Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2005 - 06
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 30 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 Monday 30 October 2006
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 30 October 2006

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 30 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 Monday 30 October of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 30 October see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

1
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the annual turnover of the UK entertainment industry in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what the tax revenue was for that sector for each of those years; what estimate he has made of the effect on future turnover and tax revenue of the Programme Making and Special Events sector of the industry of the potential sale of the 14 UHF TV bands by Ofcom following the digital switchover; and if he will make a statement.

(98188)

2
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects the Stern Report on the economics of climate change to be published; and if he will make a statement.

(98477)

3
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the upper and lower levels of missing trader VAT fraud in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(98463)

4
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98528)

5
Mr Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total annual remuneration of (a) the President of the World Bank and (b) the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund was as at July 2006.

(98575)

6
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what studies he has commissioned into the implications of the rise in the level of personal debt.

(98196)

7
Mrs Janet Dean (Burton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will use monies from the Contingency Fund to increase the funds available to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

(98479)

8
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal changes are being considered to the farm landlord-tenancy agreement as a result of the new regulations following the work of the Treasury Reform Industry Group.

(97951)

9
N Mr Alan Duncan (Rutland & Melton):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what boilers are on the official Government list of recommended renewable-energy fired boilers; and what fuel is used in each appliance.

(97213)

10
N Mr Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his assessment is of whether the tax free bonus will affect the entitlement of soldiers in receipt of tax credits.

(97424)

11
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of the population of (a) Wales, (b) the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and (c) the constituency of Aberavon is over the age of 65 years.

(97979)

12
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of the population of (a) Wales, (b) the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and (c) the constituency of Aberavon is a carer.

[R] (97980)

13
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects to publish plans for the sale and release of public spectrum.

(97960)

14
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was spent on staff (a) bonuses and (b) overtime in his Department in each year since 1997.

(97961)

15
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects the International Finance Facility to be established; and what form the facility will take.

(97962)

16
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) dates and (b) locations were of each event he has held as part of the Public Debate on the Comprehensive Spending Review.

(97964)

17
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cars have been taxed since his 2006 Budget at (a) the zero rate of duty, (b) the £40 rate of duty and (c) the £100 rate of duty.

(97965)

18
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the World Bank fund for investment by developing economies in alternative sources of energy and greater energy efficiency is expected to be established; and how much additional money the UK has contributed to this fund on top of money that the UK already contributes to the World Bank.

(97967)

19
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many members of staff left his Department due to bullying, discrimination or harassment in the last 12 months.

(97970)

20
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of staff turnover in his Department; and what proportion of employees in his Department left in the last 12 months.

(97971)

21
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many publications his Department has printed in the last 12 months; and what the total printing cost was.

(97972)

22
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has spent on training days at the National School of Government in the last 12 months.

(97973)

23
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects to respond to the results of the consultation on independence for statistics; and when he plans to introduce legislation on this issue.

(97974)

24
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was responsible for the short to medium term co-ordination of policy in his Department before the appointment of the Director of Policy and Planning on 1st July 2004.

(97975)

25
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many training days have been undertaken by the performance and efficiency team in his Department in the last 12 months; and what the (a) location, (b) date, (c) activities undertaken and (d) cost was of each away day.

(97976)

26
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was spent by his Department on maintaining its websites in 2005-06; and how many visits each website received during this period.

(97977)

27
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9th October 2006, Official Report, column 283W, on information technology projects, what the reasons were for the time taken to implement the Actuary Department's BS7799 compliance IT project; and if he will make a statement.

(98031)

28
N Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much floor space his Department occupies.

(98032)

29
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Treasury employees have (a) resigned and (b) been dismissed in the last 12 months; and how many of those who (i) resigned and (ii) were dismissed now work in other departments.

(98033)

30
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has a staff magazine.

(98034)

31
N Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many civil servants his Department employs, broken down by pay band; and what the pay range of each band is.

(98035)

32
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which (a) public affairs and (b) public relations companies were contracted to work for (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department between 1997 and 2002.

(98036)

33
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proposals his Department has made on simplification of regulations since he launched the Better Regulation action plan on 24th May 2005; and what progress has been made on implementation of those proposals.

(98037)

34
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many members of staff his Director of Policy and Planning manages.

(98219)

35
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the role is of his Council of Economic Advisers; and how its role differs from that of special advisers.

(98221)

36
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Director of Policy and Planning in his Department has met the Chair of the Labour Party on official business in the last 12 months.

(98222)

37
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full-time employees of HM Revenue and Customs worked in (a) detection, (b) intelligence, (c) special civil investigations and (d) criminal investigations in each year since 1997.

(98224)

38
Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in respect of what illegal items the HM Revenue and Customs has targets to reduce the level of imports; and if he will make a statement.

(98504)

39
Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of illegal items entering the UK in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(98505)

40
Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of firearms entering the UK in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(98506)

41
Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many HM Revenue and Customs employees have been allocated to the reduction of the importation of (a) controlled drugs, (b) illegal firearms and (c) illicit (i) alcohol and (ii) tobacco in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(98507)

42
Mr David Heath (Somerton & Frome):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects to reply to the letters from Mr P. B. Waggott of Castle Cary, Somerset, of 25th March, 10th July and 18th August.

(98654)

43
N John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs has implemented the informative message to stop silent calls in its call centres.

(97740)

44
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the role is of the Director of Policy and Planning in his Department.

(98453)

45
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the post of the Director of Policy and Planning in his Department has replaced that of the Chief Economic Adviser.

(98454)

46
N Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the funding of the infrastructure for the Sustainable Communities Programme in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England.

(97474)

47
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the threshold will be for exemption from the Planning Gain Supplement; and whether this will be based on (a) area and (b) value of development.

(98276)

48
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether there will be exemptions to the Planning Supplement for (a) renewable energy and (b) other classes of development.

(98277)

49
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how Planning Gain Supplement levies will be (a) collected and (b) distributed; and which agencies will be eligible to receive money to spend on infrastructure.

(98278)

50
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance will be issued to relevant authorities on what investment can be paid for by the levies raised by the Planning Gain Supplement.

(98279)

51
Stewart Hosie (Dundee East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings have been held between his Department and Scottish Executive officials to discuss the proposals for a Planning Gain Supplement.

(98280)

52
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many families in Chorley have taken out child trust funds; and if he will make a statement.

(98041)

53
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people claimed (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit in Chorley in 2005-06.

(98042)

54
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many overpayments of (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit were found to be a result of HM Revenue and Customs error in 2005-06.

(98043)

55
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ensure that envelopes supplied for the R40 form are wide enough to accommodate A4 paper.

(98113)

56
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what total amount of tax credits fraud has been prevented since April 2001 by (a) pre-payment and (b) post-payment checks; and if he will make a statement.

(98092)

57
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his estimate is of the three largest frauds perpetrated in the tax credits system, by value, from 2003 onwards; and if he will make a statement.

(98094)

58
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what basis bonuses were paid to tax credit staff in 2005-06 and 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

(98097)

59
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in how many cases of false or fraudulent tax credit claims HM Revenue and Customs intervened in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06 and (d) 2006-07 (from 1st April 2006 to 30th September 2006).

(98098)

60
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of childcare tax credit claims checked by HM Revenue and Customs compliance staff in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06 were incorrect due to fraud or error; and if he will make a statement.

(98100)

61
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit overpayments were (a) disputed and (b) successfully disputed in each (i) month since 1st May 2006 and (ii) year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

(98127)

62
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what changes there have been to HM Revenue and Customs internal guidelines and procedures for appeals against disputed tax credit overpayments since 1st April 2004; and if he will make a statement.

(98130)

63
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claims in payment have been stopped since 1st July due to fraud and suspicion of fraud.

(98133)

64
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit overpayments have involved an element of official error since 1st April 2005; and if he will make a statement.

(98134)

65
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procedures (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) the Department have in place for the approval of easements to tax credit verification rules; how these have changed since 2002; and if he will make a statement.

(98138)

66
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether approval is needed from (a) the Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs and (b) Treasury ministers for easement of the tax credit verification rules.

(98139)

67
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 29th November 2005, Official Report, column 341W, on credit overpayments, why HM Revenue and Customs made an error in paying tax credits to claimants subject to immigration control; and if he will make a statement.

(98218)

68
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria are used to determine bonus payments to employees of the Tax Credit Office.

(98330)

69
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether bonus payments made to employees of the Tax Credit Office are based on (a) relative and (b) absolute levels of performance.

(98331)

70
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what quotas are set for the (a) number of people and (b) proportion of the pay budget in the Tax Credit Office in relation to bonus payments.

(98332)

71
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the maximum budget available for bonus payments to employees of the Tax Credit Office was in each year since 2001; and what the total amount of bonuses paid to employees of the Office was in each such year.

(98333)

72
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies were affected by the rise in the minimum wage on 1st October.

(98163)

73
N John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much VAT was collected from (a) registered trades unions, (b) the Union of Democratic Mineworkers and (c) Vendside Ltd in each year since 1998.

(98324)

74
Mr George Mudie (Leeds East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average percentage return has been from a child trust fund allocated under the default investment arrangements; and how many child trust funds have been allocated to each default provider.

(98514)

75
Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) incidence and (b) survival rate of (i) ovarian, (ii) lung, (iii) bladder, (iv) breast, (v) bowel, (vi) prostate, (vii) throat, (viii) mouth, (ix) stomach and (x) testicular cancer was in (A) England, (B) Yorkshire and (C) Calderdale in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(98069)

76
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the basis was for his statement on GMTV on 25th October that the Government has a budget of £1.5 billion for sport; and if he will provide a breakdown of that budget by source.

(98118)

77
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions took place with (a) the Department for Education and Skills, (b) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (c) Sport England, (d) UK Sport, (e) the Youth Sport Trust and (f) London 2012 before the Chancellor's announcement on sport of 25th October 2006.

(98145)

78
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with EU Finance Ministers on the transparency of the EU accounts since the publication of the last report of the Court of Auditors; and if he will make a statement.

(98561)

79
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16th October 2006, Official Report, column 1060W, on departmental expenditure, how much was spent on travel cost by staff of (a) HM Treasury and (b) its agencies in (i) the UK and (ii) abroad in each year since 2001-02.

(97989)

80
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many workers from the new member states of the EU are claiming child benefit in respect of families still living in their home countries.

(98682)

81
N Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what account he took of representations from the energy industry on his policy to place in the Consolidated Fund the surplus arising from the auction of Non-Fosil Fuel Oligation; if he will make it his policy to use such surplus to provide support for emerging renewable energy technologies; and if he will make a statement.

[R] (97785)

82
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps (a) to investigate the case of Mrs Hughes of Brixham, a constituent of the hon. Member for Totnes, and (b) to ensure that she ceases to receive unsolicited cheques for tax credit to which she is not entitled.

(97332)

83
Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of applications for child benefit awarded to A8 nationals between May 2004 and June 2006 were for children who did not live in the UK.

(98122)

84
Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review the rules under which nationals of the European Economic Area member states are permitted to claim child benefit for children that do not live in the UK.

(98135)

85
Peter Viggers (Gosport):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the per capita (a) tax revenue and (b) government expenditure was in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(98516)

86
Mr Charles Walker (Broxbourne):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was overpaid in family tax credits in each year for which records are available; and if he will make a statement.

(98082)

87
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made in the allocation of £20 million of the Financial Inclusion Fund to stimulate demand for mainstream financial services.

(98679)

88
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made with the establishment of a growth fund to support third sector lenders as part of the Financial Inclusion Fund.

(98680)

Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

89
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many individuals have used the gap year and volunteering scheme that she announced in her 2006 Budget; and how much the Government has contributed to the scheme.

(97969)

90
N Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which public appointments have been made of former Ministers who served in the Government since 1997.

(97497)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

91
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which consent regimes that regulate the activities of local government have been created since May 1997; and if she will make a statement.

