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18 Apr 2006 : Column 399W—continued
Waiting Lists/Times
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will visit Wellingborough to discuss local NHS waiting times. [63880]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
There are no current plans to visit Wellingborough. Latest figures show that at the end of December 2005 there were no patients in the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Strategic Health Authority area waiting more than 13 weeks for a first out-patient appointment and that at the end of February 2006 there was one patient waiting more than six months for in-patient treatment.
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PRIME MINISTER
10 Downing Street Improvements
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister how much was spent on (a) maintaining, (b) decorating and (c) otherwise improving 10 Downing street in 2004–05. [62717]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Mr. Liddell-Grainger) on 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 2393W.
Appointments Commission
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has caused particulars of the loan by each lender to the Labour party who has been recommended for a peerage by him to be notified to the House of Lords Appointments Commission; and if he will make a statement. [61430]
The Prime Minister: This is a matter for the Labour party.
Departmental Staff
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what internal reorganisation of staff has taken place in Downing street since May 2005; and if he will publish the staffing structures and lines of accountability in operation; [63143]
(2) if he will place an organogram of his Office in the Library; [63148]
(3) how many people work in the Political Operations section of his Office; and how many of those are paid by the Labour party. [63151]
The Prime Minister: Details of the key officials that work in my Office are set out in Dod's Civil Service Companion. Copies of the edition for 2006 can be found in the Libraries of the House. Details are also available on the No. 10 website.
The staffing and associated costs for my Political Office are met by the Labour party. As has been the case under successive Administrations, marginal costs associated with the Political Office are met from within the overall budget for 10 Downing street.
Departmental Televisions
Jo Swinson: To ask the Prime Minister how many television sets are in operation in his Office (a) in total, (b) in Ministers' private offices and (c) in each building used by his Office; and how many television licences are held by his Office. [62802]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I have therefore asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr. Murphy) to reply. A copy of the reply will be placed in the Library of the House.
Freedom of Information Act
Norman Baker:
To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2006, Official Report, column 539W, on the Freedom of Information Act, what steps
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he takes to ensure that his answering practices are consistent with the February 2005 Cabinet Office guidance to departments. [62715]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave on 23 March 2006, Official Report, column 539W.
Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act
Mr. Amess: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on the operation of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925; [62870]
(2) pursuant to his answer of 26 January 2006, Official Report, column 2271W, on the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act, if he will reconsider his decision not to review the Act. [63395]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 26 January 2006, Official Report, column 2271W.
Ministerial Code of Conduct
Mr. Burns: To ask the Prime Minister (1) when paragraphs 2.7 to 2.10 of the Ministerial Code were drafted; and by whom; [63682]
(2) pursuant to the evidence taken by the Select Committee on the Armed Forces (Fifth Sitting) on 29 March 2006, Official Report, column 123, whether the hon. and learned Member for Redcar (Vera Baird) wrote the section of the Ministerial Code of Conduct referring to Parliamentary private secretaries. [63683]
The Prime Minister: The Ministerial Code is guidance issued by me to Ministers on the standards they are expected to uphold in the performance of their duties. The detailed guidance relating to the work of Parliamentary Private Secretaries is not new, and is similar to the wording in previous versions of the Ministerial Code and its predecessor document Questions of Procedure for Ministers".
Ministerial Meetings
Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister of Australia; and if he will make a statement. [63318]
The Prime Minister: I last met Prime Minister Howard on 28 March in Canberra where we discussed a wide range of issues.
During my visit I also gave an address to both Houses of the Australian Parliament and spoke at the opening session of the second UK-Australia Leadership Forum.
I refer my hon. Friend to the press conference I held with Prime Minister Howard on 28 March. A transcript of this and my speech to the Australian Parliament are available on the Number 10 website.
Ministerial Travel
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 539W on ministerial travel, for what reason he did not provide the date on which he last travelled by train on official business. [62716]
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The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave on 23 March 2006, Official Report, column 539W.
Parliamentary Questions
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the (a) special advisers and (b) officials who contribute to his answers to written parliamentary questions. [63127]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 10 July 2002, Official Report, columns 988–89W.
Wockhardt UK
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Prime Minister whether at his meeting with the chairman of the Wockhardt Group, Mr. Habil Khorakiwala in September 2005 he discussed (a) the ongoing difficulties that Wockhardt UK have been experiencing in supplying animal insulins and (b) the potentially grave consequences for UK animal insulin users of interrupted supplies. [61798]
The Prime Minister: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Yemen
Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the President of Yemen. [61015]
The Prime Minister: I have no current plans to do so.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Trusting in the Pensions Promise" Report
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he will publish the Government's full response to the parliamentary and health service ombudsman's report Trusting in the Pensions Promise" before the summer recess. [62276]
Absenteeism
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what was the total number of days lost due to (a) sickness absence and (b) unauthorised absence in (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies was in each year between 2000 and 2005; and if he will make a statement. [36167]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is in the following tables.
The information available is contained in the following tables. The figures represent average working days lost per staff year, and have been drawn from the Cabinet Office's annual reports on sickness absence in the civil service. The information for 2005 is not yet available.
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The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in 2001. The overall figures prior to this date relate to absence levels in the Department of Social Security and the Employment Service. A comprehensive breakdown of the DSS' agencies' figures in 2000 is not available.
| Department | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Employment Service | 11.8 |
| Department of Social Security | 11.0 |
Days lost to unauthorised absence
The available information is in the following tables. Information about unauthorised absences in DWP prior to 2003 in not fully available. There is no centrally-held information within DWP about absence patterns in the non-departmental public bodies attached to DWP.
The vast majority of days lost are through industrial action. Days lost for reasons other than industrial action are negligible. If they occur, they are dealt with under the Department's disciplinary procedures.
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