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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Thursday 11 October 2007
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 11 October 2007
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Thursday 11 October of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department. For other Written Questions for answer on Thursday 11 October of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Thursday 11 October see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 1
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, on what date the Transfer of Function Order detailing the changes in his Department was laid before Parliament for approval. | | (157723) | 2
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157835) | 3
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157836) | 4
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost was of running his Department's websites in each of the last five years. | | (157837) | 5
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157838) | 6
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the estimated cost of re-branding is expected to be following the formation of his Department. | | (157839) | 7
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, pursuant to the Answer of 17th September 2007, Official Report, column 2259W, on seals: animal products, what assessment he made of the action by other EU states before providing his reply. | | (157927) | 8
N | John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what recent discussions he has had with the finance industry on the security of online banking and payment systems. | | (157059) | 9
N | John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen the security of online banking and payment systems. | | (157060) | 10
N | John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of money lost to online identity theft and fraud in the UK in each year since 1997. | | (157061) | 11
N | John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate his Department has made of the number of cases of online identity theft in the UK in each year since 1997. | | (157062) | 12
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what action the Insolvency Service has taken to investigate the circumstances in which individuals have lost money as a result of their use of First Solution Money Transfer services; and if he will make a statement. | | (157833) | 13
| Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Supply of Extended Warranties on Domestic Electrical Goods Order 2005 on consumer protection. | | (157586) | 14
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many responses were received to the Government's nuclear policy consultation document (a) on-line and (b) in hard copy submissions; what communications his Department has received from non-governmental groups that formally withdrew from the consultation; and what requests were received from interested parties for the release of support documentation for the consultation. | | (157325) | 15
N | Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, on what date he plans to announce the future of Post Office branches in Greater London; and if he will make a statement. | | (157064) | 16
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether his Department is advising UK businesses not to invest in Iranian oil and gas-related projects; and if he will make a statement. | | (157389) | 17
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, pursuant to the Answer of 3rd May 2007, Official Report, column 1816W, on Iran: export credit guarantees, what conclusions have been reached about the applicability of UN Security Council Resolution 1747 to the provision of export credits to Iran; and if he will make a statement. | | (157523) | 18
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of Ofgem's conclusion in its factsheet number 67, Prepayment Meters and Fuel Poverty, that a premium of £106 per year for pre-payment meter customers is more desirable than a premium of £14 for all energy customers. | | (157404) | 19
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, pursuant to the Answer of 10th September 2007, Official Report, columns 2042-3W, on the Research Council: finance, what restructuring of British Energy was involved; and if he will make a statement. | | (157731) | 20
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, on what date Ministers were informed of a separate claims handling agreement between the then Department of Trade and Industry and Vendside in relation to vibration white finger. | | (156925) | 21
N | John Mann (Bassetlaw):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, on what date Ministers were informed of a separate claims handling agreement between the then Department of Trade and Industry and the Union of Democratic Mineworkers for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. | | (156926) | 22
| Mr Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether the use of agency staff by the Post Office is in line with regulations relating to the Employment Act 2003. | | (157808) | 23
| Mr Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether a feasibility study of a proposed Severn Barrage will include a cost benefit analysis of similar levels of public investment in energy efficiency and other renewable options. | | (157809) | 24
| Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate his Department has made of planned expenditure on business support and promotion of enterprise for 2007-08 and each financial year to 2010-11. | | (157928) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 25
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, by what mechanism primary care trusts will bid for the extra GP surgeries announced in his statement of 9th October on the Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review. | | (157611) | 26
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what funding will be allocated to local strategic partnerships for the financial year 2008-09. | | (157613) | 27
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many suicides there were amongst children between the ages of 10 and 18 years in each of the last 10 years, broken down by year group. | | (157790) | 28
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157907) | 29
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157908) | 30
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157909) | 31
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many hits the (a) most and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157910) | 32
| Gordon Banks (Ochil and South Perthshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the maximum fixed term mortgage available is in the UK; and what estimate he has made of how many borrowers have signed up to such a facility. | | (157807) | 33
| Gordon Banks (Ochil and South Perthshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many mortgage holders in the UK have fixed term mortgages. | | (157811) | 34
| Chris Bryant (Rhondda):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many teenagers gave birth in each constituency in 2006. | | (157349) | 35
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish his Department's Review of Mental Health and Employment; if he will give priority to extending access to proven psychological therapies in order to increase employment opportunities and reduce the risk of unemployment among people with mental health problems; and if he will make a statement. | | (157846) | 36
N | Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the written statement of the Financial Secretary of 25th July 2007, Official Report, column 62WS, on tax credit administration, what estimate he has made of the amount of overpaid tax credits which will be written off as a consequence of the procedural error described in the written statement. | | (157088) | 37
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) England developed breast cancer in each of the last three years. | | (157519) | 38
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of people in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) England developed breast cancer in each of the last three years. | | (157520) | 39
| Tom Levitt (High Peak):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in High Peak paid inheritance tax in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (157610) | 40
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HM Revenue and Customs expects to vacate its tax office premises at Regent House, Darlington. | | (157441) | 41
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many members of the armed services are in receipt of tax credits. | | (157443) | 42
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) individuals and (b) members of the armed services or their families visited the Enquiry Centre at Regent House, Darlington in each year since 2003-04; and how many of these visits were in connection with tax credits. | | (157444) | 43
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) Mapeley have had made available to them a lease break in respect of Regent House, Darlington. | | (157581) | 44
| Mr Alan Milburn (Darlington):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HM Revenue and Customs plans to announce decisions about the future of Darlington tax office. | | (157615) | 45
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the hon member for North East Bedfordshire of 17th September 2007, Official Report, column 2243W, on VAT: Home Information Packs, what estimate his Department has made of the total gross revenue from VAT on (a) home information packs and (b) energy performance certificates in the first full year of operation if they are introduced across the whole housing market. | | (157326) | 46
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his guarantee given to savers in Northern Rock applies to local authorities who are wholesale investors with Northern Rock. | | (157699) | 47
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many employees have income in excess of £50,000 per year; and what percentage of the total employed workforce that figure represents. | | (157392) | 48
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households have total income in excess of £50,000 per year; and what percentage of all households that figure represents. | | (157393) | 49
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what funds are available to local authorities for provision under the forthcoming childcare duty. | | (157750) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 50
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, on what date the Transfer of Function Order detailing the changes in his Department was laid before Parliament for approval. | | (157724) | 51
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157763) | 52
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157764) | 53
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157765) | 54
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many hits the (a) most and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157766) | 55
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he expects (a) Leyton and Leytonstone schools and (b) Wanstead and Snaresbrook schools to be included in the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (157832) | 56
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which schools in Greater London are in special measures. | | (157345) | 57
N | Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of children of (a) primary and (b) secondary school age in each London borough attended independent schools in each year since 2003-04. | | (157082) | 58
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, pursuant to the Answer of 26th July 2007, Official Report, column 1413W, on sixth form colleges, how many new sixth form colleges were (a) established, (b) closed and (c) merged with other institutions in each of the last 10 years; and what steps his Department is taking to promote the establishment of new sixth form colleges. | | (157525) | 59
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what his most recent estimate is of the amount of schools' surplus balances which will be clawed back and redistributed in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. | | (157577) | 60
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will publish all guidance issued to local authorities since 1st January 2007 on cash balances held by schools; and if he will make a statement. | | (157589) | 61
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what powers he has to claw back excess cash balances held by (a) academies, (b) trust schools and (c) foundation schools; and if he will make a statement. | | (157590) | 62
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what his most recent estimate is of the excess cash balances held by each school in England. | | (157591) | 63
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment he has made of the legality of clawing back unspent allocations of Standards Fund monies from schools; and if he will make a statement. | | (157592) | 64
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many schools had an excess cash balance in each reporting period from 1997-98 to 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. | | (157594) | 65
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what his latest estimate is of the proportion of cash surpluses held by schools in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08 which represents committed expenditure on future projects; and if he will make a statement. | | (157595) | 66
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what plans he has to fine schools for holding excessive balances; and if he will make a statement. | | (157596) | 67
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, whether he plans to take steps to stop schools from being required to give up a proportion of cash surpluses held by them in 2006-07 which has subsequently been spent; and if he will make a statement. | | (157597) | 68
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what his most recent estimate is of the total surplus cash balances held by schools in each local authority area; and if he will make a statement. | | (157598) | 69
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he plans to make a statement on the redistribution of a proportion of surplus cash balances held by schools on 31st March. | | (157599) | 70
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which Secretary of State has the lead role in delivering the 2010 child poverty target; and if he will make a statement. | | (157600) | 71
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what estimate he has made of the amount of money provided for in the Transition Support programme which will be spent on helping young people with (a) autism and (b) Asperger's syndrome; and if he will make a statement. | | (157340) | 72
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will bring forward proposals to include the teaching of English folk dance and song in the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement. | | (157781) | 73
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which person or body is responsible for promoting community cohesion within schools. | | (157338) | 74
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, who is responsible for monitoring and assessing the degree to which schools are achieving the objective of community cohesion. | | (157339) | 75
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what estimate he has made of the percentage of schools that offer after school activities until 6pm in England, broken down by (a) region and (b) constituency. | | (157728) | 76
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what estimate he has made of the percentage of families who have access to affordable childcare places in England, broken down by (a) region and (b) constituency. | | (157729) | 77
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what definition he uses of affordable childcare; what estimate he has made of the number of affordable childcare places which (a) were required in each of the last 10 years and (b) will be required in future years for which estimates are available; and how many affordable childcare places (i) were available in each of the last 10 years and (ii) he expects to be available in future years for which figures are available. | | (157730) | 78
