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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 12 January 2005
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 12 January 2005
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 12 January of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department. For other Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 12 January of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Wednesday 12 January see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office 1
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average cost of providing a car and driver to enable a Government Minister to carry out official duties was in the last year for which figures are available; and what the average cost was in that year for (a) a Cabinet Minister and (b) a Minister outside the Cabinet. | | (208193) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 2
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Government of Uzbekistan about the merits of implementing banking sector reforms that (a) increase independence of banks from the State, (b) ensure confidentiality of accounts and (c) remove restrictions on cash transactions. | | (208133) | 3
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Uzbekistan about the merits of (a) removing restrictions on convertibility, (b) relaxing restrictions on circulation of the national currency, (c) allowing market mechanisms to determine the exchange rate and (d) permitting gradual devaluation of the Som. | | (208134) | 4
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will rank EU member states showing which in his Department's assessment are closest to achieving a highly competitive social market economy as required by Article 1-3(3) and 1-3(4) of the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208251) | 5
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what structures and mechanisms he (a) has put in place and (b) proposes to ensure the co-ordination of UK economic and employment policies with those of other EU member states as proposed in Article 1-15 (1) and (2) of the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208257) | 6
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of whether Article 1-8 of the proposed EU constitution gives rise to a legal obligation for all EU citizens and commercial entities to treat the euro as legal tender. | | (208259) | 7
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his most recent estimate is of the yearly contribution to the economy in (a) Greater Portsmouth and (b) the UK of foreign students in the higher, further and private education sectors; what amount of that contribution is represented by (i) spending and (ii) numbers directly employed as a result; and if he will make a statement. | | (208337) | 8
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of the withdrawal of the Fairshare funding category of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme; and if he will make a statement. | | (208349) | 9
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cases of overpayment for child and working tax credit there have been for each of the last five calendar years in (a) North Southwark and Bermondsey, (b) Camberwell and Peckham and (c) Dulwich and West Norwood; and if he will make a statement. | | (207897) | 10
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to public funds was of the state banquet on 18th November 2004; and what the cost to public funds has been of state banqueting in each of the last five years. | | (208233) | 11
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will assess the benefits to the economy of the State Opening of Parliament. | | (208234) | 12
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many sniffer dogs have been used by Customs and Excise in each of the last five years; and how many of these animals have died prematurely whilst in service. | | (208245) | 13
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of his Department's staff is based in London. | | (208040) | 14
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish (a) the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC's) Gateway Zero review into the identity cards scheme and (b) all other OGC reviews of the scheme. | | (208284) | 15
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the estimated (a) retail price index, (b) RPIX and (c) CPI rate of inflation is for financial years (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06. | | (207952) | 16
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) retail price index, (b) RPIX and (c) CPI measures of inflation were in each financial year from 1996-97 to 2003-04 inclusive. | | (207953) | 17
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to public funds was of providing mortgage income tax relief in each year from 1995-96 until its abolition. | | (207954) | 18
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) single occupied pensioner households and (b) households occupied by two pensioners there are in each constituency. | | (207960) | 19
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households in England with two or more adults contain at least one pensioner but are not solely comprised of pensioners. | | (207961) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 20
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many people are employed in the Duchy, broken down by grade; and if he will make a statement. | | (208060) | Questions to the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 21
| Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations of the Better Regulation Task Force report, Better Routes to Redress. | | (208051) | 22
| Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what his most recent estimate is of the amount spent on civil (non-criminal) law by the Community Legal Service, as a percentage of the total expenditure on legal services in the UK economy. | | (208052) | 23
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what information he has collected on the (a) number and (b) nature of requests made across (i) government, (ii) local government and (iii) non-departmental public bodies under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the operation of the Act to date. | | (208238) | 24
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the total cost to public funds was of providing freepost mailings to candidates in the (a) 1997 General Election, (b) 2001 General Election and (c) 2004 European Parliamentary elections. | | (207951) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 25
| Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consultations she has had with church authorities about the effect on Heritage Lottery grants to church buildings of relevant provisions in the National Lottery Bill; and if she will make a statement. | | (207912) | 26
| Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to encourage greater competition in the UK film distribution industry; and if she will make a statement. | | (208311) | 27
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the consequences for public policy making of the debts of UK professional football clubs; and what estimate she has made of the total debt level of professional football clubs. | | (207880) | 28
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what percentage of departmental staff are based in London. | | (208058) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 29
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the 2nd Battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment will be deployed outside the British zone of responsibility in Iraq. | | (208262) | 30
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Ministers who have served in the Government since 1997 have used aircraft in the Queen's Flight for visits which have been wholly or partially of a personal nature; on what dates such visits took place; and which Ministers have made payments to the taxpayer to cover the cost of that useage. | | (208261) | 31
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Territorial Army medical personnel (a) have been and (b) are deployed in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. | | (207904) | 32
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of departmental staff are based in London. | | (208059) | 33
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to commemorate on 10th July the 60th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War; and if he will make a statement. | | (208201) | 34
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers were listed as being (a) absent without leave and (b) deserters on the 1st October of each of the last five years for which figures are available; and in each case what percentage this represented of the enrolled strength of the Army on that date. | | (208202) | 35
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force personnel served sentences at the Military Corrective Training Centre, Colchester, in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and in each case how many (i) resumed their military career and (ii) were discharged from the armed forces. | | (208203) | 36
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many female members of the armed forces served sentences at the Military Corrective Training Centre, Colchester in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (208204) | 37
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of HM Armed Forces were (a) disciplined and (b) dismissed from the Services for misuse of rail warrants in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (208212) | 38
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date his Department first considered providing logistical support and heavy-lifting helicopters to countries hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami; and what assessment has been made of the merits of the re-deployment of personnel and equipment from Iraq to disaster-hit countries. | | (208236) | 39
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, at what time (UK time) his Department learned of the earthquake off Sumatra on 26th December 2004; and what actions were set in train as a result. | | (208237) | 40
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Sandhurst Officer Cadets will be able to apply for the individual battalions rather than the new regiments when the new Infantry Future Army Structure is in place. | | (208291) | 41
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the individual battalions in the new regiments within the Prince of Wales, Kings and Scottish Divisions will be allowed to recruit officers in the new Infantry Future Army Structure. | | (208292) | 42
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the future Royal Regiment of Scotland will be able to maintain the establishment for five battalions under present recruiting levels. | | (208293) | 43
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the minimum timescale for operations is that Territorial Army establishments will be able to accommodate personnel who may not be able to deploy in support of large scale operations taking up to six months. | | (208294) | 44
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Infantry battalions will have training time free of operational call up when the Infantry Future Army Structure is in place. | | (208295) | 45
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the operational date is of the Panther armoured reconnaissance vehicle. | | (208298) | 46
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the gross weight is of the Panther armoured reconnaissance vehicle; and which aircraft type can airlift such a vehicle. | | (208299) | 47
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which nations (a) manufactured and (b) developed the Panther armoured reconnaissance vehicle. | | (208300) | 48
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which future English Infantry Battalions under the future army structure are expected to be under establishment. | | (208301) | 49
| Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department expects to produce the establishment figure for the next three years for the (a) Signals, (b) Engineers, (c) Logistics and (d) Intelligence Corps. | | (208302) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 50
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) area of sites designated as derelict land, broken down by region. | | (208221) | 51
