Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2005 - 06
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 25 January 2006

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

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 25 January 2006
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 25 January 2006

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 25 January 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 25 January of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Wednesday 25 January see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

1
N Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to revise stakeholder pension tax relief levels in 2006.

(43956)

2
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will (a) remove and (b) reduce the VAT burden on charities.

(45808)

3
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to exempt commemorative headstones for graves from VAT.

(45812)

4
Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17th January 2006, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing the information sought; what information he would need to collect to be able to answer the question at a proportionate cost; how many officials within (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs spent some or all of their working day on tax investigations in 2004-05; and what estimate he has made of public expenditure on tax investigations for that year.

(45676)

5
N Mr David Chaytor (Bury North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the annual percentage change in (a) fuel duty and (b) the retail price index was in each of the last 10 years.

(43050)

6
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to provide long-term security and reasonable return on long-term savings invested in the private sector.

(45820)

7
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) private sector jobs in (i) manufacturing and (ii) the service sector and (b) public sector jobs there were in Coventry South in each year since 1997.

(44632)

8
N James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment HM Revenue and Customs has made of the relative influence of the taxation system and the practice of individual contractors as causes of miscategorisation of construction workers as self-employed individuals.

(45485)

9
N James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rate of compliance for payments of deductions to HM Revenue and Customs under the Construction Industry Scheme was in each year since it was introduced.

(45486)

10
N James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many contractors had their gross payment status revoked for the tax year (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2005-06.

(45487)

11
N James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the reform of the Construction Industry Scheme.

(45488)

12
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45927)

13
John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the level of fuel duty for a liquid fuel produced from (a) biomass and (b) waste cooking oil that is (i) diesel quality and (ii) not diesel quality.

(45897)

14
Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost of changing the tax credits income increase disregard from £2,500 to £25,000.

(46043)

15
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have taken up basic bank accounts in the UK since they were introduced; and what percentage of all UK personal bank accounts are basic bank accounts.

(45900)

16
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of total sales of (a) beers and lagers, (b) wine and (c) spirits were sold in (i) licensed premises and (ii) off licences in the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available.

(45928)

17
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the estimated consumption per capita was of (a) beers and lagers, (b) wine and (c) spirits in the UK, in each of the last 10 years.

(45983)

18
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effects on Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency of measures in his Pre-Budget Report.

(45694)

19
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is of the cost of organised fraud of the tax credit system in each quarter since April 2003; and if he will make a statement.

(45678)

20
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many claims for tax credits were made by severely disabled adult workers without children in each month from April 2003 to January 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(45679)

21
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many claims for tax credits were received over the internet in each month from April 2003 to December 2005; and if he will make a statement.

(45680)

22
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many claims for child tax credit for disabled children were made in each month since April 2003.

(45681)

23
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HM Revenue and Customs first detected organised fraudulent use of the tax credit system; and if he will make a statement.

(45691)

24
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recommendations officials in HM Revenue and Customs made to the Paymaster General in June 2005 about organised attempts to defraud the tax credits system; and what steps were taken as a result.

(45692)

25
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HM Revenue and Customs first considered closing the e-portal to reduce the risks of organised fraud of the tax credit system.

(45693)

26
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the proposal announced in the Pre-Budget Report 2005 to double the number of security checks in the tax credit system will be implemented; and at what stages of a tax credit claim (a) security checks will be increased and (b) new security checks will be introduced.

(45700)

27
Mr Oliver Letwin (West Dorset):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the legal basis is for HM Revenue and Customs' policy of restricting bio-fuel discounts to producers who use transesterification processes for production.

(45805)

28
Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list individuals and corporate entities who (a) have been and (b) will be granted exemption prior to the issuance of any Lloyds market reorganisation order under the provisions of Statutory Instrument 2005, No. 1998, on insolvency.

(45811)

29
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received on public sector pay.

(45835)

30
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff have been employed by the Financial Services Authority in each year since its creation.

(45568)

31
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the service offered by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to professionals seeking guidance and interpretation of FSA rules and guidelines; and if he will make a statement.

(45573)

32
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the financial impact of the work of the Financial Services Authority on firms of independent financial advisers with (a) up to five employees and (b) with more than five employees; and if he will make a statement.

(45612)

33
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the authorisation procedure operated by the Financial Services Authority for the authorisation of (a) individuals and (b) institutions to offer financial advice; and if he will make a statement.

(45656)

34
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications from (a) individuals and (b) institutions for authorisation to issue financial advice have been received by the Financial Services Authority in each year since its creation; and how many in each category were successful.

(45662)

35
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what changes the Financial Services Authority plans to make to the fees it levies; and if he will make a statement.

(45824)

36
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12th January 2006, Official Report, column 773W, on tax credits, how many tax credit applications are being processed; and how many of these applications were received (a) up to six months ago and (b) more than six months ago.

(46046)

37
Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of the Child Trust Fund scheme in the next five years, including administration costs.

(45449)

38
N Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost of the Child Trust Fund scheme has been, including administration costs, in each year since the scheme was introduced.

(45451)

39
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of census figures for (a) houses in multiple occupation and (b) caravan parks; and if he will make a statement.

(45668)

40
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many vehicle excise duty payments were made in each of the last six weeks for which figures are available in each local authority area in North Wales.

(46068)

41
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rate of (a) unemployment, (b) long-term unemployment, (c) youth unemployment and (d) economic inactivity was in (i) Denbighshire and (ii) Vale of Clwyd constituency in each of the last 20 years.

(46069)

42
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) private sector jobs in (i) agriculture, (ii) manufacturing and (iii) the service sector and (b) public sector jobs there were in (A) Vale of Clwyd constituency and (B) Denbighshire in each of the last 20 years.

(46078)

43
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to allow 100 per cent. of proceeds from the National Lottery to go directly to good causes.

(46024)

Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs

44
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what plans she has to reform the law relating to unmarried couples to provide legal protection for cohabitants in the case of relationship breakdown.

(45743)

45
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what steps she is taking to speed up responses to Freedom of Information Act inquiries made to Government departments.

(45904)

46
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what meetings she has held with the Information Commissioner in the last 12 months; what issues were discussed at these meetings; and if she will make a statement.

(45905)

47
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment she has made of the availability of civil legal aid to people living in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

(45959)

48
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what average time it has taken for proceedings to be concluded under the new provision 42A of the Family Law Act 1996, as amended by the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

(45696)

49
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment she has made of the most recent annual report of the Legal Services Ombudsman; and if she will make a statement.

(45910)

50
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that the Land Registry holds details of the titles of all land in England; and if she will make a statement.

(45940)

51
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of hon. Members selected for jury service since the rules were changed to allow this.

(45968)

52
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many appeals against anti-social behaviour orders were funded by legal aid in the last 12 months; and what the (a) average and (b) total cost to public funds of this legal aid was.

(45719)

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

53
Hugh Bayley (City of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the proclamation in the City of York of Constantine, the Roman Emperor; what support her Department has given to the York Museums Trust's exhibition on Constantine; and if she will make a statement.

(45765)

54
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what total revenue has been raised from sports and community clubs as a result of the Licensing Act 2003; and if she will make a statement.

(45810)

55
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effects of the Licensing Act 2003 on levels of crime and disorder in Coventry South.

(44629)

56
Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on progress of preparations in Dorset for the 2012 Olympics.