(98465)

92
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of total council tax revenue raised by local authorities from charging on second homes in each year since 2001-02; and if she will make a statement.

(98467)

93
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many staff in her Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if she will make a statement.

(98529)

94
Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that local planning authorities are able to impose energy efficiency measures under the EU Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings (Directive 2002/91/EC) in relation to new planning applications.

(98513)

95
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she expects the voluntary code for sustainable homes to be implemented.

(98197)

96
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many electrical contractors are registered under Part P of the building regulations; and what estimate she has made of the number of contractors who have yet to register.

(98143)

97
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many fatalities there were in each of the last five years due to home accidents caused by use or misuse of electrical equipment and electrical installations.

(98144)

98
N James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2nd October 2006, Official Report, columns 2541-45W, on land classification, what assessment she has made of the reason for the change in vacant and derelict land and buildings in Southend-on-Sea between 2002 and 2003; and if she will list the three vacant and derelict sites in Southend-on-Sea in 2003.

(97622)

99
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she will bring forward the changes to the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 announced in her Department's press notice Planning to Safeguard Open Spaces and Playing Fields of July 2002; and if she will make a statement.

(98226)

100
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many affordable housing units (a) built and (b) procured through the Housing Corporation National affordable Housing Programme in 2005-06 were (i) mixed funded social rented housing, (ii) temporary social rented housing, (iii) homebuy general market purchase, (iv) homebuy general new build, (v) mixed funded low cost home ownership for sale, (vi) miscellaneous works to registered social landlord (RSL) stock, (vii) reimprovements to rented RSL stock, (viii) works only rehabilitation of rented RSL stock, (ix) works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for sale, (x) intermediate rent for key workers, (xi) homebuy market purchase for key workers, (xii) homebuy new build for key workers, (xiii) mixed funded sale for key workers and (xiv) starter home initiative in the North-east Region in each year since 1997-98; and how much was spent on each category.

(98592)

101
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many right to buy (a) applications and (b) sales there were in the North East of England in each year since 1980.

(98593)

102
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many shared equity homes have been (a) built and (b) made available on the market in (i) Chorley and (ii) Lancashire in each of the last three years.

(98044)

103
N Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that funding for the New Link Centre in Peterborough constituency is assured in 2007-08.

(97496)

104
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has provided in (a) grant and (b) non-repayable grant to (i) the Church of England, (ii) Islamic organisations and (iii) other religions in the past five years; who the recipients were of each grant; and what the amount of the grant was in each case.

(97385)

105
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, following the publication of Appendix 7 of Milton Keynes Partnerships MK2031 document outlining the proposals for the demolition of houses in Milton Keynes, how many houses she expects to be demolished within Milton Keynes.

(98110)

106
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she will reply to the letter from Woburn Town Council of 20th June about the proposed expansion of Milton Keynes.

(98150)

107
Laura Moffatt (Crawley):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many additional houses are planned for the Crawley and Horsham area over the next 12 months.

(97956)

108
Margaret Moran (Luton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the value of the (a) assets and (b) surpluses of the 10 largest registered social landlords was in each of the last four years.

(98265)

109
Margaret Moran (Luton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether ethnic monitoring (a) has been and (b) will be undertaken in respect of Digital Challenge (i) shortlisted and (ii) successful bids.

(98266)

110
Margaret Moran (Luton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure ethnic minorities are fully involved in Digital Challenge bids.

(98267)

111
Margaret Moran (Luton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many ethnic minority organisations are involved in Digital Challenge bids.

(98268)

112
Margaret Moran (Luton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the criteria are for consideration of Digital Challenge bids.

(98269)

113
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her Department's five most expensive (a) web and (b) non-web information technology projects have been since 2001.

(98563)

114
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what percentage of information technology projects undertaken by or for her Department since 2001 have been delivered (a) over budget, (b) after their original deadline, (c) on budget, (d) under budget, (e) on their original deadline and (f) ahead of their original deadline.

(98600)

115
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many information technology projects her Department has undertaken in each year since 2001; how many of those projects were web-related.

(98617)

116
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on information technology consultants in each year since 2001; and how many consultants worked on web-facing projects in each of those years.

(98618)

117
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on (a) information technology projects and (b) web-facing information technology projects in each year since 2001.

(98619)

118
Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many dwellings in England have a standard assessment procedure rating of (a) 65 or over and (b) 35 or below.

(98688)

119
Anne Snelgrove (South Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the requirements made by Planning and Policy Guidance applying to environmental building standards; and if she will take steps to ensure that they are amended to assist the reduction of the carbon footprint of new buildings.

(98448)

120
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what percentage of homes built in (a) Oxfordshire and (b) the Wantage constituency since 1997 have been affordable social housing.

(98240)

121
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by her Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98245)

122
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans there are to merge Housing Corportion and English Partnership new build design standards for homes.

(98579)

123
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the standard requirements of developers on English Partnerships land are; and if she will make a statement.

(98580)

124
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding has been made available for (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Stoke-on-Trent via the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund.

(98581)

125
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that the areas which are most in need will benefit from the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund; and if she will make a statement.

(98582)

126
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to encourage the use of reused and recycled materials in capital procurement projects for which her Department is responsible.

(98006)

127
Mark Williams (Ceredigion):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what monitoring she has undertaken of the implementation of the crime prevention provisions in the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004; and if she will make a statement.

(98464)

Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs

128
Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much in legal aid money has been spent on the third generation combined oral contraceptive pill litigation; how much has been paid to each (a) barrister and (b) firm of solicitors in connection with the case; what hourly rate was paid in each case; and whether these payments represent risk rates paid so that service providers would be unlikely to profit in the eventuality of the case being unsuccessful.

(97987)

129
Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will list the (a) barristers and (b) firms of solicitors who acted for the legally aided claimants in the Third Generation Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill litigation.

(97988)

130
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Compensation Bill on the practice of vehicle repair firms being paid by solicitors to refer customers who have been in road traffic accidents to them.

(98308)

131
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the present maximum claim is that can be pursued in the small claims court; and what consideration she is giving to (a) increasing and (b) decreasing the threshold.

(98310)

132
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many committal hearings were held in each of the last five years; and what estimate she has made of the total cost of committal hearings in each year.

(98496)

133
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what estimate she has made of the average cost of a dismissal hearing in the most recent period for which an estimate is available.

(98498)

134
N Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many ineffective trials were recorded in (a) magistrates' courts and (b) Crown courts in Cambridgeshire in each quarter since June 2001; and if she will make a statement.

(97185)

135
N Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20th October 2006, Official Report, column 1450W, on legal aid, how many prisoners at HMP Peterborough giving their permanent address as at the prison are in receipt of legal aid; what the cost of such funding is to the public purse; and if she will make a statement.

(97744)

136
Mr David Jones (Clwyd West):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many attempts to gain unauthorised access to the computer system of HM Land Registry have (a) been detected and (b) succeeded in each of the last five years.

(98622)

137
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will amend the draft Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill so as to regulate bailiffs to protect the interests of vulnerable debtors.

(98709)

138
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether the Boundary Commission takes account of the number of European nationals eligible to vote in local elections but not in general elections when considering English parliamentary boundary changes.

(98687)

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

139
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff in her Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if she will make a statement.

(98530)

140
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received from (a) consumer associations and (b) members of the public regarding the practices of television quiz channels which require premium-rate phone calls to enter.

(98038)

141
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will commission an investigation into the practices of television quiz channels which require premium-rate phone calls to enter.

(98039)

142
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward proposals to require television quiz channels which require premium-rate telephone calls to enter to broadcast the proportion of successful calls made.

(98236)

143
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues about the regulation of television quiz channels which require premium-rate telephone calls to enter.

(98237)

144
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of problem gamblers who gamble largely online; and what assessment she has made of the effect of the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005 on those figures.

(98339)

145
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will commission regular studies into the extent of problem gambling in the period (a) running up to and (b) following implementation of the Gambling Act 2005, with particular reference to online gambling.

(98340)

146
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support (a) her Department and (b) the gambling industry provides to gambling support organisations; and whether such support is expected to increase after the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005.

(98341)

147
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 16th October 2006, Official Report, column 978W, on the Gambling Act, when the three-year period of assessment of the new casinos introduced under the Gambling Act 2005 will begin; and if she will make a statement.

(98194)

148
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what occasions since April 2000 the Playing Field Monitoring Group has met; and if she will make a statement.

(98225)

149
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the change in the number of playing fields of an area of less than 0.4 hectares in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

(98227)

150
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her Answer of 16th October 2006, Official Report, column 978W, on the Gambling Act, what the timetable for the assessment of the casino pilot schemes introduced under the Gambling Act 2005 will be; and if she will make a statement.

(98382)

151
Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with HM Treasury on extending the VAT refund arrangements available to listed places of worship to unlisted church buildings within conservation areas; and if she will make a statement.

(98319)

152
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has provided in (a) grant and (b) non-repayable grant to (i) the Church of England, (ii) Islamic organisations and (iii) other religions in the past five years; who the recipients were of each grant; and what the amount of the grant was in each case.

(97384)

153
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with possible future owners of West Ham United on the post-2012 use of the main Olympic Stadium.

(97618)

154
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assurances have been given to the International Olympic Committee concerning post-2012 use of the main Olympic Stadium.

(97619)

155
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions the Olympic Board has had on the post-2012 use of the main Olympic Stadium; and what conclusions it has reached on the post-games seating capacity.

(97620)

156
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has held with (a) the Football Association, (b) football clubs and (c) UK Athletics on the post-2012 use of the main Olympic stadium.

(97621)

157
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20th October 2006, Official Report, column 1452W, on Sport England, whether she was aware that the one of the candidates was personally known to the Minister for Sport when she consulted him on the two candidates recommended for appointment by the interview panel for the post of Chair of Sport England; and what safeguards were put in place to prevent a conflict of interest.

(97796)

158
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor on his pledge to recruit one million Olympic volunteers; what additional resource will be provided to meet this target; and when she expects to achieve it.

(98114)

159
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by her Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98256)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

160
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when it was decided that UK forces in Afghanistan would be under US command; and if he will make a statement.

(97588)

161
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98522)

162
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what the cash destroyed in the RAF Hercules crash in Helmand Province in May was intended to be used.

(98483)

163
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers serving in Afghanistan are from (a) Wales and (b) Aberavon constituency.

(98191)

164
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers serving in Iraq are from (a) Wales and (b) Aberavon constituency.

(98192)

165
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many events were held on National Veterans Day in June 2006; and where each event was held.

(97963)

166
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) military personnel and (b) civilians are awaiting treatment at Haslar Military Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

(98089)

167
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) funds and (b) other resources have been provided to British forces by the US in Iraq.

(98304)

168
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what NATO's policy is on the payment of funds to armed groups in Afghanistan for security purposes.

(98305)

169
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many militants have been captured in Afghanistan in each of the past 12 months, broken down by nationality.

(98306)

170
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the proportion of Taliban fighters that are non-Afghan nationals.

(98307)

171
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with Israeli officials on their compliance with international law on human rights during (a) the recent conflict with Lebanon and (b) the Occupied Territories prior to signing the individual co-operation programme with NATO.

(98321)

172
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessments were undertaken by NATO allies of Israel's compliance with international law on human rights prior to the signing of the individual co-operation programme agreement.

(98322)

173
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which countries NATO plans to approach to sign an individual co-operation programme.

(98323)

174
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the last three operational deployments were of (a) 40 Commando, (b) 42 Commando, (c) 45 Commando and (d) 28 Regiment Royal Engineers; and what the length of time was between each such deployment.

(98548)

175
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel have been treated for (a) post-traumatic stress disorder and (b) other mental health problems after serving in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan over the period since February 2004; what percentage of troops serving in each of these theatres the figures represent; and if he will make a statement.

(98549)

176
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel from each of the three services have gone absent without leave since February 2004; and how many were from units (a) deployed and (b) due to be deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan.

(98550)

177
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his most recent assessment is of the performance of the Joint Strike Fighter against overall performance requirements.