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many hectares were classified as (a) urban and (b) suburban in each year since 1990, broken down by region. | | (208222) | 52
| Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much has been spent in Dudley on the living spaces project in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05; what the money has been spent on; and if he will make a statement. | | (208043) | 53
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will publish in full the recent business case undertaken on behalf of his Department for proposals to abolish individual fire and rescue control centres. | | (208249) | 54
| Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he expects to respond to the letter of 20th December 2004 from the honourable Member for Birkenhead about the Provisional Formula Grant Settlement for 2005-06 and how it affects Wirral local authority. | | (208001) | 55
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average annual increase in gross salary for the year 2003-04 was for (a) staff below the Senior Civil Service and (b) the Senior Civil Service in his Office. | | (208107) | 56
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what percentage of his Department's staff is based in London. | | (208031) | 57
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when his Department received the Inspector's Report on the proposed motorway services areas at Great Hazes, Great Wood and Junction 8/9 on the M4. | | (208263) | 58
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he expects to give his decision on the proposed motorway service areas at Junction 8/9, Great Wood and Great Hazes on the M4, references APP/CO305/A/96/266283, APP/TO355/V/01/1073114 and APP/TO305/A/011070069. | | (208264) | 59
| Mr Bill O'Brien (Normanton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many cases where the Local Government Ombudsman decision has been challenged on maladministration have been referred to the courts in each of the last 10 years. | | (207983) | 60
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the change in the number of planning appeals has been in the last three years. | | (207883) | 61
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures have been taken to encourage dual or multiple use of mobile telephone masts. | | (207993) | 62
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many mobile phone base stations are within (a) 100 metres, (b) 300 metres and (c) 500 metres of a school. | | (208074) | 63
| Mr Chris Smith (Islington South & Finsbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the balance in the use of neighbourhood renewal funds in Islington is between the most deprived and the least deprived wards in the borough; whether it is his policy that such funds should be primarily targeted at areas of deprivation; and what discussions he plans to have with the borough council about this issue. | | (208242) | 64
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average local authority residential rates bill was for a typical household in England in each year from 1975 to its abolition. | | (207914) | 65
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans the Government has to introduce unitary local government in England. | | (207915) | 66
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what central government expenditure on the Beacon Council scheme was in each year since its creation. | | (207916) | 67
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent estimate the Government has made of the cost of providing freepost mailings to candidates in local elections; and if he will make a statement. | | (207917) | 68
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the cost to public funds was of (a) producing and (b) mailing the manifesto booklet for the (i) 2000 and (ii) 2004 Greater London Authority elections. | | (207918) | 69
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what incentives are provided to local authorities to increase the rate of (a) council tax and (b) business rate collection; and if he will make a statement. | | (207919) | 70
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research study conducted by MORI for the Audit Commission entitled Awareness of Comprehensive Performance Assessment among the general public published in December 2002. | | (207920) | 71
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the (a) specific, (b) special and (c) non-ring-fenced grants that the Government has allocated to local authorities in 2004-05. | | (207921) | 72
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the cost of (a) district audit and (b) district auditors in England in the current financial year; and whether this is included in the Audit Commission's annual expenditure. | | (207922) | 73
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the inspection bodies that inspect and regulate local government in England. | | (207923) | 74
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans the Government has to conduct future local elections, in whole or part, via remote electronic voting; and if he will make a statement. | | (207924) | 75
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he will publish his Department's conclusions following its consultation on political restrictions on local government employees. | | (207925) | 76
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which organisations responded to his Department's consultation paper on political restrictions on local government employees. | | (207926) | 77
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what local authority plans each tier of local authority in England is required to produce in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06; and which plans are not compulsory for good or excellent authorities. | | (207927) | 78
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what was the estimated aggregate revenue from planning fees in England for each year since 1996-97. | | (207928) | 79
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans the Government has to change the level of planning delivery grant in the financial years following 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (207929) | 80
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when the regional spatial strategies will be finalised for each region. | | (207930) | 81
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average time taken to process a planning appeal by the Planning Inspectorate was in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. | | (207931) | 82
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the timescale is for publication of further consultation papers on reform of local government. | | (207932) | 83
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which billing authorities had the (a) highest and (b) lowest Band D council tax in England in 2004-05. | | (207965) | 84
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of local government revenue expenditure in England was financed by council tax in each year from 1996-97; and what the estimated proportion for 2005-06 is. | | (207966) | 85
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many permanent dwellings were constructed in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979 by (a) registered social landlords, (b) local authorities and (c) private enterprise; and how many were in England in each case. | | (207967) | 86
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many homeless households on average were in (a) temporary accommodation and (b) bed and breakfast accommodation in England in each year since 1990-91. | | (207969) | 87
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what methodology was used to calculate local authority residential rates in England prior to their abolition. | | (207972) | 88
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what central government funding has been provided to shared ownership schemes in England in each year since 1992. | | (207987) | 89
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what changes his Department has made to the provision of shared ownership schemes in England since May 1997. | | (207989) | 90
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the Right to Buy discounts and floors on take-up of the Right to Buy; and if he will make a statement. | | (207990) | 91
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many applications have been submitted for Right to Buy for local authority dwellings in each English local authority since 1997. | | (207991) | 92
N | Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if his Department will release additional funds to help county councils meet their obligations to pay disabled facilities grants. | | (207032) | 93
N | Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the percentage change in the Environment, Protective and Cultural Services block of revenue support grant to district councils will be for 2005-06. | | (207033) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 94
N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many qualified teachers were in service at (a) maintained nursery and primary schools and (b) maintained secondary schools in Newcastle upon Tyne in each year since 1998; and what the ratio of teachers to pupils was in each sector in each case. | | (207340) | 95
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans she has to increase the number of teachers of modern foreign languages in (a) secondary and (b) primary schools; and if she will make a statement. | | (207933) | 96
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans she has to improve (a) modern foreign language (i) teaching standards and (ii) take-up and (b) the variety of modern foreign languages available in schools, with particular reference to (A) GCSE and (B) A level courses; and if she will make a statement. | | (207934) | 97
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many teachers of modern foreign languages there were in secondary schools in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. | | (207935) | 98
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will ensure equal status for A levels in minority ethnic community languages with European modern languages in university admissions criteria; and if she will make a statement. | | (207936) | 99
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) applicants and (b) acceptances there were for university courses in modern foreign languages, (i) not combined with and (ii) combined with non-language subjects in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. | | (207937) | 100
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students in Hendon are in receipt of education maintenance allowance; and if she will make a statement. | | (207940) | 101
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will make a statement on the level of funding for schools in Hendon for 2005-06. | | (207941) | 102
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent discussions she has held with Gloucestershire Local Education Authority on its proposals for the re-organisation of special needs education. | | (208247) | 103
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much her Department spent on advertising at the World Professional Darts Championships. | | (207886) | 104
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many claims of disability discrimination in higher education and further education have been made in England in each year since 2002 (a) in total and (b) broken down by county court; and if she will make a statement. | | (208111) | 105
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many claims of unlawful discrimination have been (a) received and (b) cleared in favour of the claimant by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal in England in each year since 2002; and if she will make a statement. | | (208112) | 106
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures she plans to take to reduce the funding gap between the college sector and the schools sector. | | (208184) | 107
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will make a statement on the salary gap between teachers in the further education sector and those in the schools sector. | | (208185) | 108
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will revise the further education college sector's area uplift funding so that colleges in areas of lower funding in close proximity to areas of higher funding will be less disadvantaged in comparison to nearby colleges. | | (208186) | 109
| Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what consultations she has had with Herefordshire Council about the provision of Academy Status for the Much Dewchurch Steiner School; and if she will make a statement. | | (207913) | 110
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average annual increase in gross salary was for the year 2003-04 for (a) staff below the Senior Civil Service and (b) the Senior Civil Service in her Department. | | (208109) | 111
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of her Department's staff is based in London. | | (208036) | 112
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the minimum financial requirement per annum for public companies setting up academy schools is; and whether it has to be in cash. | | (207970) | 113
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether academy schools will be required to take the same proportion of disruptive pupils as other local schools. | | (207971) | 114
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what mechanisms are used to monitor academy schools; by whom they are inspected; and what sanctions can be applied to them. | | (208004) | 115
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the main differences are between city academies and city technology colleges; and what proportion of public funding each receives. | | (208005) | 116
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether national teachers' pay scales apply to city academies; and whether they can pay higher salaries. | | (208006) | 117
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many academy schools are operating; and how many more are planned. | | (208007) | 118
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether academy schools are required to be specialist schools. | | (208008) | 119
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) agreements have been reached and (b) expressions of interest have been received (i) to build new academy schools and (ii) to transfer existing schools to academy schools. | | (208009) | 120
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which section within her Department is responsible for academy schools; how many staff are involved; and how many are (a) civil servants and (b) external staff. | | (208010) | 121
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the source of public funding for academy schools is; how it is calculated; and whether it is set at the same level per pupil as for local authority schools in the same area. | | (208011) | 122
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what requirements in (a) class size and (b) pupil-teacher ratios apply to academy schools. | | (208012) | 123
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the minimum financial requirement per annum for private companies setting up academy schools is. | | (208013) | 124
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, under what circumstances academy schools are permitted to close; and whether the land and property of an academy school that closes (a) reverts to the local authority and (b) can be sold or used for other purposes. | | (208014) | 125
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what targets have been set for the establishment of academy schools by May. | | (208015) | 126
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many city technology colleges there are; how much the (a) private and (b) state sector contributed to their costs in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total costs per student were in (i) city technology colleges and (ii) other state schools in that year. | | (208016) | 127
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether academy schools are allowed to borrow (a) on financial markets and (b) from banks. | | (208029) | 128
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, who will own academy schools' land and buildings; and what the terms of ownership will be. | | (208053) | 129
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether her Department maintains a list of approved bidders for academy schools. | | (208054) | 130
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether academy schools are (a) allowed and (b) required to be selective. | | (208055) | 131
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether academy schools are required to have sixth forms. | | (208071) | 132
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether all academy schools have sixth forms. | | (208072) | 133
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether she plans to conduct a review of the effect of her Department's policies upon children in care; and if she will make a statement. | | (208097) | 134
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what savings she estimates will accrue from the withdrawal of subsidies by (a) central and (b) local government to adult and continuing education. | | (208066) | 135
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) courses are being discontinued and (b) staff are being made redundant as a result of the withdrawal of funding for adult and continuing education. | | (208067) | 136
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many courses in the adult and continuing education sector were offered in each of the last 10 years. | | (208068) | 137
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many staff were employed in adult and continuing education in each of the last 10 years. | | (208069) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 138
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice she has received from the scientific community regarding the cessation of the compilation of Dobson Photospectrerra data from Camborne. | | (207984) | 139
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consultation she undertook before stopping research into ozone depletion at Camborne Meteorological Office. | | (207985) | 140
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for how many years the UK Government has collected data using the Dobson Spectrerra. | | (207986) | 141
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what analysis has been done of the data collected by the Dobson Photospectrerra; and if she will make a statement. | | (208092) | 142
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received about the discontinuance of the collection at Camborne of data concerning ozone levels. | | (208100) | 143
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to collect data in the south-west of England about ozone depletion. | | (208101) | 144
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK (a) independently and (b) as part of the EU (i) proposed and (ii) co-sponsored UN resolutions (A) A/RES/52/702, (B) A/RES/53/189 A and B, (C) A/RES/ 54/224, (D) A/RES/55/202, (E) A/RES/56/198, (F) A/RES/57/262, (G) A/RES/58/213 A and B, (H) A/RES/52/201, (I) A/RES/53/190, (J) A/RES/54/221, (K) A/RES/55/201, (L) A/RES/56/197, (M) A/RES/57/260, (N) A/RES/58/212, (O) A/RES/52/199, (P) A/RES/52/198, (Q) A/RES/53/191, (R) A/RES/54/223, (S) A/RES/55/204, (T) A/RES/56/196, (U) A/RES/57/259, (V) A/RES/58/242, (W) A/RES/58/211, (X) A/RES/52/29, (Y) A/RES/53/33, (Z) A/RES/55/8 and (AA) A/RES/57/142 for the consideration of the UN General Assembly; and if she will make a statement on the UK's involvement with each of these resolutions. | | (208132) | 145
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what obligations there are on British Waterways to ensure that waterways under its jurisdiction remain navigable; and what action she has undertaken during her Department's current statutory review of British Waterways to ensure that waterways remain navigable. | | (208167) | 146
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the national environment campaigns promoted by the Government since 1997; and what the (a) resource costs, (b) capital expenditure costs and (c) staffing costs were of each at today's prices. | | (208189) | 147
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the level of UK carbon emissions resulting from electrical appliances being left in standby mode in the last year for which figures are available. | | (208190) | 148
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the occasions on which the Thames Barrier has been closed in each of the last 10 years; and what estimate she has made of the number of occasions when it will be closed in (a) 2010, (b) 2020, (c) 2050 and (d) 2100. | | (208191) | 149
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the levels of (a) urban, (b) rural and (c) total concentrations of low-level ozone were in each year since 1997. | | (208192) | 150
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the public sector health bodies with which her Department (a) has worked and (b) is working in order to achieve the Government's statutory fuel poverty targets; what plans her Department has to extend such partnership working; and if she will make a statement. | | (208194) | 151
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the national carbon dioxide reduction goal for 2020 referred to in the final paragraph of page 3 of the review of the climate change consultation paper is. | | (208195) | 152
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK (a) independently and (b) as party of the EU (i) proposed and (ii) co-sponsored UN resolutions (A) A/RES/56/200, (B) A/RES/58/210, (C) A/RES/57/258, (D) A/RES/57/254, (E) A/RES/58/219, (F) A/RES/58/217 and (G) A/RES/58/216 for the consideration of the UN General Assembly; and if she will make a statement on the UK's involvement with each resolution. | | (208196) | 153
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK (a) independently and (b) as part of the EU (i) proposed and (ii) co-sponsored UN resolutions (A) A/RES/54/217, (B) A/RES/54/216, (C) A/RES/55/200, (D) A/RES/56/193, (E) A/RES/57/251, (F) A/RES/58/209, (G) A/RES/54/214, (H) A/RES/55/196, (I) A/RES/56/192, (J) A/RES/57/252, (K) A/RES/56/226, (L) A/RES/57/253 and (M) A/RES/58/218 for the consideration of the UN General Assembly; and if she will make a statement on the UK's involvement with each of these resolutions. | | (208197) | 154
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK (a) independently and (b) as part of the EU (i) proposed and (ii) co-sponsored UN resolution s(A) A/RES/52/28, (B) A/RES/57/143, (C) A/RES/59/25, (D) A/RES/53/77C, (E) A/RES/54/54C, (F) A/RES/53/7, (G) A/RES/54/215, (H) A/RES/55/205, (I) A/RES/54/225, (J) A/RES/55/203, (K) A/RES/57/261, (L) A/RES/54/222, (M) A/RES/56/119, (N) A/RES/57/257 and (O) A/RES/58/243 for the consideration of the UN General Assembly; and if she will make a statement on the UK's involvement with each of these resolutions. | | (208198) | 155
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Review Conference relating to the Ottawa Convention; what the positions of the UK Government were; and to what extent they were achieved. | | (208199) | 156
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much sewage was discharged into the (a) Severn, (b) Yorkshire Ouse, (c) Humber, (d) Mersey, (e) Aire, (f) Avon, (g) Tyne, (h) Trent, (i) Dee, (j) Great Ouse, (k) Wye, (l) Spey, (m) Nene, (n) Eden, (o) Ribble and (p) Tees in each month of the last four years. | | (208223) | 157
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where the UK ranks in the Environmental Sustainability Index; and what the rankings are of other EU countries. | | (208224) | 158
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in what condition each site of special scientific interest (SSSI) was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area; and what the total land areas of SSSIs was in each category (a) in England and (b) broken down by local authority area in each year. | | (208225) | 159
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average monthly cost to consumers is of (a) water services and (b) sewerage services in each water supply area in 2004-05 (i) in total and (ii) broken down by those who were (A) metered and (B) unmetered. | | (208226) | 160
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the projections arrived at by the UK Climate Impacts Programmes. | | (208332) | 161
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what date (a) it was decided to establish the Government Decontamination and Recovery Service, (b) the service began operations and (c) the services will be fully operational. | | (208341) | 162
