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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Tuesday 6 December 2005
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 6 December 2005
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 6 December of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department. For other Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 6 December of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Tuesday 6 December see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 1
| Ed Balls (Normanton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Wakefield district and (c) Normanton constituency have a level of debt above (i) £10,000, (ii) £20,000, (iii) £50,000 and (iv) £100,000. | | (35407) | 2
| Ed Balls (Normanton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many women in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Wakefield district and (c) Normanton constituency have debts of over £10,000; and how many of these are under 30 years old. | | (35408) | 3
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures the Government has put in place to require financial institutions to conduct enhanced due diligence on accounts of politically exposed persons with a view to detecting and reporting transactions which may involve proceeds of foreign corruption; and if he will make a statement. | | (35402) | 4
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has (a) to protect consumers from unregulated products sold by banks and (b) to ensure that consumers are made fully aware of which products are regulated and which are not; and if he will make a statement. | | (33852) | 5
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in respect of what proportion of tax credit claimants who have a reduced tax credit award due to the recovery of an overpayment the reduction is in response to an overpayment occurring in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06. | | (35338) | 6
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answers to the hon. Member for Tatton of 12th September 2005, Official Report, columns 2385-6W, on tax credits, if he will update the tables to include figures for the months of August to November. | | (35339) | 7
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures he is taking to speed up the response of HM Revenue and Customs to investigations by the Parliamentary Ombudsman. | | (35517) | 8
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures his Department is preparing to take to reduce the burden of administration on small businesses. | | (35518) | 9
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many deaths in which alcohol was the primary cause there were in each local authority area in each of the last eight years. | | (35462) | 10
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of research and development tax reliefs and tax credits on companies' propensity to spend money on research and development. | | (35495) | 11
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) small and medium-sized and (b) other companies have chosen (i) to offset research and development tax relief against current or future tax and (ii) to receive research and development tax credit as a cash sum in each year for which figures are available; what the total (A) turnover and (B) number of employees is of those companies in each case; and what the total value is of the tax (1) relief and (2) credit in each case. | | (35496) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 12
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Better Regulation Task Force's report on the proposed regulatory system in the Health Bill. | | (34711) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 13
N | Vera Baird (Redcar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many rape trials in which all proceedings are complete have been conducted in (a) Darlington Crown Court, (b) Carlisle Crown Court, (c) Newcastle Crown Court and (d) York Crown Court under the revised definition of that offence in the Sexual Offences Act 2003; and what verdicts have been returned in each case. | | (35292) | 14
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30th November, Official Report, columns 640-1W, on the Human Rights Act, what the (a) name and (b) publication date is of the guidance to local authorities; and if she will place a copy in the Library. | | (35405) | 15
N | Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will publish the report commissioned by her Department into the Public Defender Service; and if she will make a statement. | | (35083) | 16
N | Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will publish the advice provided by Frontier Economies to her Department in respect of its proposals to introduce competitive tendering in criminal legal aid; and if she will make a statement. | | (35084) | 17
N | Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will publish the advice her Department has received on the impact on ethnic diversity in the legal professions of the introduction of competitive tendering for criminal cases; and if she will make a statement. | | (35085) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 18
N | Angela Browning (Tiverton & Honiton):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the outcome was of the recent inquiry into the future of the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierpoint; and if she will make a statement. | | (34988) | 19
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what (a) advice and (b) other support her Department provides to (i) schools and (ii) the Department for Education and Skills to encourage a wider range of sporting activities to be provided in schools. | | (35516) | 20
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the International Olympic Committee and (b) national Olympic committees on the prevention of exploitation of and cruelty to children training in Olympic sports. | | (34626) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 21
N | Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the meetings he held with Crown Prince Abdullah and officials in July during his visit to Saudi Arabia included discussion of the Eurofighter Typhoon; and if he will make a statement. | | (34836) | 22
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on changes in the target in-service dates for each of the Future Aircraft Carriers. | | (33615) | 23
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons Ministers in his Department have ceased to identify the target in-service dates for each Future Aircraft Carrier as 2012 and 2015. | | (33616) | 24
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the latest dates would be to sign a main gate contract for the first Future Aircraft Carrier in order for it to be able to enter service in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014, (d) 2015 and (e) 2016. | | (33617) | 25
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent information he has received about whether the United States intends to develop the STOVL variant of the Joint Combat Aircraft; and what assessment he has made of the effect on plans for (a) the Future Aircraft Carriers and (b) the RAF if the STOVL variant were cancelled. | | (33618) | 26
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list those former Warsaw Pact countries belonging to NATO which have made information available (a) bilaterally to the United Kingdom, (b) to NATO and (c) by means of general publication revealing former Soviet plans to use (i) nuclear and (ii) conventional weapons in Europe. | | (34194) | 27
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he take steps, in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to obtain the material about former Soviet plans for (a) nuclear and (b) conventional warfare in Europe released by the Polish government and publish translations in English of this material. | | (34195) | 28
| Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 14th November 2005, Official Report, columns 41-2WS, on the International Security Assistance Force, what his most recent assessment is of the security situation in the province of Helmand, Afghanistan; and whether there have been (a) US and (b) allied casualties in that province since the invasion in 2001. | | (35475) | Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister 29
| John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the publications his Department and its predecessors have produced relating to faith communities since 1989. | | (35352) | 30
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many vacant domestic properties there were in (a) England and (b) each London borough in each of the last five years, broken down by tenure. | | (35354) | 31
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what responses on the local government finance consultation he has received from (a) Ribble Valley Borough Council and (b) Lancashire County Council; and when the responses were received. | | (35469) | 32
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of changes in the local government formula grant on public services delivered by (a) Ribble Valley Borough Council and (b) Lancashire County Council. | | (35470) | 33
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of Lancashire's council housing stock was sold under the right-to-buy scheme in each year since 1980. | | (35471) | 34
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many affordable homes are planned to be built as part of the growth area programme in (a) Lancashire and (b) Ribble Valley constituency in each year to 2031. | | (35472) | 35
| Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much money has been raised by English Partnerships through the sale of assets in Lancashire in each of the last four years. | | (35476) | 36
N | Justine Greening (Putney):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many fire and emergency call-outs were handled from fire stations based in the London Borough of Wandsworth in each year since 1997, broken down by fire station location. | | (34997) | 37
N | Justine Greening (Putney):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many fire and rescue emergency call-outs took place in the London Borough of Wandsworth in each year since 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency. | | (34999) | 38
N | Justine Greening (Putney):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the total cost was of fire and rescue services based in London in each year since 1997, broken down by London borough; how much of that expenditure was accounted for by manpower costs in each case; and if he will make a statement. | | (35000) | 39
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of town and parish councillors gained office as a result of a contested election. | | (35381) | 40
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many town and parish councils in England have achieved Quality Parish Council status. | | (35382) | 41
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many town and parish councils there are in England, broken down by district or unitary level local authority area; and how many levy their own precept in each case. | | (35383) | 42
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many town and parish councillors there are in England. | | (35384) | 43
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of funds raised through town and parish council precepts in England were spent on (a) capital and (b) revenue projects in the last year for which figures are available. | | (35387) | 44
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the main local services funded through the levy of town and parish council precepts are. | | (35388) | 45
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the average total combined cost of clerking, insurance and audit fees for town and parish councils in England in the last year for which figures are available. | | (35389) | 46
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average precept at Band D levied by town and parish councils in England was in each of the last 10 years. | | (35390) | 47
| Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assurances his Department has given to the Chair of the Local Government Association regarding extra financial assistance for local authorities relating to (a) licensing, (b) asylum seekers, (c) pensions and (d) disposal of electrical equipment. | | (35448) | 48
| Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 30th November 2005, Official Report, column 581W, on the asset register, what documents his officials work from when assessing the assets of his Department. | | (35487) | 49
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many call-outs for fires there were at each fire station in (a) Nottinghamshire, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) Derbyshire in the last three years. | | (35094) | 50
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he made of bus services attending Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire when objecting to this aspect of Tewkesbury Borough Council's Local Plan; and if he will make a statement. | | (35086) | 51
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to allow local councils to revalue properties which have been extended for the purpose of calculating council tax; and if he will make a statement. | | (35091) | 52
N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many council homes in Bradford were sold under the Right to Buy scheme in each year since 1980. | | (35288) | 53
N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of the council housing stock (a) houses and (b) flats has been sold since 1980 under the Right to Buy scheme. | | (35289) | 54
N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what amount of capital receipts has been generated from Right to Buy sales in Bradford in each year since 1980. | | (35290) | 55
N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to adopt innovative solutions to address household overcrowding in their area. | | (35291) | 56
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many attacks on fire crews have taken place in each county in England in each of the last eight years. | | (35463) | 57
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time firefighters serviced (i) Suffolk and (ii) Bury St Edmunds constituency in each year since 1997. | | (35464) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 58
| Ed Balls (Normanton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what outreach services are available to young people in the (a) Normanton and Sharlston and (b) Ossett wards of Normanton constituency (i) within and (ii) outside the Sure Start Plus Scheme. | | (35415) | 59
| Ed Balls (Normanton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schools within Normanton constituency have a school nurse providing practical advice on preventing and dealing with teenage pregnancy; and whether she plans to increase the number of schools with such nurses. | | (35416) | 60
| Mr Brian Binley (Northampton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when she will reply to the letter of 1st November 2005 from the hon. Member for Northampton South regarding the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children `Talk 'til it stops' campaign against child abuse. | | (35426) | 61
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils there were on (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools rolls in (i) England, (ii) London and (iii) each London borough in each of the last five years; and how many (A) took and (B) were eligible for free school meals in each case. | | (35421) | 62
N | Mr Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether a fast food company would be permitted to set up a school trust. | | (35341) | 63
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will increase funding for (a) adult education and (b) vocational courses. | | (35509) | 64
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures she is taking to work with the police, education authorities and schools to combat bullying. | | (35510) | 65