(98551)

178
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department allocated towards missile defence research and development in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006; and what the allocation is for 2007.

(98552)

179
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK personnel from his Department were seconded to the US Missile Defense Agency in (a) 2005 and (b) 2006; what the expected number is in 2007; and how many US personnel were seconded to the UK Missile Defence Centre in each year.

(98553)

180
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the focus is of work undertaken by the Missile Defence Centre.

(98554)

181
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the approved Urgent Operational Requirements from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006; and what the cost was of each.

(98555)

182
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of (a) the overall military helicopter fleet and (b) the helicopter fleet deployed in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan are considered (A) fit for service and (B) battleworthy, broken down by helicopter type.

(98556)

183
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military exercises were cancelled in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005; how many have been cancelled in 2006; and what the reasons were for cancelling each exercise.

(98557)

184
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in how many operations the Royal Navy took part in 2005 as part of the Proliferation Security Initiative; and in how many such operations it has taken part in 2006.

(98558)

185
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many attacks there were on British troops in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each of the last three years; what the date was of each incident; what type of incident each was; what weapons were used in each; and how many insurgents were involved in each incident.

(98559)

186
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) actual strength, (b) establishment and (c) percentage difference between establishment and actual strength is of each specialty for qualified technical personnel in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

(98565)

187
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) actual strength, (b) establishment and (c) percentage difference between establishment and actual strength is of each Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers specialty in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq; and what percentage of each specialty in each theatre are reservists.

(98566)

188
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) actual strength, (b) establishment and (c) percentage difference between establishment and actual strength is of each specialty of qualified medical personnel in the Army.

(98567)

189
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) actual strength, (b) establishment and (c) percentage difference between establishment and actual strength is of each specialty of qualified medical personnel in Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq; and what percentage of such personnel are reservists.

(98568)

190
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel in (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force have initiated complaints procedures arising from concerns with equipment since 2003; and in how many cases in (i) the Army, (ii) the Royal Navy and (iii) the Royal Air Force the complaint was upheld.

(98569)

191
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) officers and (b) other ranks in each service were classified as medically downgraded as unfit for frontline duties on (i) 1st April of each of the last three years and (ii) the first of each month of the last six months; in how many cases the downgrading was (A) temporary and (B) permanent in each case; and what percentage of trained strength each figure represents.

(98570)

192
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel in each of the three services in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan have been medically downgraded since 1st January 2004, broken down by reason for downgrading.

(98571)

193
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the feasibility of including a mandatory module on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in armed forces operational training and guidance.

(98583)

194
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps have been taken by his Department to increase awareness of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 throughout the armed forces.

(98584)

195
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what measures are in place to promote amongst members of the armed forces recognition of the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls.

(98585)

196
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are being interned by British forces in Afghanistan because they are perceived to be a threat to International Security Assistance Force forces; and for how long each has been held.

(98644)

197
N Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with NATO chiefs about the deployment of additional troops in support of British forces in Afghanistan.

(98070)

198
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any RG-31 armoured vehicles are (a) owned and (b) leased by his Department.

(97981)

199
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the maintenance problems were which led to the RG-31 being withdrawn from service following deployments in Bosnia.

(97982)

200
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many suicides have taken place amongst deployed UK military personnel in (a) Iraq, (b) Afghanistan and (c) elsewhere in each of the last three years.

(97983)

201
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to increase the number of support helicopters in Afghanistan; and what discussions he has had with commercial operators on their ability to provide helicopters.

(97984)

202
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the US government on the provision of a ballistic missile defence system site in the UK.

(97985)

203
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what health services are being provided to veterans of the Falkland Islands War.

(98030)

204
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what preparations are being made to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War.

(98049)

205
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what grants are available to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War at Chorley Cenotaph.

(98050)

206
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans there are for heavy lift capability in the Falkland Islands.

(98051)

207
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans there are to deploy a Chinook helicopter in the Falkland Islands.

(98052)

208
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on preparations for the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War.

(98053)

209
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps have been taken to ensure that all veterans of the Falklands War have the opportunity to participate in commemoration of the 25th anniversary.

(98054)

210
Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ministry of Defence aircraft have (a) landed and (b) taken off from Old Sarum Airfield in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(98215)

211
Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the review of the Ministry of Defence Police will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

(98216)

212
Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the terms of reference are for the review of the Ministry of Defence Police.

(98217)

213
Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether negotiations have been concluded with Boeing for the work to be carried out on the eight Chinook Mark 3 helicopters at Boscombe Down to make them certifiable for military flights; and if he will make a statement.

(98220)

214
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to provide a substantive answer to question 94388, tabled for named day answer on 16th October; and what the reasons are for the delay in replying.

(98165)

215
N Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of (a) the relationship between the Taliban and Afghan poppy-growers and (b) its implications for NATO's counter-insurgency campaign.

(97533)

216
N Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information he has received in respect of the percentage of the Afghan (a) population and (b) economy dependent on the cultivation of poppies.

(97534)

217
N Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has made to his United States counterparts on the effect on the counter-insurgency campaign of attempts by (a) NATO forces and (b) the Afghan government to suppress the cultivation of poppies.

(97535)

218
N Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what study his Department has made of the lessons of past counter-insurgency campaigns relevant to the framing of NATO's strategy in Afghanistan.

(97537)

219
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Procurement expects to visit BAE Systems Purdon; and if he will make a statement.

(98456)

220
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what medical treatment is given to soldiers returning from combat suffering from stress related disorders; and if he will make a statement.

(98273)

221
N Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will provide answers to Question (a) 91383, (b) 91419, (c) 91421, (d) 91422, (e) 91426, (f) 91420, (g) 91424 and (h) 91425, on defence, tabled by the hon. Member for Newark on 6th October 2006.

(97703)

222
N Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the hospital treatment of injured service personnel.

[R] (97423)

223
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of information technology projects undertaken by or for his Department since 2001 have been delivered (a) over budget, (b) after their original deadline, (c) on budget, (d) under budget, (e) on their original deadline and (f) ahead of their original deadline.

(98602)

224
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which web-related information technology projects cost his Department more than £500,000 since 2001; which companies submitted qualified tender proposals for each project; and which company was awarded each contract.

(98603)

225
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which non-web-related information technology projects cost his Department more than £1 million since 2001; how many qualified tender proposals there were for each project; and which company was awarded each contract.

(98604)

226
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on (a) equipment and (b) consultants for (i) information technology and (ii) web-facing information technology projects in each year since 2001.

(98605)

227
N Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has (a) spent and (b) allocated on identifying the merits of scram jet technologies for military use.

(97165)

228
N Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Nimrod line personnel at RAF Kinloss (a) requested premature voluntary redundancy (PVR) and (b) took redundancy during (i) 2002, (ii) 2003, (iii) 2004 and (iv) 2005; and how many have (A) requested PVR and (B) taken redundancy in 2006.

(97531)

229
N Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the future of the HM Dockyards Portsmouth and Devonport.

(97432)

230
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98253)

231
N Peter Viggers (Gosport):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the options under consideration for basing policy for HM ships.

(97430)

232
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to encourage the use of reused and recycled materials in capital procurement projects for which his Department is responsible.

(98007)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

233
N Mr John Maples (Stratford-on-Avon):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, who is accompanying him at public expense on his forthcoming trip to the Far East; how he will travel on each part of the journey; what the estimated cost is to public funds of the trip for all those travelling; whether he will be entertained at any stage by an (a) private individual and (b) organisation in connection with his official duties; and what the objectives of the trip are.

(97477)

234
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had on achieving international consensus on efforts to stop climate change.

(98394)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

235
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what involvement his Department has had in developing the Every Child a Reader initiative; and if he will make a statement.

(98055)

236
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which public bodies are involved in the Every Child a Reader initiative.

(98056)

237
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which 10 local education authorities have the poorest levels of literacy for those aged (a) five, (b) 11 and (c) 16 years.

(98057)

238
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his Department's policy is on improving reading capabilities in (a) school-age children and (b) adults.

(98058)

239
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average cost per child was of using personalised reading recovery to bring children up to the national average literacy level in 2005-06.

(98059)

240
N Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children in England are being fostered under private arrangements.

(97473)

241
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98518)

242
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what new measures are proposed in response to the Ofsted report into the teaching of citizenship.

(98147)

243
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will issue a progress report on the implementation of the recommendations of Ofsted with respect to the teaching of citizenship.

(98148)

244
N Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many serious case reviews following the death of a child have been carried out since 1997; when each report was published; and which authority or agency commissioned each review.

(98190)

245
N Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of children of (a) no or (b) different faiths who are likely to be admitted to faith schools with which they have no affinity under his proposed changes to admission arrangements for faith schools; and if he will make a statement.

(97526)

246
N Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what consultations he has held with faith school (a) headteachers and (b) chairs of governors on the practicability of his proposed changes to admission arrangements for faith schools; and if he will make a statement.

(97527)

247
N Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what guidance he plans to give to (a) parents and (b) faith schools on the nature of acceptable evidence of not being a (i) member and (ii) practising member of the faith of the faith school to which an admissions application is being made for the purposes of the proposed 25 per cent. quota.

(97585)

248
N Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what consultations he held with leaders of the (a) Roman Catholic, (b) Hindu, (c) Muslim, (d) Jewish and (e) Church of England faith in developing his proposals for faith school admissions; and if he will make a statement.

(97586)

249
N Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to consult (a) leaders and (b) members of faith communities on proposals for changes in faith school admissions; and if he will make a statement.

(97587)

250
N Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of mainstream school pupils in (a) Ribble Valley and (b) Lancashire have a statement of educational needs.

(97471)

251
N Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 23rd October 2006, Official Report, column 1565W, on partially selective schools, if he will list the 38 schools to which he refers.

(97538)

252
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his most recent estimate is of the under-reporting of learner-related accidents to the Learning and Skills Council in England; and if he will make a statement.

(98060)

253
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will ensure that vocational training accident reporting procedure advice forms part of placement officers' briefing to employers offering work experience.

(98087)

254
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will introduce a vocational training accident reporting procedure as part of (a) the teacher training curriculum, (b) classroom teaching and (c) placement officer training.

(98088)

255
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many youth centres there are in (a) Lancashire, (b) the North West and (c) England.

(98048)

256
N Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many higher education institutions have reported reductions in the number of students on (a) post-registration and (b) continuing professional development courses in (i) nursing and (ii) midwifery and (iii) other health courses in 2006-07.

(97787)

257
N Helen Jones (Warrington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many higher education institutions have reported a reduction in the number of students on community nursing courses in 2006-07.

(97788)

258
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether there is a minimum percentage of students that a school is required to have taking up a foreign language at age 14 years.

(98109)

259
Mr Oliver Letwin (West Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the cost of educating children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was in the last period for which figures are available; how many such children were in education in that period; and if he will make a statement.

(98292)

260
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the Government's guidelines are on the spending formula for Special Educational Needs Funding in Somerset.

(98455)

261
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the Government's policy is on statementing children with special educational needs; and what guidelines his Department issues on the implementation of the policy.

(98458)

262
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the local funding policy is for special educational needs at the West Somerset College.

(98459)

263
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children educated in the private sector in Somerset have been assessed for special educational needs funding in each of the last five years.

(98460)

264
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the formula is for special educational needs funding in Somerset; and how the formula was applied in the last year for which figures are available.

(98461)

265
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on special needs education in North Yorkshire.

(98185)

266
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what percentage of information technology projects undertaken by or for his Department since 2001 have been delivered (a) over budget, (b) after their original deadline, (c) on budget, (d) under budget, (e) on their original deadline and (f) ahead of their original deadline.

(98613)

267
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which web-related information technology projects cost his Department more than £50,000 since 2001; which companies submitted qualified tender proposals for each project; and which company was awarded each contract.

(98614)

268
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many information technology projects his Department has undertaken in each year since 2001.

(98615)

269
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much his Department has spent on (a) information technology projects and (b) web-facing information technology projects in each year since 2001, broken down by (i) expenditure on consultants and (ii) other costs.

