Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 8 January 2007

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 8 January 2007
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 8 January 2007

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 8 January of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

For other Written Questions for answer on Monday 8 January of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 8 January see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

1
N Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the take-up rate is for (a) child benefit, (b) child tax credit and (c) working tax credit in (i) the Highland Council area, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK.

(113403)

2
N Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average household income is in (a) the Highland Council area, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK.

(113404)

3
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will produce an updated version of the graph S1.8 from the Budget 1997 and provide the background figures; and if he will make a statement.

(112886)

4
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average time is for which valued added tax payments have been delayed by the use of Extended Verification on UK mobile phone, computer parts and pharmaceutical export companies; and what the longest such delay has been.

(113258)

5
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the internal manual of procedure for HM Revenue and Customs to implement Extended Verification on traders for value added tax.

(113259)

6
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many large companies with several small Pay As You Earn reference numbers have been successful in claiming the incentive payments for electronic filing for small employers on more than one occasion within the year; what steps have been taken to ensure that such claims are not made successfully; and if he will make a statement.

(113260)

7
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his original estimate was of the cost in each year of the incentive payments for electronic filing for small employers in each financial year that the scheme was set to run; for how many years those payments are planned to continue; how eligibility for the payments is determined; and if he will make a statement.

(113261)

8
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was paid in incentive payments for electronic filing for small employers in each year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

(113262)

9
Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many postcards supporting English Heritage's Inspired campaign he received in 2006.

(112829)

10
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many excess winter deaths there were in Stroud constituency in each of the last 10 years.

(112888)

11
N Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on HM Revenue and Customs' use of extended verification procedures for VAT.

(113655)

12
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he will make a statement on the VAT treatment of the supply of academic staff by universities to NHS trusts.

(113661)

13
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultation took place with (a) NHS trusts and (b) their representatives before HM Revenue and Customs published guidelines in April 2006 directing that NHS trusts should not be recovering VAT incurred in providing doctors and locums under Professional Services Heading 52.

(113662)

14
N Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of assets confiscated as a result of investigations into Missing Trader Intra Community VAT fraud in each year since 2000-01.

(113663)

15
N Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total number of tax credit overpayments made to couples who have since separated is; and in how many such cases (a) overpayments are owed, (b) recovery of the whole of the joint liability is being pursued against one party only and (c) one party is untraceable.

(113664)

16
N Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of planned asset sales in each year from 2008-09.

(113665)

17
N Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many prisoners are in receipt of tax credits; and how much was paid in tax credits to prisoners in each year from 2003-04 to 2006-07 to date.

(113666)

18
N Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the last year of the current economic cycle will be included in the next economic cycle for the purposes of calculating compliance with the Golden Rule.

(112835)

19
N Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what additional capital expenditure relating to (a) schools and (b) (i) further and (ii) higher education colleges was announced in the 2006 Pre-Budget Report.

(112836)

20
N Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what additional spending per child was announced in the 2006 Pre-Budget Report for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools, excluding those sums previously announced.

(112837)

21
N Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what account is taken of changes in expenditure relating to police interpreters in assessing spending requirements for the Home Office.

(113102)

22
Damian Green (Ashford):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the proposed changes to VAT rules affecting very low calorie foods.

(113377)

23
David Heyes (Ashton under Lyne):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support credit unions in their bid to make an impact on high levels of indebtedness to doorstep lenders amongst poor and vulnerable people; and what support he offers to credit unions to allow them to provide people with an alternative source of affordable credit.

(113375)

24
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) births and (b) deaths there were in Tamworth constituency in each year since 1996.

(112830)

25
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many £5 notes there are in circulation; how many were taken out of circulation in each of the last five years; and how many new notes were produced in each year.

(113599)

26
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many compensatory payments were made in respect of tax credits in each of the last five years; and what the total cost was of these payments.

(112990)

27
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claimants received manual payments in each of the last five years.

(112995)

28
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(112973)

29
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(112975)

30
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113591)

31
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on the closure of HM Revenue and Customs offices in South Wales.

(112982)

32
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the aviation industry of paying the full cost of the contribution of emissions from aviation to climate change identified in the Stern Review.

(113387)

33
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many grandparents received a residence order allowance in the last period for which figures are available.

(112923)

34
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to support grandparents who care for their grandchildren.

(112924)

35
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have opened child trust funds in each year since their inception; and if he will make a statement.

(113034)

36
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which charities have held meetings at 11 Downing Street since December 2005.

(113337)

37
N Mr Keith Simpson (Mid Norfolk):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions since December 2005 the Smith Institute has held meetings at 11 Downing Street; and who attended each.

(113338)

38
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times he has met Sir Nicholas Stern since the publication of his recent report; and if he will make a statement.

(112939)

39
Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) duties and (b) taxes are imposed upon the bingo industry.

(112815)

40
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will calculate the average number of employees of those businesses in receipt of the full 50 per cent. relief under the small breweries relief scheme.

(112934)

Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

41
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what (a) guidance and (b) instructions Her Majesty's Stationery Office follows on the size of margins in Government publications.

(113389)

42
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what assessment she has made of (a) the potential cost savings and (b) the environmental impact of reducing the size of margins in official publications.

(113390)

43
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many written Parliamentary Questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(112947)

44
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many written Parliamentary Questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered (a) wholly and (b) in part on disproportionate cost grounds.

(112948)

45
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to her Department; and who is involved in that process.

(113072)

46
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113580)

47
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what guidance has been sent out by the Cabinet Office to other departments relating to (a) traffic light grading of parliamentary questions and (b) unanswered parliamentary questions in the last 12 months.

(113583)

48
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by her Department has been changed; what the (a) subject of the statistics, (b) (i) original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

(113668)

Questions to the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners

49
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, how many written parliamentary questions to the Church Commissioners in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113273)

50
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the honourable Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, how many written parliamentary questions to the Church Commissioners in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113274)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

51
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made in discussions between the Local Government Association and the Local Government Employers group in introducing new pension scheme arrangements in England and Wales for local government; and how existing members of local government pension schemes are protected under transitional arrangements.

(113527)

52
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what protection is available for existing members of the local government pension schemes in England and Wales; and what the cut-off date is for full protection for schemes in England and Wales.

(113686)

53
N Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding was provided directly by her Department and its predecessor to local authorities in England to support regeneration projects in each year from 2001-02 to 2005-06; and what funding has been allocated for 2006-07 and 2007-08.

(112794)

54
Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations she has received on the Barker Review of Land Use Planning.

(112789)

55
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what definition of strategic importance she proposes in connection with the new planning powers for the Mayor of London.

(113425)

56
N Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent progress has been made on encouraging the provision of residential property above retail premises.

(112725)

57
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many home inspectors are in training.

(112778)

58
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the numbers of home inspectors needed to meet the level of demand for energy certificates.

(112779)

59
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what factors were taken into account when setting the cap on the discount available to council house residents in the North West who buy their homes; what assessment was made of variations in house prices between areas in the North West when setting the cap; and if she will take steps to adjust the cap annually in line with house price inflation.

(112956)

60
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many written parliamentary questions to the (a) Department for Communities and Local Government and (b) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on the grounds of disproportionate cost.

(112978)

61
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many written parliamentary questions to the (a) Department for Communities and Local Government and (b) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(112979)

62
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many written parliamentary questions to (a) the Department for Communities and Local Government and (b) the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113593)

63
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what population figure is used to calculate the local government settlement grant for the London Borough of Croydon.

(112851)

64
Anne Snelgrove (South Swindon):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to give more powers to local authorities to impose higher building standards with regards to (a) insulation, (b) energy efficiency and (c) built-in micro-generation.

(113052)

Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs

65
Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28th November 2006, Official Report, column 604W, on MMR/MR (litigation costs), when she expects to be in a position to write to the hon. Member for Billericay with the information requested.

(113182)

66
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will take steps to compel companies and organisations required to hold public liability insurance to disclose this information in the event of an incident.

(113317)

67
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will change the rules on eligibility to legal aid for a plaintiff in cases where a public liability insurance policy (a) cannot be found and (b) does not exist.

(113318)

68
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many lawyers specialising in (a) housing, (b) education, (c) social services for adults and (d) mental health are there as part of the community Legal Service in Northampton.

(113333)

69
N Mr Jim McGovern (Dundee West):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, whether the draft Compensation (Regulated Claims Management Services) Order 2006 will apply to websites that provide free help, support and legal advice for people seeking to claim back what they consider to be excess bank charges.

(113268)

70
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what representations she has received on proposals to reintroduce means testing for legal aid in Magistrates' Court.

(113096)

71
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many written Parliamentary Questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a referral back to previous answers.

(112952)

72
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many written Parliamentary Questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(112953)

73
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many written Parliamentary Questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered (a) wholly and (b) in part on disproportionate cost grounds.

(112954)

74
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to the Department; and who is involved in that process.

(113085)

75
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113581)

76
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by her Department has been changed; what the (a) subject of the statistics, (b) (i) original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

(113669)

77
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much was paid in legal aid to Leigh Day and Company in each of the last five years.

(113575)

78
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will commission research to show the (a) mean, (b) median, (c) mode and (d) largest legal aid payments made in the last year for which figures are available.

(113354)

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

79
Lyn Brown (West Ham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the (a) amount of public finance initiative credits allocated to her Department and (b) related capital expenditure was in each year for which figures are available, broken down by project.

(113004)

80
Lyn Brown (West Ham):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much National Lottery funding was made available to (a) public and (b) private libraries in each year for which figures are available, broken down by project.

(113078)

81
Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to regulate claims made in advertisements by betting tipsters guaranteeing betting success.

(113122)

82
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 13th December 2006, Official Report, column 1095W, on the Olympic Games, what proportion of the population in England engaged in 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week in each year since 2002; what estimate her Department has made of the expected proportion in each year until 2020; and if she will make a statement.

(113329)

83
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 13th December 2006, Official Report, column 1095W, on the Olympic Games, whether the commitment to increase to 70 per cent. the proportion of the population who are reasonably active is still a government target distinct from the public service agreement to increase the number of people from priority groups who participate in sport by three per cent. by 2008; and if she will make a statement.

(113330)

84
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an estimate of (a) the proportion of the population who engage in 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week in (a) England and (b) other European countries; and if she will make a statement.

(113359)

85
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on increasing the number of people attending and participating in the arts from priority groups; and if she will make a statement.

(113466)

86
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the progress towards the targets set out in her Departmental Business Plan 2006-07; and if she will make a statement.

(113467)

87
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on providing a sector needs analysis for visitor economy; and if she will make a statement.

(113468)

88
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what bilateral film co-production treaties were agreed by the end of 2006.

(113469)

89
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of people who are eligible for the digital switchover targeted assistance programme but who may not be identified by the proposals put forward in the Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill; and if she will make a statement.

(113470)

90
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the baseline is for the target for increasing the number of people accessing museums and galleries collections from priority groups.

(113474)

91
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on increasing the number of people accessing museums and galleries collections from priority groups; and if she will make a statement.

(113475)

92
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the baseline is for the target for increasing the number of people attending and participating in the arts from priority groups.

(113476)

93
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time community sports coaches were employed at the end of 2006; and if she will make a statement.

(113477)

94
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in how many sports national coaching certificates were implemented, broken down by sport.

(113478)

95
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made towards increasing the number of people visiting designated historic environment sites from priority groups; and if she will make a statement.

(113479)

96
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the baseline is for the target for increasing the number of people visiting designated historic environment sites from priority groups.

(113480)

97
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11th December 2006, Official Report, column 812W, on departmental studies, if she will place in the Library a copy of (a) Measuring elasticity of tourism demand, (b) Casino impacts scoping study, (c) Independent technical review on sport and leisure facility equity indicators, (d) Sport's contribution to achieving wider social benefits, (e) economic impact of Department of Culture, Media and Sports cultural investment, (f) Creative industries analysis, (g) Review of evidence base for delivering SP2/PSA3, (h) Willingness to pay for work to inform licence fee setting, (i) Assessing the readiness of social housing sector for digital switchover, (j) Assessing the impact of 2005 Gambling Act on internet gambling, (k) International dimension of the creative economy, (l) Exploring creative industry spillovers, (m) Governance of non-departmental public bodies, (n) Knowledge economy, (o) Scoping links between the creative industry and the rest of the economy and (p) Museums indicators revisions.

(113685)

98
David Heyes (Ashton under Lyne):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she expects agreement between the Amateur Rowing Association, FISA and Sport England on boat buoyancy to be reached.

(113407)

99
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much UK Sport has given to British Cycling to sponsor the under-23 academy to promote the anti-doping campaign 100% Me; and from which source that funding came.

(112832)

100
N Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the outcome was of her Department's disability equality impact assessment of digital switchover and the targeted help scheme.

(113576)

101
N Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what measures her Department has put in place (a) to identify and (b) to offer help under the targetted assistance scheme for digital switchover to (i) people with severe disabilities who do not claim disability benefit, (ii) people with mental health problems, (iii) people with learning disabilities, (iv) cancer patients, (v) people with autism, (vi) certified blind and partially sighted people and (vii) people under the age of 75 who have acquired mobility problems after the age of 65.

(113577)

102
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the amount of time (a) adults and (b) children spent each day on outdoor activities and sport in each year since 1997.

(113029)

103
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(112976)

104
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on the grounds of disproportionate cost.

(112977)

105
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to the Department; and who is involved in that process.

(113086)

106
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113585)

107
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by her Department has been changed; what the (a) subject of the statistics, (b) (i) the original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

(113674)

108
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what events have been planned to commemorate the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of HM the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2007.

