Questions for Oral or Written Answer beginning on Monday 20 December 2004 (the 'Questions Book') Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on Monday 20 December 2004 This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 20 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 Monday 20 December of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 20 December see Part 2 of this paper. Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office 1 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what involvement the No. 10 Delivery Unit had in the (a) setting and (b) monitoring of targets relating to the removal of refused asylum seekers from the UK from 1999 to 2002. | (206177) | 2 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library the analysis on which the statement that lower paid workers will benefit most from moving the Civil Service pension scheme to average salary calculation was based. | (206051) | 3 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what percentage of contributions to the Civil Service Premium Scheme went towards pension entitlement in the last period for which figures are available. | (206862) | 4 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many retired civil servants are in receipt of a pension; and what the total cost was in the last year for which figures are available. | (206866) | 5 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Civil Service (a) widows and (b) widowers are in receipt of a Civil Service pension of less than (a) £1,000 and (b) £2,000 per annum. | (206867) | 6 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many retired civil servants are in receipt of a Civil Service pension of less than (a) £1,000 and (b) £2,000 per annum. | (206868) | 7 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Civil Service (a) widows and (b) widowers are in receipt of a Civil Service pension; and what the cost was in the last year for which figures are available. | (206869) | 8 N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list his public engagements fulfilled in each month since September. | (204874) | 9 N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Cabinet Office spent on taskforces and similar bodies in each year since 1997. | (204887) | 10 N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his Department's policy is on the routing of telephone calls intended for temporary civil servants who have left government service. | (205453) | 11 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make a statement on the work of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat. | (206849) | 12 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the property belonging to his Office that has been (a) stolen and (b) reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206377) | 13 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants from the Cabinet Office have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206403) | 14 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by the Cabinet Office. | (206447) | 15 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) number of actions, (b) number of settlements, (c) number of court cases and (d) the costs of each settlement. | (206464) | 16 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Cabinet Office was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence. | (206481) | 17 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206498) | 18 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many special advisers there are in the Cabinet Office, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206513) | 19 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many press officers are employed in the Cabinet Office. | (206517) | 20 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206567) | 21 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206663) | 22 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the running costs of the Cabinet Office were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile phones and (f) televisions. | (206667) | 23 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Ministerial Pension Scheme will participate in the Pension Protection Fund. | (206863) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 24 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many end of year tax credit overpayments have been identified by the Inland Revenue. | (206251) | 25 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance is issued to Inland Revenue decision-makers on how to interpret the tests for non-recovery in Code of Practice 26 cases; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance. | (206254) | 26 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many requests not to recover tax overpayments the Inland Revenue has received in the last period for which figures are available; and how many requests have been processed. | (206255) | 27 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how long on average it took the Inland Revenue to respond to a request not to recover a tax credit overpayment (a) as a first tier complaint and (b) as a second tier complaint in the last period for which information is available. | (206256) | 28 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in how many cases the Inland Revenue has decided not to recover a tax credit overpayment in the last period for which figures are available. | (206257) | 29 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what IT errors have led to tax credits overpayments, broken down by type of overpayment; whether the overpayments were discovered in-year; and whether in-year recovery of overpayments has been made. | (206259) | 30 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether, in cases where a tax credit overpayment has not been written off, the Inland Revenue writes to the claimant and invites them to make representations as to whether the overpayment should be written off under the tests set out in Code of Practice 26. | (206274) | 31 | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many families in the Coventry area are living in low-income households; and how his Department defines a low-income household. | (206379) | 32 | Mr Wayne David (Caerphilly):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how long on average it took the Financial Services Ombudsman to investigate complaints in the last year for which figures are available. | (206860) | 33 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) value and (b) percentage of exports which comprised manufactured goods in the last year for which figures are available. | (206038) | 34 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is of the (a) proportion, (b) percentage and (c) value of gross domestic product that is contributed by the manufacturing industry. | (206039) | 35 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206758) | 36 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206759) | 37 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will specify (a) the basis and (b) the evidence on which the 2004 comprehensive spending review's efficiency target of £300 million relating to waste service was set. | (206772) | 38 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on Government policy towards hypothecation of taxes; and if he will list all current cases of hypothecated taxation. | (206773) | 39 N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of claimants in Scotland benefiting from the childcare element of the working tax credit; and what percentage this figure represents of the number of people eligible to claim. | (205931) | 40 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the estimated £34 to £49 million in overpayments for tax credits in 2003-04, referred to in the Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts 2003-04, has been successfully recovered; and if he will make a statement. | (205935) | 41 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many interim giro payments for tax credits were made by the Inland Revenue in (a) 2003-04 and (b) the current tax year; and how many of these were made (i) to prevent hardship following the reduction of an award and (ii) as manual payments of tax credits. | (205936) | 42 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit computer records are awaiting reconciliation of payments made against payments authorised in (a) 2003-04 and (b) the current tax year; and if he will make a statement. | (205937) | 43 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Inland Revenue expects to introduce fully automated reconciliations of payments authorised against payments made with regard to the processing of tax credits. | (205938) | 44 | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in how many (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit cases it has not been possible to amend the circumstances affecting their tax credit award despite notification having been given to the Inland Revenue because of IT failures; and if he will make a statement. | (206610) | 45 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) consultants and (b) temporary staff were engaged at (i) 31st March and (ii) 30th September in each of his Departments; and how many full-time civil servants were in his Departments on each of those dates. | (206882) | 46 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) targets he has set and (b) estimates he has made for the number of (i) lone parents and (ii) those on incapacity benefits who may return to work as a result of back to work bonuses being extended for a year, as announced in the Pre-Budget report. | (206804) | 47 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how may people in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland he estimates will qualify for the extension of back to work bonuses for a year, as announced in the Pre-Budget report. | (206805) | 48 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effects on Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituents of the Pre-Budget announcements on (a) additional expenditure on children and childcare and (b) the 3,500 Sure Start child centres to be established by 2010. | (206812) | 49 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effects of tax credits on the number of children living in poverty in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency. | (206813) | 50 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency of his Department's policies since 8th June 2001. | (206838) | 51 N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what mechanism is used to ensure that stamp duty collected by conveyancers is not collected in error in relation to properties that are subject to exemption; and if he will make a statement. | (206306) | 52 | Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have been overpaid working tax credit; and how much has been (a) overpaid and (b) repaid. | (206770) | 53 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206874) | 54 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206367) | 55 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206400) | 56 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206432) | 57 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) number of actions, (b) number of settlements, (c) number of court cases and (d) the costs of each settlement. | (206449) | 58 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence. | (206466) | 59 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206483) | 60 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay grade. | (206501) | 61 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206531) | 62 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206573) | 63 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206652) | 64 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206681) | 65 | Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate has been made of the revenue expected from stamp duty land tax on commercial leases in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. | (206144) | 66 N | Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many families in the constituency of Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber (a) would have been eligible for the Child Trust Fund in 2004 and (b) he estimates will be eligible for the Child Trust Fund in 2005, based on the actual figures for live births between 2002 and 2004. | (205852) | 67 | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the level of migration (a) to and (b) from the Isle of Wight was in the most recent two five-year periods for which information is available, broken down by (i) age, (ii) qualification level and (iii) socio-economic status. | (206077) | 68 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many adults of working age were economically inactive in the lastest period for which figures are available; and how many of these were in each of the 10 largest cities in terms of population. | (206390) | 69 N | Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the delays experienced by Mrs Jennifer East, a constituent, in her dealings with the Tax Credit Office. | (206293) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 70 N | Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether the Duchy of Lancaster has responsibility for the removal of abandoned vehicles on the sands of Morecambe Bay. | (206047) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 71 | Mr Liam Byrne (Birmingham, Hodge Hill):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many crack house closures there have been since the introduction of the orders allowing such closures, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement on (a) the ease with which such orders can be served in the courts and (b) the most common cause of delays in seeking such orders in the courts. | (206845) | 72 N | Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the reasons are for the increase in the cost of running the Money Claim Online software systems between 2002 and 2002-03. | (206072) | 73 N | Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the cost will be of rolling out the Exchange Hearing Information by Internet Technology scheme to every Crown Court within the criminal justice areas in England and Wales. | (206073) | 74 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of e-mails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206732) | 75 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206733) | 76 N | Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much his Department spent on taskforces and similar bodies in each year since 1997. | (204878) | 77 | Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much has been spent on legal aid in relation to persons subject to civil recovery proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 since it came into force. | (206768) | 78 | Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what sums have been repaid to the Legal Services Commission from monies recovered by the Assets Recovery Agency under civil recovery proceedings to reimburse the costs to the Legal Services Commission of funding the representation of those subject to such proceedings. | (206803) | 79 | Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when he intends to respond to the Joint Committee on Human Rights' reports on the Mental Capacity Bill, with particular reference to the questions in appendix 1 of the Twenty-Third Report of session 2003-04. | (206267) | 80 N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what measures the Department has taken to ensure that the UK complies with the requirement that Members of the European Parliament shall not have a dual mandate with the legislature of a member state; and if he will make a statement. | (206307) | 81 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206794) | 82 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206368) | 83 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206393) | 84 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206441) | 85 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year; and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206458) | 86 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206474) | 87 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206492) | 88 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206511) | 89 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206523) | 90 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206561) | 91 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206660) | 92 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206673) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 93 N | Mr Tony Banks (West Ham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when Battersea Power Station was last inspected by English Heritage; and what the outcome of the inspection was. | (204674) | 94 N | Mr Tony Banks (West Ham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when County Hall, London, SE1 was last inspected by English Heritage; and whether English Heritage judged at the most recent inspection that the building was being properly preserved. | (204675) | 95 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206748) | 96 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206749) | 97 N | Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department spent on taskforces and similar bodies in each year since 1997. | (204875) | 98 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206793) | 99 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the property belonging to her Department that has been (a) stolen and (b) reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206374) | 100 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many civil servants from her Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206404) | 101 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by her Department. | (206444) | 102 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year; and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206461) | 103 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence. | (206480) | 104 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206497) | 105 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206514) | 106 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206520) | 107 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206565) | 108 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by her Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206649) | 109 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206668) | 110 | Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the criteria for appointment to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment are; and what guidelines have been drawn up to prevent conflicts of interest. | (206081) | 111 | Mr David Rendel (Newbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what measures she is taking to promote the sport of rowing. | (206413) | 112 | Mr David Rendel (Newbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has provided to Project Oarsome since its inception; and if she will make a statement on the outcome. | (206414) | 113 | Mr David Rendel (Newbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on the (a) purpose and (b) future of the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepoint. | (206415) | 114 | Mr David Rendel (Newbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who owns the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepoint. | (206416) | 115 N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list international sports bodies based in the UK, broken down by location. | (205927) | 