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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Tuesday 14 June 2005
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 14 June 2005
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 14 June 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 14 June of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Tuesday 14 June see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 1
| Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the terms of reference are of his study of the economic viability of carbon capture and storage; and if he will make a statement. | | (4701) | 2
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what contingency plans his Department has put in place in the event that countries in the euro zone decide to leave the currency. | | (4255) | 3
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money was raised in air passenger duty in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003 and (e) 2004. | | (4186) | 4
| Peter Law (Blaenau Gwent):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide the resources necessary to avoid the introduction of variable tuition fees in Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government. | | (4693) | 5
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make representations in the European Union for reduced VAT for places of worship. | | (4729) | 6
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make representations in the European Union for reduced VAT for energy efficient buildings. | | (4730) | 7
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make representations in the European Union for reduced VAT for contraceptives. | | (4731) | 8
N | Mr David Winnick (Walsall North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ask the Comptroller and Auditor General to carry out a review of the tax credit office in Preston and to make recommendations for improvement. | | (4187) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 9
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what training is undertaken by recorders of the Crown Court before they are ticketed to try rape. | | (4683) | 10
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how recorders of the Crown are selected as suitable to try rape cases. | | (4684) | 11
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will commission research into the experience in Commonwealth countries of fixed term judicial appointments and its applicability to the UK. | | (4714) | 12
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether honourable Members will continue to be eligible to sit as recorders of the Crown Court. | | (4715) | 13
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the Department's policy is on reform of the House of Lords. | | (3292) | 14
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how her Department promotes equality and diversity within the Department. | | (3293) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 15
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the aggregate public expenditure to date has been on the London 2012 Olympic bid. | | (4703) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 16
| Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report on the Government's ex gratia payment to former Far East prisoners of war will be made public. | | (4486) | 17
N | Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many trained personnel have gone absent without leave in each of the services in each of the last five years. | | (4253) | 18
N | Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many trained personnel have gone absent without leave in Iraq in each of the services since March 2003. | | (4254) | 19
N | Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many agency medical staff have been employed in Iraq since 1st June 2004; and at what cost. | | (4664) | 20
N | Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses serving in Iraq are (i) regular service personnel, (ii) territorial or reserve personnel and (iii) civilian agency staff; and if he will list the respective pay scales of each. | | (4665) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 21
N | Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of new build housing in Kettering borough up to 2021 he expects will take place on greenfield land. | | (4168) | 22
N | Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he has taken to ensure that all official correspondence from his Department carries (a) an email address and (b) a telephone contact number. | | (1862) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 23
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will seek legislative changes to remove the presumption in favour of inclusion for children with special educational needs; and if she will make a statement. | | (4727) | 24
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her written statement of 7th June, Official Report, column 43WS, on student finance, what the (a) arrangements and (b) timescale for making submissions to the review are. | | (3929) | 25
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to encourage fathers to become more involved in caring for children. | | (4721) | 26
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to raise the proportion of childcare workers who are male. | | (4722) | 27
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will make a statement on Government plans to tighten safeguards protecting the welfare of privately fostered children. | | (4723) | 28
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans she has to provide privately fostered children with greater access to their social workers. | | (4724) | 29
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the Government's policy is on the teaching of children with special needs in mainstream schools. | | (4728) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 30
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government is on target to reduce carbon emissions (a) as agreed under the Kyoto protocol and (b) by 20 per cent. by 2010. | | (4696) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 31
N | Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's estimate is of the size of the acquis communautaire; and if he will make a statement. | | (4567) | 32
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the results achieved by Hezbollah in the recent parliamentary elections in South Lebanon. | | (3294) | 33
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action the UK is taking to deal with the situation in Darfur. | | (3295) | 34
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to (a) the Indian Government and (b) the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh concerning the recent murders of Pastor Isaac Raju and Pastor K Daniel. | | (4697) | 35