(113432)

109
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what events have been planned to mark the Diamond Jubilee of HM the Queen in 2012.

(113482)

110
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government plans to link the celebrations for HM The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012 with the London Olympics.

(113657)

111
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the personal Commonwealth flag of Queen Elizabeth II will be displayed at the Trooping the Colour in 2007.

(113658)

112
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the flags from all the (a) Crown Dependencies and (b) Overseas Territories will be displayed at the Trooping the Colour in 2007.

(113659)

113
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on which occasions the Cross of Saint George is flown from Government department buildings.

(113682)

114
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on which occasions the Union Flag is flown from Government department buildings.

(113690)

115
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what political activity has been undertaken by board members of the (a) Arts Council England, (b) Heritage Lottery Fund and (c) UK Film Council in the last five years.

(112787)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

116
N Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the future of military parachute training.

(113176)

117
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what reports he has received on the recent visit of the US Special Envoy to Darfur; and what reports he has received of the recent meeting between the Special Envoy and the Secretary General of NATO.

(112796)

118
N Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects a decision to be made on the maintenance of the Towed Array Sonar.

(112827)

119
N Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many IT systems are used for the management of stores in the armed forces.

(112828)

120
N Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to integrate the different IT systems for the management of stores in the armed forces.

(112898)

121
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect on the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards of the withdrawal of some of the troops' longer separation allowance.

(113371)

122
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the availability of the skills necessary in the UK to enable the construction of submarines for the Trident project.

(113256)

123
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the US Administration on providing submarines for the Trident project.

(113257)

124
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military chaplains there were in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) armed service, (b) rank and (c) faith.

(113489)

125
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will Answer Question 101404 on the disclosure of information, on the secondment of British personnel, tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth South on 20th November.

(112858)

126
N Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) formal complaints, (b) complaints through I-support or the enquiry centre and (c) formal grievances have been made by Royal Navy personnel since the roll out of Joint Personnel Administration to the Royal Navy.

(112688)

127
N Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints from RAF personnel the Armed Forces Joint Personnel Administration Agency's internal complaints system received about mispayment under the system in each month since March 2006; and how many (a) are still outstanding and (b) have been resolved since September.

(112689)

128
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) inflow and (b) outflow of the Royal Naval Reserves was in each year since 1997.

(113047)

129
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) inflow and (b) outflow of the Territorial Army was in each year since 1997.

(113048)

130
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) required and (b) actual strength of the (i) Territorial Army, (ii) Royal Naval Reserve, (iii) Royal Marines Reserve and (iv) Royal Auxiliary Air Force were in (A) 1997 and (B) December 2006.

(113050)

131
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the number of personnel in the Royal Marines was on (a) 1st December 1997 and (b) 1st December 2006.

(113065)

132
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) inflow and (b) outflow of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force was in each year since 1997.

(113066)

133
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) inflow and (b) outflow was of the Royal Marines Reserves in each year since 1997.

(113068)

134
N Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out details of the assurances given by the United States in connection with the transfer of technology on the Joint Strike Fighter; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Washington on 11th December.

(113322)

135
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of the Meteorological Office's revenues came from licensing products to (a) local and (b) central government in the last year for which figures are available.

(112774)

136
N Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to the letter of 2nd October 2006 to Wing Commander Conway from the hon. Member for North East Milton Keynes, what improvements have been made to the air bridge from (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq to avoid delays for troops travelling home over the Christmas period.

(112802)

137
N Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will reply to Question 98165, tabled by the hon. Member for North East Milton Keynes, on the time taken to reply to Question 94388 tabled by the hon. Member for North East Milton Keynes, on separation allowances, for named day answer on 16th October 2006.

(112803)

138
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many written Parliamentary Questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered (a) wholly or (b) in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(112960)

139
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many written Parliamentary Questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(112961)

140
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to the Department; and who is involved in that process.

(113090)

141
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113586)

142
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by his Department has been changed; what the (a) subject of the statistics, (b) (i) original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

(113671)

143
N Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) deaths and (b) injuries to civilians in Afghanistan during 2006 have given rise to Special Investigation Branch inquiries.

(113351)

144
N Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make ex-gratia payments to the families of those Afghan civilians shot in Kandahar in early December 2003.

(113352)

145
Mr Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library evidence given to the inquest into the death of Sergeant Steven Roberts by or on behalf of the former Secretary of State the right hon. Member for Ashfield.

(112927)

Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister

146
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many written Parliamentary Questions to him in the 2005-06 session, following the creation of the Deputy Prime Minister's Office, were answered with a referral back to previous answers.

(112949)

147
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many written Parliamentary Questions to him in the 2005-06 session, following the creation of the Deputy Prime Minister's Office, were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(112950)

148
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many written Parliamentary Questions in the 2005-06 session, following the creation of the Deputy Prime Minister's Office, were not answered (a) wholly and (b) in part on disproportionate cost grounds.

(112951)

149
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session following the changes to the machinery of government and the creation of the Deputy Prime Minister's Office did not receive an answer.

(113582)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

150
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many foster care placements there were in (a) Aylesbury Vale and (b) England in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2005.

(113502)

151
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many respite care home placements were available to disabled children in (a) Aylesbury Vale and (b) England in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2005.

(113503)

152
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of children in the care system are of ethnic minority origin.

(113504)

153
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children were adopted in (a) Aylesbury Vale and (b) England in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06.

(113505)

154
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received on the number of children in care who would qualify for tier (a) one, (b) two and (c) three, as described in the Care Matters Green Paper.

(113506)

155
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received on the availability and provision of care services for disabled children.

(113507)

156
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received on the availability and provision of respite care for disabled children.

(113508)

157
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received on a regulatory impact assessment of the implementation of the 2006 Code of Practice for Nursery Education Provision.

(113509)

158
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent representations he has received on free at-the-point-of-delivery nursery provision in England.

(113510)

159
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received on the effect of the implementation of the 2006 DFES Code of Practice for Nursery Education Provision.

(113511)

160
Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many apprentices left their course during each quarter of the past three years; and what steps he is taking to reduce the drop-out rate.

(113207)

161
Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children were registered under local authority care in England at the end of each (a) November and (b) January since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(113252)

162
Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the maximum time is that may elapse before (a) nurseries and (b) other childcare settings must be inspected by OFSTED following the registration of those settings; and if he will make a statement.

(113321)

163
Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children were taken into local authority care during the Christmas/Winter school holidays in England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(113340)

164
Lyn Brown (West Ham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the value of (a) private finance initiative credits allocated to his Department and (b) related capital expenditure was in each year for which figures are available, broken down by project.

(113077)

165
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the Learning and Skills Council in Coventry; and if he will make a statement.

(112762)

166
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what estimate he has made of the likely numbers of redundancies at the Learning and Skills Council in Coventry; and if he will make a statement.

(112763)

167
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many unauthorised absences from schools in Coventry South there were in each year between 1997 and 2006.

(112764)

168
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many mainstream nursery providers there were in the Coventry area in (a) 1997 and (b) 2005.

(112765)

169
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many places there are in primary and secondary schools in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency, broken down by school.

(113422)

170
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his Answer of 12th December 2006, Official Report, column 1006W, on competition managers, what targets have been set for competition managers to increase the number of (a) sporting competitions, (b) teams competing and (c) matches played for each age group and sport.

(113019)

171
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 12th December 2006, Official Report, column 1006W, on competition managers, how many competition managers and senior competition managers have been employed on salaries above the recommended salary ranges for their grades; and by how much their salaries exceeded the recommended level.

(113331)

172
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to promote the uptake of specialised diplomas (a) in (i) schools, (ii) higher education institutions and (iii) colleges and (b) among employers.

(113097)

173
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the schools at which no pupils were taking a language course as referred to in paragraph 2.14 of the Languages Review Consultation report.

(112766)

174
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schools there were where no pupils studied a language at Key Stage 4 in each of the last five years.

(112807)

175
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of 14 year olds achieved (a) level 5 and (b) level 6 at Key Stage 3 in teacher assessments for non-core subjects in each year since 1997.

(113250)

176
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what monitoring he has made of fair access to working class applicants for (a) the University of East Anglia and (b) Cambridge University.

(113099)

177
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the official drop-out rate is for (a) the University of East Anglia and (b) Cambridge University in the last five years, broken down by department or faculty.

(113100)

178
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of care services for 16 to 17 year olds in each local authority are provided by private corporations.

(113414)

179
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of privately run residential care homes in each local authority area for children in care meet 90 per cent. or more of the national minimum standards.

(113415)

180
John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his Department's policy is on the provision to courts of information regarding the inclusion on list (a) 98 and (b) 99 of people giving evidence.

(113376)

181
Martin Horwood (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the contribution made by voluntary staff in schools; and if he will make a statement

(113386)

182
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many people in Tamworth constituency applied for (a) apprenticeships and (b) post-16 vocational courses in each of the last six years.

(112821)

183
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many visually impaired children are in education in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) England.

(112775)

184
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the legal basis is for schools (a) to obtain and (b) to hold records of pupils' fingerprints (i) with and (ii) without prior parental consent.

(112783)

185
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of five to 16 year olds who do (a) at least two and (b) at least four hours of sport each week.

(113031)

186
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) City of York were given a statemented education in each of the last five years ; and if he will make a statement.

(113465)

187
Mr Denis MacShane (Rotherham):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will re-instate as compulsory the teaching of foreign languages in secondary schools.

(112786)

188
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many school-aged children in (a) St Albans constituency and (b) Hertfordshire have had a dual placement in a special school and a mainstream school in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(112997)

189
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of children in (a) St Albans and (b) Hertfordshire (i) given a fixed-term exclusion from school and (ii) permanently excluded from school in the last period for which figures are available had an (A) statemented and (B) non-statemented special educational need.

(112998)

190
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of children with special educational needs in (a) St Albans and (b) Hertfordshire are on a school action plan.

(112999)

191
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of children with a special educational need who had been excluded from schools in (a) St Albans and (b) Hertfordshire were readmitted in the last period for which figures are available.

(113000)

192
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many cases of exclusions for children with a special educational need have been referred to the Special Educational Need and Disability Tribunal in (a) St Albans and (b) Hertfordshire.

(113001)

193
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of children with a special educational need have been given an individual education plan in (a) St Albans and (b) Hertfordshire.

(113002)

194
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many education supervision orders have been put in place in respect of children with a special educational need in each of the last five years in (a) St Albans and (b) Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

(113003)

195
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many written Parliamentary Questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(112962)

196
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(112968)

197
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to the Department; and who is involved in that process.

(113088)

198
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113587)

199
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by his Department has been changed; what the (a) subject of the statistics, (b) (i) original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

(113673)

200
Mr Chris Mullin (Sunderland South):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the costs of the Educational Maintenance Allowance were in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost of extending the allowance to all A-level students.

(112834)

201
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will meet with the Leader of the House to discuss the pre-legislative scrutiny of the provisions of the Further Education and Training Bill [Lords] as they relate to Wales.

(113055)

202
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will meet the Chairman of the Welsh Affairs Committee, the hon. Member for Aberavon, to discuss the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Welsh aspects of the Further Education and Training Bill [Lords].

(113071)

203
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average time taken to process inter-country adoptions was in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(113037)

204
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schools have requested that pupils are prescribed Ritalin as a condition of remaining at the school.

(112838)

205
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the extent of the use of Ritalin by school pupils.

(112839)

206
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Department of Health on the prescribing of Ritalin to school pupils.

(112840)

207
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of whether pressure is being brought to bear on pupils by schools to take Ritalin and on their parents to ensure that they do so.

(112880)

208
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to increase pupil demand for learning a musical instrument.

(113083)

209
Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of state school pupils have access to individual musical instrument tuition.

(113084)

210
Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what funding Lancashire County Council has been given as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

(112816)

211
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which secondary schools have practised random drug testing; over what periods of time such testing has been carried out in each case; and what the GCSE results were for each such school in each of the last five years.

(113103)

212
Stephen Williams (Bristol West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of people successfully completing a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education went on to attain Qualified Teacher Status within one year in each of the last three years, broken down by subject.

(113107)

213
Stephen Williams (Bristol West):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many UK domiciled initial participants in higher education have not applied to the Student Loans Company for any financial support in the academic year 2006-07 to date.

(113108)

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

214
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the contribution to global carbon emissions deriving from the burning of forests in South East Asia for the purposes of creating agricultural land; and if he will make a statement.

(113184)

215
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the implications of changes to Natural England's budget are for the educational elements of the Higher Level Scheme.

[R] (113471)

216
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department gives (a) directly and (b) through its agencies to farm-based educational programmes; and what mechanisms are in place to co-ordinate his Department's work in this area with (i) the Department for Education and Skills and (ii) the devolved authorities.

[R] (113472)

217
Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the relationship is between his Department and Envirowise.

(113537)

218
N Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average performance against best value performance indicator 82 (a) a and (b) b for household waste recycling and composting performance was of (i) waste collection authorities, (ii) waste disposal authorities and (iii) unitary waste authorities in (A) London and (B) England in 2004-05.

(113492)

219
N Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much municipal glass was recycled by each London borough in the last two years for which figures are available; how much was (a) recycled back into glass bottles or jars and (b) used as aggregate in each case; how many tonnes of carbon dioxide were (i) saved and (ii) produced in each case; if he will estimate what the net difference would be in carbon dioxide savings if all the glass collected was recycled back into glass bottles or jars; and what steps he is taking to encourage further carbon dioxide savings.

(113493)

220
N Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether each London waste disposal authority is on track to achieve its Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme allocations for 2010.