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures she is taking to reduce the burden of administration on headteachers. | | (35511) | 66
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the levels of truancy were in (a) Lancashire and (b) England in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. | | (35512) | 67
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to combat truancy. | | (35513) | 68
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment she has made of the implications for (a) the advice given to 16 to 18 year olds and (b) the funding for the education of that age group of the restructuring of the Learning and Skills Council. | | (35452) | 69
N | Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if the Government will fund the provision of toothbrushes and toothpaste to Sure Start nurseries in deprived areas. | | (34234) | 70
N | Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to encourage primary school children to brush their teeth at lunchtime. | | (34235) | 71
N | Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if the Government will support the Stop-the-Rot campaign to encourage nurseries to help prevent tooth decay in small children. | | (34237) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 72
| Mrs Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the regulation of quarantine facilities; and if she will make a statement. | | (35353) | 73
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what targets she has set for carbon dioxide reductions over the next (a) 20, (b) 30 and (c) 40 years. | | (35514) | 74
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on her discussions with the US Administration on climate change strategies. | | (35379) | 75
N | Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department's definition of higher risk events includes poultry auctions under licence. | | (34989) | 76
N | Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is permissible for poultry dealers to buy in birds from various individuals and locations and subsequently hold a sale of those birds on one site. | | (34990) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 77
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions since 1997 the United Kingdom has (a) deployed forfeiture-related mutual legal assistance experts to states whose assets have been secreted abroad to advise them on the form and substance of their legal assistance requests and (b) contributed to case-specific coordination task forces set up to work through responses to mutual legal assistance and forfeiture requests made by foreign states which are victim to large-scale corruption. | | (35399) | 78
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what advice his Department has given developing countries as to how they can seek assistance from the United Kingdom in investigating, freezing and confiscating the assets of criminal origin which are believed to be located in the United Kingdom. | | (35403) | 79
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what value of illicitly acquired assets of a foreign state recovered by British authorities has been returned to the victim state in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (35404) | 80
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on UK diplomatic representation in francophone Africa. | | (35370) | 81
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what measures are being taken by the Palestinian Authority to fulfil its international obligations to reduce terrorism. | | (35432) | 82
N | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the former residence of the British High Commissioner in Cape Town is for sale. | | (34935) | 83
N | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the open market value is of the former residence of the British High Commissioner at Upper Hillwood Road, Bishopscourt, Cape Town. | | (34991) | 84
N | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total cost was of the repair and refurbishment of the Cape Town residence of the British High Commissioner after the fire in 1999; and what proportion of the cost was met by (a) the High Commission, (b) the Government and (c) third parties. | | (34992) | 85
N | Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's rules are for the sale of former residences of British high commissioners overseas; and if he will make a statement. | | (34993) | 86
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the US Administration about reports of US detention facilities which use torture in Eastern Europe. | | (35520) | 87
| Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will ask the new Polish government not to proceed with entry into the eurozone. | | (35435) | 88
N | Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24th November, Official Report, columns 2245-6W, on foreign decorations, when he expects the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals to announce (a) its decision on the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal and (b) the results of its review of the Government's rules for the accepting and wearing of foreign awards. | | (33436) | 89
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department became aware that the Bulgarian authorities at the beginning of September had intercepted a truck travelling from the UK to Iran containing zirconium silicate; when other United Kingdom authorities were alerted to this event; what the subsequent involvement of his Department in the investigation was; and if he will make a statement. | | (34699) | 90
N | Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, under what legal jurisdiction British subjects are working in Iraq if employed by (a) the UK Government and (b) the US Administration; and if he will make a statement. | | (34996) | 91
N | Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total cost was of (a) private security guards and (b) private contractors employed in Iraq by the UK Government in 2004-05; and if he will make a statement. | | (35001) | 92
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding is being provided by the EU to build a tunnel between Morocco and Spain; and if he will make a statement. | | (35300) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 93
| Mr Brian Binley (Northampton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the review of the tribunal model and assessment of the workforce prior to the introduction of the Mental Health Bill has been completed. | | (35424) | 94
| Mr Brian Binley (Northampton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the conclusion of the Mental Health Bill working group on the viability of the proposed new mental health tribunal. | | (35425) | 95
| Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods (City of Durham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time is for NHS patients in England for a bespoke powered wheelchair. | | (35437) | 96
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action her Department has taken to reduce sudden death by epilepsy since the publication of the Government's Action Plan on Epilepsy in 2003; what assessment she has made of the progress that has been made in reducing the levels of sudden death by epilepsy since the publication of the Action Plan; and what guidance she has given to practitioners to ensure patients with epilepsy are fully informed about the risks of sudden death from the condition. | | (35355) | 97
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients diagnosed with epilepsy since 1994 have been reported as having suffered an adverse reaction after failing to take their anti-epilepsy drugs as prescribed; and what types of adverse reaction these were. | | (35357) | 98
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding was allocated to local authorities to meet their responsibilities under section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 in relation to funeral provision in each of the past five years; and how much was spent by each local authority in England on section 46 funeral provision in each year. | | (35358) | 99