(45854)

57
Mr Eric Forth (Bromley & Chislehurst):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list films to which the UK Film Council has given financial assistance in each of the last five years; and how much each received.

(45704)

58
Mr Eric Forth (Bromley & Chislehurst):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria the UK Film Council uses to determine eligibility for financial assistance to film-makers.

(45705)

59
Mr Eric Forth (Bromley & Chislehurst):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Government allocated to the UK Film Council in each of the last five years.

(45706)

60
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much (a) Lottery funding and (b) grant-in-aid has been spent on commemorating anniversary events since 1990, broken down by event celebrated; and if she will make a statement.

(45994)

61
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has for celebrating anniversaries of major events up to 2010; and if she will make a statement.

(45995)

62
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on the use of broadcast and print media analysis.

(45996)

63
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of sports clubs (a) eligible for and (b) which have attained community amateur sports club status, broken down by sport; and if she will make a statement.

(45999)

64
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to promote community amateur sports club status in each quarter since April 2002; what the costs were; and if she will make a statement.

(46000)

65
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the expenditure of the New Opportunities Fund for physical education and sport was in each year since 2001; and if she will make a statement.

(46001)

66
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what data sets are being collected in the 10 scrutiny councils to monitor how the new licensing regime is being delivered.

(46003)

67
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council England spent on information and communication technology projects for each year since 1997; what (a) the nature of the project, (b) commencement date, (c) planned completion date and (d) actual completion date was in each case; whether contractors were involved in each project; and if she will make a statement.

(46031)

68
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what liaison bodies have been established between her Department and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in relation to the arrangements for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

(46065)

69
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned research into the presence and reporting in the (i) broadcast and (ii) print media of hon. Members other than Ministers of her Department since 5th May 2005.

(46066)

70
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will estimate the cost to her Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45918)

71
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much was paid to the arts through (a) grant-in-aid to the Arts Council, (b) the Arts Lottery Fund and (c) the Big Lottery Fund in 2004-05.

(45997)

72
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much was paid to sport through (a) grant-in-aid to Sport England, (b) the Sports Lottery Fund and (c) the Big Lottery Fund in 2004-05.

(45998)

73
Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has for the provision of training facilities in the Eastern Region for the 2012 Olympic Games, with particular reference to rowing.

(45989)

74
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will commission research into the role played by public houses in the culture of the United Kingdom.

(45878)

75
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of rural pubs which have closed in each of the last 10 years.

(45879)

76
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many licensed premises there were in (a) 1994 and (b) 2004.

(45880)

77
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many 24-hour licences for the sale of alcohol were granted to (a) licensed premises, (b) supermarkets and (c) off licences in 2005.

(45962)

78
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the Triennial Review of stakes and prizes for category C gaming machines; and if she will make a statement.

(45883)

79
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she last met the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment to discuss aesthetic urban design.

(45964)

80
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to record the accounts of ex-servicemen who served during the Second World War; and how much has been spent on doing this in each of the last 10 years.

(45651)

81
Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many fines for non-payment of a television licence have been collected from premises used to shelter women from domestic violence in each of the last three years in each (a) country, (b) region and (c) constituency of the UK.

(45826)

82
Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote the delivery of sustainable development within Government.

(45828)

83
Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on her Department's sustainable development strategy.

(45829)

84
Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate, what her Department has identified as the most significant sustainable development impacts in relation to the operation of its estate.

(45830)

85
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what notice was given to residents at Hampton Court Green of Historic Royal Palaces' intention to allow the parking of vehicles on the Green for the Christmas event within the walls of the Palace from 1st to 11th December 2005; and whether an application was made to Richmond Upon Thames Borough Council in relation to parking for this event.

(45774)

86
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many days each event held by Historic Royal Palaces on Hampton Court Green lasted in 2005, including time for setting up and dismantling.

(45775)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

87
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to make provision for the spiritual care of armed services personnel who have no declared religion.

(45806)

88
N Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the distribution in each region and country of (a) regular service personnel, (b) direct civilian employees of the Department, (c) civilian personnel in the UK defence agencies and trading funds as at 1st October 2005.

(45547)

89
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what rules of engagement will govern the handling of captured prisoners by British forces under International Security Assistance Force command; and whether those rules will differ from those relating to prisoners captured by British forces participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.

(45560)

90
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, What the policy of NATO is relating to the rendition of terror suspects detained by International Security Assistance Force; and what agreement has been reached between NATO and the Afghan government relating to arrest and detention of suspects in Afghanistan.

(45582)

91
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements have been made by NATO to ensure that terror suspects detained by Afghan authorities will be treated in compliance with international law.

(45584)

92
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Tristars are available to transport soldiers to and from (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan.

(45585)

93
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) establishment and (b) strength was of Territorial Army (i) staff, (ii) Royal Armoured Corps, (iii) Royal Artillery, (iv) Royal Engineers, (v) Royal Signals, (vi) infantry, (vii) Army Air Corps, (viii) Royal Army Chaplains Department, (ix) Royal Logistics Corps, (x) Royal Army Medical Corps, (xi) Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, (xii) Adjutant General's Corps, (xiii) Royal Army Veterinary Corps, (xiv) Small Arms School Corps, (xv) Royal Army Dentistry Corps, (xvi) Intelligence Corps, (xvii) Army Physical Training Corps, (xviii) general list, (ixx) Queen Alexandra's Royal Auxiliary Nursing Corps, (xx) Officer Training Corps and (xxi) unallocated staff in (A) 1997 and (B) 2005.

(45644)

94
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps have been taken in the past six months to lease further C-17s from Boeing to expand the capacity of the air bridge to Iraq.

(45677)

95
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding was provided to sea cadets in each year since 1997.

(45685)

96
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many sea cadets there were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(45686)

97
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many C-17s are available to transport soldiers to and from (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan.

(45687)

98
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the request by United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) for a deployment of an EU force for the purpose of enhancing MONUC's quick reaction capability during and immediately after the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(45796)

99
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British troops will be deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the wider EU deployment.

(45798)

100
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements have been agreed between the British and Afghanistan governments in relation to the arrest and detention of suspects captured by International Security Assistance Forces personnel.

(45799)

101
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether arrests by British forces on operational duty overseas would be under (a) counter-insurgency and (b) counter-terrorist rules.

(45803)

102
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45920)

103
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many 1945-55 commemorative badges have been issued in (a) each local authority area and (b) each constituency.

(46072)

104
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the establishment is of each battalion of the Parachute Regiment; and how many vacancies there are in each battalion.

(46080)

105
Mr Lee Scott (Ilford North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of whether the bottle-nosed whale calf which died during the attempted rescue on January 21st was forced up the Thames by (a) sonar from a naval vessel or (b) explosions at Shoeburyness.

(45764)

106
Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will extend trade pay for crews in armoured regiments to armoured infantry units.

(45937)

107
Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what research he has commissioned into the appropriate retirement age of soldiers.

(45938)

108
N Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will publish the findings of his review of Gurkhas' terms and conditions of service.

(44044)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

109
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his policy is in respect of (a) accepting hospitality from and (b) meeting an applicant of a live planning application where the application might be referred to him for decision.

(45979)

110
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what advice he received from officials in respect of the four planning applications for a stadium at Falmer, near Lewes, between the receipt of the report from Mr John Collyer in December 2003 and the issuing of the decision letter on 27th October 2005.

