|
Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 19 October 2005
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 19 October 2005
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 19 October 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 Wednesday 19 October of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Wednesday 19 October see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 1
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from his Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. | | (20134) | 2
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish advice from. | | (20135) | 3
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; which (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20136) | 4
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20137) | 5
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is for the value of tax credit overpayments written off in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06 to date, broken down by those resulting from (i) software error and (ii) clerical error. | | (19745) | 6
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is of the number of tax credit overpayments in 2004-05; what their total value is; and if he will make a statement. | | (19746) | 7
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have (a) complained about and (b) appealed against tax credit over payments for 2003-04. | | (19747) | 8
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is of the value of tax credit overpayments which have been written off by HM Customs and Revenue in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06 to date; and if he will make a statement. | | (19748) | 9
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in the City of Edinburgh local authority area are in receipt of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit. | | (19749) | 10
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the National Audit Office Report on the Accounts of the Inland Revenue 2004-05, with particular reference to the potential for tax credit overpayments in 2004-05. | | (19750) | 11
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects the analysis of the household survey data for 2003-04 to provide an estimate of families eligible for, but not claiming, child tax credits will be concluded. | | (19755) | 12
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with members of Equitable Life's Board of Directors regarding the failure of that company's recent legal action against its auditor, Ernst & Young. | | (19629) | 13
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration concerning his ongoing inquiry into Equitable Life; and whether he has given him an indication of when the findings of the inquiry will be published. | | (19633) | 14
N | Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Revenue and Customs claims for the repayment of child tax credit are outstanding; what the total value of such claims is; whether he plans to change the system by which child tax credit payments are (a) assessed and (b) made; and if he will make a statement. | | (19227) | 15
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many prosecutions for the attempted importation of illegally logged timber into the UK have taken place in each of the last three years; and what penalties were imposed in each case in which all proceedings have been completed. | | (19982) | 16
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many incidents of the attempted importation of illegally felled timber into the UK there have been in each of the last three years; what types of timber were involved; how much timber was involved in each case; and what the countries of origin of the timber concerned was in each case. | | (19983) | 17
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps are being taken to improve the operation of the tax credit system. | | (20002) | 18
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in Kent have benefited financially from the tax credit system in 2005. | | (20003) | 19
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many deaths have been caused in Gravesham by illegal drugs since 1997. | | (20037) | 20
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when (a) he and (b) his officials last met the Financial Services Authority to discuss compensation for those who were mis-sold endowment policies. | | (20039) | 21
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the advice the Financial Services Authority offers those wanting to pursue a claim for the mis-selling of endowment mortgages. | | (20040) | 22
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the way compensation for the mis-selling of endowment mortgages is calculated. | | (20041) | 23
N | Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Child Trust Fund Vouchers had been issued up to 30th September; how many of these have been cashed; and if he will make a statement. | | (19539) | 24
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the honourable Member for Eastleigh of 13th October, Official Report, column 417, on self-invested pension plans, if he will make a statement on what would constitute abuse of the new rules. | | (19717) | 25
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what happens to the (a) level of an award and (b) rate of recovery when a tax credit overpayment is disputed; what will happen when the interim IT solution is introduced to suspend an overpayment; and if he will make a statement. | | (19718) | 26
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what streamlined procedures were introduced earlier in 2005 to deal with disputed overpayments of tax credits. | | (19719) | 27
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will commission research into the impact of recovery in-year of overpaid tax credits. | | (19720) | 28
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement about the introduction of interim assessments for tax credits. | | (19721) | 29
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the IT contract for the new tax credits has been agreed on a fixed negotiated price basis. | | (19722) | 30
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average time taken to respond to correspondence about tax credit claims was in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05; and what that time has been in 2005-06. | | (19723) | 31
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the tax credit entitlement of a family on a total income of £12,000 per annum with two children will be the same whether there are one or two adults in the family; and if he will make a statement. | | (19740) | 32
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what budget provision has been made by HM Revenue and Customs for tax credit overpayments which will not be recovered in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05; and if he will make a statement. | | (19856) | 33
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons his estimate of tax credit overpayments in 2003-04 has risen to £2.2 billion; and if he will make a statement. | | (19857) | 34
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is of the take-up rates of (a) child tax credits and (b) working tax credits. | | (20006) | 35
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are employed in the administration of the Child Trust Fund; and if he will make a statement. | | (20008) | 36
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his original estimate was for planning purposes of the level of tax credit overpayments in the new tax credits introduced in 2003-04; and if he will make a statement. | | (20009) | 37
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what payments for compensation for (a) discrimination and (b) unfair dismissal have been made by his Department and its agencies over the last three years; and if he will make a statement. | | (20010) | 38
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the rate of employer contribution to the pension schemes of civil servants employed by HM Revenue and Customs in the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) classic scheme, (b) premium scheme, (c) classic plus scheme and (d) partnership pension account; and if he will make a statement. | | (20011) | 39
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many disputed cases of overpaid tax credits there were in (a) 2004-05 and (b) each month since January 2005; and if he will make a statement. | | (20013) | 40
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have been employed by his Department in dealing with complaints about tax credits in each month since April 2003. | | (20014) | 41
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of complaints about tax credits have been responded to within 15 working days in each of the last 12 months. | | (20015) | 42
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints about tax credits have been received in each month since June 2004. | | (20016) | 43
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many compensation payments have been made by the tax credits department of HM Revenue and Customs for poor service in each month since January 2004; and if he will make a statement. | | (20017) | 44
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, under what circumstances (a) a married couple and (b) an unmarried couple previously treated as a family for tax credit purposes is treated as separated for tax credit purposes; and if he will make a statement. | | (20019) | 45
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were working (a) fewer than 16 hours per week, (b) more than 16 hours per week and (c) more than 30 hours per week in each year since 1996-97; and if he will make a statement. | | (20022) | 46
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the revenue yield would be of (a) abolishing the family element of child tax credit and (b) withdrawing the family element of child tax credit on family incomes of over £30,000. | | (20023) | 47
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of childcare tax credit claims have been (a) inaccurate and (b) fraudulent. | | (20150) | 48
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many fraudulent tax credit claims over £1,500 there were in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05; and if he will make a statement. | | (20151) | 49
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were subject to effective marginal tax rates of over 50 per cent. in (a) 1996-97, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2003-04 and (d) 2004-05; and if he will make a statement. | | (20152) | 50
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the purposes of child benefit. | | (20163) | 51
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what tax revenue his Department received from stamp duty on the sale of (a) residential and (b) commercial and business properties in each financial year from 2000-01. | | (19626) | 52
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) he or (b) any other Minister in his Department uses (i) an automated signing machine and (ii) a stamp for ministerial correspondence purposes. | | (19859) | 53
| Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what monitoring he undertakes of (a) local and regional variations in pay and (b) the account taken of extra costs for retention and recruitment that arise in the South East and London in public sector pay (i) remits and (ii) settlements. | | (19839) | 54
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he expects the Government's plans for a planning gain supplement to be revenue-neutral. | | (19714) | 55
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of low income claimants have experienced gaps in tax credit payments due to (a) overpayment investigations and (b) recovery action. | | (19656) | 56
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in how many deaths in (a) England, (b) West Yorkshire and (c) Batley and Spen (i) consumption of alcohol and (ii) smoking was the main cause in the last year for which figures are available. | | (19659) | 57
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance he has issued to HM Revenue and Customs in relation to dealing with tax credit overpayments since the Paymaster General's statement to the House on 22nd June. | | (19675) | Questions to the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners 58
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, how many properties the Church Commissioners have sold in Vauxhall constituency in the last two years. | | (19709) | 59
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what assurances have been given to the tenants of properties sold by the Church Commissioners in Vauxhall constituency in the last two years regarding the level of their rent. | | (19710) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 60
| Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what measures she has taken to increase the registration on the electoral register of black and ethnic minorities. | | (19682) | 61
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what progress has been made with the recruitment of magistrates in Merseyside. | | (19704) | 62
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will make a statement on the Department's progress in promoting judicial diversity. | | (18729) | 63
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what prerequisites are set a person needs to give evidence as an expert. | | (20170) | 64
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what checks medical experts are subjected to prior to giving evidence at trial. | | (20180) | 65
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will make a statement on the training received by individuals who give expert testimony in court. | | (20181) | 66
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether trial judges are required to establish the credentials of expert witnesses. | | (20182) | 67
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what steps her Department (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to increase turnout in the next General Election. | | (20183) | 68
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much in public funds has been spent in funding civil actions arising out of abuse in care homes and residential schools since 1995. | | (20202) | 69
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what guidance her Department issues to laboratories which wish to become accredited to provide court-admissible DNA tests. | | (20036) | 70
