Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 19 April 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 Thursday 19 April 2007
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 19 April 2007

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

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

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

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

1
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) men and (b) women aged between 55 and 59 years of age committed suicide in 2003, broken down by method of suicide chosen.

(132469)

2
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to protect heavily indebted poor countries and other indebted developing countries from litigation by vulture funds in British courts.

(132061)

3
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what options have been discussed for Government action to pre-empt litigation by vulture funds and other commercial creditors against heavily indebted poor countries and other indebted developing countries, including within the Paris club.

(132062)

4
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the UK Government has taken to prevent the exploitation of developing countries by vulture funds since May 2002.

(132063)

5
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what sums have been received from the Exchequer through taxation of awards made to vulture funds which have successfully sued developing country governments in British courts.

(132064)

6
N Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the principles on fair debt restructuring, in relation to vulture funds.

(132065)

7
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average hourly pay of the lowest duo-decile of working age people in employment was in each quarter since 1997.

(132411)

8
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the net effect of tax and benefit changes since 1997 on (a) a lone parent, (b) married couples with a single wage earner in work and (c) two wage earner couples both in work with (i) one child and (ii) two children.

(132541)

9
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what total government expenditure has been on policies aimed at reducing child poverty since 1997.

(132542)

10
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much additional income (a) a single parent and (b) a married couple with one child are entitled to if each such household has a single worker in part-time work earning their income support entitlement, assuming that each household had its rent covered in full and claimed its full entitlement to tax credits.

(132656)

11
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the tax benefits given to an organisation would be affected if it were recognised as a charity by (a) the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, but not the Charity Commission and (b) the Charity Commission, but not the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.

(132933)

12
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason able-bodied people under the age of 25 years without children are not able to claim any tax credits regardless of their income levels.

(132934)

13
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are unable to claim tax credits solely because of their age.

(132935)

14
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost of lowering the age at which able-bodied people without children can claim tax credits from 25 to 18 years.

(132936)

15
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much expenditure was categorised under the European Union budget line of sundry debtors in the 2006-07 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

(133074)

16
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which Youth for Europe projects have been financed by the EU in the UK in the last 12 months.

(133095)

17
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the tax subsidies which are paid to encourage the growing of bio-fuels; and if he will make a statement.

(132774)

18
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of workers from Eastern Europe on the UK economy.

(132739)

19
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the percentage change in the volume of taxation was in each of the last 10 years.

(132803)

20
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much in import duties was levied on imports to the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of the total was paid to the EU.

(132804)

21
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what basis central government funding is allocated to Scotland; whether he plans to review the funding formula; and what the allocation per head of population was in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales in 2006.

(132805)

22
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the UK population was in each of the last three years; and what estimate he has made of the number of people who emigrated from the UK in each year.

(132807)

23
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the reduction in revenue from raising the inheritance tax threshold to £1 million in a full tax year.

(132812)

24
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the reduction in revenue from applying higher rate stamp duty (3 per cent. to 4 per cent.) only to the amount from a property sale above the relevant threshold for that rate in a full tax year.

(132813)

25
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the reduction in revenue from raising the 40 per cent. tax rate threshold for income tax to £50,000 of taxable income in a full tax year.

(132814)

26
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much tax is paid on the purchase of a new (a) Toyota Prius and (b) Honda Accord hybrid car.

(132819)

27
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what tariffs and duties are levied on low energy lightbulbs imported into the UK from Asia.

(132875)

28
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether staff working for the tax credit office in the Cardiff contact centre have guidelines for the number of calls they should deal with from customers each day; and if he will make a statement.

(133027)

29
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how long staff answering customer calls at the tax credit office in Cardiff are recommended to spend on each call; and if he will make a statement.

(133028)

30
N Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what correspondence his Department has had with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the sale of the Tote and what progress has been made with its sale.

(132559)

31
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the revenue derived from environmental taxation was used to fund government initiatives on climate change in each year since 2001.

(132951)

32
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the merits of hypothecating vehicle excise duty revenue for funding policies to address climate change and other forms of environmental damage.

(132952)

33
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much (a) his private office and (b) his Department's press office cost to run in each of the last five years.

(132918)

34
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many suicides were committed in each London borough in each of the last 10 years.

(132919)

35
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department spent on (a) opinion polls and (b) focus groups in each of the last five years.

(133023)

36
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the likely impact on the NHS of Schedule 3 of the Finance Bill.

(132993)

37
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his estimate is of the number of zero carbon homes which may qualify for relief from stamp duty under the provisions of Clause 19 of the Finance Bill, broken down by region.

(132995)

Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

38
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what steps she has taken to ensure that the work of the Charity Commission and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator are fully compatible in respect of charities which work across the UK.

(132932)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

39
N 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 (i) local authority area and (ii) city in England.

(132410)

40
Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent representations she has received regarding planning law as it affects telecommunications masts.

(132788)

41
Mr Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps are taken by her Department to include (a) older people and (b) people with disabilities in strategic planning, policy making and the delivery of the services they use.

(132907)

42
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her proposals are for requiring energy performance certificates for (a) rented housing at the point of letting and (b) private housing at the point of sale.

(132836)

43
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the Best Value Performance Indicators were for kerbside collection of recyclables for Birmingham for each year since 2004-05; whether the authority is on target to comply with provisions in the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003; and what the figures are for (a) other Metropolitan authorities and (b) the best performing local authorities.

(133022)

44
Mr David Kidney (Stafford):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward proposals to amend the system of council tax to allow for the levying of a local supplement on council tax for second homes in areas where they represent a significant proportion of housing.

(132927)

45
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the budget was of the Government Office for London in each year between 1997 and 2006; and how many civil servants were employed by that Office in each year.

(132828)

46
N Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the acreage of land prone to flooding which will be developed with housing during the next five years.

(132366)

47
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will set a target timetable for dealing with all stages of the Calor Gas and Centrica appeal in respect of their proposal to install a liquid natural gas importation plant on Canvey Island.

(132716)

48
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research she has commissioned on the impact of pub closures on local communities; and if she will make a statement.

(132717)

49
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many complaints the Local Government Ombudsman with responsibility for the North of England received in each of the last five years against local authorities, broken down by local authority; and if she will make a statement.

(132841)

50
N Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what effect her Department expects the Code for Sustainable Housing to have on environmental performance.

(132354)

51
N Stephen Williams (Bristol West):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what effect her Department expects the Code for Sustainable Homes to have on environmental performance.

(132374)

Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs

52
Mr Stephen Byers (North Tyneside):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will take steps (a) to ensure that agreements entered into between solicitors and their clients in equal pay cases do not undermine the securing of a mediated settlement and (b) to stop solicitors imposing a financial penalty on their clients in non-contentious cases.

(132821)

53
Philip Davies (Shipley):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of solicitors who will cease taking on legal aid work in each of the next three years.

(132970)

54
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of solicitors firms which were unable to complete the new unified contract for legal aid as of 1st April 2007.

(132786)

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

55
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people are employed to gather data and update the Television Licensing database.

(132976)

56
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the total cost is of equipping a single television detector van.