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what research his Department has conducted into the gender gap in school achievement; and what steps he is taking to close this gap. | | (157751) | 79
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what research the Government has conducted into bullying of (a) transgendered pupils at school and (b) children at school who have one or more transgendered parent. | | (157806) | 80
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what discussions his Department has had with Kent County Council on its plans to close Danley Middle School and sell it for development. | | (156936) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 81
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many receptions have been held by the Cabinet Office since January 2007; on what dates they were held and at which venues; what the purpose was of each; who (a) hosted and (b) paid for each; what the estimated attendance was of each; and what each cost his Office. | | (157767) | 82
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what Civil Service support is available to the Leader of the Opposition. | | (157804) | 83
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157883) | 84
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many staff are seconded to the Cabinet Office from outside government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157884) | 85
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many websites the Cabinet Office operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running the Office's websites in the last five years. | | (157885) | 86
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many hits the (a) most and (b) least popular website run by the Cabinet Office has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157886) | 87
N | Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what contingency preparations his Office made for the possibility of a general election being held in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations. | | (157055) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 88
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of her Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157859) | 89
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many staff are seconded to her Department from outside government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157860) | 90
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many websites her Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running her Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157861) | 91
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many hits the (a) most and (b) least popular website run by her Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157862) | 92
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many local ballots have been held on whether local authorities should convert their housing department to an arm's length management organisation; and what the result of each ballot was, including the percentage of those balloted voting for each option. | | (157320) | 93
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which (a) local authorities and (b) arms length management organisations have been granted approval to bid for Government grants to build new homes; on what dates the respective approvals were made; and what discussions she and the Minister for Housing have had with Welsh Assembly government ministers on extension of permissions to local authorities in Wales to bid for new housing grants. | | (157322) | 94
N | Mr Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much EU assistance in respect of flooding in the UK in 2007 has been (a) committed and (b) spent. | | (156610) | 95
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her Department's estimate is of the marginal cost per household to the developer of installing an average sized domestic solar hot water system in new build housing developments. | | (157350) | 96
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many local planning authorities have adopted policies requiring onsite renewable energy in proposals for major developments. | | (157351) | 97
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which organisations have representatives on (a) the Government's Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce and (b) her Department's Climate Change Planning Policy Statement Sounding Board. | | (157352) | 98
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local planning authorities were invited to the last meeting of her Department's Climate Change Planning Policy Statement Sounding Board. | | (157353) | 99
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many times she has attended meetings with representatives of (a) the Home Builders' Federation and (b) the Renewable Energy Association in the last 12 months. | | (157354) | 100
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many legal challenges have been made to local authorities implementing the Merton Rule requirement for onsite renewable energy in major new developments. | | (157355) | 101
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many developments have been approved in Greater London incorporating (a) the Mayor's requirement for onsite renewable energy as a condition of planning permission and (b) individual boroughs' Merton Rules. | | (157356) | 102
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with her Ministerial colleagues in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on the role of the Merton Rule in delivering the Government's microgeneration strategy; and if she will make a statement. | | (157357) | 103
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will set a target for clearing the backlog of council house repairs. | | (157358) | 104
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many council houses have been transferred to housing association ownership under the large scale voluntary transfer programme; how many were non-decent on the date of transfer; and how many are now non-decent. | | (157359) | 105
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what change there has been in the council housing repair backlog since 2001; how many houses were awaiting repair in 2001; and how many are awaiting repair. | | (157360) | 106
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her most recent estimate is of the number of (a) housing association properties, (b) directly managed properties and (c) arms length management properties which will not meet the decent homes standard by 2010. | | (157395) | 107
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the target of 50 homes set by the West Midlands Regional Housing Board for settlements of less than 10,000 for the three year comprehensive spending review period in addressing housing need in those rural areas. | | (157400) | 108
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the target of 65 homes set by the East of England Regional Housing Board for settlements of less than 10,000 for the three year comprehensive spending review period in addressing housing need in those rural areas. | | (157401) | 109
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if her Department will revise the Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities to classify women fleeing domestic violence as unintentionally homeless and in priority need. | | (157402) | 110
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many tonnes of carbon are emitted each year by an average home built in accordance with (a) current building regulations and (b) the level three energy/carbon standard of the Code for Sustainable Homes. | | (157403) | 111
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the average length of time it takes for a home information pack to be assembled. | | (157405) | 112
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her strategy is for helping unemployed homeless people and people living in unsettled accommodation, including hostels, into employment and independent living. | | (157406) | 113
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to help those living in hostels who are ready to move on to more permanent settled accommodation. | | (157407) | 114
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what measures are in place to ensure that people who move on from hostels into more permanent forms of accommodation receive support in the first few months of their new tenancies. | | (157408) | 115
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how the Government defines people as being homeless. | | (157409) | 116
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to encourage employers to give equal consideration to job applicants with a hostel address. | | (157410) | 117
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to ensure that women living in hostels have privacy and security. | | (157411) | 118
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of residents in hostels are women. | | (157412) | 119
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of hostel places is reserved for women only; and how many (a) women-only hostels and (b) places in women-only hostels there are. | | (157413) | 120
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much was spent on building new affordable homes for rent in the most recent period for which figures are available; how many homes were built in each of the last 15 years; and how many are planned to be built in each of the next three years. | | (157727) | 121
| Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued on (a) mergers and (b) property exchanges between housing associations; and what recent (i) representations she has received and (ii) discussions she has had with (A) the Housing Corporation and (B) the Financial Services Authority on negotiations between the Riverside Group and English Churches Housing Group; and if she will make a statement. | | (157506) | 122
| Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of home inspectors who have become voluntarily redundant; and if she will make a statement. | | (157514) | 123
| Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what procedures she has in place for (a) recording and (b) proceeding against (i) ministers and (ii) staff who breach the ban on smoking in enclosed public places; and if she will make a statement. | | (157515) | 124
| Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Supporting People regime on the choices open to older residents who wish to retain their residential wardens. | | (157742) | 125
| Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effect of the replacement of residential scheme managers with floating support on the level of security and communal support offered to older residents. | | (157743) | 126
| Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consultation has been conducted with older sheltered housing residents on the replacement of residential scheme managers with floating support services. | | (157744) | 127
| Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms there are for older people living in sheltered housing to challenge or complain about support services commissioned under Supporting People. | | (157745) | 128
| Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16th July 2007, Official Report, column 75W, on the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund, what investigations took place into the allegations made against the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, the New Kadampa Tradition and Soka Gakkai International before her Department took the final decision to grant funds to the three organisations from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund. | | (157746) | 129
| Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many older residents who moved into sheltered housing on the basis of having access to a residential warden are having this service removed as a result of Supporting People. | | (157752) | 130
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many times her Department's Neighbourhood Statistics: Housing Data Domain Group has met in the last 12 months. | | (157346) | 131
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in respect of which local plans, broken down by Government Office of the Region, she has made a direction, under paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 8 to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, to not save a local plan policy of protecting the best and most versatile agricultural land. | | (157347) | 132
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her Department's most recent estimate is of the number and proportion of outstanding mortgages which are sub-prime. | | (157348) | 133
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether information on (a) applications and (b) consents for premises selling alcohol or regulated entertainment under the Licensing Act 2003 is (i) required or (ii) at the seller's discretion for inclusion in home information packs. | | (157399) | 134
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 3rd September 2007, Official Report, columns 1682-3W, on Local Government Finance, which years the funding covers for each of the participatory budget pilot areas indicated. | | (157446) | 135
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what changes have been made to planning policy on the protection of the best and most versatile agricultural land since May 1997. | | (157447) | 136
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which planning applications the Minister for Planning in her Department has (a) called in, (b) resolved not to call in, (c) approved and (d) refused (i) between 15th May 2006 and 27th June 2007 and (ii) since 27th June. | | (157448) | 137
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of social tenants were in (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. | | (157449) | 138
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average council tax was (a) per dwelling and (b) on Band D properties in Great Britain in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) 2007-08. | | (157450) | 139
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have used their powers to reduce the council tax discount on (a) empty and (b) second homes; what revised discount rate each of them have set; and how much was raised collectively in extra council tax as a result in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (157451) | 140
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether councils receiving 100 per cent. Bellwin contributions following the recent flooding will have to pay for the Bellwin threshold contribution from their own resources. | | (157452) | 141
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in which locations home information pack dry-runs or pilots were conducted. | | (157453) | 142
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what independent assessments there have been of the home information pack dry-runs and pilots. | | (157454) | 143
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been allocated for redundancy and severance payments to staff members of the (a) Equal Opportunities Commission, (b) Disability Rights Commission and (c) Commission for Racial Equality as part of the creation of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. | | (157455) | 144
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many transactions have been completed for sales under the New Build Homebuy scheme. | | (157456) | 145
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many housing associations in England receive public funding. | | (157457) | 146
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many transactions have been completed for sales under the Open Market Homebuy and Extended Open Market Homebuy schemes. | | (157458) | 147
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) housing associations and (b) local authorities offer the Social Homebuy scheme. | | (157459) | 148
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many individuals have completed a sale to part-own or own their social home under the Social Homebuy scheme. | | (157460) | 149
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether public requests to order disposal apply to empty properties owned by housing associations. | | (157461) | 150