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what measures are in place to ensure that laboratories not accredited to conduct court-admissible DNA tests do not submit DNA tests in court hearings. | | (20110) | 71
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many laboratories with accreditation to undertake court-admissible DNA testing have closed down in the last five years. | | (20111) | 72
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many laboratories have had their applications for licences to undertake court-admissible DNA tests turned down in each of the last four years for which figures are available; and what reasons were given for turning down their applications in each case. | | (20120) | 73
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether laboratories accredited to conduct court-admissible DNA testing are permitted to contract DNA tests out to other (a) accredited companies and (b) other unaccredited companies. | | (20121) | 74
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what consultations were undertaken in the drawing up of the criteria applicable to laboratories applying for a licence to conduct DNA tests for paternity cases. | | (20122) | 75
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what criteria her Department applies to laboratories applying for a licence to conduct court-admissible DNA tests; and when the criteria were most recently updated. | | (20123) | 76
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many laboratories licensed to undertake court-admissible DNA testing are operating in the UK; and how many laboratories have applications pending to undertake such testing. | | (20124) | 77
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will list the laboratories licensed to conduct court-admissible DNA tests; and which (a) hold and (b) do not hold an International Standards Organisation 17025 Certificate. | | (20125) | 78
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, by what means members of the public can gain access to information from the 1911 Census. | | (19844) | 79
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will make it a requirement for returning officers to make available a marked register indicating postal voters. | | (19655) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 80
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from her Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. | | (20106) | 81
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list those of her Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish their response to advice from. | | (20107) | 82
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department have a statutory base; which (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each instance. | | (20108) | 83
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20109) | 84
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what measures she is taking to ensure that local and community radio has access to digital bandwidth for transmission. | | (19772) | 85
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what measures (a) her Department and (b) Ofcom is taking to promote take-up of digital (i) radio and (ii) television. | | (19773) | 86
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the (a) maximum, (b) minimum and (c) average cost per household of switching to digital television. | | (19774) | 87
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) people and (b) households in the (i) United Kingdom and (ii) Forest of Dean constituency receive analogue but cannot receive digital, television signals. | | (19775) | 88
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number and percentage of households in the (a) United Kingdom and (b) Forest of Dean constituency that can receive (i) publicly and (ii) commercially funded digital radio by means other than the internet. | | (19776) | 89
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the proportion of households in Gravesham that have had access to the internet in each of the last 10 years. | | (19826) | 90
| Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost in real terms of the BBC licence fee has been in each of the last 30 years. | | (19838) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 91
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from his Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. | | (20133) | 92
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the case of Mr Peter Hall, seeking compensation for internment in the Far East. | | (20157) | 93
| Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on maintenance of the UK's nuclear weapons in 2004-05. | | (19667) | 94
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timescale is for the fitting of the DS30 Mark 2 Automatic 30mm Naval Gun to each of the remaining 13 Type-23 frigates. | | (19984) | 95
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will seek to enable (a) debate and (b) votes in the House on allowing British bases to host US nuclear missiles. | | (19836) | 96
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) he or (b) any other Minister in his Department uses (i) an automated signing machine and (ii) a stamp for Ministerial correspondence purposes. | | (19874) | 97
| Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans' badges have been allocated to ex-service personnel in Pudsey constituency. | | (19758) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 98
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will take steps to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to support the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy. | | (19638) | 99
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 14th October to the honourable Member for South West Surrey, Official Report, column 612W, on housing, if he will break down the figures by London borough. | | (19687) | 100
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 14th October to the honourable Member for Brent East, Official Report, column 613W, on housing as a result of section 106 agreements, if he will break down the figures for each year by local authority. | | (19688) | 101
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he is taking to assist local authorities to support grandparents who act as foster parents, guardians or holder of a residence order in respect of their grandchildren; and if he will make a statement. | | (19744) | 102
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he plans to publish Professor Phil Allmendiger's report with Arup on codes of best practice for mobile phone companies. | | (19683) | 103
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will reconstitute the Architects Registration Board so that jurisdiction extends only to practising architects who have chosen not to be a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. | | (19957) | 104
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with the Architects Registration Board concerning its disciplinary procedures. | | (19958) | 105
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether (a) he and (b) his officials have discussed with the Architects Registration Board rules of propriety in choosing members employed in quasi-judicial inquiries. | | (19959) | 106
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he next expects to make appointments to the Architects Registration Board. | | (19960) | 107
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what appeal process is available to architects who have had complaints against them upheld by the Architects Registration Board. | | (19961) | 108
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he intends to review the operation of the Architects Registration Board. | | (19962) | 109
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much was allocated to council house refits for disabled people in (a) Kent and (b) Gravesham in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion this represents of the total council housing budget in each case. | | (19798) | 110
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many vacant homes there are in Kent; and for what average period houses were vacant in each of the last three years. | | (19799) | 111
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many people are in council housing in Kent, broken down by borough council. | | (19800) | 112
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many planning permission applications have been granted for mobile phone masts in Gravesham since 1997. | | (19831) | 113
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what representations he has received from the Regional Housing Board on the amount of affordable housing needed in (a) Kent and (b) Gravesham. | | (19832) | 114
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what house building programmes have been commissioned in Kent since 1997, broken down by borough council. | | (19833) | 115
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many people were found to be unintentionally homeless but not in a priority need category in Gravesham in 2005. | | (19834) | 116
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many affordable housing units have been (a) built and (b) procured in Gravesham since 1997. | | (19835) | 117
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if his Department will introduce measures allowing local communities to have greater involvement in decisions on where official traveller sites are placed. | | (20089) | 118
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many pensioners in Gravesham have experienced increases in their council taxes since 1997. | | (20186) | 119
N | Martin Horwood (Cheltenham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has for elections to the South West Regional Assembly. | | (17528) | 120
| Mr David Kidney (Stafford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many affordable housing units expected to be built or procured through the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme in the West Midlands Region in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08 are (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 registered social landlord (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) right to acquire, (xi) voluntary purchase grant, (xii) do-it-yourself shared ownership and (xiii) temporary intermediate and market rent housing; and how much will be spent on each category in each year. | | (19649) | 121
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many new affordable homes for social rent have been built in each English local authority since 1990-91; and if he will make a statement. | | (19739) | 122
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether (a) he or (b) any other Minister in his Department uses (i) an automated signing machine and (ii) a stamp for ministerial correspondence purposes. | | (19860) | 123
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will estimate (a) the amount of outside funding brought into social housing by large scale voluntary transfers in the last two years and (b) the contributions by Government to the costs of arms length management organisations in the last two years. | | (20126) | 124
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on progress of the negotiations on the Local Government Pension Scheme. | | (19487) | 125
| Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on the progress of his plans to give local authorities the ability to resume building homes. | | (19841) | 126
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 14th October, Official Report, columns 608-9W, on departmental working groups, if he will list the departmental working groups that have been attended in the last 12 months by (a) the Deputy Prime Minister, (b) the Minister of Communities and Local Government, (c) departmental special advisers, (d) the Permanent Secretary and (e) junior departmental Ministers. | | (19668) | 127
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 14th October, Official Report, columns 608-9W, on departmental working groups, if he will list the minutes from departmental working groups that have been sent to the offices of (a) the Deputy Prime Minister and (b) the Minister of Communities and Local Government since 1st January. | | (19669) | 128
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 10th October, Official Report, column 396W, on local government pensions, if he will publish the figures available for each of the separate pension fund authorities in England. | | (19707) | 129
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 10th October, Official Report, column 413W, on mobile phone masts, if he will list the meetings his (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants have had with mobile phone mast operators or their representatives since 1st January. | | (19711) | 130
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 14th October, Official Report, columns 608-9W, on departmental working groups, how minutes from departmental working groups are (a) stored and (b) catalogued. | | (19777) | 131
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 11th October, Official Report, column 440W, on green belt, if he will list the type of development in each case that was (a) refused and (b) allowed. | | (19854) | 132
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his Answer of 14th October, Official Report, columns 608-9W, on departmental working groups, if he will list the standing departmental working groups. | | (19855) | 133
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 11th October, Official Report, column 444W, on regional assemblies, whether his Department holds copies of the corporate plans of the regional assemblies. | | (19858) | 134
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans the Government has to promote the adoption of directly-elected mayors; and if he will make a statement. | | (19875) | 135
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether local authorities may (a) break and (b) leave local area agreements; and what the penalties are for doing so. | | (19876) | 136
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the levels of child homelessness have been in each government office region in each year since 1997. | | (19877) | 137
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many accommodation places are provided for homeless children in each government office region area. | | (19878) | 138