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what savings were identified in her Department as a result of the Gershon Review; and what progress has been made towards making these savings to date. | | (35365) | 100
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will compile and publish a detailed analysis of how the increased investment in the NHS has been spent in each year of the current comprehensive spending review period. | | (35366) | 101
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) terms of reference, (b) powers and (c) costs are of the turnaround teams she is sending into NHS organisations in deficit. | | (35367) | 102
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much financial support has been committed to each NHS organisation from (a) strategic health authorities and (b) the NHS Bank in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06. | | (35368) | 103
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on which subjects the Healthcare Commission has commissioned clinical audits; and when she expects each audit will be published. | | (35369) | 104
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 2nd November 2005, Official Report, column 1144W, on HIV tests, if she will break down the figures by sex. | | (35410) | 105
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10th November 2005, Official Report, columns 664W, on avian influenza, what representations she has received about the adequacy of the escalation plans. | | (35412) | 106
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information her Department collects concerning assaults on NHS workers; and what recent changes her Department has made to data collected regarding violence towards staff. | | (35418) | 107
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information the NHS Security Management Service collects concerning the sentences handed down as a result of prosecutions involving physical assaults on staff. | | (35419) | 108
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 29th September 2005, Official Report, column 284W, on agency nurses, what estimate she has made of the total number of nursing agencies not registered with the Commission for Social Care Inspection. | | (35422) | 109
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11th July 2005, Official Report, column 710W, on alcohol-related illness, what the equivalent figures for 2004-05 were. | | (35423) | 110
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what national targets for tooth decay her Department has set in the last five years; and what the performance against each target has been of each (a) primary care trust and (b) strategic health authority. | | (35427) | 111
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in each strategic health authority have been diagnosed with epilepsy since 1997, broken down by age group. | | (35428) | 112
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will make a statement on access to NHS dental treatment in the Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust area. | | (35488) | 113
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to increase the number of dentists accepting patients on the NHS in the Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust area. | | (35489) | 114
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps her Department is taking to promote healthy eating among (a) children and (b) the general population. | | (35490) | 115
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Education and Skills about the provision of free milk in schools for those aged between seven and 11 years. | | (35491) | 116
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent nurses have been employed in the NHS in each of the last five years, broken down by region; and if she will make a statement. | | (35519) | 117
| Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to reduce the amount of time student nurses wait for their NHS bursaries. | | (35430) | 118
N | Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her Written Statement of 1st December 2005, Official Report, column 37WS, on publication of NHS finance data, what criteria she is setting in selecting which NHS trusts will be supported by turnaround teams; and whether any NHS trusts in Worcestershire are planned to be so supported. | | (34995) | 119
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average length of time was to make an appointment with a general practitioner in North Yorkshire in the last period for which figures are available. | | (35453) | 120
N | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, why Mr John Bacon's letter of 30th November 2005 to Pearse Butler of the Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority does not refer to Pendle in the latest proposals for primary care trust reconfiguration. | | (35202) | 121
N | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the revised proposals for the reconfiguration of strategic health authorities and primary care trusts in (a) Lancashire and Cumbria and (b) elsewhere in England meet the 15 per cent. savings criteria set out in Sir Nigel Crisp's letter of 28th July; and if she will make a statement. | | (35206) | 122
N | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will rank by population the proposed re-configured primary care trusts in England which are now to go out to public consultation. | | (35207) | 123
N | Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she will answer question reference 30777 tabled by the hon. Member for Pendle on 16th November 2005, on primary care trusts. | | (35208) | 124
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dentists in (a) the East of England, (b) Suffolk and (c) the constituency of Bury St Edmunds are registering NHS patients; and how many were so doing in each case in each of the last five years. | | (35465) | 125
N | Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps have been taken in co-operation with industry to increase the capacity available to produce vaccine to counter a pandemic of a human variant of avian influenza. | | (34994) | 126
| Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the merits of (a) compulsory wearing of facemasks by staff dealing directly with patients, (b) compulsory routine testing of all hospital staff for infections and (c) prohibition of hospital uniforms being worn offsite. | | (35447) | 127
| Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, into which NHS organisations in West Yorkshire her Department intends to send turnaround teams. | | (35439) | 128
N | Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what services to NHS patients in South Gloucestershire will be provided by the proposed Independent Sector Treatment Centre; where the centre will be located; and if she will make a statement. | | (35201) | 129
| Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what overall NHS staff costs were in each year since 1997. | | (35468) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 130
| John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the publications his Department has produced relating to faith communities since 1989. | | (35351) | 131
N | James Brokenshire (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long on average the Metropolitan Police took to process Criminal Records Bureau checks in the last period for which figures are available. | | (34576) | 132
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value is of assets (a) realised and (b) frozen by the Assets Recovery Agency which have been derived from (i) corrupt activities overseas and (ii) the theft of foreign states' assets. | | (35400) | 133
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money has been realised on behalf of other jurisdictions following enforcement of an overseas confiscation order; on behalf of which jurisdiction the order was made in each case; how much was (a) realised and (b) shared with the requesting country once the recovery costs had been deducted in each case; and whether the assets recovered were (i) the proceeds of corruption and (ii) the theft of a foreign state's assets in each case. | | (35401) | 134