116 N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list international sports bodies which have left the UK since 1997, broken down by year of departure. | (205928) | 117 N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the England and Wales Cricket Board, (b) the MCC, (c) UK Sport, (d) Sport England and (e) the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the location of the ICC headquarters; and what the outcome was in each case. | (205929) | 118 | Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the outcome was of the cross-Departmental meeting held in the week beginning 6th December concerning violent video games. | (206220) | 119 | Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what initiatives the Government plans to take with regard to control of violent videos. | (206221) | 120 | Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the results have been of research undertaken by the Government concerning media classification and violent video games. | (206222) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 121 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether British service personnel have been deployed or seconded to (a) Guantanamo Bay, (b) Guam and (c) Diego Garcia since 1994. | (206226) | 122 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of e-mails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206734) | 123 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206735) | 124 | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contribution his Department has made to counts of civilian casualties and fatalities in Iraq; and which organisations including the Iraqi Government it has assisted. | (206820) | 125 N | Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to offer a substantive response to Letters before Action received from legal representatives acting on behalf of members of the British Nuclear Tests Veterans' Association. | (205945) | 126 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the future funding arrangements for youth and cadet organisations sponsored by his Department in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) in the rest of the United Kingdom. | (206580) | 127 N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on taskforces and similar bodies in each year since 1997. | (204886) | 128 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his statement of 16th December on the structure of the infantry, what definition he uses of regimental identity. | (206539) | 129 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether cap badges will continue to have a role to play in defining regimental identity. | (206540) | 130 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether recruitment to the new Yorkshire regiment will be conducted on an exclusively county-wide basis. | (206541) | 131 | Mr Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral statement of 16th December, Official Report, columns 1195-1218, on the future structure of the infantry, how he plans to retain the separate identities of the King's Own Scottish Borderers and the Royal Scots within the proposed Royal Regiment of Scotland. | (206538) | 132 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206370) | 133 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206394) | 134 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206439) | 135 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year; and what the costs of each settlement were. | (206456) | 136 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206473) | 137 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206490) | 138 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206508) | 139 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206525) | 140 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206559) | 141 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206659) | 142 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206675) | 143 | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what extra resources he is putting at the disposal of manning and record offices following his statement of 16th December. | (206620) | 144 | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are employed in the Army's manning and records offices, broken down by area and location. | (206621) | 145 | Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will reply to the letter dated 11th November from the honourable Member for Banff and Buchan regarding his constituent, Mr G Evans of Banffshire. | (206199) | 146 | Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the 215 unidentified smaller commitments referred to in the letter dated 17th November from the Minister for the Armed Forces to the honourable Member for Mid Norfolk are for amounts (a) over £1 million but up to and including £50 million and (b) over £50 million but less than £100 million; and what the estimated aggregate commitment is in each of these two categories. | (206601) | 147 | Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average cost of dental provision for a serviceman in (a) the UK, (b) Germany and (c) Cyprus was in the last period for which figures are available. | (206602) | 148 | Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the balance sheet value of the Atomic Weapons Establishment in the books of his Department was as at 31st March; what the carrying charge and applicable depreciation for that establishment is in the current year; and for what reasons his Department is investing a further £467 million in that establishment. | (206603) | 149 | Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the features of the Brimstone anti-armour weapon, the New Light anti-armour weapon and the LF anti-tank guided weapon system distinguish them from each other. | (206604) | 150 | Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department places in the public domain on the extent to which those working at defence establishments that use nuclear materials are exposed to radiation; what independent assessment is made of the dosimetry statistics; and what research is being conducted to reduce radiation exposure. | (206273) | 151 | Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy, in respect of the Departmental minute dated 15th December concerning the gifting of military equipment to the Iraqi interim government, to withdraw the gift of (a) the 438 underslung grenade launchers for AK47s, (b) 18,400 UGL rounds, (c) 850,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition and (d) 5,666 9mm pistols. | (206861) | 152 N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Totnes dated 22nd September, concerning the Dartmoor Rescue Group. | (205827) | 153 N | Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the role of the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle in the development of network-enabled capability. | (205941) | 154 N | Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the Nimrod MR4A to be fully in service; and if he will make a statement. | (205942) | 155 N | Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Hawk 128 jets have been ordered in the first tranche of the procurement process. | (205943) | 156 | Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what financial support has the Department given to Swan Hunter shipyard in each of the last 30 years. | (206391) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 157 N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) Supporting People scheme reviews of local women's refuges are consistent across the country, (b) Supporting People reviews are undertaken by officers who have been trained in domestic violence and (c) the national network of refuges will be (i) sustained and (ii) developed. | (206041) | 158 N | Mr Tony Banks (West Ham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what payments have been made by the Shirayama Corporation in respect of the oustanding balance on the purchase price of County Hall, London, SE1 from the annual net-profit of the hotel and other business activities in the riverside building. | (204672) | 159 N | Mr Tony Banks (West Ham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what payments remain outstanding from the sale of County Hall, London, SE1 to the Shirayama Corporation of Japan; whether interest on the sum has been (a) paid and (b) requested; when the balance is due; and if he will make a statement. | (204673) | 160 | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many pensioners have been prosecuted for non payment of council tax in each year since 1997. | (206605) | 161 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures he (a) has taken and (b) plans to introduce to protect homeless people from assault and wounding. | (206585) | 162 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the support services offered by his Department to help homeless people find housing. | (206586) | 163 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the Government plans to give extra funding for services to and support for homeless people. | (206587) | 164 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how his Department provides access to accommodation for homeless people. | (206593) | 165 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the consistency of provision for the homeless across England. | (206594) | 166 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206756) | 167 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206757) | 168 N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the level of signage in the countryside; if he will issue new guidelines to local authorities on (a) how to seek early removal of such signs and (b) the bringing of prosecutions; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals, in conjunction with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to expedite such processes. | (205507) | 169 N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the status is of the rural exceptions policy for the provision of affordable housing in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on forthcoming targets. | (205508) | 170 | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps his Department is taking to identify and spread good practice by local government in providing services for older people, with particular reference to those living in rural areas. | (206613) | 171 N | Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list (a) national incidents, (b) incidents in the South East region and (c) new dimension scale incidents involving fire and rescue services that have taken place during each of the past 10 years, broken down by (i) date and (ii) location. | (205407) | 172 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his policy is on the inclusion of representatives of the fire service unions other than the Fire Brigade Union within the new negotiating machinery for pay and conditions within the fire service. | (206062) | 173 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many fire and rescue authorities in England have substantially abandoned the 2-2-4 shift pattern since the introduction of the integrated risk management plans. | (206063) | 174 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many beds have been removed from fire stations in England as a result of the implementation of Integrated Risk Management Plan 1 plans. | (206064) | 175 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what systems he has put in place to monitor the impact on the performance of fire control services of the proposed transition from the existing control room structure to a structure of nine regional control rooms for the whole of England. | (206065) | 176 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many fire control officers were employed on (a) 31st March and (b) 30th September by each of the English fire and rescue authorities. | (206067) | 177 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many fire appliances are proposed to be redeployed at night time away from their day time deployments under the draft Integrated Risk Management Plan documents published by fire and rescue authorities in England. | (206068) | 178 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, at what point he intends to use his reserve powers to impose a national negotiating structure for fire service pay. | (206069) | 179 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what progress is being made towards agreement on a new national negotiating structure for fire service pay. | (206070) | 180 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what representations he has received regarding the availability of life insurance for firefighters. | (206071) | 181 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he took to publicise the meeting held in Oxford on Friday 12th November on regional fire control centres; how many people attended that meeting; what the total cost of organising, conducting and publicising the meeting was; and which fire and rescue authorities were represented. | (206076) | 182 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether technology other than TETRA will allow direct voice communication between personnel from different services at the scene of an incident under the proposed Firelink Integrated Radio System for the fire services. | (206078) | 183 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what percentage of working days of planning department staff employed by local planning authorites in England were lost due to sickness in the last period for which figures are available. | (206079) | 184 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, for what reasons the contract award announcement in respect of the Firelink Radio System was not made in November; and when he expects it to be made. | (206219) | 185 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the annualised total cost to the Government Office for the South East of producing the publication Go South East was in the latest year for which figures are available; and what the annualised total cost to public funds is of all equivalent publications by Government offices of the regions. | (206642) | 186 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport concerning the savings achieved by English Heritage in abandoning a structure based on the Government Office regions and instead adopting four territories, North, South, East and West; and if he will disseminate information on such savings to bodies for which his Department is responsible. | (206798) | 187 N | Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what preliminary reports he has received from Arup Economics and Planning concerning their research project LGR65/12/110, Evaluation of the Role and Impact of Regional Chambers; and if he will place a copy in the Library. | (206074) | 188 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he will make public the report of Sir Michael Lyons' review of local government finance. | (206810) | 189 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to take account within the formula grants system the rapid growth in population experienced by some local authorities. | (206811) | 190 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether he will use current population figures in the formula grant calculations made by his Department for the support of local authority services; and if he will make a statement. | (206850) | 191 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what account he will take of the costs of providing local authority services in rural areas within the distribution of formula grant; and if he will make a statement. | (206851) | 192 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will end the limits on the gains in formula grant that authorities are entitled to formula changes made in 2003-04; and if he will make a statement. | (206852) | 193 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to give local authorities more flexibility on how they spend grant support. | (206853) | 194 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to introduce a local income tax as an assigned revenue; and if he will make a statement. | (206854) | 195 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the per capita formula grant support was given by his Department in 2004-05 to (a) Lincolnshire County Council, (b) Lincolnshire Police Authority, (c) Boston Borough Council, (d) East Lindsey District Council, (e) City of Lincoln Council, (f) North Kesteren District Council, (g) South Holland District Council, (h) South Kesteren District Council and (i) West Lindsey District Council. | (206855) | 196 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average per capita formula grant support was for all local authority services in 2004-05 in (a) England, (b) Inner London, (c) outer London and (d) Lincolnshire. | (206856) | 197 | Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to review the area cost adjustment; and if he will make a statement. | (206857) | 198 N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much his Department spent on taskforces and similar bodies in each year since 1997. | (204885) | 199 | Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will issue new planning guidance to require planning authorities to take greater account of the health effects of radiation from mobile telephones when reaching decisions on such masts. | (206600) | 200 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session broken down by Act. | (206792) | 201 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the property belonging to his Office that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206366) | 202 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many civil servants from his Office have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206399) | 203 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206431) | 204 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year; and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206448) | 205 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence. | (206465) | 206 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many properties are held by the Office; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206484) | 207 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay grade. | (206500) | 208 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many press officers are employed in his Department. | (206530) | 209 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206574) | 210 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Office in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206651) | 211 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206682) | 212 | Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what planning powers local authorities have to restrict the conversion of family housing into houses in multiple occupation. | (206769) | 213 N | Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether (a) Lancaster City Council and (b) South Lakeland District Council have responsibility for the removal of abandoned vehicles on the sands of Morecambe Bay. | (206083) | 214 | Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what projections were made for (a) the Spending Review technical note to PSA 5, Indicator 3, published on 24th November and (b) Chapter 2 of the Departmental Performamce Report published on 2nd December on the number of statutorily homeless families with children living in temporary accommodation by 2006; and if he will make a statement. | (206231) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 215 N | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what her latest estimates are of the