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what extra (a) powers and (b) responsibilities the Government is considering transferring to the Greater London Authority. | | (19879) | 139
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what costings of (a) Conservative, (b) Labour and (c) Liberal Democrat policies his Department has (i) undertaken, (ii) co-ordinated and (iii) advised upon in the last 12 months; and in respect of which policies. | | (19880) | 140
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the timetable is for the publication of the Local Government White Paper. | | (19886) | 141
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what targets have been agreed for each local area agreement that has been signed to date. | | (19887) | 142
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the timetable is for introducing secondary legislation on empty dwelling management orders. | | (19888) | 143
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate the Government has made of the average gearing ratio in (a) local authorities in England, (b) district councils, (c) unitary councils, (d) London boroughs, (e) Metropolitan authorities and (f) county councils. | | (19914) | 144
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the (a) gross total expenditure and (b) gross revenue raised from council tax in each precepting and billing local authority in England was in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (19915) | 145
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate the Government has made of the average proportion of local government expenditure that is financed from council tax in (a) local authorities in England, (b) district councils, (c) unitary councils, (d) London boroughs, (e) Metropolitan authorities and (f) county councils. | | (19916) | 146
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment the Government has made of the take-up rates for the Government's Key Workers' Initiative schemes. | | (19917) | 147
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the regional housing boards will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 when they are merged with the regional chambers. | | (19918) | 148
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether the Audit Commission audits regional chambers in England. | | (19919) | 149
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the eligibility requirements are for each of the Government's Key Worker Initiative schemes. | | (19920) | 150
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will publish (a) a cost-benefit analysis and (b) the regulatory impact assessment for the Government's plans to establish regional fire control rooms in England outside London. | | (19921) | 151
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what (a) freedoms and (b) funding local authorities who sign local area agreements will receive. | | (19922) | 152
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how long the current round of local area agreements will last. | | (19923) | 153
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether his Department holds copies of documents containing the projected 2005-06 budgets of the regional chambers. | | (19924) | 154
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average band D council tax has been in Suffolk in each year since the establishment of the council tax. | | (19778) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 155
| Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will consider integrating Black history into the national history curriculum. | | (19652) | 156
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from her Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. | | (20142) | 157
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will list her Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government is required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish any response to advice received from such bodies. | | (20143) | 158
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20144) | 159
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20145) | 160
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many university students have been affected by the decision to take the income of step-parents into account when calculating student support. | | (19693) | 161
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what her Department's policy is on supplying schools directly with printed publications for use in classrooms. | | (19694) | 162
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schools have been designated for closure in each of the last eight years, broken down by (a) local education authority, (b) type of school and (c) number of pupils in the school. | | (19695) | 163
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools have adequate printing facilities which allow them to print out documents for use in classrooms. | | (19696) | 164
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) pieces of (i) guidance and (ii) teaching material and (b) forms have been sent to (A) primary schools and (B) secondary schools in each of the last 20 months; and how many pages each document contained. | | (19697) | 165
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the criteria are for entry to the Graduate Training Programme for teachers; and whether previous teaching experience and qualifications are taken into account when considering applications. | | (19698) | 166
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when the decision was taken to set the cut-off date for those exempt from paying university tuition fees at 1st August. | | (19699) | 167
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps her Department takes to ensure that children without a place at the beginning of the school year are provided for by local education authorities. | | (19700) | 168
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions she has had with local authorities in London to determine the effectiveness of this year's secondary school application procedure. | | (19701) | 169
| Mr David Cameron (Witney):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children were left without a place in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools (i) at the beginning of the 2005-06 academic year and (ii) in each year since 1997. | | (19702) | 170
| Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what grants are available for students who are unable to afford university fees; and if she will make a statement. | | (19664) | 171
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps the Government is taking to improve the (a) levels of awareness of and (b) information about allergies and related issues for (i) teachers, (ii) non-teaching classroom assistants and (iii) professionals who work in pre-schools; and if she will make a statement. | | (19648) | 172
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what her policy is on the proposed sale of land on the site of the Mead and Auriol schools in the Borough of Epsom and Ewell; and if she will make a statement. | | (19671) | 173
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to support children with special educational needs, with particular reference to Gravesham. | | (19622) | 174
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average distance travelled by children to secondary school is in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Gravesham. | | (19812) | 175
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many places at special schools in Kent there were in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 2004-05. | | (19813) | 176
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people in adult education in Gravesham are over 60 years old. | | (19814) | 177
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total value of outstanding student loans at the end of 2004-05 was in (a) England and (b) Gravesham. | | (19815) | 178
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many school playing fields have been sold off since 1997 in Gravesham. | | (19816) | 179
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment she has made of the impact of the closure of special schools on overall provision of special education. | | (19817) | 180
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to ensure adequate provision for special educational needs. | | (19818) | 181
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to increase the number of male teachers working in early years educational provision. | | (19819) | 182
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what provisions are made for British citizens taken to live abroad as children who want to return to study at universities in England and receive student loans. | | (19820) | 183
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to improve the abililty of secondary schools to satisfy parental choice in admissions. | | (19821) | 184
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what guidance she has issued to schools on dealing with students who have asthma; and what recent discussions she has had on this matter. | | (19639) | 185
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to ensure that each school has an asthma policy. | | (19640) | 186
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to ensure that all students with asthma are (a) encouraged and (b) enabled to take part in (i) school sports and (ii) other physical activity. | | (19641) | 187
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to ensure that teachers are trained to provide appropriate support to children with Asperger's syndrome. | | (19642) | 188
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will take steps to ensure that appropriate levels of behaviour support are provided for children with Asperger's syndrome. | | (19643) | 189
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will take steps to ensure that each child diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome receives an assessment of needs from an educational psychologist at the time of diagnosis. | | (19644) | 190
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will take steps to ensure that appropriate training and support is provided for teachers dealing with children with Asperger's syndrome. | | (19645) | 191
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the (a) original intended and (b) actual (i) launch date and (ii) cost was of the Student Finance Direct website; who the principal contractors involved were; what payments were made to each one; what the (A) usage targets for and (B) actual usage of the website were in the first year of its operation; and how much was spent on promoting the website to students and future students. | | (20191) | 192
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate she has made of the costs incurred by local education authorities in transferring to a national system of processing student loan applications in 2004; whether a regulatory impact assessment was published; what reimbursement such authorities received for such costs; and if she will make a statement. | | (19881) | 193
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate she has made of the costs incurred by local education authorities in processing student loan applications in 2005-06; and by what system such authorities will be reimbursed for such costs. | | (19882) | 194
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schoolchildren in Meriden are eligible for free school meals; and what the take-up has been in each year since 1997. | | (19883) | 195
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schoolchildren in Meriden receive free school meals, broken down by school. | | (19884) | 196
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schoolchildren in Meriden whose families are in receipt of child tax credit are eligible for free school meals. | | (19885) | 197
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much funding has been allocated to special needs provision in Suffolk in each of the last five years. | | (19691) | 198
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what progress has been made in reaching an agreement with travel companies on reducing the cost to families of holidays during school holiday periods to cut pupil absences in term-time; and if she will make a statement. | | (19657) | 199
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures are in place to monitor the impact of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000; and if she will make a statement. | | (19658) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 200
| Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the contraction and convergence strategy for combating climate change. | | (19681) | 201
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from her Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. | | (20127) | 202
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list those of her Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish their response to advice from. | | (20128) | 203
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department have a statutory base; which (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20129) | 204
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20130) | 205
| Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on measures in place to combat avian influenza. | | (19636) | 206
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what environmental impact assessments have been conducted as to the likely effects of the reopening of a river mouth for the Minesmere river to (a) Eastbridge and Lower Abby and (b) the coastline five miles south of Minesmere. | | (19964) | 207
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how long she expects the existing coastal defences at Sizewell to remain viable. | | (19965) | 208
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what forms of renewable soft sea defences, other than groynes and shingle banks, are being employed for coastal protection around the English coastline. | | (19966) | 209
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost of (a) environmental impact assessments, (b) permissions and (c) licences for (i) remedial work to existing coastal defences in Suffolk and (ii) emergency reinforcement work to existing coastal defences in Suffolk has been in each of the past five years. | | (19968) | 210
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) average and (b) fastest rate of coastline erosion is along unprotected parts of the Suffolk coast. | | (19969) | 211