(133002)

57
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what percentage of receipts from the television licence fee was spent on the detection of licence evaders in the last period for which figures are available.

(133011)

58
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) cost and (b) environmental effect of using plastic glasses in licensed premises; and if she will make a statement.

(132762)

59
Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether Sir Michael Lyons' application for the post of chairman of the BBC Trust was received by the closing date of 31st January.

(132971)

60
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on the progress of the European Sports Review.

(132613)

61
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received from (a) the Premier League and (b) individual Premier League clubs on the European Sports Review.

(132614)

62
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she will reply to question numbers 129383 and 129384, on expenditure on the 2012 Olympics, tabled by the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent on 20th March.

(132657)

63
N Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress her Department is making with the sale of the Tote; and what the timetable is for the sale.

(132560)

64
Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what process has been put in place to enable Ministers to (a) exercise political oversight and (b) monitor the progress of the implementation plan for the Gambling Act 2005.

(132795)

65
Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what dates since the start of 2007 she has received reports on the progress of the implementation plan for the Gambling Act 2005.

(132796)

66
Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assumptions her Department has made on the number of applications for operator licences under the Gambling Act 2005 that will be made by the end of April 2007 deadline by existing operators in order to secure continuation rights; and how many such applications the Gambling Commission has received, broken down by category of licence.

(132797)

67
Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of companies in the UK gaming industry had applied for Operator Licences under the Gambling Act 2005 as at 31st March 2007.

(132798)

68
Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to implement the recommendations of the Better Regulation Commission's report on the Implementation of the Licensing Act 2003; and if she will make a statement.

(132799)

69
Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the measures her Department has put in place to address in the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005 the project management weaknesses highlighted in paragraphs 51 to 54 of the Better Regulation Commission's Report on the Implementation of the Licensing Act 2003.

(132800)

70
Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has used a cross sector pilot group to test the application requirements and forms for the licences required by the Gambling Act 2005 as recommended by the Better Regulation Commissioner's Report on the Implementation of the Licensing Act 2003.

(132801)

71
Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what risk assessment has been carried out by her Department of the timetable and critical milestones leading to the 1st September implementation date for the Gambling Act 2005; and if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's plan for managing risks identified.

(132802)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

72
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost has been of the project to rationalise communication systems in the Defence and Communications Services Agency; how many (a) consultants and (b) contractors have been employed in its implementation; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

(133001)

73
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many private consultants were employed in each of the last 24 months by the Defence and Communication Services Agency; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

(133006)

74
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the technical apprenticeships programme in the Defence and Communication Services Agency was wound down; and if he will make a statement.

(133007)

75
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent by the Defence and Communication Services Agency on external management consultants in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(133008)

76
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implementation of the Defence and Communication Services Agency's information technology project; whether he plans to establish an independent review of the programme; and if he will make a statement.

(133009)

77
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the role of the ATLAS consortium was in the information technology rationalisation link; what the cost was of the Defence Information Infrastructure final solutions programme; and how many contractors were employed in its implementation.

(133010)

78
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether inheritance tax is payable on the estate of service personnel who are killed (a) on active service and (b) on overseas service outside the theatre of war.

(132854)

79
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, under what circumstances inheritance tax is waived on the estate of service people killed in the line of duty.

(132855)

80
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many locally employed people are working as (a) interpreters and (b) drivers for the British Forces deployed in Southern Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(132734)

81
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what equipment was seized by Iran during the capture of the 15 Royal Navy personnel; and whether any or all of the equipment has been returned.

(132835)

82
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government takes to ensure that war pensioners receive priority treatment on the NHS for their accepted disablements; what systems the Government has in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of these measures; and how many war pensioners were given priority treatment on the NHS for their accepted disablements in each year since 1997.

(132842)

83
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many servicemen from the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment have been granted permission to serve in the private security sector while still a serving member of the armed forces in (a) the UK, (b) Dubai, (c) Iraq and (d) Afghanistan in the last five months; and if he will make a statement.

(132843)

84
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the rules are covering the release of servicemen serving in the armed forces to work for the private security sector during the last weeks of service; and if he will make a statement.

(132844)

85
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the Mk4A Arming, Fusing and Firing system for Trident to enter service; what estimate he has made of the cost of the (a) development and (b) production of this system; and what impact he expects this procurement to have on the decision whether to refurbish or replace the Trident warhead.

(132845)

86
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many servicemen and women were waiting for treatment by the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court, Surrey on 16th April.

(132846)

87
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, to which UK (a) military and (b) civilian airports British armed forces casualties are evacuated.

(132847)

88
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to assist (a) the funding of and (b) practical arrangements for events held by servicemen and women to mark the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War.

(132848)

89
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the number of personnel listed as having sustained Disease or Non-Battle Injury during November 2006 as part of Operation Herrick and Operation Telic; and if he will make a statement.

(132849)

90
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel have worked in field hospitals during Operation Telic; and what percentage of the total number were reservist medical personnel.

(132850)

91
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilian medical personnel assisted in the provision of medical support on military operations overseas in each year since 2001, broken down by operation.

(132851)

92
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many uniformed (a) doctors, (b) dentists, (c) nurses and (d) medical and dental support staff are employed by each armed service.

(132852)

93
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the capability of the Royal Navy to execute carrier-based air superiority missions following the decommissioning of the Sea Harrier; and if he will make a statement.

(132853)

94
Nick Harvey (North Devon):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on information exchange with the US in the last 12 months with regard to achieving sovereign capability on the Joint Strike Fighter; and if he will make a statement.

(132906)

95
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent by his Department to help members of the armed forces living in Northern Ireland with their transition back to civilian life in each of the last three years; how much of that sum was spent on housing; and what personnel were responsible for this task over the same period, broken down by grade.

(133117)

96
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed forces living in Northern Ireland received support to aid their transition back to civilian life in each of the last three years; and how many were assisted with housing issues.

(133118)

97
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support is provided to service personnel living in Northern Ireland to aid their transition back to civilian life, with particular reference to housing.

(133119)

98
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what resources were allocated by his Department to Conduct After Capture training in each of the last six years; and what personnel were allocated to providing this training over the same period, broken down by grade.

(133120)

99
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the Conduct After Capture training provided by the Armed Forces; and how many of those hostages recently released from Iranian custody received Conduct After Capture training.

(133121)

100
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which parts of the Armed Forces receive Conduct After Capture training; and how many members of the Armed Forces received such training in each of the last six years.

(133122)

101
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what action UK forces are allowed to take to avoid and respond to arrest or attack when participating in UN missions.

(132815)

102
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where the Iranian force that detained 15 UK sailors and marines came from; and what transport they used.

(132816)

103
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the 15 UK sailors and marines recently detained in Iran first saw the Iranian force coming to detain them.

(132817)

104
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the 15 UK sailors and marines considered making a swift withdrawal in their boat when they saw the Iranian force approaching.

(132818)

105
Mr John Redwood (Wokingham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Iranian troops detained the 15 UK sailors and marines in the recent incident.

