Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2005 - 06
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 19 October 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 Thursday 19 October 2006
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 19 October 2006

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Thursday 19 October of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

For other Written Questions for answer on Thursday 19 October of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Thursday 19 October see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

1
Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department will reach a decision on the introduction of an anti-counterfeiting scheme for tobacco products in the UK.

(95709)

2
Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what technological solutions he has examined for the purpose of tackling the trade in counterfeit and smuggled tobacco.

(95710)

3
Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has discussed with the Secretary of State for Health the potential implications of the proposed change in minimum age for the sale of tobacco for the smuggled tobacco trade.

(95711)

4
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of families in receipt of in-work benefits and housed by a local authority or social landlord in which (a) one and (b) two parents moved into work from (i) unemployment and (ii) part-time work increased their income in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

(95921)

5
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of people in receipt of in-work benefits who moved from unemployment into work in 2005-06 increased their income; and if he will make a statement.

(95922)

6
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of households in receipt of in-work benefits where one parent moved from part-time work, up to 16 hours per week, into full-time work in 2005-06 increased their income; and if he will make a statement.

(95923)

7
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of households in receipt of in-work benefits where one parent moved from unemployment into work in 2005-06 increased their income; and if he will make a statement.

(95924)

8
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of people in receipt of in-work benefits who increased their working hours from up to 16 hours per week to full-time work increased their income in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

(95925)

9
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many service personnel are claiming tax credits.

(95075)

10
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the bonus recently announced for service personnel on combat duty will be treated for tax credit purposes.

(95076)

11
N Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what involvement the Economic Secretary to the Treasury had in the appointment process of Professor Tim Besley to the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England.

(95304)

12
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.

(95845)

13
N Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made with the review of individual savings accounts; and when he expects the review to be concluded.

(95210)

14
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he will reply to the letter to the Paymaster-General of 18th August 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Mr and Mrs Reid.

(95582)

15
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he will reply to the letters of 23rd August 2006 and 11th September 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mrs Sharun J Palin.

(95583)

16
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many children are presently aged under five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95564)

17
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when Ministers first saw copies of the draft HM Revenue and Customs report on tax credit fraud and error published in July 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(95579)

18
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claims have been stopped because of fraud or suspicion of fraud in each month since May 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(95580)

19
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the monthly HM Revenue and Customs management account information on tax credit call centre performance for each month from April 2005 to September 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(95726)

20
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the monthly HM Revenue and Customs management account information on overpaid tax credits and benefits debt balances in each month since April 2005.

(95727)

21
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what total tax credit payments were made against budget profile and forecast in each month from April 2005 to July 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(95728)

22
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the HM Revenue and Customs management account information on disputed overpayment of tax credits for each month from April 2005 to October 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(95729)

23
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the HM Revenue and Customs management account information on complaints on hand in relation to tax credits for each month since April 2005.

(95730)

24
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit renewals were outstanding in each month since April 2005.

(95731)

25
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the (a) HM Revenue and Customs narrative updates on the design and implementation of tax credit 2.T. and (b) design work to improve and develop tax credits for each month since April 2005.

(95732)

26
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff have been in post in the Benefits and Credits Directorate of HM Revenue and Customs in each month since April 2005.

(95733)

27
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rates of sickness absence were among tax credits staff in each each month since April 2005; and if he will make a statement.

(95734)

28
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information on the performance of the tax credits systems he receives on an (a) monthly, (b) quarterly and (c) annual basis; and if he will make a statement.

(95735)

29
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what directions (a) he and (b) the Paymaster General have given to the new Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs in 2006 on the operation of the tax credits system; and if he will make a statement.

(95736)

30
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is of the level of tax credit overpayments in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06; how much of these overpayments have so far been recovered in each year from 2003-04 to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

(95737)

31
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is of the cost of administering tax credits in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06, broken down by main budget heading.

(95738)

32
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost of raising the value of child benefit for all children to the rate payable for the first child; how many children would be removed from poverty by such an increase; and if he will make a statement.

(95739)

33
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9th October 2006, Official Report, column 291W, on pension contributions, if he will ensure that those who pay voluntary class 3 National Insurance contributions under the present system are refunded if the proposed Pensions Reform Bill includes provisions cutting the number of years to qualify for the full State Pension to 30 and the additional contributions paid prove unnecessary; and what guidance he plans to provide to people in that situation.

(95474)

34
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his (a) Department's policy is on the display of religious (i) artefacts, (ii) symbols and (iii) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95634)

35
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Financial Services Authority plans to finalise the Handbook rules and guidance to implement CP06/3.

(95815)

36
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many confirmed security breaches of computer databases controlled by his Department have occurred in each year since 1997.

(95816)

37
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library copies of the Treasury minute from HM Treasury's euro preparation group meeting of 21st February.

(95817)

38
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what change in annual revenue he would expect from removing allowances other than prior losses against corporation tax and reducing the rate to 25 per cent.

(95675)

39
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made in implementing the Gershon savings.

(95680)

40
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the highest annual income is which an individual can earn and still qualify for tax credits.

(95681)

41
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many deaths in which alcohol was the primary cause there were in each local authority area in each of the last eight years.

(95456)

42
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) carers and (b) young carers of school age there have been in (i) Suffolk and (ii) Bury St Edmunds constituency in each year since 1997.

(95457)

43
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many teenage pregnancies there have been in Suffolk in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

(95458)

44
N Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of eligible voters missing from the electoral register of each Parliamentary constituency in Nottinghamshire.

(94488)

45
Mr Alan Williams (Swansea West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many exemptions from inheritance tax have been granted under access agreements in the last two years.

(95485)

46
Mr Alan Williams (Swansea West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria HM Revenue and Customs applies in determining the acceptability of applications for new access agreements.

(95486)

47
Mr Alan Williams (Swansea West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what changes have been made in the criteria for judging acceptability of access agreements since 1997; and whether each change was applicable to pre-existing agreements.

(95487)

48
Mr Alan Williams (Swansea West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what provision there is for review of access agreements.

(95488)

49
Mr Alan Williams (Swansea West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the public may discover what is available to be seen under access agreements.

(95489)

Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

50
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the grant from the Cabinet Office to the Civil Service Sports Council Limited has been in each of the last three years.

(95829)

51
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if she will publish the assessments of regulatory costs imposed by each Department contained in the recent Cabinet Office review.

(95682)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

52
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will instruct the Planning Inspectorate to increase its use of section 106 agreements.

(95794)

53
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions in the last five years section 106 agreements have been included in the approval of a planning application by the Planning Inspectorate.

(95795)

54
Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many planning applications for mobile telephone masts were (a) referred to and (b) granted by the Planning Inspectorate in each of the last five years.

(95505)

55
Mr George Galloway (Bethnal Green & Bow):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many home ownership schemes for key workers and other target groups are in operation; what public subsidy they receive; how many homes are involved; and what estimate she has made of the number of such homes which have been allocated to low paid workers and those in key occupations.

(95594)

56
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities are in dispute with the District Auditor over their Minimum Revenue Provision; and what sums are involved in each case.

(95555)

57
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in her Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in her Department.

(95852)

58
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she will publish the results of the Audit Commission Inspection report of Northampton Borough Council's housing department.

(95664)

59
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities in England and Wales are paying for peer group mentors for their elected members.

(95665)

60
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she will complete the review of Ecton Lane Travellers' site in Northamptonshire.