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the relationship is of the Government Decontamination and Recovery Service with other Government agencies with overlapping functions; and if she will make a statement. | | (208342) | 163
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the command structure is of the Government Decontamination and Recovery Service; and which official from her Department heads the service. | | (208343) | 164
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff are employed in the Government Decontamination and Recovery Service, broken down by (a) permanent employees, (b) temporary staff and (c) contractors. | | (208344) | 165
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) remit and (b) budget is of the Government Decontamination and Recovery Service. | | (208345) | 166
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) farmers and (b) contractors are waiting to receive the full amount of compensation due to them following the outbreak of foot and mouth in 2001; and what sum of money that represents. | | (208075) | 167
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, from what budget she plans to make good the shortfall between the compensation for the foot and mouth outbreak requested from the EU and the amount received in order to make the necessary compensation payments to farmers. | | (208106) | 168
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether a high level of protection and improvement of the environment as required by Article 1-3(3) of the proposed EU Constitution has been attained by (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each other EU member state. | | (208250) | 169
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the money granted to the UK by the EU following the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak has been paid to farmers. | | (208255) | 170
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many households in Hendon have benefited from the (a) Warm Front and (b) Warm Front Plus schemes; how many were pensioners in each case; what the (i) average and (ii) maximum awarded under the scheme was in each case; and if she will make a statement. | | (207949) | 171
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what procedures she has put in place to respond to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to disclose the level of EU and domestic support made available to individual agricultural producers and landowners. | | (208265) | 172
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of Exercise Hornbeam on foot and mouth control measures; and what plans she has to respond to the Royal Society's update report on those measures. | | (208266) | 173
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list countries in which there are confirmed cases of BSE; and (a) whether export controls have been put in place voluntarily and (b) compulsorily in each case. | | (208267) | 174
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the consultation by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate on the draft Regulations to consolidate UK legislation on veterinary medicines. | | (208268) | 175
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what processes are in place to ensure that advice from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides considers economic issues relating to the pesticides industry. | | (208309) | 176
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what sanctions can be used against local authorities which have failed to test private water supplies for pesticides since 1991. | | (208310) | 177
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research she has recently (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the ability of local authorities (i) to fund and (ii) to manage a 24 hour stray dog service, with particular reference to setting the level of fines for breaches of dog control orders. | | (208336) | 178
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her timetable is for consultation on model dog control offences; who will be consulted; and if she will make a statement. | | (208347) | 179
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to provide guidance to local authorities about (a) the circumstances under which dog control orders should be used and (b) the provision of an appeals mechanism in respect of such orders. | | (208348) | 180
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of her Department's staff are based in London. | | (207962) | 181
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent reports the Department has assessed relating to the reduction in the number of species of birds in the United Kingdom and the implications for the bird population of the United Kingdom. | | (207868) | 182
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) tonnage and (b) value of food was dumped by the food industry in landfill sites or incinerated because it had passed the sell-by date in the last year for which figures are available. | | (208200) | 183
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish proposals for the public disclosure of Common Agricultural Policy payments at a farm level; and if she will make a statement. | | (208024) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 184
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights about the possibility of a visit to Uzbekistan to study the human rights situation there. | | (208139) | 185
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Uzbekistan about securing greater independence of the country's judicial system. | | (208140) | 186
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will urge the Government of Uzbekistan to undertake an impartial review of all cases of imprisoned journalists in Uzbekistan. | | (208141) | 187
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Uzbekistan about (a) the relaxation of the system of state control over the media through reform of the Agency on Press and Information, (b) easing registration requirements for media outlets and (c) instructing officials to end informal and formal interference in media operations. | | (208142) | 188
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Uzbekistan about strengthening media freedom by (a) ending harassment and censorship of journalists and media outlets and (b) permitting the re-opening of newspapers closed since March 2002. | | (208143) | 189
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Uzbekistan about (a) permitting the registration of independent political parties and (b) participation by independent candidates in future parliamentary elections. | | (208144) | 190
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of implementation by the Government of Uzbekistan of the recommendations by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. | | (208145) | 191
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the European Union about the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement with Uzbekistan and recent information on the country's record on human rights, democratisation and economic reform. | | (208146) | 192
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of TACIS funding for projects with the Uzbekistan parliament. | | (208147) | 193
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the European Union about the scope for increased funding of projects in Uzbekistan which focus on (a) grass roots development, (b) poverty alleviation and (c) education. | | (208148) | 194
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the free farmers party in Uzbekistan is a registered political party. | | (208149) | 195
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Uzbekistan about the rejection of the applications for registration by (a) the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, (b) the Mazlum Human Rights Group, (c) Mothers Against the Death Penalty and Torture and (d) Democracy and Law. | | (208150) | 196
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what enquiries he has made about (a) the well-being and (b) the treatment in prison of Ruslan Sharipov in Uzbekistan. | | (208151) | 197
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what enquiries he has made about the whereabouts of A. Mahmudov, a member of Tanlov Erk's youth wing in Uzbekistan, who was arrested on the Kazakh border in October 2003. | | (208152) | 198
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what enquiries he has made about the case of Moydijan Kurbanov, the head of Birlik in Jizzakh province, Uzbekistan, who was arrested in February 2004 and later released on remand. | | (208153) | 199
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will urge the Government of Uzbekistan to revise Cabinet of Ministers internal decree No. 523 in order to decrease the level of control over the activities of international non-governmental organisations. | | (208168) | 200
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will urge the Government of Uzbekistan to allow international non-governmental organisations and journalists to operate more freely in the country. | | (208169) | 201
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will urge the Government of Uzbekistan to conduct a review of law enforcement agencies in order to (a) decrease their numbers and (b) ensure political control over their activities. | | (208170) | 202
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will urge the Government of Uzbekistan to revise Cabinet of Ministers decree No. 56 and other internal documents to reduce the level of Government control over financial assistance for non-governmental organisations. | | (208176) | 203
| Mr John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will urge the Government of Uzbekistan to institute a simple and quick registration procedure for international and domestic non-governmental organisations. | | (208180) | 204
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is his Department's policy that all parliamentary written answers given by his Department should be displayed on the Department's website on the day of answer. | | (208076) | 205
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the United Kingdom's territorial cohesion with other EU member states, referred to in article 1-3(3) of the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208084) | 206
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will define the principle of sincere co-operation referred to in article 1-5(2) of the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208086) | 207
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, under what circumstances discrimination on the grounds of nationality would be permissible under the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208087) | 208
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what internal frontiers impede the creation of an area of freedom, security and justice as required by article 1-3 of the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208088) | 209
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the categories of persons belonging to minorities are, referred to in Article 1-2 of the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208089) | 210
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's understanding is of the term, open to all European states, in Article 1-1 of the proposed EU Constitution; and which states are included in this definition. | | (208090) | 211
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what sanctions would be available under the proposed EU constitution against member states in breach of their duty under Articles 1-16 (a) actively and unreservedly to support the Union's common foreign and security policy and (b) to refrain from action contrary to the Union's interests or likely to impair its effectiveness. | | (208256) | 212
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) the Welsh Assembly, (b) the Northern Ireland Executive and (c) the Scottish Parliament constitute regional parliaments for the purposes of Article 6 of the second protocol to the proposed EU constitution. | | (208258) | 213
| Mr Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made with investigations into whether war crimes were committed by Mr Ramush Haradinaj, prime minister of Kosovo. | | (208094) | 214
