Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2005 - 06
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 16 June 2005

Notes:
* Indicates a Question for Oral Answer.
+ Indicates a Question not included in the random selection process but accepted because the quota for that day had not been filled.
[N] Indicates a Question for Written Answer on a named day, i.e. the Member has indicated under S.O. No. 22(4) the day on which he wishes the Question to be answered.
[R] Indicates that a relevant interest has been declared.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Thursday 16 June 2005
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 16 June 2005

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Thursday 16 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 Thursday 16 June of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Thursday 16 June see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

1
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the estimated revenues for the lorry road user charging project are; and what proportion of the estimated revenues for the project are expected to come from each part of the UK.

(5177)

2
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are employed on the project to introduce lorry road user charging; and what their budget is.

(5182)

3
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on his policy on lorry road user charging.

(5183)

4
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many persons in Northern Ireland were taxed on the basis of incomes of over £1 million a year before allowances (a) in the last year for which figures are available and (b) in each of the last 10 years.

(5393)

5
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 13th June, Official Report, column 48W, on the climate change levy, what the yield in each year was from each of the other taxes introduced in the past 10 years indicating offsetting cuts in employers' national insurance contributions.

(5356)

6
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many primary school-aged children there are expected to be in Portsmouth in each of the next five academic years.

(5228)

7
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research he has evaluated on the effects of the level of interest rates on (a) retail sales and (b) the level of employment in the retail sector.

(5132)

8
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to adjust his growth forecasts.

(5133)

9
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to change fiscal rules relating to the cap on public sector debt.

(5134)

10
N Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Office for National Statistics will have available statistics to show the number of deaths attributable to clostridium difficile in 2004; and if he will make a statement.

(5037)

11
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5109)

12
Mr Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the population of (a) London and (b) Greater London has been in each year since 1975.

(5377)

13
N Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will increase the amount of the pensioners' fuel allowance in line with changes in oil prices.

(4574)

14
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research he has evaluated on the cost to the economy of (a) loss of workforce through smoking-related illness and (b) loss of working hours through smoking breaks.

(5639)

15
N Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs has an obligation properly to check full and accurate information submitted by a taxpayer on or before 30th September before calculating the taxpayer's liability.

(3933)

16
N Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs in calculating a taxpayer's liability when it receives a tax return by 30th September, is only able to check that taxpayer's return for obvious mistakes by opening an enquiry under the Taxes Acts.

(3934)

17
Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the outstanding loan repayments due to the US Administration that arose as a result of the Second World War; and if he will make a statement.

(5317)

18
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the 100 per cent. VAT refund on repairs to religious buildings beyond the three years pledged in his last Budget.

(5390)

19
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has for the freeze on (a) the company car levy, (b) corporation tax, (c) insurance premium tax, (d) air passenger tax and (e) capital gains tax implemented in his last Budget.

(5394)

20
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made with the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Gershon Report since his last statement to the House.

(5414)

21
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps are being taken to improve HM Revenue and Customs's internal processes for the repayment of overpaid taxes to (a) individuals and (b) businesses.

(5416)

22
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many of the civil servants he pledged to move from London to other parts of the United Kingdom in his last Budget have been relocated; and what the timetable is for further such relocations.

(5417)

23
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Government revenue was raised from personal taxation in the Reading East constituency in the last financial year for which figures are available.

(5418)

24
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made in implementing the Better Regulation Taskforce's recommendation of targets for the reduction in the amount of bureaucracy in his Department.

(5651)

Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

25
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many officials currently in the Cabinet Office received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5125)

Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs

26
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will make it her policy (a) to collect data on the socio-economic class of magistrates and (b) to track and publish changes in the composition of the magistracy.

(5465)

27
N Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the average time has been between deaths and inquests in the jurisdiction of the Teesside Coroner during the last 12 months.

(4918)

28
N Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many unfinished cases there are in the jurisdiction of the Teesside Coroner; and how many are over six months old.

(4919)

29
N Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the backlog of cases requiring inquests in the jurisdiction of the Teesside Coroner is; and how many are over six months old.

(4920)

30
N Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, at what age a coroner who was appointed in 1972 must retire.

(4921)

31
N Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the average time has been between deaths and inquests in the coroners' jurisdictions (a) in the North East and (b) nationally during the last 12 months.

(4922)

32
John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether the marked register for the 2005 General Election for the Woking constituency has been lost.

(5103)

33
Mr David Jones (Clwyd West):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, on how many occasions the procedure provided for under Section 17A of the Coroners Act 1988 has been implemented since 1st January 2000.

(5216)

34
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5122)

35
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what steps the Legal Services Commission are taking to ensure that black and minority ethnic firms are treated fairly in the distribution of legal aid contracts.

(5620)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

36
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the Department's policy is on seeking UNESCO status for historic rail bridges.

(5653)

37
N Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government's policy regarding support for United Kingdom teams participating in international sports competitions is predicated on the condition that there is no gender discrimination regarding spectators' and supporters' access; and if she will make a statement.

(5046)

38
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5123)

39
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Government has allocated for Trooping the Colour in each year since 1996.

(5409)

40
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many TV licence inspectors there were in London in each year since 1997.

(5260)

41
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the amount collected in fines for not having a TV licence was in London in each year since 1997.

(5261)

42
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many applications were made for licences to sell alcohol in each London borough in each month since June 2004.

(5267)

43
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what percentage of licences to sell alcohol has been transferred to local authority licences in (a) each London borough and (b) London.

(5268)

44
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) football, (b) rugby, (c) tennis, (d) athletics, (e) hockey and (f) swimming clubs in London in each of the last five years.

(5303)

45
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people were prosecuted for not having a television licence in London in each of the last five years.

(5311)

46
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many local authority maintained swimming pools there were per 1,000 population in each London borough in the last year for which figures are available.

(5318)

47
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff were employed on average in each library in London in each of the last five years.

(5448)

48
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many hours on average public libraries in each local authority in London were open in each of the last five years.

(5449)

49
Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 8th June, Official Report, column 583W, on the Tote, what additional information was provided to the EU Commission on (a) 9th September 2004 and (b) 1st March; and what matters were discussed in her meeting with Commissioner Kroes on 27th May.

(5146)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

50
Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent on Territorial Army recruiting; and how many new Territorial Army soldiers were recruited in each year since 1997.

(5605)

51
N Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when a decision will be taken on the replacement of Trident; and if he will make a statement.

(4845)

52
N Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what preparatory work has begun on a replacement for Trident; what the cost of that work has been; and if he will make a statement.

(4846)

53
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the (a) inks, (b) dyes, (c) bleach and (d) chemicals used in the printing of camouflage under the cut and sew contract have been tested for reaction on skin.

(5154)

54
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the application of the International Criminal Court Act 2001 to UK service personnel; and what his Department's policy is regarding bringing prosecutions under (a) this Act and (b) other military and civil law.

(5160)

55
N Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 7th June, Official Report, column 446W, on Trident, whether the range of options about the future of the UK strategic nuclear deterrent includes an option of not proceeding with a new generation strategic nuclear deterrent.

(4353)

56
N Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 7th June, Official Report, column 446W, on Trident, whether the decision on whether to replace Trident will be the subject of a substantive vote in Parliament.

(4354)

57
N Mr Michael Meacher (Oldham West & Royton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) US soldiers and (b) UK soldiers have been killed in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in each month since the end of the wars in those countries.

(5044)

58
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the availabililty of military dental practitioners in the services to practise on reserve forces personnel; and whether his Department's policy has changed on the use of military dental practitioners by reserve forces personnel.

(5320)

59
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the role of military dental practitioners in each of the services; what their role is in performing preventative check-ups; how often service personnel are required to attend dental check-ups; how many service personnel use private dental practitioners; and whether the costs of private dental check-ups can be reclaimed from military budget lines.

(5321)

60
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) dental practitioners and (b) dental support staff are employed by each of the services; what their establishment is; and if he will make a statement.

(5322)

61
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5124)

62
Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will ensure that, under the current review of Territorial Army centres in the United Kingdom, the centre in Lancaster is retained.

(5144)

63
Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the likely cost of the additional troop deployments to Afghanistan; and whether costs will be met from existing departmental budgets.