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21st October 2005, Official Report, columns 45-6W, on work permits, if he will break down the number of permits issued in each year by country of origin. | | (35411) | 135
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28th November 2005, Official Report, columns 32-33W, on court proceedings statistics, if he will publish the statistics due to be published in late November. | | (35417) | 136
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offences involving air weapons there were in (a) England, (b) London and (c) each London borough in each of the last five years. | | (35420) | 137
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many young offenders have been intensively supervised in the community in each year since 1997. | | (35431) | 138
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the effectiveness of (a) prison and (b) restorative justice is measured; and if he will make a statement. | | (35445) | 139
N | Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to the national DNA database (a) he has received and (b) have been successful; and if he will make a statement. | | (35297) | 140
N | Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received from police forces in the United Kingdom requesting that the European Union develops an EU-level strategy for tackling organised crime. | | (35096) | 141
N | Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what (a) legal and (b) constitutional basis the European Commission is entitled to develop and implement a strategy on tackling organised crime at a European Union level. | | (35281) | 142
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of (a) Level 2 Capability and (b) forensic management in (i) Gloucestershire Constabulary and (ii) other police forces in the South West region. | | (35293) | 143
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the police force restructuring proposals on the recorded levels of crime in the year after they are introduced for each constabulary in England and Wales. | | (35294) | 144
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate he has made of the number of crimes per police officer for each constabulary in England and Wales. | | (35295) | 145
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the police force restructuring proposals on the crime detection rate (a) during the restructuring and (b) immediately afterwards for each constabulary in England and Wales. | | (35296) | 146
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures his Department is taking to raise public awareness of the work of Victim Support. | | (35502) | 147
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of mobile telephone theft there were in (a) Lancashire and (b) England and Wales in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. | | (35503) | 148
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with mobile telephone companies about measures to combat the theft of mobile telephones. | | (35504) | 149
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Ministers and officials have (a) met and (b) requested briefings from (i) Southwark Police, (ii) Southwark Council, (iii) Southwark Anti-social Behaviour Unit and (iv) the Home Office Anti-social Behaviour Unit in relation to anti-social behaviour in the London Borough of Southwark since May. | | (35097) | 150
N | Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he consulted (a) Southwark Police, (b) Southwark Council, (c) Southwark Anti-social Behaviour Unit and (d) the Home Office Anti-social Behaviour Unit prior to giving an interview to the South London Press for publication on 25th November. | | (35283) | 151
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers are serving in (a) Essex and (b) England and Wales; what these figures represent per head of the population in each case; and how many police officers were serving in (i) Essex and (ii) England and Wales in 1997. | | (35451) | 152
N | Mr Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what changes to the asylum system his Department has introduced as a result of representations from the Scottish Executive. | | (34009) | 153
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with EU ministers about illegal immigration from North Africa into the EU; and if he will make a statement. | | (35301) | 154
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests, (b) convictions and (c) cautions for offences relating to (i) possession and (ii) dealing in class (A) A, (B) B and (C) C drugs there were in each police authority area in 2004. | | (35467) | 155
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost of interviewing all first time adult passport applicants. | | (35380) | 156
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects to introduce the e-passport with a chip containing the image of the holder's face; and if he will make a statement. | | (35385) | 157
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were prosecuted for passport (a) fraud and (b) forgery in each of the last five years. | | (35386) | 158
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of passport photographs were rejected for not meeting the required standards in the last year for which figures are available. | | (35391) | 159
N | Mr David Winnick (Walsall North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter of 1st November from the hon. Member for Walsall North regarding a constituent: reference: A1102564. | | (34881) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 160
N | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether during the period in which the Commonwealth Development Corporation had a shareholding in Corporacion Fischel Corporacion Fischel entered into an agreement with the Finnish company Instrumentarium to supply medical equipment to Costa Rica. | | (35298) | 161
N | Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the company O. Fischel R. was a controlled subsidiary of Corporacion Fischel during the period in which the Commonwealth Development Corporation had a shareholding in Corporacion Fischel. | | (35299) | 162
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list CDC/Actis Capital-funded (a) new investments and (b) disposals in (i) agribusiness, (ii) telecoms, (iii) infrastructure, (iv) minerals, oil and gas, (v) financial institutions, (vi) education and health sectors, (vii) retail and (viii) energy in each year since 1999, broken down by country. | | (35450) | 163
| Malcolm Bruce (Gordon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in which energy sector companies CDC/Actis Capital has invested. | | (35521) | 164
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures are in place to ensure accountability for funds transferred from (a) the UK and (b) the European Union for development assistance in the Palestinian Authority; and if he will make a statement. | | (35433) | 165
N | Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what action he is taking to ensure that International Monetary Fund conditions allow increases in spending of money provided by the IMF on health in countries fighting HIV/AIDS. | | (34783) | 166
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress is being made in providing shelter for those made homeless by the South Asia earthquake. | | (35414) | 167
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department has taken over the last 12 months to ensure a long-term supply of affordable paediatric drugs for HIV in developing countries; what discussions he has had with the pharmaceutical industry on this; and if he will make a statement. | | (35204) | 168
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much his Department has spent on enabling the least developed countries to meet the economic, administrative and legal challenges of making use of the flexibilities within the agreement on the trade related aspects of intellectual property rights of the World Trade Organisation. | | (35205) | Questions to the Leader of the House 169