(113494)

221
N Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent local authorities meeting their Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme allocations by moving waste off the municipal balance sheet by selling off their commercial waste portfolios.

(113495)

222
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will clarify the definition of liable body set out in the consultation document on the Environmental Liability Directive.

(112881)

223
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the banning of electric shock collars for dogs.

(112882)

224
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of the tests for bovine TB are carried out through the application of gamma interferone vaccine.

(112928)

225
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the final report of the Independent Scientific Group on bovine TB is expected.

(112929)

226
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether strict liability for damage to biodiversity, land or water arising from the continued use of GM plants and animals is included in the Government's proposals for implementing the Environmental Liability Directive.

(113093)

227
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria were used in deciding which species to include as protected under the terms of the proposals in relation to the Environmental Liability Directive.

(113183)

228
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to require farmers to pay a greater proportion of the costs of annual disease control.

(113319)

229
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria were used to determine matters to be referred to the Independent Scientific Group investigating bovine TB; and for what reason gamma interferon was not referred to the group for study.

(113320)

230
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to establish the proposed London Waste and Recycling Forum and Fund; and whether (a) the Fund and (b) the Forum will be put on a statutory footing.

(113426)

231
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12th December 2006, Official Report, column 960W, on the Rural Payments Agency, what the longest processing time was for processing an application for a payment to (a) farmers and (b) agricultural businesses in each year since 2001.

(113253)

232
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12th December 2006, Official Report, column 960W, on the Rural Payments Agency, how many of the follow-up calls made since 5th June 2006 on behalf of the Rural Payment Agency, involved outstanding payments; and how many calls have resulted in outstanding payments successfully being paid in full.

(113339)

233
Martin Horwood (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5th December 2006, Official Report, column 212W, if he will place in the Library a copy of the findings of the recent consultancy work referred to.

(113355)

234
Martin Horwood (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) mobile telephones, (b) printer cartridges and (c) MP3 and other music players he estimates were (i) recycled, (ii) reused overseas and (iii) disposed of within the England and Wales waste stream in each year since 2000.

(113365)

235
Martin Horwood (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research has been conducted (a) by and (b) for his Department on the recycling and reuse of (i) mobile telephones and (ii) printer cartridges.

(113366)

236
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help (a) county councils, (b) district and borough councils and (c) parish and town councils become carbon neutral.

(112819)

237
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7th December 2006, Official Report, column 579W, on the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, which tier of local authority is empowered under section 3 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to issue a fixed penalty notice or prosecute for the offence of selling cars on verges.

(112878)

238
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which consultancy services his Department has employed over the past 12 months; what projects each has worked on; and what the cost to his Department was of each service.

(112788)

239
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to fight paratuberculosis (Johere's Disease) in livestock; and what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned into the disease.

(112791)

240
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help UK farmers to reduce emissions of methane through (a) increasing milk yields, (b) promoting advanced food types and feeding regimes and (c) aiding research into (i) the use of probiotics and (ii) other proposed solutions.

(112857)

241
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make representations to his counterparts in the EU to end the two sittings of the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg on environmental grounds.

(113598)

242
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the volume of canal traffic was in each year since 2000.

(112782)

243
David Maclean (Penrith & The Border):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers in Cumbria have yet to receive any payment for the Single Farm Payment for 2005; and how many are still to receive the full payment.

(112874)

244
Mr Denis MacShane (Rotherham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was paid in sterling to British farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy in each of the last three years.

(112785)

245
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(112969)

246
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(112970)

247
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to the Department; and who is involved in that process.

(113087)

248
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113588)

249
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by his Department has been changed; what the (a) subject of the statistics, (b) (i) original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

(113675)

250
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his estimate is of the amount of carbon produced by his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(113035)

251
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Securing the Benefits initiative in tackling fisheries management since June 2005.

(113109)

252
Dr Tony Wright (Cannock Chase):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to reclassify the navigable and restored remainder waterways to Cruiseway status.

(112817)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

253
N Mr Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations she has made to the government of Indonesia regarding the burning of rainforest for the purpose of creating agricultural land; and if she will make a statement.

(113185)

254
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Uganda on the Commonwealth Harare Declaration of 1991.

(113501)

255
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports she has received of comments made by the President of Uganda on Zimbabwe's land policy; and what assessment she has made of the effect of those comments on the situation in Zimbabwe.

(113513)

256
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports she has received of the arrest of Dr Kizza Besigye in Uganda.

(113514)

257
John Bercow (Buckingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports she has received of the ruling of the Ugandan Supreme Court on Dr Kizza Besigye's election petition.

(113515)

258
Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) she, (b) her Department and (c) any agency thereof has received reports of funds being provided to Mohammed Dahlan in Gaza by (i) agents and (ii) agencies working on behalf of the United States in the last six months.

(112894)

259
Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding the Government has paid to (a) Mohammed Daud, former Governor of Helmand Province and (b) other Afghan politicians in each financial year since 2001-02.

(113105)

260
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will make a statement on the European Common Asylum Policy.

(113497)

261
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the military activities of armed groups in eastern Chad; what representations she has received from (a) the UK Ambassador to the UN and (b) her counterparts on the Security Council on those activities; and what her most recent assessment is of the security situation in Darfur.

(112795)

262
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to urge restraint and compromise among Bangladesh's political parties and to defuse tension ahead of the national parliamentary elections.

(112797)

263
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports she has received of the government of Pakistan's agreements with tribal leaders in North Waziristan.

(112842)

264
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of Taliban activity on the Afghan-Pakistan border.

(112843)

265
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports she has received of the possible postponement of Zimbabwe's presidential elections; and what discussions she has had with (a) the UK Embassy in Harare and (b) her counterparts in other countries on those reports.

(112845)

266
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contributions she is making to international efforts to ensure that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (a) suspends operations at its reactors, (b) readmits international nuclear inspectors, (c) reports its nuclear facilities and (d) closes its nuclear testing site.

(112846)

267
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many overseas missions the United Kingdom opened in each of the last nine years.

(112847)

268
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the recent conflict near the eastern Chadian town of Biltine and in the Ouaddei area.

(112859)

269
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports she has received of activity of the Shining Path guerrilla movement in the Ayacucho region of Peru; and what recent representations she has made on tackling illegal coca-growing in that country.

(113040)

270
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of claims of senior North Korean officials that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a nuclear state.

(113043)

271
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the United Kingdom is taking to help monitor the Sierra Leone elections (a) unilaterally, (b) through the EU and (c) through the UN; and what representations she has received on this matter.

(113044)

272
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the UK Government is taking to ensure free and fair elections in Sierra Leone; and what representations her Department has received on the participation of international observers in those elections.

(113045)

273
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports she has received on the incident at Nangpala on 30th September 2006.

(113046)

274
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for the policy of recent tensions between Uruguay and Argentina over a planned mill on the border.

(113079)

275
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the scale of recent protests in Santa Cruz; and what representations she is making to the Bolivian government on a peaceful resolution to these protests.

(113081)

276
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the second ceasefire extension agreed between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army; what representations she has made on the ceasefire and the Juba peace talks; what discussions she has held with the (a) UK High Commission, Kampala, (b) African Union and (c) United Nations on this matter.

(113082)

277
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations the UK Government has made to the government of Venezuela on the Bolivarian missions in that country.

(113204)

278
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Chinese authorities on harvesting of organs in China.

(113408)

279
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with overseas counterparts on the embargo of Chinese products made using forced labour.

(113410)

280
Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many visa applications were (a) received by post and (b) made in person at British Missions overseas in the latest year for which figures are available.

(113041)

281
Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many visa applications were (a) received by post and (b) made in person at (a) the British Embassy, Beijing, (b) the British Consulate General, Shanghai, (c) the British Consulate General, Guangzhou, (d) the British Consulate General, Chongqing and (e) all British Missions in China in the latest year for which figures are available.

(113042)

282
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(112971)

283
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(112972)

284
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113589)

285
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports she has received on proposed legislation in Iran to make religious minorities wear identifying insignia; which minorities are affected; and if she will make a statement.

(113384)

286
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations she has made to the Nigerian government on the continuing destruction of churches in Jigawa State.

(113335)

287
N Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer by the Minister for State on 27th November 2006, Official Report, column 472W, on Iraq, whether a British-led investigation was conducted into possible links between the al-Da'wa organisation and the terrorist attacks on the British Embassy and the British Club in the 1980s.

(113380)

288
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what stage has been reached in proposed constitutional reform in each of the British Overseas Territories.

(113677)

289
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether there are any plans for a formal visit by Her Majesty the Queen to the Falkland Islands.

(113681)

290
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which places the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit during the year of their Diamond Wedding Anniversary in 2007.

(113683)

291
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Union Flag will be flown above all Government buildings in all Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies on HM The Queen's Official Birthday on 17th June 2007 from 8 a.m. until sunset.

(113684)

292
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has made representations to the Israeli authorities on the effect of (a) the Annexation Wall and (b) the failure to renew temporary access permits for staff and students on the future of the Arab Orphan School in 'Atarot, East Jerusalem.

(113021)

293
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Israeli Occupation Authority meets its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to ensure access of Palestinians to education in the Occupied Territories.

(113022)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

294
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the introduction of health trainers; which primary care trusts (PCTs) have employed health trainers; how many health trainers have been appointed by each of those PCTs; and if she will make a statement.

(113174)

295
Mr David Amess (Southend West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made in establishing the National Partnership for Obesity; which organisations she expects to participate in the National Partnership; what (a) role and (b) terms of reference the Partnership will have; and when she expects the Partnership to begin its work.

(113175)

296
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what her Department's definition is of continuing care for the purpose of deciding whether patients can continue to receive care from the NHS.

(113191)

297
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice her Department gives to (a) hospital trusts, (b) primary care trusts and (c) social services departments on the definition of continuing care.

(113192)

298
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what policies her Department is developing to deal with dyspraxia; and if she will make a statement.

(113177)

299
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the performance of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health in engaging hard to reach groups and those who are unused to speaking up or participating in the NHS.

(113178)

300
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the number of patient forum members at the beginning of 2006; and what her most recent estimate is.

(113179)

301
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the statutory basis is for the establishment of early adopter local involvement networks as set out in her Department's response to the consultation A stronger local voice; and if she will make a statement.

(113180)

302
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the prostate cancer awareness campaign pilot announced in 2005; and when she expects to make a decision on the national roll-out of the scheme.

(113181)

303
Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what was the cost of (a) establishing the Choose and Book system and (b) operating the system to date; whether the system is rolling out to plan; and if she will make a statement.

(113488)

304
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions her officials have had with Newcastle City Council on the standard of (a) adult and (b) children's social services provided by the authority.

(113526)

305
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the availability of counselling services as part of general practitioner services in the National Health Service; and what plans she has for future provision of such services.

(113529)

306
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice her Department gives to primary care trusts on the provision of cognitive behavioural therapy as part of the National Health Service.

(113691)

307
Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what factors were taken into consideration when deciding to bring forward proposals to amend the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 with regard to basic research; and what representations she has received on the proposals.

(112875)

308
Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what her Department's definition is of basic research in the context of its proposals to amend the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; what types of research are covered by the definition; and what representations she has received on the definition.

(112876)

309
Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what factors were taken into consideration when deciding to bring forward proposals to amend the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 to remove the restriction (a) on altering the genetic structure of a cell while it forms part of an embryo and (b) on replacing the nucleus of a cell of an embryo for research purposes only; and what representations she has received on the proposals.

(112877)

310
Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions she has had on the stockpiling of respirators for key workers in the event of an influenza pandemic; and if she will make a statement.

(112860)

311
Mr Brian H. Donohoe (Central Ayrshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures have been put in place to protect key workers in the event of an influenza pandemic; and if she will make a statement.

(112861)

312
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) supported on the inclusion of synthetic fluorides in infant milk formulas.

(112887)

313
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of existing patient and public participation prior to (a) the abolition of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health and (b) the other proposed changes in provision.

(113110)

314
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures she has put in place to try to ensure volunteer retention during the introduction of Local Involvement Networks (LINks); and what national guidelines will be put in place for the appointment of individuals to positions on LINks.

(113111)

315
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she has taken to ensure that monies provided to local authorities for Local Involvement Networks will be passed on.

(113112)

316
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many complaints have been received from (a) the public and (b) medical professionals that entries on the NHS database are (i) inaccurate and (ii) false.

(113396)

317
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which countries she visited on official business in 2006.

(113424)

318
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of membership of a (a) private and (b) local authority-run gym in each year since 1997; what assessment she has made of the health benefits of gym membership; and if she will make a statement.

(113360)

319
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12th December 2006, Official Report, column 1029W, on recruitment of health care professionals, how the Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals is enforced with respect to nurses trained in, or nationals of, developing countries.

(113326)

320
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses employed in each NHS trust were (a) trained in and (b) the nationals of developing countries before coming to the UK in each of the last five years.

(113349)

321
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of trends in nutrigenomic testing and diets.

(113098)

322
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of emergency orders for domiciliary oxygen were delivered within the target time in the last period for which figures are available.

(113117)

323
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many emergency orders for oxygen were made by each primary care trust, in each month since the implementation of the new contract.

(113118)

324
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the value for money of the new home oxygen service; and if she will make a statement.

(113119)

325
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent on the new home oxygen service by each primary care trust since the introduction of the service.

(113120)

326
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budget is of each primary care trust for the new oxygen service.

(113121)

327
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what growth funding was provided to each (a) primary care trust and (b) local health board from 1st April 2006 from the previous year's allocation for the delivery of NHS dentistry.