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the FireControl business case has considered the merits of tri-service emergency centres. | | (157462) | 151
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding was allocated from her Department's budget for the (a) Pathways to Work and (b) Train to Gain programmes in 2006-07. | | (157463) | 152
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what total public expenditure was on the (a) Pathways to Work and (b) Train to Gain programmes in 2006-07. | | (157464) | 153
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce legislation to require local ballots on spending decisions by local authorities. | | (157465) | 154
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will (a) break down by subheading and (b) indicate the purpose of the public expenditure under the heading of valuation services listed on page 37 of her Department's resource accounts for 2006-07 (HC 836). | | (157466) | 155
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce legislation to introduce a duty on local authorities to consider petitions. | | (157467) | 156
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has for a concordat between local and central government. | | (157468) | 157
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the average (a) buyer's income and (b) first time buyer's income went into mortgage payments in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the lastest year for which figures are available. | | (157469) | 158
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) interim and (b) full empty dwelling management orders have been issued; and which local authorities have issued them. | | (157470) | 159
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many empty dwelling management orders (EDMOs) have been been approved by residential property tribunals in each month since the introduction of EDMOs. | | (157471) | 160
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to require local authorities to implement citizens' juries. | | (157472) | 161
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will list the planning applications that she has personally (a) called in, (b) resolved not to call in, (c) approved and (d) refused since 27th June. | | (157473) | 162
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will place in the Library a copy of the evaluation reports for the dry-runs and pilots of the Home Information Pack. | | (157474) | 163
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding was allocated to the Planning Delivery Grant programme in each year of its operation. | | (157475) | 164
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her Department's (a) estimate and (b) target is for the annual number of (i) local authority and (ii) housing association Right to Buy sales in England in the next period for which figures are available. | | (157476) | 165
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for her Department (a) to consult on and (b) to decide whether to use the powers in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill if enacted to move the date of the May 2009 local elections to June 2009. | | (157478) | 166
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the risk of (a) co-ordinated terror attacks and (b) collective systems failure at the proposed new nine regional fire control rooms; and if she will make a statement. | | (157479) | 167
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average fire authority precept on Band D council tax was in England in each year since individual precepts were created. | | (157480) | 168
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the locations of the proposed 10 eco-towns are. | | (157481) | 169
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what requirements there are on sellers to update or replace the search element of home information packs when a property is on the market for more than six months. | | (157482) | 170
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether local authority trading standards departments will retain the revenue raised from fines on estate agents for non-compliance with home information pack obligations. | | (157483) | 171
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average precept was for (a) metropolitan councils, (b) county councils, (c) district councils, (d) unitary councils and (e) London boroughs excluding Greater London Authority police and fire on Band D council tax in England in each year from 1997-98 to 2007-08. | | (157484) | 172
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average police and fire levy on Band D council tax in London was in each year from 1997-98 to the creation of the Greater London Authority. | | (157485) | 173
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average Greater London Authority (GLA) precept on Band D council tax was in each year since the creation of the GLA. | | (157486) | 174
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will provide a breakdown of the central government public expenditure by her Department listed as development of English regions on page 36 of her Department's resource accounts for 2006-07 (HC 836). | | (157487) | 175
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to increase the powers of redress for local residents in relation to services provided by local authorities. | | (157488) | 176
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of first time buyers took out mortgages of 100 per cent. or more of the purchase price of the property in the most recent period for which figures are available. | | (157489) | 177
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the names and positons are of the members of the stakeholder working party set up for the home information packs pilot schemes; and on what dates the working party met. | | (157490) | 178
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the £50 million for community cohesion announced in her Department's press release of 6th October is (a) new additional funding, (b) part of an existing funding steam and (c) replacing an existing funding stream; and over what period the funding will be made available. | | (157491) | 179
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, by what criteria allocations will be made to local authorities from the £50 million for community cohesion announced in her Department's press release of 6th October; and whether the funding will be ring-fenced. | | (157492) | 180
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assistance civil servants who are not special advisers provided to her and her Department's Ministers in preparing speeches at the Labour Party Conference in September. | | (157493) | 181
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the budget of the (a) Commission for Racial Equity, (b) Equal Opportunities Commission and (c) Disability Rights Commission was in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (157494) | 182
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will place in the Library copies of the presentation, speech and handouts produced by Valuation Office Agency representatives at the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation Annual Conference on October 2007 on (a) the 2010 revaluation, (b) using automated valuation models for non-domestic assessment and (c) valuing the impossible. | | (157495) | 183
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research has been commissioned by (a) Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders and (b) her Department into property speculation in Pathfinder areas earmarked for demolition. | | (157496) | 184
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will place in the Library copies of the presentation, speech and handouts produced by her Department's representatives at the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation Annual Conference on 10th October 2007 on the challenge of GC and e-connectivity to enable transformation. | | (157497) | 185
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her timetable is for legislating to introduce a supplementary busines rate; and whether primary or secondary legislation will be required. | | (157498) | 186
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which localities are zoned as growth areas; and on what date each was designated as such. | | (157499) | 187
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what areas are designated as new growth point partnership areas. | | (157500) | 188
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will amend planning guidance on mobile telephone masts to make disclosure of mast locations and power levels to a Sitefinder website or equivalent a condition of planning permission. | | (157501) | 189
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it is the Government's intention that regional development agencies will keep part of the revenues raised from planning gain supplement. | | (157502) | 190
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 3rd September 2007, Official Report, column 1683W, on local government finance, whether the funding allocated for participatory budgeting in each of the pilot areas will entirely be allocated according to participation by the public. | | (157503) | 191
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Fareham of 3rd September 2007, Official Report, column 1650W, on departments: training, what the titles were of the conferences that (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in her Department attended from 1st July 2006 to 30th July 2007. | | (157504) | 192
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 3rd September 2007, Official Report, column 1693W, on planning: appeals, how many planning appeals have been considered and ruled upon by the Planning Inspectorate in relation to planning applications for residential development within the curtilage of existing residential development since 1st April; how many were allowed; and how many were dismissed. | | (157505) | 193
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon member for Beckenham of 25th July 2007, Official Report, column 1156W, on the Valuation Office, on what aspects of domestic valuations Cole Layer Trumble are providing consultancy advice. | | (157553) | 194
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon member for Beckenham of 25th July 2007, Official Report, column 1156W, on the Valuation Office, for how long Cole Layer Trumble are contracted to provide consultancy advice to Capgemini. | | (157554) | 195
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon member for Beckenham of 25th July 2007, Official Report, column 751W, on regional government, how many full-time equivalent staff in her Department are assisting each of the regional ministers. | | (157555) | 196
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) services and (b) goods the Valuation Office Agency has purchased from the company Nimbus Partners in the last five years; at what cost; and for what purpose. | | (157558) | 197
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister spent on preparing for the council tax revaluation in England prior to its postponement. | | (157559) | 198
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many of the homes being built in English Partnership's eco-village in Bristol will be zero-carbon. | | (157560) | 199
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many public sector homes in (a) England and (b) each government office region in England were empty in April 2007. | | (157561) | 200
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what methodology is used to distinguish migrant rough sleepers from A2 and A8 countries from tourists for the purposes of rough sleeping counts. | | (157562) | 201
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what cash-releasing efficiency savings her Department has made in the last 12 months; at what cost; and in which divisions. | | (157563) | 202
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research, including opinion research and polling, her Department has (a) undertaken in-house and (b) commissioned from external sources in relation to council tax revaluation in England. | | (157587) | 203
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much revenue was raised from council tax in England in 2006-07 (a) in gross terms and (b) net after council tax benefits; and what the forecast estimates are for 2007-08. | | (157588) | 204
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much her Department spent on (a) champagne and wine and (b) alcohol in the last year for which audited figures are available. | | (157619) | 205
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the average level of household debt. | | (157620) | 206
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the presence of ground source heat pumps would be taken into account in the valuation of a property for business rate purposes by the Valuation Office Agency. | | (157621) | 207
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the market for sales of domestic properties was made up of (a) one bedroom, (b) two bedroom, (c) three bedroom and (d) four bedroom and above dwellings at the latest date for which figures are available. | | (157622) | 208
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to encourage the introduction of choice-based lettings in (a) council housing and (b) housing association stock. | | (157623) | 209
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the budget of the (a) Standards Board for England and (b) Adjudication Panel is for (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09. | | (157624) | 210
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the central government's grant per capita was for each local authority in England in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 2005-06; and what the average grant per capita in (i) district councils, (ii) unitary councils, (iii) county councils, (iv) metropolitan councils and (v) London boroughs was in each of those years. | | (157625) | 211
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many Social Homebuy sale completions have taken place in (a) housing association properties and (b) local authority properties. | | (157626) | 212
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the ratio between the mean average price of a house for first time buyers and mean average household income was in (a) England and (b) each Government Office Region in England in (i) 1997 or the earliest time after that for which figures are available and (ii) the most recent period for which figures are available. | | (157627) | 213
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many public sector domestic dwellings were vacant in (a) England and (b) each Government Office Region in England in April. | | (157628) | 214
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislation to protect the viewing corridor of St Paul's Cathedral from Richmond Park. | | (157629) | 215
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has for local elections in the areas where unitary bids have been approved. | | (157635) | 216
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total cost was to the public purse of the Balance of Funding Review. | | (157636) | 217
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has given to local planning authorities on planning permission for polytunnels; and if she will make a statement. | | (157637) | 218
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimates were made when drafting the home information pack regulations of the number of (a) appeals to the County Court and (b) debt recovery actions in relation to home information pack fines. | | (157638) | 219
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of first-time buyers making purchases in the housing market in England in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (157639) | 220
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the (a) total budget and (b) estimated administration costs are of each Government Office for the Region in England in 2007-08. | | (157640) | 221
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of local government revenue expenditure in England was financed through council tax in each year since 1996-97. | | (157641) | 222