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to (a) the Indian Government and (b) the Chief Minister of Gujarat concerning the continuing activities of militant Hindu groups in (i) Andhra Pradesh state and (ii) India. | | (4698) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 36
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the effects of the creation of the Legal Protection Unit of the Counter Fraud and Security Management Services on the rate of (a) detection and (b) prosecution of offences of assault against healthcare workers during their hours of work. | | (4348) | 37
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will support the establishment of a new dental school at Southampton University. | | (4561) | 38
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what date the Clayton Report on NHS dental charges was (a) commissoned and (b) delivered to her Department; and on what date it will be published. | | (4562) | 39
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 7th June, Official Report, column 114WH, on NHS dentistry, whether all those people registered as NHS patients at Robinsons dental practice will be able to migrate to the Whitecross dental care practice; and when the Whitecross dental practice will be operating with five full-time dentists. | | (4668) | 40
N | Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 7th June, Official Report, column 114WH, on NHS dentistry, what the conclusions were of the meeting between local practitioners and her Department on 8th June. | | (4669) | 41
N | Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure adequate provision of NHS dentistry in the Kettering constituency; and if she will make a statement. | | (4169) | 42
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research her Department has carried out to assess the level of risk of back and joint problems in the nursing profession in comparison with that in the general population. | | (4717) | 43
N | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many members of staff of the Healthcare Commission are on zero-hour contracts. | | (4666) | 44
N | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people are employed by the (a) Healthcare Commission and (b) Mental Health Act Commission expressed as (i) headcount and (ii) full-time equivalent. | | (4667) | 45
N | Paul Rowen (Rochdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will make a statement on the recent vote of no confidence received by the Pennine Acute NHS Trust Board. | | (4170) | 46
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what hospital facilities were available (a) in the last financial year and (b) in each of the previous five years to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities (i) across the NHS and (ii) in the private sector. | | (3525) | 47
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list for each primary care trust its expenditure in the last financial year on out-of-area treatment for (a) people with a learning disability and (b) people with mental health problems. | | (3526) | 48
N | Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the requirements are for NHS health trusts and hospitals to include both a telephone number and an email address on all communications. | | (1861) | 49
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the correlation between dental health in five year olds and their social-economic grouping, broken down by county in each year since 1997. | | (4718) | 50
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what role fluoridation of water plays in improving dental health; and whether the Government plans to review the level of fluoridation in tap water. | | (4719) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 51
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the prosecution rate for (a) alleged common assaults and (b) alleged assaults with aggravating factors was in the most recent period for which figures are available. | | (4347) | 52
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department will publish guidelines on the treatment of transsexual prisoners. | | (4695) | 53
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice provided to him by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in relation to the change in the law on magic mushrooms under the Drugs Act 2005. | | (4673) | 54
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether UK data on criminal convictions is made available to United States customs and immigration agents; and on what basis. | | (4674) | 55
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individual records have been added to the national DNA database in each month since January 2004. | | (4675) | 56
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the Memoranda of Understanding governing the exchange of information between the UK and US (a) governments and (b) law enforcement agencies. | | (4676) | 57
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the maximum criminal penalty is which will apply to individuals who fail to comply with Clause 6(6) of the Identity Cards Bill. | | (4677) | 58
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases the detention of children under immigration law for more than 28 days has been subject to ministerial authorisation since 1st January 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (4678) | 59
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police stations have (a) closed and (b) opened in each police force authority area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (4679) | 60
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations of the 2002 review of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. | | (4680) | 61
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers are being held in Prison Service establishments. | | (4681) | 62
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on progress in implementing Project IRIS. | | (4682) | 63
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the United States military forces that are to be deployed in the United Kingdom for the G8 Summit will be (a) under UK law jurisdiction and (b) exempted under (i) the Visiting Forces Act 1952 and (ii) the Visiting Forces and International Headquaters (Application of Law) Order 1999; and if he will make a statement. | | (4045) | 64
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what circumstances United States armed forces may be deployed against protesters at (a) the G8 Summit and (b) Prestwick Airport; and under whose authority such deployment may be made. | | (4046) | 65
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what equipment US forces will be issued with in the United Kingdom while deployed to guard (a) the G8 Summit and (b) Prestwick Airport. | | (4047) | 66