(95666)

61
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her Department's policy is on the display of religious (a) artefacts, (b) symbols and (c) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

(95637)

62
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9th October 2006, Official Report, column 376W, on Home Condition Reports, when she expects negotiations and procurement to have been completed.

(95778)

63
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham, of 4th September 2006, Official Report, column 1661W, on housing, what the size of the clusters used is in the analysis; and whether the clusters are co-terminus with local government wards.

(95785)

64
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4th September 2006, Official Report, column 1646W, on ballpoint pens, how much her Department has spent on ballpoint pens with the Department for Communities and Local Government branding since May 2006.

(95786)

65
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath of 9th October 2006, Official Report, column 400W, on the Local Government Pension Scheme, what the cost to employers of the scheme was in each financial year from 1996-97 to 2003-04 in 2004-05 prices.

(95789)

66
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15th May 2006, Official Report, column 813W, on planning, if she will publish an updated list with the name of the (a) applicant and (b) agent of the applicant.

(95797)

67
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15th May 2006, Official Report, column 813W, on planning, whether the planning decisions involved planning applications in which Estate Partnerships played a role.

(95798)

68
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath of 9th October 2006, Official Report, column 382W, on Home Information Packs, what the estimated full-time equivalent number of individuals required to satisfy demand is.

(95808)

69
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath of 9th October 2006, Official Report, column 370W, on EU Interreg III, how many full-time equivalent staff within her Department work on EU Interreg III.

(95809)

70
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath of 9th October 2006, Official Report, column 367W, on energy performance certificates, whether an energy performance certificate will be required before a property owner can (a) privately let a domestic dwelling and (b) renew any existing rent agreement that was signed before the implementation of EU Directive 2002/91/EC.

(95810)

71
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 2nd October 2006, Official Report, column 2535W, on Home Information Packs, what period of time must elapse before a vendor could be fined £200 again for an on-going breach.

(95811)

72
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 2nd October 2006, Official Report, column 2535W, on Home Information Packs, whether her Department has produced estimated costs of a Home Condition Report in London.

(95812)

73
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for additional secondary legislation to be introduced or amended in relation to the Housing Act 2004.

(95826)

74
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in what ways sellers will be encouraged to take up voluntary home condition reports from June 2007.

(95834)

75
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in what ways sellers will be encouraged to take up voluntary home information packs during the dry run.

(95835)

76
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her most recent estimate is of the number of home inspectors who will be required to implement the revised Home Information Packs from June 2007.

(95839)

77
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the most recent figures are for the number of home inspectors who are now (a) qualified and (b) in training.

(95840)

78
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many completed transactions of the sale or part-sale of homes have taken place under the Social Homebuy scheme.

(95841)

79
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which 16 councils and emergy companies have piloted schemes where council tax rebates are offered to those who make energy saving changes to their homes.

(95843)

80
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether HM Revenue and Customs will have access to the Home Condition Report register.

(95858)

81
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding her Department provided to the Association of Home Information Pack Providers in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06; and what estimated levels will be provided in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09.

(95859)

82
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how individual home sellers will be approached to participate in the Home Information Pack dry run.

(95872)

83
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which companies are participating in the Home Information Pack dry run.

(95873)

84
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to fire authorities and fire brigades on the Working Time Directive and retained fire fighters.

(95874)

85
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when a draft version of the full business case for regional fire control rooms will be published.

(95875)

86
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the (a) timetable and (b) purpose is of the revision to planning policy guidance on flood plains and flooding; and if she will make a statement.

(95876)

87
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the budget is for the Social Homebuy scheme in each year of its budgeted operation.

(95877)

88
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much the Government has spent on the Social Homebuy scheme.

(95878)

89
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many confirmed security breaches have occurred of computer databases controlled by her Department and its predecessor in each of the last five years.

(95879)

90
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether empty dwelling management orders can be used to seize (a) Crown property and (b) property of the Duchy of Lancaster.

(95880)

91
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has given to local authorities on the requirement for risk assessments of public events.

(95883)

92
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether Neighbourhood is one of the variables in the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model's multiple regression formula.

(95884)

93
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what provisions in the Housing Act 2004 remain to be implemented; and what the timetable is for their implementation.

(95886)

94
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether any of the staff in her Department are classed as key workers for the purposes of the (a) low-cost home ownership and (b) shared ownership schemes.

(95887)

95
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what average business rates were in England for (a) a hotel, (b) a hostel and (c) a bed and breakfast in the most recent year for which figures are available.

(95890)

96
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost was of the Connect to Your Council campaign; and what assessment she has made of the effect of the campaign on demand for online services.

(95891)

97
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many decisions of the Planning Inspectorate she has overturned in each year since 1996-97; and what proportion this represents of all Inspectorate decisions in each year.

(95892)

98
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many commonhold dwellings were created in England in each year since 2002.

(95895)

99
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new domestic dwellings were created in England in the last 12 months; and how many of those new domestic dwellings were (a) flats and (b) leasehold properties.

(95896)

100
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which (a) public relations and (b) marketing firms have been hired by her Department and its predecessor since 2002; what the total expenditure was on each firm; and for what purpose each agency was hired.

(95899)

101
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the Planning Inspectorate's policy is on fast-tracking planning appeals relating to (a) residential developments and (b) care homes.

(95900)

102
Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many houses and flats were available for rent in England from (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.

(95445)

103
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people were classified as (a) homeless and (b) unsuitably housed in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

(95454)

104
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many empty properties there have been in each local authority area in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

(95455)

105
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of trained home inspectors.

(95888)

Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs

106
Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24th July 2006, Official Report, column 932W, on adoption placements, how many placement applications for adoption were determined at the final care hearing; and how many are determined at a later date (a) in London, (b) at the Principal Registry of the Family Division and (c) nationally in each of the last 12 years.

(95673)

107
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if she will make a statement.

(95871)

108
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of commissioning the Carter Report into Legal Aid Services.

(95693)

109
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in her Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in her Department.

(95855)

110
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what events took place in Mediation Week 2006 sponsored by her Department; and what the outcomes were of the project.

(95655)

111
N John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many solicitors there are on the Law Society's Children's Panel, broken down by age.

(95403)

112
N John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what plans she has to encourage the use of solicitor advocates in children's and family courts.

(95404)

113
N John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many care cases were issued in England and Wales in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.

(95405)

114
N John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what data was used to determine the rates proposed for legal aid funded care work.

(95406)

115
N John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what percentage of the legal aid budget for care proceedings was expended on (a) solicitors', (b) barristers' and (c) experts' fees in each of the last three years.

(95407)

116
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when the Government plans to introduce legislation to amend the Freedom of Information Act 2000 provisions on calculating fees limits and aggregating requests.

(95799)

117
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the timetable is for the introduction of the Order to introduce the English Parliamentary boundary changes; and if she will make a statement.

(95837)

118
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether the Government's proposals to amend the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to allow public authorities to aggregate requests will allow authorities to aggregate requests from the same organisation but on substantively different topics.

(95842)

119
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, pursuant to the Leader of the House's Answer of 16th October 2006, Official Report, column 582, on Parliamentary Questions, how many requests were made to each Department by hon. Members for information sought using the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in the last 12 months.

(95595)

120
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment she has made of the benefits which have resulted from the introduction of the Data Protection Act 1998.

(95687)

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

121
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if she will make a statement.