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated revenue is from business rates in England in 2007-08. | | (157642) | 223
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the administrative cost was of the Audit Commission in each year since 1996. | | (157643) | 224
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated average parish council precept on Band D council tax was in 2007-08. | | (157644) | 225
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much parish precepts on council tax are estimated to raise across England in 2007-08. | | (157645) | 226
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the date is for the transfer of regional planning responsibilities from the regional chambers to the regional development agencies. | | (157646) | 227
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which public authorities, including executive agencies and government departments, will have access to the data from the electronic communications of building control documents. | | (157647) | 228
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to prevent waste collection authorities from making charges additional to council tax for providing bin bags. | | (157648) | 229
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons her Department has declined to give local authorities greater powers to use temporary stop notices to tackle unauthorised development in relation to caravans on unauthorised sites. | | (157649) | 230
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to conduct a review of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE); and what changes are planned for the design and building standards on which CABE advises. | | (157650) | 231
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to issue a formal response to the Quirk review of Community Management and Ownership of Assets. | | (157651) | 232
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department and its taskforces have made of the (a) direct and (b) indirect costs of local government inspection to (i) central government and (ii) local government. | | (157652) | 233
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many deliberate road vehicle fires there were in England in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (157653) | 234
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the revenue from planning fees in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2006-07. | | (157654) | 235
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to what Parliamentary procedure the implementation orders for local government restructuring will be subject. | | (157655) | 236
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations her Department received from the Audit Commission to reform sections 15 and 16 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 in relation to the inspection of accounts and the fees levied on parish councils for carrying out such inspections. | | (157656) | 237
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which fire authorities in England and Wales have tri-service centres. | | (157657) | 238
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many times the Audit Commission has charged a parish council for inspecting and auditing complaints about accounts made by members of the public under sections 15 and 16 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 in each year since 1998; and what total revenue has been raised from parish councils for such services. | | (157658) | 239
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations her Department has received calling for buffer zones between domestic dwellings and open cast mines; and if she will make a statement. | | (157659) | 240
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether planning permission is required for the docking and location of a prison ship. | | (157660) | 241
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which (a) mortgage lenders and (b) solicitors she has been informed do not accept personal searches included in a home information pack. | | (157661) | 242
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the projected budget is for the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights in its first full year of operation. | | (157662) | 243
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many planning applications decided by the First Secretary of State involving development on the Green Belt have been (a) approved and (b) rejected since the creation of the Department for Communities and Local Government; and if she will list the location and type of each development. | | (157663) | 244
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated expenditure is on redundancy compensation as a consequence of the forthcoming local government restructuring and establishment of unitary local government. | | (157664) | 245
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation in relation to the proposed local government restructuring and establishment of unitary local government. | | (157665) | 246
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what use is made of damping mechanisms in the allocation of formula grants to local authorities; and if she will make a statement. | | (157666) | 247
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on what date she expects the next Local Government Finance Settlement statement to take place. | | (157667) | 248
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether her proposals for enabling electronic communication of building control documents will include data on specific domestic properties which undertake building control work. | | (157668) | 249
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by her Department in (a) April 2006 and (b) April 2007. | | (157669) | 250
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many full-time equivalent posts in her Department have been relocated out of London and the South East in the last 12 months; in which divisions; and to what locations. | | (157670) | 251
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what risk and contingent liabilities her Department has allowed for in relation to potential fines from the European Commission for not correcting the deficiencies in the allocation of European Regional Development Fund funds and potential fraud. | | (157671) | 252
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what delays have occurred in meeting (a) milestones and (b) targets in relation to the Firelink contract. | | (157672) | 253
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reason her Department failed to meet its service delivery agreement target for paying undisputed bills on time in 2006-07. | | (157673) | 254
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what targets local authorities will have to meet to receive housing and planning delivery grant. | | (157674) | 255
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assumed council tax collection rate is used by her Department in the grant distribution formula; and whether this assumed rate varies according to the type of local authority. | | (157675) | 256
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what statistics her Department collects on the amount and proportion of unpaid council tax which is written off. | | (157676) | 257
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much housing renewal grant funding was allocated to the demolition of properties in each Pathfinder area in each year since 2004-05; and what the estimated figures are for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09. | | (157677) | 258
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the most recent (a) actual and (b) estimated outputs are for (i) demolitions, (ii) repairs, improvements and refurbishments and (iii) new builds in each of the housing market renewal pathfinder areas in (A) 2004-05, (B) 2005-06, (C) 2006-07, (D) 2007-08 and (E) 2008-09. | | (157678) | 259
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department and its agencies have made of the proportion of residential planning applications granted each year which are not commenced. | | (157679) | 260
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department and its agencies have made of the amount and proportion of land-banking by property developers in the form of not initiating developments which have been granted planning permission. | | (157680) | 261
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance (a) her Department and its predecessor and (b) the Standards Board of England have provided to local authorities and their members on whether donations to political parties by developers should be declared as an interest by those councillors of that political party when they consider planning or licensing applications connected to that developer. | | (157681) | 262
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment has she made of the reasons for the lack of commercial viability of the Planning Portal. | | (157682) | 263
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what targets her Department sets for local authorities, including under the Public Service Agreement, Local Area Agreement and Best Value Performance Indicator regimes, in relation to the (a) number of benefit awards and (b) number of unclaimed benefits. | | (157683) | 264
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her Department's policy is on staff members flying (a) first class, (b) business class and (c) economy class. | | (157684) | 265
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much her Department spent in total on travel, subsistence and hospitality in the last year for which audited figures are available. | | (157685) | 266
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the elections for the new unitary councils and operation of the shadow unitary councils. | | (157686) | 267
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many ministerial cars are allocated to her Department by the Government Car and Despatch Agency. | | (157687) | 268
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance has been provided by her Department on charging for entry to homeless shelters. | | (157688) | 269
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on external public relations consultants and companies in the last 24 months; and for what purposes. | | (157689) | 270
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the Government Office for London's estimate was of the total cost to the public purse of the Greater London Authority's City Hall over the duration of the 25 year lease, based on the final contract signed by her Department's predecessor. | | (157690) | 271
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what percentage of invoices for undisputed bills for her Department were paid within 30 days of receipt of the invoice, or within the contractual term if less, in 2006-07; and what the target was for prompt payment of invoices. | | (157691) | 272
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether an energy performance certificate for a private sector rental property which does not already have a certificate will be required when an existing rental contract is renewed. | | (157692) | 273
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on what date the resource accounts for her Department for 2006-07 were published. | | (157693) | 274
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to make additional retrospective payments to councils under the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme following the successful judicial review proceedings brought against it. | | (157694) | 275
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many invitations to tender her Department and its predecessor have issued since 2002; and for what purpose in each case. | | (157695) | 276
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average Band D council tax for a (a) standard two-person adult household and (b) one-person adult household was in England in each year since 1997-98. | | (157696) | 277
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to tackle gazumping. | | (157697) | 278
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether councils which have poor (a) council tax and (b) business rates collection rates receive lower total funding after the adjustments of equalisation; and whether councils with above-average collection rates are allowed to keep the additional income after the adjustments of equalisation. | | (157698) | 279
| Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham, of 25th July 2007, Official Report, column 1139W, on Departments: carbon emissions, how many individual flights were offset; and what proportion were outside the European Union. | | (157847) | 280
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance she is giving to local authorities on the implications of the Government's policy of promoting the role of the third sector in delivering services for the transfer or sale of buildings and other assets to voluntary organisations. | | (157579) | 281
N | Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what contingency preparations her Department made for the possibility of a general election being held in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations. | | (157053) | 282
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she plans to make it a requirement for local authorities to accept applications from members of HM Armed Forces for social housing on leaving the services; and if she will make a statement. | | (157786) | 283
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will provide additional finance to local authorities with military bases in their area to enable them to offer social housing to members of HM Armed Forces when they leave the services; and if she will make a statement. | | (157787) | 284
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities do not discriminate against members of HM Armed Forces applying for social housing who have left the services earlier than the period for which they had signed up. | | (157788) | 285
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans to produce the proposed race equality duty toolkit. | | (157759) | 286
| David Tredinnick (Bosworth):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent representations she has received on the Planning White Paper. | | (157442) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 287
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157887) | 288
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157888) | 289
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157889) | 290
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many hits the (a) most and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157890) | 291
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much grant money has been awarded to each county council in England for arts projects in the last five years. | | (157330) | 292
| Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the locations are of the overseas offices of (a) Visit Scotland and (b) Visit Wales. | | (157303) | 293
| Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding his Department provided to (a) Visit Scotland and (b) Visit Wales in each of the last five years. | | (157304) | 294
| Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funds were provided for the promotion of Great Britain as a tourist destination abroad in the last year for which figures are available; and how much was provided in each year since 1997. | | (157306) | 295
| Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether a process is available for Milton Keynes to open a casino; and if he will make a statement. | | (157311) | 296
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) adults and (b) children came to events organised with the Portable Antiquities Scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement. | | (157361) | 297
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many finds were (a) identified and (b) recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement. | | (157362) | 298
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the balance is of the Big Lottery Fund; and how much of the balance is (a) committed and (b) uncommitted. | | (156927) | 299
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to help cricket clubs affected by the summer floods. | | (156928) | 300
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make a statement on the future of Sportsmatch. | | (156929) | 301