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise with the Governments of China and North Korea the case of Mr Park Yang-choi, who has been forcibly repatriated from China to North Korea. | | (208306) | 215
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many representatives of the UK Government were present at the signing of the peace deal between Northern and Southern Sudan in Nairobi. | | (208307) | 216
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the guidelines to entry clearance officers on the granting of visas to foreign students were last revised; and for what reasons. | | (208333) | 217
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to make publicly available to (a) potential students and (b) UK educational institutions the guidelines on granting of student visas issued to entry clearance officers overseas. | | (208335) | 218
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support and guidance his Department provides to parents or legal guardians who have travelled abroad to locate missing children aged 16 to 18 years old in (a) Spain, (b) other EU countries and (c) non-EU countries. | | (207887) | 219
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the UN on the publication of the Third UN Human Development Report on the Arab World. | | (207992) | 220
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what percentage of his Department's staff is based in London. | | (208035) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 221
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his Department's assessment that the requirement of article 1-3(3) of the proposed EU Constitution for the protection of the rights of the child applies to unborn children. | | (208083) | 222
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding has been allocated for research into healthcare associated infections; and what plans he has for how that funding should be spent. | | (208079) | 223
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding has been allocated for ward environment budgets; and how that funding has been spent. | | (208080) | 224
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will establish infection control training as a mandatory core competency in undergraduate training for (a) nurses and (b) doctors. | | (208081) | 225
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Department plans to publish guidance on the role of Directors of Infection Prevention and Control. | | (208082) | 226
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when statistics will be available on (a) clostridium difficile infections, (b) vancomycin resistant enterococci and (c) surgical site infections. | | (208091) | 227
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is on chlamydia screening for men; and if he will make a statement. | | (208093) | 228
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will arrange for chlamydia screening for women to be followed up by advice for their partners on access to appropriate treatment for men; and if he will make a statement. | | (208099) | 229
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the Department's review of patient charges; what the remit of the review is; and when it is expected to report. | | (208102) | 230
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 16th December 2004, Official Report, column 1319W, if he will estimate what savings have been made by (a) increasing the generic prescribing rate for all practices in England and (b) moving at least half of those practices with a generic prescribing rate below 40 per cent. to above that level. | | (208115) | 231
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prescription items were dispensed in the community in England for (a) atypical, (b) traditional and (c) all anti-psychotic drugs in each (i) health authority and (ii) primary care trust in each year since 1999, broken down by age; and what the percentage change was (A) from year to year and (B) from 1999 to the last year for which figures are available. | | (208120) | 232
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate (a) the total cost of using the independent sector to treat NHS patients and (b) the cost of treating those patients in the NHS in each year since 1997. | | (208121) | 233
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether general practitioners are encouraged to let patients know if a drug they are prescribing is available more cheaply over the counter; and what rules or guidelines govern this area of practice. | | (208122) | 234
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the administration cost of prescription charge pre-payment certificates per certificate. | | (208123) | 235
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the limits for exemption from prescription charges under the NHS low income scheme based on capital assets were last reviewed. | | (208124) | 236
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prescription items were dispensed and paid for by the patient on a per item basis in England in 2003-04. | | (208125) | 237
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total income from prescription charge pre-payment certificates in England was in 2003-04. | | (208126) | 238
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prescription items were dispensed in England in 2003-04. | | (208127) | 239
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the cost of requiring patients to pay a single prescription charge when their medical condition requires two or more medicines or treatments; and if he will estimate the cost in terms of (a) revenue foregone and (b) administrative costs incurred. | | (208128) | 240
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) the average cost per prescription item and (b) the dispensing fee in the NHS in England was in 2003-04. | | (208129) | 241
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to extend the provision of intermediate care services; and if he will make a statement. | | (208130) | 242
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what he estimates the average cost per resident will be of free nursing care for older people from 1st April. | | (208131) | 243
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the standard on medicine review in the National Service Framework for Older People is reconciled with the standard in the general practitioner contract; and what data he collects in respect of each standard. | | (208175) | 244
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 16th December 2004, Official Report, column 1311W, on dentistry, how many dentists were on the register at 24th November 2004 including those who were not accepting any new patients for registration or occasional treatment. | | (208312) | 245
| Mr Michael Connarty (Falkirk East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are being taken to raise awareness amongst (a) health care professionals and (b) the wider public of bleeding disorders affecting women. | | (208095) | 246
| Mr Michael Connarty (Falkirk East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to ensure that those affected by von Willebrand disease are correctly diagnosed. | | (208096) | 247
N | Mr Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) nursing, (b) professional, (c) technical and (d) medical staff were employed in (i) the Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority area and (ii) the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Trust in each year since 1999. | | (207339) | 248
| Ross Cranston (Dudley North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations of the report, Making Amends, by the Chief Medical Officer on medical negligence (2003). | | (208042) | 249
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients at Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust are waiting for (a) opthalmology and (b) cardiothoracic elective surgery; what the average waiting time is in each case; and if he will make a statement. | | (207942) | 250
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients from Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust had treatment outside London in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05 to date; and if he will make a statement. | | (207943) | 251
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients at (a) Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust, (b) the Royal Free Hospital and (c) Northwick Park Hospital had operations cancelled at the last minute in each of the last three years. | | (207944) | 252
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to modernise and improve buildings and services at (a) Northwick Park Hospital and (b) the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore. | | (207945) | 253
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentists in Hendon. | | (207946) | 254
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to recover a greater proportion of NHS costs from those responsible for (a) road accidents, (b) accidents at work and (c) other accidents; and if he will make a statement. | | (207947) | 255
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many general practitioners were practising in Hendon at 31st December (a) 2004 and (b) 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (207948) | 256
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms local authorities and other partners use to work together to provide accommodation with culturally appropriate services and extra care provision to Chinese older people under the National Service Framework. | | (207950) | 257
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients in the Southwark Primary Care Trust area referred urgently with suspected breast cancer waited for more than two weeks for an out-patient appointment in each reporting period since January 2002; and if he will make a statement. | | (207894) | 258
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what targeted funding hospitals in the Southwark Primary Care Trust area have received for the provision of acute stroke care; and if he will make a statement. | | (207895) | 259
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which hospitals have MRI scanners; and if he will make a statement. | | (207896) | 260
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in (a) North Southwark and Bermondsey, (b) Camberwell and Peckham and (c) Dulwich and West Norwood are on waiting lists for digital hearing aids; and if he will make a statement. | | (207900) | 261
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients there were for each general practitioner in North Southwark and Bermondsey on the most recent recorded date; and if he will make a statement. | | (207901) | 262
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's publicity budget for domestic violence awareness is in the current year; what his Department's expenditure on domestic violence awareness was in each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement. | | (207902) | 263
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's publicity budget for prostate cancer awareness is in the current year; what his Department's expenditure on prostate cancer awareness was in each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement. | | (207903) | 264
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nursing vacancies there are in the Southwark Primary Care Trust area. | | (207905) | 265
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses are employed in each hospital in the Southwark Primary Care Trust area; and if he will make a statement. | | (207906) | 266
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of bed blocking in hospitals located in the Southwark Primary Care Trust area; and if he will make a statement. | | (207907) | 267
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many general practitioners there were in the Southwark Primary Care Trust area in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04; and if he will make a statement. | | (207908) | 268
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients in the Southwark Primary Care Trust area waited more than (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) nine months, (d) 12 months, (e) 15 months, (f) 18 months and (g) 24 months for (i) heart operations, (ii) cancer treatment and (iii) hip replacements in each year since 2000-01; and if he will make a statement. | | (207909) | 269
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many community pharmacies in each London borough (a) opened and (b) closed in each year since 2000-01; and if he will make a statement. | | (207910) | 270
