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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Wednesday 21 March 2007
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 21 March 2007
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 21 March of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department. For other Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 21 March of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Wednesday 21 March see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 1
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19th March 2007 to Question 127940, what estimate he has made of the percentage of student loan repayments made to HM Revenue and Customs in financial years (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2003-04 that have not yet been passed on to the Student Loan Company; what estimate he has made of the total value of these payments; and how many people made student loan repayments during 2003-04. | | (129076) | 2
| Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of UK businesses that employ migrant workers. | | (129180) | 3
| Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many mortgage advisers are regulated by the Financial Services Authority. | | (129181) | 4
| Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on proposals to rewrite the tax law in relation to debt and derivatives. | | (129085) | 5
| Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what percentage of the tax code on corporation tax has been determined since (a) 1997 and (b) 2000. | | (129086) | 6
| Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on his proposals for a corporation tax law rewrite Bill. | | (129087) | 7
| Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the contribution of official error in determining the level of write-offs of disputed overpayments of tax credits in 2005-06 and 2006-07. | | (129157) | 8
| Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the difference in the amounts written off for disputed overpayments of tax credits in 2006-07 as compared to 2005-06. | | (129158) | 9
| Mr Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many legal actions were instigated against tax credit claimants in respect of overpayments in each month of the last two years for which figures are available; and in how many cases in each month the claimant was continuing to dispute the claim. | | (129024) | 10
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the revenue from planning gain supplement from English developments in areas outside London he expects to be allocated to the English regional assemblies. | | (129099) | 11
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the revenue from planning gain supplement in Wales he plans to allocate to (a) the Welsh Assembly and (b) Welsh local authorities. | | (129103) | 12
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by the Valuation Office Agency in each year since 2000. | | (129104) | 13
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average inheritance tax paid was in each year since 1996-97. | | (129105) | 14
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the inheritance tax threshold was in each year since 1996-97. | | (129106) | 15
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the effect of the landfill tax escalator on (a) local authorities' costs of dealing with waste, (b) frequency of waste collections and (c) council tax bills. | | (129204) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 16
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if she will publish the business case for Project George. | | (129141) | 17
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many staff in her Department have corporate charge cards. | | (129142) | 18
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Cabinet Office publication `The Occupants' Guide: A-Z of Key Services at The Admiralty Arch Building'. | | (129143) | 19
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if she will place in the Library copies of the last 12 months of the Cabinet Office's staff newsletter. | | (129144) | 20
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if she will place in the Library a copy of the latest edition of the Central Office of Information's IPO directory. | | (129146) | 21
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many staff work in the (a) Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, (b) Prime Minister's Strategy Unit and (c) Office for Public Service Reform. | | (129225) | 22
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much her Department spent on (a) sponsoring newspaper or publication supplements and (b) funding advertorials in newspapers or publications in the last year for which figures are available; and what the subject was of each. | | (129226) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 23
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many accredited (a) domestic energy assessors and (b) home inspectors there are within each local authority area in England. | | (129062) | 24
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) house inspectors and (b) domestic energy assessors are expected to qualify on government-accredited schemes by 31st March. | | (129063) | 25
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on what date (a) energy performance certificates and (b) home condition reports will become mandatory before a property can be put on the market. | | (129067) | 26
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how long it takes to qualify as a (a) home inspector and (b) domestic energy assessor on a government-approved scheme. | | (129068) | 27
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many qualified (a) home inspectors and (b) domestic energy assessors there are on the (i) Buildings Research Establishment, (ii) Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and (iii) SAVA government-accredited schemes. | | (129069) | 28
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding her Department provides to government-accredited schemes to train (a) home inspectors and (b) domestic energy assessors. | | (129070) | 29
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential for the use of currently unused waste heat from powerplants in heat grids to distribute warmth in new sustainable communities. | | (129108) | 30
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has for the integration of light rail systems (a) into the new sustainable communities and (b) in existing urban areas being regenerated. | | (129113) | 31
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether she plans (a) to require planning permission for second homes, (b) to impose quotas on the number of second homes in specific areas and (c) to charge second home owners an impact fee; and if she will make a statement. | | (129100) | 32
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many press, information and marketing staff are employed by her Department. | | (129101) | 33
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research has been conducted into the causes of the Millennium Dome cost over-runs. | | (129102) | 34
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which databases in her Department are (a) owned, (b) internally managed and (c) managed or maintained by external firms or consultants. | | (129192) | 35