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make a statement on the future of the National Sports Foundation and its funding levels. | | (156930) | 302
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 12th September 2007, Official Report, column 2140W on cricket: floods, if he will provide an update on Sport England funding to cricket clubs affected by flooding. | | (156931) | 303
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to promote English folk dance and song; and if he will make a statement. | | (157782) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 304
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the role is of RAF Blenheim Crescent; and for what reason it was divested to the United States Air Force on 1st October 2007. | | (157777) | 305
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many US (a) Army, (b) Navy, (c) Marines, (d) Airforce, (e) civilians and (f) contractors are working at RAF Blenheim Crescent. | | (157778) | 306
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the UK and US governments on the formal use of RAF Menwith Hill in the American Missile Defense System; and if he will place a copy in the Library. | | (157779) | 307
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether approval has been granted for the main gate business case for the Defence Nuclear Weapons Transportation Continuation project. | | (157793) | 308
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the option to use a refurbished truck cargo heavy duty trailer for future high security vehicle or special nuclear material movements is still under consideration. | | (157794) | 309
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether in-house provision of the service for the road transport of nuclear weapons by HM Naval Base Clyde is still under consideration. | | (157795) | 310
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason it is his Department's policy that convoys carrying special nuclear materials should not look the same as convoys carrying nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement. | | (157796) | 311
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what definition his Department uses of (a) special nuclear materials and (b) other radioactive materials. | | (157797) | 312
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what involvement the UK has in Exercise Vigilant Shield '08; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the UK of the exercise. | | (157799) | 313
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157863) | 314
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157864) | 315
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157865) | 316
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) the least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157866) | 317
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what role is played by British troops deployed in Basra in respect of (a) escorting convoys delivering materials to the United States forces deployed around Baghdad and other areas of central and northern Iraq and (b) cleaning up and remediating areas contaminated by the use of depleted uranium munitions used by coalition forces. | | (157323) | 318
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the contribution made to greenhouse gas emissions of the deployment of British military forces in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq. | | (157324) | 319
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what new (a) cluster munitions and (b) weapons employing explosive submunitions the Government is in the process of (i) developing and (ii) procuring. | | (157363) | 320
| Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK infantry units in Afghanistan are not equipped with the Blue Force tracker system. | | (157305) | 321
N | Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the reduction of British forces from 4,500 to 4,000 mentioned in the Prime Minister's statement on Iraq, 8th October, Official Report, columns 21-38, will result in the difference of 500 troops being (a) sent home to the United Kingdom or (b) to another base outside Iraq but still in the region; and if he will make a statement. | | (157145) | 322
N | Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what date the 500 British Armed Forces logistics personnel mentioned in the Prime Minister's statement on Iraq of 8th October, Official Report, columns 21-38, will enter the area of operations. | | (157146) | 323
N | Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cap badge is of the military personnel performing force protection duties at Basra airfield. | | (157147) | 324
N | Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, at what location the 500 British armed forces logistics personnel mentioned in the Prime Minister's statement on Iraq of 8th October, Official Report, columns 21-38, will be stationed. | | (157148) | 325
N | Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what date British forces will total 4,000 personnel in Iraq. | | (157149) | 326
N | Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he was first informed by the Prime Minister that the Prime Minister would be providing details on 1st October of the reduction in UK troop numbers in Iraq. | | (157087) | 327
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the 140 Mastiff vehicles whose purchase was announced by the Prime Minister on 8th October 2007 will be (a) delivered and (b) in use by frontline troops in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan. | | (157155) | 328
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason no debate, consultation or oral statement took place in the House before the decision announced in his written statement of 25th July to allow the installation and operation by the US Administration of equipment to allow receipt of satellite warnings of potentially hostile missile launches at RAF Menwith Hill; and whether any intelligence received via the installation will be made available to the United Kingdom at the same time as to the United States. | | (157315) | 329
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the age is of each Sea King helicopter operated by the Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (157575) | 330
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many hours of service and maintenance were needed to support one hour of flying for the Sea King helicopter fleet in each year from 1990-91 to 2006-07; what his estimate is of the equivalent figure for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. | | (157576) | 331
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the future role of RNAS Yeovilton. | | (157593) | 332
N | Mr Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Defence Estates charges commission on the proceeds of fundraising activities undertaken by forces families conducted within the curtilage of its properties; and if he will make a statement. | | (156837) | 333
N | Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel serving in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in each of the last four years were returned to the UK for treatment to their injuries arising out of their duties for which figures are available. | | (156924) | 334
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British Army personnel tested positive after compulsory drug testing using urine samples for (a) cocaine only, (b) ecstasy only, (c) cannabis only and (d) any drug in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2006, broken down by the day of the week on which the sample was obtained. | | (157335) | 335
| Patrick Mercer (Newark):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the principal conclusions are of the 12 month study by the Directorate of Army personnel strategy begun in April 2006, with particular reference to the reasons given for drug use by those who tested positive for (a) cannabis only, (b) ecstasy only and (c) cocaine only. | | (157337) | 336
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on requiring local authorities to accept applications from members of HM Armed Forces for social housing on leaving the services; and if he will make a statement. | | (157785) | 337
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to contribute his Department's funds towards the (a) capital cost and (b) revenue expenditure of civilian hospitals and other civilian health service facilities and services provided by the National Health Sevice and used extensively by members of HM armed forces; and if he will make a statement. | | (157805) | 338
| Mr Mike Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Merchant Marine have been awarded a war pension due to injuries or illness suffered in the Pacific area during nuclear tests. | | (157827) | 339
| Mr Mike Weir (Angus):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the rationale is for treating members of the Merchant Marine acting alongside UK forces and service personnel differently in relation to qualification for war pensions. | | (157828) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 340
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the state of readiness of the British egg industry to implement the Laying Hens Directive, with particular reference to the banning of battery cages for egg production from 2012. | | (157718) | 341
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the release of the report on the progress of the transition towards the ban on battery cages for egg production due to come into effect in 2012. | | (157719) | 342
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the Laying Hens Directive will have on the number of eggs imported into the UK from outside the EU; and if he will make a statement. | | (157720) | 343
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what policy line he took at the 14th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on the sale of stockpiled ivory. | | (157775) | 344
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many ships departing from UK ports since 1st January 2007 carrying live animals have been subject to inspection for animal welfare purposes; and what percentage of sailings this constitutes. | | (157789) | 345
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157871) | 346
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157872) | 347
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157873) | 348
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) the least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157874) | 349
| Gordon Banks (Ochil and South Perthshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he intends to assess the effectiveness of the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative in respect of small and local meat producers. | | (157329) | 350
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of methods to decontaminate surplus wood of toxic preservatives prior to being burned in commercial wood-burning furnaces or power plants. | | (157321) | 351
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make a statement on progress towards a cattle vaccine for (a) foot and mouth disease, (b) blue tongue and (c) bovine TB. | | (157365) | 352
| Paul Holmes (Chesterfield):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government expects flood defences to be put in place for the river (a) Whitting, (b) Hipper and (c) Rother. | | (157398) | 353
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which officials in his Department have been responsible for the inspection and licensing of Pirbright laboratories in each year since 2002; and whether those officials remain in post. | | (157316) | 354
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what time period elapsed between the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease and cessation of work on dangerous viruses at the Pirbright laboratories. | | (157521) | 355
N | Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the National Farmers Union of Scotland on the outbreaks of (i) foot and mouth and (ii) blue tongue disease. | | (157150) | 356
N | Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Ministers or officials of the Scottish Executive to discuss the outbreak of (i) foot and mouth and (ii) blue tongue disease; and if he will make a statement. | | (157151) | 357
N | Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations (a) he and (b) his officials have received from (i) Ministers and (ii) officials of the Scottish Executive on compensation available to farmers in Scotland following the outbreak of (A) foot and mouth and (B) blue tongue disease; and if he will make a statement. | | (157152) | 358
N | Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received from the National Farmers Union of Scotland on compensation for losses suffered as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak. | | (157153) | 359
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what legislation regulates the use of wild animals in travelling circuses; and if he will make a statement. | | (157343) | 360
N | Mr Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times the Institute for Animal Health sites at Pirbright and Compton were inspected in each of the last five years; who carried out these inspections; what results and recommendations were made following each of these visits; and whether either of the sites have suffered flooding which resulted in the deliberate or accidental release of hazardous waste during that period. | | (156932) | 361
N | David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to support the introduction of the prohibition on battery cages in 2012 contained in the 1999 EU Laying Hens Directive. | | (157050) | 362
| Bill Wiggin (Leominster):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3rd September 2007, Official Report, column 1800W, on fisheries: protection, what factors were taken into account in deciding to reduce the number of patrol days per year; and what the basis was for the assessment that the operational needs could be delivered through fewer days. | | (157564) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 363
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in UK embassies have been seconded from outside Government; from which company or outside body each has been seconded; and to which embassy each secondment has taken place. | | (157774) | 364
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157899) | 365
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157901) | 366
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157902) | 367
| Gordon Banks (Ochil and South Perthshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on the recent jailing and fining of independent journalists and editors-in-chief in Egypt. | | (157328) | 368
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the security situation in Chechnya. | | (157570) | 369
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received from Russia on co-operation with United Kingdom authorities to address the conflict in Chechnya; and if he will make a statement. | | (157571) | 370
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of support for rebel groups in Chechnya from UK (a) assets, (b) groups and (c) individuals; and if he will make a statement. | | (157572) | 371
| Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods (City of Durham):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the Israeli government on the continuing imprisonment of Mordecai Vanunu in that country. | | (157318) | 372
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list all gifts made by former UK Ambassador to the United States Sir David Manning to members of the US Administration which were financed by the UK Exchequer; what the cost was of each gift; and if he will make a statement. | | (157824) | 373
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost to the public purse was of the function organised by UK Ambassador to the US Sir David Manning to mark the 50th birthday of Condoleezza Rice; and what the cost of the dress presented to her on that occasion was. | | (157825) | 374
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made at the United Nations for a comprehensive and mandatory arms embargo on Burma. | | (157831) | 375
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will review the visa applications of the Palestine under-19 football squad. | | (157312) | 376