(113306)

328
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many calls NHS Direct has received about dental problems (a) during normal surgery hours and (b) out of hours in each month since April 2005.

(113307)

329
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of each primary care trust's devolved budget for NHS dentistry has not yet been allocated to the delivery of dental care.

(113308)

330
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children have accessed NHS dentistry in England in each of the last 12 months, broken down by primary care trust or local health board.

(113309)

331
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students enrolled on (a) (i) diploma courses and (ii) in degree courses in nursing, (b) allied health professional courses and (c) part-time post-registration continuing professional development courses in each training establishment in each of the last five years.

(113363)

332
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of eligible patients have received the influenza vaccine in each primary care trust.

(113364)

333
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with whom she discussed the multi-professional education and training budget before deciding to remove ring fencing.

(113367)

334
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which cancer centres are not fully carrying out prospective HER-2 testing.

(113368)

335
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the likely financial effect upon the NHS of changes to the distribution of pharmaceutical products by (a) AstraZeneca and (b) Lilly.

(113388)

336
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the number of incontinent patients in each primary care trust for each of the last five years.

(113485)

337
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what activity her Department has undertaken to promote the awareness of medicines use reviews; and if she will make a statement.

(113486)

338
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what treatments for incontinence are available on the NHS.

(113490)

339
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the reasons for variations in the cost of deliveries referred to in the Answer of 10th October, Official Report, column 679W in the last session, on birthing units.

(113512)

340
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions she has had with drinks manufacturers with respect to alcohol awareness campaigns.

(113613)

341
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of funding of each primary care trust was spent on public health in the last 12 months.

(113692)

342
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the voter turnout has been in elections for foundation trusts in 2006.

(113413)

343
John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of 30th November 2006 to the hon. Member for Daventry, Official Report, column 919W, on myasthenia gravis, what proportion of the 25 per cent. of her Department's expenditure on health research that is not devolved to and managed by NHS organisations was spent on research into myasthenia gravis in the latest period for which figures are available.

(113433)

344
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cataract operations were carried out at (a) Good Hope Hospital and (b) Sir Robert Peel Hospital in each of the last 10 years.

(112820)

345
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 14th December 2006, Official Report, column 1358W, on hospital infections, for what reason private hospitals and independent sector treatment centres are not required to report cases of (a) MRSA and (b) clostridium difficile; and if she will make a statement.

(112801)

346
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she expects Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust to announce measures to meet its revised budget.

(112773)

347
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what provisions are in place to prevent the sale of contact lenses over the internet without a prescription.

(112781)

348
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the estimated financial position is of Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust in the 2006-07 financial year; and what she estimates it will be in each of the next three financial years.

(112806)

349
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many tuberculosis infections there were in each year since 1979.

(113011)

350
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) net financial outturn, (b) gross surplus and (c) gross deficit of the NHS was in each financial year since 1990-91.

(113012)

351
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the value of the budget is for commissioning specialised services to be transferred from her Department to the National Health Service in the 2007-08 financial year.

(113013)

352
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were treated by the NHS for sexually transmitted infections in each year since 1997-98.

(113015)

353
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times the podcast made by the NHS Chief Executive on the importance of the NHS Operating Framework 2007-08 published on the Departmental website on 11th December 2006 has been downloaded; and at what cost the podcast was produced.

(113016)

354
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral Answer by the Prime Minister of 13th December 2006, Official Report, column 865, on engagements, if she will publish the data from which the Prime Minister's statement derived that hundreds of thousands of people used to wait for 12 months for an NHS operation when she came to office.

(113017)

355
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral Answer by the Prime Minister of 13th December 2006, Official Report, column 866, on engagements, if she will list the accident and emergency departments which are undergoing consultation on change.

(113018)

356
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many attendances there were at major (type 1) accident and emergency departments in each of the former 28 strategic health authority areas in each quarter since the quarter ended June 1997.

(113020)

357
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the National Director for Heart Disease and Stroke was first asked to produce the report Mending hearts and brains, published by her Department on 7th December 2006.

(113023)

358
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the National Director for Emergency Access was first asked to produce the report Emergency access, published by her Department on 7th December 2006.

(113024)

359
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Food Standards Agency was first informed that the frozen ready-to-eat meals recalled on 14th December might be contaminated with glass.

(113025)

360
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding she has given to the Staying Alive HIV/AIDS prevention campaign in each year since 1998-99.

(113027)

361
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much she has spent on the Small Change, Big Difference campaign in the financial year 2006-07.

(113028)

362
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons expenditure on infectious disease fell between 2004-05 and 2005-06 as recorded in the NHS's Resource Accounts.

(113030)

363
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress she is making towards the target announced in her Department's National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV of 27th July 2001 (a) that 60 per cent. of all genito-urinary medicine clinic attenders should take an HIV test and (b) to reduce the number of newly acquired HIV infections by 25 per cent. by the end of 2007.

(113032)

364
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the evidential basis was of the statement made by the Minister of State for Delivery and Quality on 14th December 2006, Official Report, column 357WH, that the burden of disease is higher in areas with the lowest life expectancy than it is in areas with the longest life expectancy; and what definition of the burden of disease she uses.

(113036)

365
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether (a) contingency funds and (b) funds created by top-slicing Primary Care Trust (PCT) allocations are being distributed to other PCTs and Trusts in 2006-07; and whether the resulting out-turn figures will record the overspends of these Trusts, exclusive of the in-year financial support.

(113038)

366
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will commission research into the potential for damage to be caused to people's hearing by the level of noise in nightclubs.

(112965)

367
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether any measures are being considered to improve access to talking treatments for (a) black and minority ethnic groups, (b) refugees and asylum seekers, (c) people with learning disabilities and a mental health problem, (d) people in prison, (e) people with alcohol or other drug dependency problems, (f) older people, (g) children, (h) people with long-term physical health problems and (i) people in hospital.

(112833)

368
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many sexual health leads as recommended in the 2001 National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV are employed in primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.

(113372)

369
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government plans to make an assessment of the effectiveness of its sexual health campaign Condom Essential Wear in reducing sexual transmitted infections for 18 to 24 year olds.

(113373)

370
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she plans to publish her Department's response to the Independent Advisory Group report on sexual health published on 14th December 2006.

(113374)

371
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether any of the capital resource fund allocated in the 2006-07 financial year for investment in health has since been designated to the Department for Culutre, Media and Sport for sport-related projects; and whether there are any plans to transfer such funds in the future.

(113578)

372
N Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many trusts in deficit have had their deficit converted to public dividend capital; what the criteria are for converting deficits to public dividend capital; and if she will make a statement.

(113579)

373
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list the NHS trusts in negotiation with Monitor for take-over by foundation trusts.

(113596)

374
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evidence her Department has assessed on the level of risk posed by elevated levels of low density lipopropein cholestoral in coronary heart disease relative to other factors; and if she will make a statement.

(113057)

375
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evidence her Department has assessed on the effectiveness of statins in reducing the five-year incidence of (a) major coronary events and (b) stroke; and if she will make a statement.

(113059)

376
Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will assess the likely savings in health care costs which would result from lowering mean low density lipopropein cholestoral levels by one millimol per litre in the population at high risk of (a) coronary diseases and (b) cerebrovascular disease; and if she will make a statement.

(113062)

377
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many written Parliamentary Questions to her Department were answered with a referral back to previous answers in the 2005-06 session.

(112943)

378
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many written Parliamentary Questions to her Department were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation in the 2005-06 session.

(112944)

379
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many written Parliamentary Questions to her Department were not answered (a) wholly or (b) in part on disproportionate cost grounds in the 2005-06 session.

(112945)

380
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to the Department; and who is involved in that process.

(113091)

381
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113590)

382
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by her Department has been changed; what the (a) subject of the statistics, (b) (i) original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

(113670)

383
Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps her Department will take to increase the numbers of human sperm donors.

(113167)

384
Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many donations of human sperm in England were made in each of the last 10 years.

(113168)

385
Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the criteria will be for the funding decision for the National Diabetes Support Team in the next financial year; and when the decision will be made.

(113169)

386
Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding will be made available by her Department for the National Diabetes Support Team from March 2007 to March 2008.

(113170)

387
Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding the National Diabetes Support Team received from her Department in (a) 2003, (b) 2004, (c) 2005 and (d) 2006 to date.

(113172)

388
Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have been treated with human donated sperm in each of the last 10 years.

(113208)

389
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance she has given officials at the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency on attendance at (a) UK and (b) international conferences on standards; and how much has been allocated for such attendance in 2006-07.

[R] (112983)

390
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the promptness of payments to suppliers by NHS trusts; what mechanisms are in place to monitor their performance in this regard; and if she will take steps to ensure that NHS trusts keep to contract terms in paying suppliers.

[R] (113007)

391
N Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment her Department has made of the potential for savings to the NHS from the purchase of branded generic goods; and if she will make a statement.

(112809)

392
N Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, why the publication of her Department's consultation on branded generic medicines has been delayed until after the Office of Fair Trading's report on the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme in 2007; and if she will make a statement.

(112810)

393
N Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Department's consultation on branded generic medicines will be made public; and if she will make a statement.

(112811)

394
N Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what meetings she has held with interested parties on the delay in the publication of the Department's consultation on generic medicines; and if she will make a statement.

(112812)

395
Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will take steps to ensure that primary care trusts provide funding to enable clinicians to prescribe the most effective drug treatments available to patients with Alzheimer's disease who may benefit.

(112825)

396
Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether provisions exist in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on drug treatments for (a) Alzheimer's disease and (b) dementia for clinicians to prescribe the most effective drug treatments available; and if she will make a statement.

(112826)

397
Clare Short (Birmingham, Ladywood):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will assess the accuracy of the calculations of units of dental activity for dentists working on the new dental contracts; and if she will make a statement.

(112935)

398
Clare Short (Birmingham, Ladywood):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) guidance and (b) instructions were given by her Department to the Dental Practice Board during the formation of the new system of dental contracts on the calculation of units of dental activity; and if she will make a statement.

(112936)

399
Clare Short (Birmingham, Ladywood):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what account was taken of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidelines on the provision of dental services for children in deciding the minimum number of units of dental activity for children under the new contractural arrangements.

(112937)

400
Clare Short (Birmingham, Ladywood):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the proportion of dentists who are likely to meet the targets set for them under the new contractual arrangements; if she will review the effectiveness of the target system; and if she will make a statement.

(112938)

401
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she expects the Chairman of the Appointments Commission to write to the hon. Member for Warley with the information requested in the Question on the West Midlands Ambulance Service answered on 7th November 2006, Official Report, column 1321W.

(113614)

402
N Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 27th November 2006, Official Report, column 440W, on correspondence, what progress has been made by the Chief Executive of NHS West Midlands in ensuring that the hon. Member for West Worcestershire receives a response to his letters of (a) 22nd August and (b) 17th October, on changes in Worcestershire health service provision.

(113114)

403
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what elements of NHS care are included in the NHS funding to primary care trusts for prisoners; and whether this changed in April 2006.

(113300)

404
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what population figures were used to calculate the NHS funding for the Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust for 2006-07 and 2007-08; and how many prisoners at HMP Woodhill were included in the population figures for each year.

(113301)

405
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of people in residential care homes paid third party top up fees in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

(112940)

406
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the letter of 15th December from the right hon. the Lord Warner to the hon. Member for Northavon, if she will set out in full the reasons why North Bristol Trust was not supported for Foundation Trust status; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the correspondence between (a) her Department and (b) Monitor to North Bristol Trust conveying the reasons for that decision.

(112889)

407
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that all hospitals provide an alcohol-free means of hand sanitisation for visitors.

(113378)

408
N Steve Webb (Northavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what her policy is on construction of new NHS buildings on hospital sites that have been earmarked for closure or downgrading; what plans there are for a new CT scanner at the Frenchay Hospital site; and if she will make a statement.

(113379)

409
Mr Iain Wright (Hartlepool):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans she has for the funding of the Young People's Development Programme; if she will take steps to maintain funding for the Programme after March 2007; and if she will make a statement.

(113051)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

410
Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department will make a decision on the asylum application of Mr Erion Remiraj, reference D1018757.

(113251)

411
Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent guidance has been issued by the Prison Service on the adoption of common criteria for the distribution of condoms in prisons.

(113311)

412
Mr Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government is opposed in principle to the use of the passerelle in Justice and Home Affairs.

(113496)

413
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements his Department has made for the teaching of English to those seeking asylum within the United Kingdom; and what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Department for Education and Skills and (b) the Learning and Skills Council on English language courses for asylum seekers and the funding arrangements for them.

(113525)

414
N Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long (a) Antoinette Lynch (Home Office reference ZH/21065676), (b) Pathrine Roberts (Home Office reference CEU/1108591), (c) Scarlett Megwy (Home Office reference ZH/1166113) and (d) Natasha Ngirincuti (Home Office reference ASC/919985) have been detained at Yarls Wood; what the reasons are for maintaining their detention; when each had her last bail hearing; and if he will order their release on temporary admission with conditions.

(112792)

415
Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether changes have been made to guidance on the investigation of historic child abuse since 2002.

(113328)

416
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Ugandan nationals have applied for political asylum in the UK in the last 10 years; and how many of these applications have been turned down.

(112957)

417
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Ugandan nationals whose applications for asylum in the UK were subsequently turned down had indicated during the application process that they belonged to the opposition Forum for Democratic Change.

(112958)

418
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures are in place for the selection and recruitment of people who handle asylum cases.