(46012)

111
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what guidance he has given to the South West Regional Assembly on the numbers of new houses to be built in (a) the South West, (b) Gloucestershire and (c) the Costswolds.

(45901)

112
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45915)

113
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many people in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham are waiting to be found suitable accommodation by the local authority while living in accommodation judged unacceptable by social services.

(45947)

114
Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what account has been taken of demographic changes since May 2004 in respect of the allocation of the Formula Spending Share to Peterborough City Council for 2005-06, with particular reference to migrants from EU accession countries.

(46006)

115
Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether he plans to meet representatives of the East of England Regional Assembly to discuss the results of the examination in public of the draft East of England Plan when it is concluded on 16th March.

(46063)

116
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many refusals of planning permission for mobile telephone phone masts by local authorities have been overturned by the Planning Inspectorate in each year since 1997.

(45650)

117
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the trend in the number of empty homes since 2001.

(45825)

118
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what are the biggest three industrial development sites available in the East Midlands.

(45746)

119
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the district precept of Band D council tax (a) excluding and (b) including average parish precepts was in (i) Guildford Borough and (ii) Waverly Borough, in each year since 1997-98.

(46030)

120
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what provision has been made in housing targets for homes for migrants from outside the United Kingdom over the next 20 years.

(46075)

121
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list (a) formal and (b) informal committees considering aspects of the Thames Gateway Port transport infrastructure; what the (i) objectives and (ii) composition of each is; and whether a possible link to Canvey Island is part of the remit of any of these committees.

(45717)

122
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he will reply to the letter of 13th December 2005 from the hon. Member for Castle Point on the Thames Gateway Port and compensation for Thames Estuary fishermen.

(45718)

123
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what level of public support is required for eligibility for a new (a) town and (b) parish council; and how that support is required to be demonstrated.

(45768)

124
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what criteria on (a) the minimum size of a community and (b) other matters are used to determine suitability for creation of a new town council.

(45769)

125
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his policy is on the creation of new town councils.

(45770)

126
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many applications for new (a) town and (b) parish councils have been (i) submitted and (ii) successful in each of the last five years.

(45771)

127
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his target time is for dealing with each part of the process relating to applications to create a new town council; and if he will make a statement.

(45772)

128
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what submissions his Department has received from Castle Point Borough Council on the establishment of a Canvey Town Council.

(45773)

129
Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many council houses in (a) England and (b) Leeds (i) have been brought up to Decent Homes standards and (ii) remain to be brought up to such standards.

(46002)

130
Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how much funding local authority housing in (a) England and (b) Leeds has received in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, broken down by source.

(46004)

131
Mr Paul Truswell (Pudsey):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he is taking to increase the volume of affordable social housing provided by (a) local authorities, (b) the not-for-profit sector and (c) the private sector.

(46005)

132
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the (a) merits and (b) cost of a revaluation of council tax bands.

(46021)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

133
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what (a) allowances, (b) expenses and (c) other monies from public funds have been paid to Lord Levy in connection with his role as President of the Specialist and Academy Schools Trust.

(45972)

134
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people who (a) are working for and (b) have worked for her Department in Coventry in the last 10 years (i) are on and (ii) have been on the Sex Offenders' Register.

(44630)

135
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people on List 99 have limited permission to work (a) with some types of children and (b) in certain types of school in Coventry South.

(44631)

136
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will increase funding (a) for the skills strategy and (b) to assist those young people who do not have adequate skills in communication, numeracy and literacy.

(46081)

137
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans she has to extend apprenticeship schemes beyond the age of 25 years.

(46082)

138
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment she has made of the merits of establishing an engineering academy.

(46083)

139
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what proportion of children scored (a) scale score six or more and (b) scale score eight or more in all assessments in the Foundation Stage profile.

(45991)

140
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether it is her policy that the child centred approach to learning as set out in the Foundation Stage should be applied to the reception year of primary school.

(45992)

141
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what proportion of children scored (a) scale score six or more and (b) scale score eight or more in (i) mathematical development, (ii) communication, language and literacy and (iii) the mathematical development and communication language and literacy assessments combined in the Foundation Stage profile.

(45993)

142
Mr Nick Hurd (Ruislip-Northwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much public funding has been spent on (a) repairing and (b) rebuilding schools in the Ruislip-Northwood constituency in each year since 1992.

(45842)

143
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what guidance her Department provides to grandparents on remaining in contact with their grandchildren after a parental separation.

(45881)

144
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what financial support her Department has offered to trainee teachers since 1997.

(45890)

145
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps she is taking to reduce the level of violent incidents against teachers.

(45893)

146
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many teachers in England have reported a violent incident against them carried out by (a) a pupil and (b) a parent or guardian of a pupil in each of the last 10 years.

(45894)

147
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will publish all the research undertaken to support the structural changes proposed in the White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All.

(45911)

148
Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when she will respond to the letters of 31st October and 25th November 2005 from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire, on teachers' ineligibility for childcare vouchers.

(45776)

149
Mr Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when she will respond to the letters of 5th October and 25th November 2005 from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire, on the effect of school admissions policies on rural schools.

(45777)

150
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent assessment she has made of the period of time which elapses before student loans begin to be repaid; and if she will make a statement.

(45665)

151
N Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what her Department's target is for the average class size in primary schools.

(45450)

152
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the (a) further and (b) higher education participation rate was in each ward in each local authority area, broken down by region, for the last year for which figures are available.

(46067)

153
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the staying-on rates were for 16 year olds in full-time education in each local authority area in 2005.

(46071)

154
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much was spent on the provision of special needs education in each local authority area (a) in real terms and (b) at today's prices in each of the last 20 years.

(46073)

155
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total Sure Start budget was in each year since its inception; and what the projected budget is in each of the next three years.

(46074)

156
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people were on (a) modern apprenticeships and (b) other apprenticeship courses in each local authority area in each of the last 20 years.

(46076)

157
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what was the cost of the Children's Commissioner for England in the last year for which figures are available.

(45944)

158
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what information she collects on the number of pupils who have (a) convictions and (b) cautions for sex offences who are in schools; of how many such pupils she is aware; and what advice she gives to schools on the (i) inclusion and (ii) management of such pupils.

(45489)

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

159
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what scientific advice her Department has received on whether to include cephalopods within the remit of the Animal Welfare Bill.

(45980)

160
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of tyres which became redundant in the last year for which an estimate is available; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of tyres which were disposed of by each disposal route used.

(46019)

161
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what targets she has set for energy efficiency gains under the Energy End-use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive by (a) 30th June 2007, (b) 30th June 2011 and (c) 30th June 2014.

(46022)

162
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the use of landfills for redundant tyre disposal; and what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) alternative disposal routes exist and (b) these routes will be able to deal with the anticipated annual flow of redundant tyres.

(46023)

163
N Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to tackle the importation into the UK of illegal timber from (a) Indonesia, (b) China, (c) Brazil and (d) other timber-exporting countries; and if she will make a statement.

(44796)

164
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to meet its obligations under the EU Habitats Directive.

(45672)

165
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research she has commissioned on the effectiveness of the 12 mile ban on sea bass pair trawling.

(45673)

166
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action the Government is taking at European Union level to protect sea bass.