(132876)

106
Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average annual fuel defect rates of the Nimrod fleet per fifty flying hours were in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

(132978)

107
Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average logged daily serviceability of the Nimrod fleet was in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

(132979)

108
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to allow the wearing of the Suez Medal alongside National Service medals; and if he will make a statement.

(132998)

109
N Peter Viggers (Gosport):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) instructions and (b) training are given to armed forces personnel in preparation for the possibility that they may find themselves held against their will by a foreign power or hostile organisation.

(132409)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

110
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what guidance his Department gives schools regarding the prevention and treatment of head lice; and if he will make a statement.

(133041)

111
N Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what alterations were made to the secondary curriculum programmes of study and level descriptions produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) secondary curriculum review between their approval by the QCA board on 14th December 2006 and their publication.

(132408)

112
Sandra Gidley (Romsey):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils in (a) Hampshire, (b) Southampton and (c) Portsmouth were temporarily excluded for (i) drug and alcohol related problems, (ii) sexual misconduct, (iii) pupil abuse and (iv) adult abuse in each of the last four years.

(133026)

113
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his policy is on the inclusion of material promoting European citizenship in the European Communities Youth in Action programme; and if he will make a statement.

(133075)

114
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will place in the Library a copy of the agenda of the last meeting of the EU-Canada Joint Committee on Higher Education, Training and Youth.

(133076)

115
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which bilateral agreements have been signed between the European Union and non-EU countries establishing co-operative projects in the areas of competence covered by his Department.

(133077)

116
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which (a) conferences, (b) seminars and (c) other events have been funded under bilateral EU-US funding for joint activities in higher education, training and youth.

(133080)

117
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which (a) conferences, (b) seminars and (c) other events have been funded under bilateral EU-Australia funding for joint activities in higher education, training and youth.

(133081)

118
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which (a) conferences, (b) seminars and (c) other events have been funded under bilateral EU-New Zealand funding for joint activities in higher education, training and youth.

(133088)

119
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many times the power to intervene in further education colleges under section 57 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 was exercised in each year since 1997; and what the circumstances were of each intervention.

(133089)

120
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 29th March 2007, Official Report, column 1685W, how the percentage of the Train to Gain budget not accounted for by training and skills brokerage is spent.

(133090)

121
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which UK educational establishments for which he is responsible are in receipt of EU funds.

(133094)

122
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 19th February 2007, Official Report, column 434W, on departments: training, when he expects to write to the hon. Member for South Holland and the Deepings with the information referred; and if he will place a copy of the information in the Library.

(133097)

123
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what EU grants were made to UK educational establishments for which he is responsible in each of the last two years for which figures are available; and what the purpose was of each award.

(133098)

124
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which UK agencies are funded under Article 8(2) of the EU Youth in Action Programme.

(133099)

125
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which projects were funded in support of the last European Youth Week; and what projects are planned in the UK for the next one.

(133100)

126
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the status is of discussions to establish an European Union-wide common school text book; and if he will make a statement.

(133101)

127
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will place in the Library the guidance provided by his Department to schools on the Key Stage 4 scheme of work for citizenship in sections entitled (a) How am I part of Europe?, (b) Euro versus pound and (c) Debate on the Euro.

(133102)

128
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which (a) conferences, (b) seminars and (c) other events have been funded under bilateral EU-Canada funding for joint activities in Higher Education, Training and Youth.

(133103)

129
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire and (c) the West Midlands have claimed the education maintenance allowance since its introduction.

(132730)

130
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many non-EU nationals were employed as (a) primary school and (b) secondary school teachers in England in each of the last five years.

(132863)

131
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his estimate is of the likely number of (a) UK and (b) foreign students studying at universities in England in each of the next five years.

(132867)

132
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many undergraduate places there were at universities in England for (a) physics, (b) chemistry, (c) biology and (d) mathematics in each of the last five years; and how many of these places were filled.

(132870)

133
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what level of funding will be available to school sport partnerships beyond 2008.

(132611)

134
N Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what advice the Youth Sports Trust will provide to schools about school sport partnerships beyond 2008.

(132612)

135
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pre-schools have closed since the introduction of foundation stage units in each Parliamentary constituency; and what assessment he has made of the impact of closures on parental choice of education provision.

(132840)

136
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of the merits of extending the London Challenge to other areas of England.

(132914)

137
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) secondary schools and (b) secondary school pupils have participated in field visits and outdoor learning as a result of the London Challenge Residential Courses programme.

(132915)

138
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what guidance he has given schools on the use and suitability of temporary classrooms; and if he will make a statement.

(132916)

139
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children in (a) secondary and (b) primary schools were taught in temporary accommodation in each London borough in each year since 1997.

(132917)

140
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many text books are available in electronic form to enable schools to convert them to Braille; and what plans he has to make more text books available to schools in electronic form.

(132924)

141
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to make sheet music printed in Braille available in schools.

(132925)

142
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the average amount of time spent by A-level biology students out of the classroom was in each of the last five years; what the nature of students' activities out of the classroom was; and what assessment he has made of the impact of such activities on students' learning and understanding.

(132988)

143
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much his Department spent on (a) opinion polls and (b) focus groups in each of the last five years.

(133024)

144
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what percentage of (a) community schools, (b) voluntary aided schools, (c) voluntary controlled schools, (d) foundation schools, (e) city technology colleges and (f) academies were in Ofsted categories (i) special measures, (ii) serious weaknesses and (iii) underachieving in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority.

(132878)

145
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what percentage of (a) community schools, (b) voluntary aided schools, (c) voluntary controlled schools, (d) foundation schools, (e) city technology colleges and (f) academies were in Ofsted category (i) special measures and (ii) notice to improve in 2007, broken down by local education authority.

(132879)

146
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what statutory provisions are in place to ensure that children with autistic spectrum disorder have access to a teacher with a formal qualification in teaching children with autistic spectrum disorder.

(132880)

147
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many teachers in (a) mainstream maintained schools, (b) maintained special schools and (c) non-maintained special schools have a formal qualification in teaching children with autistic spectrum disorder.

(132881)

148
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what funding the Government provided to assist teachers in gaining higher qualifications to teach children with autistic spectrum disorder in each year from 1997 to 2006.

(132882)

149
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures are in place for monitoring how money designated for pupil referral units is spent; and what systems are in place to evaluate the effect of the expenditure.

(132883)

150
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much the Government has spent on pupils in pupil referral units with (a) unstatemented special educational needs, (b) statemented special educational needs and (c) special educational needs both statemented and unstatemented in each year from 1997 to 2006.

(132884)

151
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much has been spent on (a) School Action (b) School Action Plus, (c) Early Years Action and (d) Early Years Action Plus in each year since the schemes were introduced, broken down by local education authority.

(132885)

152
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what measures the Government has in place for monitoring how funds for School Action and School Action Plus are spent; and what systems exist to evaluate the efficacy of the expenditure.

(132886)

153
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals have been made to him by parents under sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996 in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority.

(133034)

154
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, who the sponsor or sponsors are of each academy; and how much each has contributed.

(133035)

155
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the total construction cost was of each completed academy.