(5145)

64
Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the payments made by the US government for the use of the Menwith Hill base in North Yorkshire for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

(5263)

65
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government will be contributing to the (a) production of the EU Force Catalogue and (b) subsequent production of the Progress Catalogue.

(5360)

66
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the dates of each EU Battlegroup Generation Conference in the last two years were; who attended each conference; what dates are planned for further such conferences; and who is expected to attend.

(5361)

67
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which UK representatives attended the International Military Co-operation conference on 11th and 12th October 2004 in Wassenaar; and whether the Government agreed to work through any project groups to improve European military capabilities.

(5362)

68
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what difference there is between the (a) body (excluding armour), (b) engine, (c) gearboxes, (d) drive mechanism and (e) wheels of the (i) Panther Command and Liaison vehicle and (ii) Italian Light Multirole Tactical vehicle.

(5363)

69
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) BAE Systems Land Systems and (b) its contractors will be purchasing any of the (i) body (excluding armour) and (ii) drive components for the manufacture of the Panther Command and Liaison vehicle from (A) Iveco and (B) other non-UK contractors.

(5364)

70
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the assessment phase of the Future Rapid Effects System undertaken by Atkins will have to comply with the objectives and criteria of the European Defence Agency.

(5379)

71
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what areas of British Armed Forces he expects to comply by 2010 with the Headline 2010 goal of interoperability.

(5380)

72
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which areas of UK military equipment he expects to be pooled and shared with other EU member states by 2010.

(5381)

73
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what commitment the Government made at the EU Military Capability Conference on 22nd November 2004 in Brussels; and if he will make a statement.

(5382)

74
Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has given a commitment (a) to support and (b) to join the establishment of a European Gendarmerie Force.

(5383)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

75
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many local authority rent officers have been employed (a) in England and (b) by each local authority on average in each year since 1997.

(5442)

76
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the regulatory impact assessment on the proposed Home Information Pack energy reports followed guidelines on (a) air quality and (b) emissions of air pollutants; and if he will make a statement.

(5252)

77
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, why the proposed Home Information Pack energy reports are currently confined to the internal costs of fuels; and if he will make a statement.

(5253)

78
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will ensure that the proposed Home Information Pack energy reports reflect the external costs of fuels caused by the emission of (a) carbon and (b) other air quality pollutants.

(5254)

79
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5121)

80
N Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he expects to publish the revised formula for the allocation of funds for Supporting People; and what consultation he plans to undertake on the formula.

(4573)

81
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the estimated typical (a) number of rooms and (b) floor space is for a property provided by his Department's £60,000 home scheme.

(5423)

82
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 7th June, Official Report, column 497W, on referendums, what the expenses limit for (a) political parties and (b) registered third parties in mayoral referendums.

(5562)

83
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 8th June, Official Report, column 564W, on travellers, if he will place in the Library copies of each of the written reports of the appeal decisions made by the Planning Inspectorate or the First Secretary of State for applications which were granted on appeal.

(5563)

84
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average house price was in each Government Office region in (a) 1991, (b) 2003 and (c) the latest year for which figures are available.

(5564)

85
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which department is responsible for (a) mayoral referendums and (b) local referendums held under the Local Government Act 2003.

(5572)

86
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the South East Regional Assembly's proposals for development tariffs across the South East.

(5573)

87
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate the (a) Government and (b) Valuation Office Agency has made of the yearly change to average (i) house prices and (ii) capital values of residential property from material improvements to residential properties in each of the last five years.

(5574)

88
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many homes in England were in each council tax band in each year since the introduction of council tax.

(5575)

89
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what guidance the Government issues to local authorities relating to (a) crematoria and (b) the display of religious symbols in crematoria.

(5577)

90
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether public conveniences run by local authorities are liable for business rates; and if he will make a statement.

(5579)

91
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the estimated sale price will be of a typical property provided by New Build Homebuy.

(5581)

92
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate the Government has made of the number of 3G mobile phone masts that will be erected to provide service for the new 3G licences.

(5582)

93
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the location is of each park and ride scheme in operation in England; and on what date the construction of each was approved by the relevant government office for the region.

(5583)

94
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the location is of each proposed park and ride scheme that has been given approval by the relevant government office for the region.

(5584)

95
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what guidance the Government has issued to (a) local authorities and (b) government offices for the regions on park and ride schemes.

(5585)

96
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the Government's definition is of brownfield land.

(5586)

97
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the properties provided by the £60,000 home scheme will be sold as (a) leasehold, (b) commonhold and (c) freehold properties.

(5587)

98
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the timetable is for the revision of the departmental circular on planning obligations.

(5588)

99
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will place in the Library a copy of the questionnaire sent to local authorities by his Department on the impact of implementing different variations of local government finance reform.

(5589)

100
Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many questionnaires have been issued by BMG Consulting on behalf of his Department; and what the cost has been of this exercise.

(5152)

101
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff were employed by each local authority per 1,000 population in the last year for which figures are available.

(5258)

102
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment his Department has made of Operation Scrap-it; and if he will make a statement.

(5273)

103
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what quantity of public recreational open space there was in each London borough in each year since 1997.

(5283)

104
Dr Desmond Turner (Brighton, Kemptown):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many affordable housing units built or procured through (a) the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme and (b) the Challenge Fund were (i) mixed funded social rented housing, (ii) temporary social rented housing, (iii) homebuy general market purchase, (iv) homebuy general new build, (v) mixed funded low cost home ownership for sale, (vi) miscellaneous works to RSL stock, (vii) reimprovements to rented RSL stock, (viii) works only rehabilitation of rented RSL stock, (ix) works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for sale, (x) intermediate rent for key workers, (xi) homebuy market purchase for key workers, (xii) homebuy new build for key workers, (xiii) mixed funded sale for key workers and (xiv) starter home initiative in the South East Region in each year since 1997-98; and how much was spent on each category in each year.

(5384)

105
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the running costs of the South East of England Regional Assembly have been in each of the last five years.

(5389)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

106
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the timetable is for the review of school nutrition standards.

(5606)

107
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will list decisions by the schools adjudicator in respect of published admission numbers where the recommendation of the local education authority has been rejected in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) local education authority and (b) reasons for the decision.

(5607)

108
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of existing catering contracts on plans to improve school meals services.

(5608)

109
Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average (a) secondary and (b) primary school funding per pupil in England (i) was in 1997 and (ii) is in the current financial year.

(5619)

110
Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations she has received on providing (a) new and (b) existing teachers with voice training.

(5628)

111
Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of voice training on the ability of teachers to control classes.

(5629)

112
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what account local authorities take of social class in assessing applications for special needs educational assistance.

(5129)

113
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much public funding has been spent on repairs to school buildings in Gloucestershire in each year since 1997.

(5193)

114
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children attended schools in Gloucestershire local education authority area in 2004-05, broken down by local authority area; and what the projected figures are for 2005-06.

(5194)

115
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether nutrition education was included in the training of school catering managers between 1975 and 1990.

(5286)

116
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many registered (a) nutritionists and (b) dieticians she employs within her Department.

(5294)

117
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether the forthcoming People First Skills Strategy will provide an opportunity for non-industry public interest groups to make representations on the need for food preparation and cooking programmes.

(5299)

118
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will recommend that the School Food Trust consider the NVQ approach to work-based assessment of nutritional competence at Levels 1 to 4.

(5300)

119
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what data she has collected on bullying in state schools in Portsmouth.

(5295)

120
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate she has made of the cost of building (a) a special school and (b) a mainstream school under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

(5419)

121
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which of the agencies her Department funds have the responsibility under Every Child Matters to break the link between social exclusion and behavioural problems of children in early years education.

(5420)

122
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will commission an inquiry into the relations between parents and school administrators, Global Education Management Systems, at Bury Lawn School in Milton Keynes.

(5284)

123
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will make a statement on the Academy project in Milton Keynes following the withdrawal of Global Education Management Systems from the project.

(5285)

124
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps the Government has taken to encourage school nurses to address the needs of young carers.

(5495)

125
N Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, on how many occasions in the last 12 months a pupil at a state secondary school in England has been found to be in possession of a weapon on school premises.

(4786)

126
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5119)

127
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students did not achieve five A* to C passes in each year since 1997.

(5405)

128
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils have left secondary school with a language GCSE grade C or above in each London borough in each year since 1997.