(98616)

270
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor on his pledges (a) to have a sports day in every school, (b) to offer after-school sport and links with a range of local sports clubs in every school and (c) to ensure access to playing fields for every school; when he expects to implement these pledges; and what his estimate is of the financial resources required to do so.

(98112)

271
Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations his Department has received on the statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 25th October 2004 that school sport holds the key to a fitter nation.

(98384)

272
Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of levels of adult literacy in England; and if he will make a statement.

(98481)

273
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, by what means a school which has exhausted the internal complaints procedure of the local education authority (LEA) can pursue a maladministration complaint against an LEA.

(97382)

274
N Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many teachers on the Graduate Teacher Training Programme have been placed in fee paying schools; and how many of those schools have received funding towards the cost of the (a) training and (b) trainee's salary in the past three years.

(98186)

275
N Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the change in the number of playing fields of an area of less than 0.4 hectares in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(98207)

276
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 20th July 2006, Official Report, column 649W, on Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA), what the reasons were for the increase in QCA's annual spending since 2001.

(98500)

277
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what appeals process is available to parents in relation to income assessments made by the Student Loans Comapny.

(98501)

278
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what guidance he has issued to the Student Loans Company on the consideration of a parent's number of dependents when calculating parental contribution to their child's tuition fees.

(98502)

279
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much Ofsted has cost to run in each of the last five years.

(98503)

280
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of those in further education in (a) Oxfordshire and (b) the Wantage constituency received the educational maintenance allowance in each year since 2004.

(98241)

281
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of those who received educational maintenance in (a) Oxfordshire and (b) the Wantage constituency did not gain an A-level qualification in each year since 2004.

(98242)

282
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students in the Wantage constituency took (a) chemistry, (b) physics and (c) a modern language at A-level in each year since 1997.

(98243)

283
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98244)

284
Mr Charles Walker (Broxbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to promote foreign language teaching in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

(98080)

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

285
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of EC Council Regulations 1/2005 on (a) exhibitors and visitors to dog shows and trials and (b) dog breeders; and if he will make a statement.

(98187)

286
N Hugh Bayley (City of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many jobs his Department and its agencies had (a) in York and (b) at the Central Science Laboratory site at Sand Hutton in each year since 1992.

(96613)

287
N Hugh Bayley (City of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much (a) the Government, (b) North Yorkshire County Council and (c) City of York Council spent on flood alleviation and protection in the Ouse catchment in each year since 1992.

(96614)

288
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made towards meeting the Government's climate change targets.

(98626)

289
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding is available to farmers wishing to diversify into the production of biofuels and biomass crops.

(98645)

290
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that farmers are able to take full advantage of the potential of agriculture to produce (a) biofuels, (b) biomass and (c) other alternative sources of energy.

(98647)

291
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that farmers who wish to diversify into the production of biomass and biofuels are not hindered by a restrictive regulatory burden.

(98648)

292
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what change there has been in levels of production of biomass crops in England since 2000.

(98662)

293
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much contingency funding has been set aside for the payment of EU penalties in relation to the Single Farm Payment scheme in 2005-06 and 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

(98689)

294
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98526)

295
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what process he plans to adopt to assess the likely cost of (a) interim storage and (b) long-term disposal of intermediate and high level radioactive waste.

(98195)

296
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase resources available to the Environment Agency to use for work on radioactive waste regulation.

(98198)

297
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will assess the merits of making funding available to support the expenses of public and stakeholder engagement on the detail of implementation of geological disposal of radioactive waste.

(98201)

298
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether radioactive waste from private nuclear operators including British Energy will become part of the proposed inventory of nuclear waste to be placed in the geological repository.

(98204)

299
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice his Department is seeking from abroad on a vaccine to control bovine TB.

(97949)

300
N Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will reconsider the proposal to make wildlife officers compulsorily redundant.

(97954)

301
N James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what date he expects the Office of Climate Change to report on its audit of existing work on climate change; and if he will make the report publicly available.

(97791)

302
N James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the membership is of the (a) Ministerial and (b) official board of the Office of Climate Change; and which department each member represents.

(97792)

303
Michael Jabez Foster (Hastings & Rye):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the British quota for white fish is allocated across the (a) over 10 metre and (b) under 10 metre sectors of the British fishing industry in England.

(98107)

304
Michael Jabez Foster (Hastings & Rye):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fishing vessels are registered in the UK fishing industry; and what estimated number is in the (a) over 10 metre and (b) under 10 metre sector.

(98142)

305
Michael Jabez Foster (Hastings & Rye):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many registered fishermen there are in the UK fishing industry; and how many are in the (a) over 10 metre and (b) under 10 metre sectors.

(98161)

306
Michael Jabez Foster (Hastings & Rye):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many licences have been issued to new applicants in the under 10 metre fishing sector since 1st January 2000; and how many of them were previously licensees in the over 10 metre sector.

(98162)

307
Michael Jabez Foster (Hastings & Rye):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many owners of fishing vessels sold their quota and licences in the over 10 metre sector in the period since 1st January 2000; and how many of them have acquired licences in the under 10 metre sector.

(98179)

308
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Forestry Commission has taken to encourage former fox hunts to switch to the use of artificial scents when drag hunting on Forestry Commission land.

(98086)

309
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the re-prioritisation of his Department's spending for 2006-07 to meet unavoidable extra costs was due to (a) additional resources for the single farm payment scheme, (b) the response to avian influenza and (c) other reasons; what other reasons there were; and if he will make a statement.

(98512)

310
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will place in the Library copies of (a) written submissions and (b) notes of oral submissions related to the Department's decision in the case of Lyme Bay scallop dredging.

(98627)

311
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department has (a) planned to spend and (b) spent in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(98628)

312
N Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers in Essex are still waiting for their Single Farm Payments; and when he expects all outstanding payments to have been made.

(97702)

313
David Lepper (Brighton, Pavilion):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the proposed roles are of (a) his Department and (b) the Department of Trade and Industry in relation to the Environmental Transformation Fund; and what the timescale is for the implementation of the proposals for the fund.

(98517)

314
David Lepper (Brighton, Pavilion):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in securing funding from his Climate Change Fund in the latest round; for which schemes funding was awarded; how much was awarded in each case; and when applications will be invited for the next round of bids.

(98681)

315
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) salary and (b) other costs were of the Director of the Wessex Flood Defence Committee in each of the last five years.

(98442)

316
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many overseas visits on official business the Chairman of the Wessex Flood Defence Committee made in each of the last five years.

(98443)

317
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) salary and (b) other costs were of the Chairman of the Wessex Flood Defence Committee in each of the last five years.

(98446)

318
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the costs relating to the running of the Wessex Flood Defence Committee were in each of the last five years.

(98452)

319
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many complaints regarding the welfare of pigs the State Veterinary Service has investigated in each of the last five years; and in how many cases legal action resulting in a positive outcome has been pursued.

(98209)

320
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of breeding sows farmed within farrowing crates in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

(98211)

321
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department offers to farmers who breed Aberdeen Angus cattle.

(98711)

322
Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of his Department's proposed budget reduction is the result of (a) changes in Treasury accounting rules, (b) the administration of the 2005 Single Payment Scheme and (c) underspending in previous years.

(98208)

323
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's five most expensive (a) web and (b) non-web information technology projects have been since 2001.

(98562)

324
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what percentage of information technology projects undertaken by or for his Department since 2001 have been delivered (a) over budget, (b) after their original deadline, (c) on budget, (d) under budget, (e) on their original deadline and (f) ahead of their original deadline.

(98606)

325
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many information technology projects his Department has undertaken in each year since 2001; and how many of those projects were web-related.

(98607)

326
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on information technology consultants in each year since 2001; and how many of those consultants worked on web-facing projects.

(98608)

327
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on (a) information technology projects and (b) web-facing information technology projects in each year since 2001.

(98609)

328
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cost was to (a) his Department and (b) farmers of delays in adminstering the single payment to farmers in Suffolk.

(97990)

329
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much farmers in (a) the Wantage constituency, (b) Oxfordshire and (c) the South East have received from the single farm payment scheme in each year since it was introduced.

(98246)

330
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of farm income was derived from the single farm payment scheme in (a) the Wantage constituency, (b) Oxfordshire and (c) the South East in each year since 1997.

(98248)

331
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to his Department was of administering the single farm payment scheme in 2005-06.

(98249)

332
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98251)

333
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his Oral Statement of 25th October, Official Report, columns 1519 to 1534, on the radioactive waste management report, how many jobs will be transferred from Nirex to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; where they will be located; and what estimate he has made of the (a) one-off and (b) ongoing cost savings which will result from the transfer.

(98545)

334
Mr Charles Walker (Broxbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures he is taking to ensure viable riverflows during periods of (a) drought and (b) high water use.

(98011)

335
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of basking sharks living in British territorial waters.

(98576)

336
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to designate further areas for the protection of basking sharks; and if he will make a statement.

(98577)

337
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the subject of basking shark protection.

(98578)

338
N Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which stakeholders have been consulted about his decision to merge Nirex into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

(98102)

339
N Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received from the sustainable development commission on the proposals to merge Nirex into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

(98103)

340
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Nirex workforce regarding his proposals to merge Nirex into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

(98104)

341
N Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will initiate a public consultation on his proposals to merge NIREX into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

(98106)

342
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings his Department's (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with representatives of (i) NIREX, (ii) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and (iii) Sovereign Strategy in the last 24 months.

(98140)

343
N Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the role of the Health and Safety Executive is in regulating the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

(98231)

344
N Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the role of the Environment Agency is in regulating the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

(98378)

345
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what outstanding uses there are for chlorofluorocarbon gas in the UK under the terms of the Montreal protocol.

(98678)

346
Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has commissioned work to compare the costs of the Environment Agency with those of equivalent organisations in other European countries.

(98239)

347
Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what factors were taken into account when deciding not to put the inspection process for the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations out to tender.

(98264)

348
Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much in-season organic food has been grown in the UK each year since 2000.

(98285)

349
Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many 2005 single farm payments have been made for an amount smaller than the cost of administering a single farm payment claim; and if he will make a statement.

(98684)

350
Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects to respond to the consultation on bovine TB.

(98685)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

351
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which individuals who are not UK citizens were awarded honours between 1st January 2001 and 31st December 2001; and what the (a) date of announcement, (b) honour concerned and (c) reason for the award was in each case.

(98008)

352
Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the US Secretary of State regarding Iraq.

(98377)

353
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, why visas have not yet been issued to the individuals involved in appeal cases OA/32813/2005 and OA/32707/2005 (Embassy Reference KGN/90197 and KGN/90199); when she expects them to be issued; and if she will make a statement.

(97532)

354
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in her Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if she will make a statement.

(98531)

355
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will make representations with her UN colleagues to the government of Zimbabwe on the imposition of targeted sanctions.

(98072)

356
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made with the election of a South American member of the UN Security Council.

(98073)

357
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what her Department's policy is on the trial in their country of residence of individuals subject to international arrest warrants.

(98074)

358
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the freezing of assets of officials of the Burmese regime throughout the European Union.

(98075)

359
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the progress in Afghanistan towards each of the 43 benchmarks specified in the London Compact of 1st February 2006.

(98077)

360
Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the environmental impact of palm oil production in Colombia; and if she will make a statement.

(98658)

361
Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of methods of palm oil cultivation on human rights in Colombia; and if she will make a statement.

(98659)

362
Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what her policy is on the renewal of the existing mandate of the Colombian Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for a further four years, with particular reference to the provisons (a) to monitor the country's human rights situation and (b) to issue publicly available reports and recommendations; and if she will make a statement.

(98661)

363
N Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will make a statement on the decision of the Sudanese government to demand the removal of Special UN Representative Jan Prisk.

(97704)

364
N Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations she has made on behalf of (a) China's Christian community, (b) Gao Zhishung, (c) Pastor Goug Shenghliang and (d) Pastor Zhang Ruig Laiug.