numbers of students expected to take out fee loans in 2006 for the (a) standard fee and (b) variable element of the fee; and if she will make a statement. | (205825) | 216 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 9th December, Official Report, column 780W, on Verwood Trinity School, whether her Department accepts liability for the £200,000 debt. | (206330) | 217 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what her Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206744) | 218 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what her Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206745) | 219 | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when she will reply to the Question from the honourable Member for Birkenhead tabled on 25th November, reference 199715. | (206300) | 220 N | Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much her Department spent on taskforces and similar bodies in each year since 1997. | (204877) | 221 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many doctorates were awarded in each of the last three years, broken down by gender. | (206326) | 222 N | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will list (a) the resource budget, (b) staffing levels and (c) administration costs for each Government funded agency for which she has responsibility for each of the past three years; and if she will provide projections of these figures for the next three years. | (204393) | 223 | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the remit is of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's consultation on the proposed new framework for achievement; and how it differs from the remit of the Tomlinson Commission. | (206154) | 224 | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will make a statement on the Association of Accounting Technicians' position within the sector body, the Accountancy Occupational Standards Group. | (206268) | 225 | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what funding the Sector Skills Development Agency is giving to course providers for the Association of Accounting Technicians Book-keeping Certificate in the current financial year. | (206269) | 226 | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much additional work has been required of course providers offering the Modern Apprenticeship in Accountancy and Payroll through the Association of Accounting Technicians since the introduction of the Technical Certificate requirement. | (206270) | 227 | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much funding the Learning and Skills Council has given to centres providing Modern Apprenticeships in Accountancy and Payroll through the Association of Accounting Technicians; and how much centres received for this Modern Apprenticeships course in the year prior to it receiving proxy status for Technical Certificates. | (206271) | 228 | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will request the Adult Learning Inspectorate to inspect NVQ and Modern Apprenticeships courses in accountancy and book-keeping. | (206272) | 229 | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will examine mechanisms to ensure fair and open competiton in the qualifications market in the fields of accounting and related occupations. | (206548) | 230 | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many guided learning hours are required to complete the Association of Accounting Technicians Book-keeping Certificate programme; and what representations she has received from course providers on how many hours are being offered. | (206549) | 231 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what reason she has adduced for the decline in Britain's place from eighth to eighteenth in the league table under the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment in respect of mathematics. | (206799) | 232 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what reason she has adduced for the decline in Britain's place from seventh to eleventh in the league table under the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment in respect of reading. | (206800) | 233 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what reason she has adduced for the decline in Britain's place from fourth to eleventh in the league table under the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment in respect of science. | (206801) | 234 N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures her Department is taking to counter homophobic bullying in schools and colleges; and what the budget is for such measures. | (205939) | 235 N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when the Green Paper on young people will be published; and what the cause of the delays to publication have been. | (205940) | 236 N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 6th December, Official Report, column 296W, on departmental initiatives (young people), if she will list the projects or initiatives which have been launched by her Department since 1997 which are no longer in operation. | (206006) | 237 N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils were educated in special schools in each local education authority in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004. | (205626) | 238 | Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many applications the Department received in 2003 from schools in England for specialist status; and how many of these were successful. | (206265) | 239 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to restrict the amounts of (a) salt, (b) fat and (c) sugar in school meals. | (206816) | 240 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment she has made of the implications of introducing a national healthy school meals menu. | (206817) | 241 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency of her Department's policies since 8th June 2001. | (206837) | 242 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, under what statutory powers the Government reduced the education budget for North Yorkshire for financial year 2004-05. | (206542) | 243 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what provision is being made to enable North Yorkshire schools to meet their special needs requirements and to ensure that their inclusion policy is adequately funded. | (206543) | 244 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what entitlement schools in the Vale of York have to access Sure Start funding. | (206544) | 245 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what account is taken in provision of capital expenditure to (a) local education authorities and (b) schools of the (i) running costs of schools, (ii) pupil numbers in schools and (iii) the teacher to pupil ratio. | (206545) | 246 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206878) | 247 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will list the property belonging to her Department that has been (a) stolen and (b) reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206372) | 248 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many civil servants from her Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206407) | 249 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by her Department. | (206440) | 250 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year and what the costs of each settlement were. | (206457) | 251 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206475) | 252 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206491) | 253 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206509) | 254 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206524) | 255 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206560) | 256 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by her Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206650) | 257 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206674) | 258 | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to assist potential parents in the process of adopting children; and if she will make a statement. | (206052) | 259 N | Mr Paul Tyler (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much revenue her Department has received from the use of non-geographic 0870 telephone numbers for the period 1st October 2003 to 30th September. | (205822) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 260 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206750) | 261 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206751) | 262 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to complete the UK network of Natura 2000 sites for the habitat type Degraded Raised Bogs Still Capable of Natural Regeneration. | (206774) | 263 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if it is Government policy to comply with the requirements of Article 5 of the Landfill Directive in 2010, 2013 and 2020. | (206775) | 264 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the current budget is for the Waste Implementation Programme; how many people are employed by the Programme; and if she will list the achievements of the qualitative and quantative Programme. | (206776) | 265 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of waste were sent to sites registered as exempt with the Environment Agency in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002 and (e) 2003. | (206777) | 266 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many sites registered as exempt with the Environment Agency were visited by officers of the Environment Agency in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002 and (e) 2003. | (206778) | 267 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of commercial and industrial waste were produced in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03; and how much of this was recycled. | (206779) | 268 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of agricultural waste were produced in each of (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002 and (e) 2003. | (206780) | 269 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of construction and demolition waste were produced in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03; and how much of this was recycled. | (206781) | 270 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of waste mercury were produced in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03; and how much of this was recycled. | (206782) | 271 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Agricultural Waste Regulations will be introduced. | (206783) | 272 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the Environment Agency's total expenditure is spent tackling the illegal disposal of waste. | (206784) | 273 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Environment Agency's budget was for regulation of waste management for (a) 2000-01, (b) 2001-02, (c) 2002-03 and (d) 2003-04, and what percentage this was of the Agency's total budget in each year. | (206785) | 274 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of prosecutions brought by the Environment Agency for alleged incidences of fly-tipping of waste did not result in a conviction. | (206786) | 275 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many convictions were secured by the Environment Agency in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003 for incidences relating to fly-tipping of waste. | (206787) | 276 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total expenditure by the Environment Agency was in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003 resulting from (i) fly-tipping of waste and (ii) other illegal activity by non-regulated persons relating to waste. | (206788) | 277 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the household waste stream was hazardous in the last period for which figures are available; and how much of it was sent to landfill. | (206789) | 278 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of commercial and industrial waste was biodegradable in the last period for which figures are available. | (206790) | 279 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the merits of extending producer responsibility to waste streams not currently covered by producer responsibility legislation. | (206791) | 280 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what total operational landfill capacity was closed in each year between 1999 and 2003. | (206824) | 281 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste were diverted from landfill in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03. | (206825) | 282 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the total tonnage of biodegradable municipal waste that will need to be diverted in (a) 2010, (b) 2013 and (c) 2020 to comply with Article 5 of the Landfill Regulations. | (206826) | 283 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of municipal waste was (a) composted, (b) recycled and (c) sent to incineration facilities in (i) 2000-2001, (ii) 2001-02 and (iii) 2002-03; and what the equivalent figures were for (A) France, (B) Denmark, (C) the Netherlands, (D) Germany and (E) Austria. | (206827) | 284 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of total expenditure on waste management services by local authorities was spent on tendering for waste management contracts in each year between 1999 and 2003. | (206841) | 285 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total amount spent by local authorities on tendering for contracts (a) to collect and (b) to dispose of waste was in each year between 1999 and 2003. | (206842) | 286 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on average, how many kilograms of waste were (a) recycled, (b) diverted from landfill and (c) sent to energy from waste facilities per household in (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) Austria, (iii) Germany, (iv) Denmark and (v) Sweden in the last year for which figures are available. | (206843) | 287 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what predictions she has made of the total cost to local authorities of managing the municipal waste stream in (a) 2010, (b) 2013 and (c) 2020. | (206844) | 288 N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what options are being considered for nuclear waste disposal. | (205459) | 289 | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the review of the State Veterinary Service; when it will end; if she will publish all the evidence collated; and what format the review is taking. | (206806) | 290 | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she last met representatives of the Environmental Services Association. | (206807) | 291 | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the (a) Ministry of Defence and (b) Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the impact of climate-based conflict, with particular reference to Darfur. | (206808) | 292 | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research her Department has carried out into hydrometeorological disaster. | (206809) | 293 | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on her proposals for tenancy reform for agricultural holdings following the recent statement by the Parliamentary Under Secretary at Smithfield Show on the future of its Tenancy Reform Referendum Group. | (206858) | 294 N | Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department spent on taskforces and similar bodies in each year since 1997. | (204879) | 295 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to introduce a policy on the control of feral animals. | (206627) | 296 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what thresholds she has set for determining the amounts of different types of hazardous waste which may be present in the municipal waste stream whilst still allowing it to be classified as non-hazardous municipal waste. | (206881) | 297 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce food miles. | (206814) | 298 | Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will separate the budgets for coastal defence works from that for flood defence works. | (206609) | 299 | Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much and what percentage of the budget for 2005-06 for flood and coastal errosion will be spent on beach re-charge. | (206664) | 300 | Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much will be allocated to the maritime authorities for costal defence projects in 2005-06. | (206665) | 301 | Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cost of beach nourishment on the Eccles on Sea to Winterton section of the Norfolk coast is for the years 2004 to 2014. | (206666) | 302 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received from the British ceramics industry on exemption from phase one of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. | (206048) | 303 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has made to the European Commission on the UK's application for exemption from phase one of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. | (206049) | 304 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the level of protection afforded to circus animals in the Animal Welfare Bill. | (206623) | 305 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with circuses over the welfare of their animals. | (206624) | 306 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the future of animals in circuses in the light of regulations to be introduced under the Animal Welfare Bill. | (206625) | 307 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206876) | 308 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the property belonging to her Department that has been (a) stolen and (b) reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206376) | 309 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants from her Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206406) | 310 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by her Department. | (206445) | 311 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year; and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206462) | 312 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence. | (206478) | 313 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206496) | 314 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206515) | 315 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206519) | 316 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206566) | 317 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by her Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206648) | 318 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206670) | 319 N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research she has conducted into the effects on (a) crops and (b) animals of using Roundup Biactive as a weed killer; and if she will make a statement. | (206207) | 320 N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether local authorities have banned the use of Roundup Biactive; and if she will make a statement. | (206208) | 321 N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the complaints made by residents of St Just in Cornwall about reactions to the use of Roundup Biactive; and if she will make a statement. | (206209) | 322 N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what monitoring she carries out on the use of pesticides as weed killers by (a) Government agencies and (b) local government; and if she will make a statement. | (206210) | 323 N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on her Department's guidance on the use of materials containing glyphosate. | (206211) | 324 N | Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency has responsibility for the removal of abandoned vehicles on the sands of Morecambe Bay. | (206046) | 325 N | Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Tenth Conference of the parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, held in Buenos Aires from 6th to 17th December; and what progress was made in persuading the United States Administration to commit to post-Kyoto 2012 actions to mitigate climate change. | (205531) | 326 N | Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to reply to the letter from the honourable Member for West Worcestershire of 16th November, ref: 207829. | (206163) | 327 N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for Totnes dated 22nd October, concerning a constituent, Richard Jones, and the issue of recycling. | (205826) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 328 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings he has planned with US officials to discuss the status of British nationals held at Guantanamo Bay. | (206224) | 329 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the meetings his Department has held with US officials to discuss the status of British nationals at Guantanamo Bay since 2002. | (206225) | 330 N | Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7th December, Official Report, column 476W, whether the Government would be bound by a decision of the European Council to suspend the arms embargo against China; whether the United Kingdom can unilaterally impose an arms embargo on China; and if he will make a statement. | (205325) | 331 N | Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has reached an agreement with the German Chancellor to seek an amendment to the proposed EU Constitution that would change the voting weights accorded to member states of different sizes. | (206305) | 332 | Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what enquiries have been made of the Greek authorities by his Department about why the coroners office in Greece are confirming possession of only some of the organs of the late Russell Christopher Anderson of Birmingham; and if he will make a statement. | (206831) | 333 N | Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much was spent by his Department in each year since 1997 on taskforces and similar bodies. | (204884) | 334 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206760) | 335 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206761) | 336 N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he will take to seek greater protection for the Christian community in China. | (205509) | 337 N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will intercede in the case of Father Zhang Rongliang a church leader arrested in Henan province to seek his release. | (206040) | 338 | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Sudanese authorities concerning the attack by the Government of Sudan airforce on three villages east of Nyala in Darfur on 9th to 10th December and on one village south of Nyala on 7th December. | (206818) | 339 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Colombia on the killings of (a) Villapon Vega, (b) Antenor Martinez, (c) Mayerli Culnma, (d) Nahoralba Culma and (e) Elkin Conde; and if he will make a statement. | (206218) | 340 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of China with respect to the detention without charge of Pastor Zhang Rongliang; and if he will make a statement. | (206234) | 341 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206362) | 342 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206402) | 343 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206433) | 344 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year and what the costs of each settlement were. | (206450) | 345 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206468) | 346 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206485) | 347 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay grade. | (206503) | 348 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206532) | 349 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206572) | 350 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206653) | 351 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206683) | 352 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the role of the commander of the eighth military region in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the current instability in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement. | (206308) | 353 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of recent reports of Rwandan (a) backing of and (b) assistance to General Laurent Nkunda; and if he will make a statement. | (206309) | 354 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of Bizima Karaha's recent reports of inclusion of Interahamwe troops in the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo; what discussions on this (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had with (i) members and (ii) representatives of the Government of (A) the Democratic Republic of Congo and (B) Rwanda; and if he will make a statement. | (206310) | 355 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the Amnesty International report Protecting their rights: Rwandese Refugees in the Great Lakes Region; and if he will make a statement. | (206311) | 356 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of reports of xenophobia in South Africa aimed at refugees from Sudan; what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have made in regard to this issue to (i) members and (ii) representatives of the Government of South Africa; and if he will make a statement. | (206312) | 357 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the numbers, (b) the aim and (c) the activities of the Congolese Rally for Democracy; how these have changed since 1998; and if he will make a statement. | (206314) | 358 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the number and (b) the activities of Rwandan Hutu rebel forces in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement. | (206315) | 359 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) command structure and (b) ethnic makeup of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement. | (206316) | 360 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the role of (a) Major Kasongo and (b) Colonel Jules Mutebutsi in the current situation in South Kivu; and if he will make a statement. | (206317) | 361 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact on stability of the South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo of the replacement of General Nabiolwa with General Mbuza Mabe; and if he will make a statement. | (206318) | 362 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of claims by General Laurent Nkunda of atrocities being committed against the Banyamulenge community in Bukavu, South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement. | (206319) | 363 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had with (i) members and (ii) representatives of the Government of Uganda regarding reported arrests and detentions on treason charges by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence; what clarifications have been (A) sought and (B) received in this respect; and if he will make a statement. | (206320) | 364 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had with (i) members and (ii) representatives of the Government of Uganda regarding (A) the human treason law in general and (B) the time required under the human treason law before bail can be applied for; and if he will make a statement. | (206321) | 365 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the circumstances of the death of Patrick Mamenero in Uganda in 2002; what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had with (i) members and (ii) representatives of the Government of Uganda with regard to (A) the detention by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence and (B) the death while in detention of Patrick Mamenero in Uganda in 2002; and if he will make a statement. | (206322) | 366 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the planned deployment of 10,000 members of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; what assessment his Department has made of of the impact such a deployment may have on the stability of the region as a whole; and if he will make a statement. | (206323) | 367 N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he will respond to the letter from the honourable Member for Totnes dated 25th October, concerning his constituent, Mrs V Hobbs, and the Taba bomb. | (205828) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 368 | Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses working in the NHS have been recruited from overseas; how many have dependent children; and how many earn less than a gross annual income of (a) £20,000, (b) £15,000, (c) £13,480 and (d) £5,060 from their employment with the National Health Service. | (206250) | 369 | Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what costs were incurred prior to the launch of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme; what has been the cost of the scheme in each month since its launch; how many individual pieces of fruit and vegetables have been distributed in each month since its launch; and if he will make a statement. | (206425) | 370 | Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether further research recommended by a Health Protection Agency Rapid Review Panel report will be assessed by the panel at a later date; and whether a further report will be issued. | (206426) | 371 | Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) principal and (b) assistant dentists there were in (i) England, (ii) each strategic health authority and (iii) each primary care trust who were registering NHS patients in each year since 1997. | (206427) | 372 | Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications have been reviewed by the Health Protection Agency's Rapid Review Panel to date. | (206428) | 373 | Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for when the Health Protection Agency's Rapid Review Panel's next meeting is scheduled. | (206429) | 374 | Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will publish the findings from the Health Protection Agency's Rapid Review Panel's meeting which took place on 29th November. | (206430) | 375 | Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment (a) has been made and (b) he plans to make of the effectiveness of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, with particular reference to improving long-term eating habits. | (206645) | 376 | Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) total budget and (b) administration budget has been set for the NHS Institute for Learning, Skills and Innovation in each of the next five years. | (206646) | 377 | Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the age of general practitioner premises in the NHS in England. | (206830) | 378 N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what budget was granted to the Coventry Primary Care Trust in each of the last three years. | (205304) | 379 | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department is doing to ensure that more hospitals move up the score ladder of the Patient Environment Action Team. | (206378) | 380 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the availability of detoxification services for homeless people. | (206595) | 381 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department provides access to (a) detoxification services and (b) primary health care for homeless people. | (206596) | 382 N | Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of the rebranding of the Regulator of Foundation Hospitals as Monitor, including the cost of designing the new logo. | (206260) | 383 N | Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effects on the health of families of living in temporary accommodation. | (206261) | 384 N | Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on which matters Foundation Hospitals are required to report to the (a) Healthcare Commission and (b) Monitor. | (206262) | 385 N | Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, who will meet the £11 million projected deficit of the Bradford Foundation Hospital Trust; and whether Monitor has approved any borrowing by the Bradford Foundation Hospital Trust against the assets of the Trust. | (206263) | 386 N | Mr Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he expects services to patients to be reduced as a result of the projected £11 million deficit of the Bradford Foundation Hospital Trust. | (206264) | 387 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206764) | 388 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206765) | 389 | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many psychiatric appointments at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn were (a) booked, (b) cancelled by the hospital and (c) cancelled by patients in the last 12 months. | (206582) | 390 | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of installing biometric card readers (a) in total and (b) as an average per facility for (i) general practitioner surgeries and (ii) hospitals and other health centres; and what estimate he has made of the annual cost of maintenance for biometric card readers across the NHS. | (206196) | 391 | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has made to the Home Office regarding the (a) timescale and (b) cost of introducing biometic card readers across the NHS. | (206197) | 392 | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of identity fraud in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the (a) number of people who received treatment on the NHS to which they were not entitled and (b) total cost of this treatment in each year. | (206198) | 393 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will reply to the questions from the honourable Member for Birkenhead, references 201524 and 201525, tabled on 29th November. | (206228) | 394 N | Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on taskforces and similar bodies in each year since 1997. | (204876) | 395 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what publicly-funded support is available to people who wish to stop taking antidepressant medication. | (206275) | 396 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on (a) smoking cessation and (b) assistance for people wishing to withdraw from antidepressant medication in each of the past five financial years. | (206276) | 397 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated to establish the number of sufferers from asthma and allied disorders. | (206252) | 398 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will announce the functions of the new NHS Business Services Authority; and if he will make a statement. | (206718) | 399 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to review the data requirements it receives through the Dental Practice Board, as recommended in the National Audit Office report, Reforming NHS Dentistry: Ensuring Effective Management of Risks. | (206719) | 400 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what forecast his Department has made of the number of dental practices transferring to a Personal Dental Services contract by December 2005; and if he will make a statement. | (206720) | 401 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made to agreeing an NHS dentistry charging system to reflect future preventative treatment patterns, as recommended in the National Audit Office report, Reforming NHS Dentistry: Ensuring Effective Management of Risks. | (206721) | 402 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps (a) his Department and (b) the General Dental Council have taken to meet the findings in the 2003 Office of Fair Trading report on private dentistry regarding greater clarity of services and charges for patients. | (206722) | 403 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent by the General Dental Service on (a) examinations, (b) scaling and (c) polishing in the last period for which figures are available. | (206723) | 404 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to introduce more flexibility with routine recall periods for NHS dental patients, as recommended in the National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care October 2004 Report. | (206724) | 405 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many overseas dentists recruited under the Returning to Practice scheme are (a) working for the NHS and (b) working privately. | (206725) | 406 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidelines his Department has put in place for the recruitment of dentists from overseas. | (206726) | 407 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many overseas dentists have been recruited under the Returning to Practice scheme to date; and which countries they have come from. | (206727) | 408 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS dentists there were per head of the population in England in each year since 1997. | (206728) | 409 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made in reducing dental decay for five year olds in England since 1997; and whether he expects to meet his targets in the same group for (a) the average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth and (b) the percentage with no dental caries. | (206729) | 410 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information he has about the number of patients paying for private dental treatment in each year since 1997. | (206730) | 411 | Mr Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what forecast figures his Department has for (a) adults and (b) children registering with an NHS dentist in 2005. | (206752) | 412 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will obtain a market valuation of Silverlands, Chertsey in Surrey. | (206634) | 413 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many uses of NHS defibrillators located in non-NHS premises were reported in the six months to September. | (206635) | 414 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what system is in place for recording uses of NHS defibrillators located in non-NHS premises. | (206636) | 415 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS defibrillators were in place in non-NHS premises on 30th September. | (206637) | 416 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that persons applying for approval under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 to different offices of the Care Standards Commission are only required to pay for one Criminal Records Bureau check when making multiple applications under the Care Standards Act 2000. | (206638) | 417 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether an individual applying for approval under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 is required to undergo separate Criminal Records Bureau checks in respect of applications to different offices of the Care Standards Commission. | (206639) | 418 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that a person approved by one office of the Care Standards Commission is treated as being approved by all other offices of the Care Standards Commission. | (206640) | 419 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what auditing processes are in place to ensure uniformity of decision making between different offices of the Care Standards Commission with regard to approval of individuals under the provisions