(5150)

129
Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether qualified teachers working in schools under the control of local education authorities are entitled to participate in the Government's child care voucher scheme; and if she will make a statement.

(5262)

130
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of the sum allocated for school repairs in the last Budget has been spent.

(5397)

131
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of the sum allocated for the renovation of further education colleges in the last Budget has been spent.

(5398)

132
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average spending per (a) primary and (b) secondary pupil in each local education authority in England is in 2005-06.

(5400)

133
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures are being taken in schools to promote awareness of the health implications of binge drinking.

(5401)

134
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to allow successful schools to expand their present capacity.

(5402)

135
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the truancy level has been in each secondary school in the (a) Reading Borough Council and (b) Wokingham District Council Local Education Authority area in each year since 1990.

(5410)

136
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what funding is being made available to each local education authority to provide broadband internet access for schools.

(5413)

137
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many vacant (a) primary and (b) secondary school places there are in each local education authority in Berkshire.

(5458)

138
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many secondary school exclusions there have been in each local education authority in Berkshire in each year since 1997.

(5459)

139
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of teachers in England have not qualified for the Performance Related Pay scheme since its establishment.

(5652)

140
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schools in each local education authority have broadband internet access.

(5654)

141
N Ann Winterton (Congleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what guidance is issued by her Department on the teaching of Christianity in schools.

(4743)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

142
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the EU investigations into whether the UK is failing to fulfill its obligations under Article 3(1) and Annex IA and Articles 5(2), 5(3), 10 and Annex I.B of Council Directive 91/271/EEC concerning urban waste water treatment.

(4941)

143
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many registered (a) nutritionists and (b) dieticians she employs within her Department.

(5298)

144
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many new nuclear waste storage facilities she expects to be built in each of the next 10 years; and where.

(5217)

145
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many primates have been imported for the purpose of (a) laboratory experimentation and (b) sale as pets in each of the last five years.

(5227)

146
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ban the (a) importation and (b) sale of primates for commercial purposes.

(5229)

147
N Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will assess the effects of introducing beavers in Scotland to the ecology of the UK; and what representations she has received in connection with plans by the Scottish Executive to proceed with release of beavers in Scotland from (a) English Nature and (b) other bodies and organisations.

(4914)

148
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5120)

149
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the poaching of fish.

(5336)

150
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to preserve fish stocks in UK waters.

(5396)

151
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people have been prosecuted for fishing without a licence in London in each year since 1997.

(5149)

152
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings officials from her Department have attended with the Environment Agency, Thames Water and the Greater London Authority since June 2004 to discuss the levels of raw sewage in the River Thames.

(5266)

153
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much raw sewage was discharged into the River Thames in each month since June 2004.

(5274)

154
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the level of pollution in the River Thames; and if she will make a statement.

(5275)

155
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated number of fish in the River Thames was in each year since 1997.

(5277)

156
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the condition of water in the Thames breaches the European Union Urban Waste Water Directive.

(5302)

157
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the need for an interceptor tunnel in the River Thames; and if she will make a statement.

(5319)

158
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the outcome of the 2004 meeting between the European Council and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries on the EU sugar regime was; and if she will make a statement.

(5622)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

159
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts from (a) the US, (b) Russia and (c) the EU regarding the Middle East peace process; and if he will make a statement.

(4860)

160
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on (a) the Israeli separation wall, (b) Israel's plans to build houses in the E1 corridor and (c) Israeli plans for Al-Bustan in the Silwan Valley.

(4861)

161
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the progress of the Middle East peace process.

(4884)

162
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent (a) discussions and (b) meetings (i) he and (ii) his staff have had with (A) Israeli and (B) Palestinian representatives.

(4897)

163
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to host another conference in London on the Middle East peace process.

(4988)

164
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the UK has to recognise Hezbullah.

(5128)

165
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to conduct an inquiry into the Iraqi Oil for Food programme, with specific reference to British involvement.

(5269)

166
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Volker investigations; and if he will make a statement.

(5270)

167
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the visitors who have been provided with accommodation and hospitality by his Department at official residences in Washington DC since 1st May.

(5623)

168
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the application of the principle of transparency in EU (a) whistleblower cases and (b) working committees.

(5289)

169
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the UK will press the EU to take measures under Article 79 of the EU/Israel Association Agreement to enforce the human rights conditions of the Agreement.

(5445)

170
N Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on progress in the search for Bosnian war-crime suspects, with particular reference to (a) Radovan Karadzic and (b) General Ratko Mladic.

(4050)

171
N Mr Martyn Jones (Clwyd South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on progress in the search for the Croation war-crimes suspect General Ante Gotovina.

(4051)

172
Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether the recent parliamentary elections in Ethiopia were free and fair.

(5214)

173
Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the causes of civil unrest in Addis Ababa following the announcement of the provisional results of the recent parliamentary election.

(5215)

174
N Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of changes in the (a) economy, (b) constitution and (c) media in Ukraine since Victor Yushenko became President.

(5045)

175
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the budget is for the first year of the European Defence Agency.

(5203)

176
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the EU is taking to set up the European Defence Agency.

(5204)

177
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps are being taken by the EU to set up a European fundamental rights agency.

(5205)

178
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many diplomatic staff are employed by the EU.

(5210)

179
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many embassies the EU has; and how many new ones are planned.

(5211)

180
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what measures have been agreed in June 2005 to develop a European Space Policy.

(5212)

181
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff are planned to be employed by the European Defence Agency.

(5213)

182
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help relieve ethnic tensions in Nigeria.

(5334)

183
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the visa of Knanittha Srihonthaen will be approved.

(4793)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

184
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many calls to NHS Direct about access to an NHS dentist there were in each month since January 2004 in England, broken down by (a) emergency, (b) urgent, (c) routine and (d) other calls.

(5175)

185
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list the 10 most common reasons for calls to NHS Direct in the most recent year for which figures are available.

(5176)

186
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her Answer of 6th June, Official Report, column 421W, on end-of-life care, what estimate she has made of the amount each primary care trust will receive in each of the next three years; and how many more people she estimates will have access to palliative care.

(5601)

187
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the implementation of local alcohol harm reduction strategies.

(5611)

188
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans she has to audit the adequacy of isolation facilities within NHS hospitals.

(5612)

189
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations her Department has received on the proposal to abolish the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

(5613)

190
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) people and (b) households were receiving domiciliary care in each social service authority area in (i) 1992-93, (ii) 1997-98 and (iii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(5614)

191
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she will respond to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill.

(5615)

192
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 6th June, Official Report, column 414W, on Alzheimer's, if she will place in the Library copies of the background papers concerning the reviews to which she refers.

(5627)

193
Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, under what circumstances a local authority can refuse to disregard housing costs and council tax when calculating charges for domiciliary care.

(5643)

194
Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which local authorities in England disregard housing costs and council tax when calculating charges for domiciliary care.

(5644)

195
Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether local authorities in England are required to disregard housing costs and council tax when calculating charges for domiciliary care.

(5645)

196
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice and guidance her Department has issued on core education and training in respect of nutrition and malnutrition for (a) health and social care professionals and (b) health and social care workers involved in putting the new Unified Assessment procedures into practice at bands two and three of Agenda for Change or equivalent.

(5231)

197
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the employees of the Food Standards Agency are (a) registered nutritionists and (b) registered dieticians.

(5291)

198
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what requirements in respect of knowledge of nutrition and malnutrition are placed on registrants by each health and social care regulatory body.

(5292)

199
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will publish the Food Standards Agency Nutrition Strategy.

(5296)

200
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many registered (a) nutritionists and (b) dieticians she employs within her Department.

(5297)

201
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what standards on meeting nutritional needs are included within Health and Social Care National Occupational Standards; and whether these standards are evidence-based.

(5301)

202
Mr David Jones (Clwyd West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the target waiting times are for orthopaedic surgery at Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Gobowen, Shropshire for patients resident in (a) England and (b) Wales.

(5436)

203
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many local authorities provide adult placement services for people with early onset dementia.

(5104)

204
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions she has had, and with whom, on the recommendations made in the report of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Alzheimer's Society on early onset dementia; and if she will make a statement.

(5105)

205
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many residential care places are available in each Strategic Health Authority for people with early onset dementia.