(133036)

156
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many and what proportion of governors on the governing body of each academy are local authority governors.

(133037)

157
Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will list the local authorities which have expressed an interest in sponsoring an academy; and what progress has been made with each expression of interest.

(133038)

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

158
Ms Dawn Butler (Brent South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what statutory powers the proposed London Waste and Recycling Forum will have to carry out its strategic waste management functions London-wide.

(132992)

159
N Ms Katy Clark (North Ayrshire and Arran):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to communicate to the public the causes of climate change and the actions that can be taken to tackle it.

(132369)

160
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will list the subsidies which are paid to encourage the growing of bio-fuels.

(132772)

161
Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will estimate the carbon savings resulting from the growing of bio-fuels on land which had previously been (a) used to grow food crops and (b) set aside or unused; and if he will make a statement.

(132773)

162
N Sarah McCarthy-Fry (Portsmouth North):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Local Government Association on the setting of targets for recycling.

(132356)

163
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make a statement on the determination of single farm payments in 2007.

(132714)

164
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at the Rural Payments Agency in each year between 1997 and 2006; and what the total cost was of those bonuses in each year.

(132832)

165
N Anne Moffat (East Lothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action he is taking to maintain a majority in the International Whaling Commission in favour of the moratorium on commercial whaling.

(132060)

166
N Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress is being made in meeting the Government's environmental targets for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

(132360)

167
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the report on handling waste from the decommissioning of nuclear establishments; and what the reasons are for the delay in its publication.

(132806)

168
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made in tackling the trade in fur from domestic animals since 1997.

(132912)

169
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what further steps the Government is considering in tackling the trade in fur from domestic animals.

(132913)

170
Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Environment Agency expects to publish guidance to landowners on the maintenance of sea defences.

(132794)

171
Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his estimate is of the number of fishermen working (a) full-time and (b) part-time in the UK in each month since January 2006, broken down by region.

(133058)

172
Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his estimate is of the amount of fish discarded in UK waters in each month since January 2006 by (a) UK vessels and (b) non-UK vessels; and if he will make a statement.

(133078)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

173
N Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people in the UK are affected by the UN Compensation Commission's request for part of the money paid to people detained in Iraq during the First Gulf War to be repaid.

(132474)

174
N Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will make representations to the UN regarding people detained in Iraq during the First Gulf War being asked to repay part of the compensation awarded by the UN Compensation Commission to the effect that the overpayment be written off.

(132475)

175
N Ben Chapman (Wirral South):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether she plans to provide support to those people detained in Iraq during the First Gulf War who are unable to repay part of the compensation awarded by the UN Compensation Commission because their financial circumstances preclude it.

(132476)

176
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations she (a) has made and (b) intends to make to her opposite number in Thailand on the conduct of elections scheduled for December in Thailand; and what international observers she expects to be present for the election campaign.

(132704)

177
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports she has received on the treatment of the Baha'i community in Iran.

(133032)

178
N Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations she has made on behalf of the Ethiopian citizens who were taken captive against their will alongside staff from the British Embassy and who remain in captivity.

(132477)

179
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29th March 2007, Official Report, column 1779W, on Zimbabwe, when the UK plans to propose to EU partners that the key perpetrators of the violence on 11th March 2007 should be added to the list of those subject to a visa ban and assets freeze.

(132705)

180
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the next round of the Iraq neighbours' conference is expected to take place; and whom she expects to be representing the United Kingdom.

(132707)

181
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the statement of 24th March 2007 by the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the US, with support of the High Representative of the European Union, whether additional talks between the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme have taken place.

(132708)

182
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the UK priorities and objectives are for its presidency of the United Nations Security Council.

(132709)

183
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what UK policy is on the creation of a no-fly zone over Darfur; and if she will make a statement.

(132712)

184
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the decision in March by the UN Human Rights Council to end its scrutiny of Iran and Uzbekistan; and whether the UK has made representations to the Council on the decision.

(132713)

185
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations she has made to the Eritrean government concerning the eight Ethiopians captured with the group of five British embassy workers on 1st March 2007.

(132732)

186
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports she has received on the condition of the eight Ethiopians captured along with a group of five British embassy workers on 1st March 2007; and what steps the Government is taking to secure their release.

(132733)

187
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with the (a) Defence Secretary and (b) Home Secretary on a future resettlement program for those Iraqi citizens who (i) have been and (ii) are still working for the British Army deployed in Southern Iraq.

(132735)

188
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate has been made of the number of Iraqi individuals at immediate risk because of their association with the British Army deployed to Southern Iraq; what assessment has been made of the protection these individuals may need once the British troops have been withdrawn; and if she will make a statement.

(132736)

189
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her French and Italian counterparts on the eight Ethiopians captured with the group of five British embassy workers on 1st March 2007; and if she will make a statement.

(132764)

190
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether she expects the deployment of the United Nations assistance to the African Union Mission in Sudan to take place following the letter from the government of Sudan confirming its agreement.

(132775)

191
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the UK is advocating to improve the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Darfur; and if she will make a statement.

(132776)

192
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made by the UN Panel of Experts in identifying individuals responsible for breaching the arms embargo against Darfur.

(132777)

193
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with her US counterparts on proposals to impose a no-fly zone over Darfur; and what the outcome was of those discussions.

(132778)

194
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with her European counterparts regarding the possibility of imposing restrictions on euro transactions in Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

(132779)

195
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the UK is advocating at (a) European and (b) UN level on the recommendations of the report of 12th March of the UN Human Rights Council Mission to Sudan.

(132780)

196
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UK is advocating the adoption of EU measures against the government of Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

(132781)

197
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the targeted sanctions against the four individuals designated in UN Security Council Resolution 1591 (2005) on (a) the activities of those individuals and (b) the security situation in Darfur.

(132782)

198
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many notifications have been received by the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to UN Resolution 1737 (2006) since 23rd December 2006 from states reporting the entry into or transit through their territories of designated persons.

(132783)

199
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to follow up the 2002 Green Paper entitled Private Military Companies: Options for Regulation.

(132939)

200
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of corruption in Kazakhstan.

(132715)

201
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which agencies in the UK are recognised source points for providing information about the European Union.

(133079)

202
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the role is of the European Union working group of national communications experts; what she expects the (a) format and (b) agenda of the next meeting of the group to be; and if she will make a statement.

(133082)

203
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will place in the Library the latest annual EU communication plan, referred to on page II/1090 of the 2007 European Union budget; and what the latest communication goals are for the UK regions.

(133086)

204
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on which occasions Ministers from her Department have met representatives of campaign bodies and think tanks advocating closer EU integration in the last 12 months.

(133091)

205
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contribution her Department makes to decisions on the information and publicity material produced by the European Union which may be distributed in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

(133092)

206
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what measures have been planned to increase the profile of the European Union in the UK, with reference to (a) the 2009 European Parliament elections and (b) the debate on the European Constitution; and if she will make a statement.

(133096)

207
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many vehicles are owned by the European Commission.

(133112)

208
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost was of running and maintaining the UK embassies in each of the last five years.