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the situation in (a) Darfur and (b) Kardofan. | | (157368) | 377
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Sudan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack on African Union troops at Haskanita, South Darfur. | | (157369) | 378
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with contributing nations to the African Union Force to persuade them not to withdraw troops from the African Union Mission in Sudan force in Darfur. | | (157370) | 379
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to assist in bringing peace to Abyei in Sudan. | | (157371) | 380
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made in the case of the Ethiopian anti-poverty campaigners Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, who are currently in gaol. | | (157534) | 381
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proposals have been put forward for the creation of an international contact group for Iraq with a permanent secretariat; and what the UK's policy is on the proposals. | | (157383) | 382
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the case for appointing an International Coordinator for Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. | | (157384) | 383
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government supports recent US proposals to increase the spraying of opium fields in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. | | (157385) | 384
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to prepare a long-term economic recovery package for Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. | | (157386) | 385
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the officials who will attend the EU-AU Summit in Lisbon on behalf of the United Kingdom. | | (157387) | 386
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects the appointment of a European envoy for Zimbabwe to be agreed by the EU; and if he will make a statement. | | (157388) | 387
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is the Government's policy that Zimbabwean Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono be put on the EU list of those subject to an EU travel ban and assets freeze. | | (157522) | 388
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in Government efforts to seek the extradition from Russia of Mr Andrei Lugovoy in connection with the murder of Mr Alexander Litvinenko. | | (157529) | 389
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21st June 2007, Official Report, columns 2212-3W, on Palestinians: politics and government, what decisions have been made on the future UK contribution to strengthening the Palestinian security forces; and if he will make a statement. | | (157532) | 390
| Mr Nick Hurd (Ruislip-Northwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the expenditure on Chevening Scholarships was in each year since 1997. | | (157556) | 391
| Mr Nick Hurd (Ruislip-Northwood):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many Chevening scholarships were awarded in each year since 1997, broken down by country of origin of recipients. | | (157557) | 392
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will ensure that the bill to give effect to the terms of the European Treaty will be drafted in such a way as to ensure that amendments requiring a referendum to be held before the enactment of the bill are within the scope of the bill. | | (157217) | 393
| Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10th October 2007, Official Report, on private military security companies, which private military security companies have been employed by the Government in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan; what monitoring of those companies and their actions is carried out by the Government; under what terms the Government can terminate a contract; how many times private military security companies employed by the Government in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan were involved in weapons fire which has resulted in civilian casualties in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement. | | (157810) | 394
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the provision of support and information to the US Administration in relation to the investigation of terrorism and the questioning of suspects. | | (157344) | 395
N | Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government took in assessing the assurances of the US authorities over the non-use of Diego Garcia for the rendition of detainees suspected of involvement in terrorism, with reference to the Answer of 26th October 2006, Official Report, column 2076W, on British Indian Ocean Territory; what contribution the UK made to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights reports on secret detentions and illegal transfers of detainees involving Council of Europe member states; what steps the Government took to ascertain whether the (a) processing and (b) other administration relating to the rendition of detainees has been undertaken on Diego Garcia by US agencies; and if he will make a statement. | | (157081) | 396
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the full reopening of the town of Famagusta; and if he will make a statement. | | (157332) | 397
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when an official from the British High Commission in Cyprus last visited the closed area of Famagusta; and what reports of that visit he received. | | (157333) | 398
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of Famagusta Mr Alexis Galanos on his campaign to see the full reopening of the town of Famagusta; and if he will make a statement. | | (157334) | 399
N | Mr Robert Walter (North Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the fate of rare mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park. | | (156725) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 400
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidelines his Department has issued to ensure that complete independence and objectivity apply to all General Medical Council disciplinary hearings; and if he will make a statement. | | (157773) | 401
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157891) | 402
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157892) | 403
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157893) | 404
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157894) | 405
N | Peter Bottomley (Worthing West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the (a) Library, (b) Vote Office and (c) post to the hon. Member for Worthing West the full report, including annexes and appendices, of the 12th July final report of the Douglas review on Doctors' Training Posts and Modernising Medical Careers. | | (157218) | 406
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment has been made of the possible effects of skin-lightening products on health; and if he will make a statement. | | (157826) | 407
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will assess the latest evidence for testing pregnant women for group B streptococcus; and if he will make a statement. | | (157834) | 408
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiographers are employed by each NHS trust; what change each figure represents on the previous year; and what plans he has to improve the retention of MRI radiographers. | | (157366) | 409
| Natascha Engel (North East Derbyshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the NHS per patient of (a) long-acting reversible contraceptives and (b) other forms of contraception in the next five years. | | (157307) | 410
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the availability of retinal screening for diabetes patients in (a) Royston, Hertfordshire and (b) Hertfordshire. | | (157510) | 411
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether retinal screening for diabetes patients in Hertfordshire met the required standards in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. | | (157511) | 412
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of diabetes patients in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) England went blind in the last year for which figures are available; what trends he expects in these numbers in the future; and if he will make a statement. | | (157517) | 413
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of breast cancer screening for those considered high risk in Hertfordshire. | | (157518) | 414
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place a note in the Library updating that of January 2004 on the costs of free personal care. | | (157780) | 415
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many roadside births have taken place (a) in England and (b) in each primary care trust area in each year since 1997. | | (157396) | 416
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many adverse events have been recorded in NHS maternity services (a) in England and (b) in each strategic health authority area in each year since 1997, broken down by type of adverse event. | | (157397) | 417
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average (a) response time for emergency ambulance call-outs and (b) time before admission to hospital following emergency call out was in West Sussex Primary Care Trust in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (157440) | 418
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22nd May 2007, Official Report, columns 1227-8W, on accident and emergency departments, whether the advice on catchment population size applies to West Sussex. | | (157445) | 419
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if (a) he, (b) Lord Darzi and (c) the Chief Executive of the NHS will visit Worthing Hospital. | | (157840) | 420
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) full-time equivalent and (b) headcount (i) district nurses and (ii) midwives were employed by the NHS in each year since 1997; and what steps he is taking to increase the number employed by the NHS in each case. | | (157601) | 421
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the implications of stigma surrounding mental health in England; and if he will make a statement. | | (157605) | 422
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many suicides were committed by those with mental illness in England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (157606) | 423
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many beds were available in England for those with mental health problems in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (157607) | 424
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients in England with mental health problems were prescribed (a) drug and (b) psychological treatment in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (157608) | 425
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many representations his Department received from the voluntary sector about mental illness in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (157609) | 426
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dentists doing NHS work were practising in East Lancashire in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) at the latest date for which figures are available. | | (157580) | 427
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) paramedics and (b) paramedics in training there are in Lancashire; and how many there were in each year since 2000. | | (157584) | 428
| Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to improve specialist services for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. | | (157526) | 429
| Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has for further medical and scientific research into the cause or causes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. | | (157527) | 430
| Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what medical research his Department has funded into the cause or causes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis since 1997. | | (157528) | 431
| Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of services provided by the NHS for people with myasthenia gravis; and if he will make a statement. | | (157382) | 432
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the annual number of patients that are likely to be admitted to Central Middlesex Birthing Centre. | | (157372) | 433
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were admitted to Central Middlesex Birthing Centre in each year since it was opened. | | (157373) | 434
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the future of the Central Middlesex Birthing Centre. | | (157374) | 435
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of MRSA were reported in (a) each London hospital and (b) each London primary care trust in each of the last five years. | | (157375) | 436
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of staffing costs were spent on agency staff in each London primary care trust in each of the last five years. | | (157376) | 437
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent on agency staff by each NHS trust in London in each of the last five years. | | (157377) | 438
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of building and equipping Central Middlesex Birthing Centre. | | (157380) | 439
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting times were for (a) general surgery, (b) ear, nose and throat surgery, (c) neurosurgery, (d) geriatric medicine and (e) general medicine in each London primary care trust in each of the last five years. | | (157390) | 440
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the population in each London borough are registered with a (a) dentist and (b) GP practice. | | (157391) | 441
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women had to wait longer than (a) two weeks, (b) one month and (c) four months to be screened for breast cancer after referral by a GP in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by London borough. | | (157630) | 442
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time is for a patient to be seen at a London Breast Screening Unit after referral by a GP. | | (157631) | 443
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) caretakers, (b) hospital porters and (c) cleaners were employed by each London Primary Care Trust in each year since 1997. | | (157633) | 444
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses were employed in each London Borough in each year since 1997. | | (157634) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 445
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what average percentage of their time police officers in Sussex Police spent (a) completing paperwork and (b) on patrol in each of the last five years. | | (157798) | 446
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of her Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157895) | 447
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff are seconded to her Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157896) | 448
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many websites her Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running her Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157897) | 449
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) the least popular website run by her Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157898) | 450
N | John Barrett (Edinburgh West):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make a statement on the incidence of identity theft. | | (156886) | 451
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the manpower levels are of the Northamptonshire Police Force; and what she estimates they will be after the conclusion of the ongoing review of the force. | | (157614) | 452
N | Mr Jeremy Browne (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Taunton of 12th June, Official Report, column 977W, on stop and search, what the equivalent figures for each individual police force area were in each year since the introduction of the Terrorism Act 2000. | | (156480) | 453
N | Mr Jeremy Browne (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Taunton of 12th June, Official Report, column 977W, on stop and search, what the (a) gender, (b) ethnicity and (c) age was of each person stopped under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. | | (156481) | 454