(5106)

206
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many units there are in England which specialise in the care of people with early onset dementia; and where they are situated.

(5107)

207
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the rate of sickness absence in the NHS for (a) medical staff, (b) non-medical clinical staff and (c) all other staff was in each year since 1997.

(5561)

208
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans she has to publish data collected under the MRSA bacteraemia mandatory surveillance scheme broken down by (a) hospital department and (b) specialism when the enhanced surveillance scheme becomes operational.

(5590)

209
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much public money has been spent on developing the Paddington Basin Health Campus project, broken down by the date on which the costs were incurred; and if she will make a statement.

(5591)

210
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what her estimate is of the total number of deaths from smoking-related illnesses in people who are not smokers for the most recent period for which figures are available; and what proportion of these deaths she estimates were of people who worked in heavily smoke-filled environments.

(5592)

211
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the cost of extending the routine NHS breast screening programme to (a) women aged between 70 and 75 years of age, (b) all women above 70 years of age, (c) women aged between 45 and 49 and (d) women aged between 40 and 49.

(5593)

212
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the rate of implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline published on 23rd June 2004 on The Classification and Care of Women at risk of Familial Breast Cancer in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Care, with particular reference to screening for women aged between 40 and 49; and what plans she has to extend the NHS breast screening programme to all women aged between 40 and 49.

(5594)

213
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) medical and (b) non-medical clinical staff in the NHS have been (i) formally suspended and (ii) informally suspended from work in each year since 1997; and what steps she is taking to ensure that suspensions that occur are unavoidable.

(5595)

214
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average length of time of suspensions from the NHS for (a) medical and (b) non-medical clinical staff was in the last year for which figures are available.

(5596)

215
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans she has to establish a central information source about care for older people, as recommended in the Office of Fair Trading report, Care homes for older people in the UK.

(5597)

216
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) local authority (i) care homes and (ii) care home places there have been in each year since 1997.

(5598)

217
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans she has for support for doctors and other clinical staff who may be abusing drugs or alcohol.

(5599)

218
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total budget for supporting patients' forums is for the current financial year; and what the total budget for supporting community health councils was for the last financial year of their existence.

(5600)

219
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she will publish the results of the mandatory surveillance scheme for MRSA bacteraemia for the period between October 2004 and March 2005.

(5603)

220
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the results of the user survey of the MRSA bacteraemia mandatory surveillance scheme will be published.

(5604)

221
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what her estimate is of the total cost of suspending NHS staff in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the average cost was of suspending one member of (a) medical staff and (b) non-medical clinical staff per annum for the most recent period for which figures are available.

(5625)

222
Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been given in grants to support abortion clinics outside the NHS in each of the last five years.

(5196)

223
Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will place in the Library a copy of the speech given by Dr Mary Piper on 28th June 2004 at the Institute of Physics on the health needs of prisoners; and what the source was for the research referred to in the speech on rates of Hepatitis C in prison cohorts.

(5197)

224
N Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, at what intervals hospital trusts are required to provide her Department with details of cases of clostridium difficile.

(5038)

225
N Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether hospital trusts are required to report cases of clostridium difficile to the strategic health authority.

(5039)

226
N Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will make a statement on the rules that govern the reporting, collating and publishing of information from hospital trusts about cases of clostridium difficile.

(5040)

227
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent research her Department has examined on the effect of mobile phone masts on brain waves; and if she will make a statement.

(5494)

228
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent by the NHS on (a) alcohol awareness programmes and (b) alcohol-related treatment in the last period for whoch figures are available.

(5496)

229
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) status and (b) structure of the Mental Health Act Commission will be in the Healthcare Commission.

(5497)

230
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) vacancy rates and (b) full role calculations for (i) radiographer and (ii) consultant radiologist posts are in each hospital trust.

(5498)

231
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the likely effect the standardisation of orthopaedic prosthesis will have on (a) the quality of life of affected patients in the West Hertfordshire Hospital and (b) patient choice; and if she will make a statement.

(5101)

232
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the effect that the change in funding for genito-urinary medicine by the West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust will have on sexual health provision in St Albans.

(5102)

233
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5117)

234
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assistance the Government provides for (a) those with senile dementia and (b) their families.

(5391)

235
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for accident and emergency cases in hospitals was in each year since 1990.

(5392)

236
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to ensure (a) doctors and (b) dentists are not intoxicated whilst at work; and what procedure is followed if a doctor or dentist is found to be intoxicated whilst on duty.

(5399)

237
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Government has spent on improving technology in hospitals since 1997.

(5407)

238
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons her Department did not fly the Union flag from its headquarters for the Queen's Official Birthday.

(5408)

239
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the number of people who fell ill as a result of second hand smoke in (a) Huddersfield, (b) the West Yorkshire Primary Care Trust area and (c) England in the last period for which figures are available; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the NHS in each of these areas of treating people with diseases caused by second hand smoke in that period.

(5638)

240
N Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much money has been allocated to each of the health trusts serving Oxfordshire for 2005-06; and what the amount was in each of the previous five years.

(4571)

241
N Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what reports she has received of financial difficulties facing health trusts in Oxfordshire; and if she will make a statement.

(4572)

242
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the estimated expenditure by (a) Regional Tobacco Policy Managers and (b) their regional offices is in 2005-06.

(5610)

243
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for digital hearing aids is in (a) Devon and (b) England.

(4779)

244
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Secretary of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes on the Food Standards Agency will reply to the letter (a) from the honourable Member for Totnes dated 17th March and (b) from the Director of Genetic Food Alert dated 6th December 2004; and if she will make a statement on the reasons for the time to respond.

(4780)

245
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were placed in drug rehabilitation programmes in each London borough since June 2004.

(5271)

246
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average cost of dental treatment was for (a) adults and (b) children in each London health authority in each year since 1997.

(5280)

247
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many eye-tests were conducted in each London health authority in each year since 1997; and how many of them were free to the user.

(5281)

248
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the average income of NHS dentists in London in each year since 1997.

(5358)

249
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with malaria in each London health authority in each of the last three years.

(5456)

250
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans she has to review charges for necessary travel inoculations.

(5385)

251
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will make funding available for the employment of a specialist allergy consultant at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

(5386)

252
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Health Select Committee in November 2004 that 40 new allergy specialists should be trained in the National Health Service.

(5387)

253
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being made to increase the availability of (a) B negative, (b) AB positive and (c) AB negative blood groups in the National Blood Service blood banks.

(5388)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

254
Mr Richard Bacon (South Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the powers of the police in relation to illegal raves on private land.

(5136)

255
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) women and (b) men have been recorded as victims of domestic violence in each of the last five years, broken down by age.

(5618)

256
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans there are to ensure that magistrates in Crown Courts are fully resourced in terms of experienced probation officers in (a) the 2005-06 financial year and (b) future financial years.

(5640)

257
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the recruitment strategy is for the Probation Service in London and the South East for the next financial year.

(5641)

258
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance has been given to the National Probation Service regarding the level of qualification of staff necessary to produce (a) pre-sentence, (b) short format and (c) fast delivery reports.

(5642)

259
Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value is of the funds so far recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 as a result of the actions of law enforcement agencies in Hampshire.

(5637)

260
N Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will hold an enquiry into the leak of the study proposing that nursery staff should identify children aged three and four who bully other children as being at risk of growing up criminals; and for what reason he will not publish the leaked study referred to on page 20 of The Times on Monday 13th June.

(5035)

261
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many policemen have been hospitalised following assaults whilst on active duty in each of the last five years.

(5226)

262
N John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions have occurred under sections (a) 18, (b) 19, (c) 20, (d) 21 and (e) 23 of the Public Order Act 1986 in each year since 2000; and how many convictions resulted, broken down by subsection under which each occurred.

(4987)

263
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of crime and disorder partnerships; and if he will make a statement.

(4787)

264
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of provision for young offenders; and if he will make a statement.

(4788)

265
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the multi-agency public protection panel arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

(4789)

266
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offenders who are the subject of multi-agency public protection panel arrangements have been reconvicted since 2001; and what the principal offences concerned were.

(4790)

267
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the National Probation Directorate is taking to improve the retention of probation staff in probation areas in England and Wales.

(4791)

268
N Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many custodial sentences have been imposed on defendants convicted under section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 in each of the last five years.