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the rules of engagement of United States military personnel will be while deployed on UK soil to guard (a) the G8 Summit and (b) Prestwick Airport. | | (4048) | 67
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what equipment UK security forces will have available for deployment at the G8 Summit. | | (4049) | 68
| Mr Ian Taylor (Esher & Walton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to ensure that visa enquiries from High Commission and Embassy entry clearance officers to the Evidence and Enquiries Unit of the Home Office are processed within 14 days. | | (4704) | 69
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research he has commissioned into the effects of designated alcohol disorder zones; and how these zones will be enforced. | | (4726) | 70
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects the honourable Member for Sittingbourne & Sheppey's constituent, Cesar Augusto Giraldo Gil and his daughter Francesca Zofia Wasik to receive notification of their amnesty papers. | | (4178) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 71
| Dr Tony Wright (Cannock Chase):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of tsunami aid distribution in Sri Lanka; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure efficient distribution. | | (4699) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 72
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applications he has received for the netting of hares for hare coursing; and if he will defer any decision on these applications until he has received the results of the survey of Irish hare numbers which the Department of Environment has recently commissioned. | | (4700) | Questions to the Solicitor General 73
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Solicitor General, what monitoring he undertakes of the relationship between the granting of special measures in criminal trials and the outcome of trials. | | (4694) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 74
| Peter Law (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make a statement on the future of the Royal Mail. | | (4691) | 75
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps he is taking to protect users of internet auction and sales sites from fraud. | | (4716) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 76
| Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will announce the results of the outstanding applications for major container port developments. | | (4685) | 77
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what has been the annual movement of freight by road, in billion tonne kilometres, for each year from 1997 to date. | | (4563) | 78
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce aircraft stacking times over London. | | (4564) | 79
N | Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average daily composite time spent by planes destined for (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick held in stacking over London is; and what daily level of greenhouse gas emissions he estimates are attributable to this practice. | | (4565) | 80
N | Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason a traffic survey was being carried out east of Junction 37 on the M62 motorway on 4th June; and who was carrying out the survey. | | (3041) | 81
N | Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents took place on the M62 motorway east of Junction 37 in the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (3042) | 82
N | Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, why speed cameras are being erected on the M62 motorway east of Junction 37; upon whose authority the cameras were erected; for how long the cameras are expected to remain; and if he will make a statement. | | (3043) | 83
| Peter Law (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to return the national rail network to public ownership. | | (4689) | 84
| Peter Law (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will instruct the Strategic Rail Authority that increased passenger services between Cardiff and London should be a condition of the new franchise. | | (4690) | 85
N | Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has given to the preferred bidders for the Greater Western franchise on the impact of Crossrail on the bid. | | (4566) | 86
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many instances of trespass there were on railways in the UK in each of the last five years. | | (4705) | 87
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fatalities arising from trespass there were on railways in the UK in each of the last five years. | | (4706) | 88
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many prosecutions for trespass on railways in the UK there were in each of the last five years. | | (4707) | 89
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average fine for trespass on railways in the UK was in each of the last five years. | | (4708) | 90
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the maximum fine available for trespass on UK railways was in each of the last five years. | | (4709) | 91
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he last met (a) Network Rail and (b) the Health & Safety Executive to discuss the siting of whistleboards. | | (4670) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 92
| Peter Law (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will meet the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss the provision of the necessary resources to the Welsh Assembly Government to avoid the introduction of variable top up fees in Wales. | | (4692) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 93
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, why an age limit of within three years of normal retirement age on 14th May 2004 was set for those eligible to claim payment from the Financial Assistance Scheme for under funded pension schemes; what provisions have been made for those who fall outside the age limit; what is being done to help small firms who have lost their pension funds; and if he will make a statement. | | (4720) | 94
| Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the consultation on the findings of the Pension Commission will be completed. | | (4725) | 95
| Mr Ian Taylor (Esher & Walton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Pension Service is taking to provide accurate pension forecasts. | | (4702) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 96
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the insurance industry on the availability of insurance products for individuals who have a criminal record. | | [Transferred] (4672) |
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