(45674)

167
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the Government plans to assess whether it has met the target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010.

(45688)

168
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the results of the 2005 reporting round for the UK Biodiversity Action Plan will be published; and how this information will be used to improve the delivery of biodiversity conservation up to 2010.

(45689)

169
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures the Government (a) has introduced and (b) is planning to introduce to halt biodiversity loss by 2010.

(45690)

170
Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to establish the ownership of horses that are (a) running free and (b) tethered on public land.

(45755)

171
Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect the welfare of horses whose ownership is not clear and who are tethered on public land.

(45756)

172
Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that the relevant legislation is enforced where privately-owned horses are (a) running free and (b) are tethered on public land in Wellingborough constituency.

(46070)

173
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether trading of Common Agricultural Policy entitlements is allowable in advance of payments being made by the Rural Payments Agency.

(46042)

174
Mr Michael Foster (Worcester):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has spent on flood defences in 2005-06; and if she will make a statement.

(46026)

175
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to review current arrangements for ensuring that departmental research and findings are totally impartial.

(45732)

176
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will commission research on the animal welfare implications of whipping race horses.

(45790)

177
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of Hammersmith and Fulham Council's response to her Department's consultation on new waste regulations which place a duty of care on householders for their household waste.

(45914)

178
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will estimate the cost to her Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45925)

179
Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether all tail docking of animals is prohibited.

(45753)

180
Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to prevent people from travelling abroad to get their dogs' tails docked.

(45760)

181
N Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether farmers in Lancashire will receive the single farm payment on the original timetable.

(45491)

182
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set national standards for recycling which apply to all local authorities.

(45698)

183
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the proportion of bottom ash produced as a portion of waste entering each solid waste thermal processing facility in England in each of the last three years.

(46027)

184
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much bottom ash from each solid waste thermal processing facility in England was (a) used for bulk fill, road construction or asphalt, (b) used in construction blocks, (c) sent to landfill and (d) stockpiled in each of the last three years.

(46028)

185
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19th December 2005, Official Report, column 2376W, on departmental transport, if her Department will make a representation to IBM to instruct its employees not to park in residential roads near the site on the Epsom Road, Merrow, Guildford.

(46054)

186
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19th December 2005, Official Report, column 2376W, on departmental transport, if she will place in the Library a copy of the site-wide notice to all staff and contractors issued on 15th December 2005.

(46055)

187
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many whales have become stranded and have perished around the shore of the United Kingdom in each year since 1997; and what research she has commissioned into the causes.

(45930)

188
Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities provide a kerbside collection service for recyclable materials; and which separate materials are collected in each of these local authorities.

(45641)

189
Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what volume of street litter, exclusive of that which is collected from public litter bins, was collected by each local authority in each year since 1997.

(45642)

190
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average annual domestic water rates were for (a) each area of England and (b) each water supplier over the last five years.

(45597)

191
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what scientific monitoring her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated in relation to (i) climate change in general and (ii) temperature and salinity changes in the Gulf stream; and if she will make a statement.

(45599)

192
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fixed penalty notices for dog fouling have been given by each local authority in each year since their introduction, listed in descending order.

(45655)

193
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider extending the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 legislation to riverside areas.

(45666)

194
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) fixed penalty notices have been issued and (b) successful prosecutions have been brought for each section of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 that has been introduced to date, grouped by each local authority area in England and Wales.

(45667)

195
Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she (a) takes and (b) plans to take to monitor the extent to which her Department's approved agents collecting fallen goats under the compulsory Scrapie Monitoring Scheme operate in accordance with bio-security regulations.

(45701)

196
Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will remove the requirement that fallen goats must be collected by her Department's approved agents; and if she will make a statement.

(45702)

197
Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the names of agents approved by her Department for collecting fallen goats in Devon.

(45703)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

198
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which countries' diplomatic missions have (a) indicated to his Department that they will not pay the London congestion charge and (b) have failed to pay this charge since 1st September 2005.

(46025)

199
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

(45550)

200
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Burma about the confiscation of Muslims' farmlands, including Waqf properties, in Arakan.

(45551)

201
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the human rights situation in Ethiopia.

(45552)

202
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of China about the persecution of Christians.

(45553)

203
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he will begin negotiations within the UN General Assembly for an arms trade treaty.

(45554)

204
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of Rohingya people living in (a) Bangladesh, (b) Pakistan, (c) Saudi Arabia, (d) United Arab Emirates, (e) Malaysia and (f) Thailand.

(45555)

205
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Burma about the building of Buddhist pagodas and monasteries on mosque land in Arakan state.

(45556)

206
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Burma about the prohibition of repairs, renovation and construction of mosques in Arakan state.

(45558)

207
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Burma about movement restrictions imposed on the Rohingya people.

(45559)

208
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the human rights situation in Colombia.

(45561)

209
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about the detention of National League for Democracy Vice Chairman U Tin Do.

(45734)

210
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the private banking sector in Burma.

(45736)

211
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

(45737)

212
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many political prisoners were detained in Burma as of 1st January.

(45738)

213
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the United Nations' special rapporteur on Myanmar.

(45741)

214
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people are held in administrative detention in Burma under the 1975 State Protection Act.

(45792)

215
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about the administrative detention of (a) U Kyaw San, (b) Htwe Mint and (c) U Thu Wai.

(45793)

216
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about the continued imprisonment of the Buddhist nuns Ma Than Htay and Ma Thin Thin Oo.

(45797)

217
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many members of the Burmese parliament-elect are in prison in Burma.

(45800)

218
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the political and human rights situation in Burma.

(45801)

219
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Burma about the treatment of the Rohingya people.

(45804)

220
Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10th January 2006, Official Report, column 151-2, in what circumstances the Government would assist another state in a rendition operation.

(45892)

221
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received from non-governmental organisations on the closure of the British Embassy in Madagascar.

(45610)

222
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he has received about the health of former Iraqi Foreign Secretary, Tariq Aziz; what consideration is being given to his release; and if he will make a statement.

(45955)

223
N Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the situation in the Ivory Coast; and what status the UN mission there has.

(45042)

224
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he had had with the government of Sudan on permitting civil society within Sudan access to the work of the African Union without fear of harassment.

(46044)

225
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to help facilitate a civil society forum in Sudan.

(46049)

226
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he had with the African Union on helping to expedite the return of the former Chadian leader Hissène Habré to stand trial.

(46050)

227
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what consideration he has given to requesting the Security Council to refer cases arising from the situation in Zimbabwe to the International Criminal Court.

(45845)

228
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45926)

229
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 9th January 2006, Official Report, column 195W, on Norway whaling, what the estimated cost is of cleaning up old whaling stations on South Georgia; and what steps the Government is taking to encourage a greater contribution from the Norwegian government.

(46047)

230
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 18th January 2006, Official Report, column 1430W, on audible fire alarms, what plans he has to extend audible fire alarm coverage in his Department's buildings.

(45682)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

231
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment she has made of the level of mercury in (a) tinned tuna and (b) tinned yellowfin tuna.

(45981)

232
N Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research has been (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated since 1997 into the effects of genetically modified foods on public health.

(43954)

233
N Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Minister of State for NHS delivery will provide a written response following his meeting with the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle on 9th January on Worthiam and Broad Oak surgeries.

(43955)

234
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the cost of restructuring ambulance services in Sussex; and what representations she has received about this.