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to revise planning guidance, regulations or circulars on tall buildings in London. | | (129193) | 36
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her Department's latest estimate is of the average cost of a Home Information Pack, including VAT, following the publication of the proposals in her consultation paper, Home Information Pack Update: towards 1st June. | | (129194) | 37
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans the Valuation Office Agency has (a) to use and (b) to trial handheld computers for (i) council tax and (ii) business rate valuations. | | (129195) | 38
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average cash value has been of the equity purchased by social tenants under Social Homebuy purchases. | | (129198) | 39
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the causes of recent trends in public satisfaction with council services. | | (129199) | 40
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what public funding her Department has provided to the Media Planet Group for (a) advertorials and (b) supplements in the last 12 months. | | (129200) | 41
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment has she made of the effect of land banking by developers on the cost of housing. | | (129201) | 42
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the presence of (a) solar panels and (b) small-scale wind turbines is taken into account by the Valuation Office Agency when assessing the rateable value of a business premises for business rates purposes. | | (129202) | 43
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the transfer for responsibility of fire service inspection to the Audit Commission. | | (129203) | 44
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Decent Homes Standard on leasehold charges on owners of former right to buy flats; and if she will make a statement. | | (129205) | 45
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information her Department collects on land banking by developers. | | (129206) | 46
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the availability of affordable or social rented housing on political extremism. | | (129207) | 47
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of changes in the level of immigration on waiting lists for social housing. | | (129208) | 48
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether a material change to a business premises that increases the rateable value will result in an amended business rates bill prior to the next periodic business rates revaluation. | | (129209) | 49
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many individuals have opted to purchase a Home Condition Report in Phase 2 of the Home Information Pack trial. | | (129210) | 50
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what changes the Government has made to the regulations and guidance to local authorities on how to handle the proceeds from right to buy sales since 1997. | | (129212) | 51
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which external organisations have provided (a) information on individual domestic properties and (b) geo-spatial data to the Valuation Office Agency since 2000. | | (129213) | 52
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which estate agent companies provide information to the Valuation Office Agency via the Rightmove interface. | | (129214) | 53
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the overall public satisfaction figures for (a) all local authorities and (b) each tier of local authority as collected by her Department and its predecessors' best value performance surveys were in each year that they have been collected. | | (129215) | 54
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether municipal recycling facilities are subject to business rates. | | (129216) | 55
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether car parks are subject to business rates. | | (129217) | 56
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will make a statement on her plans to reform or phase out the housing subsidy system for council housing. | | (129218) | 57
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how the Valuation Office Agency identifies whether a domestic dwelling has a conservatory. | | (129223) | 58
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average (a) house price value and (b) cost to the purchaser was after the discount of a right to buy council property in England in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. | | (129224) | 59
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many individuals have completed a sale to part-own or own their social home under the Social Homebuy scheme. | | (129227) | 60
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average net receipt to the public finances is from a right to buy sale. | | (129228) | 61
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homes have been sold under the right to buy since its introduction. | | (129229) | 62
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) housing associations and (b) local authorities are offering the Social Homebuy scheme. | | (129230) | 63
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Valuation Office Agency obtains property data from any estate agent industry business or organisation other than Rightmove. | | (129231) | 64
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether (a) a home information pack and (b) an energy performance certificate will be required to purchase an equity stake under the Social Homebuy scheme. | | (129233) | 65
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what policy reason Planning Policy Statement 3 prevents local authorities from using windfall sites to meet their housebuilding targets. | | (129235) | 66
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice the Audit Commission has provided to local authorities on the frequency of domestic rubbish collections. | | (129237) | 67
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have made representations to her Department stating that their additional funding for concessionary bus travel is insufficient to meet their new costs. | | (129243) | 68
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16th January 2007, Official Report, column 1102W, on Parliamentary Questions, and further to the evidence given before the Communities and Local Government Committee (HC 106-ii) on 4th December 2006 at Q117, why the revised guidance issued to civil servants on answering Parliamentary Questions does not specify that questions relating to the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister should be answered in the same way as questions that specifically relate to the Department for Communities and Local Government. | | (129244) | 69
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will place in the Library copies of the in-house staff magazine of the Ordnance Survey from the last 12 months. | | (129247) | 70
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, from what date council tax bills for a new year are liable. | | (129248) | 71
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which departments and Government agencies will have access to the Housing Data Warehouse. | | (129249) | 72