(4781)

269
N Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions under section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 have taken place in each of the last five years; and what proportion of defendants convicted under this section were given custodial sentences.

(4782)

270
N Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions under section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 have taken place in each of the last five years.

(4784)

271
N Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers magistrates have to ban defendants from entering licensed premises.

(4785)

272
Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in each of the last four years for which figures are available; and what proportion were issued to persons under 18 years.

(5156)

273
Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes involving the firing of (a) an air pistol and (b) an air rifle were recorded in each of the last five years.

(5157)

274
Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions have taken place against persons who have sold an air weapon to a person under 17 years in each of the last five years.

(5158)

275
Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people (a) over 18 years and (b) under 18 years were prosecuted for offences under section (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3, (iv) 4, (v) 4(a) and (vi) 5.5 of the Public Order Act 1986 in each of the last three years; and how many were convicted in each case.

(5159)

276
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many violent crimes there were in Hemel Hempstead constituency for each year since 1997.

(5323)

277
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department will make of the Hemel Hempstead Shopwatch scheme as a model for implementation in other parts of the country.

(5371)

278
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Retail Crime Initiative in Hemel Hempstead; how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions have resulted from the Initiative; and what budget has been provided.

(5372)

279
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of shoplifters brought to police attention were (a) taken into custody, (b) charged, (c) prosecuted and (d) convicted in each year from 1997 to 2004.

(5373)

280
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the level of efficiency savings his Department has required Hertfordshire constabulary to find in each year since 1997.

(5374)

281
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the guidance sent by his Department to Hertfordshire police officers since June 2004; what the cost of providing the guidance was; and what the total number of pages was.

(5375)

282
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the (a) number and (b) application of anti-social behaviour orders in Hemel Hempstead constituency.

(5376)

283
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on funding to facilitate the establishment of an anti-corruption policy for Hertfordshire Constabulary.

(5411)

284
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5118)

285
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration cases that were suspended following the Sutton Report have not yet been processed.

(5135)

286
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent on provision for asylum seekers in each local authority since 1995.

(5403)

287
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures are followed when an illegal asylum seeker is detected inside UK borders.

(5404)

288
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average cost to public funds, including National Insurance contributions and pension contributions, of employing a (a) community warden or neighbourhood warden, (b) police community support officer and (c) police constable in England is expected to be in 2005-06.

(5609)

289
N Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Minister of State will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for West Worcestershire of 26th May.

(4792)

290
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were convicted of cruelty towards animals in London in each year since 1997.

(5264)

291
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued to people aged under (a) 10 years, (b) 11 years, (c) 12 years, (d) 13 years, (e) 14 years, (f) 15 years, (g) 16 years, (h) 17 years and (i) 18 years in each London borough since 1999.

(5265)

292
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were charged with possession of (a) Class A, (b) Class B and (c) Class C drugs in each London borough in each of the last five years.

(5272)

293
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were convicted of credit card fraud in each London borough in each of the last five years.

(5282)

294
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders were issued to (a) girls and (b) boys under 16 years in each London borough in each year since 1999.

(5315)

295
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to reform the Computer Misuse Act 1990; and if he will make a statement.

(5041)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

296
Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 13th June, Official Report, columns 2-3W, on Africa, if he will rank African countries according to the measure of relative poverty in his Department's financial model.

(5147)

297
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5116)

298
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much of the Government's aid for victims of the Asian tsunami (a) has been spent and (b) remains held in reserve.

(5206)

299
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, on what UK Government aid for victims of the Asian tsunami has been spent; and through which agencies.

(5207)

300
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how projects working with victims of the Asian tsunami may apply for funding from the aid allocated by the UK Government.

(5208)

301
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the projects on which UK Government aid for the Asian tsunami has been spent.

(5209)

302
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much aid the Government has given to Algeria since 1992.

(5406)

303
Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what involvement his Department will have in the Groundwater and Poverty Reduction in Africa Conference being held at Burlington House on 29th June.

(5186)

304
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the remit of the Everything but Arms agreement is; and what assessment has been made of its effectiveness.

(5621)

Questions to the Leader of the House

305
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Leader of the House, how many officials currently in his Office received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5115)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

306
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the administration cost of each of the health trusts in Northern Ireland was in the 2004-05 financial year.

(5503)

307
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost to the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland, excluding legal costs, was in connection with the case pursued by the Department on the demolition of listed buildings at the Diamond in Portstewart during August 2003.

(5504)

308
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many libraries he expects will be operational in Northern Ireland in 2006.

(5505)

309
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was spent on the purchase of new books for libraries in each education board area in each of the last five years.

(5506)

310
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he expects hearings arising from responses to the draft recommendations for parliamentary election boundaries in Northern Ireland to take place.

(5507)

311
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what research his Department has carried out into the levels of child poverty in North Belfast; and if he will make a statement.

(5345)

312
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made on the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy in North Belfast.

(5346)

313
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much has been spent on (a) new build housing, (b) urban renewal areas and (c) renovation and repair in the social housing sector in North Belfast in each year since 2001.

(5347)

314
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what measures he is taking to place the funding of voluntary and community groups and organisations on a more long-term and sustainable basis.

(5348)

315
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what public sector funding has been allocated to promote (a) Ulster Scots and (b) Irish Gaelic (i) language, (ii) culture and (iii) heritage in each year since 2001.

(5349)

316
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much has been allocated under each of the executive programme funds in each year since their creation; and on what projects and programmes.

(5431)

317
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the criteria are for determining eligibility for interface funding for schools in North Belfast.

(5432)

318
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much investment in new school building in Northern Ireland there has been in each year since 1997.

(5433)

319
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when education action zones will be set up in Northern Ireland; and in which areas.

(5434)

320
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding will be available in education action zones in Northern Ireland; and from which sources.

(5435)

321
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on cross-border rail connections with the Republic of Ireland.

(5221)

322
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to expand community hospital provision in Northern Ireland; and how much funding was provided to each community hospital in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years.

(5499)

323
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people have been prosecuted for driving without (a) tax and (b) insurance in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years.

(5500)

324
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent steps he has taken to extend NHS Direct to Northern Ireland.

(5501)

325
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many NHS dentists there were in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; and what steps he is taking to increase the numbers of dentists in Northern Ireland.

(5502)

326
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many incidents of violence were recorded against NHS staff in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available; and how many people were prosecuted as a result.

(5510)

327
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress is being made in re-recruiting former nurses to the NHS in Northern Ireland.

(5511)

328
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many small businesses given start-up funding by his Department in each of the past five years have since ceased operation.

(5512)

329
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much has been spent by his Department in promoting London's 2012 Olympic bid in Northern Ireland.

(5513)

330
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding has been earmarked by his Department for Northern Ireland's participation in hosting the Olympic Games in 2012 should London's bid be successful.

(5514)

331
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport about the role Northern Ireland would play should the London bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012 be successful.

(5515)

332
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of how Northern Ireland may benefit should the London bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012 be successful.

(5516)

333
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland have access to the internet.

(5517)

334
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment he has made of the compliance of public services in Northern Ireland with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

(5518)

335
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much it has cost to operate the Parades Commission in each year since its formation.

(5519)

336
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to dispose of public land (a) on the Stormont Estate in Belfast and (b) elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

(5520)

337
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people he expects to benefit from his recent announcement of low interest loans for young farmers in Northern Ireland.

(5521)

338
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost of the operation of the office of the Police Oversight Commissioner has been in each year since its formation.

(5522)

339
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will earmark specific funding for the delivery of English as an Additional Language service.

(5523)

340
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of output-related payments to labour market intermediaries on the delivery of services to (a) ethnic minorities and (b) migrant workers from the EU Accession countries; and what plans he has to review the system.

(5524)

341
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what regulation his Department carries out of (a) charging levels and (b) practices relating to the delivery of services in public libraries in Northern Ireland.

(5525)

342
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Public Prosecution Service is taking to develop a protocol with (a) child protection agencies, (b) voluntary treatment providers and (c) the police regarding young people in treatment programmes following the commission of sexual offences; and if he will make a statement.

(5526)

343
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to review the public private partnership arrangement between the Department of Education and Amy Plc. for the delivery of some library services.

(5527)

344
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many new road building projects in Northern Ireland are scheduled for the next five years; and what the anticipated cost of the construction is.