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will promote a ban at EU level on importing illegally felled timber. | | (19979) | 212
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of illegal logging on (i) international forests, (ii) wildlife and (iii) indigenous peoples; and if she will make a statement. | | (19980) | 213
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will increase the penalties for persons and companies convicted of importing illegally felled timber. | | (19981) | 214
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for International Development about promoting alternatives to illegal timber felling in countries where this is prevalent. | | (19986) | 215
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to minimise odours before sewage is spread on farmland, with particular reference to Gravesham. | | (19802) | 216
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve flood prevention measures in Kent. | | (19803) | 217
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to introduce the Animal Welfare Bill. | | (19804) | 218
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on the allocation of individual carbon allowances in order to help the UK meet Kyoto targets for carbon emissions. | | (19853) | 219
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish its recommendations for the labelling threshold for organic food. | | (19978) | 220
| Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will introduce a zero waste policy as a long-term goal of its waste strategy. | | (19765) | 221
| Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much Government funding has been allocated to (a) local authorities and (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme for assisting small and medium enterprises to increase recycling. | | (19766) | 222
| Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive to be implemented. | | (19767) | 223
| Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of municipal waste collection in England (a) went to landfill, (b) was incinerated, including with energy recovery, (c) was recycled and composted and (d) was dealt with by other means in 2004-05. | | (19768) | 224
| Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a regulatory body will be put in place to ensure producers comply with the responsibilities of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. | | (19769) | 225
| Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much she has allocated to the feasibility study and trials of collecting materials for recycling from small and medium enterprises; and if she will make a statement. | | (19770) | 226
| Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to assist small and medium sized enterprises to identify appropriate recycling services. | | (19771) | 227
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will fund a study of trends in the number of cuttlefish off the South Devon coast and the causes of changes in numbers. | | (19796) | 228
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the state of the cuttlefish population off the South Devon coast. | | (19797) | 229
| Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Devonport):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the progress of the establishment of a pilot scheme in the South West on water affordability. | | (19634) | 230
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many households in Batley and Spen constituency have received assistance under the Warm Front Scheme in each of the last five years. | | (19653) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 231
| Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's policy is towards the undertaking of preparatory work in anticipation of the ratification of the EU Constitution by the Commission during the period of the UK presidency. | | (19630) | 232
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterparts regarding the imprisonment of Kurdish separatist leader Öcalan. | | (18731) | 233
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the European Court of Human Rights regarding Kurdish separatist leader Öcalan, imprisoned in Turkey. | | (18732) | 234
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the Government's position on Turkey's property rights laws for its non-Muslim citizens. | | (18733) | 235
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what negotiations have taken place during the United Kingdom's presidency of the European Union on settling disputes over land and financial compensation to Greek Cypriots following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. | | (19963) | 236
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials from his Department visited Zimbabwe in the summer to report on conditions in that country for returned failed asylum seekers. | | (19791) | 237
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report prepared by officials from his Department following their visit to Zimbabwe in the summer. | | (19792) | 238
| Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the government of the Maldives about the trial of Mohamed Nasheed, Chairman of the Maldives Democratic Party, and others, following the recent Lawrence Report on the judicial process in the Maldives undertaken by the Bar Council. | | (19742) | 239
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what factors were taken into account in devising different funding formulae for the contribution made by the Government to the cost of education of children of Armed Forces personnel and children of diplomatic staff based overseas; and if he will make a statement | | (18730) | 240
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) he or (b) any other Minister in his Department uses (i) an automated signing machine and (ii) a stamp for Ministerial correspondence purposes. | | (19873) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 241
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many employees aged over 70 years are working in the National Health Service. | | (19990) | 242
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many family planning clinics there were in each year since 1983; and how many women were seen by them in each year. | | (19991) | 243
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the take-up rate of child vaccinations is; and what assessment she has made of the factors which lead some parents not to have children vaccinated. | | (19992) | 244
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list the countries of residence of women listed as overseas residents in the abortion statistics for the last year for which information is available. | | (20166) | 245
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the spending on the National Health Service in England (a) in cash terms, (b) adjusted for retail price inflation and (c) adjusted for inflation in NHS costs has been in each year since 1975. | | (20167) | 246
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost of the Blood Transfusion Service in England has been in each of the last three years. | | (20168) | 247
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the spending of each of the strategic health authorities in England has been in each of the last three years. | | (20169) | 248
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from her Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. | | (20187) | 249
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list those of her Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish their response to advice from. | | (20188) | 250
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department have a statutory base; which (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each instance. | | (20189) | 251
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20190) | 252
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will make a statement on the operation of sections 1 to 4 of the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended by section 37 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990). | | (20192) | 253
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children aged under 16 years in each strategic health authority area were discharged from hospital after removal of tonsils or adenoids in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the discharge rate was per 10,000 children aged under 16 years in each strategic health authority area. | | (20193) | 254
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children aged under 16 years in each strategic health authority area had an operation to remove tonsils or adenoids without parental knowledge or consent in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (20194) | 255
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many copies of the Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, A Public Consultation have been produced; at what cost; and if she will make a statement. | | (20195) | 256
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which organisations were sent copies of the Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, A Public Consultation; how many were sent to each; and if she will make a statement. | | (20196) | 257
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons her Department chose 16th August to publish the Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, A Public Consultation; and if she will make a statement. | | (20197) | 258
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will place in the Library responses to the Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, A Public Consultation; and if she will make a statement. | | (20198) | 259
| Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what statistics her Department records relating to applications for vacancies for (a) junior doctor, (b) pre-registration house officer and (c) senior house officer posts; and what recent assessment she has made of the competition for jobs at each level. | | (19670) | 260
| Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been allocated to deanery funding in the NHS in each year since 1997. | | (19672) | 261
| Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures her Department is taking to enable the National Health Service to meet the targets set by the EU Working Time Directive. | | (19676) | 262
| Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many stand-alone senior house officer posts there have been in the National Health Service in each year since 1997. | | (19677) | 263
| Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps her Department is taking to effect the transition between the present career structure for junior doctors and the changes outlined in Modernising Medical Careers. | | (19678) | 264
| Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the implications for the career prospects of junior doctors of her proposal to phase out senior house officer posts in the National Health Service. | | (19679) | 265
| Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications from international medical graduates applying for training posts in the UK there have been in each year since 1997; and what proportion of such applications were successful. | | (19926) | 266
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12th September, Official Report, column 2735W, on NHS trusts (final accounts), when the figures for 2004-05 will be published. | | (19685) | 267
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of (a) the impact of an influenza pandemic on bed occupancy rates and (b) the adequacy of the current supply of intensive care beds in the event of an influenza pandemic. | | (19686) | 268
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much her Department is paying for each enquiry by design pilot project undertaken by The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment. | | (19975) | 269
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she has taken to ensure that she does not fetter her discretion in respect of the call in by the London Borough of Merton concerning the siting of a critical care hospital. | | (19976) | 270
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment was commissioned to undertake an enquiry by design pilot for the NHS. | | (19977) | 271
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment she has made of the link between childhood leukaemia and overhead power lines. | | (18728) | 272
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will make a statement on the regulation of the profession of psychotherapy. | | (20179) | 273
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much her Department has spent on (a) childcare and (b) childcare vouchers for its staff in each of the last five years. | | (19724) | 274
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many employees have been dismissed from her Department in each of the last five years. | | (19725) | 275
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that complementary allergy practitioners are properly (a) regulated and (b) inspected; and if she will make a statement. | | (19712) | 276
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government has taken to ensure parents and legal guardians are appropriately trained and informed on how epi-pens should be used; and if she will make a statement. | | (19713) | 277
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research the Government has commissioned on changes in numbers of allergy sufferers in the last five years. | | (19752) | 278
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many specialist consultants in allergies there were in the NHS in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. | | (19759) | 279
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Government intends to publish the outcome of its review of the provision of allergy services; and if she will make a statement. | | (19760) | 280
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to improve the level of (a) training in and (b) awareness of allergies of health professionals who work in (i) primary and (ii) secondary health care; and if she will make a statement. | | (19761) | 281
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to increase the number of training places for allergy specialists; and if she will make a statement. | | (19762) | 282
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much specialist allergy treatment is provided by the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority; and if she will make a statement. | | (19763) | 283