(132742)

209
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much her Department spent on language training for its staff in each of the last five years.

(132743)

210
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff were employed in British embassies in each of the last five years.

(132744)

211
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what her policy is on the provision of assistance from British overseas posts to Iraqi nationals who have left Iraq after threats of violence because of their work as interpreters with the British Army.

(132997)

212
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate she has made of the total (a) number and (b) value of (i) military and (ii) non-military British exports reaching Iran via other foreign states which contravene the existing sanctions against Iran.

(132829)

213
Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) reports she has received and (b) representations she has made to the Ugandan authorities on the assault of Mr Kiyemba Mutale on 1st March; and if she will make a statement.

(132984)

214
Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations (a) she and (b) representatives of her Department have made to (i) Zimbabwean authorities and (ii) the Ugandan authorities on physical attacks on the leaders of the opposition in their countries; and if she will make a statement.

(132986)

215
Angus Robertson (Moray):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the human rights situation in Uganda; and if she will make a statement.

(132987)

216
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that no products emanating from settlements built in occupied territory in breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention are purchased by her Department and its overseas missions.

(132723)

217
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will instruct overseas missions not to purchase and consume products emanating from settlements built in Occupied Territories in breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

(132724)

218
N John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29th March 2007, Official Report, column 1775W, on Marc Swanson, on what dates her officials in Brazil had contact with the local police; and what information was received on each occasion.

(132467)

219
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK embassies and ambassador residences in European countries have access to wireless broadband.

(132543)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

220
N Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when her Department will respond to the letter of 14th March from the hon. Member for Billericay on the planned Independent Sector Treatment Centre for Basildon.

(132512)

221
Mr John Baron (Billericay):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what factors will be taken into account in determining the level of future funding for medical research into preventing premature birth.

(132837)

222
James Brokenshire (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice or guidance her Department issues to (a) primary care trusts and (b) general practitioners on the amount of drugs prescribed to patients and the duration of prescriptions; and whether that advice or guidance has changed in the last 12 months.

(132820)

223
Philip Davies (Shipley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many maternal deaths there were whilst receiving maternity care in (a) Yorkshire and (b) England in each of the last three years.

(132967)

224
Philip Davies (Shipley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of STERIS Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide technology in tackling MRSA within the NHS.

(132968)

225
Philip Davies (Shipley):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will make a statement on the plans for a children's and maternity hospital in Leeds.

(132969)

226
Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what date the Race Equality Impact Assessment for Part II of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 (Patient and Public Involvement in Health and Social Care) was prepared.

(132877)

227
Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which hospitals in London are considering reconfiguration of accident and emergency departments.

(132790)

228
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when 140 Osier Crescent, London N10 was last tested for polonium; and with what result.

(133039)

229
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the estimated cost is of the decontamination of 140 Osier Crescent, London, N10.

(133040)

230
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when she expects rebuilding work to begin on the Arun Community Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on community hospitals.

(132706)

231
N Justine Greening (Putney):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the death rate per million maternities from puerperal sepsis and other forms of septicaemia was in each year since 1999-2000; and if she will make a statement.

(132480)

232
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support her Department has made available to Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust to implement chapter 8 of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease; and what her plans are for future support.

(132989)

233
N Mark Hunter (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress is being made by the Government on reaching its target of getting 70 per cent. of the population physically active by 2020; and what projects there are in place to reach the target.

(132509)

234
N Mark Hunter (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Government has spent on reaching its target of getting 70 per cent. of the population physically active by 2020 in the last 12 months; and how much is planned to be spent over the next five years.

(132510)

235
N Mark Hunter (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Government has spent on the (a) treatment and (b) prevention of sexually transmitted diseases in the last 12 months; and how much will be spent over the next five years.

(132511)

236
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dentists qualified in the UK in each of the last 15 years.

(132728)

237
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent on improving hygiene in hospitals in each of the last five years.

(132729)

238
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Staffordshire have been treated for heart disease in each of the last five years.

(132741)

239
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) males and (b) females between the ages of 16 and 25 were diagnosed with a mental illness in England in each of the last five years.

(132861)

240
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many non-EU nationals were employed in the NHS in each of the last five years.

(132862)

241
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Local Improvement Finance Trust centres are planned for (a) Staffordshire, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Tamworth constituency.

(132866)

242
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many chiropodists qualified in England in each of the last five years.

(132868)

243
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans she has to increase the number of NHS dentists.

(132869)

244
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Government has spent to provide free eye tests to pensioners in each year since 1997.

(132909)

245
N Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to ensure that the Care Records Service computer system at Milton Keynes Hospital is fit for purpose; and when this work will be complete.

(132466)

246
N Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Care Records Service computer systems have been installed in hospitals.

(132468)

247
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether her Department plans to provide guidance on the use of human papilloma virus vaccines in its licence indications.

(132823)

248
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether she has held discussions with the Department for Education and Skills on the possible implementation of a schools-based vaccination programme for human papilloma virus vaccine.

(132824)

249
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether her Department has made an assessment of what would be required to initiate a schools-based vaccination programme for human papilloma virus vaccines.

(132826)

250
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on methylphenidate drugs in each year between 1997 and 2006.

(132833)

251
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people taking methylphenidate drugs experienced adverse drug reactions in each year between 1997 and 2006.

(132834)

252
Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the average quantity or weight of a serving of a particular food is taken into account when determining the labelling used under the Food Safety Agency's Nutrient Profiling Model.

(132763)

253
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much Dental Service Increment for Teaching funding was made available to each strategic health authority for the year 2006-07; what proportion of this has been spent by each strategic health authority on dental education; and how this expenditure has been accounted for.

(133054)

254
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the expenditure by strategic health authorities of their Dental Service Increment for Teaching funding is ring-fenced for the stated purpose of the funding.

(133055)

255
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Dental Service Increment for Teaching budget is being used by strategic health authorities for its planned purpose.

(133056)

256
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many reports requested by the courts could not be supplied by South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust in 2006.

(132784)

257
Mr Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment she has made of the level of availability of treatment in homeopathic hospitals to NHS patients in England.

(132785)

258
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions she has had with the Royal Colleges on the training of surgeons in modern techniques to treat knife wounds and gun shot traumas.

(132718)

259
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in each London borough were diagnosed as having a mental health disorder in each of the last 10 years.

(132920)

260
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in each London borough were recorded as having an addiction to (a) cocaine, (b) heroin, (c) ecstasy and (d) other illegal drugs in each of the last 10 years.

(132921)

261
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in London were referred to (a) counselling and (b) other advice services for help with drug related problems in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) health trust and (ii) borough.

(132922)

262
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many managed service companies have had a contractual relationship with the NHS in the last two years; and how much the NHS has paid such companies in fees.

(132994)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

263
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many HM Prison Service employees are being monitored as suspected of trafficking contraband; and if he will make a statement.

(132972)

264
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the black market currency value of (a) a single cigarette, (b) a standard packet of twenty cigarettes and (c) fifty grams of hand-rolling tobacco in each prison establishment where a total no smoking ban has been introduced; and if he will make a statement.