(45675)

235
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she will announce the results of the public consultation into the regionalisation of the ambulance services in Sussex.

(45791)

236
Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what her plans are for the regionalisation of ambulance services in Bexhill and Battle; and if she will make a statement.

(45794)

237
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will make it her policy to exempt cystic fibrosis sufferers from prescription charges.

(45809)

238
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure that users of the NHS are informed of changes by NHS service providers to non-geographic telephone lines.

(45757)

239
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how revenue from calls to NHS service providers using non-geographic telephone lines is used.

(45758)

240
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS service providers in England use non-geographic telephone lines; and if she will make a statement.

(45759)

241
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the NHS can withhold payment under contracts with independent sector providers where the number of procedures stipulated in the contract is not fulfilled; and if she will make a statement.

(45975)

242
N Mr Geoffrey Cox (Torridge & West Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 14th December 2005, Official Report, column 2139W, on dentistry, if she will provide a breakdown of the new NHS dentists by nationality.

(45412)

243
John Cummings (Easington):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) NHS dental practices and (b) NHS dentists there were in the Easington constituency in each of the last five years.

(46007)

244
John Cummings (Easington):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people are (a) registered and (b) not registered with an NHS dentist in the Easington Primary Care Trust area.

(46008)

245
Jim Dowd (Lewisham West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many visits to general practitioners in England were recorded in the last 12 months; and how this data is collected.

(46016)

246
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent on school dentistry in each primary care trust in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

(45912)

247
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which (a) hospitals and (b) stand alone maternity units have fully-staffed crash teams.

(45913)

248
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will open a healthy living centre in Stroud constituency.

(46045)

249
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with multiple sclerosis are awaiting (a) assessment to determine eligibility for treatment with and (b) prescription for disease modifying therapies following a successful eligibility assessment in each primary care trust.

(45941)

250
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for people with multiple sclerosis between eligibility assessment for treatment using disease modifying therapies, and prescription of the drugs was in each primary care trust in 2004-05.

(45942)

251
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with multiple sclerosis are receiving disease modifying therapies in each primary care trust (PCT); and how much prescription of these treatments cost each PCT in the last period for which figures are available.

(45943)

252
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will make a statement on the role of supervisors of midwives.

(45733)

253
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many supervisers of midwives there have been in England in each year since 1997.

(45735)

254
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance her Department has issued on financial payments by NHS trusts to supervisers of midwives.

(45843)

255
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time was for an out-patient appointment at each of the hospitals run by Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust in the last year for which figures are available.

(45948)

256
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) agency and (b) NHS nurses were employed by the NHS in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was of each category of nurse in that year.

(45958)

257
Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many MRSA infections were recorded in NHS hospitals for (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005 and which of these (i) were in and (ii) were related to renal units by disease area.

(45588)

258
Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the extent to which funding for NHS research into kidney disease is meeting the Government's priorities for the treatment and management of the disease, including the standards set out in the Renal National Service Framework.

(45589)

259
Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the amount of NHS research funding, broken down by disease area or type for each of the last five years.

(45596)

260
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what changes have been made to financial support available to trainee NHS (a) nurses, (b) doctors, (c) midwives and (d) managers since 1997.

(45884)

261
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of NHS prescription items issued by general practitioners were repeat prescriptions in 2004-05.

(45885)

262
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the percentage of NHS patients who received more than 14 prescription items over the last 12 months who had bought a 12 month prescription prepayment certificate.

(45886)

263
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her Answer of 8th November 2005, Official Report, column 387W, on Ambulance Services Trusts (West Midland), why her Department does not maintain ambulance trust population figures.

(45902)

264
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list the board members of each NHS trust who have left their positions in the last three years.

(45492)

265
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how often management consultants have been contracted by the Department; and at what cost in each of the last five years.

(45747)

266
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many primary care trusts incurred financial deficits in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05; and how many she expects will be in deficit at the end of 2005-06.

[R] (46029)

267
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the incidence of headlice in schools in each local authority area in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

(45963)

268
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what resources she has made available to each local education authority area in 2005-06 to reduce the incidence of headlice; and if she will make a statement.

(45965)

269
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms exist to monitor the incidence of headlice in schools; and if she will make a statement.

(45966)

270
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the use of statins in each year since they have been prescribed.

(45563)

271
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many single general practitioner surgeries there are in each local authority area in descending order.

(45564)

272
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the obesity levels were for (a) children and (b) adults in (i) each health authority area and (ii) each local authority area for the past 30 years in descending order according to the most recent figures.

(45565)

273
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent on average per mental health patient by each local health authority area for the past 30 years in real terms in descending order.

(45566)

274
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what was the total research budget for developing research into medicines and treatment for (a) MRSA and (b) other hospital acquired infections, in each of the past 10 years.

(45567)

275
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total amount of Government spending on (a) palliative care and (b) hospices was in each of the last 30 years.

(45569)

276
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average NHS earnings were in real terms at today's prices for (a) consultants, (b) general practitioners, (c) dentists and (d) nurses employed in the NHS in each of the last 30 years.

(45570)

277
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many self-employed dentists have been contracted to the NHS in each of the past 30 years.

(45571)

278
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total amount spent on capital building projects in the NHS was in real terms at today's prices in each of the last 30 years.

(45572)

279
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she expects to report on the consultation on stoma care and incontinence products; and if she will publish a summary of responses at the end of the consultation period.

(45723)

280
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information she collects on the extent to which provision of clinical services is outsourced or undertaken by private sector or community sector partners; and in which (a) primary care trusts and (b) NHS trusts (i) clinical services and (ii) management is provided other than by directly employed staff.

(45452)

281
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the price paid by the NHS for drugs and medicines compared with the European average; and if she will make a statement.

(45490)

282
Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what target she has set for the percentage of mothers identified with post-natal depression receiving treatment.

(45707)

283
Mr Michael Wills (North Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether she has set a target for reducing the referrals to specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Children's Fund areas.

(45708)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

284
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the use of Indonesian rainforest plywood in the new Home Office building.

(45562)

285
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the conviction rate for rape.

(45742)

286
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the level of specialist services available to rape victims.

(45745)

287
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the status of the inquiry announced into the death of John Monckton in 2004.

(45899)

288
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many sex offenders recalled to prison prior to their sentence expiry date were (a) under and (b) not under additional supervision in each of the past five years.

(45638)

289
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners released on licence in each of the past five years were subsequently recalled to prison (a) before their Licence Expiry Date (LED) and (b) after their LED but before their sentence expiry date due to (i) firearms offences, (ii) drugs offences, (iii) violent crime, (iv) theft and burglary and (v) other crimes.

(45639)

290
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners refused parole and released on their non parole release date in each of the past five years were subsequently (a) recalled to prison before their sentence expiry date and (b) reconvicted after their sentence expiry date for (i) firearms offences, (ii) drugs offences, (iii) violent crimes, (iv) theft and burglary and (v) other offences.

(45640)

291
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many sex offenders released on parole in the last five years were (a) subsequently recalled to prison prior to their sentence expiry date (SED) and (b) reconvicted after their SED.

(45647)

292
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners released on licence subsequently breached (a) one and (b) more than one condition of their licence but were not recalled to prison in each of the past five years.