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funds his Department has made available for GP development schemes in each year since 1997-98. | | (208178) | 271
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funds his Department proposes to make available for GP development schemes in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07. | | (208179) | 272
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take measures to reduce the time between the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency granting a licence to first-in-class medicines and the issuing of guidance by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and if he will make a statement. | | (208181) | 273
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will instruct primary care trusts to give equal consideration to the routine use of medicines which are not reviewed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and those which are to be reviewed by NICE; and if he will make a statement. | | (208182) | 274
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will direct the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to issue general guidance for new medicines at the time of their launch, followed by a full review or clinical guidance; and if he will make a statement. | | (208183) | 275
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of which supplements will be (a) banned and (b) reformulated under the food supplements regulations. | | (208061) | 276
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the public health consequences of (a) prohibiting certain (i) vitamins and (ii) minerals and (b) reducing the potency of certain supplements with particular reference to (A) antioxidants, (B) pre-natal nutrients and (C) high-dose vitamin C, under the Food Supplements Directive. | | (208062) | 277
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the list of approved supplements set out in annexes 1 and 2 of the Food Supplements Directive 2003 will be further reduced before the implementing regulations come into force. | | (208063) | 278
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information has been provided to the public to ensure that they are fully aware of (a) which supplements are to be (i) prohibited and (ii) reformulated, (b) the reasons for the prohibitions and reformulations and (c) what alternative supplements they may take to achieve comparable results. | | (208064) | 279
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment has been made of the likely economic impact of the food supplements regulations on food supplement (a) producers and (b) retailers in the UK. | | (208065) | 280
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Department will review the economic impact of the food supplements regulations once they have come into effect. | | (208070) | 281
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the impact of the fairer charging guidance on people with disabilities and older people whose income is just above the guaranteed minimum income level of income support plus 25 per cent. | | (208241) | 282
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of his Department's staff is based in London. | | (208034) | 283
| Syd Rapson (Portsmouth North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Portsmouth North constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on Portsmouth North constituency. | | (207973) | 284
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of possible links between pesticides and prostate cancer. | | (208243) | 285
N | Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has held with (a) the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the role of natural green spaces in the forthcoming delivery plan on physical activity. | | (207087) | 286
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on waiting lists at Eastbourne District General Hospital. | | (208103) | 287
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many operations at Eastbourne District General Hospital have been cancelled in each of the last six months. | | (208104) | 288
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of hospital-acquired infections have been diagnosed in the East Sussex Hospitals Trust in the last 12 months. | | (208113) | 289
| Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the financial deficits in the East Sussex health economy. | | (208114) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 290
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints from (a) England and Wales, (b) Essex and (c) Southend have been (i) made to the Independent Police Complaints Authority, (ii) upheld and (iii) investigated by (A) the Authority, (B) another police force and (C) an independent organisation since its inception in April 2004. | | (208278) | 291
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many burglaries have been reported to (a) Essex Police and (b) Southend Police in each year since 1997; and how many reports led to a (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction. | | (208279) | 292
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will publish the results of the monitoring project on the effectiveness of limitations on cross examination about previous sexual history under section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. | | (207523) | 293
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) financial and (b) other assistance with passport applications will be given to people living in remote and peripheral areas when the right to apply by post is removed. | | (208056) | 294
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many centres there will be in (a) Orkney and Shetland, (b) the Highlands and Islands and (c) Scotland where biometric data can be collected when identity cards are introduced. | | (208057) | 295
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what circumstances a prisoner who is scheduled to make a court appearance by video link from prison can refuse to appear (a) generally, (b) on the grounds the individual cannot walk to the video conference facilities and (c) on the grounds that the individual has refused or failed to cut his toenails, preventing him from walking; and if he will make a statement. | | (207938) | 296
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what circumstances prison inmates are not required (a) to wear footwear and (b) to cut their toenails; and if he will make a statement. | | (207939) | 297
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his policy is on where responsibility should lie for Chinese nationals in the UK who have not been granted asylum in the UK and who are not accepted back by the Chinese authorities. | | (208296) | 298
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of increasing charges to foreign students for leave to remain in the UK; and if he will make a statement. | | (208334) | 299
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) others about (i) the contribution to the UK economy made by foreign students and (ii) the proposals to increase the charges for leave to remain in the UK. | | (208346) | 300
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will instruct the Immigration and Nationality Department to return the passport of the constituent of the honourable Member for Basingstoke Mr Ahmed Rizwe (Ref. R350848). | | (208177) | 301
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a 16 to 18 year old domiciled in the UK requires written or verbal permission from a parent or guardian to leave the UK (a) under any circumstances, (b) when purchasing a one-way ticket abroad, (c) when travelling to EU destinations and (d) when travelling to non-EU destinations. | | (207885) | 302
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to harmonise guidance protocols across the European Union regarding children aged 16 to 18 years old attempting to leave the UK without the consent of their parents or legal guardians. | | (207888) | 303
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what authority parents or legal guardians of children aged 16 to 18 years of age have to prevent or delay them from leaving the UK. | | (207889) | 304
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children aged (a) 15 or under and (b) 16 to 18 years of age (i) attempted to leave the country without the consent of their parents or legal guardians and (ii) were detained in the course of attempting to leave the country without the consent of their parents or legal guardians in each of the last 10 years. | | (207890) | 305
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children who have been reported missing in each of the last 10 years are believed to have left the UK. | | (207891) | 306
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training and written guidance is given to (a) staff at ports and airports, (b) police at ports and airports and (c) police, regarding children aged 16 to 18 years of age who attempt to leave the UK without the knowledge or consent of their parents or legal guardians. | | (207892) | 307
| Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department provides to parents and legal guardians of children aged 16 to 18 years of age who attempt to leave the UK without their knowledge or consent. | | (207893) | 308
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many sniffer dogs have been used by the police and security services in each of the last five years; and how many of these animals have died prematurely whilst in service. | | (208244) | 309
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of his Department's staff is based in London. | | (208033) | 310
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the facial biometric planned for (a) passports and (b) identity cards will (i) constitute a scan of a photograph provided by the applicant and (ii) involve the use of special technology which will require the individual to attend a processing centre. | | (208269) | 311
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research his Department has conducted into psilocin use. | | (208270) | 312
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the link between psilocin use and crime. | | (208271) | 313
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers in each police force in England and Wales were assaulted in each of the last five years. | | (208272) | 314
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when sentencing statistics for 2003 will be published. | | (208273) | 315
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many witness statements were taken by police forces in the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (208274) | 316
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy (a) to allow a witness to submit the text of a witness statement to the police by email and (b) to make amendments to it by e-mail prior to the witness attending a police station to sign the final document. | | (208275) | 317
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training new police officers receive in (a) typing and (b) IT skills. | | (208276) | 318
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contribution the Police Information Technology Organisation has made to the development of the identity cards scheme. | | (208280) | 319
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library a copy of the image capture standards provided to police forces under the Facial Images National Database project. | | (208281) | 320
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a risk register has been prepared in respect of the identity cards scheme. | | (208285) | 321
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research has been conducted by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies into compatibility issues between the Facial Images National Database and the National Identity Register. | | (208286) | 322
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) seminars and (d) meetings with private sector representatives attended by members of the Identity Cards Programme team in the last six months. | | (208287) | 323
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) cost and (b) total operational time lost as a result of police officers being withdrawn from duty in each police force for the purpose of policing (i) demonstrations and (ii) football matches was in each of the last five financial years. | | (208339) | 324