(112959)

419
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green of 26th October 2006 regarding a constituent Mr Swetang Joshi (Home Office reference J1012195).

(113420)

420
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost is of collecting and entering one DNA profile onto the National DNA Database; and if he will make a statement.

(113421)

421
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases of people arrested under the Terrorism Act a charge was ultimately brought under (a) the threshold test and (b) the full code test.

(113423)

422
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners are earning at or above the national minimum wage.

(113660)

423
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of prisoners with mental health problems were released into the community with supported housing in the last 12 months.

(113603)

424
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of offenders are unemployed when sentenced.

(113605)

425
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who were at some stage victims of crime.

(113606)

426
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners have escaped from open prisons in each of the last six months.

(113607)

427
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent assessment is of the effect of employment on release from prison upon reoffending rates.

(113608)

428
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent estimate is of the number of prisoners who have accommodation arranged on release from prison.

(113609)

429
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are in place for the provision of advice on (a) benefits and (b) debt to prisoners on release.

(113610)

430
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made on the availability of treatment for alcohol misusers on probation.

(113611)

431
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offenders were recalled to prison for breach of the conditions of their release in each of the last 10 years.

(113612)

432
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what average number of hours of purposeful activity was undertaken by a prisoner per week in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and for what reason this figure is no longer published by the Prison Service or Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons.

(113616)

433
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what average number of hours a prisoner spent outside his or her cell per day in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

(113617)

434
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners and what proportion of the prison population (a) were sentenced for drugs offences and (b) were imprisoned for committing an offence which was in some way drug related in each year since 1997 for which figures are available.

(113618)

435
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what most recent estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who have taken drugs in the year before entering prison.

(113619)

436
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what most recent estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who have taken illegal drugs whilst in prison.

(113620)

437
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the degree to which drug treatment is standardised across British prisons; and if he will make a statement.

(113621)

438
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which young offender institutions provide intensive drug treatment.

(113622)

439
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent estimate is of the number of prisoners who continue illegal drug use after release.

(113623)

440
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of female prisoners are mothers.

(113624)

441
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of male prisoners are fathers.

(113625)

442
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of prisoners have a child under 18 years of age.

(113626)

443
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent estimate is of the number of prisoners who stay in touch with their families during their sentence.

(113627)

444
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent estimate is of the impact of family contact during imprisonment on an offender's resettlement after release.

(113628)

445
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prison visits (a) in total and (b) on average prisoners received in each year since 1997.

(113629)

446
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, at what average distance from their homes (a) male and (b) female prisoners are held; and how many prisoners are held over 100 miles away from their home.

(113631)

447
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions are in place for searching (a) visitors and (b) others entering prisons; and to what extent this is standardised across prisons.

(113632)

448
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which prisons make use of body orifice scanning machines to search people entering prisons; and what the cost of one machine is.

(113633)

449
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the means by which illegal substances are most commonly brought into prisons.

(113634)

450
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to increase the ease with which family members can book prison visits.

(113635)

451
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate he has made of the number of prisoners suffering from mental health problems; and how many prisons have mental health in-reach teams.

(113636)

452
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of waiting times between assessment of a prisoner and a transfer to hospital.

(113637)

453
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent estimate is of the incidence of self-harm amongst (a) male and (b) female prisoners.

(113638)

454
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost of reoffending to England and Wales in each of the last five years.

(113640)

455
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent estimate is of the average cost per year of keeping an offender in (a) an adult prison, (b) a young offender institution and (c) a secure training centre, broken down by main budget heading.

(113641)

456
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners were housed (a) with one other person in a cell designated for one and (b) with two other persons in a cell designated for two, in each of the last 10 years.

(113642)

457
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prison places were (a) put out of use and (b) created in each year since 1997; and at which prisons those changes took place.

(113643)

458
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many suicides there were in prisons classified as overcrowded in each of the last 10 years.

(113644)

459
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that education managers in prisons receive prisoners' records following transfer from another prison; and if he will make a statement.

(113645)

460
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the two prisons he announced for reroling in October 2006 are additional to the reroling of Brockhill and Bullwood Hall already announced by his Department in the spring.

(113646)

461
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment since May 1997 have been released.

(113647)

462
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners were convicted for drugs offences in each of the last 10 years.

(113648)

463
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of prisoners identified as having drug problems are undergoing intensive drug rehabilitation.

(113649)

464
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of the Prison Service budget was spent on education in 2005-06.

(113651)

465
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his most recent assessment is of the proportion of prisoners who are able to complete a job application form.

(113654)

466
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to which countries it is his Department's policy not to return failed asylum seekers.

(113101)

467
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners were prosecuted for offences committed in prison of (a) violence, (b) drugs, (c) threatening or abusive behaviour and (d) two or more of the above categories in each year since 1997-98.

(112899)

468
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there were for offences committed by prisoners whilst in prison in each year since 1997-98.

(112900)

469
N Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drug users are registered with the Peterborough drug intervention programme; and if he will make a statement.

(112867)

470
N Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 14th December 2006, Official Report, column 1324W, on the police, which police forces in England and Wales have collected the data referred to, other than the Metropolitan Police Service; and if he will make a statement.

(112869)

471
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value has been of items collected under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in each police authority in each of the last three years.

(112818)

472
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects to reply to the letter to him dated 9th November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Ms Jacinta Monteiro.

(113116)

473
Mr Piara S. Khabra (Ealing Southall):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers whose claims had been initially unsuccessful and who had exhausted their appeal rights have lodged new asylum applications since January 2004, broken down by (a) nationality and (b) sex.

(112931)

474
Mr Piara S. Khabra (Ealing Southall):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what targets are set by his Department for reaching decisions on new applications for those peoples whose claims had been initially unsuccessful and had exhausted their appeal rights.

(112932)

475
Mr Piara S. Khabra (Ealing Southall):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken to process new asylum applications by people whose claims had been initially unsuccessful and had exhausted their appeal rights was in the last period for which figures are available.

(112933)

476
N Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether acceptance of a place on a driver improvement course offered by Bedfordshire Police in lieu of prosecution involves admission of liability for the alleged offence on the part of the motorist.

(112804)

477
N Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of fees for the driver improvement course offered by Bedfordshire Police Service to motorists is received by the service.

(112805)

478
Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any written records are held by the Prison Service of instructions given (a) verbally and (b) in writing to the Director General of the Prison Service by Ministers in his Department in October 2002 on control of the riot at Lincoln Prison; and if he will make a statement.

(113074)

479
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of fatal road crashes have resulted in a criminal prosecution in the last five years.

(113265)

480
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many victims were supported by victim support in each of the last five years; and of these, what percentage were victims bereaved as a result of a criminal offence.

(113266)

481
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what services are provided by Government for people bereaved as a result of a (a) homicide and (b) road crash; what the cost was for providing these services in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(113314)

482
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what victim groups have received money from the Victim's Support Fund since it was set up in 2004, broken down by type of crime; how much in each year has been provided for each group since 2004; and whether there are plans to extend the range of victims' groups eligible for support.

(113315)

483
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there are any plans to renegotiate the contract with Langley House to supply secure beds to the Home Office.

(113397)

484
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the adjusted re-offending rate for persons on community orders was during the two year period following completion of the order at the latest date available.

(113398)

485
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the projected balance is in the national probation budget for 2006-07; and what consequences are expected for service delivery.

(113399)

486
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the projected balance of spending is in the London Probation Area budget for 2006-07; and what consequences are expected for service delivery.

(113400)

487
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what change there will be to the National Probation budgets for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09.

(113401)

488
David Maclean (Penrith & The Border):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offences of (a) violence against the person, (b) theft and (c) criminal damage were committed in Cumbria in each year since 1998.

(112873)

489
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been allocated to training and development for those working in the probation service for (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2008-09.

(112991)

490
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the evidential basis is for the proposals for reform of the probation service.

(112992)

491
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Offender Management Bill will drive up standards.

(112993)

492
Anne Main (St Albans):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms he plans to put in place to provide for accountability of offender management services sub-contracted to (a) private and (b) voluntary organisations.

(112994)

493
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113289)

494
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113290)

495
Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average sentence was for (a) assault and (b) assault with a minor injury on a police officer in each year since 2002.

(113267)

496
Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department (a) collects and (b) publishes on police response times in each police force area.

(113334)

497
Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions took place for (a) assaults and (b) assaults with a minor injury in (i) each basic command unit in Durham Constabulary and (ii) each police force in each year since 2002; and how many were successful.

(113348)

498
Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) assaults and (b) assualts with a minor injury took place on police officers in (i) each basic command unit in Durham Constabulary and (ii) each police force in each year since 2002.

(113350)

499
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions there have been under the Fireworks Act 2003; and what representations he has received on behalf of animal owners concerned about the impact of fireworks.

(113595)

500
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will respond to the request for police community support officers in Gwent by Gwent Police Authority.

(113064)

501
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the Gwent Police Authority on the costs of providing security for the meeting of European Union Foreign Ministers in Newport.

(113067)

502
N Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the detailed business case for the National Offender Management Scheme will be published; and what the differences are between that business case and the strategic business case published on 20th October 2005.

(113571)

503
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made by his Department in working with the Local Government Association, London councils, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Communities and Local Government to review the cost of supporting destitute failed asylum seekers.

(112852)

504
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) passport applications and (b) passports were lost in the post in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(113033)

505
Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme on people who had been granted leave under the previous rules; and what estimate he has made of the numbers of people who will not be able to extend this leave.

(113009)

506
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Warley of 5th September on behalf of Mr Kumar of Capethorn Road, Smethwick.

(113113)

507
N Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11th December 2006 to the hon. Member for Ochil and South Perthshire, Official Report, columns 833-4W, on people trafficking, when he expects a decision to be made on whether the Government will sign the European Convention on action against trafficking in human beings; and if he will make a statement.

(113115)

508
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners serving custodial sentences of longer than six months at HMP Woodhill were included in the population numbers supplied to the Department of Health for the calculation of NHS funding to the Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust for 2006-07 and 2007-08; and what the equivalent number was in April 2006.

(113299)

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

509
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many posts in the House of Commons attracted a salary in excess of the basic salary of a hon. Member; what the job titles are of those posts; and what the salary is in each case.

(112841)

510
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many written parliamentary questions to the House of Commons Commission in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113271)

511
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many written parliamentary questions to the House of Commons Commission in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113272)

512
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will reform the constitutional composition of the House of Lords to include formal representation from members of British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

(113656)

513
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, on which occasions the Cross of Saint George is flown from Portcullis House.

(113687)

514
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, on which occasions the Union Flag is flown from Portcullis House.

(113689)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

515
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the humanitarian consequences of the recent earthquakes in Sumatra; and what aid the UK is sending to (a) Sumutra and (b) Banda Aceh.

(113080)

516
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the (a) job titles and (b) nationalities were of people employed as consultants by his Department since 2003.

(113194)

517
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what documents his Department has published on UN reform since 2003.

(113195)

518
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what role his Department had in formulating the UK contribution to the Bonn Accords on the Afghan constitution; and if he will make a statement.

(113196)

519
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff from his Department are on the staff of the UK's delegation to the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission's Organisational Committee; and if he will make a statement.

(113197)

520
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) percentage and (b) amount of the UK's aid budget is channelled through the (i) World Bank and (ii) International Monetary Fund.

(113198)

521
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what acquisition of assets have been made by Globaleq since its establishment.

(113199)

522
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what investments have been made by the CDC Group since 2003.

(113200)

523
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many officials in his Department are attached to the United Kingdom's delegation to the United Nations; and if he will make a statement.

(113201)

524
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Defence Export Services Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

(113202)

525
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects have been launched by his Department in collaboration with the BBC World Service Trust since 2002.

(113205)

526
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many graphic designers his Department employed for the production and publication of its (a) white papers and (b) departmental reports in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

(113206)

527
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries he has visited since 2003; and for what purposes.

(113254)

528
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what political opposition groups in developing countries have received funding from his Department since 2002.

(113336)

529
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much of the £8.5 billion on aid for education announced in April 2006 has been earmarked to promote education for females.

(113344)

530
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what percentage of UK's GDP was used for international aid in each of the last 10 years.

(113345)

531
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the Government has spent on aid projects in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each of the last five years.

(113346)

532
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will list the aid projects his Department has contributed funding to in each of the last five years.

(113347)

533
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations the Government has made to the government of China on the environmental impact of development in that country; and if he will make a statement.

(113356)

534
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much UK aid was given to China in each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement.

(113357)

535
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what initiatives (a) promoting and (b) distributing open-source software in developing countries his Department is engaged in.

(113358)

536
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what account he takes of forecast carbon emissions from proposed projects when distributing funding in developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

(113362)

537
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what quantitative measures are used in the Quality of Governance Assessment.

(113498)

538
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much his Department will contribute to the Carbon Offsetting Fund; and where trees that this fund may purchase will be planted.

(112824)

539
Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much he has given to the Staying Alive HIV/AIDS prevention campaign in each year since 1998-99.

(113026)

540
N Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much his Department contributed to the International Committee of the Red Cross in each year since 2001; and how those contributions were classified.

(112767)

541
N Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much was paid by his Department to (a) the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and (b) the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation in each year since 2000-01; and how these contributions were classified.

(112768)

542
N Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in which recipient countries his Department pools funds with other donors to give poverty reduction budget support.

(113166)

543
N Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what criteria are used in classifying bilateral aid earmarked for a specific programme as (a) sector budget support included under budget heading PRBS and (b) sector wide programmes included under budget heading Other Financial Aid; and how much was allocated to each category in each year since 2000-01.

