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19 Dec 2006 : Column 2008W—continued


Retirement Planner

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost has been of developing his Department’s web-based retirement planner. [102134]

James Purnell: £11.3 million has been incurred on the web-based retirement planner to date.

Suzan Sampson

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ensure that Mrs Suzan Sampson of South Brent, Devon receives her national insurance number by Christmas; and what the reasons are for the delay. [109810]


19 Dec 2006 : Column 2009W

Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 14 December 2006, Official Report, column 1340W.

Unemployment: Eastbourne

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were unemployed in Eastbourne in (a) 1996 and (b) 2006. [110388]

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 December 2006:

Written Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which official in his Department is in charge of monitoring answers to written parliamentary questions; and if he will make a statement. [101302]

Mrs. McGuire: All answers to parliamentary questions are the responsibility of Ministers.

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of written parliamentary questions to his Department in the last session of Parliament were substantively unanswered (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) nine months and (d) 12 months after tabling. [101995]

Mrs. McGuire: A total of 5,462 commons written parliamentary questions were tabled to the Department in the 2005-06 session. 275 were transferred or withdrawn leaving 5,187 for substantive reply.

The proportions of written parliamentary questions substantively unanswered within the periods specified are contained in the following table:

Interval after tabling ( 1) Number of questions outstanding Proportion of total questions for substantive reply (5, 187) (%)

At 90 days

273

5.3

At 180 days

23

0.4

At 270 days

1

At 365 days

0

(1 )Departmental systems do not record time intervals in calendar months and data in the format requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Intervals of 90, 180, 270 and 365 days have been used in place of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months respectively. Days referred to are calendar days and include weekends, non-sitting days and periods when the House was in recess.

19 Dec 2006 : Column 2010W

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department’s special advisors have had discussions with the parliamentary clerk in his Department on the time within which replies are given to written parliamentary questions. [101996]

Mrs. McGuire: No.

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has a policy of prioritisation of replies to written parliamentary questions. [101997]

Mrs. McGuire: No.

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets his Department has relating to the time within which written parliamentary questions should be replied to. [101998]

Mrs. McGuire: The Department seeks to answer parliamentary questions according to parliamentary timescales.

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of written parliamentary questions to his Department were substantively unanswered in the last session of Parliament. [101999]

Mrs. McGuire: A total of 5,462 commons written parliamentary questions were tabled to the Department in the 2005-06 session, of which 275 were transferred or withdrawn, leaving 5,187 for substantive reply.

Of these 5,187 questions, 97.1 per cent. (5,037 questions) were given a substantive response, 0.6 per cent. (29 questions) were given a Prorogation response, and 2.4 per cent. (121 questions) fell at Prorogation, without a response.

Deputy Prime Minister

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Mr. Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his statement of 21 November 2006, Official Report, column 30WS, on departmental expenditure limits 2006-07, whether his administration budget includes provision for (a) the cost of his official residence in Admiralty House, (b) the cost of his foreign travel, (c) the cost of his travel within the UK and (d) the cost of his ministerial car. [108420]

The Deputy Prime Minister: My Department’s budget will be accounted for in the departmental report and accounts.


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