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the recommended maximum time is for police checks on carers working with (a) vulnerable adults and (b) children. | | (208073) | 325
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the prisoners who committed suicide in 2004 were housed in safe cells. | | (208205) | 326
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many safe cells were installed in 2004; and how many he plans to install in 2005. | | (208206) | 327
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners who committed suicide in 2004 were (a) men and (b) women; how many of each sex were aged under 21; and how many of each sex were on remand without conviction. | | (208207) | 328
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of suicides in prison; and whether his policy includes a target for the number of suicides each year which should not be exceeded. | | (208208) | 329
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners committed suicide in 1998. | | (208209) | 330
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what health and safety checks have been made to guarantee the well-being of police officers using the Airwave communications system; and if he will make a statement. | | (208210) | 331
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what advice he has given to the Association of Chief Police Officers in response to the request for further clarification of the legal position on enforcing the ban on hunting with dogs; and if he will make a statement. | | (208211) | 332
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many members of (a) the Police Service and (b) the Prison Service were (i) disciplined and (ii) dismissed for misuse of rail warrants in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (208213) | 333
| Mr Alex Salmond (Banff & Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the honourable Member for Banff and Buchan will receive a reply to his letter of 25th November 2004 to the Minister of State for Citizenship, Immigration and Nationality regarding the Sectors Based Scheme, Arrangements for Foreign Employees. | | (208017) | 334
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many delegates registered for his Department's conference on 18th January on protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear terrorist threats have indicated on the application questionnaire a background in each relevant discipline; what guidance has been given by the security services in the selection of delegates to the conference; and what the role of the conference is in respect of tenders for work on countering CBRN threats. | | (208240) | 335
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the level of central government grants to each local authority to support asylum seekers was in each year since 1996-97. | | (207955) | 336
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total revenue raised from police precepts was in each police authority in England and Wales for each year since 1996-97. | | (207956) | 337
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the level of the police precept on Band D council tax was in each policy authority in England and Wales for each year since 1996-97. | | (207957) | 338
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers, excluding support staff and community support officers, were employed in each police authority in England and Wales in each year since 1996-97. | | (207963) | Questions to the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission 339
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, in how many rooms in the House to which honourable Members have access, other than their offices, smoking is (a) permitted and (b) banned. | | (207869) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 340
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made of the number of residents of Falluja who have been able to return to their homes; what assistance has been provided by (a) the UK Government, (b) the US Administration and (c) the Iraqi authorities to the residents of Falluja; what the cost of the assistance has been in each case; what assessment he has made of the conditions in which residents who have not returned to their homes are living; what assessment he has made of provisions made for them to participate in the Iraqi elections; and if he will make a statement. | | (208260) | 341
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what medical facilities are available to treat civilians injured during the last attack on Fallujah. | | (208246) | 342
| Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps are being taken to co-ordinate the work of the UK Government with non-governmental organisations on the tsunami disaster relief effort. | | (208136) | 343
| Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps are being taken to co-ordinate the contributions of different donor countries to the tsunami disaster relief programmes. | | (208137) | 344
| Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps are being taken to monitor effectiveness of spending of donations by (a) the Government and (b) the public to the tsunami disaster relief efforts. | | (208138) | 345
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the value was of the total UK contribution to the earthquake emergencies and reconstructions in (a) Bhuj, India and (b) Bamm, Iran. | | (208038) | Questions to the Leader of the House 346
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Leader of the House, by what procedure he intends that the UK Parliament should arrive at a reasoned opinion as to whether a draft European legislative act fails to comply with the principle of subsidiarity, within six weeks of the receipt of the draft as proposed in article 6 of the second protocol to the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208253) | 347
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Leader of the House, by what procedure he intends that the UK Parliament should arrive at a reasoned opinion on compliance of a European draft legislative act with the principle of subsidiarity within six weeks of its transmission to the UK Parliament where that transmission occurs either during or immediately prior to a parliamentary recess. | | (208254) | 348
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Leader of the House, what the average number of honourable Members taking part in divisions at sittings on Fridays has been since June 2001. | | (207876) | 349
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Leader of the House, what estimate he has made of the number of honourable Members who (a) have children at school and (b) have children at school within or near to their constituency. | | (207881) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 350
| Mr Roy Beggs (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he intends to require provision for a (a) school library room, (b) computer room and (c) special needs room to be included in the Primary School Building Handbook. | | (207974) | 351
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the recent seizure by the Department of Health, Social Servies and Public Safety of unauthorised and counterfeit veterinary medicines. | | (208308) | 352
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of patients in Northern Ireland waiting for (a) hip replacement surgery, (b) knee replacement surgery and (c) other surgery went on to have the operation carried out privately in each of the past five years, broken down by local health board area. | | (208288) | 353
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the recent Police Service of Northern Ireland review of the retirement age of part-time reserve officers. | | (208289) | 354
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average number of hours worked by part-time reserve police officers was during 2004, broken down by district command unit area. | | (208290) | Questions to the Solicitor General 355
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Solicitor General, what percentage of the Law Officers' Departments' staff is based in London. | | (208032) | 356
| Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Solicitor General, how many requests the Attorney-General's office has received to date for the Attorney-General's advice to Government, and its preceding iterations, on the legality of invading Iraq. | | (208239) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 357
| Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether contracts for Post Office counters to be transferred to private companies can be agreed before the public consultation is completed. | | (207988) | 358
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will define (a) free and (b) undistorted competition as required by article 1-3(3) of the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208085) | 359
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what constraints apply to the requirement to promote scientific and technological advance as set out in Article 1-3(3) of the proposed EU Constitution. | | (208252) | 360
| Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when she expects to publish a response to the review of employment status in relation to statutory employment rights. | | (208030) | 361
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what safety procedures are in place in relation to the nuclear industry's IT system. | | (208248) | 362
| Mr Oliver Letwin (West Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions she has had with the (a) Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the (b) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about (i) fuel poverty, (ii) energy efficiency and the (iii) take-up of energy-related benefits. | | (208135) | 363
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the average annual increase in gross salary was for the year 2003-04 for (a) staff below the Senior Civil Service and (b) the Senior Civil Service in her Department. | | (208108) | 364
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what advice has been given to ministers in her Department on the use of lie detectors in assessing coal health compensation claims; and if she will place a copy of such advice in the Library. | | (207870) | 365
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether lie detectors for possible use in assessing coal health compensation claims have been tested on ministers. | | (207871) | 366
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether she plans to market-test lie detectors amongst honourable Members. | | (207872) | 367
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the merits of using (a) random sampling and (b) volunteer sampling as part of use of lie detectors in coal health compensation claims. | | (207873) | 368
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether her Department has plans to use lie detectors in coalminers' compensation claims. | | (207874) | 369
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what advice her Department is issuing following the recent Law Society ruling on Raleys Solicitors and negligence and the use by solicitors of her Department's coal compensation circular of spring 2004 as a defence of their actions. | | (207875) | 370
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what forms of redress are open to an individual who expresses a preference under the mail preference service but then receives junk mail addressed to the householder. | | (207882) | 371
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of her Department's staff is based in London. | | (208037) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 372
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what action he has taken to ensure that waterways and canals which are navigable are not subject to development other than for transport purposes. | | (208171) | 373
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of waterways and canals have been lost for transportation purposes each year since 1997. | | (208172) | 374
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many tonnes of freight have been transported on waterways and canals in each year since 1997. | | (208173) | 375
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of how many additional tonnes of freight have been transported by road rather than on waterways and canals as a result of development of waterways and canals for non-transportation purposes in each year since 1997. | | (208174) | 376
