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7 Jun 2006 : Column 676W—continued
Sri Lanka
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the political situation in Sri Lanka. [74777]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) on 5 June 2006, Official Report, columns 341-342W.
United States
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her answer of 6 February 2006, Official Report, columns 784-85W to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Clegg), on the United States, whether UK responsibilities or obligations would be engaged by the passage through UK (a) territory and (b) overseas territories of a plane which was travelling directly to a third country in order to conduct a rendition, but on which no detainee was present. [75016]
Dr. Howells: The extent of any engagement of the UK’s responsibilities and obligations would depend on the facts and circumstances of each case.
Electoral Commission Committee
Election Turnout
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the implications for voter participation of extended polling time in elections. [75184]
Peter Viggers: In its review of election timetables in 2003, the Electoral Commission recommended standardising the hours of polling for all elections at those used for parliamentary general elections and other national elections, to increase participation and reduce confusion between local and parliamentary elections.
The Government agreed with this recommendation and the standardised polling hours of 7 am to 10 pm applied generally at local government elections in England for the first time in May 2006. The Commission informs me that it is collecting data from returning officers on levels of voting during the additional polling hours, and intends to publish the results of its analysis in late summer 2006.
The Commission has also evaluated a number of electoral pilot schemes trialling extended polling hours at local elections since 2002. In these, between 5 and 10 per cent. of people voting in person at polling stations chose to take advantage of the extended polling hours.
Prime Minister
Ministerial Discussions
Mr. Amess: To ask the Prime Minister on what occasions since 1 January 2004 he has discussed the situation in Iraq with the US President; and if he will make a statement. [73319]
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister what matters he expects to discuss at his forthcoming meeting in Washington DC with President George Bush. [74434]
The Prime Minister: I regularly have discussions on a wide range of issues with President Bush, including on Iraq.
I also refer the hon. Members to the press conference I held with President Bush on 25 May 2006. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Work and Pensions
Allowances Rules
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to review the rules which prevent payment of carer's allowance and bereavement allowance at the same time. [75488]
Mr. Plaskitt: It is a basic principle of the social security system that only one benefit at a time can be paid for income maintenance and there are no plans to change this rule.
Bereavement allowance is an income maintenance benefit for those who have lost a spouse who had worked and therefore contributed to the national insurance scheme, whilst carer's allowance provides a measure of income maintenance for those forgoing the opportunity of full-time employment to care for a severely disabled person who is entitled to attendance allowance or the middle or highest rate of the disability living allowance care component.
In practice, where there is entitlement to both benefits, bereavement allowance as a contributory benefit takes precedence. However, where the rate of bereavement allowance is less than the rate of carer's allowance, an amount of carer's allowance can be paid to make up the difference. Even where no carer's allowance can be paid, underlying entitlement to the allowance gives access to the carer premium in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit, and to the carer's additional amount in pension credit.
Northern Ireland
Arm's-Length Bodies
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many arm’s-length bodies have been (a) established and (b) dissolved by each Government Department in the Province in each of the last 10 years. [74573]
Mr. Hanson: The tables show the number of non-departmental public bodies established and dissolved by each Government Department for which central records are available between 1997 and March 2006.
| Non-departmental Public Bodies Created | ||||||||||
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | Total | |
| Non-departmental Public Bodies Dissolved | ||||||||||
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | Total | |
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