(45648)

293
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners released on licence were subsequently recalled to prison (a) before their non-parole release date (NPD) and (b) after their NPD but before their licence expiry date in each of the last five years.

(45649)

294
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people convicted of (a) gun crimes and (b) drug crimes were released (i) on licence, (ii) on the Home Detention Curfew Scheme and (iii) early, having not reached their sentence expiry date, in each of the last five years.

(45844)

295
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners released on parole were subsequently recalled to prison after their licence expiry date but before their sentence expiry date in each of the last five years.

(45862)

296
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what complaints his Department has received from (a) individuals and (b) groups regarding the workings of the probation services in each of the last five years.

(45863)

297
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what complaints his Department has received from (a) individuals and (b) groups regarding the decisions of parole boards in each of the last five years.

(45864)

298
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidelines for the issuing of licences to (a) sex offenders and (b) child sex offenders his Department publishes; and if he will make a statement.

(45865)

299
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners on the home detention curfew scheme (HDCS) have sentences of four years and over; and what the exceptional circumstances were allowing entry into the HDCS in each case.

(45866)

300
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners are on the home detention curfew scheme.

(45867)

301
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners released on the home detention curfew scheme were subsequently recalled to prison before their sentence expiry date for committing violent crimes.

(45868)

302
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent on the home detention curfew schemes in each of the past five years, broken down by (a) equipment development and maintenance and (b) personnel.

(45869)

303
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many electronic tags used in the Home Detention Curfew Scheme have been (a) found to be faulty and (b) vandalised and had to be replaced in each of the last five years.

(45870)

304
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners have been recalled to prison in each of the last five years before their sentence expiry date due to (a) firearms offences, (b) drug offences, (c) theft and burglary, (d) vandalism, (e) violent crime and (f) other offences.

(45871)

305
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners are to be deported upon their release; and if he will make a statement.

(45872)

306
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners have been deported (a) before their non-parole release date (NPD) and (b) on, or shortly after, their NPD, in each of the last five years.

(45873)

307
Philip Davies (Shipley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12th January 2006, Official Report, columns 838-9W, on violent crime, if he will break down the information provided in the categories of (a) other assault and (b) other violence against the person, including the number of rapes.

(46010)

308
Mr Quentin Davies (Grantham & Stamford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what circumstances the police are permitted to retain DNA profiles obtained with consent from (a) the victims of crimes and (b) witnesses to crimes; and (i) for for how long and (ii) subject to what conditions these profiles may be retained.

(46013)

309
Mr Quentin Davies (Grantham & Stamford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what circumstances the police may retain DNA profiles; and for how long these profiles may be retained.

(46014)

310
Mr Quentin Davies (Grantham & Stamford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the rules under which the Criminal Records Bureau can divulge former convictions, including spent convictions, to prospective employees are consistent with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974; and if he will make a statement.

(46015)

311
Mr Quentin Davies (Grantham & Stamford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to what types of employer the Criminal Records Bureau is empowered to reveal the spent convictions of job applicants; in respect of what types of employment; and if he will make a statement.

(46017)

312
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the future of the National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit after the establishment of the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

(45846)

313
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) discussions his Department has had and (b) research he has commissioned on changing the policy on tapping right hon. and hon. Members' telephone lines; and if he will make a statement.

(45847)

314
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost per prison place was in each prison establishment in England and Wales for the financial year 2004-05.

(45848)

315
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) female and (b) male prisoners who declare themselves as Muslim were held in each prison establishment in England and Wales for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

(45849)

316
Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued by courts in (a) Merseyside and (b) Wirral in each quarter since the penalty was introduced; and what percentage of these were issued where the claimant was aged (a) 10 to 14, (b) 15 to 19, (c) 20 to 24, (d) 25 to 29 and (e) 30 years and over.

(45860)

317
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who was responsible for the independent assessment of the performance test of prisons on the Isle of Sheppey.

(46048)

318
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what changes in cost reductions he expects will be realised as a result of the performance test of the prisons on the Isle of Sheppey.

(46051)

319
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what selection criteria were used to select the three prisons on the Isle of Sheppey for market testing in 2005.

(46052)

320
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what selection criteria were used to select (a) individual prisons and (b) clusters of prisons for market testing.

(46053)

321
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration detention centre staff are (a) trained in child protection procedures and (b) subject to Criminal Records Bureau checks.

(46056)

322
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether immigration detention centre staff will be subject to the vetting and barring scheme recommended by the Bichard Report.

(46057)

323
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45917)

324
Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his comments in an interview with Channel 4 on 17th January, what evidence he has received that use of cannabis has resulted in deaths; and if he will make a statement.

(46032)

325
Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers accommodated in (a) England, (b) Cambridgeshire, (c) Peterborough City Council Unitary Authority and (d) Peterborough constituency, were granted (i) asylum, (ii) indefinite leave to remain and (iii) refugee status in each of the last 10 years; and how many illegal immigrants who had been accommodated in each area have been deported in each of the last 10 years.

(46064)

326
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners held in Her Majesty's prisons (a) are non-British EU nationals, (b) are non-EU foreign nationals, (c) are seeking leave to remain in the United Kingdom and (d) have been UK residents for less than 10 years.

(45898)

327
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many young people have been taken to court for breach of anti-social behaviour orders in the last year for which figures are available.

(45957)

328
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police community support officers are employed in each police force.

(45973)

329
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will rank each (a) English police force and (b) English Basic Command Unit by the ratio of burglaries to households in their area in the latest reporting period for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

(45575)

330
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional police community safety officers were allocated to each English police force in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06; how many he estimates will be allocated in each year to 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

(45590)

331
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the crime rates among migrant workers in England; and if he will make a statement.

(45591)

332
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will rank each basic command unit in each English police force by sanctioned detection rate for the most recent reporting period; and if he will make a statement.

(45592)

333
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many escapes there have been from Leyhill Open Prison in each quarter since Q1 1999; what original offences were committed by each person who escaped; and if he will make a statement.

(45593)

334
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the 50 fastest improving basic command units in the English police forces, based upon performance against key targets over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

(45594)

335
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will rank English police forces by (a) size of local police precept, (b) officers per head of population and (c) officers per notifiable offence for the latest period for which information is available.

(45595)

336
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of burglaries and (b) percentage annual change in the number of burglaries in (i) England and (ii) each English police force in each year from 1990-91 to 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

(45601)

337
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) escapes and (b) unapproved absences there have been from each English prison in each year since 1996-97; and if he will make a statement.

(45767)

338
Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what further resources to protect the public against terrorism he plans to allocate.

(46009)

339
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the status is of the Metropolitan Police Service's policy on shooting to kill suspected suicide bombers.

(45969)

340
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of likely net migration into the United Kingdom in 2006.

(45988)

341
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many alcohol free zones there are in each local authority area.

(45653)

342
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each year since it was passed.

(45654)

343
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are used to assess the effectiveness of community safety partnerships; which have underperformed against these measures; and what assistance has been given to each underperforming partnership.

(46079)

344
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16th January 2006, Official Report, columns 1111-12W, on DNA profiles, how many people over the age of 18 are on the DNA database who have never been charged or cautioned; and if he will make a statement.

(45931)

345
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16th January 2006, Official Report, columns 1111-12W, on DNA profiles, if he will break down the 24,000 cases by constabulary.

