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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Tuesday 24 May 2005
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 24 May 2005
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 24 May 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 Tuesday 24 May of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Tuesday 24 May see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 1
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people who emigrated from the UK in each year from 1990 to 2004. | | (904) | 2
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what contribution has been made to the UK's balance of trade by oil exports in each year from 1999 to 2004; and what contribution it is estimated will be made for each year between 2005 to 2010. | | (905) | 3
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average income level was of the lowest earning 20 per cent. of households in each Government Office Region in the last period for which figures are available. | | (935) | 4
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is of the cost of tax relief on pensions in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by each area of relief; and if he will make a statement. | | (965) | 5
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which consultants have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years. | | (892) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 6
N | Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many enquiries have been made to Government departments under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and what estimate has been made of the number which have been refused. | | (442) | 7
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many local authorities arranged during the general elections for their presiding officers to record details of those people who turned up to vote in person, but were turned away because they were registered as absent voters; and how many people were turned away in this manner in each local authority. | | (906) | 8
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many postal votes were issued for the general elections of (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) 2005; and how many were counted. | | (912) | 9
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, which consultants have been employed by her Department in each of the last three years. | | (896) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 10
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to support digital subtitling in cinemas. | | (925) | 11
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Government provided to support sign language interpreted programmes in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004; and what proportion of programmes were signed in each year. | | (929) | 12
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Government provided to support the production of television programmes in the Welsh language in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004. | | (949) | 13
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will put back the second appointed day of the Licensing Act 2003 by at least eight months. | | (947) | 14
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if the Government will put back the deadline for licensees to submit a conversion licence application under the Licensing Act 2003 by at least six months. | | (948) | 15
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consultations her Department has undertaken with (a) the licensed trade and (b) local authorities since 7th February regarding the coming into force of the Licensing Act 2003. | | (951) | 16
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assistance the Government will provide to help licensees meet the deadline for completion of conversion applications under the Licensing Act 2003. | | (952) | 17
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department expects the Football Association's review of its structure and governance to be published; and if she will make a statement. | | (917) | 18
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether it is her policy that the creation of the National Sports Foundation should not have any impact on the amount of money directed to sport through the National Lottery. | | (683) | 19
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how the interests of (a) the Football Association, the Rugby Football Union, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Lawn Tennis Association, (b) the Central Council for Physical Recreation and (c) other sports national governing bodies will be represented at the National Sports Foundation. | | (684) | 20
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria will be used to assess grant applications to the National Sports Foundation. | | (685) | 21
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, where the offices of the National Sports Foundation will be located; how it will be organised; and how many people she expects that it will employ. | | (686) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 22
N | Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the support vessels that form part of the Mars programme will (a) be regarded as warships and (b) be built in the UK. | | (832) | 23
N | Mr Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the siege of Kut from December 1915 to April 1916. | | (533) | 24
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the UK Armed Forces were stationed in Iraq during the General Election; and how many were provided with (a) proxy and (b) postal votes. | | (902) | 25
N | Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will instigate a survey of all service personnel to discover how many were (a) registered to vote and (b) able to vote by post or other means in the General Election on 5th May. | | (693) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 26
N | Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he expects to make a statement on the commencement date for the full public inquiry into the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge. | | (114) | 27
N | Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what representations he has received about the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge; and if he will make a statement. | | (115) | 28
N | Mr Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he expects to announce the conclusions of his review of travellers and planning law. | | (532) | 29
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the forecast spending on the Safer Stronger Communities Fund is for financial years (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08. | | (908) | 30
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many New Deal for Communities bodies have been created; and how many of these bodies have changed their chief executive in the first year of operation. | | (914) | 31
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the maximum price is that the Government deems to be affordable for an affordable home for sale for each of the Government Office Regions; and what income would be needed to purchase a property at that price without external assistance. | | (934) | 32
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his current estimate is of average changes in council tax for the financial year 2006-07. | | (980) | 33
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether one-off funding for local authorities to reduce council tax requirements will be continued in financial year 2006-07; and what assessment he has made of the effect on council tax requirements of not continuing this funding. | | (981) | 34