(97705)

365
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with the UN on the illegal exploitation of resources from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(97948)

366
N Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will make representations to the UN requesting an urgent investigation into allegations by the former Rwandan ambassador to France regarding France's role in the Rwandan genocide.

(97953)

367
N Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25th July 2006, Official Report, column 1285W, on Tanzania, what further action Ministers have taken to help to secure justice for Mr Stewart Middleton.

(97706)

368
Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much (a) financial support and (b) support in kind her Department and its agencies have given to the Muslim Council of Britain in each year since 1997.

(97952)

369
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance the UK is giving to Turkish and Greek Cypriots to resolve the issue of missing people from both communities following the division of the country.

(98671)

370
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much her Department has spent on the case between Cummins and the British Council since 2004.

(97955)

371
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many EC regulations have been enacted in the UK in each year since 2002.

(98376)

372
Mr David Jones (Clwyd West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the government of the People's Republic of China concerning the detention of the pastors Li Ming, Jin Jirong, Wang Yuan and Li Mingbo at Langzhong Detention Centre.

(98263)

373
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans her Department has to preserve the UK's veto on justice and home affairs issues; and if she will make a statement.

(98325)

374
N Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimates have been made by her Department of whether the cultivation of poppies in Afghanistan has increased or diminished in each year since NATO's military intervention.

(97536)

375
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with the German government on the priorities of the German presidency of the EU; and if she will make a statement.

(98274)

376
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what percentage of information technology projects undertaken by or for her Department since 2001 have been delivered (a) over budget, (b) after their original deadline, (c) on budget, (d) under budget, (e) on their original deadline and (f) ahead of their original deadline.

(98594)

377
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for all projects valued at over one million pounds and not web-related, who won the contract and how many qualified tender proposals there were.

(98596)

378
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much her Department has spent on (a) equipment and (b) consultants for (i) information technology and (ii) web-facing information technology projects in each year since 2001.

(98597)

379
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which non-web-related information technology projects cost her Department more than £500,000 since 2001; how many qualified tender proposals there were for each project; and which company was awarded each contract.

(98643)

380
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by her Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98258)

381
Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when she last met the Iranian Ambassador to the UK to discuss Iran's nuclear programme.

(98136)

382
N Mr Robert Walter (North Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will make representations to the Iranian government about the arrest and current whereabouts of Amir Montazini and his wife Fereshtel Dibaj, leaders of an independent Christian Church in Mashad, Northern Iran.

(97743)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

383
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what most recent advice she has received from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the prescribing of alimta pemetrexed for mesothelioma patients.

(98312)

384
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information she collects on local prescribing patterns for alimta pemetrexed within the National Health Service.

(98313)

385
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether her Department has published a formal response to the study entitled Characteristics of primary care trusts in financial deficit and surplus - a corporate study in the English NHS, dated 1st June 2006; and if she will make a statement.

(98649)

386
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the financial situation of Bedford Hospital NHS Trust following her visit on 3rd October 2006; and if she will allow the Trust extra time to reduce its deficit.

(98650)

387
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many jobs are expected to be lost at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust in 2006-07.

(98651)

388
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff in her Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if she will make a statement.

(98532)

389
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms are in place for action against dentists who encourage patients to switch to private dental health insurance schemes without informing them of their entitlement to NHS treatment.

(98334)

390
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure that patients are kept informed about their entitlement to treatment by an NHS dentist.

(98335)

391
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will monitor the number of patients switching from NHS dentists to private dental health insurance schemes; and if she will ensure that those who do so are aware of their entitlement to NHS treatment.

(98336)

392
Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for the review of acute hospital services in the East of England by the East of England Strategic Health Authority; what part she will play in the review; what plans she has for a new hospital in central Hertfordshire providing cancer services; and if she will make a statement.

(98379)

393
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations she has received from the Humber Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust on the proposed closure of Rivers Ward mental health inpatient unit in Goole.

(98235)

394
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many multiple sclerosis specialist nurses there are in (a) Hull and East Yorkshire hospitals and (b) England; and if she will make a statement.

(98383)

395
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research her Department has commissioned into new anti-TB drugs; and when that research is expected to be concluded.

(98670)

396
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure that primary care trusts' budgets are finalised before the start of the financial year to which they relate.

(98062)

397
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what Haringey Primary Care Trust's budget is; and what its original allocation was for 2006-07.

(98063)

398
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the review of the National Carers Stategy will include all relevant Government departments; and what discussions she has had with other Departments on the strategy.

[R] (98129)

399
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made in reviewing the National Strategy for Carers as set out in the White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say; and if she will make a statement.

[R] (98131)

400
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evidence she (a) has received and (b) is seeking on cardioprotection in the treatment of (i) breast cancer and (ii) other cancers.

(98574)

401
N Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people who have received treatment at an independent sector treatment centre later (a) presented at an accident and emergency department and (b) were admitted to hospital by their GP in each of the last two years, broken down by treatment centre.

(97991)

402
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many missed dental appointments there were in (a) England and (b) each primary care trust area in each year since 1997.

(98664)

403
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS dentists there were per head of population in (a) England and (b) each region in each year since 1997.

(98665)

404
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students (a) started and (b) graduated from dentistry courses in England in each year since 1997.

(98666)

405
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was allocated for dental studies in each year since 1997; and whether this money is ringfenced.

(98667)

406
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with a home address in Scotland were treated in NHS facilities in England in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005.

(98707)

407
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will assess the effects and appropriateness of the use of Efexor XL capsules (Venlafaxine).

(98295)

408
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, under what circumstances a GP may prescribe Efexor XL capsules (Venlafaxine) without the advice of a hospital consultant.

(98297)

409
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the recommended dosage is for the prescription of Efexor XL capsules (Venlafaxine) by (a) GPs and (b) hospital consultants.

(98298)

410
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, under what circumstances Efexor XL capsules (Venlafaxine) may be prescribed; and by whom.

(98303)

411
N David Howarth (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the budget each strategic health authority was spent on mental health in each of the last five years.

(97786)

412
N David Howarth (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budget was for each mental health trust in each of the last five years.

(97789)

413
N David Howarth (Cambridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the budget of each primary care trust was spent on mental health in each of the last five years.

(97790)

414
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what projects were undertaken by KPMG for her Department in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06; what projects have been undertaken in 2006 to date; and what the cost of such projects was in each year.

(98315)

415
N Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the East of England Strategic Health Authority plans to utilise maps of population density in its review and planning of acute hospital services; and if she will make a statement.

(97278)

416
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the outstanding amount was of unpaid fees by overseas patients in the NHS in Yorkshire in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what action she is taking to reduce this figure; and if she will make a statement.

(97383)

417
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in the Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust area are not registered with a general practitioner; and how many vacancies there are on general practitioner lists in this area.

(98111)

418
N Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which strategic health authorities had submitted bids for capital funding for community hospitals by 21st October; for which projects strategic health authorities asked for capital funding; in which primary care trust areas were community hospitals for which bids were received; how much was requested for each community hospital; when she expects capital funding to be made available to successful bidders; and if she will make a statement.

(97793)

419
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 25th July 2006, Official Report, column 1209W, on continuing care, when she expects to publish (a) her Department's response to the consultation on the draft national framework for continuing care and (b) the final national framework for continuing care.

(98620)

420
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many matrons have been employed in the NHS in each year since 2001.

(98629)

421
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of category A calls were responded to by an ambulance within eight minutes in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by NHS ambulance trust.

(98630)

422
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average size of catchment area was for accident and emergency departments in England in (a) 1997, (b) 2001, (c) 2005 and (d) the most recent period for which figures are available in terms of (i) geographical area and (ii) number of people.

(98631)

423
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether all patients in receipt of NHS continuing care in those strategic health authorities (SHA) which are operating multiple eligibility criteria will continue to be eligible for NHS continuing care after the SHA in which they are resident has amalgamated the criteria.

(98632)

424
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the extent to which mortality rates for (a) cancer, (b) coronary heart disease, (c) stroke and (d) diabetes in each primary care trust area reflect the incidence of disease in that area.

(98633)

425
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will direct the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to assess the (a) cost and (b) clinical effectiveness of occipital nerve stimulation for the treatment of hemicrania continua.

(98634)

426
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which (a) NHS trusts, (b) NHS foundation trusts and (c) primary care trusts have opted out of the systems being provided through the National Programme for Information Technology.

(98635)

427
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average inpatient stay was for a person admitted to hospital with influenza infection in each year since 1997.

(98636)

428
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the call rate per 100,000 population to NHS Direct was in each quarter since December 2002.

(98637)

429
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the utilisation rate of independent sector treatment centres has been in each month since October 2003.

(98638)

430
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which primary care trusts have refused to allow dentists operating under (a) the new general dental services contract and (b) the new personal dental services agreement to maintain children-only lists.

(98639)

431
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations she has received from (a) patients and (b) other interested parties on the availability of intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradioculoneuropathy (CIDP); whether she intends to ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to undertake a technology appraisal of intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of CIDP; what steps she is taking to ensure patients have access to intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of CIDP; and if she will make a statement.

(98640)

432
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the cost of the new NHS IT systems for (a) general practitioners and (b) hospitals; and if she will make a statement.

(98132)

433
Mr Oliver Letwin (West Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what her policy is on NHS dentists advising patients that a clinically necessary treatment is not available under the NHS with a view to obtaining the agreement of a patient to have private treatment.

(98289)

434
Mr Oliver Letwin (West Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the NHS was of treating children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

(98291)

435
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations she has received on the decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence that from 22nd November people with Alzheimer's disease should no longer be prescribed Alzheimer's drugs on the NHS in the early and late stages of the disease.

(97995)

436
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the clinical benefits of Alzheimer's drugs at each stage of the disease; and what estimate she has made of the cost of such drugs at each stage.

(97996)

437
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations she has received on the case for reviewing the remit and scope of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence investigations to ensure that they are able adequately to access the wider benefits of treatments to society, across health and social care and to carers and families.

(97997)

438
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times restaurants and other food outlets in each local authority in England can expect to be inspected in any 24 month period.

(98287)

439
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many restaurants and other food outlets were closed down for breach of food safety regulations in each year since 2002.

(98288)

440
Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Kensington & Chelsea):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether an allowance payable under the terms of the NHS Injury Benefit Scheme to a general practitioner whose sole emoluments are in the form of fees should be calculated in accordance with regulation 2(1) of the NHS Injury Benefit Regulations.

(98206)

441
Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the Calderdale Primary Care Trust in each of the last 10 years; and at which stage of cancer the diagnosis was made in each case.

(98068)

442
Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the Government's approach to stem cell research; and if she will make a statement.

(98314)

443
Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with Aphasia in the East Midlands in the last five years; and what proportion of those diagnosed were below the age of 18.

(98509)

444
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, who the new non-executive directors of the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust are; and what their registrable (a) interests and (b) affiliations are.

(98482)

445
Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions she has had with her Ministerial colleagues on the consequences for road traffic generation of hospital reconfiguration.

(98706)

446
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment her Department has made of the merits of an NHS credit for patients with chronic diseases.

(98093)

447
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will assess the merits of introducing elected heads of primary care trusts.

(98095)

448
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by her Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98255)

449
Peter Viggers (Gosport):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many trained physiotherapists there are; how many are in training; how many are unemployed; and what assessment she has made of the longer-term prospects of employment for physiotherapists.

(98712)

450
Mr Charles Walker (Broxbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to support mental health services in Hertfordshire; and if she will make a statement.

(98081)

451
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been received by the Health Service from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in the last two years.

(98126)

452
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to encourage the use of reused and recycled materials in capital procurement projects for which her Department is responsible.

(98005)

453
Mark Williams (Ceredigion):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hepatologists there are working in the NHS in England; and which hospitals in England have a resident hepatologist.

(98451)

454
Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she has taken to rural proof the measures in the planned Bill to amend the Mental Health Act 1983.

