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Health Service Report

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the Strategy Unit Report on the structure of the Health Service. [18315]

Mr. Hutton: The parts of the report Health Strategy Review—Analytical Report" by the Strategy Unit that were eligible for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (the entirety of phase 1 of the report) were published on 1 July 2005 and are available on the Strategy Unit website at www.strategy.gov.uk.
 
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Ministerial Visits

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether any Cabinet Ministers are planning to visit India in December. [16976]

Mr. Hutton: For security reasons it would not be appropriate to comment on any future visits abroad by Ministers. Ministers' future engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

Since 1999, the Government have published an annual list of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing more than £500. Information for the year 2005–06 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year.

Taskforces

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what statistics he has collated on the number of taskforces set up by Government Departments in each year since 1990. [17140]

Mr. Hutton: The annual publication Public Bodies", replaced in 2005 by an internet-accessible database, has recorded those taskforces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews in existence as at 31 March each year since 2002. Before that four separate reports, published in January, July and December 2000 and October 2001, provided information on taskforces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews in existence between 1 May 1997 and 31 March 2001. Prior to that no central statistics are available. Copies of all the reports, the Public Bodies" publications and a database printout of the position at 31 March 2004 have been placed in the Library. A database printout of the position as at 31 March 2005 will be placed in the Library shortly.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Written Parliamentary Questions

34. Mr. McLoughlin To ask the Leader of the House if he will make arrangements for the tabling of written parliamentary questions in any recess longer than three weeks. [18511]

Mr. Hoon: I have no plans to propose changes to current practice.

The Government have always taken the view that the House should retain the principle of tabling questions during periods when the House is sitting and Ministers are in attendance to respond to parliamentary scrutiny.

Ministers remain accountable for the work of their Departments, and Members can and do correspond with them during recesses.

Legislation (Programming)

35. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Leader of theHouse if he will review the procedures for the programming of legislation. [18512]

Nigel Griffiths: My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.
 
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It has not been that long since both the Modernisation Committee and the Procedure Committee looked at this subject. Following their reports, the House approved changes to the relevant Orders (including making them into permanent Standing Orders) in October 2004.

Business (e-Tabling)

38. Chris Bryant To ask the Leader of the House if he will ask the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House to consider the extension of e-tabling to early-day motions and other business of the House. [18515]

Mr. Hoon: I would be happy to receive representations on this matter. The more we do to facilitate the use of technology by Members, the better.

The procedure for tabling questions has been fairly successful. I understand that around half of those who are eligible to table questions have registered for the new service, and that in recent months between one quarter and one third of questions have been tabled in this way.

Departmental Vehicles

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Leader of the House how many vehicles for which his Office is responsible are fitted with retreaded tyres. [17988]

Mr. Hoon: For information on the use of retread tyres in vehicles provided to my Office by the Government Car and Despatch Agency I refer the hon. Member to the letter of 11 October 2005 which he received from the Chief Executive of the GCDA, reference UIN15087 and UIN15088. Copies of this letter are available in the Library.

Great George Street (Closure)

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Leader of the House whether he was consulted about the closure of the southbound carriageway of Great George street in July during a period when the House was sitting. [17918]

Mr. Hoon: I had not been aware of the closure of Great George street during July.

However, I have been consulted about arrangements for road closures and other works in relation to improving the security arrangements for the Palace of Westminster, including the partial closure of Bridge street during the summer recess.

Where appropriate, the House authorities and my office will keep Members informed of these arrangements to assist their access.

Steel Barriers

Mr. Purchase: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to his written statement of 13 July 2005, Official Report, column 32WS, on security arrangements (Palace of Westminster), what assessment was made of the impact on (a) traffic congestion and (b) public inconvenience of the steel barriers; and if he will place a copy of the assessment in the Library. [19250]

Mr. Hoon: It is not the practice of this House to divulge details of individual security projects but the hon. Gentleman may wish to know that the project to
 
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replace the concrete blockers and replace them with steel barriers included full consultation with Westminster City Council, Transport for London and English Heritage.

Volunteering

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Leader of the House how many volunteering positions his Department has offered in each of the last five years. [17877]

Mr. Hoon: The Privy Council (PCO), which provides the administrative support to my Office, has not offered any volunteering positions within the last five years. The PCO does, however, encourage and support volunteering by staff members.

TRANSPORT

A166 (Stamford Bridge)

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any bids for financial support or assistance have been made during the past five years from North or East Yorkshire highway authorities to replace or widen the existing bridge or construct a second bridge on the A166 over the River Derwent at Stamford Bridge. [17681]

Dr. Ladyman: No such bid has been made during the past five years. A bid to strengthen the existing bridge was received in East Riding of Yorkshire Council's 2004–05 Annual Progress Report, submitted in July 2005. This bid is currently being considered and a decision will be made in the annual Local Transport Capital Expenditure settlement, due to be announced before Christmas.

A27

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on improvements to the A27 in West Sussex since 1997. [19027]

Dr. Ladyman: The expenditure from April 1999 to date on improvement schemes on the A27 in West Sussex totals £8.9 million. There is no information available for expenditure between 1997 and 1998.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to report on the consultation exercise regarding improvements to the A27 at Chichester. [19028]

Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency is currently finalising its analysis of the public consultation and expects to report by the end of the year. That work will be considered in the light of advice from the region on priorities, which is expected early next year and an announcement about improvements to the A27 at Chichester should then be made next spring.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his timetable is for further consultationon road improvements to the A27 around Worthing. [19029]

 
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Dr. Ladyman: The programme for the consultation on road improvements to the A27 around Worthing will need to be reviewed in the light of the advice from the region on priorities, which is expected early next year.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of the installation of traffic lights at the Grove Lodge Roundabout on the A27 in Worthing. [19030]

Dr. Ladyman: No assessment has yet been carried out regarding the impact of the new traffic lights at the Grove Lodge Roundabout in Worthing. The signalisation of Grove Lodge Roundabout was completed in the summer of 2005 and will be assessed in early 2006.

The signals are the first phase of improvements at this location. In early 2006 it is also proposed to investigate the inclusion of a pedestrian crossing facility, and a local widening of the A27 (within the Highway boundary) at the entry and exit to the roundabout.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will visit Worthing to discuss congestion on the A27 with local residents and councillors. [19031]

Dr. Ladyman: Meetings with local residents and councillors can be held once the region has provided advice on its priorities, which should be early next year.

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