(95866)

122
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what basis the Big Lottery Fund's Living Landmarks competition was set up; which six projects are competing; and if she will make a statement.

(95796)

123
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that digital television coverage will be universal and reliable when analogue television broadcasting is discontinued.

(95399)

124
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in her Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in her Department.

(95847)

125
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department made a submission to the recent Victoria and Albert Museum consultation on the Theatre Museum; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the submission.

(95303)

126
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's policy is on the display of religious (a) artefacts, (b) symbols and (c) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

(95635)

127
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the prevalence studies on problem gambling relating to (a) bingo, (b) betting shops and (c) casinos.

(95722)

128
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many provisions are in the general codes proposed by the Gambling Commission for licensed (a) bingo clubs, (b) betting shops and (c) casinos.

(95723)

129
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance her Department has issued to licensing authorities on the requirement for requiring risk assessments for public events which included regulated entertainment.

(95828)

130
Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many press releases on tourism her Department has issued since April.

(95647)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

131
Mr James Arbuthnot (North East Hampshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which projects in which the UK has an interest are being pursued by the (a) Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement and (b) European Defence Agency.

(95694)

132
Lorely Burt (Solihull):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department takes to support (a) young soldiers and (b) those engaged in their first mission in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

(95587)

133
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if he will make a statement.

(95870)

134
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is on employing mercenaries in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

(95807)

135
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he and his coalition partners have made to the Iraqi authorities on progress in disarming militia in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(95813)

136
N Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department (a) directly employed and (b) employed on contracts were required to support the financial or commercial aspects of defence exports to foreign governments in the most recent year for which figures are available.

(93944)

137
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Apache, (b) Chinook, (c) Merlin and (d) Lynx helicopters were in regular service in Afghanistan (i) at the start of the war and (ii) at the latest available date.

(95074)

138
N Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many countries offer the reason of ultimate guarantor of national security for the maintenance of a nuclear weapons capability.

(95216)

139
N Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the level of national security of UK allies who have chosen not (a) to retain and (b) to obtain a nuclear weapons capability.

(95217)

140
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 8th May 2006, Official Report, column 41W, on Porton Down, why the number of (a) mice used in procedures has increased since 2000 and (b) non-human primates used in procedures has increased since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

(95716)

141
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, to which (a) theatres and (b) areas the operational tour tax free bonus applies; and how these locations were selected.

(95814)

142
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the operational tour tax free bonus applies to Gurkha personnel.

(95819)

143
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the operational tour tax free bonus has (a) an initial qualifying period and (b) a qualifying separation.

(95820)

144
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the operational tour tax free bonus applies to personnel serving outside Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans.

(95821)

145
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the case for establishing a Government Social Research Section in his Department.

(95844)

146
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with Boeing on the return to flight of the eight Mk3 Chinook helicopters which have been grounded since their delivery to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

(95779)

147
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidelines are used by his Department for the allocation of night vision goggles to troops; and if he will make a statement.

(95537)

148
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the suitability of the Snatch Land Rover for operations in Iraq; what steps he is taking to safeguard British troops in Iraq; and what off-the-shelf purchases to replace or supplement Snatch Land Rovers have been made since the start of the military action in Iraq.

(95519)

149
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his latest estimate is of the number of helicopters available in Iraq; what steps he is taking to ensure sufficient helicopters have been procured; and if he will make a statement.

(95520)

150
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support will be available to extended families of the Staffordshire Regiment who will be serving in Iraq.

(95521)

151
David Wright (Telford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armoured vehicles have been purchased over the last five years; and from which companies.

(95516)

152
David Wright (Telford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent orders his Department has placed for armoured vehicles; and with which companies.

(95517)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

153
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the estimated annual cost is of his ministerial (a) car and (b) driver, including all running costs and depreciation.

(95824)

154
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the (a) model and (b) make is of his ministerial car.

(95831)

155
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the (a) total floor space and (b) estimated rateable value is of his offices.

(95832)

156
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many staff in his Office are provided with Blackberrys or similar mobile email equipment.

(95833)

157
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what his Department's policy is on maintaining records of telephone calls made by Ministers.

(95570)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

158
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if he will make a statement.

(95862)

159
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when he will put into the public domain the responses to the public consultation on draft Building Bulletin 100, Designing and Managing Against Risk of Fire in Schools; if he will summarise the responses, indicating those which called for local authorities to be instructed either to install or evaluate the benefits of installing sprinkler systems in any new school buildings or within the plans for refurbishment of existing school buildings; when he will publish his response to the consultation; when he will publish the work commissioned by his Department from the Building Research Establishment on sprinklers in schools; and if he will make a statement.

(95536)

160
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment his Department makes of (a) the demographics of an area and (b) existing supply in determining the need for post-16 places when establishing academies.

(95791)

161
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what funding per pupil is available to (a) schools, (b) sixth forms and (c) further education colleges in the Coventry South Region in the 2006-07 academic year; and what steps his Department is taking to promote volunteering.

(94737)

162
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) teachers and (b) teaching assistants are employed in (i) the West Midlands and (ii) Coventry.

(94738)

163
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students have taken up initial teacher training courses in each of the last two years.

(94739)

164
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the proportion of schools whose land includes at least the area designated as (a) sport pitches, (b) soft informal and social, (c) games courts (hard surfaced), (d) hard informal and social and (e) habitat area recommended by the Briefing Framework for Secondary School Projects.

(95491)

165
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will amend literacy and numeracy requirements for higher level teaching assistants to include the International GCSE at grade A*-C in English language, English literature or mathematics as acceptable literacy and numeracy qualifications.

(95670)

166
N Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of teachers in primary schools who speak (a) Urdu and (b) other languages used by children of a Pakistani and Kashmiri background.

(95072)

167
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.

(95853)

168
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when he will reply to the letter of 27th June 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Dr S Ala-ud-din.

(95581)

169
Mr David Kidney (Stafford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to improve the teaching of citizenship in those schools where a weakness in such teaching has been identified.

(95894)

170
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his Department's policy is on the display of religious (a) artefacts, (b) symbols and (c) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95646)

171
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many hours on average A level school pupils spend sitting examinations over their school career.

(95679)

172
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average cost of food used in a school dinner was in the latest period for which a figure is available.

(95683)

173
N Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps the Government has taken to ensure his Department is working effectively with (a) the Department of Health, (b) the Department for Communities and Local Government and (c) local authorities to ensure that adequate facilities for the learning disabled are provided.

(94745)

174
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total recurrent funding per pupil was for each local education authority in each year between 1998-99 to 2006-07 in real terms, using 2006-07 as the base year.

(95459)

175
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many free early years education places have been available in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Essex and (d) Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997.

(95460)

176
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of students who applied for (a) student loans and (b) grants from Suffolk Local Education Authority for the 2006-07 academic year received them in time for the start of that year; and what the equivalent figures were in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 academic years.

(95461)

177
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students have been excluded permanently from schools in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

(95462)

178
Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment has been made of the cost effectiveness of individual researchers in the University Research Assessment Exercise.

(95790)

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

179
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures he is taking to encourage standardisation of water resource plans in the South East.

(95078)

180
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if he will make a statement.

(95864)

181
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.

(95854)

182
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average farmgate price received by farmers for their milk was over the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement .

(95649)

183
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with supermarkets on farmgate prices paid to farmers.