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will place in the Library a copy of the questionnaire and covering letter which the Valuation Office Agency has sent to householders in the last 12 months in relation to requesting information to assist with council tax valuations. | | (129250) | 73
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether details of energy performance certificates will be held on the Home Condition Report database. | | (129251) | 74
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated total budget is of the Home Condition Report database. | | (129252) | 75
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which organisations, agencies and departments will have access to the Home Condition Report database. | | (129253) | 76
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the live date is for the Housing Data Warehouse. | | (129254) | 77
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what obligations householders have to co-operate with requests from the Valuation Office Agency to fill in questionnaires to assist with council tax valuations. | | (129255) | 78
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will place in the Library copies of the Ordnance Survey Technology Tracking System reports from the last 12 months. | | (129257) | 79
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Ministerial statement of 20th February 2007, Official Report, column 13-17WS, on departmental expenditure limits, what the reason was for the transfer of (a) £104,000 from the Capacity Building to the Standards Board and (b) £300,000 from Bellwin to the Valuation Tribunal Service. | | (129260) | 80
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20th February 2007, Official Report, columns 13W-17WS, on departmental expenditure limits, what the purpose was of the provision of £5,000,000 for the Combined Universities of Cornwall of funding from the Development of English Regions programme. | | (129265) | 81
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 19th January 2007, Official Report, column 1354W, on the Housing Data Warehouse, whether the Council Tax Valuation List data being provided by the Valuation Office Agency will include the details of the council tax banding of (a) individual properties, (b) neighbourhoods/market areas, (c) super-output areas and (d) sub-sets thereof. | | (129266) | 82
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 20th February 2007, Official Report, column 582W, on the Housing Data Warehouse, what the estimated (a) set-up costs and (b) running costs are of the Housing Data Warehouse. | | (129267) | 83
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will break down by (a) sex, (b) age, (c) disability and (d) ethnic background the number of staff in the Equal Opportunities Commission. | | (129268) | 84
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8th February 2007, Official Report, column 1163W, on the South East Plan, if she will place in the Library a copy of the reports commissioned from Robert Tym and Partners. | | (129269) | 85
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8th February 2007, Official Report, column 1164W, on the Valuation Office, how many photographs were held for properties in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) each local authority in England and Wales. | | (129270) | 86
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many social tenants have access to the Social Homebuy scheme. | | (129271) | 87
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on what date the Lifting the Burdens Task Force is expected to publish its final report; and what the timetable is for the implementation of its recommendations. | | (129272) | 88
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the collation of data for the next English Housing Survey. | | (129273) | 89
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the Comprehensive Performance Assessment rankings and scores have been for every council since its introduction. | | (129274) | 90
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is (a) gathering and (b) compiling data on individual homes for its housing surveys. | | (129275) | 91
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) press, (b) information, (c) communications and (d) marketing staff are employed by her Department. | | (129276) | 92
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effect on the amount of Green Belt land in the South East of the proposals in the South East Regional Spatial Strategy. | | (129277) | 93
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether tenants purchasing an equity stake in a property under the Social Homebuy scheme are responsible for the entire maintenance costs of the property. | | (129278) | 94
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what measures have been introduced to strengthen regulation concerned with (a) freeholds and leaseholds, (b) the relationship between landlords and tenants and (c) ground rents since 1997; and what plans she has to introduce further measures affecting these matters. | | (129012) | 95
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is proceeding with the requirement that energy performance certificates be included in home information packs following the report by the Better Regulation Commission, Energy Performance Certificates and Residential Property, published on 26th February; and if she will make a statement. | | (129047) | 96
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the conclusions and recommendations of the Better Regulation Commission's report Energy Performance Certificates and Residential Property; and whether home information packs will be introduced on 1st June. | | (129048) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 97
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact on delivery of services to researchers of the reduction in support for the National Archive. | | (129110) | 98
| Mr Chris Mullin (Sunderland South):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what percentage of Legal Services Commission costs are accounted for by administration. | | (129121) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 99
| Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many licensed premises there are in England and Wales, broken down by (a) off licence and (b) on licence. | | (129179) | 100
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the small, large and regional casinos recommended to her by the Casino Advisory Panel will be required to use energy saving light bulbs in and around their premises. | | (129002) | 101
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what powers are available to (a) Ofcom and (b) the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of the Telephone Information Services to take action against broadcasters found to have misled the public over their use of premium rate phone-in lines. | | (129116) | 102
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 3rd July 2006, Official Report, column 501W, on digital switchover, what progress has been made on ensuring that additional energy costs of set-top boxes are reduced; and if she will provide details of the special codes that she intends to introduce. | | (129117) | 103