(5528)

345
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to allocate funding for the expansion of out-of-schools provision in Northern Ireland.

(5529)

346
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5113)

347
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to extend provision of NHS Direct to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(5324)

348
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many residents in (a) Newtownards, (b) Comber, (c) Dundonald, (d) Carryduff and (e) Killyleagh were in receipt of (i) incapacity benefit and (ii) industrial injury benefits in each of the last three years.

(5325)

349
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many prosecutions there were in the Province for the illegal use of ball-bearing guns in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(5326)

350
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many children are defined as having behavioural problems in the South East Education and Library Board area; and if he will make a statement.

(5327)

351
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and (b) NHS personnel in the Province have been employed on processing requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 since 1st January.

(5329)

352
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of (a) males and (b) females in the Province are assessed as (i) obese and (ii) overweight.

(5330)

353
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the complaints procedure is for those in (a) private care homes and (b) NHS facilities in the Province.

(5331)

354
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on progress on the regional cancer centre becoming fully operational.

(5332)

355
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding has been provided for addiction (a) treatment and (b) rehabilitation in the Province in each of the last 10 years.

(5333)

356
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to introduce walk-in health centres in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(5335)

357
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many school children in each education and library board area receive free school meals.

(5339)

358
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average time between death and inquest in the jurisdiction of the Belfast Coroner was in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(5340)

359
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on progress in securing staff to work in the Province's new regional cancer centre.

(5341)

360
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether British passport holders who are not registered with a general practitioner are able to access services at hospitals in the Province.

(5342)

361
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for assessment for occupational therapy is in each hospital trust in the Province.

(5343)

362
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patients are awaiting assessment for occupational therapy in each health trust area in the Province.

(5344)

363
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of patients experienced waits of longer than (a) two and (b) four hours in each accident and emergency department in the Province in each of the last five years.

(5350)

364
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost of providing a digital hearing aid on the NHS in the Province is, broken down by (a) assessment, (b) fitting, (c) follow-up and (d) purchase of the aid.

(5351)

365
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many cases of food poisoning there have been in the Province in each of the last five years.

(5352)

366
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many individuals in the Province suffer from each of the forms of porphyria.

(5353)

367
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of households in the Province he estimates have had access to the Internet in each of the last 10 years.

(5354)

368
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans there are to increase the number of audiologists in the Province.

(5355)

369
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) was paid by Castlereagh Borough Council for Creagh Youth Centre; and whether the SEELB has claimed the whole sum due to it from Castlereagh Borough Council.

(5636)

370
Sammy Wilson (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many free (a) nursery and (b) pre-school places were available for (i) three and (ii) four-year-olds in the Province in each of the last five years.

(5304)

371
Sammy Wilson (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the level of education budget on adult education provision.

(5305)

372
Sammy Wilson (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many pupils were excluded from schools in the Province in each of the last 10 years; and what the reasons were.

(5306)

373
Sammy Wilson (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the primary causes of need of children in the Province with special education needs are.

(5307)

374
Sammy Wilson (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many reported incidents of illegal drug use (a) in and (b) outside schools in the Province there were in each of the last 10 years.

(5308)

375
Sammy Wilson (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many cases of illegal drugs possession by school pupils on school premises occurred in each of the Province's education board areas in each of the last five years.

(5309)

376
Sammy Wilson (East Antrim):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many needle stick injuries resulting from discarded needles on school premises have occurred in the Province in each of the last 10 years.

(5310)

Questions to the Prime Minister

377
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the level of looting of Iraqi heritage sites; and if he will raise the issue of the protection of these sites with (a) the Italian Prime Minister, (b) EU leaders and (c) G8 leaders when they next meet.

(5316)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

378
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5130)

Questions to the Solicitor General

379
N David Howarth (Cambridge):To ask the Solicitor General, what criteria the Law Officers apply in deciding whether to enter a plea of nolle prosequi in the case of a Minister of the Crown prosecuted for a criminal offence.

(4910)

380
N Mr David Kidney (Stafford):To ask the Solicitor General, what the success rate of prosecutors in securing orders in criminal cases under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 has been since their introduction.

(4736)

381
Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Solicitor General, what Government policy is on prosecutions for domestic violence; and what guidelines have been issued to prosecutors on the subject.

(5287)

382
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Solicitor General, how many officials currently in the offices of the Law Officers received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5114)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

383
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make a statement on the operation of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 in relation to the building and extension of nuclear generation power stations in Scotland.

(5108)

384
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the additional costs, in p/kWh, which would be added to the price of electricity generated by nuclear power were full liability insurance to be required in respect of such generation.

(5195)

385
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the cost of electricity generated by nuclear power, in p/kWh, attributable to the costs of decommissioning liabilities.

(5293)

386
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the cost of installing carbon capture technology in the UK's coal-fired power stations.

(5126)

387
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans he has to assess carbon capture technology for the UK's coal-fired power stations.

(5127)

388
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee on the underwriting of the cost of carbon capture technology being fitted to coal-fired power stations in the UK.

(5178)

389
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make a statement on the reintroduction of mail trains; and on which routes they have been reintroduced.

(5155)

390
N John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which claims handlers have sold miners' compensation claims to solicitors; and what action he is planning to take on this issue.

(4859)

391
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5112)

392
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, for how long Royal Mail is obliged to keep records of recorded deliveries despatched to residential customers.

(5179)

393
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what research he has commissioned into the viability of using methane gas to generate electricity.

(5412)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

394
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he last met (a) the Strategic Rail Authority and (b) the British Airports Authority to discuss the future of the Gatwick Express; and if he will make a statement.

(5036)

395
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of (a) the current level and (b) the future level of noise pollution emanating from the A21 between Flimwell and Robertsbridge.

(5198)

396
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of speed limits on the A21 between Flimwell and Robertsbridge on managing traffic flow.

(5199)

397
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce funding for upgrading of the A21 between Flimwell and Robertsbridge.

(5200)

398
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to carry out further consultation into the proposed improvement of the A21 between Flimwell and Robertsbridge.

(5201)

399
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of traffic flows on the single carriageway section of the A21 between Flimwell and Robertsbridge.

(5202)

400
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many crimes have been committed at stations that meet Secure Station status since 31st October 2004.

(5137)

401
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many stations with Secure Station status have had their designation removed since 1st December 2004; and which stations have been designated under the scheme since that date.

(5138)

402
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many speed cameras have operated since 6th December 2004, broken down by (a) partnership, (b) class of road and (c) between (i) fixed and (ii) mobile cameras.

(5184)

403
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) total value and (b) percentage of total expected revenue of vehicle excise duty evasion is estimated to have been in each year since 1997-98.

(5185)

404
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will announce details of the operation and size of the Transport Innovation Fund.

(5187)

405
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been allocated in each financial year for which allocations have been made to the Transport Innovation Fund (a) in total and (b) to local authorities for transport projects.

(5188)

406
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the allocations which will be made from the Transport Innovation Fund to local authorities for transport projects in years for which allocations have not yet been finalised.

(5257)

407
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance he has issued to the aviation industry on the application to it of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement.

(5288)

408
Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much surplus revenue was raised from the Statutory Off-Road Notification vehicle licensing scheme over and above the costs of administering the scheme in 2004-05.

(5276)

409
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents involving (a) injuries and (b) loss of life (i) have taken place in each year since the installation of speed cameras and (ii) took place in the year before the installation of speed cameras at the site of each fixed speed camera in the Stroud constituency.

(5190)

410
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 9th June, Official Report, column 617W, on speed cameras, for what reasons some safety camera partnerships were not included in the Answer; and if he will provide the relevant information.

(5191)

411
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has carried out into accidents caused by elderly drivers suffering from medical conditions which rendered them unfit to drive.

(5192)

412
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on trials of alternative forms of motorisation for rail transport.

(5218)

413
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) specialist locomotives and (b) other items of rolling stock are in use to facilitate the maintenance of the railways; and what change there has been in the numbers of each in each of the last 10 years.

(5219)

414
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on Government funding for the (a) Euston rail development and (b) extension of the Eurostar route.

(5220)

415
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total length of rail track in the UK is; and what it was in 1997.