(95650)

184
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much milk was imported into the UK from Poland in the last 12 months; and what projections he has made of future levels of imports of milk from Poland.

(95651)

185
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the age profile is of dairy farmers; and if he will make a statement.

(95652)

186
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce the burden of bureaucracy on (a) dairy farmers and (b) all farmers.

(95653)

187
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish the Department's waste review by the end of 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(95590)

188
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the display of religious (a) artefacts, (b) symbols and (c) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95645)

189
Mr Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will press for Iceland's expulsion from the International Whaling Commission following the announcement that it intends to resume commercial whaling; and if he will make a statement.

(95658)

190
Gwyn Prosser (Dover):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) live calves and (b) live sheep have been exported for (i) slaughter and (ii) further fattening since 1st May, broken down by country of destination.

(95755)

191
Gwyn Prosser (Dover):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he takes to establish whether live calves exported to other European Union Member States are unloaded after 18 hours of travel and given at least 24 hours rest, food and liquid as required by Council Directive 91/628/EEC concerning the protection of animals during transport; and if he will make a statement.

(95756)

192
Gwyn Prosser (Dover):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) live calves and (b) live sheep destined for export have been rejected prior to export since 1st May 2006 at (i) the place of origin and (ii) the port; and if he will make a statement.

(95757)

193
Gwyn Prosser (Dover):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) place of departure, (b) final destination and (c) total journey time from the place of departure to the final destination was of each of the consignments of calves exported from Dover on 11th October; and if he will make a statement.

(95758)

194
Gwyn Prosser (Dover):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that suitable premises are available in the vicinity of Dover docks to which live animals destined for export can be taken and unloaded and given food, liquid and rest in the event of a substantial delay in the departure of the ship on which they are due to be transported; and if he will make a statement.

(95783)

195
Anne Snelgrove (South Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the backlog of maintenance works on waterways.

(95585)

196
Jeremy Wright (Rugby & Kenilworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for which of his Department's (a) agencies and (b) areas of work funding allocations have been revised downwards for 2006-07 from 2005-06.

(95912)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

197
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what her policy is on the use by her Department of persons who have resigned from the SAS or SBS to carry out operations abroad; and what accountability procedures apply in such cases.

(95299)

198
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will ensure that all operations carried out by the Inc., its successor bodies, or other similar units are subject to the same rules of accountability as apply to operations carried out officially by MI6.

(95300)

199
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will make a statement on BA flight 149 to Kuala Lumpur via Kuwait, 2nd August 2003, with particular reference to the involvement of a team of operatives commissioned by her Department.

(95301)

200
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will make it her policy to state where it is the case, that members of the Inc. or similar bodies have been involved when asked whether British military personnel are involved in an operation.

(95302)

201
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the export by the UK of military parts and equipment to states identified in her Department's Annual Human Rights Report as major countries of concern on the human rights situations in those countries.

(95533)

202
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Cabinet colleagues about UK exports of military equipment and parts to (a) Burma, (b) China, (c) North Korea, (d) Iran, (e) Russia, (f) Saudi Arabia and (g) Zimbabwe; and what assessment she has made of the impact of those exports upon the human rights situation in those countries.

(95535)

203
Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of Hizbollah rocket strikes from Lebanon on (a) Northern Israel and (b) Sheba'a Farms in each month between June 2005 and June 2006.

(95484)

204
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if she will make a statement.

(95868)

205
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the bombing of the orphanage at Mullaitivu in Sri Lanka.

(95787)

206
N Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) background and (b) suitability of the (i) provincial governors and (ii) police chiefs appointed by the government of Afghanistan outside Kabul in Afghanistan; and what assessment she has made of the impact on steps taken to (1) improve human rights and (2) reduce opium production by the international community in Afghanistan of these appointments.

(95207)

207
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her US counterparts on the effectiveness of counter-narcotics strategies in Afghanistan; and what changes to the coalition strategy are envisaged.

(95660)

208
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will make a statement on the security situation on the Eritrea - Ethiopia border.

(95667)

209
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role the UK will take in the enforcement of the provisions of Paragraph 8 of UN Security Council Resolution 1718 regarding (a) the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), through their territories or by their nationals, of proscribed items, (b) the freezing of funds and financial assets linked to DPRK nuclear or weapons-related programmes and (c) the inspection of cargo to and from the DPRK.

(95668)

210
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance has been offered to the UK by the (a) US State Department and (b) US Department of Defense in discharging the UK's role as lead nation in counter-narcotics in Afghanistan.

(95671)

211
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the developments in the North Korean ballistic weapons programme.

(95672)

212
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Security Council counterparts on the relevance of the Proliferation Security Initiative to the enforcing of UN Security Council Resolution 1718; and if she will make a statement.

(95793)

213
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what sanctions the Government is operating in respect of Burma.

(95568)

214
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what public money the Government allocated to Burma in the past 12 months.

(95569)

215
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when she will reply to the letters of 12th and 13th September 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. N. Choudhry.

(95571)

216
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when she will reply to the letter of 11th September 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. W. Behbvdy.

(95573)

217
N Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when HM High Commission, Islamabad, received copies of the appeal decision in the case of Mr M.A.S. (reference S1312876; IM/29409/2006), husband of Mrs N. B. of Aylesbury; when the High Commission intends to act on the Immigration Judge's ruling; and if she will make a statement.

(95402)

218
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of the people of Ashraf signed forms accepting their compliance with the conditions stipulated by the Commander of the Multi National Forces Iraq for their continued protection by the Multi National Forces Iraq.

(95746)

219
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the letter of the Deputy Commander of the Multi National Forces Iraq to the poeple of Ashraf dated 21st July 2004 was on behalf of the International Coalition.

(95747)

220
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what date in February the headquarters of the Multi National Forces Iraq reaffirmed its commitment to Article 45 of the Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of civilian persons, 1949 in respect of the people of Ashraf; whether the communication made reference to the principle of non-refoulement; and if she will make a statement.

(95748)

221
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what date the commander of the multi national coalition forces authorised the opening of bank accounts in Iraq by residents of Ashraf city.

(95749)

222
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether individuals in Ashraf have abrogated the undertakings they entered into with the commander of the Multi-National Force - Iraq and which were detailed in the signed agreements prepared by the force commander.

(95754)

223
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will publish the communication dated 7th October 2005 from Major General William Brandenburg on behalf of the multinational coalition forces to the people of Ashraf; and if she will make a statement.

(95777)

224
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether she supports the Secretary General of the Council of Europe's proposals to develop standards aimed at preventing (a) secret detention, (b) enforced disappearances and (c) rendition; and when she expects the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to discuss the issue next.

(95566)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

225
Lorely Burt (Solihull):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will review the remit and scope of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence investigations to ensure that they are able to assess adequately the wider benefits of treatments to society, across health and social care and to carers and their families.

(95557)

226
Lorely Burt (Solihull):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she made of the extent to which the submissions which the Department of Health has put to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence about the Alzheimer's drugs appraisal have been addressed.

(95588)

227
Lorely Burt (Solihull):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure that clinicians continue to be able to exercise flexibility in prescribing drugs for people with Alzheimer's disease.

(95589)

228
Lorely Burt (Solihull):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the number of people who had to sell their homes in order to pay for long-term care in 2006-07.

(95591)

229
Lorely Burt (Solihull):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of patients who received long-term care from the National Health Service had to pay towards their care in 2006-07.