(45932)

346
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16th January 2006, Official Report, columns 1111-12W, on DNA profiles, whether all the 24,000 individuals were still under 18 years on 1st December 2005 when the information was collated.

(45933)

347
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many incidents in each police force in the last full year for which records are available payment has been required from victims of crime who wish to recover their property from the police or those holding it on behalf of the police; what total sums were received; and if he will make a statement.

(45716)

348
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many appeals against anti-social behaviour orders there have been in the last 12 months; and what the outcome was in each case.

(45720)

349
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to bring before the House his proposals to amend the law to prevent individuals from applying for international arrest warrants.

(45861)

350
Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received on the role of the Attorney General in relation to prosecutions under the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill.

(46020)

Questions to the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission

351
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, which magazines and periodicals have been delisted from the Library in each month in the last two years; and for what reason.

(45875)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

352
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total expenditure on information campaigns and advertising was for his Department for each year since 1997.

(45802)

353
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding has been (a) pledged and (b) delivered by the British Government to assist in the aftermath of the Pakistan earthquake.

(45807)

354
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with WaterAid on the impact of its work of the closure of the British Embassy in Madagascar; and if he will make a statement.

(45574)

355
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department intends to take to support Madagascar's programme of development and good governance.

(45609)

356
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the impact of the closure of the British embassy on the sustainable development of Madagascar.

(45611)

357
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to promote good governance in the developing world; and if he will make a statement.

(45643)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

358
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he will publish for consultation proposals for activities and programmes to be funded under the Children and Young People's funding package announced in Budget and Priorities 2006 to 2008.

(45779)

359
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to consult directly with (a) children, (b) young people, (c) their families and (d) the wider children's sector on the proposals for the Children and Young People's funding package.

(45780)

360
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what equality impact assessment has been made of the Children and Young People's funding proposals.

(45781)

361
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what dedicated funding will be made available from the Children and Young People's funding package for (a) children with disabilities, (b) black and minority ethnic children and (c) children with mental health needs.

(45782)

362
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how the Children and Young People's funding package interacts with the over-arching Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister's Children and Young People's Strategy.

(45783)

363
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how he plans to deliver the Children and Young People's funding package; and what steps he will take to ensure that the voluntary and community sector are involved in the delivery process.

(45784)

364
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what planning meetings have taken place in respect of Children and Young People's funding in the last 12 months; and which (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory bodies were involved in each meeting.

(45785)

365
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether there is a timetable for the (a) publication and (b) implementation of the Sexual Violence Strategy; whether there is a publication date for the consultation paper; and what plans there are in each Department to prioritise the strategy's implementation.

(45786)

366
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the timescale is for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Review; what the estimated cost is; and how much has been spent to date.

(45787)

367
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Review sub-groups which have completed reports; and when he expects the remainder to complete reports.

(45788)

368
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what is the publication date for the Sexual Offences Review consultation document; and what is the timescale for the Review.

(45789)

369
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many part-time firefighters in Strabane Fire Station applied to become full-time fire-fighters in each of the last five years; and how many of those applications were successful.

(45874)

370
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45922)

371
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) state funded and (b) private childcare places there are in each ward in each Parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland expressed as (i) a number and (ii) a percentage of children and listed in descending order.

(45652)

372
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost was of the Children's Commissioner for Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available.

(45945)

Questions to the Prime Minister

373
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, whether he plans to (a) review and (b) reform the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.

(45974)

374
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with President Hu about the destruction of historic buildings by the Chinese government in Tibet.

(45549)

375
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on Iran's nuclear programme.

(44628)

376
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will estimate the cost to his Office of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45916)

377
David Howarth (Cambridge):To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Oral Answer to the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber of 7th December 2005, Official Report, column 862, whether the definition of torture he uses includes cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

(45815)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

378
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45923)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

379
Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will ensure that the Energy Review takes into account the work of the interdepartmental taskforce established by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to look at energy use in existing buildings.

(45982)

380
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45919)

381
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what research he has commissioned on the average number of days of paid annual leave taken by low-skilled workers.

(45697)

382
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will take steps to ensure that new EU rules on coal-fired power stations do not lead to a fall in electricity generated from coal.

(45699)

383
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the economic impact on the Royal Mail of the loss of the Department of Work and Pensions' card account contract in 2010; what the value of the contract to the Post Office is in 2005-06; and what the estimated percentage income for (a) rural and (b) urban post offices arising from the card account contract is for 2005-06.

(45946)

384
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Answer of 29th November 2005, Official Report, columns 291-2W, on the Telephone Preference Service, with which regulations the 925 complaints received were concerned.

(46011)

385
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps his Department plans to take to minimise the impact of the loss of the Post Office Card Account contract on the Post Office network.

(46061)

386
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report received from Post Office Ltd on pilot schemes for innovative ways of providing a service.

(46062)

387
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans his Department has to secure the future of the Post Office network; and if he will make a statement.

(45578)

388
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) rural and (b) urban sub-post offices there were in (i) England and (ii) the UK in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

(45583)

389
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what (a) guidelines and (b) criteria are used in his Department for the production and purchase of branded materials for distribution at conferences held in the Department.

(45663)

390
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make it his policy to collect figures for the cost of branded goods commissioned for use by his Department; and if he will record these costs in his Department's annual accounts.

(45664)

391
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Answer of 17th January 2006, Official Report, column 1245 on departmental conferences, what is his Department's definition of the marketing mix; and how much his Department spent on marketing in each year since 1997.

(45827)

392
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many miners' compensation claims have been submitted for Bassetlaw constituents by (a) Raleys, (b) Moss, (c) AMS Law, (d) Wake Smith, (e) Berefords, (f) BRM, (g) Graysons, (h) Thompsons, (i) Vendside, (j) Kidd Spoor Harper, (k) Robinson King and (l) Stanton Croft solicitors.

(45739)

393
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what advice he has issued to claimants on the practice of solicitors passing miners' compensation cheques directly to claims handlers.

(45740)

394
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when he expects to respond to the loan guarantee proposal made by UK Coal with regard to Harworth Colliery.

(45839)

395
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, with which agencies dealing with mining industry issues, with an address, staff or telephone number base in Nottinghamshire his Department has had discussions in the last 12 months.

(45909)

396
N Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the total budget was of the Equal Opportunities Commission in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06.

(42785)

397
N Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what funding the Equal Opportunities Commission (a) received in 2005-06 and (b) will receive in 2006-07 in relation to the forthcoming duty on public bodies (i) to end unlawful discrimination and harrassment and (ii) to promote equality between women and men.

(42786)

398
N Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the level of funding of (a) the Equal Opportunities Commission in relation to the forthcoming duty on public bodies to end unlawful discrimination and harrassment and to promote equality between women and men, (b) the Commission for Racial Equality for its work with public bodies in relation to the duty on public bodies to promote race equality and (c) the Disability Rights Commission for its work with public bodies in relation to the duty to promote equality for disabled people.

(42800)

399
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many businesses (a) registered and (b) deregistered for VAT in Pendle in each year since 1997.

(45929)

400
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which (a) law firms and (b) other organisations have received payments from his Department for work undertaken in relation to miners' compensation; and how much was paid in each case, listed in descending order.

(45598)

401
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his Answer of 19th December 2005, Official Report, column 2328W, on gas supply, whether the planned investment in liquid natural gas import projects includes a facility on Canvey Island; and if he will make a statement.