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans the Government has for the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. | | (982) | 35
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for the Coldeast Hospital site in Fareham. | | (736) | 36
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with (a) the South East England Regional Assembly and (b) the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire and its constituent local authorities on the level of infrastructure required to support the house building targets set out in the draft sub-regional strategy for South Hampshire. | | (737) | 37
N | Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with councils in Hampshire about Solent Gateway. | | (738) | 38
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which consultants have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years. | | (901) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 39
N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what action her Department is taking to improve the evaluation of work experience schemes for schoolchildren. | | (700) | 40
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will take steps to increase the availability of courses teaching people to use sign language. | | (930) | 41
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the truancy levels were in schools in (a) Gloucestershire and (b) England in each year since 1995. | | (116) | 42
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many teachers have been assaulted by (a) pupils and (b) parents in each year since 1990. | | (907) | 43
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many universities offer degrees in cooking pastry that qualify people to become pastry chefs. | | (909) | 44
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate she has made of the amount of funding for Surestart centres which will be required from sources other than public funds in each financial year up to 2015; and from where funding is expected to come. | | (979) | 45
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what changes in expenditure her Department expects to arise from the plans outlined in her Department's technical note produced for the Gershon review proposing (a) a reduction in the number of teachers and their replacement with interactive whiteboards and classroom supervisors and (b) replacing supply teachers with classroom supervisors. | | (983) | 46
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which consultants were employed by her Department in each of the last three years. | | (932) | 47
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many local education authorities have submitted schemes for removing surplus places in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each of the last six years; and if she will estimate the total consequent change in education spending in each year. | | (933) | 48
N | Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which Ministers have had responsibility for the Careers Service and the Connexions Service since May 1997; and if she will make a statement on her plans for the Connexions Service. | | (740) | 49
N | Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate she has made of the cost of extending education maintenance allowances to all students who remain in post-16 education. | | (275) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 50
N | Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to define motorcycle trials as an activity with greater restriction for the purposes of the guidance on the single payment scheme and non agricultural use. | | (830) | 51
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the International Whaling Commission's approach to the protection of minke and humpback whales. | | (183) | 52
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will seek to introduce a legislative change which will define alpacas as livestock. | | (184) | 53
N | Mr Michael Meacher (Oldham West & Royton):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the level of (a) carbon dioxide emissions and (b) greenhouse gas emissions has been in the UK in each year since 1990; and what the percentage change was in each case since 1990 in each case. | | (622) | 54
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to make a decision on the exchange of land from common land to access land at Brockeridge Farm, Twyning, Gloucestershire; and if she will make a statement. | | (690) | 55
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has had made of the impact on human health of the use of antibiotics on farms; and if she will make a statement. | | (692) | 56
N | Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to monitor (a) the welfare of the fox, (b) changes in population numbers of urban and rural foxes and (c) effects on rural employment following the ban on hunting of foxes with hounds. | | [R] (534) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 57
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which consultants have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years. | | (891) | 58
N | Clare Short (Birmingham, Ladywood):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will make immediate funding available for the human rights monitoring commission referred to in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Nepal and the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights to start work. | | (833) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 59
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to provide free hearing tests to those who need them. | | (926) | 60
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have received a digital hearing aid on the NHS. | | (927) | 61
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) average, (b) maximum and (c) target waiting time for (i) audiology appointments and (ii) the fitting of digital hearing aids were in the last period for which figures are available. | | (938) | 62
N | Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment her Department has made of the results of trials published in the Lancet on detection rates for breast cancer by MRI scan and mammogram; and if her Department will take steps to ensure that all at-risk women under 50 are offered MRI scans. | | (882) | 63
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will make all bacterial diseases that are resistant to all antibiotics reportable; and what steps the Government are taking to deal with the development of resistance to antibiotics in infections. | | (890) | 64
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of general practitioner practices refuse to make advance appointments. | | (911) | 65
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the estimated change in numbers of hospital beds is between 2005 and 2010, broken down by strategic health authority. | | (985) | 66
| Mr Francis Maude (Horsham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on industry of the Proposal for a Regulation on nutrition and health claims made on Foods (2003/0165 COM); and if she will make a statement. | | (984) | 67
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were recorded as suffering from food poisoning in each of the last five years; what the main causes were; and if she will make a statement. | | (691) | 68
N | Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many operations have been carried out at the Trafford Diagnostic and Treatment Centre since its opening; and what the unit cost has been. | | (182) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 69
N | Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many employers have been prosecuted for employing people who are in the country illegally in each of the last five years. | | (739) | 70
N | Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will issue a letter confirming her status to Mrs Maliheh Sadeghi Boroujerdi, of Newcastle, following the decision of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal of 2nd February (appeal no. TH/07220/2004) not to grant the Secretary of State permission to appeal against the earlier decision of the adjudicator. | | (831) | 71
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the UK has not ratified the Convention on Human Trafficking; and what discussions he has had with non-governmental organisations on the decision not to ratify that Convention. | | (117) | 72
N | Mike Gapes (Ilford South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department will reply to the letters sent on 17th December 2004 and 20th January 2005 concerning Mr Salamat Khan, Home Office reference S774861/4. | | (883) | 73
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police authorities are operating pilot schemes of encounter receipts. | | (910) | 74
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of whether there is an intermittent transitory impact on calcium ion concentration in rat cerebellar granule cells as a result of the switching on of Tetra transmission. | | (913) | 75
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which consultants have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years. | | (895) | 76
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has played a role in drawing up arrangements to prevent ticket touts re-selling match tickets at inflated values (a) at cricket matches between England and Australia in 2005 and (b) at sports fixtures generally. | | (687) | 77
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the (a) work of and (b) funding in 2005-06 for the Race Equality Council for Gloucestershire. | | (689) | 78
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of stay for sentenced juveniles in each young offender institution was in the last period for which figures are available. | | (897) | 79
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff have been appointed to each of the secure training centres in each year since they opened; and how many have left in each year. | | (898) | 80
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children were received into each secure training centre (a) on remand and (b) under sentence in each year since they opened, broken down by age. | | (899) | 81
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children have been received into penal custody on remand in each year since 1990, broken down by age. | | (900) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 82
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his estimate is of total Government funds that will have been disbursed following the South East Asian tsunami; and what estimate his Department has made of what proportion of those funds will be paid to UK public sector bodies. | | (915) | Questions to the Leader of the House 83
N | Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Leader of the House, if he will bring forward proposals during 2005 to combine the functions of the Procedure Committee and the former select committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons in one new select committee. | | (180) | Questions to the Prime Minister 84
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Prime Minister, which consultants have been employed by his Office in each of the last three years. | | (894) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 85
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans his Department has to consult on public sector involvement in delivering Export Control Organisation services. | | (936) | 86
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will place the minutes of the Export Control Advisory Committee meetings since 13th May 2004 in the Library. | | (937) | 87
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what changes in personnel and resources allocated to export control (a) have been made since 2003 and (b) are planned; and if he will make a statement. | | (939) | 88
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many staff there are in the Export Control Organisation; how many there were in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04 and (c) 2004-05; what sections of the organisation have experienced changes in staff numbers since 2002-03; and what targets have been set for the number of staff in each section of the organisation. | | (940) | 89
N | Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions the Department has had with (a) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and (b) BNFL in respect of the future operation of the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) following the leakage of radioactively contaminated nitric acid at THORP in April. | | (837) | 90
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when Ministers in his Department first informed the press that they were offering MG Rover (Phoenix Venture Holdings) a bridging loan of £100 million; and for what reasons this information was provided. | | (903) | 91
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much crude oil has been produced by the UK in million tonnes of oil in each year from 1999 to 2004; how much crude oil has been consumed by the UK in each of these years; and what the Government's estimate is of when the UK will recommence being a net importer of crude oil. | | (916) | 92
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of employees in the agencies in his Department are members of ethnic minorities that are (a) included and (b) not included in the schedule for the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000. | | (978) | 93
N | Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much had been paid to the Union of Democratic Mineworkers in respect of handling fees for coal health claims up to 31st March. | | (276) | 94
N | Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much had been paid to solicitors in respect of legal fees for coal health claims up to 31st March; and how much had been paid to each of the top 20 firms of solicitors. | | (277) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 95
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on maximum noise levels from motor-powered two-wheeled vehicles. | | (688) | 96
N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Department has taken to publicise exclusions to airline ticket protection provided through credit card booking; and if he will bring forward legislation to improve financial protection for UK air travellers. | | (834) | 97
N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the financial protection scheme for air travellers. | | (835) | 98
N | Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the Civil Aviation Authority's estimate of the number of UK leisure passengers who flew without financial protection in 2004; if he will bring forward measures to address the gap in financial protection for air travellers; and if he will make a statement. | | (836) | 99
N | Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the fencing being erected north of junction 11 alongside the southbound carriageways of the M1 motorway are not being set back to allow for future planned widening to take place. | | (179) | 100
N | Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will publish his response to the Civil Aviation Authority fifth freedoms study. | | (181) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 101
N | Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the need for greater flexibility in the operation of the rule preserving benefits for two weeks of work experience. | | (699) | 102