(95592)

230
Lorely Burt (Solihull):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of patients who have to sell their homes in order to receive long-term nursing care.

(95593)

231
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if she will make a statement.

(95861)

232
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many physiotherapist posts there are in the NHS; and what estimate she has made of the number of posts which will be available to new graduate physiotherapists in each of the next three years.

(95661)

233
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many physiotherapists graduated in each of the last five years; and how many physiotherapist (a) posts and (b) vacancies there were in the NHS in each year.

(95662)

234
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in which areas her Department's under-served markets project is being applied; what additional resources have been allocated to the project; and if she will make a statement.

(95806)

235
N Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (a) in total and (b) of (i) HIV, (ii) syphilis, (iii) gonorrhea, (iv) chlamydia, (v) herpes, (vi) genital warts and (vii) non specific infections there were in each year since 1995 in (A) the North East and (B) each primary care trust area in the North East.

(93945)

236
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what safety assessment her Department has (a) conducted and (b) evaluated into potential interference with sensitive medical equipment caused by mobile phone use in hospitals.

(95893)

237
N Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many special severance payments have been made by Bucks Hospitals NHS Trust in each year since 2001.

(95073)

238
Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what use is made of executive coaches by her Department.

(95567)

239
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which NHS trusts have not implemented the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection; and if she will make a statement.

(95556)

240
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her Answer of 12th October 2006, Official Report, column 847W, on Mackinsey Review, what plans she has to monitor cross border arrangements in any review outcome; and if she will make a statement.

(95715)

241
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in her Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in her Department.

(95849)

242
N Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many health authorities have announced reductions in their training budgets; and what the (a) percentage reduction and (b) cash amount of the reduction is in each case.

(95211)

243
N Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Strategic Learning and Research Advisory Committee last discussed NHS training budgets; and what advice the committee has given her about (a) NHS training needs and (b) the cost of meeting those needs in the immediate future.

(95212)

244
N Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent by the NHS on (a) agents' fees for recruiting overseas nurses and (b) professional conversion courses for overseas nurses in each year since 1997.

(95213)

245
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many health authorities are planning to reduce their spending on training over the next three years; and what (a) the percentage reduction planned and (b) the cash amount of such a reduction is in each case.

(95659)

246
Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much each health authority will spend in 2006-07 on (a) continuing professional development and (b) professional enhancement; and what their planned spending is in each of these areas over the next three years.

(95669)

247
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dental practices in (a) England and (b) Shropshire Primary Care Trust area have removed NHS patients from their lists following the introduction of new dental contracts.

(95538)

248
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dental practices in the Shropshire Primary Care Trust area have (a) signed, (b) disputed and (c) refused to sign the new dental contracts.

(95551)

249
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) adults and (b) children have been registered as NHS patients with dental practices in the Shropshire Primary Care Trust area in each year since 1996.

(95552)

250
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time is for NHS dental patients referred for orthodontic treatment in (a) England and (b) Shropshire Primary Care Trust area.

(95553)

251
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the effect of the new dental contract on the volume of NHS orthodontic treatment in (a) England and (b) the Shropshire Primary Care Trust area.

(95554)

252
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average monthly income from patient charges is under the new personal dental services contract; and what a typical equivalent month's income under the previous general dental services system was.

(95575)

253
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average cost of a course of treatment in a new dental access centre is; and what the average cost of an equivalent course was from a dentist under the previous general dental services contract.

(95576)

254
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of treatment given to patients at dental access centres are Band 3 treatments.

(95577)

255
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average patient waiting time is for Band 3 treatments in dental access centres.

(95578)

256
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what her Department's policy is on the display of religious (i) artefacts, (ii) symbols and (iii) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

(95639)

257
Mr Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the proposed supply contract with DHL includes a requirement for sustainable procurement; and if she will make a statement.

(95648)

258
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her Answer of 27th June 2006, Official Report, column 332W, on the National Service Framework for Older People, what proportion of the trusts identified as being part of a falls service were (a) acute trusts and (b) primary care trusts; and if she will make a statement.

(95916)

259
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her Answer of 27th June 2006, Official Report, column 332W, on the National Service Framework for Older People, how many of the Trusts that are part of a falls service provide osteoporosis services; and if she will make a statement.

(95917)

260
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her Answer of 27th June 2006, Official Report, column 332W, on the National Service Framework for Older People, what steps she is taking to implement the recommendations of the audit by the Royal College of Physicians; and if she will make a statement.

(95918)

261
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her Answer of 27th June 2006, Official Report, column 332W, on the National Service Framework for Older People, what steps she is taking to address the gap between the development of falls services and the development of osteoporosis services.

(95919)

262
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what risk assessments the NHS has carried out on the health consequences of leaving perishable waste uncollected for up to two weeks.

(95823)

263
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what meetings the Labour Party Chairman and Minister without Portfolio has attended in her Department in relation to the closure or reduction of NHS services in the last 12 months.

(95825)

264
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) adults and (b) children were registered with an NHS dentist in each Parliamentary constituency in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

(95827)

265
N Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospital blue light accident and emergency departments she plans to downgrade to Urgent Care Centre Status in each year to 2010.

(95088)

266
N Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support her Department offers to directors of adult social care in providing a choice of residential care for those who have both learning and physical disabilities.

(94740)

267
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS operations were cancelled in Suffolk due to (a) administrative errors, (b) lack of beds, (c) outbreaks of MRSA or other infections, (d) the lack of correct or clean equipment and (e) missing notes in each year since 1997.

(95463)

268
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS operations were cancelled in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Hertfordshire and (f) Norfolk in each year since 1997.

(95464)

269
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average ambulance response time in attending 999 calls in (a) East Anglia and (b) England has been in each year since 1997.

(95465)

270
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses per 100 beds there have been in (a) England, (b) the West Suffolk Hospital and (c) Ipswich Hospital in each year since 1997.

(95466)

271
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent by (a) West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust and (b) Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust on salaries and wages for (i) general and senior managers, (ii) nurses and midwives and (iii) administrative and clerical staff in each of the last five financial years.

(95467)

272
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent by Suffolk West Primary Care Trust on salaries and wages for (a) general and senior managers, (b) nurses and midwives and (c) administrative and clerical staff in each of the last five financial years.

(95468)

273
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time in hospitals within the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority was for a person referred by a general practitioner to see a hospital consultant in each year since 1997.

(95469)

274
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding has been allocated to mental health provision in (a) Suffolk, (b) Cambridgeshire, (c) Essex and (d) Norfolk in each year since 1997.

(95470)

275
Dr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are being put in place to avoid in 2007 the shortages of influenza vaccine which have been experienced in 2006.

(95490)

276
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which community hospitals and cottage hospitals which have closed since 1997.

(95401)

277
Dr Desmond Turner (Brighton, Kemptown):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence technology guidance on drugs and technologies automatically ceases if the guidance is subsumed into clinical guidelines.

(95518)

278
Dr Desmond Turner (Brighton, Kemptown):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence technology guidance retains statutory force until it is subsumed into guidelines; and at which point in the process of subsumation the statutory force of such guidance ceases.

(95524)

279
Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses are employed in Burnley General Hospital; and how many there were in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2001.

(95663)

280
Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what change there has been in waiting times for cancer treatment in Burnley constituency since (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

(95708)

281
N Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance has been issued to strategic health authorities (SHAs) to assist them in evaluating whether services should be retained at those hospitals currently being reviewed by the SHAs.