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 18th December 2006, Official Report, column 1596W, on Digital Switchover, if she will break down by category of eligibility the estimate of the number of Whitehaven households entitled to targeted assistance. | | (129118) | 104
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what measures have been put in place in order to ensure that the targeted assistance scheme in Whitehaven is delivered effectively and that all of those persons assessed by her Department as eligible under the terms of the scheme (a) are contacted in a suitable format and (b) receive assistance appropriate to their needs. | | (129170) | 105
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, by what measures those eligible for the targeted assistance scheme are to be identified in Whitehaven. | | (129171) | 106
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of hours per week of children's programming shown on each public service broadcaster channel; and if she will make a statement. | | (129172) | 107
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the amount of children's programming commissioned by each public service broadcaster; and if she will make a statement. | | (129173) | 108
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she expects a new text-based labelling system for internet sites to be introduced. | | (129174) | 109
| Mr Don Foster (Bath):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what studies have been commissioned by her Department on the (a) feasibility and (b) cost of introducing a text-based labelling system for internet sites. | | (129175) | 110
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the (a) roles and (b) pay grades are of (i) Board and (ii) Committee members of the Olympic Delivery Authority. | | (129246) | 111
| Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many regional casinos must be licensed in the pilot scheme in order to comply with the EU legislation relating to freedom of enterprise. | | (129037) | 112
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much (a) the Government and (b) the Big Lottery Fund spent on elite sport, including facilities and major events, in each of the last five years; and how much is planned to be spent in each of the next five years. | | (129088) | 113
| Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department spent on newsprint recruitment advertising in each of the last five years; and which newspapers it used for such purposes over that period. | | (129090) | 114
| Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many vacancies there are within her Department. | | (129091) | 115
| Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on recruitment in the last five years, broken down by (a) costs incurred directly by her Department, (b) costs incurred through the employment of recruitment agencies and agents and (c) other costs. | | (129092) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 116
N | Mr Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the value of the Hercules aircraft ZH876 and its contents that was written off and destroyed following the landing accident north of Basra. | | (128945) | 117
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the public meetings on the White Paper The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994) which (a) he and (b) other ministers in his Department have attended since 4th December 2006; and who organised each meeting. | | (129114) | 118
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the invitations to debate the Defence White Paper on the Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994) which his Department has turned down since 4th December 2006; from which organisations each invitation was received; and what the reason for declining the invitation was in each case. | | (129115) | 119
| Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the deaths of British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been attributed to defective rifles. | | (129049) | 120
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place on his Department's website a report of compensation payments made by his Department in the last 12 months. | | (129241) | 121
N | Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what complaints he has received from (a) serving soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and (b) their families. | | (128375) | 122
N | Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints he has received from (a) serving soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and (b) their families on (i) access to food, (ii) army issue footwear, (iii) supply of appropriate clothing and (iv) longer separated service allowance payments; and what discussions he has had with commanding officers in Iraq and Afghanistan on those issues. | | (128376) | 123
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many servicemen injured whilst serving in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan who contracted MRSA whilst receiving treatment for their injuries in UK civilian hospitals have subsequently had limbs amputated as a result of the infection; and if he will make a statement. | | (129023) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 124
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to increase the number of individuals possessing level three and level two qualifications for running play and child care groups. | | (129290) | 125
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will take steps to ensure that playgroup qualification courses place appropriate emphasis upon work-based training. | | (129291) | 126
| Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent discussions he has had on the use of certified pay slips as proof of low pay in order to meet the fee remission requirements for English for Speakers of Other Languages courses. | | (129041) | 127
N | Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 27th February 2007, Official Report, column 1249W, on apprentices, how many and what proportion of (a) apprenticeships and (b) advanced apprenticeships had (i) a separately assessed off-the-job technical certificate and (ii) their technical qualification integrated into the delivery and assessment of the National Vocational Qualifications in each year since 1997. | | (128939) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 128
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Clause 4.8 of the draft Climate Change Bill, by what mechanisms he expects to put into law the climate change framework to drive innovation among domestic firms for low carbon solutions. | | (129109) | 129
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the reasons for recent trends in the population of common seals in the Shetland Islands. | | (129279) | 130
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to introduce legislation to amend the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 through Orders in Council. | | (129280) | 131
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, why the draft Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations 2007 were withdrawn. | | (129281) | 132
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support he is making available to farmers who wish to convert to organic milk production. | | (129282) | 133
| Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many complaints he has received about the operation of the Warm Front scheme; and how many have concerned the company Blue Flag, operating in the North West. | | (129001) | 134