of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003. | (206641) | 420 | Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on living wills (advanced directives) forms being handed out to patients admitted to NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement. | (206266) | 421 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to take steps to restrict the amount of (a) salt and (b) fat in hospital food. | (206815) | 422 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency of his Department's policies since 8th June 2001. | (206836) | 423 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures will be taken to reduce the salt content of processed foods to the target set by his Department for 2010. | (206840) | 424 | Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the policy of his Department with regard to the provision of blood test strips for people with diabetes. | (206611) | 425 | Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many blood test strips have been supplied to patients in each primary care trust area during the last 12 months. | (206612) | 426 | Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Food Standards Agency spent on information leaflets in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004. | (206550) | 427 | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking (a) to encourage primary care trusts to commission alternatives to drug treatments for depression and anxiety and (b) to encourage general practitioners to prescribe such alternatives. | (206359) | 428 | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the waiting times are for (a) cognitive behavioural therapy and (b) other forms of talking treatment in each primary care trust area. | (206360) | 429 N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to implement the recommendations of the Healthcare Industry Task Force report of November. | [R] (205994) | 430 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206865) | 431 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206361) | 432 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206396) | 433 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206437) | 434 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year; and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206454) | 435 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206471) | 436 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206488) | 437 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206506) | 438 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206527) | 439 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206578) | 440 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206657) | 441 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206677) | 442 N | Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the payment of compensation to Hepatitis C sufferers infected through NHS treatment, with particular reference to those for whom it is claimed that they overcome the virus. | (206066) | 443 N | Mr Paul Tyler (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much revenue his Department has received from the use of non-geographic 0870 telephone numbers for the period 1st October 2003 to 30th September. | (205821) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 444 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions are in place to ensure that staff at Oakington Reception Centre obtain senior level authorisation before detaining children. | (206242) | 445 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are being taken to ensure that adequate access to education is being provided to children detained at Oakington Reception Centre. | (206243) | 446 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children of asylum seekers were being detained in the UK on (a) 1st October 2003 and (b) 1st October 2004. | (206244) | 447 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many adults were tagged as an alternative to detaining asylum seeking families at the latest date for which figures are available. | (206245) | 448 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of asylum-seeking families expected to be monitored through tagging by May 2005. | (206246) | 449 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the mean length of time children of asylum seekers spent in detention in the 12 months to November. | (206247) | 450 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what target time has been set for reaching an initial decision on (a) asylum and (b) non-asylum applications; and what percentage of cases were processed within these target periods in the last period for which figures are available. | (206248) | 451 | Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to monitor the reintegration of failed asylum seekers who have been returned to their country of origin. | (206249) | 452 | Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library copies of contracts or agreements relating to the provision of offending behaviour courses by faith-based organisations at Dartmoor Prison. | (206879) | 453 | Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what expenditure he expects to be incurred by the Prison Service in providing faith-based offending behaviour courses in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. | (206880) | 454 N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the contribution of local Women's Aid and other refuge services to the effectiveness of other agency responses to domestic violence, with particular reference to advocacy services. | (206042) | 455 N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether funding for domestic violence advocacy services will be ring-fenced. | (206043) | 456 N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether domestic violence advocacy services will include assistance in respect of (a) justice systems, (b) health, (c) housing and (d) benefits. | (206044) | 457 N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to ensure that the development of domestic violence advocacy services will (a) identify and assess existing provision of local Women's Aid and other domestic violence advocacy services and (b) build on what already exists. | (206045) | 458 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when Ministers were first advised that the target of 30,000 removals of failed asylum seekers in 2001-02 was unachievable. | (206165) | 459 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refused asylum seekers were removed from the UK in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001; what the statistical basis was for the prediction by the Home Office that 30,000 refused asylum seekers would be removed in 2001-02; and how many refused asylum seekers were removed in 2002. | (206166) | 460 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detainees were present in Yarlswood on the night of 14th February 2002; how many escaped from the detention centre during the incident which was the subject of the Prison Service Ombudsman's report published on 16th November; and if he will make a statement. | (206167) | 461 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the finding by the Prisons Ombudsman that an official in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate considered that reasoned debate on the target of 30,000 removals of failed asylum seekers in 2001-02 was forbidden. | (206168) | 462 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what part Ministers played in the preparation of the contract between the Home Office/Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Group 4 Amey International (GAIL) for the design and build of the Yarlswood Detention Centre; and if he will make a statement. | (206169) | 463 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what advice Ministers (a) sought and (b) received in relation to the timescale for the project to design and build the Yarlswood Detention Centre. | (206170) | 464 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps Ministers took to satisfy themselves that the Yarlswood Detention Centre opened in November 2001 was fit for purpose. | (206171) | 465 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what performance measures relating to assaults by detainees were contained in the contract for the operation of the Yarlswood Detention Centre by Group 4; and if he will make a statement. | (206172) | 466 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation took place between the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Group 4 Amey International Limited on the operational implications for the Yarlswood Detention Centre of his decision of October 2001 that the use of prison places for immigration detainees would cease by January 2002. | (206173) | 467 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions took place between him, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Group 4 Amey Immigration Limited about the development of policies in respect of high risk detainees prior to the opening of the Yarlswood Detention Centre; and if he will make a statement. | (206174) | 468 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what advice was given by Osprey PMI to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (a) in April 2000 and (b) subsequently about the project timescale for the building of the Yarlswood Detention Centre; if he will publish this advice; and if he will make a statement. | (206175) | 469 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the speed of the process leading up to the awarding of the contract to design, build and run the Yarlswood Detention Centre, further to the comments made in the report by the Prisons Ombudsman into the disturbance and fire at the centre in February 2002. | (206176) | 470 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received in relation to the review of the statutory charges document for vehicle removal, storage and disposal. | (206643) | 471 | Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he intends to review the statutory charges document for vehicle removal, storage and disposal; and if he will make a statement. | (206644) | 472 | Mr Liam Byrne (Birmingham, Hodge Hill):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will set out the offences for which fixed penalty notices can be issued; and what guidance has been issued to authorities by his Department about circumstances in which such notices can be delivered. | (206771) | 473 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the most frequent type of crime committed within the Greater London area was in the last year for which figures are available. | (206183) | 474 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the victim support scheme in the Greater London area. | (206184) | 475 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long it took on average in the last year for which figures are available from arrest to bringing a young offender before courts in the Metropolitan Police Authority area. | (206200) | 476 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many special constables are serving in the Metropolitan Police Force. | (206201) | 477 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Queen's Jubilee medals have been awarded (a) in total and (b) to each of the services. | (206202) | 478 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many licences have been issued for the testing of animals in laboratories in each of the last three years. | (206203) | 479 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women serving a prison sentence have their children with them in prison; and how many children are with mothers in prison. | (206204) | 480 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) men and (b) women are serving a life prison sentence in prisons in England and Wales. | (206205) | 481 N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's strategy is to tackle knife crime. | (205305) | 482 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation he has had with beggars in drawing up measures to tackle the problem of begging. | (206583) | 483 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the Department measures the effectiveness of the use of powers to deal with begging. | (206588) | 484 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he (a) has taken and (b) plans to introduce, to help homeless people who are addicted to (i) alcohol and (ii) drugs. | (206589) | 485 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the measures which are in place to deal with the problem of begging. | (206591) | 486 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the alternatives to using the criminal justice system to tackle the problem of begging. | (206592) | 487 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206742) | 488 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206743) | 489 | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library the information available to his Department on the accuracy of (a) biometric tests and (b) biometric card readers; if he will list the biometric card readers his Department has assessed; what assessment he has made of the accuracy of (i) fingerprint tests, (ii) iris tests and (iii) face recognition tests; and what assessment he has made of the (A) problems and (B) benefits associated with each technology. | (206206) | 490 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14th December, Official Report, columns 1021-2W, on community support officers, how many of the community support officers in place at the end of September are posted (a) in Merseyside and (b) the Wirral. | (206299) | 491 | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will introduce a new unit fines system. | (206145) | 492 | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to ensure that imprisonment cannot be a penalty for non-payment of a fine where imprisonment could not have been imposed as a penalty for the original offence. | (206146) | 493 | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to prevent courts from imposing a custodial sentence following the breach of a community punishment order where the original offence did not merit imprisonment. | (206147) | 494 | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to inform the general public about community based sentences. | (206148) | 495 | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will ensure that schools include information about the criminal justice system as part of citizenship education. | (206149) | 496 | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the change was in the performance of the National Probation Service against its performance measures on (a) compliance, including orders which are allowed to continue and (b) offender behaviour programmes (i) during 2003-04 and (ii) between April and September. | (206150) | 497 | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Probation Service met its performance measure on Enhanced Community Punishment during the period April to September; and how performance compared with the target set for that period. | (206151) | 498 | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the change was in the performance of the National Probation Service against its performance measure on drug treatment and testing order commencements between April and September. | (206152) | 499 | Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the change was in the drug treatment and testing order target for the National Probation Service from 2003-04 to 2004-05. | (206153) | 500 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of the (a) female and (b) male prison population were serving prison sentences for their first criminal offence in each year since 1997. | (206277) | 501 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of custodial sentences given to females was in each year since 1997. | (206278) | 502 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average distance in miles between (a) female and (b) male prison location and the registered home address of the inmate was in the last period for which figures are available. | (206279) | 503 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children were in care as a result of their mother's imprisonment in the last year for which figures are available; and what percentage of these children were subsequently returned to their mother's care. | (206280) | 504 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average re-conviction rate of female prisoners was in each year since 1997. | (206281) | 505 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on resources made available by the Government to families looking after the children of women in prison. | (206282) | 506 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of custodial sentences given to (a) females and (b) males convicted of theft was in the last period for which figures are available. | (206283) | 507 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of mothers in prison were first-time offenders in each year since 1997. | (206284) | 508 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision the Government makes to assist women to fulfil community sentences, with particular reference to childcare. | (206285) | 509 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of babies born in prison remained with their mothers up to the age of nine months in the last year for which figures are available. | (206286) | 510 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of women were homeless upon leaving prison in the last period for which figures are available. | (206287) | 511 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to ensure that prison visiting times are available outside school hours. | (206288) | 512 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women gave birth in prison in each year since 1997. | (206289) | 513 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of female prisoners who gave birth in prison were subsequently reunited with their child in the last period for which figures are available. | (206290) | 514 | Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many female vulnerable prisoner units there are. | (206328) | 515 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what offences prisoners who absconded in 2004 from open prisons were serving custodial sentences. | (205627) | 516 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners who absconded from Kirkham Open Prison in 2004 remain unlawfully at large. | (205628) | 517 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who had completed their sentence were being held in a prison establishment on 14th December, broken down by (a) prison, (b) nationality and (c) ethnicity. | (205629) | 518 N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners have escaped from each prison in each of the last five years; and how many have not been recaptured. | (205630) | 519 | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people under the age of 18 years have been arrested for possessing Class A drugs in each of the last seven years. | (206229) | 520 | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people under the age of 18 years have been arrested for selling Class A drugs in each of the last seven years. | (206240) | 521 | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the National Offender Management Service on (a) reduction of crime and (b) protection of the public. | (206258) | 522 | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prison cells were available for use at each prison establishment on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many prisoners could be housed in those cells. | (206417) | 523 | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list properties and assets that are (a) owned and (b) used by (i) HM Prison Service and (ii) the Probation Service; and what value is attributed to each asset. | (206418) | 524 | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many vacancies for staff in prison establishments there were on the latest date for which figures are available; how many staff are working out their notice period; how many staff in prison establishments are expected to retire before 1st April 2005; and how many staff he estimates are required to fill all posts at prison establishments. | (206499) | 525 | Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been recovered under civil recovery proceedings brought under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 since the Act came into force. | (206802) | 526 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to ensure an integrated policing approach across the boundaries of different police forces responsible for sections of the River Thames. | (206819) | 527 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of (a) the relative effectiveness of policing the non-tidal Thames by each of the forces having such responsibility and (b) the percentage of the total forces resources devoted to such policing by each of the relevant police authorities. | (206883) | 528 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions have been secured in each of the last four quarters for which data is available for offences under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. | (206884) | 529 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will seek to ensure that administrative staff working for police forces receive the same pay entitlement for working on public holidays as police officers, with particular reference to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police Force. | (206215) | 530 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in which police forces administrative staff working for police forces receive the same pay entitlement with regard to working on public holidays as police officers. | (206216) | 531 N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8th December, Official Report, column 633W, on anti-social behaviour orders, what punishment will be administered to those who have breached an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO); and if he will break down the number of ASBOs (a) issued and (b) breached by local authority area. | (205999) | 532 N | Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6th December, Official Report, column 396W on young offenders, what plans he has to implement basic skills tests at regular periods throughout a young offender's sentence. | (206000) | 533 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency of his Department's policies since 8th June 2001. | (206839) | 534 N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the British population has a passport. | (206143) | 535 N | Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will bring forward proposals to introduce an offence of causing death by negligent driving. | (205640) | 536 N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, concerning Mr Richard Watson, if he will publish in the Official Report, the letter of 2nd December from the Minister of State for Crime Reduction to the honourable Member for Thurrock, concerning Mr Richard Watson. | (206327) | 537 | Mr Kevin McNamara (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he has taken to ensure (a) that all entrance routes to the segregation unit at HMP Wormwood Scrubs are covered by close circuit television cameras and (b) that all visits to the unit by prison officers are recorded. | (206584) | 538 | Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money has been allocated to the Smartcards scheme for young persons' cultural activities; and from which budget it will come. | (206383) | 539 N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with Sikh representatives to discuss the problems of racist attacks; when he next intends to meet Sikh representatives; and if he will make a statement. | (205946) | 540 N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Sikh organisations he met in each of the last three years. | (205947) | 541 N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received on the separate monitoring of Sikhs under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. | (206002) | 542 N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he has taken to counter racism against Sikh and Muslim communities. | (206003) | 543 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the work of the Passport Service to reduce identity fraud. | (206614) | 544 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers have been used to (a) x-ray and (b) stop and search individuals suspected of carrying knives at Hammersmith bus station as part of Operation Blunt; and how many individuals have been arrested for knife crimes as a result. | (206615) | 545 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding has been made available to prison governors for the implementation of the Prisons Alcohol Strategy. | (206616) | 546 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timescale is for the inclusion of (a) facial, (b) fingerprint and (c) iris biometrics in passports. | (206618) | 547 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the working groups which are tasked with taking forward work on (a) identity cards and (b) biometrics. | (206619) | 548 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8th December, Official Report, column 648W, on street crime, how many individuals have been (a) questioned and (b) arrested by immigration officers under joint multi-agency operations involving the Immigration Service and the police in London, broken down by ethnic group. | (206823) | 549 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206871) | 550 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206363) | 551 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206401) | 552 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206434) | 553 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) number of actions, (b) number of settlements, (c) number of court cases and (d) the costs of each settlement. | (206451) | 554 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206467) | 555 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206482) | 556 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay grade. | (206502) | 557 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206533) | 558 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206575) | 559 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206654) | 560 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206680) | 561 | Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 6th December, Official Report, column 389W, on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, what assessment he has made of whether staff numbers are adequate to deal with the workflow; and whether there are delays in processing the cases before the Authority. | (206080) | 562 N | Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list occasions since 1st January 2002 when he has authorised his official car to be used to transport unauthorised personnel; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse. | (205944) | 563 N | Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the terms were of the proposal which he submitted to the Department of Trade and Industry relating to regulation of gangmasters prior to the Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy. | (206084) | 564 N | Mr Paul Tyler (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much revenue his Department has received from the use of non-geographic 0870 telephone numbers for the period 1st October 2003 to 30th September. | (205820) | 565 N | Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Sir Alan Budd is enquiring into the circumstances surrounding other visa applications in addition to the alleged fast-tracking of the application for a UK visa for Leoncia Casalme. | (206162) | 566 | Mr Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the firearms seized under Operation Stealth were legally registered firearms; how many were found to have been used in crimes; and of these, how many had been used by the registered owner. | (206629) | 567 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library a copy of the cross-cutting inter-departmental review on contracts with the voluntary sector. | (206411) | Questions to the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission 568 | Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reason the House authorities have decided to put out to tender the postal services of the House. | (206753) | 569 | Mr Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith):To ask the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many pupils and students took part in visits to the House of Commons arranged by the House's Education Unit during the 2003-04 parliamentary session, broken down by (i) region and nation of the UK and (ii) primary, secondary, and tertiary sector. | (206423) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 570 | Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance the Government is providing to (a) the government of Sudan and (b) non-governmental organisations operating in Sudan, broken down by (i) the amount and (ii) the use to which funds are being put; and if he will make a statement. | (206075) | 571 | Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when Maxwell Stamp plc are due to report to him on progress in delivering the Chars livelihood programme: concept and management in Bangladesh; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library. | (206161) | 572 | Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much private investment capital CDC/Actis Capital has attracted for private sector businesses in developing countries in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004 as a result of its own investment activities in these countries. | (206846) | 573 | Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list investments CDC/Actis Capital has made in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004 by (i) amount, (ii) country and (iii) percentage of the total CDC/Actis Capital portfolio. | (206847) | 574 | Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what role was played by CDC in the Seychelles gas turbine project; and whether his Department has conducted investigations into it. | (206292) | 575 N | Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much was spent by his Department in each year since 1997 on taskforces and similar bodies. | (204883) | 576 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206740) | 577 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206741) | 578 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent support his Department has given to charities which provide veterinary support to working animals in (a) Darfur and (b) other areas. | (206214) | 579 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206371) | 580 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206392) | 581 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206442) | 582 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year; and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206459) | 583 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206476) | 584 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206493) | 585 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206510) | 586 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206522) | 587 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206562) | 588 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206661) | 589 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206672) | 590 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had with (i) members and (ii) representatives of the Government of Tanzania, regarding the comments in Amnesty International's recent report Protecting their rights:Rwandese Refugees in the Great Lakes Region concerning the treatment of Rwanda's refugees in Tanzania; and if he will make a statement. | (206324) | 591 | Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much (a) monetary aid and (b) food aid was provided to each country in Central Africa by (i) EU member states, (ii) the EU, (iii) the US and (iv) the UK, with the aim of relieving the humanitarian and social burden of refugee populations from the host nation in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | (206325) | 592 | Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to his Answer of 13th December to the honourable Member for Tooting, Official Report, columns 819-20, on Iraq, what the source was of his information that water was supplied to remaining civilians in Fallujah by Iraqi and multi-national forces; and how his Department's advisers made their estimate that only about 1,500 civilians remain in Fallujah. | (206313) | Questions to the Leader of the House 593 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Leader of the House, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206738) | 594 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Leader of the House, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206739) | 595 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Leader of the House, if the Parliamentary Pension scheme will participate in the Pension Protection Fund. | (206870) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 596 | Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average starting salary is for those qualified to assist children with speech and learning difficulties in Northern Ireland; and what board areas have the (a) highest and (b) lowest levels of pay scale. | (206054) | 597 | Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to review the legislation concerning the time period where police must wait until abandoned vehicles can be removed from public roads. | (206055) | 598 | Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what works have been carried out under the auspices of the Department of Regional Development at Clooney Road, Greysteel, Co. Londonderry over the past two years; when these works commenced; and when they are scheduled to be completed. | (206056) | 599 | Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many Civil Service jobs have been relocated from the Greater Belfast area to each of the 12 constituencies in Northern Ireland, excluding North Down, Foyle and the four Belfast constituencies, in each of the last five years. | (206057) | 600 | Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average success rates have been for placing participants in sustainable employment in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months of the (a) New Deal and (b) Worktrack programme. | (206058) | 601 | Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the total cost to public funds of the Saville Inquiry has been, broken down by (a) legal fees, (b) accommodation, (c) transportation, (d) provision of IT equipment and (e) hiring of venues. | (206059) | 602 | Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the total legal costs have been of each participating legal team and person involved in the Saville Inquiry. | (206060) | 603 N | Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was spent by his Department in each year since 1997 on taskforces and similar bodies. | (204882) | 604 | Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when there will be a review of sexual offences; and what areas this review will cover. | (206329) | 605 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206766) | 606 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206767) | 607 | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the total Government expenditure in the Province was in each of the last 20 years. | (206617) | 608 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how the new funding arrangements for schools in Northern Ireland will affect in percentage terms each school in North Down constituency. | (206556) | 609 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will take steps to prevent (a) teachers and (b) support staff being made redundant as a result of the new funding arrangements for schools in Northern Ireland. | (206579) | 610 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the future funding arrangements for schools in Northern Ireland; and how many children he estimates will benefit from the new arrangements. | (206581) | 611 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the operation of regulations preventing people with diabetes from holding a driving licence; and whether there are plans to amend these regulations. | (206731) | 612 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his Answer of 14th December to Question reference 204664, which of the secondary schools identified in each Education and Library Board area as having asbestos have (a) white and (b) blue asbestos. | (206864) | 613 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much it cost to (a) produce and (b) distribute the Northern Ireland Office Autumn Performance Report 2004; and how many copies were distributed. | (206885) | 614 | Alan Howarth (Newport East):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many full-time education students were at universities and colleges in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. | (206050) | 615 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206872) | 616 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206369) | 617 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206395) | 618 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206438) | 619 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year; and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206455) | 620 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206472) | 621 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206489) | 622 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206507) | 623 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206526) | 624 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206558) | 625 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206658) | 626 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206676) | 627 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assistance is being provided to former members of the full-time reserve for re-training and re-employment. | (206118) | 628 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the number of individuals awaiting provision of digital hearing aids in the Province. | (206119) | 629 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what incentives are being used to aid recruitment of junior medical staff into genito-urinary medicine. | (206120) | 630 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many individuals have (a) completed and (b) dropped out from training as new police recruits in each year since the Police Service of Northern Ireland was established. | (206121) | 631 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps are being taken to increase recruitment of professional staff at Tyrone County Hospital. | (206122) | 632 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patients (a) are awaiting and (b) have received in the last 12 months an initial assessment for chiropody services in each trust in the Province. | (206123) | 633 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will increase flexibility within nursing training to make it easier to convert from