(94741)

282
N Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which hospitals are the subject of review by strategic health authorities into the level of services they provide.

(94742)

283
N Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many reviews are being conducted by strategic health authorities (SHAs) into the level of services provided at hospitals in England and Wales; and which SHAs are conducting them.

(94743)

284
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance her Department has issued to NHS trusts on the publication of the details of severance packages for chief executives.

(95885)

285
Angela Watkinson (Upminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the geographical consistency of testing of women newly-diagnosed with breast cancer for suitability for treatment with herceptin.

(95443)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

286
Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13th July 2006, Official Report, columns 2030-1W, on prisons, if he will make it his policy to collect centrally information on discharges from HM prisons.

(95525)

287
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if he will make a statement.

(95867)

288
Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research he has commissioned into the number of citizens of Romania and Bulgaria likely to come to the UK to work following their accession to the EU in 2007; and whether he has made an estimate of the likely number based on that research.

(95492)

289
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of children from Hong Kong who received their British citizenship certificates after February 2006 have made complaints to the Department about their certificates containing errors.

(95560)

290
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time was for children from Hong Kong who applied for British citizenship after February 2006 for their British citizenship certificates.

(95561)

291
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children from Hong Kong have applied for British citizenship since February 2006; and how many of these are waiting for their British citizenship certificates.

(95562)

292
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have escaped from Crown courts while on trial in each of the last five years.

(95563)

293
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made in negotiations on pay for police officers.

(95784)

294
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many allegations of sexual abuse of children were made in 2005; and how many resulted in (a) charges being brought and (b) an individual being (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted.

(95721)

295
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many suspects are subject to a control order.

(95902)

296
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidelines are issued by his Department on action to be taken in the case of a suspect breaching the conditions of his Control Order.

(95903)

297
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce legislation to allow intercept evidence to be used in court.

(95904)

298
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce amendments to terror legislation to allow the use of interview after charge.

(95905)

299
N James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential implications of the Human Rights Act 1998 for the use of the Sonic Teenager Deterrent by police forces and local authorities.

(95087)

300
N Mike Gapes (Ilford South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his policy is on the release of violent sex offenders on parole; and if he will make a statement.

(95224)

301
N Mike Gapes (Ilford South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many rapists have been released from jail on parole since 23rd May 2006.

(95225)

302
N Mike Gapes (Ilford South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Ilford South of 5th October containing a copy of his previous letter of 23rd May on the release of Mr Edwards.

(95226)

303
N Mike Gapes (Ilford South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter of 23rd May from the hon. Member for Ilford South on the release of Mr Edwards.

(95227)

304
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to inform the public which internet service providers block access to sites containing child pornography.

(95597)

305
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the costs to internet service providers of blocking access to child pornography sites; and what discussions he has had with colleagues at the Department of Trade and Industry on this matter.

(95598)

306
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 19th June 2006, Official Report, column 1051W, on child pornography, what progress has been made by the UK internet industry against the target for all internet service providers to have blocked access to sites abroad containing child pornography by the end of 2007.

(95712)

307
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.

(95850)

308
N Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations his Department has received from (a) Cambridgeshire Police Authority and (b) Cambridgeshire Constabulary on the funding of Cambridgeshire Constabulary in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

(95400)

309
N Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action is being taken (a) to ensure the security of the Bruche site and (b) to minimise problems for local residents following the ending of police training on the site.

(95214)

310
N Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been (a) applied for and (b) granted in Warrington since their introduction; and, by whom the application was made in each case.

(95215)

311
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information he has of the whereabouts and well-being of failed asylum seekers (a) Ahmed Sharef and (b) Mahde Mohammed following their enforced return to Iraq.

(95695)

312
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter to him of 11th September 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs Thi Thao Nguyen.

(95572)

313
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's policy is on the display of religious (i) artefacts, (ii) symbols and (iii) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95633)

314
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many workers from other EU states there were in (a) North East Cambridgeshire, (b) Cambridgeshire and (c) the Eastern region in each of the last five years.

(95717)

315
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what parts of the United Kingdom the national single non-emergency number is available.

(95803)

316
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date the national single non-emergency number will be available throughout England and Wales.

(95804)

317
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people seeking entry to the UK in the last three months have been refused entry on the grounds that they might (a) commit criminal acts and (b) incite others to do so.

(95686)

318
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drivers were prosecuted for driving without insurance in each police authority area in each year since 1997.

(95450)

319
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the recorded rate of crime was in Suffolk for (a) burglary of dwellings, (b) violence against the person, (c) vehicle crime, (d) robbery, (e) sexual offences, (f) total violent crime, (g) theft and handling of stolen goods and (h) criminal damage in each year since 1997.

(95451)

320
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests, (b) convictions and (c) cautions there were in each police authority area for offences relating to (i) the possession and (ii) dealing in class (A) A, (B) B and (C) C drugs in each year since 1997.

(95452)

321
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests and (b) prosecutions for (i) being drunk and disorderly, (ii) being found drunk on a highway, public place or on licensed premises and (iii) being drunk in or when entering a designated sports event there have been in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

(95453)

322
Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the UK plans to propose measures to end or restrict the use or supply of non-human primates for scientific procedures as part of the ongoing revision of EU Directive 86/609; and if he will make a statement.

(95473)

323
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will reply to the letter of 20th July from the hon. Member for Warley regarding Mrs Nagina Bi.

(95674)

324
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to prevent those involved in criminal activities in Romania and Bulgaria receiving entry clearance to the UK when those countries join the EU in January 2007; and if he will establish a system of information-sharing with the Romanian and Bulgarian police to this end.

(95209)

325
N Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer provided by the Minister of State on 18th September 2006, Official Report, column 2490W, what factors he took into account when deciding not to collect data on the length of time a suspect is held under terror legislation before they are charged or released.

(94744)

326
N Mr David Winnick (Walsall North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of those detained without charge under anti-terrorist legislation and subsequently released have later been charged with terrorist offences.

(95206)

327
N Mr David Winnick (Walsall North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detained without charge under the most recent anti-terrorist legislation have been held for (a) longer than 14 days, (b) longer than 21 days and (c) up to the maximum 28 days.

(95208)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

328
Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the impact on education in the Occupied Territories of Israel's approach to the granting or refusal of permits for Palestinian foreign passport holders for entry, re-entry or continuous residence in the Occupied Territories.

(95446)

329
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if he will make a statement.

(95869)

330
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the impact of the availability of health facilities for Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank on the quality of care; and if he will make a statement.

(95725)

331
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his Department's policy is on the display of religious (i) artefacts, (ii) symbols and (iii) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95638)

332
Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what conditions relating to good governance his Department places on the distribution of development aid to Ethiopia.

(95515)

333
Mr Iain Wright (Hartlepool):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to reduce income equalities in the Indian sub-continent.

(95800)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

334
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.

(95848)

335
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions there have been with the Department of Transport and the Scottish Executive about upgrading the road from Stranraer to Carlisle; and if he will make a statement.

(95724)

336
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will discuss with the ferry operators between Belfast and Birkenhead ways of reducing embarkation and disembarkation times; and if he will make a statement.

(95741)

337
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the expected completion date is for the upgrading of the Belfast to Dublin Road; what sections are programmed to be upgraded; when the upgrading is scheduled; what sections have no dates for planned upgrading; and if he will make a statement.