(5222)

416
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his latest estimate is of the number of passengers standing on train journeys; and what targets have been set on standing in trains.

(5223)

417
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his latest estimate of rail use is in terms of (a) passenger miles and (b) tonnage of freight; and what the levels were for 1997.

(5224)

418
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list rail viaducts in use which have exceeded their original planned end-of-life date.

(5225)

419
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of railway track have been replaced in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(5230)

420
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the transport by rail of nuclear waste.

(5290)

421
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on rolling stock levels (a) at the latest date for which figures are available and (b) in 1994.

(5655)

422
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Scottish business community on proposals for road pricing.

(5131)

423
N Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many safety cameras are operated by each safety camera partnership in England, broken down by (a) fixed cameras and (b) mobile cameras.

(4915)

424
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has for the Borough Market site if the deficiencies identified by the Public Inquiry Inspector, in respect of the proposed Thameslink route, cannot be remedied.

(5098)

425
Dr John Pugh (Southport):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on road pricing.

(5153)

426
Mr Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Green and Yellow badge licensed taxi drivers there have been in London in each year since 1975.

(5378)

427
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures Crossrail is taking to compensate for loss of facility (a) on Westlands Playing Field and (b) at St Edward's School due to construction works.

(5415)

428
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the latest estimate is of the cost of construction of the Crossrail project, including the Romford maintenance depot and related works on the North-eastern branch.

(5421)

429
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the likely cost of construction of the Crossrail project, including maintenance depot and related works, on the North-eastern route, if the depot were to be built at site (a) GE1, Cowbridge Grange Farm, (b) GE2, Little Cowbridge Grange, (c) GE7, Arnold's Wood, (d) GE9, Brentwood Allotments, (e) GE10, Brentwood A12 Hotel site and (f) GE12, Harold Court.

(5422)

430
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate has been made of the incremental (a) net present value and (b) cost-benefit ratio to Crossrail for (i) Whitechapel station and (ii) the Shenfield branch line to Liverpool Street.

(5424)

431
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment Network Rail has made of Crossrail plans for (a) operations over the Great Eastern Main Line and (b) increased services from Stansted and Hertford East into London.

(5425)

432
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether provision has been made for extension of the Crossrail system beyond the routes included in the current Bill.

(5426)

433
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost is for the construction of the Crossrail maintenance depot and related works in Romford.

(5427)

434
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Crossrail trains are expected to travel from (a) Abbey Wood to Heathrow and (b) Shenfield to Heathrow without the need for passenger transfer.

(5428)

435
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether capacity offered by Crossrail on the Shenfield branch will meet the change in demand expected as a result of plans for homebuilding in the South-East.

(5429)

436
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that Green Belt land is preserved in relation to the building of Crossrail facilities in Romford.

(5430)

437
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he expects that the (a) London congestion charging scheme and (b) Durham congestion charging scheme would continue if universal road pricing were introduced; and if he will make a statement.

(5566)

438
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of the cost to local authorities of the Government's plans to introduce free bus travel for pensioners and the disabled; and if he will publish a regulatory impact assessment.

(5567)

439
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost is of the Government's plans to introduce free bus travel for pensioners and the disabled in each year for which such an estimate has been made.

(5568)

440
N Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge & Malling):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the study into the provision of lighting at the convergence of the M26 and M20 at Junction 3 has commenced; when it is expected to be completed; and what its anticipated cost is.

(4569)

441
N Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge & Malling):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents there have been at the convergence of the M26 and M20 at Junction 3 in each of the last 10 years, broken down by degree of seriousness of personal injury sustained.

(4570)

442
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road accidents involving buses there were in each year since 1997.

(5279)

443
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) collisions and (b) near-misses of aircraft above London there were in each of the last five years.

(5312)

444
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many flights there were (a) from and (b) to (i) Gatwick, (ii) Heathrow, (iii) Stansted and (iv) London City airport in each of the last five years.

(5313)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

445
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5110)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

446
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has for the reform of home responsibilities protection.

(5646)

447
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what level of basic state pension a woman is entitled to if she has national insurance contributions or credits for up to 24 per cent. of the 39 years required for her to accumulate a full basic state pension.

(5647)

448
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what level of basic state pension a person must have before a full state second pension added onto it will bring them outside eligibility for current pension credit.

(5648)

449
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the position is with regard to national insurance contributions towards a basic state pension of a person who earns less than the lower earnings limit in part-time work throughout her career whilst caring for children.

(5649)

450
Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the position is with regard to national insurance contributions or credits towards a basic state pension of a person who cares for another for less than 35 hours a week and does a job earning less than the lower earnings limit.

(5650)

451
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what research his Department has undertaken to assess the reasons for the difference between the number of people claiming carer's allowance and the number of people who are entitled to claim.

(5616)

452
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people his Department estimate have an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance but are ineligible due to (a) overlapping benefit rules and (b) earnings above the limit.

(5617)

453
N David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when Stephen Brice, reference 1040238581, will have his payments to the Child Support Agency calculated under the new system.

(4783)

454
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will instigate an inquiry into the collapse of the British United Shoe Machinery Limited's pension scheme.

(5151)

455
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount of rent arrears of housing benefit recipients was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

(5437)

456
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many housing benefit recipients have been evicted for rent arrears in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

(5438)

457
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures are in place to ensure that those on housing benefit are not discouraged from returning to work.

(5439)

458
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the single housing benefit form HBRR1 is (a) included in all rapid claim packs and (b) applicable in every local authority.

(5440)

459
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have used the rapid claims procedure for housing benefit in each year since its introduction, broken down by region.

(5441)

460
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether IT systems used to administer housing benefit by local authority departments, local Jobcentre Plus offices and his Department are able to communicate with each other directly; and if he will make a statement.

(5443)

461
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of new housing benefit recipients in each year since 1997 had to (a) fill in more than one form and (b) attend more than one office in order successfully to complete their claim, broken down by region.

(5444)

462
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of households which accumulated rent arrears as a result of the time taken to process housing benefit claims in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

(5446)

463
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what percentage of housing benefit claims a rent officer determination was involved in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by local authority area.

(5447)

464
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount of overpayments of housing benefit was in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

(5452)

465
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints in respect of housing benefit were reported to the Local Government Ombudsman in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

(5453)

466
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many housing benefit claims were outstanding on average in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

(5454)

467
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many local authorities have transferred administration of housing benefit to another provider due to persistent failure to meet required standards in each of the last five years.

(5455)

468
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken to process a housing benefit claim in the (a) private sector and (b) registered social landlord sector was in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by region.

(5457)

469
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable claimants in the housing benefit pathfinders; and if he will make a statement.

(5460)

470
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of benefit claimants who have (a) lost and (b) gained as a result of the introduction of the local housing allowance, broken down by Pathfinder area; and how much on average such claimants have (i) lost and (ii) gained, broken down by Pathfinder area.

(5461)

471
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the likely effects on costs of the introduction of the local housing allowance across England; and if he will make a statement.

(5462)

472
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of local housing allowances on disincentives to work.

(5463)

473
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the estimated cost of extending the local housing allowance scheme across England is, broken down by (a) benefit payments and (b) IT expenditure.

(5464)

474
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken to process a housing benefit claim was when a rent officer determination (a) was involved and (b) was not involved in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by local authority area.

(5466)

475
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of whether private sector landlords in the housing benefit pathfinders have reduced the rents which they charge in order (a) to secure more tenants and (b) to keep existing tenants; and if he will make a statement.

(5467)

476
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what percentage of those living in the private rented sector and receiving housing benefit directly have built up arrears in rental payments in the pathfinder areas.

(5468)

477
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what percentage of housing benefit payments have been made direct to landlords in each of the nine pathfinder areas.

(5469)

478
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which software systems are used in the housing benefit pathfinders to administer housing benefit.

(5470)

479
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of housing benefit claimants rent from the private sector in each of the housing benefit pathfinder areas.

(5471)

480
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact the introduction of the local housing allowances in the housing benefit pathfinders has had on the average length of time taken to process new claims.

(5472)

481
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what effect the introduction of local housing allowances has had on the level of fraud in relation to housing benefit in the pathfinder areas; and if he will make a statement.

(5473)

482
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how often housing benefit claimants are required to renew their claims (a) in the pathfinder areas and (b) in other areas, broken down by region.

