service will be completed.

(201438)

291
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department has received from the Office of Government Commerce on the timing of Gateway Zero consultations in respect of projects and programme development.

(201439)

292
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the cost estimates for identity card readers which have been included in the work with stakeholders on benefits cited on page 25 of his Department's response to the Home Affairs Committee's Fourth Report of 2003-04.

(201441)

293
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been allocated to police funding in each year since 2001.

(201270)

294
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201297)

295
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged.

(201380)

296
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201427)

297
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201452)

298
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201696)

299
N Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints have been received of passports being delivered to the wrong address when despatched from passport offices within the last 12 months.

(201187)

300
N Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passports have been reported as missing within the last 12 months after being despatched from passport offices.

(201188)

301
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria are used by his Department to determine (a) on which satellite television stations advertisements on behalf of his Department or its agencies are screened and (b) the frequency of screenings of advertisements.

(201306)

302
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many television advertisements his Department has commissioned on (a) terrestrial and (b) satellite television channels in the last 12 months; and what the cost was in each case.

(201307)

303
Mr Michael Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has held with the devolved administrations on the content, frequency and timing of television advertising placed by his Department on UK-wide satellite television channels.

(201316)

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

304
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the estimated cost to the House was of the State Opening of Parliament on 23rd November.

(201717)

305
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201275)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

306
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects his Department is supporting in Iraq.

(201288)

307
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of climate change on the developing world.

(201289)

308
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on EU aid to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

(201330)

309
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201554)

310
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had on including criteria on international labour standards in Government procurement procedures as a way of improving working conditions in developing countries.

(201572)

311
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201295)

312
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged.

(201378)

313
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201425)

314
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201450)

315
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201695)

Questions to the Leader of the House

316
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Leader of the House, how many written questions for his Office were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201555)

317
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Leader of the House, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Office between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged.

(201376)

318
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Leader of the House, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201423)

319
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Leader of the House, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Office's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201448)

320
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Leader of the House, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201707)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

321
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201556)

322
Mr John Hume (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many buildings in Spencer Road in Derry are classified as derelict; what estimate he has made of the value in rates that these buildings would contribute if they were brought back into use as business premises; and how many of these buildings are in Government ownership.

(201264)

323
N The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the impact the level of resources available in 2004-05 will have on (a) education and (b) health provision.

(200188)

324
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201294)

325
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged.

(201377)

326
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201424)

327
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201449)

328
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201701)

Questions to the Prime Minister

329
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will require Government departments replying to honourable Members' constituency casework to address their responses to honourable Members' House of Commons offices, when the correspondence raising the case has issued from the honourable Member's office in the House.

(201256)

330
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Prime Minister, how many written questions for his Office were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201557)

331
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Prime Minister, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Office since its implementation.

(201274)

332
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Prime Minister, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Office between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201368)

333
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Office's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201397)

334
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Office's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201458)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

335
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201558)

336
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201346)

337
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged.

(201372)

338
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201420)

339
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201445)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

340
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what expenditure was made by (a) her Department and (b) agencies for which her Department is responsible on research and development projects by companies with headquarters in (a) the UK, (b) other EU member states and (c) non-EU states in each year since 2001-02.

(201293)

341
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many research and development procurement opportunities were disseminated by her Department to small and medium-sized enterprises registered through the Small Business Research Initiative web portal in each year since 2001-02, including figures for 2004-05 to date; and what the value of such opportunities was in each case.

(201303)

342
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what expenditure was made by (a) her Department and (b) agencies for which her Department is responsible for research and development projects undertaken by organisations other than university departments, Government funded research establishments and private sector companies in each year since 2001-02.

(201304)

343
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many contracts were awarded by (a) her Department and (b) agencies for which her Department is responsible to small and medium-sized enterprises in each year since 2001-02.

(201320)

344
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much her Department has spent on research and development in each financial year since 2001-02; and what percentage of total departmental expenditure that represented in each year.

(201359)

345
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the expenditure of each agency sponsored by her Department on research and development has been in each financial year since 2001-02; and what percentage this represents of that agency's total expenditure in each year.

(201360)

346
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what expenditure her Department and its agencies have made on research and development with overseas government laboratories or research establishments, including collaborative government funded laboratories and research establishments in each finanical year since 2001-02.

(201361)

347
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what expenditure her Department and its agencies has made on research and development by private sector companies in each financial year since 2001-02.

(201362)

348
Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what expenditure has been made by her Department and its agencies on research and development relating to the UK university departments and research centres in each financial year since 2001-02.

(201363)

349
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of applications to build wind farms (a) were accepted, (b) were rejected and (c) are ongoing in the last full year for which figures are available.

(201327)

350
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the effects of wind farms on tourism.

(201328)

351
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate has been made of the likely reduction in emissions from the use of modern wind turbines; and on what research this estimate was based.

(201329)

352
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on direct UK trade links with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

(201333)

353
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many written questions for her Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201559)

354
Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many women living in the London Borough of Wandsworth have received paid maternity leave in each of the last three years.