(95742)

338
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will discuss with ferry operators increasing competition on the Northern Ireland to England route.

(95743)

339
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he plans to take to increase the speed of freight and private car sea crossing between Northern Ireland and England.

(95744)

340
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what studies he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the impact of improving motorway links between the Northern Ireland border and ports in the Irish Republic on (i) the ports industry and (ii) airports in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(95745)

341
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his Department's policy is on the display of religious (a) artefacts, (b) symbols and (c) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95643)

342
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, at what stage of the home buying process an energy performance certificate will be required in Northern Ireland once the regulations are implemented.

(95805)

343
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the timetable is for the ratification of Parliamentary boundary changes in Northern Ireland.

(95901)

344
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many fire officers in Northern Ireland have been hospitalised as a result of being assaulted while on duty in the last 12 months.

(95522)

345
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people in Northern Ireland have been convicted of assault in which the victim was (a) a female partner, (b) a male partner and (c) one of their children in each of the last three years.

(95523)

346
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many teachers in Northern Ireland have been the victims of (a) assault and (b) sexual assault in schools in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

(95526)

347
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many pupils in Northern Ireland have been found to be in the possession of (a) a weapon and (b) drugs on school premises in each of the last three years.

(95527)

348
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many incidents of bullying have been reported in schools in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years (a) in total and (b) by education and library board.

(95528)

349
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which 10 schools in Northern Ireland have had the highest number of incidents of bullying in each of the last three years.

(95529)

350
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people in Northern Ireland have been convicted of crimes in which alcohol has been a contributory factor in each of the last three years.

(95530)

Questions to the Prime Minister

351
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 12th October 2006, Official Report, column 862W, on the Bilderberg Group, if he will provide the information requested in respect of himself since 1997.

(95308)

352
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 9th October 2006, Official Report, column 5W, on Ministerial Code, what information relating to the number of complaints received may be divined from section 1 of the Ministerial Code; what his policy is on (a) recording and (b) publishing the number of complaints received alleging possible breaches of the code; for what reason his Answer did not contain the information sought; and which paragraph of section 1 of the Code refers to the process for handling alleged breaches.

(95309)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

353
Mr David Marshall (Glasgow East):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many people in each constituency in Scotland receive the guardian's allowance.

(95753)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

354
N Mr David Anderson (Blaydon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps he is taking to help make progress in the European Council on agreement on the draft Temporary Agency Workers Directive.

(95041)

355
N Hugh Bayley (City of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what programmes and funding are available from his Department to assist York to attract new jobs.

(95045)

356
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations he has received about UK arms exports being used (a) by (i) criminal gangs, (ii) pariah states, (iii) terrorists, (iv) paramilitaries and (v) rebel forces and (b) for the purposes of human rights abuses.

(95532)

357
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what licences have been granted for exports of military equipment and parts to (a) Burma, (b) China, (c) North Korea, (d) Iran, (e) Russia, (f) Saudi Arabia and (g) Zimbabwe in each of the last three years.

(95534)

358
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if he will make a statement.

(95863)

359
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the Government's policy is on the imposition by the EU of duties on shoes from China and Vietnam; and how the policy was formulated.

(95788)

360
N Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of the UK's Compulsory Stocking Obligations for crude oil and refined products were held overseas through bilateral agreements in 2005; and with which countries the UK has a bilateral agreement on Compulsory Stocking Obligations for crude oil and refined products.

(95079)

361
N Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on which occasions during the last 10 years did stocks of Category 2 refined oil products fall short of the UK's Compulsory Stocking Obligations; and by what proportion stocks of Category 2 products fell short on each occasion when the Compulsory Stocking Obligation was not met.

(95080)

362
Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what effect the UK's status as a net importer of crude oil has on the UK derogation on the compulsory stocking obligation provided by EU Directive 2006/67/EC; and when he expects the derogation to be removed.

(95472)

363
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment his Department (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the availability of woodchips for burning as a renewable fuel; whether he has assessed the impact of woodchip incineration on the woodpanel industry; and what representations he has received from the Woodpanel Industries Federation in respect of industrial competition for woodchip stocks.

(95889)

364
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Answer of 12th October 2006, Official Report, column 867W, on retirement age, what the evidential basis was for the decision to impose a national default retirement age of 65 years.

(95792)

365
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.

(95851)

366
Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing a ban on the retail sale of fireworks.

(95657)

367
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what his Department's policy is on the display of religious (a) artefacts, (b) symbols and (c) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95644)

368
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether any legal challenges have been brought to the qualifying period for the right to claim unfair dismissal.

(95305)

369
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will abolish the one year qualifying period that exists before unfair dismissal may be claimed.

(95306)

370
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many cases of unfair dismissal were successful at tribunal in each of the last three years.

(95307)

371
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what guidance his Department has given to (a) fire authorities and (b) fire brigades on the Working Time Directive and retained fire fighters.

(95802)

372
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many post offices there were in each constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(95830)

373
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the Government will announce decisions allowing new power stations to be constructed.

(95676)

374
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many new business start-ups there were in (a) the East of England, (b) Suffolk and (c) Bury St Edmunds constituency in each year since 1997.

(95447)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

375
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if he will make a statement.

(95865)

376
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has held with local authorities and passenger transport executive groups on congestion charging.

(95558)

377
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria will be used to judge the next round of bidding for Transport Innovation Fund grants; and if he will make a statement.

(95559)

378
Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe & Nantwich):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) technical and (b) administrative staff posts the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) intends to cut as a result of the VOSA Testing Transformation Project, broken down by grade.

(95444)

379
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.

(95856)

380
N Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the extra costs to British business of congestion on the road and motorway network.

(95081)

381
Ms Diana R. Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage riders of powered two-wheelers to make sure that they have adequate lighting on their bikes.

(95654)

382
N Mr Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) hair gel, (b) toothpastes, (c) lip balm, (d) water, (e) liquid cosmetics, (f) other liquids, (g) nail clippers, (h) lighters, (i) corkscrews and (j) other sharp items are permitted to be carried within the hand luggage of passengers on flights departing foreign airports for destinations within the UK.

(95398)

383
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is on the display of religious (a) artefacts, (b) symbols and (c) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95641)

384
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will retain Worksop as a driving test centre.

(95471)

385
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has for Driving Standards Agency supercentres in South Yorkshire and the East Midlands.

(95584)

386
Mr David Marshall (Glasgow East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which UK airports are suitable for use by the A380 airbus.

(95750)

387
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of driving licence holders are under the age of 25 years.

(95506)

388
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what response he has made to the report commissioned by his Department from TRL on the risks resulting from drivers' vision being obstructed by A pillars.

(95507)

389
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the 4th year report into speed camera effectiveness took account of reduced traffic volumes at camera sites.

(95508)

390
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made to the contribution to road safety made by speed cameras; and whether he has made an estimate of the number of road traffic fatalities avoided by the use of road traffic cameras.

(95510)

391
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what response he has made to the finding in TRL report number 595 (table 3.18) commissioned by the Highways Agency regarding the effect of the presence of fixed speed cameras on personal injury accidents near motorway road works.

(95512)

392
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of serious road traffic accidents that have involved a speed limit breach in each year since 1994.

(95513)

393
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many representations he has received on the T12020 laser speed meter since its introduction.