(5474)

483
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many housing benefit recipients in the pathfinder areas have built up rent arrears of eight weeks or more following the introduction of direct payment; in which pathfinder areas they are located; and what the total amount of arrears is in each pathfinder since the introduction of the local housing allowance.

(5475)

484
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of (a) local housing allowance and (b) direct payments in the housing benefit pathfinder areas on private sector landlords' participation in the market; and if he will make a statement.

(5476)

485
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria were used to set the broad rental market areas in the housing benefit pathfinders; how often they will be reviewed; and how they will be monitored.

(5477)

486
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average standard housing allowances are in each of the housing benefit pathfinder areas, broken down by household type.

(5478)

487
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of whether people moved to housing benefit pathfinder areas to take advantage of local housing allowances; and if he will make a statement.

(5479)

488
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will break down the housing benefit caseload by (a) (i) elderly, (ii) unemployed, (iii) disabled and (iv) single parent client group, (b) age and (c) region in each year since 1997.

(5480)

489
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of housing benefit had been claiming for (a) less than a year and (b) more than five years in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

(5481)

490
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average duration of claim for recipients of housing benefit was in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

(5482)

491
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what percentage of new housing benefit claims were successful in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

(5483)

492
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new housing benefit claims were made in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) basis of claim and (b) region.

(5484)

493
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of how up-to-date the information used by rent officers to set (a) standard housing allowances in the pathfinders and (b) the local reference rents or single room rents elsewhere is.

(5485)

494
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost of administering the appeals system for housing benefit was in each year since 1997.

(5486)

495
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the level of (a) fraud and (b) error in housing benefit payments was as a percentage of housing benefit expenditure in each year since 1997; and what sums were involved in each case in each year, broken down by (i) region and (ii) local authority area.

(5487)

496
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many prosecutions for housing benefit fraud were undertaken by each local authority in each year since 1997; how many were successful; and how many people were imprisoned as a result.

(5488)

497
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many landlords renting accommodation to housing benefit recipients were prosecuted for breaching environmental standards in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

(5489)

498
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) initial and (b) projected cost of setting up the local housing allowance scheme in the nine pathfinder areas is, broken down by (i) benefit payments and (ii) IT expenditure.

(5490)

499
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what performance standards for local authority administration of housing benefit have been introduced since 1997; and how many local authorities have met these performance targets since they were introduced.

(5491)

500
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost of administering housing benefit was in each year since 1997.

(5492)

501
Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many appeals have been made against housing benefit decisions in each year since 1997; and in what proportion of cases the appeal was decided in favour of the appellant.

(5493)

502
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has for further changes to the single room rent restriction.

(5630)

503
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many housing benefit recipients were subject to the single room rent restriction on 1st April.

(5631)

504
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his most recent estimate is of the effect on the level of average housing benefit of the single room rent restriction.

(5632)

505
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the conclusions of the research on the single room rent restriction.

(5633)

506
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research into the single room rent restriction.

(5634)

507
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what level of accuracy the Child Support Agency's checking teams have been assessed to have achieved on each separate occasion when they have been assessed; and what level of accuracy was achieved by the Agency's front end staff.

(5635)

508
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how often checks have been made on the accuracy of the Child Support Agency's checking teams.

(5656)

509
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) the UK and (b) St Albans are still waiting to be moved to assessment under the new Child Support Agency regulations; and what assessment he has made of the time taken for the transition to be completed.

(5099)

510
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average level of overpayment has been by parents in St Albans who are being assessed under the old Child Support Agency regulations whose cases have not yet been re-evaluated under the new regulations; and if he will make a statement.

(5100)

511
N Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact on benefit claimants in (a) Amber Valley and (b) Derbyshire of the decision to close the medical examination centres in Derbyshire; and if he will make a statement.

(4818)

512
N Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what requirements were placed by his Department on Atos Origin for determining the provision of medical examination centres for claimants of (a) incapacity benefit and (b) industrial injuries benefit; and if he will make a statement.

(4819)

513
N Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Amber Valley residents claiming (a) incapacity benefit and (b) industrial injuries benefit travelled to medical examination centres in (i) Derby, (ii) Chesterfield, (iii) Mansfield and (iv) Nottingham in each of the last five years.

(4820)

514
N Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many residents in (a) Amber Valley and (b) Derbyshire are in receipt of (i) incapacity benefit and (ii) industrial injury benefit.

(4821)

515
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

(5111)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

516
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects the lorry road user charging scheme to become operational in the UK.

[Transferred] (5180)

517
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions have taken place between his Department and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs about lorry road user charging; and what the outcome was of those discussions.

[Transferred] (5181)

518
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the progress of the lorry road user charging scheme; and what the timetable is for the implementation of the scheme.

[Transferred] (5256)

519
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the level of uptake by parents and carers in Strangford constituency of the Child Trust Fund has been since its introduction; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (5328)

520
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued to assessors by the Valuation Office Agency for valuing residential properties in the council tax revaluation.

[Transferred] (5576)

521
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what make of computer-assisted mass appraisal the Valuation Office Agency will use during the council tax revaluation in England.

[Transferred] (5578)

522
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to introduce a planning gain supplement.

[Transferred] (5580)

Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs

523
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the expected change is in full-time equivalent staff resulting from merging the electoral law divisions in the Department for Constitutional Affairs and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

[Transferred] (5571)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

524
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which areas of Northern Ireland are unable to receive Freeview.

[Transferred] (5508)

525
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what provision there is in the BBC Charter for Ulster Scots programmes in Northern Ireland.

[Transferred] (5509)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

526
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the Valuation Office Agency's most recent estimate is of the number of (a) empty homes and (b) second homes in England.

[Transferred] (5570)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

527
N Mike Gapes (Ilford South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment she has made of literacy standards in primary schools.

[Question Unstarred] (4747)

528
N Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans she has for improvements to secondary education in Newark.

[Question Unstarred] (4754)

529
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps the Government is taking to tackle teenage pregnancies.

[Transferred] (5395)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

530
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was collected in fines from people fishing without a licence in London in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (5259)

531
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fishing licences have been issued in London in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (5278)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

532
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which heads of Government have accepted invitations to attend UK commemorative events for the anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

[Transferred] (5357)

533
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the (a) financial, (b) technical and (c) manpower support offered by the Government to the Iraqi archaeological services in the Multi-National Division South East area of operations since Operation TELIC I; and what further measures are planned.

[Transferred] (5359)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

534
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations she has made to the EU Commission on its recent proposals on GM foods.

[Transferred] (5189)

535
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drug rehabilitation places are available for residents of Hemel Hempstead constituency.

[Transferred] (5255)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

536
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were prosecuted for having an un-taxed vehicle in London in each of the last five years.

[Transferred] (5450)

537
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been prosecuted for driving (a) without a licence, (b) without insurance and (c) without an MOT in each London borough in each of the last five years.

[Transferred] (5451)

Questions to the Prime Minister

538
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the Government's response in Reform of the Honours System (Cm 6479) to Recommendation 10 of the Report by the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee (HC 212-1).

[Transferred] (5565)

539
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Prime Minister, whether it will be the responsibility of the House of Lords Appointments Commission to vet all nominations for honours, including those nominated by (a) the Prime Minister and (b) political parties, to ensure the highest standards of propriety.

[Transferred] (5624)

540
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Prime Minister, who, following the abolition of the Political Honours Scrutiny Committee, in the case of candidates put forward personally by the Prime Minister for honours, will review independently the tax status, business connections and other personal interests of those candidates, their families and friends in order to ensure the highest standard of propriety; and from what date their vetting work will begin.

[Transferred] (5626)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

541
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much money was raised by the Exchequer in auctioning 3G mobile phone mast licences.

[Transferred] (5569)

542
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the estimated number of people per 1,000 population is that (a) own a home computer, (b) have access to the internet via normal telephone line and (c) have access to the internet via broadband in each London borough.

[Transferred] (5148)

543
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people were prosecuted for operating pirate radio stations in each London borough in each of the last five years.

[Transferred] (5314)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

544
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in what circumstances those who are not old enough to possess a driving licence may have imposed on them penalty points for driving offences.

[Transferred] (5337)

© Parliamentary copyright 2005
Revised 16 June 2005