(113171)

544
Fiona Mactaggart (Slough):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will review whether the arrest of former presidential candidate Marie-Thérèse Nlandu should lead to changes in the aid programme to the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement.

(112879)

545
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to the Department; and who is involved in that process.

(113089)

546
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113295)

547
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(113296)

548
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by his Department has been changed; what the (a) subject of the statistics, (b) (i) original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

(113672)

549
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what action has been taken since the publication of Partnerships for poverty reduction: rethinking conditionality to persuade the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund to change practice on conditionality.

(112800)

550
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the themes will be of his Department's three year strategy for work with the World Bank.

(112853)

551
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps have been taken by the UK to strengthen co-operation between the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

(112854)

552
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps have been taken by UK representatives to encourage a results-orientated culture at the World Bank.

(112855)

553
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, to which countries he has considered (a) reducing and (b) interrupting UK aid because of (i) movement away from agreed poverty reduction objectives or outcomes, (ii) violation of human rights and (iii) risk of misuse of funds in each year since 2005.

(112856)

554
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when he last visited each overseas territory; and what plans he has for such visits in 2007.

(113431)

555
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the progress of the building of the new airport in St. Helena.

(113524)

556
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans he has to increase his Department's disbursements to British Overseas Territories in 2007.

(113676)

557
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans his Department has to further improve transport links to promote the tourism industry in the British Overseas Territories; and if he will make a statement.

(113678)

558
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral funding has been provided by the UK for HIV-AIDS (i) prevention and (ii) treatment in India in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement

(113391)

559
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of how the escalating tension between Sudan and Chad and the Central African Republic is affecting attempts to mediate the deployment of the proposed UN-African Union hybrid peacekeeping force.

(113392)

560
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on his Department's work on reform of the (a) International Monetary Fund and (b) World Bank.

(113393)

561
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(113394)

562
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to implement the United Nations' policy initiative Responsibility to Protect.

(113395)

563
Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department has given to public sector water providers in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(113010)

Questions to the Leader of the House

564
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Leader of the House, how many hon. Members, including Ministers, receive more than the basic hon. Member's salary.

(112883)

565
Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh):To ask the Leader of the House, on how many occasions he has circulated round robin guidance to departments following the tabling of written parliamentary questions in the last 12 months.

(113667)

566
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Leader of the House, how many written parliamentary questions to the Leader of the House in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113277)

567
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Leader of the House, how many written parliamentary questions to him in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113278)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

568
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cut-off date is for full protection of members of local government pension schemes in Northern Ireland.

(113639)

569
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what provision has been made to consult on changes to the (a) nursing and (b) midwifery functions at (i) the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and (ii) the Health and Social Services Authority level under the Review of Public Administration.

(112769)

570
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was paid by the Department for Regional Development Roads Service to National Car Parks (NCP) under the contract to enforce car parking restrictions in the most recent period for which figures are available; what performance indicators apply under that contract; how those indicators are (a) measured and (b) monitored; and what the maximum annual amount payable to NCP is under the terms of the contract.

(112772)

571
Dr Alasdair McDonnell (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many of those convicted of (a) a criminal offence and (b) an offence of a sexual nature went on to re-offend in each of the last five years, broken down into risk management categories A, B and C.

(113484)

572
Dr Alasdair McDonnell (Belfast South):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many of all those convicted of a sexual offence went on to re-offend (a) during and (b) after their period of remission in each of the last five years, broken down into risk management categories A, B and C.

(113487)

573
N Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has for the provision of pathology services at Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry from April 2007 onwards.

(112897)

574
Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of dwellings in Northern Ireland which are without mains water supply.

(113073)

575
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113293)

576
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(113294)

577
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he last met Northern Ireland party leaders to discuss the devolution of justice and policing services.

(113063)

578
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many elderly people in residential nursing homes in the (a) private and (b) public sector in each health board area in Northern Ireland have been recorded as having fallen from beds and chairs and required further medical treatment for their injuries in the last three years.

(113427)

579
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how often checks were made on residential nursing homes and hospital units in each health board area in Northern Ireland caring for the elderly to ensure best practice in health and safety in each of the last three years.

(113428)

580
Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether follow-up checks are made by officials to elderly people who live in the community in Northern Ireland and who are recorded as having had a fall; and if he will make a statement.

(113429)

Questions to the Minister without Portfolio

581
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Minister without Portfolio, how many written parliamentary questions to her in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113584)

Questions to the Prime Minister

582
Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate):To ask the Prime Minister, which officials from his Office were seconded to the political party of former Prime Minister Alawi in the period leading up to the most recent elections in Iraq.

(113104)

583
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Prime Minister, how many written parliamentary questions to him in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(112974)

584
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Prime Minister, how many written Parliamentary Questions to him in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation.

(112980)

585
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Prime Minister, how many written Parliamentary Questions to him in the 2005-06 session were answered with a referral back to previous answers.

(112981)

586
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Prime Minister, which Cabinet committees are involved in the Prime Minister's policy review.

(113075)

587
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Prime Minister, how many staff in (a) Number Ten Downing Street and (b) the Cabinet Office are involved in work on the Prime Minister's policy review.

(113092)

588
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Prime Minister, how many written parliamentary questions to him in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer.

(113592)

589
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Prime Minister, on which occasions the Cross of Saint George is flown from Number 10 Downing Street.

(113688)

Questions to the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission

590
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, how many written parliamentary questions to the Public Accounts Commission in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113269)

591
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, how many written parliamentary questions to the Public Accounts Commission in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113270)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

592
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113291)

593
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113292)

Questions to the Solicitor General

594
N Gordon Banks (Ochil and South Perthshire):To ask the Solicitor General, in how many cases since 2000 HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor body sought to recover costs from defendants in cases revolving around clarification of points of law.

(110065)

595
Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe & Nantwich):To ask the Solicitor General, if he will take steps to ensure that rulings of the European Court of Justice in favour of UK businesses are not overridden by executive action of the European Commission; and if he will seek to intervene in the case of Bowland Dairies.

(113106)

596
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Solicitor General, in which countries the Serious Fraud Office has provided assistance in corruption cases in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(113203)

597
N Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Solicitor General, what discussions (a) he, (b) the Attorney General and (c) officials from his Department have had with other Ministers on the recent decision by the Serious Fraud Office not to pursue the investigation into BAE Systems and its aircraft contract wirth Saudi Arabia.

(113382)

598
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Solicitor General, how many written parliamentary questions to the Solicitor General and Attorney General in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113279)

599
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Solicitor General, how many written parliamentary questions to the Solicitor General and Attorney General in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113280)

600
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Solicitor General, when investigating officers of the Serious Fraud Office gained access to the details of Swiss bank accounts of those they were investigating in relation to the Al-Yamamah programme in Saudi Arabia.

(112709)

Questions to the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission

601
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many written parliamentary questions to the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113275)

602
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many written parliamentary questions to the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113276)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

603
N Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what funding was made available to each regional development agency by the (a) Department for Education and Skills, (b) Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (c) Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs, (d) Department of Health, (e) Home Office, (f) Department for Transport, (g) Department for Work and Pensions and (h) Department for Communities and Local Government in each year from 2001-02 to 2005-06; and what funding has been allocated for 2006-07 and 2007-08.

(112793)

604
N Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which BAe Systems arms export contracts worth over £1 million for which export licences have been approved since 1997; and what the (a) country of destination, (b) product approved and (c) value of the contract was in each case.

(112884)

605
N Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which BAe Systems export contracts have been guaranteed by the Export Credits Guarantee Department since 1997; and what the (a) country of destination, (b) sums insured and (c) product or programme was in each case.

(112885)

606
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations he has made to the Competition Commission inquiry into supermarket procedures; and when the inquiry is expected to be completed.

(112930)

607
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the Government plans to replace the Agricultural Environment and Biological Council.

(113094)

608
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) arrests, (b) charges and (c) successful prosecutions under sections 216 and 217 of the Insolvency Act 1986 have been made in each year since that Act came into force.

(113416)

609
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many calls regarding Phoenix companies have been received by his Department's enforcement hotline since February 2005; how many have been referred for investigation; and how many resulted in (a) disqualification of a director and (b) a successful criminal conviction.

(113417)

610
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the length of disqualification was of each company director disqualified between April 2004 and February 2005 (a) by the courts and (b) through the fast-track process introduced in 2001; and if he will make a statement.

(113418)

611
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in how many cases in each year since the entry into force of the Insolvency Act 1986 creditors have (a) attempted to claim and (b) successfully claimed remuneration under section 217 of that Act.

(113419)

612
Andrew George (St Ives):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Answer of 30th November 2006, Official Report, column 815W, on the World Trade Organisation, whether he supports the reform of the World Trade Organisation.

(113327)

613
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what consultation he has had with sub-postmasters regarding additional services that could be offered through their sub-post offices.

(113434)

614
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will take steps to allow sub-post offices to work with carriers other than the Royal Mail.

(113435)

615
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what funding he will make available for mobile post offices in the next five years.

(113436)

616
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of the population lives within three miles of a post office; and what that figure is in rural areas.

(113437)

617
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of the population lives within one mile of a post office; and what that figure is in (a) urban areas and (b) deprived urban areas.

(113438)

618
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which organisations will be consulted in the consultation programme on post office closures.

(113451)

619
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the (a) average level and (b) maximum amount of compensation in monetary terms of compensation for sub-postmasters who leave the Post Office network under the restructuring programme; and whether such compensation will be provided from the annual social network subsidy.

(113452)

620
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, at what level the social network subsidy for the Post Office network will be maintained in each year to 2011.

(113453)

621
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions he has had with local authorities on the delivery of additional council services through sub-post offices.

(113454)

622
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the outcome has been of the pilot schemes for mobile post offices.

(113455)

623
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which main areas of expenditure account for the £1.7 billion financial package he has announced for the post office network.

(113456)

624
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what public consultation process will be undertaken on the sub-post office closures proposed by the Royal Mail.

(113457)

625
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the 2,500 sub-post office closures he has announced which will be in (a) rural and (b) urban areas.

(113458)

626
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much will be invested in improving Crown Post Offices over the next five years.

(113459)

627
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions has he had with independent postal carriers on the provision of a wider range of postal services through sub-post offices.

(113460)

628
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the number of Crown Post Offices which will close in the next three years.

(113463)

629
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of his Department's policy to reduce the number of sub-post offices on the Government's climate change objectives.

(113481)

630
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what regulations govern the flexibility of postal prices offered by (a) the Royal Mail and (b) sub-post offices.

(113491)

631
Martin Horwood (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what definition his Department uses of (a) biomass, (b) biofuels and (c) bioenergy; and if he will make a statement.

(113383)

632
Martin Horwood (Cheltenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what proportion of the (a) total UK renewable energy supply and (b) total UK energy supply is accounted for by (i) industrial wood, (ii) domestic wood, (iii) co-firing, (iv) waste combustion, (v) landfill gas, (vi) sewage gas and (vii) other biofuels; and if he will make a statement

(113446)

633
N Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will assess the (a) value for money and (b) efficacy of the use of grants given under the Union Modernisation Fund in March 2006 to (i) Amicus, (b) the Communications Workers Union, (c) Prospect, (d) GMB, (e) the Wales Trades Union Congress, (f) Community, (g) the Transport and General Workers Union, (h) Connect and (i) the National Union of Teachers; and if he will make a statement.

(112868)

634
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his statement of 14th December 2006, Official Report, columns 1026-28, on the Post Office Network, how many post offices in (a) Shropshire and (b) Shrewsbury he expects to close.

(112790)

635
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much the (a) provision of benefits, (b) payment of utility bills and (c) sale of licences through post offices was worth to the Post Office (i) in monetary terms and (ii) as a percentage of total revenue in each year between 1995 and 2006.

(112808)

636
Mr David Kidney (Stafford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what discussions he has had with Royal Mail's (a) management and (b) trade unions on industrial action in Stafford and North Staffordshire.

(112926)

637
N Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether any officials from his Department had any discussions with any officials from the Solicitor General's Department on the recent decision by the Serious Fraud Office not to pursue the investigation into BAE Systems and its aircraft contract with Saudi Arabia.

(113381)

638
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113287)

639
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113288)

640
David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether community feedback was sought on the performance of post office outreach services piloted in the last 18 months.

(113323)

641
David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which post offices are under consideration for closure.

(113324)

642
David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the Statement of 14th December 2006, Official Report, columns 1026-8, on the post office network, what he expects the annual cost of a mobile post office outreach service to be.

(113325)

643
David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many sub-postmasters in Scotland have indicated that they wish to leave the network.

(113464)

644
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what budget has been allocated for the support of the Assisted Travel Scheme for healthcare product standards in 2007-08.

[R] (112984)

645
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much Enterprise Insight has spent on consultants in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006 to date.

(113173)

646
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much was spent by the Small Business Service on promoting Enterprise Week in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005.

(113186)

647
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the cost was of (a) creating and (b) running the Enterprise Week website in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2006 to date.

(113187)

648
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the cost was of (a) creating and (b) running the Make Your Mark campaign website in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2006 to date.

(113188)

649
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff are employed by Enterprise Insight; and what the cost was of employing those staff in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06.

(113189)

650
N Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, which postal districts do not meet the criterion of having 95 per cent. of the population within six miles of a post office outlet.

(113190)

651
N Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the definition is of remote areas as referred to in paragraph 5.2 of the consultation document on the future of the Post Office network.

