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25 July 2006 : Column 1638W—continued
Disabled Staff
Danny Alexander:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was paid to his Department from the Access to Work Scheme for adjustments for disabled staff in the last year for which figures are available; from what budget he plans to meet the costs
of reasonable adjustments for disabled staff following withdrawal of Access to Work funding for central Government departments; and if he will make a statement. [89004]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office has received no funding under this scheme.
Information Technology
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) USB (i) flash drives and (ii) memory sticks, (b) compact discs, (c) DVD-ROM discs, (d) laptop computers, (e) external computers hard drives, (f) internal computer hard drives and (g) desktop computers were purchased for use in his Department in each month since March 2005. [88763]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not collect this information in the form requested.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what the value was of each IT contract awarded by his Department in each of the last five years; and who the contractor was in each case; [88976]
(2) which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the value was in each case. [88979]
David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 4 July 2006, Official Report, column 939W.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department were awaiting a reply on 10th July 2006; which of those had been waiting longer than (a) two and (b) three weeks for a reply; and what the reason for the delay was in each case. [85195]
David Cairns: As at 25 July, one outstanding Scotland Office parliamentary question remained to be answered. It is an ‘ordinary’ written reply for 24 July and will be answered at the earliest opportunity.
Questionnaires
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) questionnaires, (b) statistical inquiries and (c) investigations have been carried out, wholly or partly at public expense on behalf of or by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the (i) nature, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost was of each. [83162]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established in July 1999 and has executive responsibility for the conduct of elections to the Scottish Parliament and the handling of legislation under the Scotland Act 1998. To date, this Office has not issued any questionnaires or carried out statistical inquiries or investigations.
Statutory Instruments
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what occasions a statutory instrument sponsored by his Department has been reported by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments as defective since October 2005. [85177]
David Cairns: Reports from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments contain full details of the statutory instruments which they have reported.
Leader of the House
Northern Ireland Members
David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to impose the same financial penalties on any hon. Members from Northern Ireland constituencies who do not take their seats as will be imposed upon members of the Northern Ireland Assembly with effect from 25 November 2006. [88338]
Mr. Straw: There are no plans to impose financial penalties on Members representing Northern Ireland constituencies who do not take their seats. The Northern Ireland Act 2006 provides for the dissolution of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the indefinite postponement of the next Assembly elections if an Executive has not been formed by 25 November 2005. In these circumstances, it would not be appropriate for members of the Northern Ireland Assembly to continue to receive salaries and allowances.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Harper: To ask the Leader of the House how many parliamentary questions tabled and due for answer were still awaiting a substantive reply at 25 July 2006. [87957]
Anne Main: To ask the Leader of the House if he will take steps to ensure that the drafting of answers to parliamentary questions in Government Departments is undertaken by officials with direct responsibility for the subject matter. [88783]
Mr. Straw: However they are drafted, Ministers are responsible for answers given.
Departments must ensure that the answers to questions abide by the terms of the Ministerial Code and the guidance issued in respect of the accuracy of answers.
I therefore have no plans to issue guidance on the administrative arrangements for the preparation of answers to parliamentary questions, which must remain a matter for each Minister and his or her Department.
House of Commons Commission
Accommodation
Mr. Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2006, Official Report, column 8W, on accommodation, why the houses are structurally unsuitable for use as offices. [87140]
Nick Harvey: The houses are unsuitable for use as offices because the floor loading capacity is inadequate, there is limited fire protection with no secondary means of escape and there are no facilities for disabled access. The buildings are also tall and narrow, resulting in limited accommodation on each floor. It is furthermore unlikely that the necessary listed building consent would be given for the extensive physical alterations which would be required for conversion to office use.
Mail Delivery
Mr. Hancock: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent research the Commission has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the length of time it takes for mail to reach hon. Members’ and hon. Members’ staffs offices after arriving on the Palace of Westminster estate; and if he will make a statement. [88184]
Nick Harvey:
After mail arrives at the Palace of Westminster it is delivered to Members offices’ within the parliamentary estate on the day it arrives. Alternatively it is forwarded by the Royal Mail Special
Delivery service to constituency offices to arrive the next working day by 1 pm. The next day service is guaranteed and is tracked and traced throughout its entire journey.
Passholders
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many passholders are non-UK citizens, broken down by nationality. [87303]
Nick Harvey: 280 House of Commons passholders are non-UK citizens, covering over 90 nationalities, including dual and multiple nationalities. 71 of these are UK citizens with other nationalities. Hon. Members are not included, because they are not required to complete a pass application form. A full list of nationalities and the numbers for each nationality has been placed in the Library of the House.
Recycled Waste
Sarah Teather: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much waste generated by the House was recycled in each year since 1997, broken down by category of waste. [87630]
Nick Harvey: Data on waste began to be collected in April 2002 and no data are available prior to this date. The annual waste data from April 2002 to March 2006 are given in the table.
Smoking
David Taylor: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent discussions he has had with House authorities on the implementation of Smokefree Regulations in the Palace of Westminster in 2007; and if he will make a statement. [87420]
Nick Harvey:
I understand that the Administration Committee has had a preliminary discussion about the application of the principles of the smoking provisions in the Health Bill to the parliamentary estate, and that
it will consider the matter further in the autumn in the light of the draft regulations recently published by the Department of Health. The Commission awaits the Administration Committee’s advice.
St. David's Day
Mark Williams:
To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the Refreshment Department plans to (a) hold a Welsh Cheese Week and (b) serve
Welsh dishes and products in the cafeterias and Members’ Dining Room at Westminster on St. David’s Day in 2007; and if he will make a statement. [88855]
Nick Harvey: The Refreshment Department does not usually mount food promotions to coincide with all the national saints’ days of the countries making up the UK, but normally celebrates at least one of them each year. Regional food promotions may also be mounted at other times of the year. No decision has yet been taken on such promotions in 2007.
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