one nursing discipline to another. | (206124) | 634 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to encourage the development of the role of the nurse endoscopist in the Province. | (206125) | 635 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to tackle the level of smoking among young females in the Province. | (206126) | 636 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent guidance has been issued on the management of patients in the Province with slightly elevated PSA levels. | (206127) | 637 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many additional staff have been recruited to assist with the increased level of breast screening resulting from widening the age range for screening in the Province. | (206128) | 638 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) admissions and (b) bed days resulting from admissions of young people under the age of 18 years who were admitted to adult psychiatry wards there have been in the Province in each of the last five years. | (206179) | 639 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was spent on child and adolescent mental health services in the Province in each of the last five years. | (206180) | 640 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the exceptional circumstances clause in the new Northern Ireland general medical services contract and the potential for doctors to be obliged to provide out-of-hours cover. | (206181) | 641 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patients in the Province avail of the direct payments scheme for care packages; and if he will make a statement. | (206182) | 642 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what representations he has received from independent providers of MRI scanning concerning the provision of additional scans on a not-for-profit basis; and if he will make a statement. | (206212) | 643 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment the Government has made of whether paramilitary organisations in the Province (a) have been and (b) are involved in the sale or distribution of counterfeit (i) bank notes, (ii) DVDs, (iii) CDs, (iv) computer games, (v) clothing, (vi) pharmaceuticals and (vii) perfume. | (206213) | 644 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the population of Northern Ireland in (a) 2003 and (b) 1989. | (206339) | 645 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many newly-acquired acute sexually-transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS (a) were recorded in 2003 and (b) have been recorded to date in 2004 in the Province. | (206340) | 646 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the (a) costs incurred and (b) total bed days in the Province resulting from adverse reactions to medications in the 2004-05 financial year. | (206341) | 647 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to ensure homeless people have equitable access to health services in the Province. | (206342) | 648 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the merits of appointing someone to act as a champion for the homeless in Northern Ireland. | (206343) | 649 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the number of GP attendances per capita in Northern Ireland (a) in the most recent year for which figures are available and (b) (i) five, (ii) 10, (iii) 15 and (iv) 20 years previously. | (206344) | 650 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the proportion of the population in the Province who did not attend their general practitioner in the last 12 months. | (206345) | 651 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many complaints were received by each health trust in the Province during the year ended September 2004. | (206346) | 652 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many cases of MRSA were detected at each hospital in the Province in each of the last 12 months. | (206347) | 653 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the PPP/PFI health service building programmes in the Province. | (206348) | 654 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patients (a) are awaiting and (b) have received in the last 12 months an initial occupational therapy assessment in each trust in the Province. | (206349) | 655 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much he expects to be required for the settlement of clinical negligence claims in the Province over the next three years. | (206350) | 656 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many clinical negligence cases are pending within each health trust in the Province. | (206351) | 657 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the number of prescription items per capita in Northern Ireland (a) in the last year for which figures are available and (b) (i) five, (ii) 10, (iii) 15 and (iv) 20 years previously. | (206352) | 658 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much social housing was available in the Province on 1st January (a) 2004, (b) 1999, (c) 1994, (d) 1989 and (e) 1984. | (206353) | 659 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many homeless people there were in the Province in each of the last 10 years. | (206354) | 660 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of homeless people in the Province are female lone parents. | (206355) | 661 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people in the Province are housed in temporary accommodation. | (206356) | 662 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the loss by homeless people in the Province of their last settled home. | (206357) | 663 | Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many rough sleepers there were in the Province in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of these were drug abusers. | (206358) | 664 | The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much of the £214 million increase in health care funding in 2003-04 has been provided for (a) meeting inflation, (b) improving staff terms and conditions of employment, (c) changes in policy on charging for some services and (d) planned service developments. | (206385) | Questions to the Prime Minister 665 N | Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 13th December, Official Report, column 823, on the Working Time Regulations, how many and what percentage of officials in his private office have signed a waiver under the Working Time Regulations. | (206004) | 666 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Prime Minister, what his Office's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206754) | 667 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Prime Minister, what his Office's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206755) | 668 N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Prime Minister, for what reasons telephone calls intended for Mr Alistair Campbell are officially routed to Mr David Hill's secretary. | (205454) | 669 N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Prime Minister, what proportion of the salary of Mr David Hill's secretary is attributed to the handling of telephone calls for Mr Alistair Campbell. | (205455) | 670 N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Prime Minister, what official responsibility Mr David Hill has for (a) consulting and (b) liaising with Mr Alistair Campbell. | (205456) | 671 N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Prime Minister, what role is played by Mr Alistair Campbell in continuing to (a) advise and (b) be consulted by Government. | (205457) | 672 N | Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will set up an inquiry into the co-ordination of policy and the issuing of press statements by the Home Office and the Department for Trade and Industry regarding the regulation of gangmasters prior to the deaths of cocklers in Morecambe Bay. | (206082) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 673 N | Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much was spent by his Department in each year since 1997 on taskforces and similar bodies. | (204880) | 674 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206365) | 675 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206397) | 676 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206436) | 677 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements, (c) court cases there were in each year; and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206453) | 678 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206470) | 679 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206487) | 680 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay grade. | (206505) | 681 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206528) | 682 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206577) | 683 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206656) | 684 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206678) | Questions to the Solicitor General 685 N | Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Solicitor General, how much was spent by her Department in each year since 1997 on taskforces and similar bodies. | (204881) | 686 | Mr David Kidney (Stafford):To ask the Solicitor General, if she will seek agreement to secure the use of seized funds representing proceeds of crime to reward good working practices in the Crown Prosecution Service. | (206424) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 687 | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much agent's commission the Export Credits Guarantee Department covered on the sale of Hawk jets to Indonesia; and what percentage of the contract the commission represented. | (206130) | 688 | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much agent's commission the Export Credits Guarantee Department covered on the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia; and what percentage of the contract the commission represented. | (206131) | 689 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessments she has made of the effects of the national minimum wage on wage rates in the Greater London area. | (206192) | 690 N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people in Coventry received the minimum wage in each year since its introduction. | (205307) | 691 | Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps she is taking to combat the illegal international fur trade. | (206547) | 692 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average time spent by advisers from the Manufacturing Advisory Service on in-depth consultancy projects was in the last period for which figures are available. | (206005) | 693 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many regional selective assistance grants have been made since 1997; what their value is; and how many jobs her Department estimates have been (a) created and (b) safeguarded by the scheme. | (206036) | 694 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average time spent by advisers from the Manufacturing Advisory Service on (a) diagnostic and (b) advisory visits was in the last year for which figures are available. | (206037) | 695 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the change in the level of the science budget has been since 1997 in (a) cash and (b) percentage terms. | (206294) | 696 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the change in the level of research and development funding has been since 1997, in (a) cash and (b) percentage terms. | (206295) | 697 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many SMART awards and grants for research and development have been given since 1997; what their total value was; and if she will make an estimate of the value that the grants and awards added to companies in terms of (a) cash, (b) jobs and (c) exports. | (206296) | 698 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department's latest estimate is of the change in manufacturing productivity since 1997 in terms of (a) hours worked and (b) productivity per worker. | (206297) | 699 N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average time spent by advisers from the Manufacturing Advisory Service on diagnostic and advisory visits was in the latest year for which figures are available. | (206298) | 700 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206746) | 701 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206747) | 702 N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has held with relevant agencies on extending the rural subsidy to post offices beyond 2008. | (205458) | 703 N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she will reply to the question from the honourable Member for Birkenhead, reference 200988, tabled on 25th November. | (206227) | 704 N | Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she plans to publish the Office of Fair Trading audit following its February 2004 report into the operation of the Supermarket Code of Practice; and if she will make a statement. | (206230) | 705 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what part of the recent increase in the price of oil was attributed by Ofgem to market sentiment and risk; and what assessment she has made of who the beneficiaries of those elements of the increase are. | (206217) | 706 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her Answer of 9th December, Official Report, column 704W, on fuel prices, what plans she has to commission research into the impact of increased fuel prices on manufacturing competitiveness in the UK. | (206223) | 707 | Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations she has made to EU counterparts regarding definitions of acceptable levels of radiation from mobile telephone masts. | (206598) | 708 | Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the effect of thermal pulsing in radiation from mobile telephone masts. | (206599) | 709 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206877) | 710 | Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she expects to reply to the question tabled by the honourable Member for Eddisbury on 29th November on the cost of printing her Department's Five Year Programme. | (206129) | 711 | Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will break down the funding from the Regional Venture Capital Fund programme by industrial sector. | (206132) | 712 | Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many enterprises which received funding from the Regional Venture Capital Fund programme have failed since receiving that funding. | (206133) | 713 | Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the enterprises in England which have received funding from the Regional Venture Capital Fund in the last 12 months; and how much was received by each enterprise. | (206134) | 714 | Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the administration costs of the Regional Venture Capital Fund have been in each year since its inception, broken down by region. | (206135) | 715 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the property belonging to her Department that has been (a) stolen and (b) reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206375) | 716 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many civil servants from her Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206405) | 717 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by her Department. | (206446) | 718 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year and what the costs of each settlement were. | (206463) | 719 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence. | (206479) | 720 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206495) | 721 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206516) | 722 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206518) | 723 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206564) | 724 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by her Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were for each trip. | (206647) | 725 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206669) | 726 | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she expects to make a decision on the application submitted in October 2003 by Renewable Energy Systems to build a wind farm in Kedby, North Lincolnshire; and if she will make a statement. | (206241) | 727 N | Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, for what reasons the proposals by the Home Secretary relating to the regulation of gangmasters prior to the Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy were deemed not to be workable. | (206085) | 728 N | Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with the Office of Fair Trading about a block exemption from the EU competition legislation on newspaper distribution in rural areas. | (205853) | 729 | Mr Simon Thomas (Ceredigion):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will publish her guidance to Ofgem concerning its duty to have regard to sustainable development. | (206859) | 730 | Mr Peter Viggers (Gosport):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what financial support the Department has given to the Swan Hunter shipyard in the last 30 years. | (206389) | 731 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps the Government is taking to comply with the European Distance Marketing Directive. | (206626) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 732 | Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the start date is for work on the A3 improvement at Hindhead. | (206136) | 733 | Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will visit the A3 at Hindhead to meet local residents and travellers to hear their concerns. | (206137) | 734 | Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he last had discussions with the Highways Agency about the A3 at Hindhead. | (206138) | 735 | Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he anticipates (a) receiving and (b) making a decision on the Public Inquiry report on the A3 at Hindhead. | (206139) | 736 | Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what public expenditure has been (a) made in the past 10 years and (b) planned for the next three years for the A3 Hindhead Tunnel scheme. | (206140) | 737 | Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which stretches of trunk road between Portsmouth and (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Manchester airports have not been dualled. | (206141) | 738 | Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the traffic volumes on the A3 at Hindhead were in (a) 1984 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will estimate volumes in 10 years time. | (206142) | 739 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for (a) consultation and (b) implementation of regulations to be introduced in 2005 under the provisions of the Traffic Management Act 2004. | (206301) | 740 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his latest estimate is of the costs that will be borne by (a) electricity, (b) gas, (c) water and (d) telecommunications companies in 2005 arising from the provisions of the Traffic Management Act 2004. | (206302) | 741 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he intends to exempt operations in non-traffic sensitive streets from permit schemes to be introduced under the Traffic Management Act 2004. | (206303) | 742 N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what local authority administration costs are to be allowable in calculating the fee for permits issued under the Traffic Management Act 2004; and when he expects to announce the fee levels. | (206304) | 743 | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of how the development