(113193)

652
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps he is taking to ensure that awards of grant aid for renewable installations in the public sector to be made under his Department's Low Carbon Building Programme Phase 2 will be widely available to companies of all sizes; and if he will make a statement.

(113039)

653
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the number of UK firms which have relocated to other EU states in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

(112941)

654
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs lost as a result of UK firms relocating to EU countries in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

(112942)

655
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many and what proportion of (a) working age adults and (b) pensioners were recorded by the British Household Panel Survey as having (i) zero disadvantages, (ii) one disadvantage, (iii) two disadvantages, (iv) three disadvantages, (v) four disadvantages, (vi) five disadvantages, (vii) six disadvantages, (viii) seven disadvantages, (ix) eight disadvantages, (x) nine disadvantages and (xi) 10 disadvantages in each year since 1991.

(112813)

656
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many and what proportion of (a) working age adults and (b) pensioners were recorded by the British Household Panel Survey as (i) unemployed, (ii) living in a workless household, (iii) having no educational qualifications , (iv) living in social housing, (v) living in overcrowded conditions, (vi) suffering poor mental health, (vii) suffering poor health, (viii) living alone, (ix) lacking consumer durables and (x) enduring financial stress in each year since 1991.

(112814)

657
Mr Iain Wright (Hartlepool):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps his Department is taking to encourage supplies to pass reductions in wholesale gas prices on to domestic consumers.

(113405)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

658
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Department for Communities and Local Government on the spending against budget of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority and its concessionary travel schemes.

(113473)

659
Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what regulations govern the use of disabled person's mobility scooters; and what recent representations he has received on the use of mobility scooters.

(113523)

660
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) location, (b) value and (c) the purchaser are of British Railways Board (Residuary) Ltd land and buildings sold since May 1997.

(113341)

661
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) location, (b) value and (c) purchaser of land are of buildings that (i) Network Rail and (ii) Railtrack has sold since May 1997.

(113342)

662
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) location and (b) estimated value is of British Railways Board (Residuary) Ltd land and buildings that he intends to dispose of by 2011.

(113343)

663
Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe & Nantwich):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many unnamed section 29 cases were created in DVLA Scotland in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005; how many have been created in 2006 to date; how many of these cases were summonsed in each year; and how many of those cases summonsed were successfully prosecuted.

(113076)

664
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the four formal safety recommendations arising from the FV Gaul Re-opened Formal Investigation have been implemented; and what the date of implementation was of each.

(113302)

665
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the costs referred to in the Answer of 25th October 2006, Official Report, column 1866W, on the FV Gaul were determined.

(113305)

666
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will re-open the Formal Investigation into the MV Gaul on the basis of evidence of design flaws in the duff and offal chutes.

(113332)

667
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what evidence of design inadequacies in the construction and arrangements of the duff and offal chutes on the Gaul was made available to the Wreck Commissioner prior to the publication of his final report on the investigation into the loss on the FV Gaul on 17th December 2004.

(113499)

668
Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of (a) the reasons for the change in the numbers of public accidental fatalities on the railways since 2004 and (b) the projected figures for future years produced by the Office of the Railway Regulator.

(113500)

669
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the creation of the M6 toll road on the number of vehicles using alternative motorways and roads in the area.

(112822)

670
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) cars, (b) lorries and (c) motorbikes used the M6 toll road in each year since its creation.

(112823)

671
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 30th November 2006, Official Report, column 10W, on railways, if he will bring forward plans to run 24 hour train services (a) on lines that serve major cities and (b) on other lines.

(112966)

672
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the merits of (a) raising and (b) abolishing the national speed limit on motorways.

(112967)

673
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking (a) to open up smaller ports around the UK for freight and (b) to promote the transportation of freight around the UK using sea routes to smaller regional ports.

(113597)

674
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much freight was transported on inland waterways in Great Britain in 2006.

(113601)

675
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote the transportation of freight on inland waterways.

(113602)

676
Robert Key (Salisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on numbers of accidents involving motorcycles of mandatory daytime running lights for all vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

(112784)

677
Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of garages offering MOT tests.

(112770)

678
Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of road traffic accidents which were caused by mechanical faults in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

(112771)

679
Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many spot checks inspectors employed by his Department have undertaken at garages that perform MOTs in the last three years for which figures are available.

(112798)

680
Susan Kramer (Richmond Park):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many inspectors his Department has assigned to perform spot checks on garages that perform MOTs.

(112799)

681
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113285)

682
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113286)

683
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will implement the findings of the safety review on Class 2/3 electrical powered mobility products, including scooters.

(113005)

684
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Crossrail plans to install new machines that will (a) accept Oyster cards and (b) have Oyster card readers at all of its stations.

(113680)

685
N Paul Rowen (Rochdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his written statement of 20th July 2006, Official Report, column 56WS, on airport policing, if he will place in the Library a summary and the recommendations of the report.

(110354)

686
N Paul Rowen (Rochdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cars are registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority.

(112862)

687
N Paul Rowen (Rochdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was received in road tax revenues in each year since 1997.

(112863)

688
N Paul Rowen (Rochdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was spent on road (a) building and (b) maintenance in each year since 1997.

(112864)

689
N Helen Southworth (Warrington South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that Warrington Bank Quay station has adequate (a) car parking facilities, (b) disabled parking facilities, (c) bus stops and (d) taxi stops for it to fulfill its strategic position as a major main line station.

(113313)

690
Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the merits of installing stair lifts to give access to (a) Leominster station and (b) other stations; and if he will make a statement.

(113430)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

691
Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking to safeguard the policy development and advocacy of functions on the new Welsh Consumer Council.

(113095)

692
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his Answer of 7th December 2006, Official Report, columns 578-79W, on carbon neutrality, how much his Department expects to contribute to the Carbon Offsetting Fund in the next financial year.

(112844)

693
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113283)

694
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation or similar wording.

(113284)

695
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans he has to meet the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss the closure of HM Revenue and Customs office in South Wales.

(112986)

696
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the First Minister for Wales on the Pre-Budget Report insofar as it affects the block grant for Wales.

(112987)

697
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly on pre-legislative scrutiny of the provisions of the Further Education and Training Bill [Lords] as they relate to Wales.

(113056)

698
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government about supporting manufacturing in South East Wales.

(113058)

699
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he plans to meet the Welsh Assembly Government to discuss the role of civil nuclear power in the energy mix for Wales.

(113060)

700
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with (a) the Home Secretary and (b) Gwent Police Authority on the costs of providing security for the meeting of European Union Foreign Ministers in Newport.

(113061)

701
Mr Paul Murphy (Torfaen):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on pre-legislative scrutiny for measures introduced under the Government of Wales Act 2006.

(113069)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

702
N Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the take-up rate is for (a) pension credit, (b) basic state pension, (c) winter fuel payment, (d) housing benefit and (e) council tax benefit in (i) the Highland Council area, (ii) Scotland, (iii) the UK and (iv) Glasgow.

(113402)

703
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the additional cost would be of setting the deadline for eligibility to qualify for the winter fuel payment on (a) 31st October and (b) 31st December each year.

(113263)

704
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, why the deadline for eligibility to qualify for the winter fuel payment is set at 26th September each year; and if he will make a statement.

(113264)

705
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many carer's allowance recipients receive the adult dependency increase; and how many new carers are expected to be eligible to receive it in each year up to 2010.

(113369)

706
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the effect of the removal of the adult dependency increase in carer's allowance for new claims from 2010, as announced by the Chancellor in his pre-budget report.

(113370)

707
N Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to answer Question 107345, tabled by the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland on 29th November 2006.

(112865)

708
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff were employed by the Child Support Agency in each of the last 18 months.

(112895)

709
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on debt management consultants in each quarter since the first quarter of 2006; and how much it spent on staff training relating to debt management in the same period.

(112896)

710
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether an estimate has been made of the cost of compensating those identified in the Ombudsman's report Trusting in the Pensions Promise taking into account the resulting reduction in (a) pension credit, (b) council tax benefit and (c) housing benefit payable to those compensated.

(112901)

711
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of (a) women and (b) men leaving (i) the New Deal for Young People and (ii) the New Deal 25 Plus (A) found a sustained job and (B) moved onto jobseeker's allowance in each year for which figures are available.

(112902)

712
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of individuals participating in the New Deal for Young People are participating in the programme for the (a) first, (b) second and (c) third time.

(112903)

713
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much unpaid maintenance has been recovered through the Child Support Agency's Operational Improvement plan; and if he will make a statement.

(112904)

714
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of disabled people were living in (a) relative and (b) absolute poverty in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(112905)

715
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will break down the cost of proposed reforms to the state second pension, as shown in figure 9 of the Pensions White Paper, Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pension System, to show the (a) (i) gross and (ii) net costs of reforms to accrual rules on the basis of existing coverage and (b) (A) gross and (B) net costs of changes to coverage.

(112906)

716
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will disaggregate the cost of basic state pension reforms, as shown in figure 9 of the Pensions White Paper, Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pension System, to show the (a) (i) gross and (ii) net costs of saving from increasing the basic state pension in line with earnings from 2012 on existing qualifying criteria, (b) changes to qualifying criteria and (c) changes to adult dependency increases proposed in the White Paper.

(112907)

717
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of home responsibilities protection have a youngest child aged (a) between six and 11 and (b) 12 years or over.

(112908)

718
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consultancy projects on pension reform have been undertaken on behalf of his Department since 30th November 2005.

(112909)

719
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many qualifying former UK residents living in (a) Greece, (b) Spain, (c) Italy, (d) Malta, (e) Cyprus and (f) Portugal received winter fuel payments allowance in each year for which figures are available; and how much was spent on those payments during that period.

(112910)

720
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the combined value of basic state pension and state second pension payments at the point of retirement for an average earner with a full contribution record reaching state pension age in each year from 2010 (a) under current policies and (b) if the reforms in the Pensions White Papers Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pension System, are implemented.

(112911)

721
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate how many pensioner benefit units in 2050 will face (a) a 100 per cent. marginal rate of pension credit withdrawal if the White Paper reforms are implemented and (b) a 40 per cent. marginal withdrawal rate if they are not.

(112912)

722
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will revise figure 8 from the Pensions White Paper, Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pension System, in which the median earner chooses to defer his state pension until the age of 61 years, if current policies are continued.

(112913)

723
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will revise Figure 1(xiv) in the Pensions White Paper Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pension System to show the cost of proposed reforms to employers if all employers currently offering schemes with an employer contribution worth at least three per cent. of banded earnings automatically enrol all staff aged 22 years or over with earnings of at least £5,000 a year into their existing schemes on existing terms.

(112914)

724
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the proportion of pensioner benefit units, including those with sufficient income not to qualify for pension credit, that would face in 2050 an average rate of pension credit withdrawal on any income from sources other than the basic state pension that is (a) 40 per cent., (b) 41 to 50 per cent., (c) 51 to 60 per cent. (d) 61 to 70 per cent., (e) 71 to 80 per cent. (f) 81 to 90 per cent., (g) 91 to 99 per cent. and (h) 100 per cent., if current up-rating policies are continued indefinitely.

(112915)

725
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of pensioner benefit units, including those with sufficient income not to qualify for pension credit, will face in 2050 an average rate of pension credit withdrawal on any income from sources other than the basic state pension that is (a) 40 per cent., (b) 41 to 50 per cent., (c) 51 to 60 per cent. (d) 61 to 70 per cent., (e) 71 to 80 per cent. (f) 81 to 90 per cent., (g) 91 to 99 per cent. and (h) 100 per cent., if the reforms proposed in the Pensions White Paper, Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pensions System, are implemented.

(112916)

726
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will break down the cost of pension credit reforms listed in Figure 9 of the Pensions White Paper into (a) the cost of uprating the guarantee credit in line with earnings from 2008-09 and (b) the savings generated by proposed reforms to the savings credit.

(112920)

727
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff will be answering calls on each of his Department's benefit helplines between 23rd December 2006 and 3rd January 2007.

(112921)

728
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what bonus pay awards he expects to be made to senior staff at the Child Support Agency this Christmas; and how much he expects his Department to pay in bonus payments.

(112922)

729
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in each Child Support Agency call centre were assigned to the legacy Child Support computer system at the end of each month since January 2006; and how many staff were assigned to the new CS2 system during that period.

(112925)

730
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls were received by the financial assistance scheme operational unit in each quarter of the last three years; and how many calls were answered in each month since April 2006.

(112963)

731
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his latest estimate is of the average time taken to process applications made to the Financial Assistance Scheme in the last 12 months.

(112964)

732
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact on current pension providers in lost charges and fees of the introduction of Personal Accounts and the capture by Personal Accounts of £3.2 billion of contributions currently being made to them as suggested on page 23 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

(113439)

733
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the basis is for the increase in the projected cost of employed contributions to personal accounts from £2.6 billion to £2.8 billion, as set out on page 102 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

(113440)

734
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the basis is for the projected increase in set-up and running costs to employers of the personal accounts scheme as set out on page 106 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

(113441)

735
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total projected (a) set-up and (b) annual administrative costs are of the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority and the Personal Accounts Board as set out in the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

(113442)

736
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the estimated (a) set up and (b) annual running costs to his Department are of the IT systems needed to run the personal accounts scheme as outlined in the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

(113443)

737
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether all the revenue expenditure to be incurred by the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority will be found from within his current departmental expenditure limit.

(113444)

738
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what background data supports the estimate that child maintenance payments lift 100,000 children out of poverty made on page 17 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113445)

739
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many existing private pension scheme members he estimates have total contributions (employer and employee gross) of less than (a) £5,000 per annum, (b) £6,000 per annum, (c) £7,500 per annum and (d) £10,000 per annum.