(98686)

455
Dr Tony Wright (Cannock Chase):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for breast cancer genetic test results was in (a) England and (b) Cannock Chase in the last period for which figures are available.

(98652)

456
Dr Tony Wright (Cannock Chase):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on (a) reducing waiting times for breast cancer genetic test results and (b) strategy for the future of genetic services.

(98653)

457
N Richard Younger-Ross (Teignbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to encourage NHS trusts to sign up for the New Start Training Programme relating to sentinal node biopsy.

(97478)

458
N Richard Younger-Ross (Teignbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which NHS trusts have not yet signed up in each relevant area for the New Start Training Programme relating to sentinal node biopsy.

(97479)

459
N Richard Younger-Ross (Teignbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many trusts are undertaking sentinal node biopsy; and how many such biopsies have been undertaken.

(97480)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

460
Mr Ian Austin (Dudley North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, why Dudley was not given trailblazer status in 2003 as part of the Government initiative to reduce anti-social behaviour.

(98623)

461
Mr Ian Austin (Dudley North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to extend trailblazer status to more areas in the Black Country as part of the Government's initiative to reduce anti-social behaviour.

(98624)

462
Mr Richard Benyon (Newbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who conducted his Department's inquiry into the allegations made by the Observer newspaper relating to the actions of Mr Dawute; and what the remit was of the inquiry.

(98386)

463
Mr Richard Benyon (Newbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take into account the actions of the person who exposed the actions of James Dawute when considering the resolution of her immigration or asylum status.

(98387)

464
Mr Richard Benyon (Newbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who conducted his Department's inquiry into the allegations made by the Sun newspaper relating to the allegations of Anthony Pamnani; and whether Mr Pamnani was interviewed by the inquiry team.

(98388)

465
Mr Richard Benyon (Newbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department undertook an investigation into James Dawute's (a) immigration status, (b) appointment and (c) subsequent promotion within the Department.

(98389)

466
N Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the objectives of his Department will be during the review of European Directive 86/609 on animal experimentation.

(98337)

467
Ms Dawn Butler (Brent South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether persons extradited from the UK to the US may be tried only in US courts.

(97945)

468
Ms Dawn Butler (Brent South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the European Convention on Extradition contains provisions to refuse extradition if any of the conduct concerned was carried out in the state from which extradition is requested.

(97946)

469
Ms Dawn Butler (Brent South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects the provisions of the extradition treaty between the UK and the US to be fully implemented by the United States of America.

(98296)

470
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98520)

471
Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research he has undertaken on the number of Turkish workers likely to come to work in the UK in the event of Turkish accession to the EU; and whether account is taken of potential migration in formulating UK policy on Turkish accession.

(98009)

472
Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25th October 2006, Official Report, column 1985, what plans he has to consult on whether the remit of the Migration Advisory Committee should include the implications of migration for (a) housing, (b) the environment, (c) social cohesion and (d) other matters unrelated to skills; and what the timetable is for such consultation.

(98490)

473
N Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by which country's officials the first draft of the extradition treaty was drawn up; and how many draft versions were discussed before a final text was agreed.

(98228)

474
N Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings were held at (a) official level and (b) ministerial level between his Department and the United States Administration to negotiate the US-UK Extradition Treaty 2003; and what the date of the first meeting was at each level.

(98229)

475
N Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings were held at (a) official level and (b) ministerial level between his Department and the United States Administration to negotiate the US-UK Extradition Treaty 2003; and what the date of the first meeting was at each level.

(98230)

476
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what quotas are set for the (a) number of eligible people and (b) proportion of pay budget in the (i) Immigration and National Directorate, (ii) National Offender Management Service, (iii) Identity and Passport Agency and (iv) Anti-Social Behaviour Unit in relation to bonus payments.

(98491)

477
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether bonus payments made to employees of the (a) Immigration and Nationality Directorate, (b) National Offender Management Service, (c) Identity and Passport Agency and (d) Anti-Social Behaviour Unit are based on (i) relative and (ii) absolute performance.

(98493)

478
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria are used to determine bonus payments to employees of the (a) Immigration and Nationality Directorate, (b) National Offender Management Service, (c) Identity and Passport Agency and (d) Anti-Social Behaviour Unit.

(98494)

479
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) maximum budget available for and (b) total amount of bonuses paid to employees was of the (i) Immigration and Nationality Directorate, (ii) National Offender Management Service, (iii) Identity and Passport Agency and (iv) Anti-Social Behaviour Unit in each year since 2001.

(98495)

480
Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of committal hearings resulted in the case being heard in the Crown court in each of the last three years.

(98497)

481
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the implementation of neighbourhood policing in Coventry South.

(97161)

482
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were arrested for shoplifting in Coventry South in the last 12 months.

(97162)

483
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of (i) youths, (ii) adult males and (iii) adult females from Coventry in custody following sentencing who experienced (A) drug dependency health problems, (B) alcohol dependency health problems and (C) serious mental health problems in each year since 2001.

(97163)

484
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were arrested for car theft in Coventry South in the last 12 months.

(97164)

485
Mr Ian Davidson (Glasgow South West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 24th October 2006, Official Report, columns 82-4WS, on Romania and Bulgaria, whether workers from Bulgaria and Romania coming to the UK as labour-only sub-contractors in the construction industry will be considered to be self-employed; and if he will make a statement.

(98713)

486
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what details of residence a (a) registered sex offender and (b) other offender is obliged to supply to the court.

(98492)

487
N Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when compensation will be paid to the Cumbrian Police Authority to cover the costs of the aborted merger plans.

(97795)

488
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people took part in citizenship ceremonies in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in 2005.

(98672)

489
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many postal applications for a variation of leave to remain in the UK were awating determination in each quarter since January 2004; and if he will make a statement.

(98116)

490
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what targets there are for dealing with applications for a variation of leave to remain in the UK; and what performance against such targets has been in each quarter since 2004.

(98117)

491
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will extend the term of office of members of probation boards in areas where it has not been possible to recruit replacements for those members whose term of office has ended; and if he will make a statement.

(98119)

492
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications he has received to serve as a member of the Hampshire Probation Board.

(98120)

493
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are serving on the Hampshire Probation Board; when the term of office of each person serving ends; how many vacancies there are on the Board; and if he will make a statement.

(98121)

494
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many burglaries there have been in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06 to date in (i) Chorley and (ii) Lancashire and the North West in (A) domestic and (B) commercial properties.

(98045)

495
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were arrested for shoplifting in Chorley in the last 12 months.

(98046)

496
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were arrested for car theft in the last 12 months.

(98047)

497
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures are in place in (a) prisons and (b) other custodial institutions to prevent self harm and suicide being committed by inmates; when he last reviewed such provisions; and if he will make a statement.

(97623)

498
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the steps necessary to improve the performance of Humberside Police; if he will make more resources available to the force; and if he will make a statement.

(97986)

499
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20th October 2006, Official Report, column 1459W, on the police, if he will answer the second and third parts of the Question.

(98299)

500
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how population growth is taken into account when calculating the Total Resource Allocation Formula for police forces.

(98146)

501
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of average increases in the police precept for English police forces in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

(98124)

502
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans his Department has to change funding of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary to reflect (a) relative crime levels and (b) the conclusions of recent departmental reviews of force funding; and if he will make a statement.

(98125)

503
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional police community support officers are planned to be deployed to each district command unit within the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

(98137)

504
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress has been made on negotiations over police pay.

(98338)

505
Mr Oliver Letwin (West Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the costs were of detaining young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in young offender institutions in the last period for which figures are available; how many such people were detained in young offender institutions in that period; and if he will make a statement.

(98290)

506
Mr Oliver Letwin (West Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the change in the volume of alcohol in the alcoholic drinks most commonly sold in licensed premises over the last 20 years.

(98294)

507
Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total funding from the Home Office was to each police authority in Wales for the last five years for which figures are available.

(98625)

508
Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will establish a central record of the numbers of firearms (a) seized and (b) disposed of by police services in England and Wales.

(98674)

509
Ian Lucas (Wrexham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding is available from his Department to police authorities in Wales to employ police community support officers.

(98675)

510
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many breaches of anti-social behaviour orders have given rise to action by the police in North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

(98272)

511
Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will bring forward proposals for a legal definition of internet terrorism.

(98408)

512
Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish a report on the lessons learned from the aborted airline plot of August 2006.

(98409)

513
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been made available in each constabulary for tackling alcohol-related crime in each of the Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaigns; and on what dates the money was made available in each constabulary.

(98155)

514
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the total cost of tackling alcohol-related crime in England and Wales in the last 12 months.

(98156)

515
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional money has been made available to the police in the last 12 months for tackling alcohol-related crime in addition to the Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaigns.

(98157)

516
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans his Department has to extend the Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaigns.

(98158)

517
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many alcohol-related crimes have been recorded in each constabulary in each quarter of the last five years.

(98159)

518
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions there have been for alcohol-related crimes in each quarter of the last five years.

(98160)

519
Mr George Mudie (Leeds East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was to decide on claims for extension of discretionary leave to remain (a) within the time limit and (b) outside the time limit in each of the last five years.

(98533)

520
Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were prosecuted for using their mobile phones whilst driving in 2005-06.

(98065)

521
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions he has visited (a) Scotland and (b) Northern Ireland in the course of his duties over the last 12 months.

(98003)

522
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many workers from the new member states of the EU are claiming tax credits; and how many are claiming in respect of families still living in their home countries.

(98683)

523
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98259)

524
Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the decision was taken to require budget reductions to cover the budget deficit of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust; what discussions he has had with members of the Trust on the recent budget reductions; and what assessment he has made of the effect on patients of the planned reductions.

(98668)

525
N Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people involved in professional standards department investigations in the last 12 months are (a) white and (b) from black or minority ethnic backgrounds.

(97528)

526
N Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unlawful authorisations for covert surveillance by police officers have been made in the last two years.

(97529)

527
N Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contingency plans are in place to cover police officers who exercise their right not to accept additional gaoler duties under Operation Safeguard.

(97530)

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

528
Mr Frank Doran (Aberdeen North):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate the Commission has made of the additional costs of the House sitting in September.

(98396)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

529
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations he has received from (a) African, Caribbean and Pacific governments, (b) UK companies, (c) other companies, (d) corporate umbrella groups and (e) other European governments with regard to economic partnership agreements.

(98474)

530
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations he (a) has made and (b) plans to make to the EU's review of economic partnership agreements; and if he will make a statement.

(98475)

531
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98519)

532
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what criteria are applied in assessing the costs of overheads in departmentally-administered development assistance.

(98040)

533
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries he plans to assist to achieve the 2015 development goals.

(98071)

534
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made in the establishment of a sustainable data collection mechanism on alternative livelihoods activities and investments in Afghanistan in accordance with United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime recommendations; and what the role of the UK is in the project.

(98176)

535
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his assessment is of the principal factors leading to the reduction of opium poppy cultivation in (a) Balkh and (b) Farah provinces in Afghanistan in 2006.

(98177)

536
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his assessment is of the principal factors leading to the increases in poppy cultivation in (a) Uruzgan, (b) Badakshan, (c) Day Kundi and (d) Nangarhar provinces in Afghanistan in 2006.

(98178)

537
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the correlation between input of alternative livelihoods funding to the priority provinces identified in the Afghan Government's Alternative Livelihoods Implementation Plan and the production of opium in those provinces.

(98189)

538
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding he has made available to (a) the Global Fund and (b) other medical bodies for research into new vaccines for TB.

(98669)

539
Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much was paid in cash for development purposes in the Helmand Province in 2006; and who the recipients were.

(98484)

540
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made by provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan in building (a) police stations, (b) roads, (c) bridges and (d) women's centres.

(98012)

541
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will assess the (a) effectiveness, (b) consistency and (c) social and economic impact of provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan.

(98013)

542
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total value of funds expended by provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan on development and reconstruction projects was in each quarter since 2004.