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to improve (a) access to and (b) information about specialist allergy treatment; and if she will make a statement. | | (19764) | 284
| Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the at risk population of (a) Staffordshire and (b) the West Midlands are expected to be inoculated against existing strains of influenza by the end of 2005; and if she will make a statement. | | (19930) | 285
| Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the (a) scope and (b) scale of illegal sales of potentially toxic prescription-only skin whitening creams. | | (19935) | 286
N | Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many residents in the Kettering constituency were registered with (a) a general practitioner and (b) an NHS dentist in each year since 1997. | | (19413) | 287
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons Tarceva recently prescribed through an Extended Access programme is not available on the NHS; and when it will be available for patients on the NHS. | | (19703) | 288
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress Darent Valley Hospital has made towards achieving its accident and emergency targets. | | (20054) | 289
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress Darent Valley Hospital has made towards achieving its waiting lists target in each department. | | (20055) | 290
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress is being made in decreasing the waiting period for patients in need of digital hearing aids. | | (20056) | 291
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps her Department is taking to standardise the eligibility criteria for NHS continuing care used by strategic health authorities. | | (20057) | 292
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many individuals in Gravesham suffer from (a) coronary heart disease, (b) stroke and (c) diabetes; and what steps are being taken to reduce the numbers of people suffering from such diseases. | | (20058) | 293
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps her Department is taking to draw up guidelines on treatments and standards of care for individuals suffering from (a) ulcerative colitis and (b) Crohn's disease. | | (20059) | 294
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding her Department has allocated to the research of myasthenia gravis. | | (20060) | 295
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made in improving services for those with chronic conditions. | | (20061) | 296
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance her Department provides on reducing waiting times in NHS hospitals. | | (20070) | 297
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time was in the last three years for an out-patient appointment in Gravesham. | | (20071) | 298
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans she has to reform the NHS systems of redress for individuals who are dissatisfied with the care they have received from the NHS. | | (20072) | 299
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many doctors specialising in cardiac care there are in Kent hospitals. | | (20073) | 300
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure that every person with asthma has a personal asthma plan. | | (19646) | 301
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions she has had with (a) NHS staff and (b) trade unions about the implications for staff of the reforms proposed in Commissioning a Patient-led NHS. | | (19647) | 302
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will extend the time limit for signing the new NHS dental contracts beyond 1st January 2006 to allow time for evaluation of the new contract conditions; and if she will make a statement. | | (19737) | 303
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS dental practices had signed up to the new NHS Dental Contract as at 15th October; and if she will make a statement. | | (19738) | 304
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent estimate she has made of the average annual cost of providing NHS health services to someone over state pension age; and if she will make a statement. | | (19925) | 305
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if her Department will refer to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence the use of Herceptin to treat breast cancer in patients already diagnosed with the disease and who are at high risk of recurrence. | | (19974) | 306
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the See Me campaign in Scotland. | | (19689) | 307
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether her Department has achieved its 5 per cent. per annum target for reduction of pressure sores. | | [R] (19863) | 308
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she expects Herceptin will be available to patients in England for the treatment of each stage of breast cancer. | | (19861) | 309
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the UK financial contribution to the running of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency was in 2004-05. | | (19862) | 310
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cancer drugs have been approved by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency in each of the last five years. | | (19864) | 311
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the shortest time is that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has taken to approve a drug. | | (19865) | 312
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the shortest time is that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has taken to approve a cancer drug. | | (19866) | 313
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she expects the use of Herceptin will be approved for the treatment of early stage breast cancer. | | (19867) | 314
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average length of time has been for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to approve a cancer drug. | | (19868) | 315
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use are being assessed by the Department prior to referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. | | (19893) | 316
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cancer drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use are being assessed by the Department prior to referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. | | (19894) | 317
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cancer drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use are awaiting approval by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. | | (19897) | 318
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost of running the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has been in each of the last five years. | | (19898) | 319
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use were not approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in each of the last five years. | | (19899) | 320
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use are awaiting approval from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. | | (19900) | 321
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been employed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in each of the last five years. | | (19901) | 322
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost per capita was of treating cancer in England in each of the last five years. | | (19902) | 323
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average period of time taken was to assess a drug already approved by the EU's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use as suitable for human use following its referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the last period for which figures are available. | | (19903) | 324
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average period of time taken was to assess a cancer drug's suitability for human use following its referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the last period for which figures are avaialble. | | (19906) | 325
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average period of time taken was to assess a drug's suitability for human use following its referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the last period for which figures are available. | | (19907) | 326
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how long she expects the European Medicines Evaluation Agency will take to approve Herceptin for the early stage treatment of breast cancer. | | (19909) | 327
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what date Herceptin was submitted to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency for formal market authorisation to treat early stage breast cancer. | | (19910) | 328
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the shortest time is that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has taken to approve a cancer drug having received formal approval from the European Medicines Evaluation Agency. | | (19911) | 329
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) can undertake before final market authorisation has been granted to a drug by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency in order that final approval by NICE can be accelerated. | | (19912) | 330
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions she has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence regarding the prescription of Herceptin for the treatment of early stage breast cancer. | | (19913) | 331
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the relationship is between the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the European Medicines Evaluation Agency and the EU Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use. | | (19927) | 332
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she expects the consultation process on the mechanisms of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency to report. | | (19928) | 333
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure the rapid approval of Herceptin for early stage breast cancer. | | (19929) | 334
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will visit Oxford to assess the impact of changes proposed in (a) mental healthcare and (b) other local NHS budgets. | | (19488) | 335
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list strategic health authorities which are proposing the outsourcing of the management and delivery of the commissioning function of primary care trusts. | | (19489) | 336
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding has been allocated to mental health provision in Suffolk in each of the last five years. | | (19692) | 337
| Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what process will be used for primary care trusts to transfer the services they provide to alternative providers. | | (19637) | 338
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure that the structure of tariffs does not provide an incentive to NHS trusts to structure a patient's course of treatment to involve multiple admissions to hospital, except where this is clinically appropriate; and if she will make a statement. | | (19705) | 339
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of five year olds have no decayed, filled or missing teeth, according to the latest British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry Survey of the dental caries experience of five year old children, in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority and (c) each primary care trust. | | (19706) | 340
| Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she will answer the question on clostridium difficile, reference 9380, tabled by the honourable Member for Northavon on 29th June. | | (20131) | 341
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment is made of the performance of local authorities in meeting the needs of carers; and if she will make a statement. | | (19660) | 342
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on the provision of bathing adaptions and equipment; and what criteria are applied to decide an individual's medical need to bath. | | (20018) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 343
| Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps have been taken to establish the whereabouts of the African and Caribbean boys between the ages of four and seven who were recently identified as having gone missing from London schools over a three-month period; and what steps have been taken to encourage the Department for Education and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to work more closely together to improve systems of record keeping. | | (19680) | 344
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from his Department (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. | | (20092) | 345
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions for each category of crime there have been in (a) Essex, (b) the Metropolitan Police area of London and (c) Hertfordshire in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what the (i) conviction rate and (ii) clear-up rate for each category was in that period; and if he will make a statement. | | (20093) | 346
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the operation of sections (a) 58 and (b) 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. | | (20094) | 347
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the operation of the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929. | | (20095) | 348
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish their response to advice received from such bodies. | | (20096) | 349
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; which (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20097) | 350
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of Members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20098) | 351
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes were committed on London Underground in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, broken down by offence. | | (20115) | 352
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his latest estimate is of the total cost of the identity cards scheme. | | (19754) | 353
| Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to tackle prison overcrowding; and if he will make a statement. | | (19663) | 354
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many claims have been received by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme from applicants alleging (a) sexual and (b) physical abuse in care homes and residential schools since 1992; how many such claims have been (i) settled and (ii) refused; how many are ongoing; how much compensation has been paid; and in how many claims compensation has been reduced. | | (19949) | 355