| Paul Flynn (Newport West):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of single farm payments in England are paid to persons who do not own farms. | | (129050) | 135
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 5th March 2007, Official Report, column 1641W, on waste management, whether a local authority can unilaterally leave a joint waste authority of its own accord once it has voluntarily decided to join one. | | (129107) | 136
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the total cost of the re-naming of the Marine Fisheries Agency; and if he will make a statement. | | (129003) | 137
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 16th January 2007, Official Report, column 979W, on rats, if he will break down the rat population in England by (a) region and (b) local authority area as indicated by the English House Condition Survey 2001. | | (129011) | 138
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the extent of the problem of rats at the London Olympics site at Stratford; and what plans there are for measures to be taken to tackle any potential problem; and if he will make a statement. | | (129018) | 139
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which non-departmental public bodies under his Department have changed their (a) name and (b) branding since 1997; what changes were made in each case; at what cost to the Exchequer in each case; and if he will make a statement. | | (129019) | 140
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether consultants were hired to advise (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies on the re-naming of the Marine Fisheries Agency; and if he will make a statement. | | (129020) | 141
| Alan Simpson (Nottingham South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) date and (b) location was of each outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in UK poultry; what type of bird was involved in each case; what action was taken to contain each outbreak; and what the source was of the infection in each case. | | (128999) | 142
| Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons he did not proceed with his plans to increase the minimum landing size of bass to 40cm from 6th April. | | (129060) | 143
| Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence he expects to consider before fulfilling his commitment to increase to minimum landing size for bass. | | (129061) | 144
| Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what studies his Department has carried out on the effect on discards of increasing the minimum landing size of bass to 40 cm; and if he will make a statement. | | (129074) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 145
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will seek discussions with the Organisations of Islamic Conference following its rejection of the recent UN report on the human rights situation in Darfur. | | (129006) | 146
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with the government of France on the situation in the Central African Republic. | | (129007) | 147
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with the G-19 rebel group in Darfur. | | (129008) | 148
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action she plans to take in response to Sudan's announcement that it will not recognise the International Criminal Court indictment of individuals allegedly by responsible for the attrocities upon civilians in Darfur. | | (129283) | 149
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether she has met representatives of the European Movement since assuming her position. | | (129245) | 150
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding streams are available to the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union for (a) hosting and (b) sponsoring (i) events and (ii) organisations locally, under the office's own management and authorisation; what monitoring of spending takes place; and if she will make a statement. | | (129258) | 151
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what government funding grants are available to (a) think tanks, (b) youth groups and (c) campaigning organisations on EU issues; and what funds were allocated to those groups in each of the last two years. | | (129259) | 152
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Chairman of the EU Council of Ministers on progress towards a barrier-free transatlantic market. | | (129055) | 153
| Fiona Mactaggart (Slough):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations she has received on the case of Mr Paramjeet Singh, arrested in India on 23rd December 2006; and what action she has taken following Paramjeet Singh's arrest. | | (129232) | 154
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. | | (128348) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 155
| Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many approved care homes for the (a) elderly and (b) other vulnerable people there are in England. | | (129160) | 156
| Mr David Clelland (Tyne Bridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure that men with prostate cancer receive equal treatment regardless of ethnic background. | | (129263) | 157
| Derek Conway (Old Bexley & Sidcup):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the reasons are for the waiting time for digital hearing aid assessments in (a) Bexley and (b) Bromley; and if she will make a statement. | | (129093) | 158
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the relationship between fluoridisation and thyroid disorders. | | (129284) | 159
| Mr Philip Dunne (Ludlow):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS posts available for F2 doctors are training posts; and how many vacancies are short fixed-term contracts. | | (129081) | 160
| Mr Philip Dunne (Ludlow):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the number of F2 doctors who have been trained but who will not have an NHS post from August. | | (129119) | 161
| Michael Jabez Foster (Hastings & Rye):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) gender, (b) age and (c) ethnicity is of (i) chairmen and (ii) non-executive directors appointed during the last 12 months to NHS trusts in (A) England and (B) South East Coast Strategic Health Authority. | | (128991) | 162
| Mr Bruce George (Walsall South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the General Practitioners with a Special Interest (GPwSI) Working Group's forthcoming guidance on the accreditation of GPwSI in dermatology and skin surgery will be a mandatory national standard; and if she will make a statement. | | (129013) | 163
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of (a) Hepatitis A, (b) Chronic Hepatitis B, (c) Hepatitis C, (d) Hepatitis D, (e) Hepatitis E, (f) Hepatitis F, (g) Hepatitis G and (h) Hepatitis H were reported in each year since 1997. | | (129015) | 164
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research is planned in the next 12 months to ascertain the likely incidence in the UK of all types of chronic hepatitis over the next decade; and if she will make a statement. | | (129016) | 165
| Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children received orthodontic treatment in each year between 2002 and 2006; and how many have received such treatment in 2006-07. | | (129017) | 166