(98014)

543
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much has been allocated by the Department to (a) the Asian Development Bank and (b) USAID for reconstruction projects in Afghanistan.

(98015)

544
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) development projects and (b) non-governmental organisations activities the Department has ceased to fund since 2002 in Afghanistan.

(98016)

545
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much has been allocated by his Department (a) directly and (b) indirectly to the funding of road reconstruction projects in Afghanistan.

(98017)

546
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress has been made on the Kandahar to Herat highway in Afghanistan; what the estimated completion date is; and if he will make a statement.

(98018)

547
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with USAID officials on the introduction of a toll system on the Kabul to Kandahar highway.

(98019)

548
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his Department's policy is on the implementation of road taxes as a means of developing the Afghan economy.

(98020)

549
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of UK aid has been allocated to projects on (a) women's rights, (b) education and literacy, (c) health, (d) infrastructure and (e) political reform in each year since 2001.

(98021)

550
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his Department's policy is on the treatment of Afghan construction workers on projects funded or part-funded by the UK.

(98022)

551
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will estimate the average salary in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Kabul; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of earnings the potential monthly road toll represents for users of the Kabul to Kandahar highway.

(98023)

552
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what percentage of the money collected in toll payments for the use of the Kabul to Kandahar highway will go to (a) road maintenance, (b) the USA and (c) other donor states.

(98024)

553
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will provide a breakdown of how the $30 million generated in toll payments per annum for the use of the Kabul to Kandahar highway has been allocated in Afghanistan.

(98025)

554
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether UK funds will be spent on the construction of the American University of Afghanistan.

(98026)

555
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his Department's policy is on the tender process for contracts for Afghan reconstruction projects.

(98027)

556
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when the Kabul to Kandahar toll road payment system began; and how much revenue has been collected since inception.

(98028)

557
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate has been made of the number of brothels operating in Kabul; and what work has been carried out by his Department to curtail the growth of the sex trade in Afghanistan.

(98029)

558
N Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in which relief projects in Darfur his Department is involved.

(97475)

559
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much humanitarian aid was allocated to Darfur in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

(98275)

560
Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many of his Department's staff were originally dispatched to Helmand Province when British forces were deployed there; and how many staff are stationed in (a) Helmand Province and (b) Kandahar Province.

(98180)

561
Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what work his Department has carried out in Helmand Province since British troops were deployed there; and what the outcomes from this work have been.

(98181)

562
Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what work has been carried out by non-governmental organisations in Helmand Province in 2006; and how many are operating in Helmand Province.

(98182)

563
Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) extra pay and (b) enhancement of conditions has been provided to his Department's staff deployed to Afghanistan.

(98183)

564
Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what decisions on his Department's operations in Helmand Province resulted from the recent strategy meeting in Delhi, India with the Foreign Office.

(98184)

565
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many and what percentage of information technology projects undertaken by or for his Department since 2001 have been delivered (a) over budget, (b) after their original deadline, (c) on budget, (d) under budget, (e) on their original deadline and (f) ahead of their original deadline.

(98598)

566
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which non-web-related information technology projects cost his Department more than £500,000 since 2001; how many qualified tender proposals there were for each project; and which company was awarded each contract.

(98599)

567
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much his Department has spent on (a) equipment and (b) consultants for (i) information technology and (ii) web-facing information technology projects in each year since 2001.

(98601)

568
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what conflict risk assessment mechanisms his Department uses when making decisions on development assistance.

(98096)

569
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98257)

Questions to the Leader of the House

570
Mr Frank Doran (Aberdeen North):To ask the Leader of the House, what business was conducted on each day the House sat in September 2003 and September 2004; what the hours of sitting were on each day; and how many (a) divisions took place and (b) hon. Members took part in each division.

(98395)

571
Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight):To ask the Leader of the House, which matters are required by convention or Government commitment to be debated each year; and what form of debate is required in each case.

(98705)

572
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Leader of the House, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by the Privy Council Office in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98254)

573
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Leader of the House, what measures he is taking to reduce his Office's carbon footprint.

(98380)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

574
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98524)

575
N Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) Protestant, (b) Roman Catholic and (c) non-determined appointees there have been to (i) the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland, (ii) general service grades of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland and (iii) the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the last 12 months; and what percentage of appointees this represents in each case.

(98151)

576
N Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) Protestant, (b) Roman Catholic and (c) non-determined applicants there have been to the police in Northern Ireland in each of the last two recruitment competitions.

(98152)

577
N Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) Protestant, (b) Roman Catholic and (c) non-determined applicants there have been to each of the newly announced governing bodies of the six area based colleges of further and higher education in Northern Ireland.

(98153)

578
N Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) Protestant, (b) Roman Catholic and (c) non-determined applications to join the governing bodies of the six area based colleges in Northern Ireland were shortlisted.

(98154)

579
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much has been spent by the Equality Commission in each year since its formation in providing legal assistance and support to plaintiffs in respect of (a) sex discrimination and (b) religious discrimination; and what the average amount spent was on each category in each year.

(98232)

580
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in how many cases financial assistance and support were given by the Equality Commission to plaintiffs pursuing (a) sex discrimination cases and (b) religious discrimination cases where the case was subsequently abandoned by the Equality Commission in each year since its formation; and how much was spent on each category of case in each year.

(98233)

581
Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in which cases relating to (a) sex discrimination and (b) religious discrimination the Equality Commission spent more than £50,000 in each year since its formation.

(98234)

582
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which NHS organisations have contracted for legal services from (a) MSC Daly and (b) the Central Services Agency; and which of these organisations had formerly received such services from Brangam, Bagnall and Co.

(98302)

583
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the costs to the Department of Health and Public Safety have been of the Department's bi-lingual policy for the Irish language in each of the last five years.

(98223)

584
N Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many student nurses in Northern Ireland have temporarily withdrawn from their courses in each of the last three years; what percentage of the student cohort in each year that figure represents; and if he will make a statement.

(97794)

585
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department has spent on (a) information technology projects and (b) web-facing information technology projects in each year since 2001, broken down by (i) expenditure on consultants and (ii) other costs.

(98540)

586
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many information technology projects his Department has undertaken in each year since 2001; how many of those projects were web-related.

(98541)

587
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which non-web-related information technology projects cost his Department more than £1 million since 2001; how many qualified tender proposals there were for each project; and which company was awarded each contract.

(98542)

588
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which web-related information technology projects cost his Department more than £50,000 since 2001; which companies submitted qualified tender proposals for each project; and which company was awarded each contract.

(98543)

589
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what percentage of information technology projects undertaken by or for his Department since 2001 have been delivered (a) over budget, (b) after their original deadline, (c) on budget, (d) under budget, (e) on their original deadline and (f) ahead of their original deadline.

(98544)

590
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 23rd October 2006, Official Report, column 1544W, on Northern Ireland accident and emergency departments, how many emergency admissions there were to hospitals in Northern Ireland where the primary or secondary diagnosis was (a) an alcohol-related condition and (b) a combination of an alcohol-related condition and an injury in each of the last three years.

(97999)

591
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 24th October 2006, Official Report, column 1787W, on zebra mussels, what assessment he has made of the impact of zebra mussels on the Lough Neagh ecology; and what the projected impact is for each of the next three years.

(98000)

592
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 23rd October 2006, Official Report, columns 1544-5W, on the Best Practice scheme, what steps he is taking to encourage more staff in (a) each government department in Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Office and (b) the voluntary and community sectors to participate in the Northern Ireland best practice scheme.

(98001)

593
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 24th October 2006, Official Report, column 1787W, on zebra mussels, what steps he is taking to halt the spread of zebra mussels in the Lough Neagh.

(98002)

594
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98260)

Questions to the Prime Minister

595
Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Prime Minister, what arrangements are in place to allow hon. Members to report the Prime Minister for alleged failure to comply with the Ministerial Code.

(98621)

596
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to oppose a change of Prime Minister in Iraq.

(98108)

Questions to the Solicitor General

597
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Solicitor General, what the levels of serious fraud have been in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(98270)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

598
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans Ofcom has for a system of licensing access to the radio spectrum for the programme making and special events industry; what assessment he has made of the impact of the digital switchover on the UK entertainment industry; what steps he is taking to ensure that the programme making and special events industry sector operating during the 2012 Olympics major events and medical facilities will not be adversely affected by the digital switchover; and if he will make a statement.

(98385)

599
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the timetable is for the EU's review of economic partnership agreements; and if he will make a statement.

(98471)

600
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations he (a) has made and (b) plans to make to the EU's review of economic partnership agreements.

(98473)

601
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions were held with (a) ministers and (b) officials from other EU governments at the October General Affairs and External Relations Committee in Luxembourg on economic partnership agreements; and if he will make a statement.

(98476)

602
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations he has received from (a) African, Caribbean and Pacific governments, (b) UK companies, (c) other companies, (d) corporate umbrella groups and trade associations and (e) other EU governments with regard to economic partnership agreements.

(98478)

603
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when he expects to bring forward each of the economic partnership agreements between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific nations for ratification by Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

(98480)

604
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when he expects the administrator BDO Stoy Hayward to report on the closure of Farepak.

(98690)

605
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations he has received from the Hamper Industry Trade Association with regard to the collapse of Farepak.

(98691)

606
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many loan and credit companies are registered; and how many new registrations of such companies there were in each year since 1987.

(98692)

607
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will forward measures to strengthen the law to give greater protection from the closure of savings companies.

(98693)

608
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures are in place to protect savers who invest in savings companies which go into closure.

(98694)

609
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations he has made to the Financial Services Authority on the closure of Farepak; and if he will make a statement.

(98695)

610
John Battle (Leeds West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what (a) legislation and (b) other regulations govern (a) on-line money lending companies and (b) companies taking credit for Christmas goods; and if he will make a statement.

(98696)

611
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the European Commission Report of the Alternative Investment Group on Developing European Private Equity on private equity companies.

(98535)

612
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions he has had with automobile (a) manufacturers and (b) insurers on (i) vehicle design and passenger safety and (ii) the costs of vehicle repairs and personal injury claims arising out of road traffic accidents.

(98309)

613
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when he expects to receive the joint North Tyneside Metropolitan District Council, Newcastle City Council and One North East study on future land use on the river front north of the River Tyne.

(98311)

614
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what change there has been in levels of production of biofuels in the United Kingdom since 2000.

(98663)

615
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98521)

616
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will take steps with his EU counterparts to bring the EU trade regulations affecting imports of Burmese origin into line with those in the USA.

(98076)

617
N Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what applications to his Department for new power stations are outstanding; what the size of each proposed station is; when each application was submitted; and what the (a) status and (b) anticipated date for commissioning is of each application.

(97998)

618
N Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations he has received from (a) the Countryside Council for Wales and (b) other organisations on the proposed RWE power station in Pembroke.

(98212)

619
Jon Cruddas (Dagenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what volume of palm oil was imported from Colombia in each of the last five years; what the total UK market share Colombian palm oil had in the sector in the same period; and if he will make a statement.

(98660)

620
Mr Wayne David (Caerphilly):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the regulatory arrangements for the utilities sector in Bulgaria on UK companies investing in that sector.

(98656)

621
Mr Wayne David (Caerphilly):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the investment climate for UK companies wishing to invest in Bulgaria.

(98657)

622
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with (i) Corus and (ii) prospective buyers of Corus in respect of protection of the existing British Steel pension scheme.

(98010)

623
Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources available to the Office for Civil Nuclear Security to regulate the security of radioactive wastes in (a) store and (b) transit.

(98193)

624
N Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what consultations he undertook on the Report Stage amendment 822 to the Companies Bill.

(97616)

625
N Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations he received from the (a) Confederation of British Industry, (b) Association of British Insurers, (c) Federation of Small Business and (d) Institute of Directors on the Report Stage amendment 822 to the Companies Bill.

(97617)

626
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will prioritise assistance for those who wish to introduce renewable energy to their property who do not have access to mains gas.