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much financial support the Government has provided for (a) sign language interpreters and (b) lip-speakers in each year since 1997. | | (928) | 103
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) sign language interpreters and (b) lip-speakers were (i) in training, (ii) employed and (iii) unemployed in the UK in each year since 1997. | | (931) | 104
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to implement the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly's recommendation on the protection of sign languages. | | (986) | 105
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the UK were living in absolute poverty during the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by (a) pensioners, (b) unemployed, (c) disabled and (d) others; and if he will make a statement. | | (918) | 106
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's latest spending plans are for each year from 2005-06 to 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. | | (919) | 107
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average rent was in each of the local reference rent localities within the Local Housing Allowance pilot areas in each month in the last two years. | | (920) | 108
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time taken to process housing benefit applications in the Local Housing Allowance pilot areas has been; and if he will make a statement. | | (921) | 109
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of levels of fraud and error in connection with payment of housing benefit within the Local Housing Allowance pilot areas. | | (922) | 110
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence his Department has collated of housing benefit recipients moving to different accommodation within the Local Housing Allowance pilot areas. | | (923) | 111
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much housing benefit has been paid in each Local Housing Allowance pilot area in each month in the last two years; and how many housing benefit claimants there have been. | | (924) | 112
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many different information technology systems are being used to process housing benefit in the local housing allowance pilot areas; and if he will make a statement. | | (950) | 113
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff were employed at the Child Support Agency in each year since 1997-98; what the projected numbers are for each year to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement. | | (955) | 114
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his latest estimate is of the value of fraud connected with each social security benefit; and if he will make a statement. | | (956) | 115
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what research he has collated on international variations in the proportion of economic inactivity in the labour force due to claims for illness and disability; and if he will make a statement. | | (957) | 116
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of children in the UK were living in poverty in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004; what research he has collated on rates in other developed countries; and if he will make a statement. | | (958) | 117
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of children living in poverty in the UK are living in a single parent household; and if he will make a statement. | | (959) | 118
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the budget of his Department was for press and communications for (a) 1997-98, (b) 2003-04 and (c) 2004-05; what it is for 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (960) | 119
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who have made claims for incapacity benefit are receiving credits towards their pension entitlement and not cash; and if he will make a statement. | | (961) | 120
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of incapacity benefit claims were made from people previously registered as unemployed in each year between 1990-91 and 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (962) | 121
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the proportion of incapacity benefit claimants in the UK who were aged over (a) 40, (b) 50, (c) 55, (d) 60 and (e) 65 in (i) 1985-86, (ii) 1990-91, (iii) 2000-01 and (iv) the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (963) | 122
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had since 5th May with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on future pensions policy; and if he will make a statement. | | (964) | 123
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the proportion of the working age population that has taken early retirement in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (966) | 124
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the effect of the New Deal on the claimant count for unemployment; and if he will make a statement. | | (967) | 125
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people face marginal withdrawal rates higher than (a) 50 per cent., (b) 60 per cent., (c) 70 per cent., and (d) 80 per cent. when they come off benefits and go into work; and if he will make a statement. | | (968) | 126
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the numbers of (a) unemployed people and (b) people on incapacity benefit in each year between 1979-80 and 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (969) | 127
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the differential between the value of incapacity benefit and its predecessor benefits and unemployment benefit in each year between 1979-80 and 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (970) | 128
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of incapacity benefit recipients live in each local authority area listed in descending order; and if he will make a statement. | | (971) | 129
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners were living in (a) absolute and (b) relative poverty in each year since 1979-80; and if he will make a statement. | | (973) | 130
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the outstanding stock of Child Support Agency unpaid debts for each reporting period from 2002-03 to 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. | | (974) | 131
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total overtime (a) worked and (b) paid has been at the Child Support Agency for each reporting period since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement. | | (975) | 132
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average time taken to process new Child Support Agency claims in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (976) | 133
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the (a) costs in staff time and (b) other costs of the delayed introduction of CS2 at the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement. | | (977) | 134
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which consultants have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years. | | (893) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 135
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in how many of the 20 parliamentary constituencies with the highest unemployment rates in 1997 there were increases in the unemployment rate between 1997 and 2005; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (972) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 136
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) priority and (b) funding his Department has committed to Crossrail. | | [Question Unstarred] (433) |
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