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women over the age of 70 self-referred for breast cancer screening in (a) Surrey Primary Care Trust and (b) England in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. | | (129045) | 167
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance her Department has provided to local authorities on enforcing the public smoking ban. | | (129211) | 168
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the effect on levels of demand for the North West Ambulance Service of private sector clinical assessment, treatment and support coming into service. | | (129071) | 169
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether she intends patient and public involvement forum members to become members of local involvement networks; and if she will make a statement. | | (129219) | 170
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will issue national guidance on how members should be appointed to local involvement networks; and if she will make a statement. | | (129220) | 171
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether local involvement networks will have a right of entry and access in order to carry out inspections; and if she will make a statement. | | (129221) | 172
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the money provided by her Department to county councils for the purpose of establishing and supporting local involvement networks will be ring-fenced; and if she will make a statement. | | (129222) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 173
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects to determine the application of Tahsin Taha Mohammad Ali (reference A1148096) for indefinite leave to remain in the UK. | | (128996) | 174
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration has been given to misconduct proceedings against officers involved in the interception of telephone conversations between Chief Superintendent Dizaei and members of the Black Police Association. | | (129056) | 175
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, why an independent review of Operation Helios as recommended by the Morris Inquiry has not been instituted. | | (129057) | 176
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much (a) has been paid and (b) he estimates may have to be paid in the future by the (i) Metropolitan Police and (ii) Metropolitan Police Authority to officers involved in Operation Helios. | | (129058) | 177
| Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many black and Asian officers have applied to become a Commander or Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police in the last four years; and how many have been successful. | | (129059) | 178
| Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the results of the pilot project codenamed Lantern on the use of mobile fingerprint scanners. | | (129120) | 179
| Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many bodies are registered for Criminal Records Bureau checks; and how many of these are umbrella bodies. | | (129176) | 180
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was to his Department of the unpublished research paper Sizing the Illegally Resident Working Population. | | (129042) | 181
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to his Department was of the uncompleted research paper IND Customer Survey. | | (129043) | 182
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to his Department was of the unpublished research paper Dispersal: Facilitating Effectiveness and Efficiency. | | (129044) | 183
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14th March 2007, Official Report, column 402W, on the Serious Organised Crime Agency, with which criminal offences the 316 people were charged. | | (129046) | 184
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to his Department was of the unpublished research paper Development of a study into the impact of Government policy on asylum flows. | | (129079) | 185
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to his Department was of the unfinished research paper Review of Current Business Crime Research. | | (129080) | 186
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to his Department was of the unpublished research paper Evaluation of the ACU Mentoring Programme. | | (129082) | 187
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to his Department was of the unfinished report Enforcement of warrants. | | (129083) | 188
| David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much his Department spent on unpublished research in (a) 2005 and (b) each of the previous five years. | | (129084) | 189
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on cross border traffic penalty enforcement; and what agreements have been reached. | | (129264) | 190
N | Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seeker claims were not processed within eight weeks in the last year for which figures are available; and how long it took to process those claims. | | (128866) | 191
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what definition of common assault the police use for the purposes of arresting people for that offence. | | (129025) | 192
| Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been allocated to police forces to equip themselves to respond to chemical attacks. | | (129166) | 193
| Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who is responsible for procurement of Counter Nuclear, Biological and Chemical protection and detection equipment in his Department. | | (129167) | 194
| Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what studies his Department has undertaken of the capacity of the UK emergency services to cope with a chemical attack on UK populations and towns. | | (129168) | 195
| Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training exercies have been undertaken by (a) UK emergency services and (b) UK Government departments on chemical attacks since 2001. | | (129169) | 196
N | Mr Robert Walter (North Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people entering the United Kingdom from the Irish Republic in 2006 by (a) land, (b) sea and (c) air were asked to produce passports or other identity documents. | | (128784) | 197
N | Mr Robert Walter (North Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date he was informed by the Irish government of the suspension of the provisions of the Common Travel Area at Irish airports. | | (128864) | 198
N | Mr Robert Walter (North Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has made to the Irish government on (a) the suspension of the provisions of the Common Travel Area at Irish airports and (b) the systematic requests made by the Irish authorities of passengers arriving at Irish airports from the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands to produce passports. | | (128865) | 199
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prison places were available for adult female prisoners in each year since 1992; and if he will make a statement. | | (129022) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 200
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate his Department has made of the annual recurrent costs of maintaining a high level of preparedness amongst UN agencies. | | (128997) | 201