(97950)

627
N Mr Alan Duncan (Rutland & Melton):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much funding his Department has provided to the electromagnetic relativity drive design proposed by Roger Shawyer; and from what departmental budget funding has been drawn.

(97212)

628
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the new energy and environmental research institute that he announced in Budget 2006 is planned to be established; and how much the Government plans to grant to the institute in the first year of its existence.

(97966)

629
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much has been invested in Enterprise Capital funds.

(97968)

630
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who is responsible for remaining contingent liabilities arising from the shipbuilding activities of Brooke Marine Ltd.

(97994)

631
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what funding has been made available to assist companies to train workers from European Union member states.

(98673)

632
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when he will respond to the Quadripartite Select Committee's First Joint Report Strategic Export Controls: Annual Report for 2004, Quarterly Reports for 2005, Licensing Policy and Parliamentary Scrutiny, HC873.

(98586)

633
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when he plans to publish the terms of reference of the review of the Export Control Act 2002 due to take place in May 2007.

(98587)

634
Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the UK will withdraw from the joint telescope agreement with Australia; and what the annual savings will be to his Department.

(98210)

635
Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the grant to the British Geological Survey is in 2006-07; and what it is expected to be in each of the next three years.

(98213)

636
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies were affected by the rise in the minimum wage on 1st October 2006.

(98115)

637
Dr Alasdair McDonnell (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether he expects to make an announcement on the future of the post office network before the end of December 2006.

(98262)

638
N John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many claims have been made for (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) vibration white finger in the name of John Mann of Nottinghamshire; by which solicitor the claims were made; and in which Parliamentary constituency Mr Mann resides or resided.

(97472)

639
N John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which solicitors submitted more than 100 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease claims on 31st March 2004; how many claims were submitted on this date by each solicitor; how many of these solicitors are based in Bassetlaw; and how many of these claims (a) in total and (b) from solicitors in Bassetlaw related to deceased miners.

(97476)

640
John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many estates of deceased miners are still awaiting adjustments to their final settlement due to the ongoing discussions relating to the loss of pension entitlement.

(98710)

641
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many managing directors the Small Business Service has.

(98079)

642
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what his Department's five most expensive (a) web and (b) non-web information technology projects have been since 2001.

(98564)

643
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many and what percentage of information technology projects undertaken by or for his Department since 2001 have been delivered (a) over budget, (b) after their original deadline, (c) on budget, (d) under budget, (e) on their original deadline and (f) ahead of their original deadline.

(98595)

644
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) information technology projects and (b) web-facing information technology projects his Department has undertaken in each year since 2001.

(98610)

645
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much his Department has spent on information technology consultants in each year since 2001; and how many of those consultants worked on web-facing projects.

(98611)

646
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much his Department has spent on (a) information technology projects and (b) web-facing information technology projects in each year since 2001.

(98612)

647
Anne Snelgrove (South Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the number of employees aged over 65 years whose employment was terminated before October 2006 by companies aiming to avoid the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.

(98091)

648
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98261)

649
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what factories in Europe produce chlorofluorocarbon gases; and for which UK products such gases produced in Europe are supplied.

(98676)

650
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what volume of chlorofluorocarbon gas was imported into the UK in 2005.

(98677)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

651
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from biofuels producers regarding the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation.

(98646)

652
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98525)

653
Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 23rd October 2006, Official Report, column 1533W, on congestion charging, what discussions he has held with Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority about road user charging.

(98078)

654
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department gave to Sea and Water in each of the last three years; and what discussions the Department has had with that organisation on the strategic direction for coastal shiping and inland waterways delivery of freight transport.

(98141)

655
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to ratify the International Marine Organisation's Torremolinos Convention.

(97992)

656
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will examine recent evidence and decide whether the formal investigation into the loss of the MV Gaul should be re-opened.

(97993)

657
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many toll bridges there are in England; and what charges are made on each.

(98708)

658
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19th October 2006, Official Report, column 1340W, on railways, what the outcomes have been of correspondence between officials in his Department and the South Hampshire Rail Users' Group.

(98238)

659
N Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13th September 2006, Official Report, columns 2264-5W, on Sheffield Airport, what assessment the Government has made of the implications for (a) road traffic and (b) public transport of developing the (i) airport at Doncaster and (ii) airport at Sheffield.

(97861)

660
N Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13th September 2006, Official Report, columns 2264-5W, on Sheffield Airport, what assessment the Government has made of the need for an airport in (a) Sheffield and (b) Doncaster.

(97862)

661
N Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13th September 2006, Official Report, columns 2264-5W, on Sheffield Airport, whether Sheffield and Doncaster airports are owned in whole or in part by the same person.

(97863)

662
N Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13th September 2006, Official Report, columns 2264-5W, on Sheffield Airport, whether (a) his Department and (b) legal provisions require the runway at Sheffield Airport to be accessible for general aviation.

(97864)

663
Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with First Great Western about reducing journey times between London Paddington and Swansea.

(98199)

664
Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the performance of services on First Great Western Trains Ltd to July 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(98200)

665
Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the joint action plan between First Great Western and Network Rail for the monitoring of performance of services between London Paddington and Swansea.

(98202)

666
Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps First Great Western is taking to ensure that initial newly refurbished Class 43 Mark III coaches begin service in November.

(98203)

667
Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps First Great Western is taking to ensure that services to Swansea (a) depart on time from London Paddington and (b) use reasonable endeavours to minimise the need for passengers to stand (i) on off-peak services and (ii) for no more than 20 minutes on peak services.

(98205)

668
Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cancellations occurred on First Great Western Services between Swansea and London Paddington between January to July 2006; and how many were the result of (a) vandalism, (b) locomotive failure, (c) adverse weather conditions, (d) electrical faults and (e) engineering works.

(98214)

669
Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11th July 2006, Official Report, column 1698W, on Arriva Trains Wales, what the outcome was of his Department's discussions between interested parties about train services between Cardiff and Swansea.

(98372)

670
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reason was for the delay of a number of trains on 1st September between Ingatestone and Chelmsford; what steps are in place to reduce the reoccurrence of similar such incidents; and if he will make a statement.

(97326)

671
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Network Rail on the decision to charge an admission fee to public conveniences situated at some railway stations; what discussions took place with user groups before fees were implemented; what assessment has been made of the effect of fees on disabled and unwaged groups; and if he will make a statement.

(97327)

672
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of occasions across England where highways authorities have installed speed humps which were later (a) modified and (b) removed; what the cost to public funds has been of the work; and if he will make a statement.

(97328)

673
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many workmen are employed on the road widening scheme between junctions 8 and 10 of the M1 motorway; and how many work during the (a) daytime and (b) hours of darkness.

(97624)

674
N Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money has been spent in total by the Highways Agency on (a) projects relating to animal welfare and (b) the purchase and installation of bat boxes; who determines (i) whether such expenditure is appropriate and (ii) the levels thereof; and if he will make a statement.

(98301)

675
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies were affected by the rise in the minimum wage on 1st October.

(98164)

676
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much freight was transported by rail in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(98271)

677
Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether existing cross-country train services linking Yorkshire with the (a) South Coast and (b) South West will be maintained when the new Cross Country Franchise begins.

(98064)

678
Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has for introducing toll charging on the M62 motorway.

(98066)

679
Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many speed cameras there are in Halifax; and how many motorists they have recorded exceeding the speed limit in the last 12 months.

(98067)

680
Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have been killed in road traffic accidents in the East Midlands in the last five years.

(98510)

681
Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cycle routes have been established in the East Midlands since 1997.

(98511)

682
Anne Snelgrove (South Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with transport ministers from other EU member states about problem aviation noise from small airfields.

(98090)

683
Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the Driving Standards Agency Multi-Purpose Test Centre due to be built in Leicester.

(98449)

684
Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to make a statement on (a) funding for and (b) the operational start of a re-developed Birmingham New Street Station.

(98462)

685
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the future of the rural bus challenge.

(98320)

686
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98252)

687
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage the use of reused and recycled materials in capital procurement projects for which his Department is responsible.

(98004)

688
Mark Williams (Ceredigion):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the use of agricultural tractors for haulage on public highways; and if he will make a statement.

(98450)

689
Mark Williams (Ceredigion):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of a direct rail link between Shrewsbury and London Marylebone; and if he will make a statement.

(98466)

690
Mark Williams (Ceredigion):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) motor tractors and (b) agricultural tractors in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland are registered with the DVLA.

(98469)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

691
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(98523)

692
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with appropriate bodies in Wales on the commemoration of the bi-centenary of the abolition of the slave trade; and if he will make a statement.

(97957)

693
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with leaders of the Muslim community in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

(97958)

694
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has with the Commission for Racial Equality in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

(97959)

695
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with appropriate bodies to ensure that Wales benefits economically and socially from the London Olympics and Paralympics; and if he will make a statement.

(98128)

696
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many employees in his Department were affected by the rise in the minimum wage on 1st October.

(98149)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

697
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) female and (b) male pensioners there are in each Parliamentary constituency in Wales.

(97978)

698
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the income thresholds used in paragraph 7 of the reply by the Government to the Second Report of the Work and Pensions Committee of Session 2003-04, Cm 6200 are in weekly amounts of income in 2004-05 prices (a) before and (b) after housing costs for (i) relative low income and (ii) absolute low income (A) couples with no children (equivalised income benchmark), (B) single people with no children, (C) couples with four children under 16, (D) single people with four children under 16, (E) couples with two children aged five and 11, (F) single people with two children aged five and 11, (G) couples with one child aged five and (H) single people with one child aged 5.

(98381)

699
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will extend the eligibility for winter fuel payments to those groups who are eligible for cold weather payments; and if he will make a statement.

(97947)

700
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what research he has commissioned to determine how many over three-day injuries are not reported by young people injured on practical vocational training within educational establishments; and if he will make a statement.

(98061)

701
N Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to promote take up of access to work funding by small and medium sized businesses.

(98316)

702
N Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the access to work scheme in increasing the number of disabled people in employment.

(98317)

703
N Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of withdrawing entitlement to access to work funding in relation to his Department's employees on the numbers of disabled staff working in his Department.

(98318)

704
N Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the amount of Child Support Agency outstanding unpaid maintenance arrears in each quarter since 1993, broken down into (a) collectable, (b) possibly uncollectable, (c) deferred and (d) probably uncollectable; and if he will make a statement.

(97201)

705
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the targets are for the Child Support Agency; what progress has been made to date against each; and if he will make a statement.

(98099)

706
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average age of uncleared Child Support Agency cases in each quarter since Q2 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(98101)

707
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria are used to determine bonus payments to employees of the Child Support Agency.

(98326)

708
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether bonus payments made to employees of the Child Support Agency are based on (a) relative and (b) absolute levels of performance.

(98327)

709
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what quotas are set for the (a) number of people and (b) proportion of the pay budget in the Child Support Agency in relation to bonus payments in any one year.

(98328)

710
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the maximum budget available for bonus payments to employees of the Child Support Agency was in each year since 2001; and what the total amount of bonuses paid out to employees of the Agency was in each such year.

(98329)

711
Mr Oliver Letwin (West Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on the pursuance by the Benefit Fraud Hotline of fraud allegations in cases where the informant does not know the exact postal address of the person against whom the allegation is being made.

(98293)

712
Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners received the winter fuel allowance in Bolsover constituency in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005.

(98508)

713
Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of EC Regulation 1408/71 on the UK benefit system since the EU accession in May 2004; and what he expects the effect on the benefit system to be when Bulgaria and Romania join the EU.

(98123)

714
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Support Agency cases were (a) outstanding and (b) unprocessed in each year from 1997 to 2006 in (i) Oxfordshire and (ii) the Wantage constituency.

(98247)

715
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

(98250)

Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs

716
Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the outcome was of all special educational needs tribunals heard in Somerset in each of the last five years.

[Transferred] (98457)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

717
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what consultations the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has held with the private sector on the storage of the UK's energy waste.

[Transferred] (98105)

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Revised 30 October 2006