N | Mr Jeremy Browne (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times police armed response units were deployed in each police force area in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years; and how many and what percentage of those incidents resulted in a police officer discharging their weapon. | | (156482) | 455
N | Mr Jeremy Browne (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of persons were stopped and searched under the Terrorism Act 2000 (a) at airports, (b) on London Underground and (c) at train stations in each of the last 10 years. | | (156483) | 456
N | Mr Jeremy Browne (Taunton):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what targets the Government has set in relation to stop and search by police officers in England and Wales. | | (156484) | 457
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the outcome was of the meeting at Heathrow on 30th July of police and their oversight bodies from around the UK and representatives of her Department and the Department for Transport to discuss a common approach to police-industry service agreements covering security, resourcing and costs. | | (157829) | 458
| Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what account is taken in the manning formula for Bournemouth police of the number of visitors to Bournemouth every weekend. | | (157308) | 459
| Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of funding for additional policing during the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth was provided by the Government. | | (157309) | 460
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many acceptable behaviour contracts were (a) made and (b) breached in each of the last five years. | | (157381) | 461
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has for further development of the national DNA database. | | (157415) | 462
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to re-organise the Government's Forensic Service. | | (157533) | 463
N | Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportation recommendations conducive to the public good were made by (a) criminal courts and (b) her Department in each of the last six months; how many were appealed against (i) successfully and (ii) unsuccessfully in each month; how many persons were deported in each month; and how many persons are currently awaiting deportation following such recommendations. | | (157063) | 464
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to address the differential conviction rates for rape in different police force areas. | | (157748) | 465
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the percentage conviction rate was for reported rapes in each police force area in England and Wales in the last period for which figures are available. | | (157749) | 466
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many sexual assault referral centres there are in each police force area in England and Wales (a) in absolute terms and (b) per thousand population. | | (157753) | 467
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many rape crisis centres there are in each police force area in England and Wales (a) in absolute terms and (b) per thousand population. | | (157762) | 468
N | David Taylor (North West Leicestershire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make a statement on police force collaboration in the East Midlands. | | (157084) | 469
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to recruit more police in Brent; and if she will make a statement. | | (157378) | 470
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unfilled police vacancies there are in each London borough. | | (157379) | 471
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been seconded to the Metropolitan Police for counter-terrorism duties from regional police forces; and what the cost has been (a) in total and (b) for each regional police force concerned. | | (157319) | 472
N | Pete Wishart (Perth and North Perthshire):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) meetings she has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish Executive and (b) discussions her Department has had with the Scottish Executive on proposals to (i) introduce restrictions on the use of airguns and (ii) require licensing of all new sales of airguns; and if she will make a statement. | | (156841) | Questions to the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 473
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will replace the envelopes used to deliver the Vote to hon. Members with reusable mail pouches. | | (157776) | 474
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what square footage of (a) office space and (b) other space is available to the Leader of the Opposition on the Parliamentary Estate. | | (157803) | 475
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the efficiency rating is of refrigerators installed in hon. Members' offices in Portcullis House; and what advice is issued to hon. Members about maximising the efficiency of those refrigerators. | | (157585) | 476
N | Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what contingency preparations the House authorities made for the possibility of a general election being held in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations. | | (157051) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 477
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, on what date the Transfer of Function Order detailing the changes in his Department was laid before Parliament for approval. | | (157721) | 478
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157854) | 479
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157855) | 480
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157856) | 481
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157857) | 482
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the estimated total cost of re-branding is expected to be following the formation of his Department. | | (157858) | 483
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, whether the Kelvin Business School is an accredited establishment for (a) educational and (b) visa application purposes; and if he will make a statement. | | (157537) | 484
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much was spent on Train to Gain brokers in 2006-07; and what percentage of the Train to Gain budget for that year this figure represents. | | (157616) | 485
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many skills brokers working through the Train to Gain programme received public funding in 2006-07; what their performance targets were; how many and what amount of payments were related to their performance; and how their performance was assessed and measured. | | (157617) | 486
| Mr David Willetts (Havant):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much he expects to be spent on Train to Gain brokers in 2007-08; and what percentage of the Train to Gain budget for the year this figure represents. | | (157618) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 487
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157875) | 488
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157876) | 489
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157877) | 490
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157878) | 491
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries the Government expects (a) to meet and (b) not to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. | | (157331) | 492
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) financial and (b) other support he has made available to African countries affected by the recent flooding, broken down by country. | | (157535) | 493
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with the World Food Programme on the recent flooding in Africa. | | (157536) | 494
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21st June 2007, Official Report, column 1980W, on humanitarian aid: Gaza, what representations have been received from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East regarding the movement of humanitarian supplies through Gaza's border with Israel; and if he will make a statement. | | (157524) | 495
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 16th July 2007, Official Report, column 138W, on Palestinians: international assistance, what progress has been made by the EU towards urgently developing the conditions for direct practical and financial assistance to the Palestinian Emergency Government; and what the UK role has been in this regard. | | (157530) | 496
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 16th July 2007, Official Report, column 138W, on Palestinians: international assistance, what agreement has been reached on EU financial assistance for the Palestinian Emergency Government; and if he will make a statement. | | (157531) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice 497
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date the Transfer of Function Order detailing the changes in his Department was laid before Parliament for approval. | | (157722) | 498
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157768) | 499
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157769) | 500
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many websites his Department currently operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157770) | 501
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157771) | 502
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much money a prisoner is allowed to send out of his account to those outside prison in the form of a cash disbursement; what the purpose of a prisoner cash disbursement is; what level of authorisation is required for one; whether they are used as a means of intelligence gathering at HM Prison Service establishments; and if he will make a statement. | | (157566) | 503
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals against dismissal have been upheld by the Prison Service Area Manager for London since he took up his post; and if he will make a statement. | | (157567) | 504
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential link between prisoner cash disbursements and trafficking; and if he will make a statement. | | (157573) | 505
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many investigations are ongoing at HM Prison Service Investigation Support Unit; what proportion of these are staff disciplinary matters; and if he will make a statement. | | (157574) | 506
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 23rd July 2007, Official Report, column 791W, on the Prison Service: Professional Standards Unit, whether an independent appeals process is available to address concerns about the standards of a commissioning authority; and if he will make a statement. | | (157716) | 507
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 23rd July 2007, Official Report, column 791W, on the Prison Service: Professional Standards Unit, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that a commissioning authority meets its obligations and has made the appropriate quality checks; and if he will make a statement. | | (157717) | 508
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 5th June 2007, Official Report, column 381W, on Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre, whether serious assaults are recorded separately from other assaults under the PSIMOn system; and if he will make a statement. | | (157841) | 509
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what future funding is planned for youth offending teams; and what change this represents compared with current levels. | | (157830) | 510
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners died of a drugs overdose or drugs related illness whilst on early release in each of the last three years. | | (157844) | 511
N | Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration will reply to the letter of 31st July from the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham. | | (157083) | 512
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether there are plans to require parties in children's cases to attend a meeting with a mediator. | | (157507) | 513
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether there are plans to change family proceedings rules to require parties in children's cases to meet a mediator before proceeding. | | (157508) | 514
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will require the parties in cases concerning residence of children and contact to attend a mediation assessment before commencing court proceedings. | | (157509) | 515
N | Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many part-time fee paid immigration judges were appointed in each of the last two years; and how many days in total were sat by those persons in that time. | | (157056) | 516
N | Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what contingency preparations his Department made for the possibility of a general election being held in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations. | | (157052) | 517
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidelines are in place for dealing with transgender prisoners; and if he will make a statement. | | (157760) | 518
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish his response to the Corston Review of women in the penal system. | | (157761) | 519
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the public purse was of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (157849) | 520
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the full membership of the Solicitors Regulation Authority is; and when members were appointed. | | (157850) | 521
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations he has received about the effectiveness of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. | | (157851) | 522
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he last met Mr Anthony Townsend, Chief Executive Officer of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. | | (157852) | 523
| Keith Vaz (Leicester East):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations he has received from ethnic monitoring firms about their treatment by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. | | (157853) | Questions to the Leader of the House 524
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Leader of the House, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of her Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157903) | 525
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Leader of the House, how many staff are seconded to her Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157904) | 526
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Leader of the House, how many websites her Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running her Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157905) | 527
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Leader of the House, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by her Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157906) | 528
N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the statement of 25th July 2007, Official Report, columns 920-1, on the work of the Home Affairs Committee, what work programme was undertaken by the Home Affairs Committee during the summer recess. | | (157057) | 529
N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford):To ask the Leader of the House, how much was paid to the chairman of the Home Affairs Committee for the undertaking of that role between 26th July and 8th October. | | (157058) | 530
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Leader of the House, how many (a) debates and (b) votes there have been on the subject of hon. Members' pensions since 1997. | | (157367) | 531
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):To ask the Leader of the House, if she will bring forward proposals to improve scrutiny of European Union legislation. | | (157578) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 532
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157879) | 533
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157880) | 534
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157881) | 535
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157882) | Questions to the Prime Minister 536