| Tony Baldry (Banbury):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 15th March 2007, Official Report, column 479W, on the European Development Fund (EDF), how many countries have been suspended from the European Development Fund or had measures imposed upon them aimed at remedying a breach of the fund's conditionality since establishment of the Fourth EDF. | | (129098) | 202
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much has been paid to HSBC to transfer social welfare payments to Palestinian (a) workers, (b) pensioners and (c) welfare recipients; and who has paid the costs of transferring these funds. | | (128993) | 203
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many projects have been cancelled or suspended in the Palestinian Authority area since the European Commission's decision of 7th April 2006 to stop funds being transferred to that authority, broken down by type of project; and how the funds being withheld are being treated. | | (128994) | 204
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much (a) technical assistance, (b) budgetary support and (c) humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian Authority has been suspended by the (i) EU and (ii) UK following the election of the Hamas government. | | (128995) | 205
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many European Commission staff are involved in administering the Temporary International Mechanism. | | (128998) | 206
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment the European Commission has undertaken of the operation of the Temporary International Mechanism; how Palestinians were included in this process; and what the conclusions were. | | (129097) | 207
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the measures necessary to ensure the safety of aid workers operating in Darfur. | | (129005) | 208
N | James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with representatives of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative on treatment for (a) malaria and (b) other diseases. | | (128940) | 209
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian needs of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement. | | (128349) | 210
N | Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral aid initiatives the UK is undertaking in the Democratic Republic of Congo. | | (128350) | Questions to the Minister without Portfolio 211
| Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Minister without Portfolio, what activities she has undertaken in a Ministerial capacity in the last 12 months; and what costs were associated with each activity. | | (129177) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 212
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how he expects the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 to be implemented in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. | | (129096) | 213
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent devolution issues the Advocate General has considered. | | (129054) | Questions to the Solicitor General 214
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Solicitor General, on which occasions his legal advice to the Government was made public (a) in summary and (b) in total in each year since 1982. | | (129066) | Questions to the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 215
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what representations the Electoral Commission has received from Equifax on the reliability of signature scans to verify postal votes. | | (129145) | 216
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on (a) sponsoring newspaper or publication supplements and (b) funding advertorials in newspapers or publications in the last year for which figures are available; and what the topic of each was. | | (129147) | 217
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will place in the Library copies of the correspondence between the Electoral Commission and the Department of Constitutional Affairs on remote electronic voting pilots in the 2007 local elections. | | (129148) | 218
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the timetable is for the Electoral Commission to complete its analysis of the Crown Prosecution Service records of cases of alleged offences under electoral legislation; and whether its analysis is planned to be placed in the public domain. | | (129149) | 219
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Stroud of 26th February 2007, Official Report, column 1015W, on elections, if he will place in the Library a copy of the new guidance manual and polling station handbook. | | (129262) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 220
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans he has to reorganise the structure of his Department. | | (128990) | 221
| Mr David Jones (Clwyd West):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when he expects to announce his decision on the application by Npower Renewables for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for the development of the Gwynt y Mor wind farm. | | (129000) | 222
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many workers are excluded from the provisions of statutory recognition procedures as a result of (a) the 21-worker threshold and (b) employment status. | | (129004) | 223
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of biomass to the security of energy supply to the UK. | | (129053) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 224
N | Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whom he would expect to consult before agreeing to a request to close the M1 at Tinsley in order to facilitate the demolition of the cooling towers; and how much notice he would give the public of any such closure. | | (128911) | 225
N | Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which days it would be possible to close the M1 at Tinsley to facilitate the demolition of the cooling towers; and for how long such a closure would be in place. | | (128912) | 226
N | Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the length of time the M1 at Tinsley will need to be closed in order to allow the demolition of the cooling towers; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect on traffic. | | (128913) | 227
N | Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has received any requests to close the M1 at Tinsley for the purpose of demolishing the cooling towers; and whether any such closure is planned. | | (128914) | 228
N | Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will estimate the cost of closing the M1 at Tinsley to facilitate the demolition of the cooling towers. | | (128915) | 229
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the safety implications of increasing the amount of in-flight refuelling in the aviation industry. | | (129021) | 230
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which websites are funded by his Department. | | (129077) | 231
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has selected Manchester as a location for a road user pricing pilot. | | (129094) | 232
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the timetable for the draft Transport Bill. | | (129095) | 233
| Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) rail and (b) tram stations there are in England and Wales; and how many bus stations there are in England. | | (129161) | 234
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the comparative safety record of the operation of lightweight trams, light rail and buses in urban areas. | | (129111) | 235
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the development of ultra light rail systems in new sustainable communities. | | (129112) | 236
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the different train companies on proposals to reduce the number of saver fares on the railways; and if he will make a statement. | | (129009) | 237
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fixed speed cameras are located in Gloucestershire, broken down by site and district council area. | | (129010) | 238
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to reduce street clutter erected by local highway authorities. | | (129089) | 239
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how his Department monitors the registration and taxing of vehicles in their home non-EU or EEA countries when the vehicles have been in the United Kingdom for more than 12 months. | | (129072) | 240
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will estimate (a) the number of cars registered in an non-EU or non-EEA country being used on the roads in the United Kingdom and (b) the number of such vehicles which have been so used for more than 12 months. | | (129073) | 241
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which division of his Department is leading engagement with EU authorities to establish a cross border data sharing process for criminal and administrative matters. | | (129292) | 242
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons estimates of the number of foreign registered vehicles on UK roads are not available, as referred to in the Answer of 9th January 2006, Official Report, column 28W, on vehicle registration. | | (129293) | 243
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has undertaken into the enforcement of civil traffic penalties against foreign registered vehicles in the UK. | | (129294) | 244
| Mr John Grogan (Selby):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date he paid £103,974.92 to the account of Brims and Company Ltd, mentioned at item 5 in the third interim award of 16th October 1998 in the Greenhead A69 diversion arbitration. | | (129038) | 245
| Mr David Jones (Clwyd West):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) short-term and (b) long-term efficacy of interactive road signage in built-up areas for traffic calming purposes. | | (128992) | 246
| Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to improve security on (a) underground trains, (b) overland trains, (c) rail terminals and (d) bus terminals since 2005. | | (129164) | 247
| Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department has made available to (a) Network Rail, (b) Transport for London and (c) British Transport Police to improve transport security since 2005. | | (129165) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 248
| Mr Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many branches of Jobcentre Plus there are in England and Wales. | | (129178) | 249
| Mrs Ann Cryer (Keighley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that claimants of the employment support allowance will be (a) made aware of the benefits to which they may be entitled and (b) signposted to benefits advice when appropriate. | | (129051) | 250
| Mrs Ann Cryer (Keighley):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce performance measures against which changes in (a) awareness and (b) take-up of other benefits by employment support allowance claimants can be measured. | | (129052) | 251
| Mr Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what benefit entitlements are for unemployed A2 and A8 migrants who have previously been in employment in the UK for less than a year. | | (129014) | 252
| Mr Eric Martlew (Carlisle):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the New Deal self-employment programme at returning people to work compared with other employment programmes. | | (129256) | 253
N | Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made in meeting the targets for the Child Support Agency set out in the Child Support Agency Business Plan 2006-07; which targets he expects will be (a) met and (b) not met; and if he will make a statement. | | (128435) | 254
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the number of Muslim women in employment. | | (129065) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 255
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether stamp duty is charged on Social Homebuy purchases. | | [Transferred] (129196) | 256
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether stamp duty will be levied on tenants taking out a 10 per cent. equity share under the proposals for reform of the Social Homebuy scheme. | | [Transferred] (129197) | 257
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) the social tenant and (b) the social landlord is liable to pay stamp duty under the Social Homebuy scheme. | | [Transferred] (129234) | 258
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average stamp duty paid on a right to buy sale was in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | [Transferred] (129236) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 259
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, which Minister would be responsible for assessing whether systemic miscarriages of justice were occurring in the family courts. | | [Transferred] (129162) | 260
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will establish a review of family court cases where Dr David Southall retained a special case file. | | [Transferred] (129163) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 261
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government plans to reduce the number of public library service standards that local authorities must report. | | [Transferred] (129239) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 262
| Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, at what points Ministers have sought permission from Her Majesty the Queen for servants of the Crown to wear European Union flag unit insignia upon their uniforms. | | [Transferred] (129242) | 263
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what training members of the armed forces are receiving to use modern fire appliances in the event of a fire-fighter strike. | | [Transferred] (129240) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 264
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many imams were granted entry clearance from Pakistan to carry out religious duties in the UK in each year since 1995. | | [Transferred] (129064) | 265
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of imams granted entry clearance to work as ministers of religion who could not speak English in each year since 1995. | | [Transferred] (129075) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 266
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many foreign registered vehicles entered the UK in each of the last 15 years, broken down by port of entry. | | [Transferred] (129261) |
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