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Leader of the House, if he will bring forward proposals for regional question time sessions in the House for each of the English regions. | | (35515) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 170
| Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many patrols were undertaken by the Fisheries Conservancy Board patrol boat around the Foyle and Bush rivers on Northern Ireland's North Coast area in the last year for which figures are available; what the (a) nature and (b) extent of co-operation with the Loughs Agency patrol vessel about these patrols was; and on how many days during the 2005 angling and netting season the patrol boat was not in use. | | (35356) | 171
N | Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps are being taken (a) to process area plans and (b) to expedite the processing of outstanding planning applications. | | (35335) | 172
N | Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how money recovered by the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland has been distributed. | | (35336) | 173
N | Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how the money allocated to the new Assets Recovery Incentive scheme in Northern Ireland will be distributed. | | (35337) | 174
N | Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his Statement of 23rd November, Official Report, column 1540, whether the agreement referred to was made by the Prime Minister with the IRA/Sinn Fein at Western Park in 2001; and what assessment was made at the time of whether there would have been a threat of a return to violence without the agreement. | | (35280) | 175
N | David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what public consultation was conducted before the Government presented the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill. | | (34628) | 176
N | David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will discuss with mental healthcare professionals the impact of the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill. | | (35042) | 177
N | Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 24th November 2005, Official Report, column 2199W, on property valuations, for what reasons the copies of the Equality Impact Assessment TSN analysis and Rural Proofing analysis have not been placed in the Library. | | (35093) | 178
N | Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 29th November 2005, Official Report, column 393W, on the Valuation and Lands Agency, when the internal working documents and guidance will be placed in the Library. | | (35095) | 179
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many research and development grants have been awarded to companies in Northern Ireland under the (a) Smart Micro, (b) Smart, (c) Start-company only, (d) Start-partnership, (e) Compete-Phase 1 and (f) Compete-Phase 2 programmes in each year for which figures are available; what the total value was of such grants in each year; what the total value is of private sector contributions to funded projects in each year and category; and what the equivalent information is for predecessor schemes in each of the previous five years. | | (35499) | Questions to the Prime Minister 180
N | David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Prime Minister, what meetings he has had with the (a) Democratic Unionist Party, (b) Ulster Unionist Party, (c) UK Unionist Party, (d) Social Democratic and Labour Party, (e) Alliance Party, (f) Sinn Fein and (g) the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland during the last 18 months. | | (34627) | Questions to the Solicitor General 181
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Solicitor General, how many prosecutions were dropped in each government region in England in each quarter since April 2004; what percentage of all cases each figure represents; what the total cost of cases dropped was; what the total cost of all cases was; and what the reason recorded on the Compass Case Management System was for each case dropped. | | (35413) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 182
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the timetable is for his Department's proposals to amend the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. | | (35480) | 183
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps the Government proposes to take at the World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong to ensure a fair deal for the world's poorest farmers; and if he will make a statement. | | (35436) | 184
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the expenditure on the Clear Skies and Major Photovoltaics Demonstration Programme was in each year since 2002. | | (35434) | 185
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, with which company his Department had discussions about the export of zirconium silicate to Iran (a) before its shipment in September and (b) subsequent to this shipment's interception by the Bulgarian authorities; whether the company informed the Department (i) to whom they were supplying this material and (ii) what its end use was; and if he will make a statement. | | (34698) | 186
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether an export of zirconium silicate from the UK to Iran requires an export licence. | | (34700) | 187
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which UK agencies are investigating the circumstances relating to the interception by the Bulgarian authorities at the beginning of September of a truck travelling from the UK to Iran, containing zirconium silicate; and whether these investigations are (a) separate from and (b) in conjunction with investigations by the Bulgarian authorities; and if he will make a statement. | | (34701) | 188
N | Mr Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the current price is of electricity per unit generated from (a) nuclear, (b) off-shore wind, (c) on-shore wind, (d) wave and (e) tidal energy. | | (33437) | 189
| Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much his Department has spent on the purchase of branded (a) L.P. bags, (b) plastic carrier bags and (c) pens in each year since 1997. | | (35449) | 190
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many hearing loss claims have been (a) submitted and (b) settled for miners from the Bassetlaw constituency. | | (35284) | 191
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much has been paid in costs to the Union of Democratic Mineworkers for miners' hearing loss claims. | | (35340) | 192
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many new business start-ups there were in (a) the East of England, (b) Suffolk and (c) the constituency of Bury St Edmunds in each of the last five years. | | (35466) | 193
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what his Department's targets are for increased use of renewable fuels for energy generation; and if he will make a statement. | | (35377) | 194
| Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when he expects to make a statement on Government policy on the nuclear industry. | | (35378) | 195
N | Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what Government assistance is available to (a) small and (b) large manufacturing firms in Burnley and Padiham. | | (33899) | 196
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will place in the Library the guidelines issued to all Government departments in implementing the mandatory Small Business Research Initiative. | | (35492) | 197
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what progress he has made in his discussions with Government departments towards implementing a mandatory small business research initiative programme. | | (35493) | 198
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many research and development opportunities were disseminated to (a) small and medium-sized enterprises, (b) universities and (c) other organisations through the Small Business Research Initiative in each of the last five years; what the total value of such opportunities was in each case in each year; how many contracts were awarded as a result in each case in each year; and what the value of such contracts was in each case in each year. | | (35494) | 199