(132973)

265
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the impact of a switch from soft to hard drugs testing on positive mandatory drug testing rates in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

(132974)

266
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who the Commissioning Authority is for (a) the investigation into staff corruption at HM Prison Pentonville and (b) the Tasker inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

(132975)

267
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of mandatory drug testing exercises within prison establishments as a measure of the extent of drug usage in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

(132977)

268
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons there is no key performance target for targeted mandatory drug tests for prison establishments; and if he will make a statement.

(132985)

269
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects the Tasker Inquiry into the conduct of the previous governor at HM Prison Wandsworth to be completed; and to whom the report will be submitted for consideration.

(133020)

270
N James Brokenshire (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many penalty notices for disorder were issued in 2006, broken down by (a) police force and (b) offence committed.

(132406)

271
N James Brokenshire (Hornchurch):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many penalty notices for disorder issued in 2006 were paid within 21 days of issue.

(132407)

272
Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many failed asylum seekers had their removals from the UK stopped because their country of destination was deemed too dangerous in each of the last five years, broken down by country of destination.

(132928)

273
Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign prisoners there were in prisons in England and Wales on 31st March, broken down by country of origin.

(132929)

274
Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for how many foreign prisoners in prisons in England and Wales no country of origin was known on 31st March.

(132930)

275
Damian Green (Ashford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-EEA nationals visited the UK for less than six months in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006.

(132931)

276
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department has taken to implement the EU Council Framework decision 2005/214/JHA on the application of the principle of mutual recognition to financial penalties.

(132950)

277
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by what mechanisms Edward Chininga was permitted to transit via Gatwick; whether officials were aware of his position on the EU no fly list for selected Zimbabwean nationals; at what point Ministers were made aware of his transiting; and if he will make a statement.

(133087)

278
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) British nationals were in prison abroad and (b) non-EU nationals were imprisoned in the UK in each of the last five years.

(132745)

279
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many community support officers have become full members of the police force.

(132860)

280
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the impact of community safety police teams.

(132874)

281
Ann McKechin (Glasgow North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking has met in the last 12 months; and how often it plans to meet in the next 12 months.

(132887)

282
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal immigrants were referred by police forces to the Border and Immigration Agency in each year between 1997 and 2006; and how many were subsequently deported in each year.

(132825)

283
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent on translation services for foreign suspects by each police force in each year between 1997 and 2006.

(132827)

284
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16th April 2007 to Question 130861, on cost recovery, whether the new charges for visas, residency and naturalisation are in excess of full cost recovery.

(132737)

285
Mr John Spellar (Warley):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to prevent individuals with tuberculosis from entering the country.

(132740)

286
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of drink driving were recorded in each London borough in year since 1997.

(132923)

287
Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children were cautioned by police in each year since 1997, broken down by age of child.

(132926)

288
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many terrorist investigations have been assisted following the introduction of the money laundering regulations 2003.

(132793)

289
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prison staff at HM Young Offenders Institution Northallerton have been dismissed or disciplined in each year from 2001-02 to 2006-07 following successful claims for compensation by prisoners.

(132615)

290
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many claims for compensation were made by prisoners at HM Young Offenders Institution Northallerton from 2001 to 2006; how many have been successful; and what action was taken by the prison authorities in each case to prevent similar claims in the future.

(132616)

291
N Mr Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many claims for compensation by inmates have been made against each HM young offender institution in England and Wales in each year from 2001-02 to 2006-07; how many have been successful; what amount of compensation was paid for each claim; and what the total cost was to the public purse.

(132617)

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

292
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will ensure that the opportunity afforded by the works due to be undertaken to the Portcullis House escalator is used to reintroduce motion-sensitive operation.

(132470)

293
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how long the Portcullis House escalator has been in use; how much has been spent on (a) repairs and (b) maintenance since its introduction; and what the estimated cost is of the works planned for autumn 2007.

(132471)

294
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much he estimates would be raised each year by the introduction of a £10 flat fee charge to use car parking facilities on the parliamentary estate, assuming a continuation of the present level of usage.

(132472)

295
N Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate he has made of (a) the carbon footprint associated with the use of bottled water within the House and (b) what the footprint would be were only tap water available.

(132473)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

296
N Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his estimate is of the number of people who have returned to live in the South of Sudan following the end of conflict there.

(132505)

297
N Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of renewable energy in developing countries.

(132506)

298
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to remove trade barriers that prevent the production and distribution of generic medicines for HIV/AIDS.

(132857)

299
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures his Department has in place to assist developing countries in retaining their health workers.

(132858)

300
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what work is being undertaken by his Department to assist developing countries in tackling mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS.

(132859)

301
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress is being made by the G8 in delivering universal access to HIV prevention treatment and care by 2010.

(132872)

302
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress was made at the G8 meeting of Development Ministers on 26th and 27th March in Berlin on establishing a funding plan for the delivery of universal access to HIV prevention treatment and care; and if he will make a statement.

(132873)

303
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the Government's position regarding Paul Wolfowitz's presidency of the World Bank.

(132937)

304
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the progress made by developing countries in delivering universal access to treatment for AIDS sufferers by 2010; and what support his Department has given to this policy.

(132990)

305
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what targets his Department has to reduce debt in developing countries over the next two years.

(132864)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

306
Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to consult on the regulations to be adopted under the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 on donations by Irish citizens to political parties in Northern Ireland.

(132871)

307
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list the maintenance work carried out at Millisle Sewage Pumping in each of the past three years; and what the (a) nature and (b) duration was of the maintenance carried out on each occasion.

(133021)

308
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the operating costs of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland was in each of the last six years.

(133029)

309
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to pilot in Northern Ireland the North Somerset pilot project of permitting parents to know if known paedophiles are residing nearby.

(133030)

310
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the extent of human trafficking in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(133031)

311
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been carried out by his Department of the health and safety implications of raw sewage leaks from Millisle's sewerage system.

(133059)

312
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on what occasions since January the screens at Millisle Sewage Pumping Station were checked; and what the outcome was of the review of the adequacy of the current screen checking arrangements.

(133060)

313
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the drop-out rates of each further and higher education institution in Northern Ireland were in each of the last three years; what assessment he has made of the impact of the payment of tuition fees on drop-out rates; and what funding has been allocated by his Department to reducing drop-out rates.

(133061)

314
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many childcare places there were in each Northern Ireland parliamentary constituency in each of the last six years.

(133062)

315
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the inclusion of Northern Ireland in a bid to host the 2018 Football World Cup.

(133063)

316
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) informal and (b) formal capital value reviews have been carried out in each Valuation and Lands district since the introduction of the new domestic rating arrangements in Northern Ireland; and how many of those reviews in each district resulted in the capital value being (i) reduced and (ii) increased.

(133064)

317
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) authorised and (b) unauthorised traveller accommodation sites there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

(133065)

318
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time physical education teachers there were in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

(133066)

319
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many children in each health board area in Northern Ireland were registered as obese in each of the last six years; and what steps he is taking to reduce such figures.