(45683)

402
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of total UK piped gas imports he estimates will pass through each interceptor in (a) 2010, (b) 2015 and (c) 2020.

(45721)

403
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of total gas for the UK he expects will be imported in (a) 2010, (b) 2015 and (c) 2020; and what proportion of this he expects will be (i) piped and (ii) imported by ship.

(45722)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

404
N Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his plans are for Stage Cottage, Hurst Green, East Sussex, following the Highways Agency's purchase of the cottage under a compulsory purchase order.

(43957)

405
N Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will make an announcement on the future of the direct train link between Hastings and London Victoria.

(43958)

406
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is considering proposals to award town and parish councils statutory rights to object to all vehicle operators licence applications and renewals.

(45600)

407
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is considering proposals to make town and parish councils statutory consultees for all vehicle operators licence applications and renewals.

(45602)

408
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the consultation on the next update of the Highway Code will begin.

(45603)

409
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what are the results of his Department's review of the regulatory arrangements for approved driving instructors.

(45604)

410
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what modern learning techniques have been developed by the Driving Standards Agency since September 2005 to help learners develop safe driving skills.

(45605)

411
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultations his Department undertook on introducing a compulsory probationary P Plate Scheme for newly-qualified drivers.

(45606)

412
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to encourage take-up of the P Plate Scheme amongst newly-qualified drivers.

(45608)

413
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Chicago Convention requires private aircraft operators to request permission from the Government to land in the UK.

(45976)

414
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many privately operated aircraft have landed in airports in the UK in each of the last five years; and what information is collected on the operators of private aircraft.

(45977)

415
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45924)

416
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many children under the age of 16 years have (a) died and (b) received serious head injuries as a result of a cycling accident in each of the past 10 years.

(45887)

417
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of children who are killed or receive a serious head injury as a result of cycling accidents.

(45891)

418
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend off-peak free bus travel on weekdays, at weekends and on bank holidays to those under the age of 16 years.

(45695)

419
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department has made to the planning inquiry for the Borough Market site.

(45766)

420
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects work to begin on the roundabout removal on the A1 at (a) Apleyhead and (b) Blyth.

(45744)

421
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many lighthouse keepers there are in Great Britain.

(45967)

422
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it mandatory for certificates of insurance to be displayed on the windscreens of vehicles.

(45971)

423
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have been caught travelling on the railway without a ticket in each year since 1997; how many were (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted; and if he will make a statement.

(45990)

424
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures he can take to ensure that the 20:03 Crewe to North Wales train leaves Crewe after the Euston to Liverpool train arrives at Crewe at 20:05.

(45670)

425
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the length in miles was of off road cycleways in each local authority area in each of the last 20 years.

(46077)

426
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received on the safety of pedestrian rail crossings.

(45724)

427
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will visit Benfleet railway station in Essex to assess the safety of the two unmanned pedestrian crossings in its vicinity.

(45725)

428
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will undertake a review of the safety of unmanned pedestrian railway crossings; and if he will make a statement.

(45726)

429
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to facilitate and speed up the closure of little-used unmanned pedestrian footcrossings of railway lines.

(45727)

430
Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to make an announcement on the dualling of the A11 between Fiveways Roundabout and Thetford; and if he will make a statement.

(45956)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

431
N Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what representations he has made to the Home Secretary concerning the implementation of the National Offender Management Service in Wales; and when those representations were made.

(45410)

432
N Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about the operation of List 99 in schools in Wales; and what the date was of the last such discussions.

(45411)

433
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will estimate the cost to his Department of sending Christmas cards in 2005.

(45921)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

434
Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to locate administration of benefit services outside the United Kingdom.

(45888)

435
Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what action he is taking in conjunction with (a) the Health and Safety Executive and (b) (i) local and (ii) maritime authorities to improve safety in the handling of hazardous cargos at ports and terminals.

(45889)

436
N Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of his staff are employed on time limited contracts in each (a) region and (b) country; and what percentage of total staff in each (i) region and (ii) country this represented in the last year for which figures are available.

(45546)

437
N Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the evidential basis was for the decision to pass some of the debt collection for outstanding Child Support Agency cases to private companies.

(45043)

438
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on depreciation of IT equipment.

(45709)

439
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent on (a) internally and (b) externally commissioned research reports in each year since 1997.

(45710)

440
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):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 the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in each year since 1997.

(45960)

441
Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to extend (a) New Deal for Disabled People and (b) Workstep to help people back into work; and if he will make a statement.

(46018)

442
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support the Government has made available to full-time carers since 1997.

(45882)

443
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will increase the number of staff answering calls on the national insurance number hotline.

(45684)

444
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what public services which are provided by his Department are made available by the Post Office network.

(46059)

445
N Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff (a) were employed by the Child Support Agency in each month since December 2003 and (b) are expected to be so employed in each month to March 2006, expressed in terms of (i) actual staff numbers and (iii) full-time equivalent staff; and if he will make a statement.

(45031)

446
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what research his Department has carried out into customer satisfaction with the Post Office Card Account; and if he will make a statement.

(45577)

447
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the value of the contract for the Post Office Card Account; and if he will make a statement.

(45579)

448
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer of 19th January 2006, Official Report, column 1560 on the Child Support Agency, whether there have been reductions in (a) back office and (b) support staffing at the Child Support Agency since January 2005; and if he will make a statement.

(45754)

449
Mr John McFall (West Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the potential savings to be made by relocating his Department's call centres overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(45712)

450
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of the 10th January 2006, Official Report, column 611W, on the Child Support Agency, how many outstanding applications from people in (a) Guildford and (b) Surrey were received more than (i) six months and (ii) 12 months ago.

(45645)

451
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of the 10th January 2006, Official Report, column 611W, on the Child Support Agency, what targets are in place for the processing of the backlog of applications.

(45646)

452
N Julie Morgan (Cardiff North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total budget was of the Disability Rights Commission in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06; how much funding the Commission received to support its work with public bodies to promote equality for disabled people in each year; and how much it will receive in 2006-07 for that work.

(44874)

453
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what independent research has been commissioned to assess the (a) outcomes and (b) cost-effectiveness of services provided by (i) Jobcentre Plus and (ii) voluntary and private sector organisations; and what further research is planned.

(45778)

454
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Eastern region had their invalidity benefit reduced because of failure to attend interviews in each of the last five years.

(45714)

455
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of invalidity benefit had their benefit reduced in each of the last five years; for what reasons in each case; and if he will make a statement.

(45715)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

456
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether restrictions in place to prevent contaminated sheep meat entering the human food chain in areas of the countryside affected by radioactive contamination following Chernobyl have been lifted.

[Transferred] (45970)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

457
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when he last discussed with African heads of government the assistance required to promote constitutional government in Zimbabwe.

[Question Unstarred] (45085)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

458
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people are using the Post Office Card Account; how many withdrawals of (a) pensions and (b) other benefits from Post Office Card Accounts there were in each of the last two years (i) in each region, (ii) in rural areas and (iii) in urban areas; and what the total value of such withdrawals was in (A) rural and (B) urban areas.

[Transferred] (46058)

459
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many customers used the Post Office Card Account in each quarter from 2002 to 2006; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (45576)

© Parliamentary copyright 2006
Revised 25 January 2006