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many projects have been funded through his Department's Technology Programme and its nearest equivalent predecessors in (a) small and medium-sized enterprises, (b) other businesses, (c) universities and (d) other organisations in each year since 1997; what the total sums awarded were in each case; and what the total value was of contributions to funded projects required from participants in each case. | | (35497) | 200
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much funding was provided for each individual project that has been awarded funds under his Department's Technology Programme; over how many years this funding is provided for the project; what the name is of each participant in the project; what category of organisation each falls into; how much funding was provided to each participant; and what the value was of each contribution required to be made by a participant in each case. | | (35498) | 201
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what criteria he will use to ascertain whether the mandatory Small Business Research Initiative is a success. | | (35500) | 202
| Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many research and development grants have been awarded to companies in the (a) micro, (b) research, (c) development and (d) exceptional category of his Department's research and development programme in each year for which figures are available, broken down by region; what the total value was of private sector contributions to funded projects in each year and category; and what the nearest available equivalent information is for predecessor schemes in each of the previous five years. | | (35501) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 203
N | Adam Afriyie (Windsor):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the future of the Thames Link 2000 Project. | | (34157) | 204
N | Adam Afriyie (Windsor):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the recent progress of the Crossrail Project. | | (34158) | 205
N | Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what effect the recent award of the Integrated Kent Franchise will have on rail services between Bexhill and London Victoria. | | (34575) | 206
N | Mr Alan Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will recommence rail passenger partnership funding for new passenger services; whether such services can be considered under (a) the local transport plan major scheme procedure and (b) a similar procedure; and if he will make a statement. | | (32614) | 207
N | Mr Alan Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to publish (a) the final regional planning assessment for the North East and (b) the consultants' final report on the review of the Northern Rail franchise; and whether their recommendations will be available to the 2006 rail timetable planning conference in February 2006. | | (32615) | 208
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the implementation of Lord Cullen's recommendations after the Ladbroke Grove crash. | | (35438) | 209
| Mr Martin Caton (Gower):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicle accidents where drivers of airport transport had exceeded the driving time limit set down in the UK domestic drivers' hours rules have been recorded in the last three years. | | (35429) | 210
N | Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who is responsible for the maintenance of the A417 between Cirencester and Gloucester. | | (34998) | 211
N | Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the public subsidy to the railway industry (a) was in 1997 and (b) has been in 2005 to date. | | (34472) | 212
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on progress being made on the new railway station at Buckshaw village in Chorley. | | (35481) | 213
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on access for disabled people to public transport. | | (35482) | 214
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects all buses in (a) England and (b) Lancashire to be accessible by disabled people and those in wheelchairs. | | (35483) | 215
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with rail operating companies about fares. | | (35484) | 216
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to encourage in-house maintenance on the railways. | | (35485) | 217
N | Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to issue statutory guidance under section 87 of the Traffic Management Act 2004; and what the reason is for the time taken in so doing. | | (34013) | 218
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many former Strategic Rail Authority staff have been employed by his Department. | | (35396) | 219
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff vacancies there are in the railways sector of his Department. | | (35397) | 220
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff the Strategic Rail Authority employed prior to its abolition. | | (35398) | 221
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce car accidents involving people between the ages of 17 and 24 years; and if he will make a statement. | | (35089) | 222
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what offence is committed if someone wrongly takes advantage of the blue badge scheme on private land; and if he will make a statement. | | (35090) | 223
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information regarding car registration details the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is entitled to provide to vehicle clamping companies; and if he will make a statement. | | (35092) | 224
| Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his statement of 3rd November 2005, Official Report, columns 60-62WS, on Leeds supertram, what funding his Department plans to provide for a Leeds rapid bus scheme. | | (35473) | 225
N | Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) capital and (b) revenue subsidy per passenger mile travelled was to bus companies by transport authorities in England for the most recent year for which information is available. | | (34861) | 226
| Dr Tony Wright (Cannock Chase):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many trains on the Arriva Trains Wales service between Birmingham and Aberystwyth did not (a) depart from and (b) arrive at Birmingham in the most recent period that figures are available; and what percentage of journeys on the line these figures represent. | | (35446) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 227
N | Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average number of days was from first contact by a new jobseeker's allowance claimant to first payment for claims administered by (a) the Benefits Agency and (b) JobCentre Plus in each of the last five years. | | (34271) | 228
N | Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many crisis loan applications have been received from people who are waiting for their benefit claims to be processed by JobCentre Plus, broken down by contact centre. | | (34272) | 229
N | Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average number of days taken (a) to call back and (b) from call back to interview date for each Customer Management System centre was in the last period for which figures are available. | | (34273) | 230
N | Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total processing times are for new (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) income support claims in (i) JobCentre Plus areas and (ii) areas where JobCentre Plus is not yet rolled out. | | (34274) | 231
N | Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what instructions have been issued to JobCentre Plus and Customer Management System staff on the advice they should offer to customers who state they are suffering financial hardship while awaiting an interview and processing of their claim. | | (34275) | 232
| Ed Balls (Normanton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many debt advisers are working in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Wakefield district and (c) Normanton constituency; and whether staffing levels are planned to increase over the Christmas period. | | (35406) | 233