(133067)

320
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many school playing fields there were in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

(133068)

321
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many hours of phyiscal education per week were provided to school children in schools in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years; and what steps he is taking to increase the time provided.

(133069)

322
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the implications of the increase in the estimated cost of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for the allocation of funding to Lottery good causes in (a) North Down and (b) Northern Ireland.

(133070)

323
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will bring forward the project to upgrade Millisle Sewage Pumping Station scheduled to start in 2011.

(133071)

324
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he expects the Drainage Area Studies for the North Down and Ards area to be completed; and what funding has been allocated to ensure the prompt implementation of its recommendations.

(133072)

325
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been carried out by his Department of the effectiveness of sutent in treating cancer; and if he will make a statement.

(133106)

326
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people were diagnosed with cancer in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years, broken down by type of cancer.

(133107)

327
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been made by his Department of the adequacy of the public library provision in Bangor; and if he will make a statement.

(133108)

328
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of pensioners in Northern Ireland (a) are eligible for pension tax credit and (b) are in receipt of pension tax credit; what steps are being taken to increase the take-up rate of pension tax credit in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(133109)

329
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average length of time was to produce a special educational needs statement in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

(133110)

330
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many complaints his Department has received about the lack of pedestrian crossing provision on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near to Montgomery Court.

(133111)

331
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made with the renovation work to Bangor Library's Hamilton Road premises; how much the work was originally forecast to cost; whether the work is on budget and on schedule; when he expects the refurbished Library to open; and if he will make a statement.

(133113)

332
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made by his Department in identifying a suitable permanent facility for Bangor Library whilst renovation work is carried out at its Hamilton Road premises.

(133114)

333
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the health and safety implications of the lack of pedestrian crossing provision on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near to Montgomery Court.

(133115)

334
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will allocate funding to provide pedestrian crossing on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near to Montgomery Court.

(133116)

335
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent estimate he has made of the size of the traveller population in Northern Ireland.

(133123)

336
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many speed camera operations were carried out on the High Bangor/Donaghadee Road in each of the last three years; how many drivers were caught speeding there over the same period; and what penalty was imposed in each case in which no further legal proceedings are active.

(133124)

337
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many incidents of suspected deliberate fire starting were reported in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and how many people were (a) arrested, (b) prosecuted and (c) convicted of arson and related offences in each year.

(133125)

338
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the survival rate for each type of cancer was in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years; and what steps he is taking to improve the cancer survival rate.

(133126)

339
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the (a) name and (b) contact details are of each registered (i) shooting club and (ii) black powder shooting club in the North Down/Ards area.

(133127)

340
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what percentage of (a) male and (b) female persons under 18 years of age who are being detained in Northern Ireland for the purposes of mental health treatment are detained with adults.

(133128)

341
Lady Hermon (North Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what percentage of those convicted of criminal offences in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years were sentenced by mental health order disposals.

(133129)

342
N Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential for the operational review of techniques on forensic analysis (Operation Cube) to delay the conduct of police investigations in Northern Ireland.

(132059)

343
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on how many occasions in the last 12 months the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service has met leaders of (a) the Presbyterian Church, (b) the Roman Catholic Church, (c) the Church of Ireland, (d) the Methodist Church, (e) the Baptist Union of Ireland, (f) the Free Presbyterian Church, (g) the Elim Pentecostal Church, (h) the Reformed Presbyterian Church (i) the Congregational Union of Ireland, (j) the Evangelical Alliance (k) Evangelical Continuation in Northern Ireland and (l) the Caleb Foundation.

(132888)

344
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on how many occasions in the last 12 months (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have met leaders of (i) the Presbyterian Church, (ii) the Roman Catholic Church, (iii) the Church of Ireland, (iv) the Methodist Church, (v) the Baptist Union of Ireland, (vi) the Free Presbyterian Church, (vii) the Elim Pentecostal Church, (viii) the Reformed Presbyterian Church (ix) the Congregational Union of Ireland, (x) the Evangelican Alliance (xi) Evangelical Continuation in Northern Ireland and (xi) the Caleb Foundation.

(132889)

345
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what meetings have taken place in 2007 between the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and senior representatives of the Roman Catholic Church about child sexual abuse; and what information about child sexual abuse was provided at these meetings in relation to (a) each diocese fully within Northern Ireland and (b) each diocese that straddles the border with the Republic of Ireland.

(132890)

346
David Simpson (Upper Bann):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average journey time was for ambulances stationed at each hospital in Northern Ireland to respond to emergency calls in their catchment area in the last period for which figures are available; and on how many occasions this average was exceeded by more than 50 per cent.

(132891)

Questions to the Prime Minister

347
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Prime Minister, on which occasions in the last 12 months he has met representatives of campaign bodies and think tanks advocating closer EU integration.

(133093)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

348
N Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what representations his Department received, and from whom, in support of the prospective composite package of public funding which has subsequently been granted to East Port Great Yarmouth.

(131247)

349
N Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who sat on the awarding committee for the composite package of public funding which was granted to East Port Great Yarmouth.

(131249)

350
N Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many times the Corporate Social Responsibility Academy's management committee has met in each calender year since its inception.

(132544)

351
N Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the cost of the Corporate Social Responsibility Academy to the public purse was in each financial year since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

(132545)

352
N Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many staff are employed by the Corporate Social Responsibility Academy.

(132546)

353
N Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will list the events which the Corporate Social Responsibility Academy has held in each calendar year since its inception.

(132547)

354
N Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether Companies House targets issued by his office on 16th April vary from existing targets.

(132610)

355
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what financial support is provided by the European Union to UK representative business groups; and if he will make a statement.

(133073)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

356
N Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department received, and from whom, in support of the prospective composite package of public funding which has subsequently been granted to East Port Great Yarmouth.

(131248)

357
N Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of different abatement measures for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the aviation sector.

(132361)

358
Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a discount for Bexley residents has been considered as part of the consultation on the future of Dartford Crossing tolls.

(132791)

359
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account his Department has taken of the enforcement of civil traffic penalties against foreign registered vehicles in (a) plans for a national road user charging scheme and (b) the forthcoming Road Transport Bill.

(132940)

360
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of traffic penalty evasion by foreign registered vehicles in the UK.

(132941)

361
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has powers to receive up-to-date foreign vehicle keeper data from foreign vehicle licensing agencies for the purposes of assisting UK local authorities in carrying out their civil enforcement responsibilities.

(132942)

362
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any foreign registered vehicles have been stopped and made to pay an immediate deposit for a traffic penalty since the passage of the Road Safety Act 2006.

(132943)

363
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account has been taken within his Department's road pricing feasibility studies of the enforcement of civil penalties against the keepers of foreign registered vehicles.

(132944)

364
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government plans to take to improve enforcement of traffic penalties against the owners of foreign registered vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

(132945)

365
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many keepers of foreign registered vehicles re-registered their vehicle details with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last 10 years.

(132946)

366
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the crackdown on overseas registered vehicles announced in August 2006.

(132947)

367
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many prosecutions were brought against the keepers of foreign registered vehicles for failing to re-register their vehicle details with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency after six months in each of the last five years.