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police investigations into institutional abuse have taken place since 1995; when each (a) commenced and (b) concluded; how many people have been arrested as a result of such investigations; how many complainants have been involved; how many cases have been forwarded to the Crown Prosecution Service; in how many cases charges have been brought; and what the result has been in each case where all proceedings have been completed. | | (19950) | 356
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is obligatory for members of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's Specialist Investigation Service. | | (19951) | 357
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether all members of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's Specialist Investigation Service are trained in appropriate interviewing techniques. | | (19952) | 358
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the interviewing techniques used with possible victims in child abuse investigations. | | (20171) | 359
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how contamination of evidence is avoided by the police in historical sex abuse cases; and if he will make a statement. | | (20172) | 360
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) public policy test and (b) evidential test is for criminal prosecutions. | | (20173) | 361
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research he has evaluated on gradual disclosure of sex abuse; and if he will make a statement. | | (20174) | 362
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many strategic management groups have been established in historical sex abuse investigations; and how many were chaired by (a) the police and (b) social services. | | (20175) | 363
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is provided for alleged offenders of historical sex abuse during (a) the investigation and (b) the trial. | | (20176) | 364
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times in the last 10 years media coverage has been assessed to have prejudiced an investigation into historical sex abuse. | | (20177) | 365
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what penalties are available for journalists who report prejudicial material which may damage an investigation into historical sex abuse; and on how many occasions in the last 10 years these penalties have been used. | | (20178) | 366
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who is responsible for the training of police officers in historical sex abuse cases. | | (20184) | 367
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what reforms have been made in response to the the Home Affairs Committee's Report on historical sex abuse investigations in 2002. | | (20185) | 368
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance he has issued on the appropriate measures to be taken by agencies involved in historical sex abuse investigations to minimise the potential disruption to the alleged offender's private and professional life. | | (20199) | 369
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he takes to ensure that the agencies involved in historical sex abuse investigations provide sufficient training to their staff. | | (20200) | 370
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguards are in place to ensure that National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children staff and social workers do not instigate discussions regarding compensation in interviews with witnesses in historical sex abuse cases. | | (20201) | 371
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations he has received on the operation of religious cults, with particular reference to the School of Economic Science. | | (19842) | 372
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will seek to legislate against the activity of religious cults, with particular reference to the School of Economic Science. | | (19843) | 373
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officials from his Department visited Zimbabwe during the summer to report on conditions for returned failed asylum seekers. | | (19793) | 374
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether officials from his Department met representatives of the Zimbabwean Government when they visited Zimbabwe in the summer. | | (19794) | 375
| Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report prepared by officials from his Department following their visit to Zimbabwe in the summer. | | (19795) | 376
N | Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will consider proposals for joint co-operation between police forces rather than full mergers as part of the consultation exercise on police force restructuring. | | (19411) | 377
N | Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to allow the media to publish the (a) names and (b) photographs of all those upon whom anti-social behaviour orders have been served, whatever their age; and if he will make a statement. | | (19412) | 378
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the UK Passport Service decided the dates for its biometrics roadshows; when notice of these events was given to the media; what criteria were used to decide which media organisations and reporters to contact; which media organisations were invited; when notice of each event was given to the public; what the cost was of each roadshow; and what the (a) dates and (b) venues are of further roadshow events. | | (19837) | 379
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding is expected to be allocated for anti-social behaviour orders in Gravesham in 2005. | | (20038) | 380
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the volunteers in the UKPS Biometrics Enrolment Trial failed to enrol successfully in one or more biometric. | | (20077) | 381
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been deported after attempting to procure a student visa in the last 10 years. | | (20078) | 382
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance the Government has given to local authorities concerning vandalism in Gravesham. | | (20079) | 383
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers in Gravesham are awaiting the result of (a) an initial decision and (b) an appeal. | | (20080) | 384
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions there have been for acts of vandalism in the Gravesham area in each year since 1997. | | (20081) | 385
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what sum in fines was imposed for the sale of alcohol to under 18s in Gravesham in 2003. | | (20082) | 386
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to encourage the formation of neighbourhood watches in local communities in Kent. | | (20083) | 387
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drug treatment centres there are in the Gravesend area. | | (20084) | 388
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests have been made for drunk and disorderly behaviour in Kent in each year since 1997. | | (20085) | 389
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many racially motivated attacks there have been in Gravesham in each year since 1997. | | (20086) | 390
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been recruited in North Kent in each year since 1997. | | (20087) | 391
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in Gravesham; and how many have been breached. | | (20088) | 392
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much time police officers in Gravesham spent (a) on paper work and (b) on the beat in the last period for which figures are available. | | (20090) | 393
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many young people have been (a) found guilty of a crime and (b) placed in custody in Kent in the last five years for which figures are available. | | (20091) | 394
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the letter of 3rd August from the Minister of State to the honourable Member for Warrington North, on what information she based her statement that Centrex had not timed its announcement of the closure of police training centres to avoid parliamentary scrutiny. | | (19661) | 395
| Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the letter from the Minister of State to the honourable Member for Warrington North of 3rd August, if he will make it his policy to ensure that announcements about closures of police training centres are made when the House is sitting. | | (19662) | 396
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what further assessment he has made of the reliability of technology features of the proposed identity card for purposes of validity since the Answer given on the validity period on 10th December 2003, Official Report, column 497W. | | (19869) | 397
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the KPMG review of the costing methodology and key cost assumptions of the identity card scheme arrived at the same current best estimate as the Government of the total average annual running costs for issuing passports and identity cards to UK nationals including allowances for contingency, optimism bias and non-recoverable VAT. | | (19870) | 398
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Government has made of the impact on the Government's current best estimate of the total average annual running costs for issuing passports and identity cards to UK nationals, including allowances for contingency, optimism bias, and non-recoverable VAT, of (a) extending the sensitivity analysis, (b) revisiting the process for estimating contingency and (c) revisiting cost assumptions in line with the recommendations of the KPMG review of the costing methodology and key cost assumptions of the identity card scheme. | | (19871) | 399
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when it was decided to have 13 items of biometric data per person on the National Identity Register. | | (19872) | 400
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the implications of having 13 items of biometric data for each person on the National Identity Register on the (a) estimated size of the database and (b) management of the data. | | (19892) | 401
| Mr Fraser Kemp (Houghton & Washington East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing a licensing system for air-powered weapons. | | (19732) | 402
| Mr Fraser Kemp (Houghton & Washington East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidences of violence involving the use of air weapons there were in (a) Houghton and Washington East and (b) the Northumbria police service area in the last year for which figures are available. | | (19733) | 403
| Mr Fraser Kemp (Houghton & Washington East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will arrange a general amnesty on all air weapons on a particular day when they could be handed in at police stations. | | (19734) | 404
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research his Department has commissioned on the effects of the Community Legal Service (Scope) Regulations 2004. | | (19484) | 405
| Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that resources are available to the police to investigate credible allegations of criminal offences contrary to (a) section 1 of the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 and (b) section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 regardless of the nationality of the alleged victims and perpetrators. | | (19756) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 406
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish their response to advice from. | | (20154) | 407
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; which (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20155) | 408
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20156) | 409
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps are being taken to ascertain the need for humanitarian assistance in (a) Malawi and (b) Niger. | | (19753) | 410
| Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what response the UK Government has made to the requests by the President of Pakistan for heavy transport helicopters. | | (19936) | 411
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans he has to channel aid directly to the people in Africa through non-governmental organisations. | | (19822) | 412
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to improve the humanitarian situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan. | | (19823) | 413
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to tackle (a) famine and (b) disease epidemics in the developing world. | | (19824) | 414
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) aid and (b) other assistance has been provided to developing countries to support their participation in the forthcoming world trade negotiations. | | (19485) | 415
| Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what studies he has commissioned on the impact of non-agricultural market access on the sustainability of forests in developing countries. | | (19840) | Questions to the Leader of the House 416
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Leader of the House, if he will introduce proposals to allow tabling and answer of written parliamentary questions during the Summer Recess. | | (19708) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 417
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from his Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. | | (20132) | 418
N | Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment he has made of the quantity of paramilitary arms at large in Northern Ireland. | | (19414) | 419
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what changes have been made in the Hockteif bid for the Bangor Academy and Comber High School private public partnership project since it was first submitted. | | (19651) | 420
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will provide the Ulster Historical Foundation (UHF) with the funding required to make UHF research papers accessible to the public. | | (19937) | 421
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reasons the findings of the 1911 Census cannot be released for public use. | | (19938) | 422