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 9th November 2005, Official Report, column 548W, on the Link-Age pilots, where each pilot is located; and how each pilot will be evaluated. | | (35474) | 234
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 31st October 2005, Official Report, column 610, what progress has been made by the Financial Assistance Scheme Operational Unit; and whether he expects the first payments to be made by the Unit by Christmas. | | (35486) | 235
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of pensioners were eligible for (a) housing benefit, (b) council tax benefit and (c) pension credit on the latest date for which figures are available; and what the forecasted figures are for 2050 assuming that eligibility rules remain the same. | | (35203) | 236
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures he is taking to speed up the payment of the winter fuel allowance. | | (35505) | 237
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures he is taking to ensure that carers claim the benefits to which they are entitled. | | (35506) | 238
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about increasing the winter fuel allowance. | | (35507) | 239
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to increase carer's allowance. | | (35508) | 240
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how Jobcentre Plus has performed against its customer service targets in each year since 2001. | | (35359) | 241
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) customer satisfaction surveys and (b) results of mystery shopper exercises conducted since 2001 for (i) Jobcentre Plus, (ii) the Pension Service, (iii) the Child Support Agency and (iv) the Disability and Carers Service. | | (35360) | 242
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21st July 2005, Official Report, column 2018W, on internal audit recommendations, when he plans to place these in the Library. | | (35361) | 243
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls have been made by claimants from `warm phones' within Jobcentre Plus offices to Jobcentre Plus call centres in each month since 2003; how many of these calls (a) were handled by an adviser and (b) received an engaged tone; and what the average wait was to speak to a call centre adviser in each month. | | (35362) | 244
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what total spending was on (a) all pensioner benefits, (b) the basic state pension, (c) minimum income guarantee and pension credit, (d) winter fuel payment, (e) disability benefits for pensioners, (f) housing benefit for pensioners, (g) council tax benefit for pensioners and (h) other benefits for pensioners (i) in cash terms, (ii) in real terms and (iii) as a percentage of gross domestic product in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures in (A) 2010, (B) 2020, (C) 2030, (D) 2040 and (E) 2050. | | (35363) | 245
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the value of the basic state pension as a proportion of average earnings were current uprating policy to continue in (a) 2010, (b) 2020, (c) 2030, (d) 2040 and (e) 2050. | | (35364) | 246
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of pensioners receive (a) a contracted-out pension and (b) Serps or S2P; and what estimate he has made of the average amount received by these pensioners. | | (35371) | 247
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) single women, (b) single men and (c) couples aged (i) 60 to 64, (ii) 65 to 69, (iii) 70 to 74 and (iv) 75 years or over receive less than a full basic state pension by up to (A) 50 pence, (B) £1, (C) £5, (D) £10, (E) £20 and (F) £30 per week. | | (35372) | 248
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) single men, (b) single women and (c) couples aged 75 years or over would (i) be floated off pension credit, (ii) remain in receipt of guarantee credit and (iii) become eligible for savings credit were a full basic state pension to be made payable to them in (A) 2005-06, (B) 2010, (C) 2020, (D) 2030, (E) 2040 and (F) 2050. | | (35373) | 249
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of women aged between (a) 40 and 44, (b) 45 and 49, (c) 50 and 54 and (d) 55 and 59 years would receive less than a full basic state pension if from 2006-07 until their retirement it was assumed they made full national insurance contributions. | | (35374) | 250
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost of paying a full basic state pension, regardless of contributions, to all pensioners aged 75 years or over in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2010, (c) 2020, (d) 2030, (e) 2040 and (f) 2050. | | (35375) | 251
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost of using the same rules to credit people into entitlement to the state second pension as exist to credit people into entitlement for the basic state pension in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2010, (c) 2020, (d) 2030, (e) 2040 and (f) 2050; and how many (i) men and (ii) women he estimates would benefit in each year. | | (35376) | 252
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when (a) he and (b) his officials last met officials from HM Revenue and Customs to discuss the future of the Child Support Agency. | | (35393) | 253
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library copies of the results of the latest staff surveys for (a) his Department and (b) each of its executive agencies. | | (35394) | 254
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount of compensation paid to clients by the Child Support Agency (CSA) has been since 1997; and (a) how many and (b) what proportion of complaints about the CSA have been upheld by the Independent Case Examiner since 1997. | | (35395) | 255
N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many lone parents (a) were referred to and (b) accessed training after participating in the New Deal for Lone Parents in each month between January 2004 and October 2005. | | (35285) | 256
N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average value was of awards made from the Advisers Discretionary Fund to lone parents participating in the New Deal for Lone Parents in each month between January 2004 and October 2005. | | (35286) | 257
N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many lone parents entered employment after participation in the New Deal for Lone Parents in each month between January 2004 and October 2005; and how many Advisers Discretionary Fund Awards were made to lone parents participating in the New Deal for Lone Parents in each month between January 2004 and October 2005. | | (35287) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 258
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on introducing a requirement for all public sector contractors to establish project bank accounts for all construction projects coming on-stream; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (35479) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 259
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many immigration cases have involved allegations of domestic violence in Australia in the past three years. | | [Transferred] (35087) | 260
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many women accompanied by their children who have fled alleged domestic violence in Australia have been (a) granted visas to stay in the United Kingdom and (b) had their children returned to Australia against their wishes in the last three years. | | [Transferred] (35088) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 261
| Ed Balls (Normanton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people living in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Wakefield district and (c) Normanton constituency have been declared bankrupt in the last 12 months; and how many such declarations occurred during the Christmas period. | | [Transferred] (35409) |
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