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, who nominated Martin Howard for an honour. | | (157800) | 537
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, for what reasons and on what date it was decided to not invite Sir Alistair Graham to serve a second term as Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. | | (157801) | 538
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, what the recruitment process is for appointing a new permanent Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and on what date he expects to make such an appointment. | | (157802) | 539
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157911) | 540
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157912) | 541
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157913) | 542
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Prime Minister, how many hits the (a) most and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157914) | 543
| Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton):To ask the Prime Minister, if he will expedite the reply to the letter to him dated 2nd August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr C. Fairhurst, which he forwarded for reply to the Department for Communities and Local Government. | | (157302) | 544
N | Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall):To ask the Prime Minister, what contingency preparations were made by No. 10 Downing Street for the possibility of a general election being held in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations. | | (157054) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 545
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157915) | 546
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157916) | 547
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157917) | 548
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157918) | Questions to the Solicitor General 549
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Solicitor General, what account is taken when determining whether to charge an individual with a criminal offence of the impact on international relations as a consequence of prosecution; and if she will make a statement. | | (157568) | 550
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Solicitor General, what mechanisms exist to ensure consistency of decision-making within the Crown Prosecution Service on the assessment of forensic evidence; and if she will make a statement. | | (157569) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 551
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of her Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157919) | 552
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff are seconded to her Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157920) | 553
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many websites her Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running her Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157921) | 554
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many hits the (a) most and (b) least popular website run by her Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157922) | 555
| Mr Brian Binley (Northampton South):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will assess the merits of replacing existing speed cameras with vehicle-activated speed signs; and if she will make a statement. | | (157512) | 556
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her most recent estimate is of the debts left to the public sector following Metronet's failure to fulfil its contract with London Underground; and how she expects those debts to be met. | | (157848) | 557
N | Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe & Nantwich):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the extent to which STATS 19 returns underestimate the actual number of road traffic accident casualties; and when her Department became aware of the issue. | | (157158) | 558
N | Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe & Nantwich):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and public service vehicles (PSV) were tested in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07; how many such vehicles were not tested; how many such vehicles were fitted with speed limiters; how many centres in fitting limiters were approved by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the relevant period; and how many HGVs and PSVs failed a test in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07. | | (157159) | 559
N | Mr Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost of extending the rebate in graduated vehicle excise duty to otherwise-qualifying liquefied petroleum gas vehicles registered prior to March 2001; and if she will make a statement. | | (156838) | 560
N | Mr Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the environmental effects of encouraging the use of liquefied petroleum gas and other low emissions vehicles; and if she will make a statement. | | (156839) | 561
N | Mr Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has had with Irish Water Safety on the Irish experience of the impact of the introduction of compulsory personal flotation devices for fishing crews and some leisure sailors; and if she will make a statement. | | (156840) | 562
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make a statement on her Department's consultation on in-vehicle information systems. | | (157602) | 563
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the expected timescale is for the publication of the proposals on in-vehicle information systems. | | (157603) | 564
| Anne Milton (Guildford):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the likely impact of Galileo on the In-Vehicle Information System; and if she will make a statement. | | (157604) | 565
N | Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will set out the details of the relaxation of drivers hours restrictions for the transport of livestock, including the period for which the relaxation will apply, arising from the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Surrey. | | (157154) | 566
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was of constructing the high speed rail link from Folkestone to St Pancras. | | (157582) | 567
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to build a network of high speed rail lines radiating from St Pancras; and if she will make a statement. | | (157583) | 568
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it a requirement for all vehicles using diesel to be fitted with diesel particulate filters; and if she will make a statement. | | (157783) | 569
| Sarah Teather (Brent East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times trains were (a) delayed, (b) delayed by more than one hour and (c) cancelled through mainline stations in Brent in 2006. | | (157632) | 570
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to improve the design and safety of Exit 5 of the M2. | | (156933) | 571
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average length is of queues during rush-hour on the westbound side of the M2 at exit 5 towards the Stockbury roundabout. | | (156934) | 572
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will request that the Health and Safety Executive assess the safety of exit 5 on the M2. | | (156935) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 573
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157923) | 574
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157924) | 575
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157925) | 576
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many hits the (a) most popular and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157926) | Questions to the Minister for Women and Equality 577
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what the Government's definition is of equality. | | (157725) | 578
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what research the Government has conducted into the gender gap in reported levels of subjective well-being. | | (157726) | 579
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what the gender pay gap is (a) nationally, (b) by region and (c) by constituency. | | (157754) | 580
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what plans the Government has to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees. | | (157755) | 581
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what plans she has to protect transgender people from discrimination, beyond those who have had, or seek, gender reassignment; and if she will make a statement. | | (157756) | 582
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what representations she has received on proposals for a combined equality duty. | | (157757) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 583
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was. | | (157867) | 584
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment. | | (157868) | 585
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1st January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years. | | (157869) | 586
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many hits the (a) most and (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1st January 2007. | | (157870) | 587
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many places on the UK Commission for Employment and Skills will be guaranteed for commissioners from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. | | (157313) | 588
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to increase the environmentally sustainable mobility of the long-term unemployed engaged under the Jobs Pledge created under the local employment partnerships, to enable them to travel to and from their place of work. | | (157314) | 589
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to protect (a) jobs in and (b) contracts held by Remploy. | | (157327) | 590
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many International Pension Centre clients are foreign nationals living in their country of birth. | | (157842) | 591
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many International Pension Centre clients (a) live permanently abroad and (b) require documents to be translated into a language other than English. | | (157843) | 592
| David T. C. Davies (Monmouth):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many International Pension Centre clients are the spouse or dependent of a UK citizen. | | (157845) | 593
| Mr David Drew (Stroud):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the maximum percentage payment under the Financial Assistance Scheme is of the pension lost; and whether the payment is dependent upon the level of contributions made. | | (157364) | 594
| Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobseekers allowance applications have been received from qualified or part-qualified home inspectors in the last 12 months. | | (157513) | 595
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who are entitled to pension credit but do not claim it; what steps he is taking to reduce that number; and if he will make a statement. | | (157341) | 596
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the surplus is in the National Insurance Fund; what surplus he expects to be in that fund for each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (157342) | 597
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was of paying child benefit to households in the (a) £0-£10,000, (b) £10,001-£20,000, (c) £20,001-£30,000, (d) £30,001-£40,000, (e) £40,001-£50,000 and (f) over £50,000 per annum income brackets in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (157394) | 598
N | Mr Robert Walter (North Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the case for the extension of the winter fuel allowance to terminally ill people. | | (156722) | 599
N | Mr Robert Walter (North Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the likely cost of extending the winter fuel allowance to terminally ill people. | | (156723) | 600
N | Mr Robert Walter (North Dorset):To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many terminally ill people are receiving disability living allowance. | | (156724) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 601
| Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods (City of Durham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues about potential alternatives to air passenger duty; and what plans he has to change the current system. | | [Transferred] (157317) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 602
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he expects (a) to roll out the new nurse-family partnerships and (b) to allocate the £670 million two year provision which he announced in his recent speech in Bournemouth; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (157477) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 603
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what steps he is taking to ensure that all Government departments fully comply with their equality duties. | | [Transferred] (157758) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 604
| Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington):To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations her Department has received on cultish behaviour in the (a) Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, (b) New Kadampa Tradition and (c) Soka Gakkai International. | | [Transferred] (157747) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 605
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North):To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what changes to the funding of creative partnerships will occur as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review. | | [Transferred] (157612) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 606
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend):To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the CBI's proposals for UK and Europe-wide standards on waste management. | | [Transferred] (157336) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 607
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire):To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were screened for breast cancer per head of the population in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) England in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (157516) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 608
| Bob Russell (Colchester):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it a requirement that crime against business is recorded as a separate category in official statistics; and if she will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (157784) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice 609
| Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate):To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Public Defender Service and the role it will play in the criminal justice system. | | [Transferred] (157414) | Questions to the Leader of the House 610
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Leader of the House, whether she plans to facilitate the accountability of regional ministers through written parliamentary questions. | | [Transferred] (157772) | Questions to the Solicitor General 611
| Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk):To ask the Solicitor General, what representations she has received on the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service (a) to charge Andrei Lugovoi and (b) not to charge any others for the murder of Alexander Litvenenko; and if she will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (157565) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 612
| Norman Baker (Lewes):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Minister for the South East has to address the noise emanating from the Lewes by-pass; and if she will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (157792) | 613
| Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average time was for a person arriving at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Stansted to clear airport procedures in (i) the last year for which figures are available and (ii) each of the previous five years. | | [Transferred] (157310) |
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