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what survey methods are used to establish the level of community confidence in the Police Service of Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland; and how often these surveys are undertaken. | | (19939) | 423
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many cars were registered in Northern Ireland in each of the past 10 years. | | (19940) | 424
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the overall deficit of each education and library board in Northern Ireland is for the year 2005-06. | | (19941) | 425
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many children attended nursery units attached to (a) state controlled, (b) Catholic maintained and (c) integrated primary schools in each of the past 10 years. | | (19942) | 426
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many pupils attended (a) state controlled, (b) Catholic maintained and (c) integrated primary schools in Northern Ireland in each of the past 10 years. | | (19943) | 427
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many pupils attended (a) state controlled, (b) Catholic maintained and (c) integrated secondary schools in Northern Ireland in each of the past 10 years. | | (19944) | 428
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applications there have been to open integrated (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Northern Ireland this year; and what the requirements for additional (i) primary and (ii) secondary school places were in the areas where applications for schools were made. | | (19945) | 429
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of women referred urgently in the last 12 months by their general practitioner with suspected breast cancer were seen by a consultant in the Province within two weeks. | | (20042) | 430
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the percentage change in whole-time equivalent qualified nurses in the Province since 1997. | | (20043) | 431
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many surgeons at each hospital in the Province carried out more than 50 prostate operations in the last year for which figures are available. | | (20044) | 432
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the annual spending was on administrative and non-clinical staff within the health service in the Province in each of the last two years. | | (20045) | 433
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) managers and (b) senior managers there are within the health service in the Province. | | (20046) | 434
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the change in the number of clinical academics teaching medical students in the Province has been in the last 10 years. | | (20047) | 435
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many vacancies for general practitioners there are in the Province. | | (20048) | 436
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many clinical negligence claims there have been against each health trust in the Province in each of the last three years. | | (20049) | 437
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the costs over the next 12 months which might result from clinical negligence in the Province. | | (20050) | 438
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the percentage change in whole-time equivalent NHS clinical staff in the Province since 1997. | | (20051) | 439
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the percentage change in whole-time equivalent hospital consultants in the Province since 1997. | | (20052) | 440
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the percentage change in whole-time equivalent non-consultant hospital doctors in the Province since 1997. | | (20053) | 441
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average time was that patients in the Province waited for treatment for cancer of the brain in (a) 1999 and (b) the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (20062) | 442
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average time was that patients in the Province waited for treatment of prostate cancer in (a) 1999 and (b) the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (20063) | 443
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) managers and (b) senior managers there were in the health service in the Province in 1997. | | (20064) | 444
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average time was that patients in the Province waited for treatment for liver cancer in (a) 1999 and (b) the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (20065) | 445
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average time was that patients in the Province waited for treatment for ovarian cancer in (a) 1999 and (b) the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (20066) | 446
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when liquid-based cervical cytology screening will be introduced in the Province. | | (20067) | 447
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when sessional general practitioners in the Province will be able to join the NHS pension scheme. | | (20068) | 448
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many clinical academics taught medical students in the Province in the last year for which figures are available. | | (20069) | 449
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patients from each health board area in the Province are waiting for radiotherapy treatment. | | (20074) | 450
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the longest time is that anyone in the Province has waited for radiotherapy in the last 10 years. | | (20075) | 451
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average length of time has been that patients in the Province have waited for radiotherapy in the last 12 months for which figures are available. | | (20076) | 452
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department has invested in (a) Portavogie Harbour, (b) Kilkeel Harbour and (c) Ardglass Harbour in each of the past three years. | | (20159) | 453
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much investment has been allocated by the Department of Education to nursery units attached to (a) state controlled, (b) Catholic maintained and (c) integrated primary schools in Northern Ireland in each of the past 10 years. | | (20160) | 454
| Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much funding has been allocated by the Department of Education to (a) state controlled, (b) Catholic maintained and (c) integrated primary schools in Northern Ireland in each of the past 10 years. | | (20161) | 455
N | David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many occurrences there have been in the last six months of education and library boards reinstating services outside their agreed financial schemes, broken down by (a) date and (b) type of service. | | (19538) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 456
| Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the impact on demand for second homes of allowing self-invested personal pensions to be invested in residential property. | | (19757) | 457
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use await approval of the Scottish Medicines Consortium. | | (19895) | 458
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many cancer drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use await approval of the Scottish Medicines Consortium. | | (19896) | 459
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he anticipates Herceptin will be available to patients in Scotland for the treatment of early stage breast cancer. | | (19904) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 460
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps are being taken to develop new nuclear power plants in the UK. | | (19801) | 461
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps he is taking to encourage companies based in England to act responsibly in respect of (a) human rights and (b) the environment in their operations in developing countries. | | (19825) | 462
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of gas imported to the UK he estimates will come from Norway in (a) 2010, (b) 2015 and (c) 2020. | | (19727) | 463
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what (a) polling and (b) focus groups on nuclear power his Department has undertaken in the last three years ;and if he will place copies of the results in the Library. | | (19730) | 464
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what volumes of (a) low-level, (b) intermediate and (c) high-level radioactive waste are stored in the United Kingdom. | | (19731) | 465
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the capacity of the National Grid to accommodate new wind turbines; what that capacity is; and at what percentage of that capacity the Grid is operating. | | (19735) | 466
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list the (a) grants and (b) amounts available for the installation of domestic (i) solar-thermal panels, (ii) photo-voltaics, (iii) wind micro-generators and (iv) other small-scale greenhouse gas emission-saving devices; and what grants have been available in each of the past five years. | | (19741) | 467
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what expenditure Advantage West Midlands (a) has so far incurred and (b) is expected to incur on establishing the investbx scheme. | | (19715) | 468
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the Government's policy is on the public subsidy of local stock or business exchanges to raise equity finance, with particular reference to regional development agencies. | | (19716) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 469
N | Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to establish whether aircraft passing through UK airports are being used for the extraordinary rendition of terrorist suspects; and if he will make a statement. | | (19226) | 470
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the reasons that (i) men and (ii) women commit offences under sections (A) 14(3), (B) 15(2) and (C) 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988; and if he will make a statement. | | (19993) | 471
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passengers (a) died and (b) were seriously injured whilst travelling on rail services provided by C2C Rail Ltd and its predecessors in each year from 1976. | | (19994) | 472
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passengers use (a) Westcliff on Sea and (b) Leigh on Sea stations at (i) morning peak, (ii) evening peak and (iii) off-peak hours. | | (19995) | 473
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many sites there are on the motorway and trunk road network marked with chevrons designed to ensure motorists keep their distance from the car in front; and what their locations are. | | (19996) | 474
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the conferences and seminars that his Department organised between 1st September 2004 and 28th July, broken down by (a) cost and (b) purpose. | | (19997) | 475
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of priority bus lanes have been created in Southend since 1997. | | (19998) | 476
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of new cycle lanes have been provided using public funds in Southend since 1997. | | (19999) | 477
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent on coastguard services in (a) Essex and (b) the UK in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. | | (20000) | 478
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many studies of transport funded by his Department are in progress within the (a) Essex and (b) Greater London areas; and what the cost of such studies is in (i) internal departmental costs and (ii) fees and payments to consultants and research organisations. | | (20004) | 479
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what regulations apply to the safety of children who are fare-paying passengers on designated school buses; what regulations apply to the supervision of such children; and if he will make a statement. | | (20005) | 480
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the operation of section 70 of the Transport Act 1982. | | (20099) | 481
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to widen the M25 between junctions 23 and 31; and if he will make a statement. | | (20102) | 482
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of widening the M25 between junctions 23 and 31; and if he will make a statement. | | (20103) | 483
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many payments were made in each category of section 70 of the Transport Act 1982 in (a) Essex and (b) England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (20104) | 484
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the operation of section 75 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. | | (20105) | 485
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the operation of section 175 of the Transport Act 2000. | | (20112) | 486
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish their response to advice from. | | (20117) | 487
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; which (a) publish their advice to Goverment, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20118) | 488
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20119) | 489
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will estimate the annual cost of extending a national half-fare travel concession to young people aged (a) 14 to 16, (b) 14 to 18 and (c) 14 to 21 years. | | (19932) | 490
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding the Government has provided to local authorities to help fund travel concessions for young people aged between 16 and 19 years in full-time education in each year since 1997. | | (19933) | 491
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated (a) total cost and (b) cost to central Government of extending concessionary fare schemes for local public transport to (i) those over 60 and the disabled in England and (ii) young people up to age 19 in full-time education in England has been in each year since 1997. | | (19934) | 492
N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 13th October to Question ref. 17108, what the reasons are for the time taken to provide a substantive answer to the question tabled on 12th July. | | (19537) | 493
N | Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to re-instate the Western Orbital Route in the road programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (19073) | 494