(95514)

394
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what properties his Department has (a) owned, (b) rented and (c) occupied at 42-48 Wigmore Street, London, since 1997; for what period each property has been owned, rented or occupied; what the cost to public funds has been of each property; and what the name is of the landlord of properties rented or leased.

(95836)

395
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent on taxis in the most recent year for which figures are available.

(95838)

396
N Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of driving licences which were lost or stolen in the Royal Mail postage system in 2005-06.

(94982)

397
N Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the use of sugar beet for bio-fuel production.

(95043)

398
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cars are available for the use of (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials in his Department; and how many of these are hybrid vehicles.

(95677)

399
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on (a) carbon emissions and (b) fuel consumption of the EU policy of vehicles travelling with headlights on at all times.

(95678)

400
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of consultants used by his Department was in 2005-06.

(95684)

401
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of new (a) motorway and (b) trunk road have been built in each year since 1997.

(95688)

402
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many journeys he has undertaken by (a) car, (b) train and (c) aeroplane in the last month.

(95689)

403
N Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the increase in the price of an MOT test is planned to be introduced in 2006.

(94746)

404
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on transport security.

(95720)

405
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the amount of spending on lineside clearance was in each of the past 15 years, broken down by region; and who was responsible for the clearing work in each region in each year by region.

(95574)

406
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road traffic accidents have been recorded on the A14 between junctions 47 and 49 in each year since 1997.

(95448)

407
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road traffic (a) accidents and (b) fatalities there have been on the A14 in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

(95449)

408
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the A14 in Suffolk is lit by overhead lighting.

(95539)

409
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what road safety improvement schemes are planned for the A14; and when each scheme will be completed.

(95540)

410
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the junctions on the A14 in order of the volume of traffic that uses each one.

(95542)

411
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent on road safety campaigns in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (f) Hertfordshire and (f) Norfolk in each year since 1997.

(95543)

412
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents have occurred on the A14 in (a) Suffolk and (b) in total in each year since 1997, broken down by the junction number closest to where the accident occurred.

(95544)

413
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the financial cost has been of closing or repairing the A14 after road accidents in each year since 1997.

(95545)

414
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the financial cost to businesses of accidents or delays on the A14 in each year since 1997.

(95546)

415
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road accidents have occurred on the A14 where a reported contributory factor was (a) road environment, (b) vehicle defects, (c) injudicious action, (d) driver/rider error, (e) impairment or distraction, (f) behaviour or inexperience, (g) impaired vision, (h) pedestrian action and (i) other factors in each year since 1997.

(95547)

416
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much central government funding for road safety improvements has been allocated to (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Hertfordshire and (f) Norfolk in each year since 1997.

(95548)

417
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how often (a) one carriageway and (b) two carriageways have been closed (i) for routine maintenance or upgrade and (ii) due to a road traffic accident on the (A) eastbound A14 and (B) westbound A14 in each year since 1997.

(95549)

418
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the volume of traffic using the A14 has been in each year since 1997.

(95550)

419
N Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when a decision will be taken on whether the Translink guided busway between Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Luton will be built; and if he will make a statement.

(95397)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

420
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.

(95846)

421
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what his Department's policy is on the display of religious (a) artefacts, (b) symbols and (c) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95642)

Questions to the Minister for Women and Equality

422
Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington):To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what assessment she has made of the effect of the unregulated sale and display of magazines and tabloid titles carrying sexually explicit and degrading images of women on efforts to improve gender equality in England.

(95565)

423
N Hugh Bayley (City of York):To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what measures are in place to help women who have been made redundant to find alternative jobs.

(95027)

424
Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what role she is playing in discussions on new legislation to proscribe forced marriage.

(95656)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

425
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if he will make a statement.

(95860)

426
N Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many housing benefit recipients there were in the North East government office region in the last three years, broken down by (a) tenure type and (b) average weekly amount of benefit; and how many private tenants in receipt of housing benefit received less than their weekly eligible rent (i) because of single room rent, (ii) because of local reference rent restrictions and (iii) for other reasons in the same period.

(93946)

427
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the Service in that period; and how many people are employed in the Service in his Department.

(95857)

428
Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the July 2006 changes which introduced a right to work pre-condition before National Insurance numbers could be allocated.

(95586)

429
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on the display of religious (a) artefacts, (b) symbols and (c) dress by its staff; how many staff have been subject to disciplinary proceedings regarding this policy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(95640)

430
Mr David Marshall (Glasgow East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people receive the retirement pension age addition for those aged 80 years or over in each constituency in Scotland.

(95751)

431
Mr David Marshall (Glasgow East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) men and (b) women in each constituency in Scotland receive the care component higher rate of disability living allowance.

(95752)

432
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance the Health and Safety Executive has produced on the need for risk assessments of public events organised by the voluntary sector.

(95818)

433
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many national insurance numbers have been issued; and how many new numbers were issued in 2005-06.

(95685)

434
N Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department issues to Jobcentre Plus staff about advising couples that they would be better off financially if they separated; and if he will make a statement.

(95396)

435
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on the basis of which criteria locations were chosen for contact centres for interviews for new national insurance numbers.

(95897)

436
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will publish a gender impact assessment on the Pensions White Paper.

(95881)

437
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women he expects to reach the state pension age (a) by April 2010 and (b) after April 2010.

(95882)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

438
Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what life expectancy is in Burnley constituency for (a) men and (b) women; and what it was in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2001.

[Transferred] (95707)

439
Kitty Ussher (Burnley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many deaths there were from (a) cancer and (b) heart disease in Burnley constituency in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (95718)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

440
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made with the proposed Sexual Orientation Discrimination Regulations; and if she will make a statement.

[Transferred] (95596)

Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs

441
Mr David Jones (Clwyd West):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what bilateral arrangements exist between the United Kingdom and the United States of America to secure the privacy of computer data owned by UK nationals and stored via the internet on servers located within the United States.

[Transferred] (95801)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

442
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what monitoring is carried out by the Government on the end-use of arms exports from the UK (a) by (i) criminal gangs, (ii) pariah states, (iii) terrorists, (iv) paramilitaries and (v) rebel forces and (b) for the purposes of human rights abuses.

[Transferred] (95531)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

443
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the Prime Minister has made of the recent removal of (a) ResQPOD heart resuscitation equipment from Staffordshire Ambulances and (b) emergency response medicines from Staffordshire Ambulance First Responders; and if she will make a statement.

[Transferred] (95898)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

444
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of speed camera tickets were issued to drivers under the age of 25 years in the last period for which figures are available.

[Transferred] (95509)

445
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fixed penalty notices were issued for speeding offences caught by (a) speed cameras and (b) traffic officers in each year since 1997; how many fixed penalty notices were paid in relation to speeding offences; how many court proceedings were started in relation to speeding offences; and how many (i) guilty and (ii) not guilty verdicts were reached in relation to speeding offences.

[Transferred] (95511)

446
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many traffic police officers there were in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Hertfordshire and (f) Norfolk in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (95541)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

447
N Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures his Department is taking to ensure that sufficient radio spectrum will be available to the programme making and special events sector to ensure the smooth running of the 2012 Olympics; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (95077)

448
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of the UK's electricity is produced from renewable energy sources.

[Transferred] (95719)

449
N Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what his priorities are with respect to ensuring a regional balance in investment in modern manufacturing.

[Question Unstarred] (95038)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

450
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of children in poverty, broken down by age band; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (95740)

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Revised 19 October 2006