(132948)

368
Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the change in numbers of foreign registered vehicles on UK roads over the last 15 years.

(132949)

369
N Mark Hunter (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of terminating and beginning services at Birmingham on (a) passenger numbers and (b) average travel times for passengers travelling from Warrington or Glasgow to the South and South West.

(132507)

370
N Mark Hunter (Cheadle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the increased passenger numbers using Northern Rail; and what actions his Department is taking to ensure the extra capacity needed to accommodate these passengers is available.

(132508)

371
N Richard Ottaway (Croydon South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to protect the rights of minority shareholders in the restructuring of Eurotunnel PLC.

[R] (132405)

372
Mr Lee Scott (Ilford North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the safety and roadworthiness of pedicabs; and if he will make a statement.

(132725)

373
Mr Lee Scott (Ilford North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received since June 2006 on the application of traffic regulations to pedicabs.

(132726)

374
N Angela Watkinson (Upminster):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of domestic biofuel consumption is met by imports; and if he will make a statement.

(132363)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

375
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how often databases within his Department are updated with records of the deaths of individuals; and if he will make a statement.

(133003)

376
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations his Department has received from data suppression industry experts regarding data suppression technologies; and if he will make a statement.

(133004)

377
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on database suppression technology in (a) 2003, (b) 2004, (c) 2005 and (d) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

(133005)

378
Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East & Mexborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of raising the winter fuel allowance for the over-80s by £25 per annum.

(132727)

379
Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases of (a) overpayment and (b) underpayment there were in the Child Support Agency for Bexley residents in each of the last five years.

(132792)

380
N Justine Greening (Putney):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average per capita payment of those leaving his Department under voluntary early release schemes promoted by the Gershon Efficiency Review was in each year since 2004; and if he will make a statement.

(132481)

381
Mr Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are taken by his Department to include (a) older people and (b) people with disabilities in strategic planning, policy making and the delivery of the services they use.

(132908)

382
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost has been since 2001 of consultants hired to report on Remploy.

(133083)

383
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what closures of Remploy sites are planned; how many (a) employees and (b) agency workers there are at each site; and what he expects the costs to be of the closures.

(133084)

384
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which aspects of the PriceWaterhouseCoopers report on Remploy he plans to implement.

(133085)

385
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what deadlines have been set to turn around Remploy sites running at a financial loss; and if he will make a statement.

(133104)

386
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what changes there have been to senior management salaries at Remploy since May 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(133105)

387
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current training schemes available through Jobcentre Plus.

(132865)

388
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government has spent to provide winter fuel allowances to pensioners in each year since 1997.

(132911)

389
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will give consideration to the Social Security Advisory Committee's Sixth, Seventh and Eighth reports, with particular reference to the recommendation that the full rate of income support should be restored for young people under 25 years of age living away from home; and if he will make a statement.

(132838)

390
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the name of each benefit administered by his Department was in each year since 1996-97; what the level of each benefit was in each year; what the total amount paid in each benefit was in each year; what proportion of the total paid in each year was means-tested; and what the cost of administering each payment was in each year.

(132839)

391
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of employees returned to work following an absence caused by illness or injury lasting up to (a) two weeks, (b) one month, (c) three months and (d) six months in the last period for which figures are available.

(132822)

392
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at the Child Support Agency in each year between 1997 and 2006; and what the total cost was of those bonuses in each year.

(132830)

393
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of incapacity benefit claimants returned to work within (a) two weeks, (b) one month, (c) three months and (d) six months in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(132831)

394
N Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to reply to Question 136417, on industrial injuries benefits, tabled by the hon. Member for Bradford North on 6th March 2007.

(132548)

395
N Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to reply to Question 116900, on benefit sanctions on lone parents, tabled by the hon. Member for Bradford North on 16th January 2007.

(132549)

396
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many enforcement notices were issued by the Health and Safety Executive to Sonae (UK) Ltd in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

(132999)

397
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many lost time accidents were reported by Sonae (UK) Ltd in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

(133000)

398
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the cause of the incident at the Sonae factory in Kirkby in February 2007.

(133025)

399
Bob Spink (Castle Point):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations reports were made by Sonae (UK) Ltd in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

(133033)

400
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether all customer helplines operated by his Department are freephone numbers.

(132996)

401
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made towards securing the unclaimed assets of (a) Legal and General and (b) the Prudential for the Financial Assistance Scheme.

(132609)

402
Richard Younger-Ross (Teignbridge):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations his Department has received on the allowances for grandparents caring for their grandchildren; what level of benefits they receive; and if he will make a statement.

(132787)

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

403
N Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department of Trade and Industry on the environmental impact of new coal-fired power stations.

[Question Unstarred] (132359)

404
N Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the conclusions and recommendations of the report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on the Rural Payments Agency and the implementation of the Single Payment Scheme.

[Question Unstarred] (132358)

405
N Mr Edward Leigh (Gainsborough):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Environment Agency's cost data from its management information systems.

[Question Unstarred] (132367)

406
N Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on the drafting of legislation to protect the UK's marine environment.

[Question Unstarred] (132376)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

407
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when she expects the European Union Security and Defence Policy policing mission to Afghanistan to be launched; and what decisions have been made about the UK contribution to the mission.

[Transferred] (132710)

408
Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role she expects the European Union Security and Defence Policy policing mission to Afghanistan to play in the field of counter narcotics; and if she will make a statement.

[Transferred] (132711)

409
Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to bring the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty into force.

[Transferred] (132719)

410
Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress her Department has made on negotiations towards a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty; and what the key obstacles are to such negotiations.

[Transferred] (132720)

411
Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to promote the UN Disarmament Commission discussion framework.

[Transferred] (132721)

412
Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will assess the legality of (a) advertising in the UK real estate built in the Palestinian Occupied Territories in violation of Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and (b) the advertisement of new build real estate in Har Homa in the Occupied Territories (i) at the Real Estate Exhibition on 18th March and (ii) in editions of the Jewish Chronicle; and if she will make a statement.

[Transferred] (132722)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

413
Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Civil Service posts will be (a) created and (b) lost during the change of responsibilities from the Home Office and creation of the Ministry of Justice.

[Transferred] (132789)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

414
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will propose discussion of a comprehensive funding plan for universal access to treatment for AIDS sufferers by 2010 at the G8 Heads of State meeting in June.

[Transferred] (132991)

Questions to the Solicitor General

415
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Solicitor General, what progress has been made with the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office and Ministry of Defence Police into the sale of two ex-Royal Navy frigates to Romania by BAE; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (132856)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

416
Mr David Hamilton (Midlothian):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of trade union safety representatives on workplace safety; and if he will assess the merits of confirming the role and rights of trade union safety representatives in law.

[Transferred] (132938)

417
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of what the cost to the Government would have been in each year had pensions been linked to earnings rather than prices since 1997.

[Transferred] (132731)

418
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Tamworth constituency claimed the winter fuel allowance in each year since its introduction.

[Transferred] (132738)

419
Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government spent to provide free television licences to pensioners in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (132910)

© Parliamentary copyright 2007
Revised 19 April 2007