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who is responsible for the pension deficit on South West Trains; what would happen to the pension liabilities in the event that a new franchisee was chosen; and if he will make a statement. | | (19985) | 495
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the future of train services in (a) Sole Street, (b) Gravesend, (c) Higham and (d) Meopham. | | (19827) | 496
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of transport infrastructure needs in Gravesham. | | (19828) | 497
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account his Department takes of the protection of (a) historic homes and (b) forests in (i) Gravesham and (ii) England in approving the construction of (A) new railways and (B) other transport infrastructure. | | (19829) | 498
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Association of Train Operating Companies on encouraging train use by passengers, with particular reference to Gravesham. | | (19830) | 499
| Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures are in place to allow relevant local authorities a role in the supervision of ship-to-ship cargo transfer operations in estuaries around the UK coast. | | (19650) | 500
| Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account he will take of the protection of the marine environment when he decides on the application by Melbourne Marine Services for ship-to-ship cargo operations in the Firth of Forth. | | (19673) | 501
| Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to make a decision on the application by Melbourne Marine Services for ship-to-ship cargo transfer operations in the Firth of Forth. | | (19674) | 502
N | Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the Competition Commission's inquiry into Exeter airport. | | (19113) | 503
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the local authorities which (a) have and (b) have not introduced a 30 miles per hour speed restriction in villages. | | (20164) | 504
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the local authorities in England which (a) have and (b) have not implemented a 20 miles per hour speed restriction outside schools. | | (20165) | 505
| Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the regional consultation process on the dualling of the A11 in Suffolk will be completed. | | (19690) | 506
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish proposals on altering the criteria for eligibility for blue badges. | | (20158) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 507
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when he expects Herceptin to be available to patients in Wales for the treatment of early stage breast cancer. | | (19905) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 508
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from his Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. | | (20138) | 509
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish their response to advice received from such schools. | | (20139) | 510
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base which (a) publish their advice to Goverment, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20140) | 511
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case. | | (20141) | 512
| John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will raise winter fuel payments in line with recent energy price increases. | | (19751) | 513
| Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30th June, Official Report, column 2016W, on incapacity benefit, what proportion of the 29,000 people who left incapacity benefit over the last 12 months (a) had a closed certificate, (b) died or (c) transferred to a retirement pension. | | (19684) | 514
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total cost of housing benefit paid to council tenants was in the last year for which figures are available. | | (19805) | 515
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Gravesend constituency have received the correct level of payments from the Child Support Agency since its reorganisation in 2003; and what proportion of eligible Gravesend residents this represents. | | (19806) | 516
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many formal complaints his Department has received regarding the Child Support Agency from people in (a) Gravesham and (b) England since 1997. | | (19807) | 517
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Gravesham constituency are in receipt of incapacity benefit. | | (19808) | 518
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are being taken to ensure that individuals whose partners are self-employed can still receive Child Support Agency payments. | | (19809) | 519
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are waiting to receive incapacity benefits in (a) Gravesham and (b) Kent. | | (19810) | 520
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Gravesham have gained employment through the New Deal programme. | | (19811) | 521
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in Gravesham who have experienced increases in their council taxes since 1977 who are living in poverty. | | (20001) | 522
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Support Agency new scheme cases were stockpiled in the year to March 2003; how many of these cases are still waiting to be processed; what proportion of these cases originated from (a) parents with care on income support or income-related job seeker's allowance and (b) parents with care not on income support or income-related job seeker's allowance; how many are in (i) the pre-application stage, (ii) the application stage, (iii) the information-gathering stage and (iv) the calculation and collection set-up stage prior to first payment being received; and what average time these stockpiled cases have spent at each stage. | | (19631) | 523
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for (a) pension credit and (b) attendance allowance have been processed by Citizens Advice Bureaux staff; and how much has been paid to the Citizens Advice Bureaux for (i) the use of their offices and (ii) the work of their staff in processing claims for his Department. | | (19632) | 524
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of indexing the pensions of British citizens retiring to each country without a reciprocal agreement on social security, from this point forward, but without restoring the pensions to the level they would be at had they always been indexed (a) for each of the next five years, (b) in 2015, (c) in 2020 and (d) in 2030. | | (19953) | 525
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on progress by the Child Support Agency in dealing with its caseload backlog. | | (19954) | 526
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the conditions for receipt of income support by lone parents. | | (19955) | 527
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many overseas citizens who have settled in the United Kingdom since 1975 are now receiving (a) UK pensions and (b) UK means-tested pension benefits; and if he will make a statement. | | (19956) | 528
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his latest estimates are of take-up rates of each benefit and pension payment administered by his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (20007) | 529
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the administration costs were of the (a) pensioners' Christmas bonus, (b) the over 80s age top up to the basic pension and (c) winter fuel allowance in 2004-05; and if he will make a statement. | | (20012) | 530
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the revenue yield would be of restricting payments of lone parent income support to those with children below the age of 12; and if he will make a statement. | | (20021) | 531
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the benefit entitlement of migrant workers. | | (20024) | 532
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many migrant workers are claiming (a) income support, (b) jobseeker's allowance, (c) incapacity benefit and (d) disability living allowance; and if he will make a statement. | | (20025) | 533
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many citizens of the United Kingdom who are resident outside the United Kingdom are receiving a basic state pension which is not uprated each year, broken down by country of residence. | | (20026) | 534
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what budget has been allocated for testing the use of voice stress analysis in telephone-based benefit claims; which section of his Department is managing this work; and if he will make a statement. | | (20153) | 535
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing a disregard of all Child Support Agency payments in assessing benefit entitlement; and if he will make a statement. | | (20162) | 536
| Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of housing benefit claimants in deregulated tenancies renting from private landlords faced housing benefit shortfalls as a result of (a) rent officer determined restrictions and (b) rent officer determined single room rent restrictions in the last period for which figures are available; what the average value of the shortfall was for (i) housing benefit claimants with a shortfall and (ii) housing benefit claimants with a single room rent shortfall; and if he will make a statement. | | (19931) | 537
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been paid to date by the Financial Assistance Scheme, broken down by pension scheme. | | (19486) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 538
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help support grandparents who act as foster parents, guardians or holders of a residence order for their grandchildren; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (19743) | 539
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of children lived in (a) single parent families and (b) two parent families where the parents were married, in each year since 1976; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (20020) | 540
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the survival rates of cancer patients one year after diagnosis were in England in each of the last five years. | | [Transferred] (19908) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 541
| Mr William Cash (Stone):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the European Commission document COM (2005) 172. | | [Transferred] (19635) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 542
| Mr John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) listed buildings and (b) scheduled monuments are within 50 metres of the high water mark along the Suffolk coast. | | [Transferred] (19967) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 543
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the grants available for the installation and use of combined heat and power equipment. | | [Transferred] (19728) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 544
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much has been spent by the Government since 1997 on defending cases at the European Court of Human Rights. | | [Transferred] (19736) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 545
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) unitary and (b) metropolitan local authorities have received claims for compensation for (i) sexual and (ii) physical abuse arising out of residence in care homes and residential schools. | | [Transferred] (19946) | 546
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which local authorities have received claims for compensation for (a) sexual and (b) physical abuse arising out of residence in (i) care homes and (ii) residential schools; and what the total value of such claims is in respect of each authority. | | [Transferred] (19947) | 547
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been paid to claimants by local authorities for (a) sexual and (b) physical abuse arising out of residence in (i) care homes and (ii) residential schools since 1992. | | [Transferred] (19948) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 548
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the operation of section 15A of the Road Traffic 1988. | | [Transferred] (20100) | 549
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) males and (b) females were (i) charged and (ii) found guilty in (A) Essex and (B) England and Wales of an offence under (1) sections 22 and 22A, (2) section 27, (3) sections 28 and 29, (4) section 30 and (5) section 41A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | [Transferred] (20101) | 550
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the operation of section 41A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. | | [Transferred] (20113) | 551
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the operation of sections 22 and 22A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. | | [Transferred] (20114) | 552
| Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the operation of (a) section 16, (b) section 27 and (c) sections 28 and 29 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. | | [Transferred] (20116) | 553
| Mike Wood (Batley & Spen):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects local authorities will be able to use powers in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to close rights of way on crime prevention grounds. | | [Transferred] (19654) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 554
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions he has had with (a) officials and (b) auditing firms about reform of auditor liability. | | [Transferred] (19627) | 555
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the provisions relating to auditor liability in the European Commission's Eighth Directive. | | [Transferred] (19628) | 556
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list each event at which the East of England Development Agency spent money on (a) hospitality and (b) corporate entertainment in the last three years; and what was the expenditure at each event. | | [Transferred] (19726) | 557
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list for each regional development agency in England the total sum spent on (a) hospitality and (b) corporate entertainment for each financial year since their creation. | | [Transferred] (19729) |
|