(113447)

740
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will reconsider his decision to set the annual contribution limit to personal accounts at a minimum of £5,000; and if he will commission research into the impact of a range of alternative contribution limits on existing pension funds.

(113448)

741
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the analysis that supports the statement that most people are unlikely to remain in multiple jobs throughout their working life on page 65 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the White Paper, Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

(113449)

742
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances an individual would be better off transferring money into a personal account, as described in the White Paper, Personal Accounts: a new way to save, rather than into an ISA invested in an equity tracking fund.

(113450)

743
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of children that will be lifted out of poverty by increasing the benefit disregard with regard to child maintenance payments across all child support cases to (a) £15, (b) £20, (c) £25, (d) £30, (e) £35, (f) £40, (g) £45 and (h) £50 in each year from 2008-09 to 2015-16.

(113530)

744
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of increasing the benefit disregard with regard to child maintenance payments across all child support cases to (a) £15, (b) £20, (c) £25, (d) £30, (e) £35, (f) £40, (g) £45 and (h) £50 in each year from 2008-09 to 2015-16.

(113531)

745
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the estimated cost is to the Exchequer in each year from 2008-09 to 2013-14 of extending the £10 benefit disregard to cases on the original child maintenance scheme in accordance with the proposal contained in the White Paper `A new system of child maintenance.'

(113532)

746
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which of the dedicated specialist teams referred to on page 25 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance are in place as part of the Operational Improvement Plan.

(113533)

747
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps have been taken to improve communications with clients of the Child Support Agency so that they can better understand the progress of their case as part of the Operational Improvement Plan for the CSA.

(113534)

748
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria are planned to be used to identify those described on page 25 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance as those non-resident parents who are most at risk of not paying maintenance.

(113535)

749
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of children that child maintenance payments have lifted out of deep poverty as defined by households with income less than 40 per cent. of median national income.

(113536)

750
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what work he has commissioned to assess the disincentive to work effect of any proposed increase in the child maintenance disregard for people claiming benefits.

(113538)

751
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the level of additional support that will be necessary to provide private and voluntary organisations appropriate information and guidance as proposed on page 33 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113539)

752
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how he envisages the role of providing appropriate information and guidance, as proposed on page 33 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance will be apportioned between Jobcentre Plus staff and private and voluntary sector organisations.

(113540)

753
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the (a) private and (b) voluntary sector on providing better access to information and guidance as proposed on page 31 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113541)

754
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mechanism he plans to use to assess the poverty status of (a) each parent with care and (b) each non-resident parent in order to achieve the objective of ensuring that the child maintenance system overall is designed to maximise its positive impact on child poverty.

(113542)

755
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the level of benefit disregard to be applied to child maintenance cases from 2010-11 as proposed in the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113543)

756
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many job centre plus staff he expects to work full time on manual processing of the £10 benefit disregard to cases on the original child maintenance scheme as described on page 35 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113544)

757
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many child maintenance applications were received by Job Centre Plus in each year since 2001.

(113545)

758
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of removing the requirement that all parents with care claiming benefits be treated as applying for child maintenance as outlined on page 32 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance on compliance by non resident parents.

(113546)

759
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how he plans to assess families on the current Child Support system in order to focus transitional arrangements on the poorest families first as described on page 53 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113547)

760
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to transfer staff from the Child Support Agency to the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission proposed in the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113548)

761
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the funding which will be made available to support the Child Support Operational Improvement Plan discussed on page 54 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance in each year from 2007-08 to 2013-14.

(113549)

762
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to whom the Commissioner of the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission proposed in the White Paper A new system of child maintenance will be directly accountable; and what reporting obligations the Commissioner will have to Parliament.

(113550)

763
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the projected cost is of (a) establishing and (b) running the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10, (iii) 2010-11, (iv) 2011-12 and (v) 2012-13.

(113551)

764
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether all the costs of establishing and running the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will be met by a reduction in current projected budget allocations to the Child Support Agency.

(113552)

765
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether legislation will be required to gather the information required to assess families on the current Child Support system in order to focus transitional arrangements on the poorest families first as described on p.53 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance; and what the resource implications are of the carrying out of these assessments.

(113553)

766
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will consider both families of parents with care and families of non-resident parents when considering the prioritisation of the poorest families as described on p.53 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113554)

767
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the sanctions available to the Child Support Agency to apply against non-compliant non-resident parents.

(113555)

768
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the basis is for the decision to set the safeguard for changes in non-resident parent's income at plus or minus 25 per cent., as proposed on p.61 of the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113556)

769
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what asessment he has made of the possibility of extending the proposal to use the latest available tax year information as the basis for calculating a child maintenance liability, made in the White Paper A new system of child maintenance to (a) existing cases on the Child Support Agency (CSA) system and (b) new applications to the CSA with effect from a date in late 2007.

(113557)

770
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact on pension contributions of the decision to use gross rather than net weekly income as the basis for calculating maintenance liabilities as proposed in the White Paper A new system of child maintenance.

(113558)

771
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many deduction from earnings orders were applied through the Child Support Agency in each year for which figures are available.

(113559)

772
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what aggregate reduction in outstanding debt to the Child Support Agency he expects to achieve by agreed write off and revaluation of interim maintenance assessments.

(113560)

773
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what process he plans to put in place and what formula he proposes to use to facilitate the revaluation of interim maintenance assessment debt proposed in the White Paper `A new system of child maintenance'.

(113561)

774
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the proposal to explore the scope for legislation to enable the child maintenance and Enforcement Commission to authorise financial institutions to pay maintenance owed from a non-resident parent's account proposed on page 73 of the White Paper `A new system of child maintenance' with UK and European human rights legislation.

(113562)

775
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications to the magistrates' court were made to facilitate a driving disqualification by the Child Support Agency in each year for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were (a) successful and (b) issued on a suspended basis in each year.

(113563)

776
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on existing pension schemes of the decision to set a maximum annual contribution of at least £5,000 set out on page 11 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

(113564)

777
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate (a) how many pensioners were living in deep poverty, defined as a household income below 40 per cent. of median household earnings and (b) how many such pensioners were not claiming the full pension credit or minimum income guarantee they were entitled to in each year since 1997-98.

(113565)

778
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the revaluation of interim maintenance assessments proposed in the White Paper A new system of child maintenance will be subject to agreement by the parent with care.

(113566)

779
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assumptions were made with regard to the number of years contribution for (a) figure 6a and (b) figure 6b on page 35 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

(113567)

780
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the conclusion that there will be less than 10 per cent of pensioner households in 2050 who may not see any benefit from savings set out page 34 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save was reached.

(113568)

781
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save, what assumptions were made in estimating that approximately 60 per cent. of money saved in personal accounts will be new saving.

(113569)

782
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the figure of increased cost to employers of around 0.7 per cent. of labour costs on average set out on page 36 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save was reached.

(113570)

783
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of the contribution limit of £10,000 in the first year of Personal Accounts proposed in the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save on the level of saving between 2008-09 to 2012-13.

(113572)

784
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the impact on the final personal account pension fund of an individual on median earnings aged (a) 25, (b) 35 and (c) 45 of phasing in employer contributions to personal accounts proposed in the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save over (i) four years, (ii) five years and (iii) six years.

(113573)

785
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he made of the possibility of using a fixed annual management charge rather than one based on a percentage of fund size for personal accounts as proposed in the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save.

(113574)

786
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the estimate that seven million people are under saving referred to on page 18 of the White Paper Personal Accounts: a new way to save was reached; and what account was taken of the estimates made by the Pensions Commission in making that estimate.

(113594)

787
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provision there is for splitting child benefits and allowances between parents awarded shared residence; and if he will make a statement.

(113053)

788
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timetable is for the competitive tendering process for the new post office card account; and when he expects a decision to be made.

(113461)

789
Charles Hendry (Wealden):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the new post office card account will differ from the existing scheme.

(113462)

790
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse has been of the Carson case in the European Court of Human Rights.

(113406)

791
N Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many in each electoral ward of Peterborough constituency have been in receipt of (a) jobseekers allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) disability living allowance since 2001 in each electoral ward; and if he will make a statement.

(112866)

792
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people receiving carer's allowance in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) England were in part-time employment in each year since 1997.

(112776)

793
Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department paid out in (a) loans and (b) grants to people to pay for (i) furniture and (ii) white goods in 2005-06; and what systems his Department has in place to ensure that payment for these items is spent as intended.

(113049)

794
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

(113281)

795
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

(113282)

796
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many written parliamentary questions to his Department (a) in the 2005-06 session were and (b) so far this session have been colour coded (i) red, (ii) amber/yellow and (iii) green since the introduction of the colour coding system.

(113303)

797
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of internal department guidance on the system of colour-coding for management of written parliamentary questions in operation in his Department.

(113304)

798
Mr Michael Meacher (Oldham West & Royton):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many unemployed non-disabled (a) male and (b) female workers aged (i) 20 to 29, (ii) 30 to 39, (iii) 40 to 49 and (iv) 50 to 59 years had their benefit disqualified for (A) two weeks, (B) four weeks, (C) 13 weeks and (D) 26 weeks in the last 12 months; and what the equivalent figures were in 2001-02.

(113255)

799
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will appoint a representative from the assistive technology industry to the expert panel supporting the independent living review.

[R] (113008)

800
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Health and Safety Executive's targets for tackling backlogs of fire and health and safety repairs were in each year since 2001-02; what the performance against those targets was in each year; what the target and performance are for 2006-07; what the target is for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09; and how many (i) deaths and (ii) injuries there have been as a result of backlogs of fire and health and safety repairs in each year since 2001-02.

(113385)

801
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are classified as carers and are in receipt of benefits.

(112871)

802
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are claiming (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) incapacity benefit, (c) disability living allowance, (d) lone parent benefit and (e) income-related out-of-work benefit.

(112872)

803
N Helen Southworth (Warrington South):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Warrington were in receipt of (a) winter fuel payments, (b) pension credit and (c) home energy efficiency grants in the last year for which figures are available.

(113312)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

804
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many individuals who will reach state pension age on or after 6th April 2010 have paid Class 3 national insurance contributions since (a) 25th May 2006 and (b) 30th November 2005.

[Transferred] (112917)

805
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library the advice on possible changes to the qualifying conditions for receipt of a full basic state pension that was issued to individuals applying to pay Class 3 national insurance contributions (a) between 30th November 2005 and 25th May 2006 and (b) since 26th May 2006.

[Transferred] (112918)

806
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many national insurance deficiency notices have been distributed since (a) 30th November 2005 and (b) 25th May 2006; and how many of those notices were sent to individuals who would reach state pension age on or after 6th April 2010.

[Transferred] (112919)

807
Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of fathers with equal residence and contact with their child as mothers have been awarded child benefit.

[Transferred] (113054)

808
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what revenue was generated from the surplus of the National Insurance Fund in each of the last three years.

[Transferred] (112848)

809
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what purposes the surplus of the National Insurance Fund may be used.

[Transferred] (112849)

810
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, by how much the National Insurance Fund is in surplus.

[Transferred] (112850)

811
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to grant retailers of powered mobility products covered under the industry code of practice the right to sell insurance without requiring Financial Services Authority accreditation.

[Transferred] (113006)

812
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are economically (a) active and (b) inactive in the UK.

[Transferred] (112870)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

813
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the level of demand was for energy certificates in each year since 2000.

[Transferred] (112777)

814
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the planned timetable is for the preparation of the new Energy Inspector Qualification.

[Transferred] (112780)

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

815
Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she will next publish Sports and Leisure: results from the General Household Survey; and if she will make a statement.

[Transferred] (113361)

816
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which delegates from the (a) Commonwealth, (b) the British Overseas Territories and (c) Crown Dependencies will be invited to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in 2007.

[Transferred] (113679)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

817
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24th April 2006, Official Report, column 821W, on the Defence Export Services Organisation, what the total salary of all the staff working in the Defence Export Services Organisation was (a) in 2005 and (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (113528)

818
Andrew Rosindell (Romford):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what events have been planned to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Falkland Islands War.

[Transferred] (113483)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

819
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to improve adult education provision within prisons.

[Transferred] (113650)

820
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment was made of the (a) literacy, (b) numeracy and (c) writing abilities of prisoners in each of the last 10 years.

[Transferred] (113652)

821
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his most recent assessment is of the percentage of prisoners who have no educational or other qualifications.

[Transferred] (113653)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

822
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what her most recent estimate is of the number of prisoners who committed suicide within one year of release from prison in the last period for which figures are available.

[Transferred] (113604)

823
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment she has made of the mental health of children whose parents are in prison.

[Transferred] (113630)

Questions to the Prime Minister

824
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Prime Minister, when the Government received an ultimatum from the government of Saudi Arabia threatening to withdraw diplomatic and commercial co-operation if the Serious Fraud Office investigation into payments associated with the Al-Yamamah programme were continued.

[Transferred] (112710)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

825
Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what mechanisms are in place for monitoring the commercial output of labour camps in China for import to the UK.

[Transferred] (113409)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

826
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the amount (i) weight and (ii) value of freight entering the country in ports south of Birmingham with eventual destinations in the north of England and (b) the number of lorry miles transporting such freight.

[Transferred] (113600)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

827
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that the Association of British Insurers maintain records of all companies liable for employers' liability.

[Transferred] (113316)

© Parliamentary copyright 2007
Revised 8 January 2007