(201650)

355
Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average earnings for (a) males and (b) females working within the Greater London area was in the latest period for which figures are available.

(201651)

356
Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she expects to launch Consumer Direct in the West Midlands; and if she will make a statement.

(201597)

357
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions her Department has had with the Office of Fair Trading concerning the investigation of actions by the five major supermarkets in relation to their small and medium-sized competitors.

(200988)

358
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures she has taken to evaluate the risk to patients from counterfeited medicines in the medicines supply chain in the EU.

(201644)

359
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what ministerial visits are planned for each Minister in her Department in the next six months; and if she will make a statement.

(201277)

360
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate her Department has made of the likely change in the number of households in fuel poverty as a result of increased fuel prices.

(201645)

361
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the impact on UK manufacturing competitiveness of increased fuel prices.

(201646)

362
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to implement the Artists' Resale Right Directive in the UK.

(201575)

363
Mr Jimmy Hood (Clydesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the outcome was of the Competitiveness Council held 25th and 26th November; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

(201338)

364
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans the Government has to introduce restrictions on hidden charges imposed by secondary lenders which apply when the borrower falls into arrears.

(201504)

365
Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will reply to the letter dated 11th October from the honourable Member for Banff and Buchan regarding his constituent Mr R Buchan of Peterhead.

(201257)

366
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what support is planned from her Department for small and medium-sized enterprises over the next five years for developing international export markets

(201317)

367
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate she has made of the amount of export revenue created for small and medium-sized enterprises since 1997 by the activities of UK Trade and Industry.

(201318)

368
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what support from her Department is available to small and medium-sized enterprises who wish to attend international trade shows in other countries.

(201319)

369
N Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many claims for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger were concluded for the constituency of Sherwood in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001, (iii) 2002, (iv) 2003 and (v) 2004.

(199781)

370
N Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many claims for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger were concluded in Nottinghamshire in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001, (iii) 2002, (iv) 2003 and (v) 2004.

(199782)

371
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether she has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in her Department since its implementation.

(201344)

372
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in her Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged.

(201374)

373
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the attributable interviews that her Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201399)

374
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that her Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201460)

375
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201692)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

376
Mr Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the establishment of direct air links from the UK to Ercan airport in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

(201332)

377
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201560)

378
Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many drivers with a provisional licence took a driving test in the last three years for which data is available; and how many failed at the first attempt.

(201619)

379
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201345)

380
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201373)

381
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201421)

382
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201446)

383
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201691)

384
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Strategic Rail Authority has determined its response to the request from South West Trains regarding a temporary derogation to allow implementation of the 12th December timetable.

(201600)

385
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the maximum time period is for which a temporary derogation from the passenger service requirement can be given.

(201601)

386
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to appoint a new Chief Executive of the Office of Rail Regulation.

(201602)

387
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the responsibilities for transport of London borough councils; and what plans he has to alter those responsibilities.

(201603)

388
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the subsidy given to bus services in England in each year from 1997 was spent in (a) London and (b) the rest of England.

(201606)

389
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of bus lanes have been built in each year since 1997.

(201607)

390
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money was raised through fines from cars driving in bus lanes in each year since 1997; and to what uses such funds are put.

(201608)

391
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average usage rates for bus lanes were in each year since 1997.

(201609)

392
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents took place in bus lanes in each year since 1997.

(201610)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

393
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201549)

394
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201348)

395
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged.

(201375)

396
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201422)

397
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201447)

Questions to the Minister for Women

398
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Minister for Women, how many written questions tabled to her in her capacity as Minister for Women were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201562)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

399
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will link the basic state pension to earnings.

(201286)

400
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the take-up rate of the basic state pension is.

(201287)

401
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003-04 Session.

(201548)

402
Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will implement the recommendations of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council in relation to vibration white finger.

(201272)

403
Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will reply to the letter dated 26th August from the honourable Member for Banff and Buchan regarding the Motability scheme.

(201258)

404
Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to change the operation of bereavement benefit to permit its payment to common law partners of deceased persons.

(201712)

405
Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of extending bereavement benefit to common law partners of deceased persons.

(201713)

406
Mr Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been paid in bereavement benefit in each of the last 10 years.

(201716)

407
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation.

(201343)

408
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged.

(201370)

409
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201418)

410
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31st March 2003 and 31st March 2004.

(201444)

411
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers.

(201694)

412
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will launch an enquiry into the levels of theft and fraud in his Department committed by officials and contractors.

(201186)

Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs

413
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the implementation of section 329 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

[Transferred] (201395)

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

414
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was given in grants to rural bus services by the Countryside Agency in each year since 1997; and what plans she has to continue such grants.

[Transferred] (201604)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

415
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will bring forward proposals to mark the important festivals of minority communities, with particular reference to Eid and Divali, with (a) public holidays and (b) other official recognition.

[Transferred] (201494)

416
Mr Jimmy Hood (Clydesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the outcome was of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council held on 29th November; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

[Transferred] (201341)

417
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures are being taken to prevent companies paying their staff below the minimum wage.

[Transferred] (201497)

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Revised 1 December 2004