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether UK Government policy permits the (a) touching down and (b) refuelling in the UK of US aircrafts, where such aircrafts are carrying individuals destined for interrogation in countries that routinely use torture in their prisons. | | (208340) | 377
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria he uses to determine whether a road has (a) national and (b) regional significance. | | (208215) | 378
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library advice which he received from (a) the Highways Agency and (b) departmental officials on determining priorities between road schemes, prior to his recent announcements on road spending. | | (208216) | 379
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) he and (b) ministers in his Department have visited Hindhead to assess the proposals for the A3 Tunnel; and what factors led him to decide that the A3 between Portsmouth Harbour and London did not have national significance. | | (208217) | 380
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what instructions he issues to Ministers in his Department on protocols for correspondence with honourable Members. | | (208218) | 381
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is on informing honourable Members of key decisions affecting their constituency transport infrastructure. | | (208219) | 382
| Virginia Bottomley (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he held with his predecessor with regard to the proposed A3 tunnel at Hindhead. | | (208220) | 383
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to widen the existing link between tonnage tax and seafarer employment to include a requirement to employ junior officers. | | (207996) | 384
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the work being undertaken by the Shipping Task Force on employment in the UK fleet. | | (207997) | 385
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the UK will support the International Labour Organisation's proposed bill of rights for seafarers; and if he will make a statement. | | (207998) | 386
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government intends to enforce the European Commission ruling that non-resident EU seafarers should be employed on the wage rates prevailing under the flag of their ship. | | (207999) | 387
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the threat to the shipping industry of a terrorist attack; what steps the Government are taking to minimise this risk; and if he will make a statement. | | (208000) | 388
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times in each year since 1997 the (a) Dartford Tunnel and (b) Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, Dartford have been closed; how many closures were due to (i) road traffic accidents and (ii) adverse weather conditions; and if he will make a statement. | | (207911) | 389
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make representations to the relevant bodies in the European Union to ensure consistency across Europe of the implementation of the recommended practices of the European Civil Aviation Conference in respect of disabled passengers, with particular reference to those who are deaf or who have impaired hearing; and if he will make a statement. | | (208187) | 390
| Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take measures to ensure consistency of implementation by UK airlines of his Department's Code of Practice regarding disabled passengers, with particular reference to those who are deaf or have impaired hearing. | | (208188) | 391
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his estimate is of the cost to the economy of the disruption to traffic caused by the State Opening of Parliament. | | (208235) | 392
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of his Department's staff is based in London. | | (208041) | 393
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fines were issued to drivers for failing to update their details with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last five years. | | (208282) | 394
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of entries on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency system where details of an individual's address are not accurate. | | (208283) | 395
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people died as a result of crashes that occurred on hard shoulders of English motorways in 2004. | | (208214) | 396
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the original projected cost was of the refurbishment of the Blackwall Tunnel. | | (208018) | 397
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the start date was of the refurbishment process for the Blackwall Tunnel. | | (208019) | 398
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the refurbishment of the Blackwall Tunnel to be completed. | | (208020) | 399
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the original estimate was for the time to be taken refurbishing the Blackwall Tunnel. | | (208021) | 400
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) contractors and (b) sub-contractors are involved in the refurbishment of the Blackwall Tunnel. | | (208022) | 401
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost is of the refurbishment of the Blackwall Tunnel. | | (208023) | 402
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for how many hours per (a) week, (b) month and (c) year on average the Blackwall Tunnel was (i) closed and (ii) partially closed over the last five years. | | (208025) | 403
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department made of the cost to the UK economy of the (a) closure and (b) partial closure of the Blackwall Tunnel. | | (208026) | 404
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what environmental impact study has been carried out on the effects of the (a) closure and (b) partial closure of the Blackwall Tunnel. | | (208027) | 405
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to provide alternative routes for traffic that is unable to use the Blackwall Tunnel. | | (208028) | 406
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local authorities in England are liaising with his Department over the potential introduction of (a) congestion charging and (b) workplace parking charging. | | (207958) | 407
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role (a) regional chambers and (b) regional transport boards will play in supervising the development of local authorities' local transport plans; and if he will make a statement. | | (207959) | 408
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, to what extent local authorities are required to follow regional transport plans; and if he will make a statement. | | (207964) | 409
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the remit of the Experimental Regional Transport Board for (a) the South East of England and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber is. | | (208044) | 410
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether road improvement plans already accepted by his Department will be implemented by new regional transport boards; and if he will make a statement. | | (208045) | 411
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money has been allocated for road improvement schemes in the East of England for (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08. | | (208046) | 412
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected cost is for the proposed scheme to upgrade the section of the A11 between the Fiveways Roundabout at Barton Mills in Suffolk and Thetford. | | (208047) | 413
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of a Regional Transport Board for the East of England. | | (208048) | 414
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the costs were of setting up the Experimental Regional Transport Board for (a) the South East of England and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber. | | (208049) | 415
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what advice his Department has given to (a) regional assemblies and (b) regional development agencies on the composition of a Regional Transport Board. | | (208050) | 416
N | David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of the privatised bus network in rural areas on access to public services; and if he will make a statement. | | (206901) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 417
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he last discussed with the Chief Inspector for the Nuclear Industry Inspectorate the impact of the dispute with Prospect. | | (208303) | 418
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent proposals he has made to end the dispute with Prospect in the nuclear industry. | | (208304) | 419
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons pension allowances due to be paid on bank holidays over the Christmas period were not paid before Christmas; and what steps he will take to ensure that payment of allowances is not delayed during the next holiday period. | | (208305) | 420
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer of 6th December 2004, Official Report, columns 370-2W, on disability benefits, how many appellants who were originally in receipt of the lower rate have been awarded the higher rate mobility component of the disability living allowance after appealing against decisions made regarding the award of this benefit; and if he will make a statement. | | (208105) | 421
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which Job Centres (a) are due to be closed and (b) are due to remain open; what the timescale is for those remaining open to become Jobcentre Plus; and if he will make a statement. | | (207898) | 422
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average annual increase in gross salary was for the year 2003-04 for (a) staff below the Senior Civil Service and (b) the Senior Civil Service in his Department. | | (208110) | 423
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on whether the possible use of lie detectors in connection with benefit claims should apply (a) through random sampling and (b) to volunteers only. | | (207877) | 424
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice he has received on the potential use of lie detectors with regard to benefit claimants; and if he will place a copy of such advice in the Library. | | (207878) | 425
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on whom his Department has market-tested lie detectors; and what level of accuracy was shown in the results. | | (207879) | 426
| John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of his Department's staff is based in London. | | (208039) | 427
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason rates of age-related national insurance rebates for members of appropriate personal pensions have been reduced since 2002-03. | | (208277) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 428
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the teenage pregnancy rate in North Southwark and Bermondsey was in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (207899) | 429
| Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procurement policies the Government has in place to prevent rapid obsolescence of its IT equipment and software. | | [Transferred] (207884) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 430
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether she plans to conduct a review of the effect of her Department's policies upon children in care; and if she will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (208098) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 431
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent research he has commissioned on consistency amongst UK embassies in applying the requirements for granting student visas; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (208338) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 432
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many homeless households on average were in (a) temporary accommodation and (b) bed and breakfast accommodation in Wales in each year from 1990-91 to the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales. | | [Transferred] (207968) |
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