of high occupancy vehicle lanes will affect the flow of traffic on motorways. | (206380) | 744 | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to combat vandalism on public transportation. | (206381) | 745 | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of pollution caused by public transport vehicles. | (206382) | 746 | Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Thameslink franchise is due for reletting; if he will take steps to ringfence any net payment by the new franchise holder for reinvestment in services to Thameslink passengers; and if he will make a statement. | (206546) | 747 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of emails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206762) | 748 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206763) | 749 | Mr Michael Foster (Worcester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of car drivers over the age of 65 years in England. | (206384) | 750 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost has been of providing new style V5C registration certificates to comply with the European directive on harmonising vehicle registration certificates; and what the estimated total costs, including postage costs, will be of the replacement of all UK vehicle registration certificates. | (206630) | 751 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what initiatives he is planning to improve cellular communication coverage on the West Coast Mainline. | (206631) | 752 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what basis the maximum journey times stated in the public sector requirements for each rail franchise are calculated. | (206632) | 753 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the availability and cost of car parking at terminus and key intermediate stations as a factor in attracting passenger traffic to the West Coast Mainline. | (206633) | 754 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what percentage the maximum journey time stated in the Public Sector Requirement for rail franchises exceeded journey time (a) as shown in the published timetables immediately prior to the Hatfield rail disaster and (b) in the current timetable. | (206796) | 755 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Network Rail concerning parking charges at Euston Mainline Station. | (206797) | 756 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will impose on train operating companies either a (a) mandatory modification of existing train horns or a (b) retrofitting of alternative train horns to reduce the decibel output of such horns to meet the Rail Safety and Standards Board's recent reduction in the minimum volume requirements in order that the train operating companies can recover the costs of such work. | (206828) | 757 | Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with train operating companies regarding (a) modification of existing train horns and (b) retrofitting of alternative horns in response to the reduction by the Rail Safety and Standards Board of the minimum decibel volume required for such horns. | (206829) | 758 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency of his Department's policies since 8th June 2001. | (206835) | 759 | John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, where the organisation which replaces the Strategic Rail Authority will be located. | (206237) | 760 | John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what mechanisms Strategic Rail Authority staff's pay and conditions will be protected if they transfer to its replacement organisation in his Department. | (206238) | 761 | John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how consultations with (a) staff and (b) unions are being carried out concerning the transfer of Strategic Rail Authority staff to (i) his Department, (ii) Network Rail and (iii) the Office of Rail Regulation. | (206239) | 762 | Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the role of the European Railway Agency. | (206848) | 763 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206873) | 764 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206364) | 765 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206398) | 766 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206435) | 767 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many there were in each year broken down by (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206452) | 768 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (e) subsistence. | (206469) | 769 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206486) | 770 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay grade. | (206504) | 771 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206529) | 772 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206576) | 773 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206655) | 774 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206679) | 775 | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) he and (b) the Strategic Rail Authority has had with train companies about their policies regarding the carrying of bicycles on trains; and if he will make a statement. | (206053) | 776 | Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Strategic Rail Authority will take account of the actions of First Group in the United States when deciding on the franchise of the East Coast Line. | (206821) | 777 | Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is within the remit of the Strategic Rail Authority to take into account the poor punctuality and reliability of First Group's buses when deciding on the franchise of the East Coast Line. | (206822) | 778 | Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has had regarding the punctuality and reliability of First Group's buses. | (206832) | 779 | Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what action his Department will take to ensure that First Group's Yellow buses meet safety requirements. | (206833) | 780 | Mr John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Civil Aviation Authority will classify as a Major Defect all instances of smoke or fumes in the aircraft cabin that adversely affect the quality of cabin air. | (206164) | 781 | Mr John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory tested the engine oil Exxon Mobil Jet Oil II for a complete analysis of its ortho isomers of the organophosphate trichloropyridinol present in the oil when conducting research for the Civil Aviation Authority Safety Regulatory Group's Cabin Air Quality Paper 2004/04. | (206178) | 782 N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the Ring and Ride scheme; and how much central Government funding has been allocated (a) this year and (b) next year for the scheme. | (206035) | 783 N | Mr Paul Tyler (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much revenue his Department has received from the use of non-geographic 0870 telephone numbers for the period 1st October 2003 to 30th September. | (205824) | 784 | Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to publish annual figures on levels of congestion in the UK following the publication of the new congestion measure and accompanying target in 2005. | (206568) | 785 | Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will include information on the cost of the outstanding repairs to local and strategic road networks in future national road maintenance condition surveys. | (206569) | 786 | Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will undertake (a) to maintain the strategic road network at optimum level and (b) to eliminate the repair backlog on the local road network by 2010. | (206570) | 787 | Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will seek to ensure that local authority expenditure on the local road network matches central government allocations over the five year period of the local transport plans. | (206571) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 788 N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will invite the Higher Education Funding Council for England to investigate the reasons why the Batchelor of Education degree course at Bangor University was terminated before the end of the course; and what advice his Department will offer to Miss Christine Antrichan, a constituent, to enable her to complete her degree. | (206253) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 789 | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what studies he has carried out in conjunction with Health and Safety Research into the safety of materials containing cellulose fibres. | (206159) | 790 | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to update the 1991 Report on Major Hazard Aspects of the Transport of Dangerous Substances; and if he will make a statement. | (206160) | 791 | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners entitled to council tax benefit fail to claim (a) in total, (b) broken down by council tax band and (c) broken down by housing tenure. | (206606) | 792 | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total level of entitlement to council tax benefit is among pensioners (a) in total, (b) broken down by council tax band and (c) broken down by housing tenure. | (206607) | 793 | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of pension credit also receive council tax benefits. | (206608) | 794 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have had their incapacity benefit stopped during the last 13 months. | (206185) | 795 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disabled people up to the age of 21 years are receiving state benefits due to their disability. | (206186) | 796 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many previously long-term sick people have returned to work during the last 12 months. | (206187) | 797 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the percentage take up of the maximum income guarantee has been by people living in the Greater London area. | (206188) | 798 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with Age Concern representatives regarding pensions and benefits paid to the elderly living in the Greater London area. | (206189) | 799 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to help disabled people within the Greater London area return to work; and if he will make a statement. | (206190) | 800 | Tom Cox (Tooting):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many people living in England and Wales are in a private pension scheme. | (206191) | 801 N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners are in receipt of winter fuel payment in Coventry. | (205306) | 802 | Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the support services offered by his Department to help homeless people find employment. | (206590) | 803 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of e-mails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206736) | 804 | Sue Doughty (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. | (206737) | 805 N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate of average payout underpinned the £400 million total for the financial assistance scheme. | (205930) | 806 N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Scotland eligible to claim (a) the winter fuel payment of £200 and (b) the additional payment of £100; and how many claim forms have been received this winter. | (205932) | 807 N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his oral Answer of 13th December, Official Report, column 1382, on women pensioners, how many (a) older elderly people and (b) women were in receipt of pension credit in Scotland on the latest date for which figures are available. | (205933) | 808 N | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate has been made of the total number of people eligible to claim pension credit in Scotland. | (205934) | 809 | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the cost of installing biometric card readers (a) in total and (b) as an average per facility for benefit offices in the UK; and what estimate he has made of the annual cost of maintenance for biometric card readers in these facilities. | (206193) | 810 | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has made to the Home Office regarding (a) the timescale and (b) the cost of introducing biometric card readers in benefit offices in the UK. | (206194) | 811 | Annabelle Ewing (Perth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of (a) the cost to his Department of identity fraud and (b) the number of people in each year since 1997, who have claimed benefits to which they are not entitled on the basis of a false identity. | (206195) | 812 N | Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many reports of computer failure his Department has received since the introduction of pension and benefit payment through the Post Office Card Account. | (205460) | 813 N | Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements his Department has put in place to ensure cash payments to pensioners are made in the event of information technology failure. | (205461) | 814 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to ensure that, when the Pension Protection Fund begins in April 2005, it will retrospectively include pension funds which have failed since the passing of the Pensions Act 1977; and if he will make a statement. | (206235) | 815 | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he willl make it his policy to include within the Pension Protection Fund, pension funds which have been affected short of insolvency, with particular reference to those affected by compromise agreements; and if he will make a statement. | (206236) | 816 | Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when poverty statistics prepared by his Department last included the relevant information for Northern Ireland. | (206557) | 817 | Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency of his Department's policies since 8th June 2001. | (206834) | 818 | Mr Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether occupational pensions for public sector workers, including guaranteed minimum pensions, built up before 6th April 1988 will have all the increases needed to keep up with inflation added directly to pensioners' additional state pension. | (206597) | 819 | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04 session, broken down by Act. | (206875) | 820 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has been (a) stolen and (b) reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article. | (206373) | 821 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many civil servants from his Department have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. | (206412) | 822 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. | (206443) | 823 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year and what the costs were of each settlement. | (206460) | 824 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence. | (206477) | 825 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. | (206494) | 826 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay-grade. | (206512) | 827 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many press officers are employed in the Department. | (206521) | 828 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Department spent on first class travel in each year since 1997. | (206563) | 829 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip. | (206662) | 830 | Mr George Osborne (Tatton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions. | (206671) | 831 N | Mr Paul Tyler (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much revenue his Department has received from the use of non-geographic 0870 telephone numbers for the period 1st October 2003 to 30th September. | (205823) | 832 N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the calculations of the cost of paying full compensation to all affected members under the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), which are referred to in the minutes of the meeting between his FAS team officials and occupational pensioners on 24th November at his Department. | (206291) | 833 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many hours per week were spent on average on job search activity by a jobseeker's allowance claimant in the last period for which figures are available. | (206386) | 834 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the most recent figures issued by Eurostat are for youth unemployment in each EU member state. | (206387) | 835 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the median income of (a) a single pensioner and (b) a pensioner couple in (i) gross and (ii) net terms was on the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by (A) income from state benefits, (B) income from occupational pensions, eEarnings and (E) other income. | (206388) | 836 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young unemployed people have worked to improve the insulation of pensioners' homes under the New Deal in each year since the scheme was introduced. | (206408) | 837 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what percentage of existing pensioners he estimates will be eligible for pension credit at some point during the remainder of their lives. | (206409) | 838 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the sickness and absenteeism rate in job centres has been in each year since 1997. | (206410) | 839 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people he estimates are neither making a private pension contribution nor contribution to a State Second Pension, broken down by numbers of (a) self-employed people, (b) employees earning less than the lower earnings limit, (c) unemployed people and (d) non-contributors. | (206420) | 840 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is his Department's policy to implement the proposals in the recent cross-cutting interdepartmental review of contracting with the voluntary sector. | (206421) | 841 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library the advice he has received on the compatability of auto-enrollment of employees in company pension schemes with the European Distance Marketing Directive. | (206622) | 842 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the public sector pension schemes which (a) will be expected to pay a levy towards the Pension Protection Fund and (b) will not be expected to pay the levy. | (206628) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 843 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rates of (a) economic activity and (b) employment amongst men aged (i) under 25 years, (ii) 25 to 34 years, (iii) 35 to 44 years, (iv) 45 to 54 years, (v) 55 to 64 years, (vi) 65 to 74 years and (vii) 75 years or over were on the latest date for which figures are available. | [Transferred] (206419) | 844 | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) economic activity rate and (b) employment rate amongst women aged (i) under 25 years, (ii) 25 to 34 years, (iii) 35 to 44 years, (iv) 45 to 54 years, (v) 55 to 60 years, (vi) 61 to 64 years, (vii) 65 to 74 years and (viii) 75 years or over was on the latest date for which figures are available. | [Transferred] (206422) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 845 | Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance she has issue to local authorities on the membership of local authority licensing committees, sub-committees and panels established under the Licensing Act 2003; and if she will make a statement. | [Transferred] (206795) |
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